"Insider" info about programs' plans for the pandemic and Fall 2021

[somethingwitty]

I know that there is a running document that updates pretty regularly about programs that are not admitting for Fall 2021--University of Chicago, Rice, UPenn, Loyola (one of my top choices ? ), Columbia, etc.--but I was wondering if any of y'all who are are currently enrolled in US schools have any insider info about whether other programs are going to decide to follow suit (or if that option is being seriously considered), whether stipends for Ph.Ds will be significantly lower, or any other useful information that isn't yet posted on departments' websites. An honest opinion about whether potential applicants for this cycle should defer applying would also be greatly appreciated. 

Edited September 18, 2020 by somethingwitty

[eleatics]

Hey! I'm also applying to programs this cycle and totally feel your pain. To my knowledge, departments are still in the process of meeting to discuss future funding for graduate students this month, so we'll know more in the upcoming weeks. For now, I would only suggest being patient and continuing to work on your applications. If it helps, I'm remaining cautiously optimistic that these programs (UChicago, Rice, etc.) will remain outliers -- I have heard on good authority that many top programs will continue to accept applications this year albeit it is highly likely they will be accepting smaller cohorts this year than they have in the past. 

Some good advice I have heard from other folks who plan to apply this year is to consider adding some more funded MAs to your list. From a discord channel for folks who are also applying to philosophy programs this year: "For what it's worth, I think it is unlikely that funded MA programs will be pausing admissions, particularly those that are at big, public research universities. This is because budgets at these institutions are typically set in the first quarter of the fiscal year after departments have already taken applications. So, in a sense, these places are fairly secure, but will have to worry about funding NEXT year. Notice that all of the programs (to my knowledge) that have announced a pause in admissions are affiliated with high-ranking, private institutions with very large endowments. Funding is likely not as tight at these places as the situation would seem to indicate, but they are choosing to prioritize continuing PhDs who will be graduating into a completely frozen job market."

Re: waiting to apply later -- if you're set on going to graduate school, I would personally advise against waiting until next year to apply.  The competition is only going to steadily increase over the coming years, and your chances of getting into a funded program will start to decrease as higher education begins to experience the long-term financial impact of COVID-19. 

Breathe. Have some solid back-up plans. It will all work out. Best of luck!

Edited September 19, 2020 by eleatics

[Potato Cactus]

Is UPenn not accepting applications? I don't see any information on their philosophy website that indicates they are not accepting applications this cycle. But if I'm wrong please reply with a link so I can verify and I'll make sure to put on my sad face (It's one of the schools I want to apply to). 

[somethingwitty]

2 hours ago, Potato Cactus said:

Is UPenn not accepting applications? I don't see any information on their philosophy website that indicates they are not accepting applications this cycle. But if I'm wrong please reply with a link so I can verify and I'll make sure to put on my sad face (It's one of the schools I want to apply to). 

This seems less than official, but here: 

Granted, I have no way of verifying the veracity of this, but I wouldn't doubt it as a legitimate possibility. It could be incorrect info, though, so my fingers are crossed for you. I would reach out to the director of graduate admissions to confirm. 

This [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1yb_yciijFGEp5roVKYJ40U4eiREo3ZQTeSQkEjGMSsg/htmlview?usp=gmail#] is the document I mentioned in the original post. I check it daily, and, aside from the sometimes-depressing news about programs not admitting, its a useful resource. 

[somethingwitty]

Hi @eleatics!

I, too, am remaining cautiously optimistic (albeit being patient is not my strong suit), and I figured that, at the very least, programs would have to admit fewer students this cycle. I've definitely added more funded MA programs to my list, but, unfortunately, it seems like there are less continental MA programs with funding than analytic, and I come from a continental background and have primarily continental interests.

I'm going to be meeting with one of my professors from undergrad on Sunday, and he knows some higher-ups at Emory, Penn State, and DePaul (and likely more, these are just the ones I know for sure), so I'll ask if he's heard anything about those programs and let y'all know if he tells me any juicy deets. 

Thanks for all your advice @eleatics--I'm set on going to grad school, so I'll still be applying to programs this year, and I sincerely hope I get in somewhere. Like you said, I think it is only going to get worse from this point on vis-a-vis competition and funding. Good luck to you as well and stay safe! 

[Potato Cactus]

Thanks for the link, @somethingwitty. I did some digging and found that the English department at UPenn has a similar notice on their webpage; they are not accepting applications due to the School of Arts and Sciences' decision to postpone Ph.D admissions this cycle. https://www.english.upenn.edu/graduate/admissions 

Seems like the philosophy department hasn't got around to updating their webpage. I'll go put on my sad face now. 

But thank you for the link to the google doc, super helpful! 

[you'll_never_get_to_heaven]

On 9/19/2020 at 8:56 AM, somethingwitty said:

Hi @eleatics!

I, too, am remaining cautiously optimistic (albeit being patient is not my strong suit), and I figured that, at the very least, programs would have to admit fewer students this cycle. I've definitely added more funded MA programs to my list, but, unfortunately, it seems like there are less continental MA programs with funding than analytic, and I come from a continental background and have primarily continental interests.

I'm going to be meeting with one of my professors from undergrad on Sunday, and he knows some higher-ups at Emory, Penn State, and DePaul (and likely more, these are just the ones I know for sure), so I'll ask if he's heard anything about those programs and let y'all know if he tells me any juicy deets. 

Thanks for all your advice @eleatics--I'm set on going to grad school, so I'll still be applying to programs this year, and I sincerely hope I get in somewhere. Like you said, I think it is only going to get worse from this point on vis-a-vis competition and funding. Good luck to you as well and stay safe! 

for what it's worth, I'm a "continental"-oriented person and doing just fine at a supposedly "analytic" department - probably taking an I.S. on Heidegger sometime soon, currently in courses on Kant and Foucault. I mean, you probably wont be able to find someone who wants to talk about Lacan, but Heidegger, Foucault, Marx... shouldn't be so bad. And it's good to have an understanding of how people in other philosophical camps think anyway, even if it means wrestling to understand material that you'll ultimately decide is completely on the wrong track (taking a course with a metaethicist who advocates a reductive naturalist view that is totally wrong to me). I think it matters more at the PhD level than at the M.A. level.

[somethingwitty]

21 hours ago, you'll_never_get_to_heaven said:

for what it's worth, I'm a "continental"-oriented person and doing just fine at a supposedly "analytic" department - probably taking an I.S. on Heidegger sometime soon, currently in courses on Kant and Foucault. I mean, you probably wont be able to find someone who wants to talk about Lacan, but Heidegger, Foucault, Marx... shouldn't be so bad. And it's good to have an understanding of how people in other philosophical camps think anyway, even if it means wrestling to understand material that you'll ultimately decide is completely on the wrong track (taking a course with a metaethicist who advocates a reductive naturalist view that is totally wrong to me). I think it matters more at the PhD level than at the M.A. level.

Good to know. Reading through some of the threads on this forum, it seems like it might be easier to make that jump than the jump from analytic to continental? And I do have secondary interests in the philosophy of language, too, and I generally consider myself a pluralist, so I'm not opposed to applying to analytic-ish departments either. That said, I one of my primary interests is psychoanalysis ?  (but this fact will certainly not be included on all of my SOPs hehe).

[you'll_never_get_to_heaven]

On 9/22/2020 at 4:07 PM, somethingwitty said:

Good to know. Reading through some of the threads on this forum, it seems like it might be easier to make that jump than the jump from analytic to continental? And I do have secondary interests in the philosophy of language, too, and I generally consider myself a pluralist, so I'm not opposed to applying to analytic-ish departments either. That said, I one of my primary interests is psychoanalysis ?  (but this fact will certainly not be included on all of my SOPs hehe).

Eh, it's so hard to find programs friendly to psychoanalysis that I wouldn't bother. At least, M.A. programs. Very few. I don't know if the jump from analytic to continental is really easier, honestly. And you don't need it to be. If you have an interest and you're in a program, there's no reason you can't work with multiple people in other departments if you'd like. And it's not as if you can't go to whatever conferences, etc. you'd like. The program with the grad admissions chair who had his shit together the most and offered the best funding offer was from a more "analytic" department. I'm currently taking a course on Foucault and having an easier time then most because of my background, but it's great to have some more "analytic" peers. What's most important is that your department takes an interest in YOU. Given that they've already been studying and teaching for years, if they like you and offer you money, it's entirely possible that they see interests in your writing sample, etc. that you don't even know. Who cares if the department teaches what you think you want to learn if they don't take an active interest in your career? Department climate matters a lot. Who cares if you get to develop your knowledge of, say, Kierkegaard if you have to do it in with people you dislike in an environment that isn't intellectually engaging? 

Edited September 27, 2020 by you'll_never_get_to_heaven

[wkthomas]

Adding to the list of schools not admitting for Fall 2021: I heard yesterday that the University of Oregon is not accepting applications from a current student at another program. However, I haven't seen anything on the philosophy department's website reflecting this decision, so it could just be hearsay. 

[somethingwitty]

21 hours ago, wkthomas said:

Adding to the list of schools not admitting for Fall 2021: I heard yesterday that the University of Oregon is not accepting applications from a current student at another program. However, I haven't seen anything on the philosophy department's website reflecting this decision, so it could just be hearsay. 

Oh wow--I've been in touch with some of the graduate students in the philosophy program there, but they haven't mentioned anything (though they may not be as attuned to the workings/decisions of the department).  But I know the comp lit program suspended admissions, so I guess I wouldn't be surprised. 

[hassanJD]

can you link me to this supposed running document that updates regularly cause i haven't come across it before?? thanks!!!

[somethingwitty]

@hassanJD 

Here is the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yb_yciijFGEp5roVKYJ40U4eiREo3ZQTeSQkEjGMSsg/edit#gid=339976266

And here is one that updates regularly about whether programs are waiving the GRE: https://frederick-choo.weebly.com/gre-philosophy-2021-admission.html

[CinciGrad]

It's already reflected in those really nice spreadsheets, but the University of Cincinnati is accepting applicants, waived the GRE requirement, and is still planning to admit a normal-sized class of 3-4 students with our 5-year funding package (at least last I heard from meetings). We have heard nothing about cuts in our stipends either, so they seem to be staying the same (the school actually had a university-wide stipend minimum increase but philosophy already paid more than the increase). The department is also actively advertising the program through social media.

[Outer Heaven]

Would we able to negotiate our award package, this year?

[MtnDuck]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:11 PM, wkthomas said:

Adding to the list of schools not admitting for Fall 2021: I heard yesterday that the University of Oregon is not accepting applications from a current student at another program. However, I haven't seen anything on the philosophy department's website reflecting this decision, so it could just be hearsay. 

Given that applications closed on the 2nd, if they aren't accepting anyone then they better refund anyone that applied with respect to the application fee. If they had completely closed admissions I would have through it would have made it's way around the groups as folks went to apply and found that there wasn't a philosophy option. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by MtnDuck

[eleatics]

19 minutes ago, MtnDuck said:

Given that applications closed on the 2nd, if they aren't accepting anyone then they better refund anyone that applied with respect to the application fee. If they had completely closed admissions I would have through it would have made it's way around the groups as folks went to apply and found that there wasn't a philosophy option. 

UO Philosophy is accepting folks! Not sure where wkthomas got his information, but I confirmed that with two faculty members (including the DGS) pre-submission deadline.

[rivermoon]

Hi all.  I saw that the predicted date for Stony Brook to send out admissions decisions is tomorrow, January 28th 2021.  However, on their website they state: "Decision letters will be mailed out in early February." (https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/philosophy/graduate/phd/phdadmissions).  What would be the reasoning for thinking decisions would come out before then?  

[PolPhil]

1 hour ago, rivermoon said:

Hi all.  I saw that the predicted date for Stony Brook to send out admissions decisions is tomorrow, January 28th 2021.  However, on their website they state: "Decision letters will be mailed out in early February." (https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/philosophy/graduate/phd/phdadmissions). What would be the reasoning for thinking decisions would come out before then?  

The predictions are based on aggregated data from previous years

[rivermoon]

6 minutes ago, PolPhil said:

The predictions are based on aggregated data from previous years

Okay gotcha, thanks for the clarification. 

[Outer Heaven]

I am glad we have the necessary data analytics to find out dates 

[MtnDuck]

3 hours ago, rivermoon said:

Hi all.  I saw that the predicted date for Stony Brook to send out admissions decisions is tomorrow, January 28th 2021.  However, on their website they state: "Decision letters will be mailed out in early February." (https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/philosophy/graduate/phd/phdadmissions). What would be the reasoning for thinking decisions would come out before then?  

Guess I get to update that projection ? (I don't have the bandwidth to catch these types of notes from institutions, but when folks find them I can take them into account!)

[rivermoon]

Just now, MtnDuck said:

Guess I get to update that projection ? (I don't have the bandwidth to catch these types of notes from institutions, but when folks find them I can take them into account!)

Yeah, though I guess we will wait till tomorrow and see what happens! Could be that they are implying they will let most people know either way by mid Feb...because I frequently see those admitted finding out first.