Is it Worth Applying to a Ph.D. Program?

[milkncereal]

**EDIT: I'm new here, so please let me know if there is a better place to put this kind of post. Thanks, everyone!**

Hey, everyone! 

So, I am officially deciding to pursue graduate school in philosophy as part of my career to higher education. I very much enjoy doing philosophy and was grateful to have been brought up in a department that was supportive of my studies even when I came halfway through my undergrad. I'd like to gather y'alls opinion on whether or not I should apply to a Ph.D. program given the following context:

• I started off college on a not so high note as a computer science major and had to retake some really difficult math courses in my early years. But, over time I was able to turn my GPA around when I decided to switch to philosophy and change my career trajectory. I have done mostly well in my philosophy courses, gaining A's on higher level courses (esp. Epistemology and Metaphysics) and will most likely continue to do so as I do my last year of undergrad with higher level philosophy courses and other courses I am interested in. 

• However, this change to philosophy happened during my 3rd year of undergrad and I will have done a total of 5 years for my bachelor's when I graduate. My GPA currently stands at a 3.21 w/ a major GPA of 3.65. By the time I graduate, I speculate that my final GPAs will be 3.3-3.4 w/ a major GPA of 3.7-3.8. I am very much aware that my GPA may not come off as competitive. Although I would love to study at the Ph.D. programs I am interested in, I have to be honest with myself about my chances and consider alternatives (which is why I'm considering the M.A.). 

• I have been much involved with my department by becoming a Research Assistant, Logic Tutor, and serving as President of our Student Club. I have done some independent research and have a paper in the process of being published in a journal as well as other papers that I plan to present at (virtual) conferences in the Spring. Moreover, I have participated in fall workshops as an indicator of interest in pursuing graduate school (and plan to apply to summer diversity programs).

Given all of this, it is clear that I will have to put more effort into other aspects of my application to balance the less-than-stellar GPA (writing sample, LOR's, etc.). I know that the Ph.D. might be a long shot because there are better applicants. But, should I just not apply at all and just restrict my applications to just M.A. programs? Given that I do make it up by doing well in the other parts of my application, is it still worth applying anyway?

Thanks for your time and for your responses. If you need my list of schools I am interested in to get a better idea, I'd be more than happy to list them. I plan on applying about a year after I graduate in Spring 2021, so I think that's two cycles from now.

Edited October 14, 2020 by milkncereal

[PolPhil]

Writing sample and letters are much more important than GPA. They won't really care about your involvement in the department, conferences, or research, with the exception of a publication in a top journal. It's generally a good idea to aim for an MA after undergrad, especially if you don't think that you're in the top tier of applicants (top 5ish percent). It'll give you a better chance to get to know faculty and develop a strong writing sample. If you think that you have strong application, but perhaps not top tier, it's not a bad idea to throw in some PhD applications along with your MA applications. You never know when you might strike gold.

Edited October 14, 2020 by PolPhil