Am I even good enough to have impostor syndrome?

[eleatics]

Not particularly philosophy-related but posting this here anyway since I'm wrapping up my applications for graduate programs in philosophy within the next few weeks, but damn. This process really is such a crapshoot. It seems like everyone has a 4.0 GPA, stellar letters of recommendation from well-known professors in their fields, flawless writing samples, etc etc., and I feel like my application is decent but nothing exceptional. I have genuinely no idea what's going to happen come February-April. It's going to be terribly embarrassing if I get shut out this cycle and have to explain to friends and family that none of the 20+ PhD programs I applied to this fall decided to accept my application. Just needed to vent. Best of luck to everyone submitting applications this cycle!

[Olórin]

Applying to grad school is uhhhhhhhhhh the worst. 

[MaryHildegard]

1 hour ago, eleatics said:

Not particularly philosophy-related but posting this here anyway since I'm wrapping up my applications for graduate programs in philosophy within the next few weeks, but damn. This process really is such a crapshoot. It seems like everyone has a 4.0 GPA, stellar letters of recommendation from well-known professors in their fields, flawless writing samples, etc etc., and I feel like my application is decent but nothing exceptional. I have genuinely no idea what's going to happen come February-April. It's going to be terribly embarrassing if I get shut out this cycle and have to explain to friends and family that none of the 20+ PhD programs I applied to this fall decided to accept my application. Just needed to vent. Best of luck to everyone submitting applications this cycle!

I feel you. (Am applying for a master's in another humanities field). The wait is going to be the worst. My top choice has an admissions blog and they have some interviews with current students, and they all seem like they accomplished so much more in undergrad than I did. Do you have a backup plan if you don't get in?

[ak71]

I'm already in a grad program but will be reapplying this year. Speaking from previous experience, I can tell you that the wait is perhaps the most difficult part of grad school applications. What I did was to spend some good amount of time on voluntary activities such as writing/translating Wikipedia articles in my areas of interest -- not only it gets you distracted from the wait, you may also benefit many people.

 

Good luck with your applications everyone!

[PolPhil]

Tell your friends and family that the average acceptance rate at top-10 programs is 3-4%, making philosophy the most competitive discipline in academia

Edit: the acceptance rates are likely to be even lower this year

Edited November 20, 2020 by PolPhil

[freC]

I suspect you think too highly of other applicants. The average GPA for applicants for many schools is 3.6-3.8/4.0. Writing samples are usually not flawless and usually still not of publishable quality. I tend to hear that 1 big factor for getting into schools is fit with the dept. So, even if a student's sample might not be as good as others, they might be preferable all things considered. 

Don't need to be embarrassed if you didn't get in this year. It's an extremely competitive year due to schools suspending or reducing applications. Also, the acceptance rates on a normal year is already extremely low, and you're competing with many strong applicants.

Btw here's some estimated stats on acceptance rates based off previous years in case other people ask. 
New York - 6/300 (2%)
Rutgers 7/300 (2.33%)
YaleU - 5/300 (1.67%)
UCLA - 6/200 (3%)
UPenn - 6/120 (5%)
Notre Dame - 10/250 (4%)
UWisconsin, Madison - 6/200 (3%)
Washington University in St. Louis - 6/120 (5%)
UMass - 5/80 (6.25%)
Georgetown - 5/200 (2.5%)
UC Santa Barbara - 4/70 (5.7%) 
McGill - 7/150 (4.67%) 
Baylor - 5/100 (5%)
To note: Notice that acceptance rates are low even at lower ranked and unranked schools. 

[Glasperlenspieler]

23 hours ago, FrederickC said:

Btw here's some estimated stats on acceptance rates based off previous years in case other people ask. 
New York - 6/300 (2%)
Rutgers 7/300 (2.33%)
YaleU - 5/300 (1.67%)
UCLA - 6/200 (3%)
UPenn - 6/120 (5%)
Notre Dame - 10/250 (4%)
UWisconsin, Madison - 6/200 (3%)
Washington University in St. Louis - 6/120 (5%)
UMass - 5/80 (6.25%)
Georgetown - 5/200 (2.5%)
UC Santa Barbara - 4/70 (5.7%) 
McGill - 7/150 (4.67%) 
Baylor - 5/100 (5%)
To note: Notice that acceptance rates are low even at lower ranked and unranked schools. 

You're certainly right that it is extremely competitive to get into a Ph.D. program in philosophy, but for the sake of accuracy, I do want to ask how you got these statistics. It sort of looks like you divided the incoming cohort by the number of applicants, but that assumes a 100% matriculation rate among those accepted, which I suspect for most programs (even the very top programs) is probably not quite accurate.

Yale, for instance, has its statistics online. In 2019 they admitted 12 out of 333 applicants, but only 5 matriculated. That's a 3.6% acceptance rate. Still very low, but somewhat higher than what you're reporting. (Data here: https://public.tableau.com/profile/ecf5839#!/vizhome/YaleGraduateSchoolofArtsandSciencesStatisticsWebNoBBS/Admissions)

Of course, none of this is to refute the general point. It's very hard to get admitted and this year will almost certainly be worse than usual.

[freC]

I think we understand acceptance rates differently (and perhaps I'm wrong on the meaning of acceptance rates). 

My idea of acceptance rates is based on the number of ppl who actually matriculated divided by the number of applicants (perhaps this is better termed as admission/matriculation rates or something else?). This stats is concerned with the ppl who accepted the offer. And these are the numbers which depts are actually aiming for (eg. They may be aiming for a class of 4 but end up offering a total of 10 because applicants reject their offers). 

The idea of acceptance rates you're thinking of is based on the number of ppl who got offered divided by the number of applicants (and perhaps you're right that this is what acceptance rates mean). On this sense, you're right that my stats would be wrong. For top programmes, they tend to offer 2-3x the class sizes they aim for because many of these applicants will have multiple offers. I'm not too sure about lower ranked programmes. 

[Glasperlenspieler]

6 hours ago, FrederickC said:

The idea of acceptance rates you're thinking of is based on the number of ppl who got offered divided by the number of applicants (and perhaps you're right that this is what acceptance rates mean). On this sense, you're right that my stats would be wrong. For top programmes, they tend to offer 2-3x the class sizes they aim for because many of these applicants will have multiple offers. I'm not too sure about lower ranked programmes. 

This metric would seem to be a better representation of ones odd of getting admitted to any given program (which I take to be the general question here) and is the way the term acceptances rates is used by most institutions I'm aware of. If an undergraduate college says they have a 20% acceptance rate that means 20% of the people who apply are offered admission regardless of whether they matriculate.

[freC]

Ah I see. Thanks for the clarification!