Initial round of offers in Masters Program

[Himself]

Hi, i am just curious about the following question: how many offers do MA programs typically send out? By offers, i mean all those acceptance except waitlist (so for schools that send out offers in waves, they all count as initial round of offers). I know it may vary between schools (e.g. between a program that's fully funded and, Tufts and Brandeis). But does anyone have any idea how many offers do each type of programs send out initially? Say they need around 10 students (i know some programs have a more strict intake due to funding structure), is it a reasonable speculation that they send out 20 offers initially, or less than that? And is it unreasonable to think that they would send out 2.5x times their expected intake? Given the fact that different programs have data on their matriculation rate, it seems reasonable to think that some schools would send out more, and some less. What do you folks think? 

[you'll_never_get_to_heaven]

Depends. Keep in mind that all M.A. programs are relatively newly esteemed. Younger philosophers hold them in high regard, whereas an older 50+ tenured prof at a SLAC might believe that M.A. programs are to be avoided.

 

so, 

1) all of the M.A. programs are trying to prove their worth. That means placing students.

2) the ones that have done so already do not need to prove anything by placing you. They probably accept less students, of course, because students who are accepted will almost certainly enroll. They assume - rightfully so - that they'll be able to place most students in good programs. This has its drawbacks, and it's a different situation than PhD programs. For example, my undergrad advisor said GSU would be good for me, except that he had heard rumors of favoritism at that department - and that some students are simply left behind. That's not going to happen at a program that has a vested interest in placing you - specifically you.

at any rate, what matters is what program wants you there. If they want you there, it's because they think you're promising and they think they could place you in a top program. That's part of what makes M.A. programs less of a gamble overall (and also  why an applicant should choose an esteemed M.A. program over a struggling PhD program).