Acceptance Thread

[philosophia14]

Question: (looking at Ian Faircloud and all the other philosophical admissions ninjas out there) Does anyone know how long ND's waitlist has been in recent years or this year? And is this a question that it's polite of me to ask of the DGS or not? I'm completely unsure about ettiquete with these things.

[Gnothi_Seauton]

Something for all the UVA prospectives:  http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2014/02/barnes-cameron-from-leeds-to-virginia.html

[carolinebk]

Just got waitlisted at WashU for PNP!

[philophilosopher]

I was waitlisted at Vanderbilt, but I was told that there are around 4-5 on the waitlist.

[Structural_Realist]

Just got waitlisted at WashU for Philosophy!

[ianfaircloud]

Question: (looking at Ian Faircloud and all the other philosophical admissions ninjas out there) Does anyone know how long ND's waitlist has been in recent years or this year? And is this a question that it's polite of me to ask of the DGS or not? I'm completely unsure about ettiquete with these things.

 

Did someone call for an admissions ninja? Based on historical data, for what it's worth, I think Notre Dame's wait-list is between five and ten applicants long.

 

If you've been wait-listed, it's completely appropriate to ask what that means for you. Ask to know the length of the wait-list and your position in line. Some departments have unranked wait-lists. I think, e.g., Harvard's list is short and unranked. But it's neither inappropriate nor unexpected for applicants to ask these questions.

[carolinebk]

To whoever turned down the WashU wait list -- thank you! your speedy decision is much appreciated by the other waitlisters

[philosophe]

Some departments have unranked wait-lists. I think, e.g., Harvard's list is short and unranked. 

 

I don't even understand the concept of an unranked waitlist. 

[Hopephily]

I don't even understand the concept of an unranked waitlist. 

 

Just speculating, but perhaps it's based to some extent on AOI's. 

[dgswaim]

I don't even understand the concept of an unranked waitlist. 

Do they pull names out of a hat? Maybe they have one of those super windy glass phone booth things and the DGS grabs at pieces of paper with names on them...

[humean_skeptic]

I don't even understand the concept of an unranked waitlist. 

 

Arizona has the same thing; the wait list is not linearly ordered. I think the order of who gets off the list depends on the AOI of those who turn down offers (and the AOI of the applicants on the wait list). There are six initial offers, and nine or ten applicants on the wait list. In previous years, they often use up everyone on their initial wait list, and use a much longer, 'extended' wait list made up of the applicants they didn't reject. 

[Monadology]

I assume that whether a waitlist is ranked or unranked in some cases just has to do with when the deliberative labor happens: I can either decide now who is next up of the 20 most viable candidates without offers or I can decide later on the occasion that an offer is turned down. For some it might be AoI related as Hopephily mentioned.

[ungerdrag]

Yourself and Modal are obviously seen as special applicants and have clearly put together a couple of the absolute best applications that adcoms will be seeing this year. Could you two tell us what you are comfortable with revealing?

Example question: Are you from a top 10 department? Top 5? Do you have letter(s) from philosophers considered eminent?

Thanks for responding if you choose to!

 

Happy to respond! I'll say as much as I can without losing anonymity.

 

My department is ranked around 20—so not even in the top 15. My letter writers did a fantastic job, from what I've heard, but not because they're rock stars. They're well-respected full professors who knew my work and had good things to say. I took a grad seminar with one, and we met about twice a week to discuss my term paper. One I took a class with last semester; my final paper for this class got full marks and ending up as my writing sample. (I later spent 6-8 hours a day for a week beefing it up.) And my third letter writer and I have been doing independent projects together for over a year.

 

So I'm not at an elite school, but because I'm pretty outgoing, I've become close friends with some excellent professors and gotten tons of support. (That said, I did go to a super-super-elite private school from grades 6-12. So at least some of my success is just due to that privilege.)

 

My GREs were strong: 170V 168Q 4.0AW. My recommenders said good things about my writing, and my sample was fairly polished, so I don't think I was hurt at all by the weak AW score.

 

I also am working on a second major in a related field (in which I've taken two grad seminars).

 

That's all the relevant stuff I can think of off the top of my head. I'd be happy to answer any other questions. (And congrats to everyone who's getting good news! Hope you get off the waitlist, zizeksucks!)

[ungerdrag]

Fun fact: I only got into my undergrad school, ranked around 20, off the waitlist. Now I'm choosing between Yale, Michigan, and MIT. It's not all about where you get your degree from.

[stressedout]

Fun fact: I only got into my undergrad school, ranked around 20, off the waitlist. Now I'm choosing between Yale, Michigan, and MIT. It's not all about where you get your degree from.

 

I gotta say, I'm jealous.  But! I am happy for you, (wo)man.  Good for you.

[Cottagecheeseman]

Happy to respond! I'll say as much as I can without losing anonymity.

 

My department is ranked around 20—so not even in the top 15. My letter writers did a fantastic job, from what I've heard, but not because they're rock stars. They're well-respected full professors who knew my work and had good things to say. I took a grad seminar with one, and we met about twice a week to discuss my term paper. One I took a class with last semester; my final paper for this class got full marks and ending up as my writing sample. (I later spent 6-8 hours a day for a week beefing it up.) And my third letter writer and I have been doing independent projects together for over a year.

 

So I'm not at an elite school, but because I'm pretty outgoing, I've become close friends with some excellent professors and gotten tons of support. (That said, I did go to a super-super-elite private school from grades 6-12. So at least some of my success is just due to that privilege.)

 

My GREs were strong: 170V 168Q 4.0AW. My recommenders said good things about my writing, and my sample was fairly polished, so I don't think I was hurt at all by the weak AW score.

 

I also am working on a second major in a related field (in which I've taken two grad seminars).

 

That's all the relevant stuff I can think of off the top of my head. I'd be happy to answer any other questions. (And congrats to everyone who's getting good news! Hope you get off the waitlist, zizeksucks!)

Looks like you scored the lottery. And thanks I hope I get off the waitlist too! 

[ianfaircloud]

Fun fact: I only got into my undergrad school, ranked around 20, off the waitlist. Now I'm choosing between Yale, Michigan, and MIT. It's not all about where you get your degree from.

 

Well, when some of us speak of the liability of attending a weak undergraduate institution, we're talking about schools you've literally never heard of. Schools with open admissions in rural Nebraska. 

[Table]

I JUST GOT WAITLISTED UVA I'M FUCKING FREAKING OUT HERE AT WORK AND IT'S ONLY A WAITLIST.

 

Congrats! Did you make the turtle face?

Edited February 20, 2014 by Table

[Cottagecheeseman]

Congrats! Did you make the turtle face?

I imagine so! Basically I did this, and then called my best friend who didn't answer because he though I was his girlfriend annoying him. And all for a waitlist! Man my life is boring.

 

 

[humean_skeptic]

Wondering if there's a way to speed up time so that March 5th comes tomorrow, while also remaining productive over the next two weeks. Suggestions? 

[objectivityofcontradiction]

Wondering if there's a way to speed up time so that March 5th comes tomorrow, while also remaining productive over the next two weeks. Suggestions? 

 

What happens on March 5th?

[humean_skeptic]

What happens on March 5th?

 

By then, NYU, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Cornell, etc will have given out their offers, not to mention the fact that I *might* have get in off the Arizona wait list by then (based on results from previous years).

[objectivityofcontradiction]

Nice. I am making no inferences based on previous years as to when results will trickle out. But I also applied to Columbia, so I guess I look forward to March 5th as well. 

[dgswaim]

Just received a rejection from Baylor. I'm confused and depressed.

[jailbreak]

Happy to respond! I'll say as much as I can without losing anonymity.

 

My department is ranked around 20—so not even in the top 15. My letter writers did a fantastic job, from what I've heard, but not because they're rock stars. They're well-respected full professors who knew my work and had good things to say. I took a grad seminar with one, and we met about twice a week to discuss my term paper. One I took a class with last semester; my final paper for this class got full marks and ending up as my writing sample. (I later spent 6-8 hours a day for a week beefing it up.) And my third letter writer and I have been doing independent projects together for over a year.

 

So I'm not at an elite school, but because I'm pretty outgoing, I've become close friends with some excellent professors and gotten tons of support. (That said, I did go to a super-super-elite private school from grades 6-12. So at least some of my success is just due to that privilege.)

 

My GREs were strong: 170V 168Q 4.0AW. My recommenders said good things about my writing, and my sample was fairly polished, so I don't think I was hurt at all by the weak AW score.

 

I also am working on a second major in a related field (in which I've taken two grad seminars).

 

That's all the relevant stuff I can think of off the top of my head. I'd be happy to answer any other questions. (And congrats to everyone who's getting good news! Hope you get off the waitlist, zizeksucks!)

 

Was your undergraduate institution ranked around #20 (US News), or your department (PGR)? When talking about the impact of "prestigious" institutions on application outcomes, the distinction seems important... Thanks for the info you've given so far.