philosophe Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 More NYU calls incoming? wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humean_skeptic Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Congrats to all the people who received NYU offers!! I wonder if they're still giving out wait lists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhD applicant Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I hope you're being sarcastic. At any rate, I don't really like the convention of using subheadings. Anyway, here's what not to do if you want to get accepted:http://www.scribd.com/doc/210749665/WS I actually have a little bit of an issue with them too. I had to argue with a professor about this for my sample. I agree that for certain types of paper it can interrupt the flow. But in terms of helping the reader divide up the information for easier reading, I think it can help with organization. As for the actual paper being better, my professor argued that the section headers help you to define sections of your argument so you don't get lost on tangents. I think all of these points are 'valid' which is why I ended up going with section headers even though I don't feel like that type of person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Table Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (1) I took the GRE my final semester, while polishing my writing sample, assembling my applications, and dealing with regular courses. ... (3) I haven't taken a math course since community college, which was nearly three years ago. Am I right in thinking that you weren't able to study much? It can make a huge difference. I raised my quant score from a 152 when I took my first practice exam to a 170 when I actually took the GRE. I forgot basically every math formula I ever learned after high school, so on my first practice exam there were several questions I had no idea how to approach and I spent a ton of time reasoning through how to find the area of a triangle, etc. instead of being able to just spit out a formula. Brushing up on that stuff made a huge difference for me. I also found doing practice problems pretty soothing. I don't think it really took time away from doing philosophy, because it's such a different task. It often was a good break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar_scene_gambler Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 I actually have a little bit of an issue with them too. I had to argue with a professor about this for my sample. I agree that for certain types of paper it can interrupt the flow. But in terms of helping the reader divide up the information for easier reading, I think it can help with organization. As for the actual paper being better, my professor argued that the section headers help you to define sections of your argument so you don't get lost on tangents. I think all of these points are 'valid' which is why I ended up going with section headers even though I don't feel like that type of person. My distaste for subheadings is a little less thought out than yours. I think it just ruins my writing style. I've developed a more narrative writing style over the last two years, and needless to say, it doesn't mesh well. That, and it violates my aesthetic sensibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golem Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Purdue or Purdon't? pearclick, Differance, Sophist and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humean_skeptic Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Here's another example for writing sample you shouldn't use, considering my luck so far. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2bL0eoS4wTxNTZ5dEZXVE5xRXM/edit?usp=sharing Interesting, well-written paper. I honestly think you should blame the super-competitive state of graduate philosophy admissions at top schools, rather than the quality of your sample. And you're wait listed at UVA, right? So it's not all bad! Edited March 5, 2014 by humean_skeptic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottagecheeseman Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Interesting, well-written paper. I honestly think you should blame the super-competitive state of graduate philosophy admissions at top schools, rather than the quality of your sample. And you're wait listed at UVA, right? So it's not all bad! Thanks, and yeah, that's what I'm going to blame it on. Competitive nature of this thing, not very focused SOP, poor quant GRE score, lack of prestigious school. Honestly at first I was tempted to deny UVA for an MA so I could have a chance to do it again, the more I look at UVA and talked to some students there the more I will probably accept if I get off the waitlist. Students have great things to say about it and their placement is decently strong. But there are also some good reasons not too, and I'll cross that bridge if I get in. I hope I do though, UVA is close to home (relative to the US, I grew up about 3 hours drive to the east) and I know the area well, and I would love to live there and be near the Appalachian trail and I'm a fan of Thomas Jefferson. Also you never friended me on facebook PhD applicant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopefulpessimiste Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I second the suggestion that al the papers posted (at least those I've looked at) were interesting and well-written. I think everyone should be proud of the work they've done to even get to this point (to be a competitive PhD applicant is hard enough!). I am kinda turned on by headings and sub-headings, though...they're pretty neat (especially when someone is skimming a paper or looking for a part of an argument). But where is Princeton!??! I just want to know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandajune Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) I was accepted to ASU, but I will be declining very soon. It seems I applied to an excess of "safety schools", but better safe than sorry. Edited March 5, 2014 by wandajune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgswaim Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I was accepted to ASU, but I will be declining very soon. It seems I applied to an excess of "safety schools", but better safe than sorry. Just out of curiosity, are you the Illinois UC post on the results board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandajune Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Just out of curiosity, are you the Illinois UC post on the results board? Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgswaim Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Yep. Thanks. Could you write them back and tell them I'd really appreciate a similar offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandajune Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Thanks. Could you write them back and tell them I'd really appreciate a similar offer? Oh, sure thing. For anyone hoping for an acceptance from UIUC, you might find the following excerpt from the email I received interesting: "This is a very exciting time for us here as we have an aggressive growth plan that we have just begun to implement. For instance, the department recently voted to extend an offer to Ned Markossian, and we are in the midst of a second search for a mid-career value theorist." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgswaim Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Oh, sure thing. For anyone hoping for an acceptance from UIUC, you might find the following excerpt from the email I received interesting: "This is a very exciting time for us here as we have an aggressive growth plan that we have just begun to implement. For instance, the department recently voted to extend an offer to Ned Markossian, and we are in the midst of a second search for a mid-career value theorist." That's interesting indeed. Looks like the one place public education in Illinois is actually poised to grow. Edit: Are you planning to accept? Undecided? Edited March 5, 2014 by dgswaim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philstudent1991 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I hope you're being sarcastic. At any rate, I don't really like the convention of using subheadings. Anyway, here's what not to do if you want to get accepted:http://www.scribd.com/doc/210749665/WS I was if you don't end up with an offer, it's because competition is just so ridiculously tough these days, not because you weren't a great applicant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandajune Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 That's interesting indeed. Looks like the one place public education in Illinois is actually poised to grow. Edit: Are you planning to accept? Undecided? I'm planning to visit several departments before deciding. Schools are listed in my signature in order of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottagecheeseman Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 For those waiting on Umass, this is posted on their website: "We expect to make our initil fellowship offers, and offers of admission, on Monday March 10" GOOD LUCK ON MONDAY MAYBE I'LL GET LUCKY! shelbyelisha, philosopheme and philosophe 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MongooseMayhem Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I wanna share!https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z7tqwDzaXceWZkOHE3azV4d00/edit?usp=sharing My WS didn't have an abstract. I added that to submit to two conferences because why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVineyard Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I was expecting this Wednesday to be insane...=[ DHumeDominates and Philhopeful 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavngoose1 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I would guess tomorrow evening or Friday will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeupright Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I wanna share!https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z7tqwDzaXceWZkOHE3azV4d00/edit?usp=sharing My WS didn't have an abstract. I added that to submit to two conferences because why not? You're lucky you didn't include the abstract: "Andy Clark and David Chalmers argue that the hypothesis of extended memory and belief (HEMB) provides more explanatory power then its denial;" Do you mean than its denial? Your writing sample would have contained an error in the first sentence. Table, wakeupright and Cottagecheeseman 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeupright Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I was expecting this Wednesday to be insane...=[ I would guess tomorrow evening or Friday will be. What's happening? What's the party? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavngoose1 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 It's just speculation based on a few bits of info and Ian Faircloud's blog. I don't have any big insider info or anything like that. Plus I'd like to avoid revealing my identity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeupright Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 It's just speculation based on a few bits of info and Ian Faircloud's blog. I don't have any big insider info or anything like that. Plus I'd like to avoid revealing my identity. I meant which schools are going to be making noise... which is what I'm assuming you're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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