Acceptance Thread

[Cottagecheeseman]

This is a bit like going to a bar and telling the patrons all they do is drink. It's a forum that's only purpose is to talk about graduate school admissions. You're not exactly getting an accurate picture of the posters' lives, let alone enough to make psychological diagnoses. 

The worst I do is check my email 50 times a day. But that's only up from like 20, because I check it a lot for work anyway.

[greencoloredpencil]

The worst I do is check my email 50 times a day. But that's only up from like 20, because I check it a lot for work anyway.

You only check your email like 50 times a day? I probably check mine closer to 70. 

Edited January 24, 2014 by greencoloredpencil

[Hopephily]

I have been on this board for two years now and so have been around for what will be three rounds of acceptances. I am also in this one with the rest of you and so share in the fear of failure. Still, I have to say that you guys are far and away the most manic-panicky-anxious-compulsive of the whole bunch...

 

Take a couple deep breaths. Take a day or two away from the internet and your email. Relax.  

 

This is actually good advice. I'm trying my best to enjoy the ride even though I don't know where it's headed. 

[axiomness]

From Leiter: "University of Connecticut, Storrs:  Appointed Dorit Bar-On (philosophy of language & mind, metaethics) and Keith Simmons (philosophy of language & logic), both from North Carolina; also appointed Lewis Gordon (Africana philosophy, phenomenology, existentialism) from Temple, Mitchell Green (philosophy of language & mind) from Virginia, and Susan Schneider (philosophy of mind & cognitive science, metaphysics) from a tenure-track position at Penn." 

 

Pretty damn impressive. 

I'll say. UNC Chapel Hill has had quite a brain drain recently (Mary & Bob Adams just retired from there as well, are at Rutgers for the next year or so), it will be interesting to see how they drop in the Leiter report.

 

Speaking of UNC Chapel Hill, is anyone going to be at the NC Philosophy Society conference there in February? I just heard back from them and had my paper accepted (it will be nice to do some philosophy to get the mind off of all the programs I will be rejected by!).

Edited January 24, 2014 by axiomness

[objectivityofcontradiction]

MattDest,

 

Not sure your bar analogy is a good one. I was not suggesting that the dialogue should cease altogether, only that one should reflect for a minute on some of the more trivial worries that have been raised here and realize that such things, i.e., how to address professors in emails, whether they will be notified of acceptance via email or phone call or website, how long it will take to get a rejection letter if acceptances are already going up, etc. are wastes of energy. 

 

We've already been worked over by the process... now let the process unfold and work for us, ya know? Have a little hope that a few members of an ad com are going to fall in love with your packet and come calling... makes it easier... then again, I suppose I am a bit more of a laid back person in general and thus despite how high my levels of despair get re: the process, I can usually manage to remain optimistic.

Edited January 24, 2014 by objectivityofcontradiction

[Cottagecheeseman]

I'll say. UNC Chapel Hill has had quite a brain drain recently (Mary & Bob Adams just retired from there as well, are at Rutgers for the next year or so), it will be interesting to see how they drop in the Leiter report.

 

Speaking of UNC Chapel Hill, is anyone going to be at the NC Philosophy Society conference there in February? I just heard back from them and had my paper accepted (it will be nice to do some philosophy to get the mind off of all the programs I will be rejected by!).

Ooo I'm only two hours away so if I can get off work/or if it is a weekend I might drive down.

[MattDest]

MattDest,

 

Not sure your bar analogy is a good one. I was not suggesting that the dialogue should cease altogether, only that one should reflect for a minute on some of the more trivial worries that have been raised here and realize that such things, i.e., how to address professors in emails, whether they will be notified of acceptance via email or phone call or website, how long it will take to get a rejection letter if acceptances are already going up, etc. are wastes of energy. 

 

We've already been worked over by the process... now let the process unfold and work for us, ya know? Have a little hope that a few members of an ad com are going to fall in love with your packet and come calling... makes it easier... then again, I suppose I am a bit more of a laid back person in general and thus despite how high my levels of despair get re: the process, I can usually manage to remain optimistic.

 

Your general sentiment is definitely a good one. However, the bar analogy was more like this: in other settings, getting really drunk might be seen as problematic, but at a bar is one of the few places where that sort of behavior is expected. In the gradcafe forums, these types of threads are expected. It's not really a sign of problematic, life-altering worry. 

[DHumeDominates]

Yeah, the UNC "brain drain" thing worries me.

[philosophe]

Looks like Ohio State is real, seeing as there's another acceptance post. Congrats to those accepted!

[TheVineyard]

Hello guys,
 

Lurker for 2 yrs, but finally became a contributor with today's Cincinnati submission. I was the first person (and accidental double-poster) of the Cincinn recruitment weekend thing.

I made this account to do some clarification work because I see there is a bit of a rumor mill churning here. The Cincinnati thing is NOT an interview. They explicitly said it is not an interview, and that it is entirely voluntary, etc. It is just a visit. Keep in mind, Cincinnati has 5 spots to fill and is bringing 10 people. It is probably quite likely that 5 (or more!) of them will not end up choosing Cincin after all in favor of other schools. Nobody yields over 50% every year, not even NYU, Harvard, etc.

Also, they are paying for the trip, they will even schedule the airfare for you. So you aren't being forced to go, you aren't being interviewed (although yes, they will be checking you out), and you don't have to pay. The most likely case is that no tough decisions will have to be made, as at least 5 of us 10 won't end up choosing them. If they do have to pick and choose, then that sucks, but like I said, at least you got a cool visit at a cool program for free, and you got a fair shot.

Anyway, I'll be around.

PS: You can't find out my email address from Grad Cafe can you?

Edited January 24, 2014 by TheVineyard

[philosophe]

Hello guys,

 

Lurker for 2 yrs, but finally became a contributor with today's Cincinnati submission. I was the first person (and accidental double-poster) of the Cincinn recruitment weekend thing.

I made this account to do some clarification work because I see there is a bit of a rumor mill churning here. The Cincinnati thing is NOT an interview. They explicitly said it is not an interview, and that it is entirely voluntary, etc. It is just a visit. Keep in mind, Cincinnati has 5 spots to fill and is bringing 10 people. It is probably quite likely that 5 (or more!) of them will not end up choosing Cincin after all in favor of other schools. Nobody yields over 50% every year, not even NYU, Harvard, etc.

Also, they are paying for the trip, they will even schedule the airfare for you. So you aren't being forced to go, you aren't being interviewed (although yes, they will be checking you out), and you don't have to pay. The most likely case is that no tough decisions will have to be made, as at least 5 of us 10 won't end up choosing them. If they do have to pick and choose, then that sucks, but like I said, at least you got a cool visit at a cool program for free, and you got a fair shot.

Anyway, I'll be around.

PS: You can't find out my email address from Grad Cafe can you?

 

Thanks for the clarification, and congrats to you!

[MattDest]

Hello guys,

 

Lurker for 2 yrs, but finally became a contributor with today's Cincinnati submission. I was the first person (and accidental double-poster) of the Cincinn recruitment weekend thing.

I made this account to do some clarification work because I see there is a bit of a rumor mill churning here. The Cincinnati thing is NOT an interview. They explicitly said it is not an interview, and that it is entirely voluntary, etc. It is just a visit. Keep in mind, Cincinnati has 5 spots to fill and is bringing 10 people. It is probably quite likely that 5 (or more!) of them will not end up choosing Cincin after all in favor of other schools. Nobody yields over 50% every year, not even NYU, Harvard, etc.

Also, they are paying for the trip, they will even schedule the airfare for you. So you aren't being forced to go, you aren't being interviewed (although yes, they will be checking you out), and you don't have to pay. The most likely case is that no tough decisions will have to be made, as at least 5 of us 10 won't end up choosing them. If they do have to pick and choose, then that sucks, but like I said, at least you got a cool visit at a cool program for free, and you got a fair shot.

Anyway, I'll be around.

PS: You can't find out my email address from Grad Cafe can you?

 

Congrats! No, I don't think people can find out your e-mail address as long as it is private. 

[kant_get_in]

I actually wish it was. Then my years of survival training, hiking, backpacking, and being raised by rednecks would finally come and handy and I WOULD WIN THAT THING! 

 

You have some competition; I was also raised by rednecks.  

[axiomness]

You have some competition; I was also raised by rednecks.  

Yep, me too. My parents still say "should of went" and "I seen you..."

 

Zizek: It is the 21st-22nd. It's pretty big, around 70 participants, so there should be a smorgasbord of topics. Mine is a pretty dull one in Analytic Epistemology, argument that Susan Haack's "Foundherentism" is a foundationalism.

Edited January 24, 2014 by axiomness

[actual_entity]

What's up with the Princeton posting about an interview? Does Princeton even have a Classical Philosophy program?

 

hi! registering to say that was me, and i applied through the classics department, so i don't think you guys need to worry yet.

[Cottagecheeseman]

hi! registering to say that was me, and i applied through the classics department, so i don't think you guys need to worry yet.

Cool. Good luck with that interview!!!! 

[kant_get_in]

Yep, me too. My parents still say "should of went" and "I seen you..."

 

Zizek: It is the 21st-22nd. It's pretty big, around 70 participants, so there should be a smorgasbord of topics. Mine is a pretty dull one in Analytic Epistemology, argument that Susan Haack's "Foundherentism" is a foundationalism.

 

In the past, the conference was a joint conference hosted by both the North and South Carolina's respective philosophy associations. I wonder what motivated the split. Any ideas? 

[Platonist]

Hello guys,

 

Lurker for 2 yrs, but finally became a contributor with today's Cincinnati submission. I was the first person (and accidental double-poster) of the Cincinn recruitment weekend thing.

I made this account to do some clarification work because I see there is a bit of a rumor mill churning here. The Cincinnati thing is NOT an interview. They explicitly said it is not an interview, and that it is entirely voluntary, etc. It is just a visit. Keep in mind, Cincinnati has 5 spots to fill and is bringing 10 people. It is probably quite likely that 5 (or more!) of them will not end up choosing Cincin after all in favor of other schools. Nobody yields over 50% every year, not even NYU, Harvard, etc.

Also, they are paying for the trip, they will even schedule the airfare for you. So you aren't being forced to go, you aren't being interviewed (although yes, they will be checking you out), and you don't have to pay. The most likely case is that no tough decisions will have to be made, as at least 5 of us 10 won't end up choosing them. If they do have to pick and choose, then that sucks, but like I said, at least you got a cool visit at a cool program for free, and you got a fair shot.

Anyway, I'll be around.

PS: You can't find out my email address from Grad Cafe can you?

 

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Having 10 people interviewed face-to-face and then picking 5 of them would really be humiliating. Obviously, Cincinnati has decided to admit any one of the 10 people, but is very sure that at most half of them will accept their offers. That is why they are sending out 10 offers. Even a prestigious program like Michigan is expecting that only half of the offer receivers will accept the offer that they make. I regret so much that I did not apply to Cincinnati. 

Edited January 24, 2014 by Platonist

[Table]

Thanks for clarifying, Vineyard. 

 

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Having 10 people interviewed face-to-face and then picking 5 of them would really be humiliating. Obviously, Cincinnati has decided to admit any one of the 10 people, but is very sure that at most half of them will accept their offers. That is why they are sending out 10 offers. Even a prestigious program like Michigan is expecting that only half of the offer receivers will accept the offer that they make. I regret so much that I did not apply to Cincinnati. 

 

I don't think that's obvious at all. They haven't actually sent out 10 offers. They've sent out 10 invitations to a recruitment weekend, with a note that they intend to take 5 of those 10. If they are so sure at most 5 will want to come, why not just accept all 10? If the weekend will have no effect on who's chosen if it comes down to that, why not accept 7 (or whatever) and tell 3 they're on the waitlist? 

[Table]

I don't think that the interviews are intended to distinguish between those students who are especially capable of studying philosophy and those who aren't. Presumably, they will already know this from the rest of the application. Rather, I think that the interviews serve either (1) to acquire any information missing from the application relevant to admission and, more importantly, (2) to select from among the academically excellent applicants the candidates they would be able to tolerate close contact with for the next 5-10 years of their lives.

 

So a lot of the interview process would seem to be a "luxury" thing, for those schools that can afford to split hairs among the "best" candidates. This is surely not the case for every interview, but I think it's a reasonable way to look at them in general.

 

To return to they hypothetical why-not-do-interviews thing, I don't think depts would see interviews (and maybe informal interactions at a recruitment weekend...) as distinguishing between who is capable and who is incompetent. But I do think they would see them as providing some information about people's abilities, and not just who is personable and who is not. People tend to be impressed by their judgments of students "seeming smart." These judgments are generally pretty bad, and like hopephilly said, are very subject to a variety of biases. Interviews aren't even particularly good at telling you who is personable and who is not. They are good at telling you who gets nervous in interviews and who does not, though.

 

The link I posted earlier is limited, but would give you some idea of the problems with this kind of interview. 

[TheVineyard]

Thanks for clarifying, Vineyard. 

 

 

I don't think that's obvious at all. They haven't actually sent out 10 offers. They've sent out 10 invitations to a recruitment weekend, with a note that they intend to take 5 of those 10. If they are so sure at most 5 will want to come, why not just accept all 10? If the weekend will have no effect on who's chosen if it comes down to that, why not accept 7 (or whatever) and tell 3 they're on the waitlist? 

 

They aren't accepting all 10 and hoping for 5 because they do not know what their budget is yet (it says this in the email). They said they expect to be able to take 5, maybe budget will work out in such a way that not even that is possible. So, they cannot afford to do what a Harvard can do, and take on a class of 7 one year and 4 the next. They have a very specific amount they can take, and not a soul more. I'm sure they are hoping the situation works itself out, and they are probably expecting only about 5 to accept the offer, but nonetheless, they cannot take the risk of 6+ accepting.

[philosophe]

They aren't accepting all 10 and hoping for 5 because they do not know what their budget is yet (it says this in the email). They said they expect to be able to take 5, maybe budget will work out in such a way that not even that is possible. So, they cannot afford to do what a Harvard can do, and take on a class of 7 one year and 4 the next. They have a very specific amount they can take, and not a soul more. I'm sure they are hoping the situation works itself out, and they are probably expecting only about 5 to accept the offer, but nonetheless, they cannot take the risk of 6+ accepting.

 

Right, but there is the question of yield. If they make the offer to five people, not all five will accept... so they will probably hold off on sending out rejections, and may go down the list until all the spots are filled.

[TheVineyard]

Anyone else get that cocktease CUNY email today?

[MattDest]

Anyone else get that cocktease CUNY email today?

 

Nope - what did it say?

[philosophe]

YES. CUNY sent an email entitled "Graduate Application," but it was really just a make-sure-your-app-is-complete email. It was from an actual person's email address so I was hopeful, then disappointed.

Edited January 25, 2014 by philosophe