Acceptance Thread

[Cottagecheeseman]

Do they not have a PhD program anymore?

No it got cut for funding reasons. I've heard they might open it back up in the near future though.

[hopefulpessimiste]

I really, really would like for Princeton, Cornell, Michigan, and UPenn to hurry up already and admit people. Not because I think I have a shot at any of these places, given my track record, but simply because I would like to stop dreaming about them. I'm feeling a little pathetic for having these teeny-tiny shreds of hope left.

 

Also, are Berkeley, Stanford, and UChicago ever going to send out rejections, or do they care so little for the plebs among us that they're content to leave us hanging?

[Cottagecheeseman]

I really, really would like for Princeton, Cornell, Michigan, and UPenn to hurry up already and admit people. Not because I think I have a shot at any of these places, given my track record, but simply because I would like to stop dreaming about them. I'm feeling a little pathetic for having these teeny-tiny shreds of hope left.

 

Also, are Berkeley, Stanford, and UChicago ever going to send out rejections, or do they care so little for the plebs among us that they're content to leave us hanging?

Today has been quiet, so hopefully tomorrow will dump some. Then next week will be pretty busy, especially with NYU admits. 

[dgswaim]

I turned it down, it said I was "one of four.. out of 75" that stood out, so I imagine the initial acceptances are pretty few. Given our similar AOIs... hopefully you get something! 

Just curious, MattDest: did you take this to mean that they would only be admitting four or so students, or that there were four applications that stood out such that they felt very solid about admitting them, while there are still others they are deliberating over?

[MattDest]

Just curious, MattDest: did you take this to mean that they would only be admitting four or so students, or that there were four applications that stood out such that they felt very solid about admitting them, while there are still others they are deliberating over?

 

The e-mail doesn't really make this clear. I suppose it depends upon the usual size of Rice's incoming classes, but I think both interpretations sound reasonable. 

[dgswaim]

In past years they've admitted as many as a dozen (aiming to enroll something like half of that)... but of course that can all change from year to year. Goodness gracious the anxiety.

[Cottagecheeseman]

In past years they've admitted as many as a dozen (aiming to enroll something like half of that)... but of course that can all change from year to year. Goodness gracious the anxiety.

I already have bad anxiety in normal situations. This waiting for grad school stuff makes it waaaay worse! Uuuugh Tech if you are reading this please Admit me, I love you all and I will be the best student and TA ever!

[dgswaim]

I'm mildly perplexed by the two Rice rejections that have been posted. It makes it very hard to read my own situation, given that I've nothing but silence from that little slice of heaven down in Houston (do propitiatory statements improve the possibility of admission?).

Edited February 27, 2014 by dgswaim

[bar_scene_gambler]

I just got an email from U Houston saying that they selected applicants who will be considered in a second round for TAships. I apparently wasn't one, but they want me to let them know whether I'd like to be considered from admission without aid. Sooooo does that mean I was accepted without aid or what? It's kind of confusing me.

[dgswaim]

I just got an email from U Houston saying that they selected applicants who will be considered in a second round for TAships. I apparently wasn't one, but they want me to let them know whether I'd like to be considered from admission without aid. Sooooo does that mean I was accepted without aid or what? It's kind of confusing me.

I got the same email. I responded and said that I'd like to be considered. Being as I'm from Texas, tuition is cheap.

[MattDest]

I just got an email from U Houston saying that they selected applicants who will be considered in a second round for TAships. I apparently wasn't one, but they want me to let them know whether I'd like to be considered from admission without aid. Sooooo does that mean I was accepted without aid or what? It's kind of confusing me.

 

I mean, it would be pretty cruel of them to ask if you wanted to be admitted without aid and then turn you down. 

[hopefulpessimiste]

Just received a Yale rejection (via email to check website). At least it was a nice letter.

[humean_skeptic]

I mean, it would be pretty cruel of them to ask if you wanted to be admitted without aid and then turn you down. 

 

True, but if the applicant agrees to enroll in the program without aid, then turning the applicant down and admitting the applicant aren't technically exhaustive of all possibilities. It might still be possible to wait list the applicant, which involves neither admitting nor not-admitting the applicant. Of course, I'd hope that this possibility is unlikely to become actual!

[bar_scene_gambler]

I got the same email. I responded and said that I'd like to be considered. Being as I'm from Texas, tuition is cheap.

Any clue what out of state tuition is? I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's worth it, given the pathetic state of my admittance record thus far.

[Hypatience]

It can't hurt to ask them to consider you, BSG. You can always pass it up later for another funded or stronger offer.

[dgswaim]

Any clue what out of state tuition is? I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's worth it, given the pathetic state of my admittance record thus far.

As I recall, out of state is about 16k per year. About half that for in state.

[bar_scene_gambler]

It can't hurt to ask them to consider you, BSG. You can always pass it up later for another funded or stronger offer.

That's very true. I suppose it's worth a go one way or another. I'm hoping I get of GSU's waitlist though.

[objectivityofcontradiction]

BSG--In my opinion, if you are not offered funding, and so decide to take out a loan to finance the MA, and if the cost of their MA is not all that greater than what you'd pay to go to Houston or GSU, you should take the offer from Warwick. Pound for pound it is a much stronger department than both Houston and GSU. Houlgate, Brewer, Poellner, Ansell-Pearson, these are all fairly imminent scholars in the field. 

Edited February 28, 2014 by objectivityofcontradiction

[SamStone]

Whoever posted either of the NIU acceptances via the website...

 

Did the indicator stating "complete" switch to "accepted" today—or could it have changed when they sent out their other acceptances on tuesday? in other words, did you not check the website until today or had you been checking it and it changed today? 

 

I'm way too anxious about this one, haha.

 

Thanks!

[MattDest]

BSG--In my opinion, if you are not offered funding, and so decide to take out a loan to finance the MA, and if the cost of their MA is not all that greater than what you'd pay to go to Houston or GSU, you should take the offer from Warwick. Pound for pound it is a much stronger department than both Houston and GSU. Houlgate, Brewer, Poellner, Ansell-Pearson, these are all fairly imminent scholars in the field. 

 

It's funny, because I was thinking the exact opposite. Not because I don't think Warwick has great scholars (frankly I'm a bit stunned that you think they are a "much stronger" department, as that is not at all the impression that I have), but because I think that GSU and Houston are particularly good departments for a terminal MA. If the ultimate goal is to go on for a PhD at an American program, I would imagine that they would place better than Warwick (although I couldn't find a placement record for Warwick). Their placement records (GSU) (Houston) speak for themselves. 

 

ETA: Of course, I can't even begin to pretend that I should be in a place to advise you, BSG, but I thought I'd offer an alternative position. 

Edited February 28, 2014 by MattDest

[objectivityofcontradiction]

MattDest, 

 

I suppose my recommendation was a bit biased, given my interests in Post-Kantian European philosophy. But, seeing that BSG applied to Warwick, and lists Nietzsche as an interest, I assumed (maybe wrongly) that they had an interest in this area as well. In which case, it is not even an argument: Warwick is clearly the strongest of the three in this area. I know full well that GSU and Houston specialize in PhD. placement, and, as that is the end goal of the MA route, maybe their placement records should take precedent over the research interests of the staff. 

 

Either way, I too was not trying to push BSG one way or the other; just spit balling my thoughts. 

Edited February 28, 2014 by objectivityofcontradiction

[dgswaim]

I just received an acceptance email from Wyoming. I'm very excited! This is actually my top choice for MA programs. Very small, personal department with a strong focus on phil science. Still waiting to hear about funding. Very excited!

[objectivityofcontradiction]

I just received an acceptance email from Wyoming. I'm very excited! This is actually my top choice for MA programs. Very small, personal department with a strong focus on phil science. Still waiting to hear about funding. Very excited!

 

Awesome, congrats. And in a beautiful part of the country! 

[Griswald]

MattDest, 

 

I suppose my recommendation was a bit biased, given my interests in Post-Kantian European philosophy. But, seeing that BSG applied to Warwick, and lists Nietzsche as an interest, I assumed (maybe wrongly) that they had an interest in this area as well. In which case, it is not even an argument: Warwick is clearly the strongest of the three in this area. I know full well that GSU and Houston specialize in PhD. placement, and, as that is the end goal of the MA route, maybe their placement records should take precedent over the research interests of the staff. 

 

Either way, I too was not trying to push BSG one way or the other; just spit balling my thoughts. 

Is Warwick really clearly stronger in post-Kantian philosophy? For what it's worth, Leiter thinks that GSU is the strongest MA program in the US for 18th and 19th c. German philosophy (see here).

[bar_scene_gambler]

My reason in choosing the MA programs which I applied to (excluding Warwick) was to choose programs which placed well into PhD programs. I didn't take faculty interest into consideration, hence I applied to NIU even though there's practically no one there interested in anything related to my interests. I applied to Warwick because I was applying for Fulbright money and would have liked to work with Ansell-Pearson for a year, but that fell through. Between GSU and U Houston, I would prefer to go to GSU much more than U Houston, but having been waitlisted, things are far from certain. I think I'd be okay with accruing a little debt to go to GSU, but I'm a bit hesitant to take on a deal of debt to go to U Houston and taking on the amount of debt necessary to attend Warwick at this point is pretty much a non-option for me. I really appreciate the advice though guys.

aduh,

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure Warwick has a much stronger department in terms of most of the areas that I'm interested in, including post-Kantian philosophy. I would go if it were the economically sensible thing to do.

Edited February 28, 2014 by bar_scene_gambler