I'm really bummed out. What should be my next step?

[Just Jeff]

Hi, all.

 

My apologies for the second post, but I decided not to go for Temple. They didn't give me funding for my PhD, so it's really not worth it.

 

I'm a 24-year-old male about to graduate from the Philosophy program at NYU. I have a 3.90 GPA, and I will have my MA in about a month. I applied to the PhD programs (in my signature), and it's really not going so well. I got rejected from so many of them, and the only one that accepted me (Temple University), didn't give me funding.

 

I don't want to pay for my PhD, but my sister is telling me that I should go. Would it be best to just wait another year to reapply? I'm really lost and scarred. Lol. I want to know what my Plan B should be.

 

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

Jeff

[themmases]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I know there are a lot of others here waiting and worrying and feeling the same. I know (from friends and from reading, because I'm waiting for an MS decision right now) that PhD application cycles are special-- you can improve your odds with a great fit, but there usually is no such thing as an objectively great candidate who can expect to get in across the board, like with undergrad admissions. The process is just too idiosyncratic. The good news is that unless two schools are very similar and you portrayed yourself very similarly to both of them, e.g. in your SOP, rejection from one school doesn't imply rejection from another. I think there is a thread elsewhere on here for people who were accepted to a highly ranked school, yet rejected by a lower one, so it does happen.

 

You definitely should not pay for a PhD. Start applying for jobs if you haven't already, and look into ways to stay involved in your field in case your job turns out to be not so relevant. Even the skills you gain from a less relevant job will help you a lot in putting together a good application (I say this from experience), and the predictable hours won't hurt either. I hope you won't need it, but an extra few months to research programs and think deeply about where you'll fit best will probably also make a big difference.

 

Best of luck!

[threnagyn]

Not being snarky, serious question - what do you want to do with a PhD in Philosophy? Your answer is relevent to any advice we can give you.

 

I ask this because my guess is that places are rejecting you because you they weren't satisfied with what you provided to them as a 'forward direction'.

Edited March 25, 2014 by threnagyn

[Just Jeff]

Not being snarky, serious question - what do you want to do with a PhD in Philosophy? Your answer is relevent to any advice we can give you.

 

I ask this because my guess is that places are rejecting you because you they weren't satisfied with what you provided to them as a 'forward direction'.

 

It's cool, man. Thanks for your reply. I actually want my doctorate to become a professor. I enjoy research a lot. I did my honor's thesis on Homer, and it's something I want to expand on at the doctoral level.

[Just Jeff]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I know there are a lot of others here waiting and worrying and feeling the same. I know (from friends and from reading, because I'm waiting for an MS decision right now) that PhD application cycles are special-- you can improve your odds with a great fit, but there usually is no such thing as an objectively great candidate who can expect to get in across the board, like with undergrad admissions. The process is just too idiosyncratic. The good news is that unless two schools are very similar and you portrayed yourself very similarly to both of them, e.g. in your SOP, rejection from one school doesn't imply rejection from another. I think there is a thread elsewhere on here for people who were accepted to a highly ranked school, yet rejected by a lower one, so it does happen.

 

You definitely should not pay for a PhD. Start applying for jobs if you haven't already, and look into ways to stay involved in your field in case your job turns out to be not so relevant. Even the skills you gain from a less relevant job will help you a lot in putting together a good application (I say this from experience), and the predictable hours won't hurt either. I hope you won't need it, but an extra few months to research programs and think deeply about where you'll fit best will probably also make a big difference.

 

Best of luck!

 

Thanks a lot. This helps immensely. I definitely don't want to pay for a PhD.

[ERR_Alpha]

Hi, all.

My apologies for the second post, but I decided not to go for Temple. They didn't give me funding for my PhD, so it's really not worth it.

I'm a 24-year-old male about to graduate from the Philosophy program at NYU. I have a 3.90 GPA, and I will have my MA in about a month. I applied to the PhD programs (in my signature), and it's really not going so well. I got rejected from so many of them, and the only one that accepted me (Temple University), didn't give me funding.

I don't want to pay for my PhD, but my sister is telling me that I should go. Would it be best to just wait another year to reapply? I'm really lost and scarred. Lol. I want to know what my Plan B should be.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jeff

My boyfriend is in a similar situation for his MS. Even for just two years the debt he'd be in would be so crippling we'd likely have to delay buying a house, starting a family, etc. He's looking into jobs related to his field so he can boost his application the next go around to secure funding. I wouldn't recommended going in anywhere unfunded.

I would look for maybe non tenure teaching positions? (I don't know much about your field, apologies) But showing schools you have teaching experience would probably help your chances.

[perpetuavix]

If you really want to teach philosophy, that's great. That's my end goal, too. But as competitive as PhD admissions are in philosophy, the job market is even more so. The college that I graduated from, which is unranked in US News and is basically unknown outside of New England had 500 applicants for a tenure track position. The marker is extremely saturated with qualified candidates. This doesn't mean you shouldn't get a PhD. But if you're considering reapplying next year, think seriously about how you would feel if after 5-9 years of study, you didn't find an academic job. 

If you decide it's worth it, then you should try to do whatever you can to make yourself more competitive. Increase your GRE scores; philosophy students have some of the highest scores, and unlike many humanities, your quant score does matter. Stay in touch with your letter writers and make sure they can give you the best recommendation possible. Really spend time on your SOP; fit is hugely important for most schools. They also generally like to see a very focused interest, which sounds like it might be ancient philosophy for you? Make sure you talk in depth about your previous experience with that (your thesis, classes you took, etc) as well as some ideas about future research in that arena. 

You might find this thread helpful: 

Edited March 25, 2014 by perpetuavix

[katiegud]

Aside from just applying again next year, you should also look for external funding sources. I was accepted without funding, so I deferred for a year to find other options. There are a lot of different funding sources that are not directly linked to the university. If you can defer, you could do that and then apply for external funding and internal next year without having to go through the application process again. Otherwise I think you should try to get a job that is as related as possible (not sure what that would be in philosophy - maybe you could adjunct with your MA?) to get experience and then reapply.

[artichoke203]

I am not familiar with Philosophy research or job opportunities, but one thing I would consider is whether you would enjoy the program and do well at Temple. In particular:

- Is it a good program worth going in debt for?

- Can you see yourself succeed in the program?

- If you enroll now, are there possibilities of getting funded the following years (TA/RA chances once you're there)?

- If you enroll and go in debt, would it be too stressful for you to focus on studies and do well? (The last item is from my experience -- personally debts scare me and I don't think I'd do well...)

 

Sorry about your situation, I hope everything works out for you! Good luck!

[Just Jeff]

Thanks, everybody.