philosophy ph.d. programs

[Guest guestus anginus]

masters or ug, continental or analytic, where you want to go, where'd you get in, what're your stats, why haven't i heard from anyone?

depaul

northwestern

vanderbilt

washu

university of chicago

-->committee on social thought?

[Guest]

I haven't heard anything. I want to hear from the people who did/did not get into wustl! Please? I think someone should call. I can't do it-- too scared. Good luck to everyone.

[Guest]

Somone posted a depaul waitlist notification, but that's all I've seen. I emailed them and didn't hear back. They must be swamped, but frankly, it serves them right.

[Guest]

According to the "who got in" Livejournal community, someone got an email from WashU's Phil PhD program this past Monday. Broke my heart as WUSTL is my top choice by leap and bounds..

[Guest]

interesting. by department, do you mean field of specialization? i have a friend who applied to the WashU pol sci. department who got an acceptance email saying that at least there individual faculty in each specialization were handling different groups of applicants. it was definitely legit because she also got also got a phone call.

[Guest]

Somone posted a depaul waitlist notification, but that's all I've seen. I emailed them and didn't hear back. They must be swamped, but frankly, it serves them right.

Thanks for letting us know they haven't gotten back to you. What do you mean by 'it serves them right'?

[Guest]

By academic department. I suppose the philosophy department could have divided the applicant pool into various groups based on intended specialization as the poli sci dept did, but I wouldn't know because the program contact hasn't returned my email from Feb 14th.

Any volunteers to call the WashU philosophy department?

Btw, my basic info: continental (but some analytic like James and Dewey)

[Guest]

Thanks for letting us know they haven't gotten back to you. What do you mean by 'it serves them right'?

I meant that they can only expect to be swamped with emails when, like most other schools, their notification process is slow, confusing and apparently intentionally designed to drive applicants into a state of angst-ridden frensy. imagine specific dates/deadlines, and a hard and fast procedure for responses--first rejections via email, then waitlists, then acceptances, so that whenever you havent heard you know that you are still being considered and not just relegated to the wastebin.

personally, i had good grades (graduated summa), excellent LORs from well-known professors, and although my Q score was abysmal (540 -- CHOKE) I was hoping that the relatively high verbal (790) would compensate. i think my samples were decent but on the other hand im not published and i wish i could disclaim my statement oh and my A score was 5.0

oh well it's not over yet

[Guest]

To the last anon poster: what do you want to study/who do you want to work with at DePaul? My verbal was not too hot, 93%, but I got a 6 on Analytic... don't know if that counts for anything though. It all seems like a crapshoot. I mean, I can guess how everything stacks up, but really... who the hell knows? I do wish I could take back my writing sample though. I didn't have a clue what length they were looking for and I waited too long to find out. Anyways, good luck to both of us.

[Guest]

A 6 on analytic has got to look good, although it's certainly weighed alongside your writing sample...and 93 percent ain't too shabby for verbal

I stated my research interests as hermeneutics/philosophies of language & meaning as well as political philosophy--ethics and problems of democracy. not exactly specialized I know

where'd you do your undergrad--I was at seattle university

[Sea]

i'm not feeling too good about this whole thing tonight -- have been rejected from yale (expected) but also memphis, which i kinda had my heart set on.

i had a perfect writing score on the GRE (strong V, but terrible, terrible on the maths), and am finishing an MA in philosophy and have another MA from the late 90s in a different field. so a strong record in terms of grad school performance and tons, tons of philosophy courses for the MA (about 18 courses) with a near-perfect GPA.

don't know what to expect now -- have a bunch more apps out with the usual continental schools, but after the bad news from memphis, i really don't hold out a lot of hope. my writing sample was solid, so i'm thinking that maybe it's the statement of purpose that's doing me in.

[thomasf]

i feel you sea. i am waitlisted on my so-called safety school and I saw someone else was waitlisted at depaul , which you could say i have my heart set on. so I don't want to even think about my dream schools. My GRE was 790V/540Q/5.0A and I have faith in my sample and one of my letter writers is good friends with several of the depaul faculty but oh well. competition must be stiff this year.

[esotera]

hey thomasf-- did you hear anything back from depaul? i'm the anon from above. i also thought i had a good chance because my two letter writers are good friends with people in the dept. sigh. i guess they have a lot of friends. i want to call and ask but i'm way too nervous. as for being 'specialized,' well, these are my interests: 20th french (esp. kristeva and irigaray (hellooo tina chanter)), aesthetic theory (esp. kant), medieval philosophy (focusing on questions of sexual difference and mysticism), psychoanalysis, race theory, feminist theory. I may just move to chicago and start attending classes...

[Sea]

don't want to break this news to you guys too suddenly, but i am waiting for depaul, too. what could that possibly mean?

i have a few pretty run-of-the-mill specialities and interests, insofar as depaul is concerned. nothing too outside the realm of possibility for them. i also think/thought i hit a few key points on their "checklist" as well.

we are all likely in the same boat; i suppose we'll all know within the next few days where we're landing.

maybe we all ought to move to chicago into some sort of hegelian/holderlinian/schelling-like commune and start attending classes and see what happens (like all i need to permanently keep me out of phd programs is another MA!). i'm done in new york in may, so you never know.

[thomasf]

nothing from depaul yet; I assure you I will post here and to results as soon as I do.

[iheartphilosophy]

I applied to Boston College, Depaul, Fordham, Northwestern University, Stony Brook, and The New School.

My GREs stunk but since I refuse to retake them and I did't have time to review except for the night before, I accept them. They were around 1200 total and 5 writing.

My grades are ok 3.6 at smaller liberal arts college.

Luckily, my resume rocks: Research Asstant for 1 year for notable scholar, TA for 1 class 3 times, Writing Assistant for 1 sem, president of philosophy liaison, typical honors thesis and department honors, dept award, and 3 fab recommendations. I also had many jobs and many other activities (never slept).

I haven't heard anything yet and I am paralyzed by waiting. I need to hear something even a tentative offer for an MA would be great.

My interests are in Contemporary Continental Philosophy, particularly Critical Theory (both types), and the History of Philosophy. I wrote my honors thesis on Simone de Beauvoir's philosophy of ambiguity (part. in ref. to her predecessors and contemporaries). Lately, I have been beefing up my language skills (French and Ancient Greek) and my knowledge of phenomenology. I have been reading a lot of Arendt and am interested in compartive work between her and Heidegger.

Best of luck to everyone! Hang in there and keep us posted!

[thomasf]

this is probably nothing, but did anybody else who applied to the new school get strange emails about the open house? why would they send these to applicants? i would consider it just a mistake but i received two of them and one of them was from the email address "socialresearchadmitted"

w t f

[iheartphilosophy]

No, but it doesn't surprise me since I have heard very neg things about them adminstratively and financially. Mostly stories of them admitting people with no funding or eliminating funding when someone is part way through the program. I went to an open house there and the faculty was very unwilling to speak with students. I cannot remember the faculty member's exact words, but the person said that faculty was way over worked and not supported. A friend of mine went to an open house that they publicized only to have them tell her that they advertised the incorrect date (we live in another state!). Furthermore, I have received emails and letters about incomplete applications that the administration later has told me were mistakes! I don't know what to think. I applied anyways. I guess I will evaluate this info if I get an offer.

[thomasf]

That is really disappointing to hear. I have certainly heard of faculty being brusque everywhere (especially at an open house), but funding issues like that are really unacceptable. I really applied only because I wanted an option to attend an MA program if necessary. Whatever faults they have, they certainly responded to my email quickly enough:

This event is geared for both types of students. Our faculty will be

available and you may direct more specific questions to them regarding

your research interests.

[Northwestern Hopeful]

Alright, floks, I broke down and called the graduate program assistant. She said that a few decisions had been made and sent but that the committee was still meeting to discuss candidates. She said that they would be finished by the end of this month (so long from now!!!) and that we would either receive a letter from the department and Graduate School by postal service or by email.

Here's to another month of waiting!!!

[thomasf]

thanks, hopeful, for letting us know. even if it means more waiting, it's good to know for sure we're not just waiting for them to get it together to send of rejections. and perhaps this applies to other schools as well...

northwestern has an excellent program--I wonder how long habermas will be there....are you into critical theory, or perhaps culture & pluralism w/ Taylor? Damn now that I think about it NW is awesome good luck to you.

[iheartphilosophy]

Fordham said decisions have been made and they are sending out the letters by mail within the next few weeks.

Stony Brook said we will receive notification by mail mid-March.

New School said that they will send out offers by mail beginning March 15th.

Boston College said that they haven't given offers yet but will send the decisions by mail.

Thanks for the Northwestern update.

[thomasf]

great news about BC, although I am not really hopeful at all about receiving an offer from there. way too competetive from what I've seen (I know some people in it)

[Sea]

Hey all,

DId anyone here apply to Oregon -- and if so, have you heard anything?

[thomasf]

i would just like to confirm that I have indeed heard nothing from depaul yet. doesn't look good.