2015 Waitlist Thread

[Ansight]

Hi,

I've noticed that this forum is conspicuously missing a waitlist thread. I think we can all benefit from one, seeing as many of us have been, or will soon be, waitlisted at one school or another.

 

I am hoping this thread will serve 3 functions (please feel free to add other ideas):

(1) Be a place for people to share their waitlist results. We're all anxious, so we can all use some support!

(2) Be a place for people to share past years' data on different progams' waitlist sizes, procedures, etc.

(3) Be a place where people can post which admission offers they have received but declined.

 

I think (3) is especially important, since it will go a long way in helping waitlisted applicants get some peace of mind. Being #7 on a waitlist tells me that I should brace myself for rejection; Being #7 on a waitlist and knowing that 5 people have already declined their offers tells me that I have very good reason to be optimistic. 

 

Since I started the thread, I'll begin:

I've been admitted to Pitt (HPS) and Chicago so far. I also received a waitlist e-mail from Toronto (no indication regarding my spot on the waitlist, though I've been told I can "reasonably expect to be offered admission"). I've asked to be removed from Toronto's waitlist; I will most likely decline my offer from Chicago, though I don't know whether they keep a waitlist. I hope this helps someone.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Ansight

[a_for_aporia]

Good point about the missing wait list thread.

 

And congrats on your offer from Pitt (and your Chicago offer, and your wait list at Toronto)! When did you get the wait list notification from Toronto, by the way? I noticed that there haven't been any Toronto wait list posts on the grad cafe results page. So I was still holding out hope that I might get wait listed at Toronto...oops! 

 

Also, has your application to Arizona been officially rejected? 

 

Edit: Just to be clear, I've had no news (which means bad news) from U of Chicago, Toronto, Arizona, and Berkeley. 

Edited February 13, 2015 by a_for_aporia

[isostheneia]

I've been admitted to Pitt (HPS) and Chicago so far. I also received a waitlist e-mail from Toronto (no indication regarding my spot on the waitlist, though I've been told I can "reasonably expect to be offered admission"). I've asked to be removed from Toronto's waitlist; I will most likely decline my offer from Chicago, though I don't know whether they keep a waitlist. I hope this helps someone.

 

Great idea, thanks for starting the thread. For what it's worth, Chicago doesn't keep a wait list, so you're not helping out any other applicants by declining their offer early. Of course, the department would probably appreciate knowing as soon as you've decided, but I would feel even less pressure than normal to make up your mind quickly about the offer.

[tuv0k]

Thanks for starting this thread. Waitlisted at Duke. Was told by the school that the number of initial admits is very small, and that the waitlist is very short as well. I'm in the 'middle' of the waitlist.

 

Anyone here accepted at Duke, and thinking of declining / accepting?

[mubear]

Oops, deleted my comment because I just realised this is a Philosophy thread, sorry.

Edited February 13, 2015 by mubear

[Cecinestpasunphilosophe]

Great idea, thanks for starting the thread. For what it's worth, Chicago doesn't keep a wait list, so you're not helping out any other applicants by declining their offer early. Of course, the department would probably appreciate knowing as soon as you've decided, but I would feel even less pressure than normal to make up your mind quickly about the offer.

 

Although, interestingly enough, they only seem to release rejections/MAPH recommendations (a sad joke) about a month after they send out their acceptances, at least looking at the results posted here for the last few years. I've never really understood why.

[isostheneia]

Although, interestingly enough, they only seem to release rejections/MAPH recommendations (a sad joke) about a month after they send out their acceptances, at least looking at the results posted here for the last few years. I've never really understood why.

 

If I had to guess, I think it's that MAPH decisions aren't finalized until all humanities programs have made their recommendations and the MAPH program itself has reviewed the recommended applicants, and rejections with and without MAPH recommendations (for any humanities program) aren't sent out until that process finishes. The posts from previous years seem inconsistent between "recommended" and "admitted" to MAPH when rejected from philosophy - if it's the latter, then I think the version I outlined is possible, but if it's the former, then I have no idea what would take so long.

[Twas Brillig]

Hi there,

It's very considerate of you to make this thread. For those of you so far waitlisted: I applied to quite a few Ph.D. Programs (8), and therefore it is overwhelmingly likely that I will end up having to decline several offers. I expect this will help out at least some people, though I am afraid I will probably have to wait until April to make my final decisions. Don't lose hope, and best of luck to everyone!

Edited February 13, 2015 by Twas Brillig

[Ansight]

a_for_aporia: I got my Toronto waitlist e-mail on the evening (~5:00pm EST) of Wednesday, Feb 11. I haven't explicitly heard from Arizona, but I take it by now that I have good reason to believe that I have not been accepted. 

 

tuv0k: I don't personally know anyone who applied to Duke, so I can't say; it seems very strange that schools won't just straight up tell individual candidates their positions on the waitlist. If anyone has any insight regarding Duke waitlists, please share!

 

Twas Brillig: Thanks, and good luck to you too! Let's hope your turning down an offer leads to my getting in somewhere. 

[reixis]

I've been wait-listed at Miami, but haven't been informed of any rankings yet. Anyway, I've been told that my application was very strong and that they would love to offer me a place should a spot become availabe. Not sure whether this is a standard e-mail sent to all applicants, but right now I feel positive about my prospects there.

 

I'm also expecting to hear from UPenn and UConn in the next days. UPenn is a great fit for me, but I'm affraid that my weak GREs and pedigree might have a significant negative effect on my overall prospects (as I suspect they did in Miami).

[Gnothi_Seauton]

tuv0k: I don't personally know anyone who applied to Duke, so I can't say; it seems very strange that schools won't just straight up tell individual candidates their positions on the waitlist. If anyone has any insight regarding Duke waitlists, please share!

On the point about programs not telling waitlisted applicants their spot on the waitlist, it is worth noting that many programs don't keep a ranked waitlist.  Most programs look to bring in a fairly diverse class.  Some programs, for instance, want their first year classes to consist of equal numbers of men and women, so they would wait to see if a man or a woman declined their offer before deciding which applicant to select from the waitlist.  Also, most programs want diversity in the philosophical interests of their incoming classes.  So, if someone with interests in metaphysics declines their offer, they might extend an offer to a waitlisted applicant with interests in metaphysics, even if they have a waitlisted applicant with interests in ethics who has a more impressive file in certain respects.  

 

Also, regarding Duke, I was admitted last year and visited.  There were 8 or 9 of us on the visit and only 1 ended up accepting Duke's offer.  It's the kind of program that will often have to dig deep into its waitlist.

[dullandwitlessboy]

Great idea for a thread! My only positive result so far is a waitlist for departmental funding at Indiana's HPS program. I was wondering if anyone had any information on how likely movement off of this waitlist is, based on previous years (maybe pretty good? Who knows?). I'm very excited about that program (especially about the idea of working with Colin Allen!), so I hope there's some movement off the waitlist here in the next two months!

For what it's worth, Indiana has also not provided a ranking for their waitlist yet. (Although I haven't sent an email asking or anything).

[tuv0k]

Also, regarding Duke, I was admitted last year and visited.  There were 8 or 9 of us on the visit and only 1 ended up accepting Duke's offer.  It's the kind of program that will often have to dig deep into its waitlist.

 

Interesting. Were all 8-9 on the visit initial admits, or were some of them waitlisted / off the waitlist due to someone else declining early? (I've been told that the department is open to visits from waitlistees).

 

I've been trying to figure out the stats that Duke posts: http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/philosophy-phd-admissions-and-enrollment-statistics

I'm wondering how waitlists fit into those numbers. Does the Total Offers of Admission reflect the number of initial admits only, or does it include waitlistees who are later offered admission?

Edited February 13, 2015 by tuv0k

[Gnothi_Seauton]

Interesting. Were all 8-9 on the visit initial admits, or were some of them waitlisted / off the waitlist due to someone else declining early? (I've been told that the department is open to visits from waitlistees).

 

I've been trying to figure out the stats that Duke posts: http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/philosophy-phd-admissions-and-enrollment-statistics

I'm wondering how waitlists fit into those numbers. Does the Total Offers of Admission reflect the number of initial admits only, or does it include waitlistees who are later offered admission?

I believe all 8-9 of us were initial admits, but I'm not completely sure.  I suspect that Duke is open to waitlistees visiting, but I don't know if they'd fund the visit for waitlistees.  You'd have to check.  

 

As for those numbers, I'm not sure how to interpret them.  If the incoming class was only 4, then 12 offers probably means initial offers plus offers to initially waitlisted applicants.  

[LennyBound]

My only positive result so far is a waitlist for departmental funding at Indiana's HPS program. 

For what it's worth, Indiana has also not provided a ranking for their waitlist yet. (Although I haven't sent an email asking or anything).

Did your wait-list e-mail specifically mention a waitlist for funding? Mine simply stated that I was on the "waiting list for admission."

Also I did e-mail asking if the wait-list is ranked or not. If/when I hear back concerning this I'll post here.

[dullandwitlessboy]

Did your wait-list e-mail specifically mention a waitlist for funding? Mine simply stated that I was on the "waiting list for admission."

Also I did e-mail asking if the wait-list is ranked or not. If/when I hear back concerning this I'll post here.

"... you are currently on

our waiting list for a departmental fellowship." That's the exact text of the email I received. I guess I didn't realize that's different than wait listing for admissions (although, upon it being pointed out to me, this makes perfect sense). But good luck to you regardless!

[LennyBound]

"... you are currently on

our waiting list for a departmental fellowship." That's the exact text of the email I received. I guess I didn't realize that's different than wait listing for admissions (although, upon it being pointed out to me, this makes perfect sense). But good luck to you regardless!

Um, I think that may mean that you have been accepted. If so, congrats!

Edited February 13, 2015 by LennyBound

[tacitmonument]

Thank you for creating this thread!

 

I'm currently an alternate at Vanderbilt, and I really do hope to attend. To my mind, Vanderbilt does not rank their wait-listed applicants; rather, in the case of a declined offer, the admissions committee selects from the alternate list in order to ensure a balanced cohort in terms of philosophical interest.

 

Sending my best wishes to all wait-listed applicants and, of course, to everyone waiting to hear back from schools!

 

[dullandwitlessboy]

Um, I think that may mean that you have been accepted. If so, congrats!

Really?! I didn't read the email that way, but it might mean that! Off goes the email to the DGS...

[Infinite Zest]

Anyone in the "I didn't hear back from UCLA but other people have already been accepted" boat?

[overoverover]

Anyone in the "I didn't hear back from UCLA but other people have already been accepted" boat?

Yep. And unlike the Berkeley case, I can't even just infer rejection.

[tuv0k]

Does anyone know if Georgetown does waitlists (for admission, not just for funding)? I did a search on the gradcafe survey history and it seems like only one waitlist that was clearly for admission was ever posted in the past few years.

 

I'm pretty crushed not to have received anything today :/ Not only was Georgetown a great fit, it also happened to be the lowest-ranked programme I applied to. Not a good sign at all.

Edited February 13, 2015 by tuv0k

[tuv0k]

Update: waitlisted by U Penn. Really nice, informative and realistic email from Prof Michael Weisberg.

[sar1906]

Wait listed to the University of Oregon. Nice and realistic e-mail from Scott Pratt.

[Monadology]

Does anyone know if Georgetown does waitlists (for admission, not just for funding)? I did a search on the gradcafe survey history and it seems like only one waitlist that was clearly for admission was ever posted in the past few years.

 

I'm pretty crushed not to have received anything today :/ Not only was Georgetown a great fit, it also happened to be the lowest-ranked programme I applied to. Not a good sign at all.

 

I wouldn't infer anything from this. Lots of people who get into well ranked programs get rejected from lower ranked programs. I've heard of someone who got into Harvard and was rejected from every other program they applied to. Plus, while fit helps and is important, it might just be that they preferred someone else with the same interests and didn't want two incoming people overlapping two much with interests (and the reason for the preference could be any number of reasons that might not even have to do much with the quality of your application). It's even possible that the interests of the cohort last year could have influenced whether they wanted to admit someone with your interests this year. 

 

tl;dr the admissions process is really chaotic and basically impossible to predict. The evidentiary (evidential?) weight of rejections, wait-lists and acceptances is minimal. 

Edited February 14, 2015 by Monadology