Decisions 2015!

[isostheneia]

I certainly don't know the "rule of thumb" either; I wonder if it would be different for different departments. I hope Pitt works out for you! Which of your offers are you leaning towards? UCSD?

 

Thanks! I truly have no idea. First I thought I was leaning toward UCSD, then Georgetown, and now maybe JHU (contra what I said earlier in this thread). Basically, the visits are going to be incredibly important in figuring out my second choice in case Pitt doesn't work out.

 

With UCSD, one of my primary concerns is the funding situation - it's not very much money, in a relatively expensive place, with teaching duties every year. Plus the UCs in general are pretty broke, so the ability to get conference funding and fellowships later on might be limited (something to ask about).

 

With Georgetown, I'm somewhat torn. I love the character of the department, and there are some great people there for me to work with, but it's also an enormous department, which has pros and cons. And given the amount of faculty specializing in German philosophy, there aren't a ton of grad students specializing in it.

 

As for JHU, Baltimore sucks (in my opinion) but they're clearly committed to German philosophy, both in faculty and grad students, and the funding is fantastic. Plus they've got some cool interdisciplinary stuff going on with the Humanities Center, which has some folks I'd be interested in working with.

 

Anyway, this is all to say that it's way too close for me to have any idea what my second option is without visiting and actually meeting the people I'd be working with.

[IWokeUpLikeThis]

I think the rule of thumb is that you can expect them to go as deep into the waitlist as there are spots. So if the incoming class is 5, then (generally speaking) you can wager on them going 5 deep into their waitlist. But this stuff is so random and crazy, the rule of thumb here might be useless folk wisdom.

Thanks! Right so if 5 acceptance students decline Columbia, they might admit 5 off the waitlist. (Of course, they might initially accept more students than they actually want, knowing that at least a few will then them down.) But what I actually had in mind with the question (and I realize now I didn't make this clear) was whether you had any idea approximately what portion of the incoming class in years' past has been students admitted off the waitlist? (Which may be the same as the number of initially admitted students who declined their offers?) I know that NYU, for instance, rarely admits anyone off the waitlist, as their initial offers are almost always accepted. (Accordingly, wait-listed students are told upfront that their chances of acceptance are extremely slim.) Columbia, I would imagine, doesn't often admit *many* wait-listed students, but I really don't know. I was hoping you might have some general idea of how likely it is that Columbia will admit anyone from the waitlist, based on past trends. But thanks for the response you did give. I'm trying to figure out if I should have any hope of being admitted when it's probably almost impossible to make accurate guesses about my chances at this point, since, as you pointed out, there's a good deal of randomness and craziness involved here. :-)

Thanks again!

[Substantial form]

With UCSD, one of my primary concerns is the funding situation - it's not very much money, in a relatively expensive place, with teaching duties every year.

 

How much funding did UCSD offer? They were one of my top choices, but I was rejected.

[reixis]

Anyone here planning on declining an offer from UPenn or knows of someone who plans to do so? It's great fit for me and it would help me a great deal for future planning if you could decline your offer as soon as possible (if you are so inclined, of course).

[isostheneia]

How much funding did UCSD offer? They were one of my top choices, but I was rejected.

 

They offered $20,000, which is $2,000 less than last year, according to the funding survey. I could certainly make it work, but it would be tighter financially than my other offers. (Maybe Georgetown would be somewhat similar, since housing prices are even worse in Georgetown/DC than in San Diego.)

 

Anyone here planning on declining an offer from UPenn or knows of someone who plans to do so? It's great fit for me and it would help me a great deal for future planning if you could decline your offer as soon as possible (if you are so inclined, of course).

 

Not sure if this helps, but I know someone who's already turned down an offer from Penn. It's conceivable that there's a delay of a few days between someone turning down their offer and them contacting the next person on the waitlist, assuming that they start admitting people from the waitlist after each declined offer.

[Mather]

Hi! I'm waitlisted at Columbia. My AOI are epistemology, philosophy of mind, and metaethics (especially reasoning and rationality). My questions for you are 1. Do you have any idea how large the incoming class typically is? 2. Do you have any idea how many students are typically admitted off the waitlist? I've been told it's a "short" waitlist and that it's not linearly- ordered. I know those (especially the second) are not easy questions. But I appreciate any help you can provide!! I will be at the prospectives visit.

 

Hi! I'm happy to provide some info.

 

1. The department aims to admit, on average, 6 PhD students each year. Of course, the actual number admitted for any given year will depend on various things, including, sometimes, the number of students admitted in previous years.

 

2. I think it's common for the department to admit students off the waitlist. Each of the last four years (and maybe more, I'm just not certain), at least one person has been admitted off the waitlist. Some of those years, there's been more than one.

[reixis]

Not sure if this helps, but I know someone who's already turned down an offer from Penn. It's conceivable that there's a delay of a few days between someone turning down their offer and them contacting the next person on the waitlist, assuming that they start admitting people from the waitlist after each declined offer.

That's good news! Thanks for sharing. Do you happen to know his or her AOI? I heard from a student there that the list is usually short. Receiving an offer this week would solve all of my problems with international deadlines!

[isostheneia]

That's good news! Thanks for sharing. Do you happen to know his or her AOI? I heard from a student there that the list is usually short. Receiving an offer this week would solve all of my problems with international deadlines!

 

Off the top of my head, I think the person's AOIs are pretty broad, including things like early modern and modern, philosophy of language, metaphysics, and early analytic.

[WhatIsGrounding]

Hi! Big time lurker here. This is my first comment.

 

I was wondering whether anyone had any thoughts on choosing Princeton over Stanford (or vice versa). Bear in mind that my interests are primarily historical, but I am also interested in contemporary topics.

[DontFly]

Hi! Big time lurker here. This is my first comment.

I was wondering whether anyone had any thoughts on choosing Princeton over Stanford (or vice versa). Bear in mind that my interests are primarily historical, but I am also interested in contemporary topics.

Wow big time congratulations! I think I read it on someone's signature that one of those schools has climate problem. Can't remember which one, though.

[WhatIsGrounding]

Wow big time congratulations! I think I read it on someone's signature that one of those schools has climate problem. Can't remember which one, though.

Thank you! Hmn... I have actually heard that both have some climate problems... People tend to be too competitive. I am not so worried about that, though. I think I have enough emotional support outside of school

[An0416]

Anyone here planning on declining an offer from UPenn or knows of someone who plans to do so? It's great fit for me and it would help me a great deal for future planning if you could decline your offer as soon as possible (if you are so inclined, of course).

 

 

I just declined my offer from UPenn--hope this helps!

[DontFly]

Alright, decision is final --

 

Will attend: UC-Irvine (LPS)

 

Total programs applied: 16

Declined offer/wait list (WL): Western Ontario (WL); U of Washington (WL); U of York; UC-Davis; UW-Madison.

Visited: UC-Davis, UW-Madison, UC-Irvine

 

AOI: philosophy of science (general & social), decision & game theory

GRE (taken in 2012): verbal (162/ 89%); quantitative (167/94%); writing (4.5/ 80%)

Background: 2-year MA in philosophy from Canada; double-major undergraduate degree in philosophy and psychology from Canada.

 

Note:

I know quite a few people are interested in UW-Madison. I have already let them know that I will be declining, but I can't do it officially until I get the official offer (it's still pending approval). If anyone is seriously considering UW-Madison (or UC-Davis) but could not arrange a visit, and would like to know what I thought of the schools and/or why I declined them, feel free to PM me. It would be helpful if you also tell me your AOI.

[jrae]

OK, people, it's decided. After having been rejected by Columbia and having gotten a first-round acceptance into UT-Austin, it is Texas for me next year. Ah, that certainly is a big 'take that' to Northwestern, Maryland and Brown for having spurned my writing sample!

 

Haven't hear from Ohio nor U Conn at all. Presumed rejection from Mass.-Amherst, but I still love them because I sent them a weaker writing sample, since unfortunately my main sample was too long for them.

 

Will decline the following offers:

 

Missouri

U of Miami

Colorado (waitlist)

Indiana (waitlist)

 

My stats were these:

 

GRE: 170 V, 162 Q, 5.5 A

BA Philosophy. British degree. Very low 2:1, borderline 2:2

 

I am doing an MA in the UK, but I didn't send any graduate grades because I didn't have any yet. I think it's a miracle I got a good outcome given how low my BA grades were, but one caveat is that it's from a place with very, very good pedigree. All recommendations are from well-known people. I think I got into UT-Austin because I wrote on a very traditional phil of language topic, and perhaps it resonated with some of the faculty there. That's it, I guess!

Congrats on UT-Austin!!!!  Can I ask... Did Boulder mention where on the waitlist you were? 

[verificationist]

Yes, around the middle in a waiting list of about 30. They said they usually make it to half of the list and that they had only 4 places for 120 applicants.

[sidebysondheim]

I've made my final decision. (Following DontFly's format:)

 

Will attend: UNC Chapel Hill

 

Total programs applied: 12

Declined offer/wait list (WL): UW Madison (WL); Georgetown (WL-funding); UW Milwaukee; Tufts; WashU.

Visited: UNC Chapel Hill and WashU

 

AOI: Hume, ethics, moral psychology, philosophy of mind, and epistemology

GRE (taken in 2014): verbal (159/ 81%); quantitative (152/ 53%); writing (5.0/ 92(?)%)

Background: Undergraduate degree form a large state university and McNair Scholars Program

[PreciselyTerrified]

Has anyone had a visit experience that has left you feeling something like, "This is exactly where I want to be. My choice is made"? I haven't. They're all awesome. I hate making this type of decision.

[Duns Eith]

All other things being equal, choose the one with the best school colors.

[sidebysondheim]

Has anyone had a visit experience that has left you feeling something like, "This is exactly where I want to be. My choice is made"? I haven't. They're all awesome. I hate making this type of decision.

 

I did at UNC. I had a fantastic time at WashU and had I not gotten into UNC would happily go there, but there was something extra about the grad student/faculty community that just made it feel perfect for me. 

[riverstyx]

Yes, around the middle in a waiting list of about 30. They said they usually make it to half of the list and that they had only 4 places for 120 applicants.

UW-Madison also has a large wait list, and they are also accepting only 5. So maybe they will make it through half of their wait list too. Pretty loose reasoning on my part, but hopefully correct!

[DontFly]

Has anyone had a visit experience that has left you feeling something like, "This is exactly where I want to be. My choice is made"? I haven't. They're all awesome. I hate making this type of decision.

I sort of did at UCI, even though I had never visited campuses before and thought that the feeling was natural (until I went to Davis and UWM and didn't feel that way).

 

I think psychologically the best way to make an important decision is to expose yourself to all options, and go with gut feeling. Don't try to analyze it by doing a pro/con chart. Go with whichever place that excites you the most!

[verificationist]

[Edited due to previous total stupidity on my part.]

Edited March 27, 2015 by verificationist

[PreciselyTerrified]

I sort of did at UCI, even though I had never visited campuses before and thought that the feeling was natural (until I went to Davis and UWM and didn't feel that way).

 

I think psychologically the best way to make an important decision is to expose yourself to all options, and go with gut feeling. Don't try to analyze it by doing a pro/con chart. Go with whichever place that excites you the most!

"Don't try to analyze it." That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. If only that were possible...

[sidebysondheim]

I think you should analyze it, but use something better than pro/con lists. Something like a weighted decision table/extremes table would be better. That way you can recognize all relevant values at once and how much weight they hold for each fact. Also allows for focused research. 

[DontFly]

"Don't try to analyze it." That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. If only that were possible...

I mean it! Research show that people make important decisions best (best in the sense that they are more likely to be happy about years in the future) when they're angry or in need of going to a bathroom... The idea is to shut down decision center of the brain and go with emotional reaction.

 

That said, I do agree that it's hard not to analyze it. What I sometimes do is to flip a coin - not that I'll do what the coin tells me to, but usually as soon as I see what the coin tells me, I'd have a strong aversion/acceptance towards that option.