Decisions 2016

[AnotherKantFan]

2 minutes ago, Nat_Foot said:

I'm not sure about the others, but this is definitely a new person! 

Yaaaay!!!! Thank you.

 

Btw, what do you guys think: Is it super awkward to enquire further this month how many people have declined and what's my then-current chances? 

Edited March 7, 2016 by AnotherKantFan

[Nat_Foot]

Personally, I think it's entirely appropriate to inquire about your status on the wait list. It also indicates that you're interested in the school and would potentially accept an offer if made. 

[jelris]

I applied to MA programs with the hope that I might get some funding despite not having had philosophy as my undergraduate major. At this point, I am on the funding waitlist for LSU and UMT and was given partial tuition remission from AU so I'm deciding between going to AU or not going to graduate school with hopes of getting off of one of the funding waitlists in the back of my mind. DC is so expensive that it seems like even with the partial tuition remission and finding a part-time job, that I would still have to take on an uncomfortable debt burden.

[jjb919]

22 minutes ago, jelris said:

I applied to MA programs with the hope that I might get some funding despite not having had philosophy as my undergraduate major. At this point, I am on the funding waitlist for LSU and UMT and was given partial tuition remission from AU so I'm deciding between going to AU or not going to graduate school with hopes of getting off of one of the funding waitlists in the back of my mind. DC is so expensive that it seems like even with the partial tuition remission and finding a part-time job, that I would still have to take on an uncomfortable debt burden.

That's what I had to do for my MA in NYC. Partial tuition remission, worked 2-3 part-time jobs, and racked up 50K in debt. Would not recommend, 20/20 hindsight is a bitch.

[itsbits]

Hello....I've been accepted to UCI and UCSC for phd in philosophy and have been offered the same amount of funding in both. Anyone have any opinions or relevant info?

Edited March 9, 2016 by itsbits
I meant UCSC,typo!

[philosophe]

49 minutes ago, itsbits said:

Hello....I've been accepted to UCI and UCSC for phd in philosophy and have been offered the same amount of funding in both. Anyone have any opinions or relevant info?

UCI is well-ranked (#24) whereas UCSC isn't.... Not sure if that makes a lot of difference to you, but it would to me. It means that UCI is perceived to be the better department, by far. This would be important if you want a career in academia after. 

[brush]

I'm deciding between the MA programs of FSU, UF, VTech, and NIU. I have funding at two of these and am wait-listed for the other two. If I get funding at all of them, though, I'm not sure which I'd accept. FSU seems to be a tier above the others in terms of faculty, but it has the downsides of being primarily a PhD program. However, I'm told that the PhD and MA tracks are exactly the same for the MA portion of the program (i.e. the first two years) so I'm not sure whether this should even be a concern of mine. The Florida MAs have the best funding, and I'd also like living in Florida. However, VTech and NIU have a proven placement record and I'll be with a cohort of students applying to PhD programs.

Another concern is that lots of FSU MA students transition into the PhD program, and I'm afraid my professors will be offended if instead of doing that I try to apply out of the program.

[MentalEngineer]

20 minutes ago, brush said:

Another concern is that lots of FSU MA students transition into the PhD program, and I'm afraid my professors will be offended if instead of doing that I try to apply out of the program.

I would try emailing some current FSU PhD students who came through the MA and asking if they felt any pressure in this direction. I suspect nobody would be surprised by your wanting to "climb the ladder," so to speak. You might also ask them how they felt about the level of attention from faculty, and whether any of them tried to get into other PhD programs and couldn't do it, or whether they stayed at FSU out of inertia, or whatever.

ETA: If you're sure you want a terminal MA, you're probably better off in a terminal MA program. The good ones are usually built to provide structured assistance with taking the next step into PhD admissions.

Edited March 21, 2016 by MentalEngineer

[Schwarzwald]

14 minutes ago, brush said:

I'm deciding between the MA programs of FSU, UF, VTech, and NIU. I have funding at two of these and am wait-listed for the other two. If I get funding at all of them, though, I'm not sure which I'd accept. FSU seems to be a tier above the others in terms of faculty, but it has the downsides of being primarily a PhD program. However, I'm told that the PhD and MA tracks are exactly the same for the MA portion of the program (i.e. the first two years) so I'm not sure whether this should even be a concern of mine. The Florida MAs have the best funding, and I'd also like living in Florida. However, VTech and NIU have a proven placement record and I'll be with a cohort of students applying to PhD programs.

Another concern is that lots of FSU MA students transition into the PhD program, and I'm afraid my professors will be offended if instead of doing that I try to apply out of the program.

I'm in a similar situation with FSU and UF. FSU has the upside that seemingly you've been accepted into a PhD program since they promote from within; it has the downside that if you're trying to diversify your education you might offend the faculty. 

 

[Establishment]

I looked at FSU's program, and I'm concerned that there's no placement record for MA graduates. The thing about the more traditional terminal MA programs like at Virginia Tech and NIU is that their goal is to get students placed into top PhD programs. It's not simply a matter of them bringing in good students and letting them do what they want and then the program throws up a placement record, these programs are structured to help you as much as possible in PhD admissions. It's very possible that Virginia Tech and NIU are going to be able to help you in ways that FSU might not in that process. Things like a writing sample seminar course, sitting down and talking with you about your application list, and so on.

(Edit: Granted, that's not to say that an MA at a non-terminal program couldn't be a better choice. A lot of people have gone on to such programs (actually, the cases I have in mind is that they were admitted to a PhD program, and then applied out to much better programs when they got an MA from there) and have had great success with PhD admissions. While you may be lacking in some institutional structure, you perhaps get access to some more renowned professors. Just things to consider.)

Edited March 21, 2016 by Establishment

[MtnDuck]

4 hours ago, brush said:

I'm deciding between the MA programs of FSU, UF, VTech, and NIU. I have funding at two of these and am wait-listed for the other two. If I get funding at all of them, though, I'm not sure which I'd accept. FSU seems to be a tier above the others in terms of faculty, but it has the downsides of being primarily a PhD program. However, I'm told that the PhD and MA tracks are exactly the same for the MA portion of the program (i.e. the first two years) so I'm not sure whether this should even be a concern of mine. The Florida MAs have the best funding, and I'd also like living in Florida. However, VTech and NIU have a proven placement record and I'll be with a cohort of students applying to PhD programs.

Another concern is that lots of FSU MA students transition into the PhD program, and I'm afraid my professors will be offended if instead of doing that I try to apply out of the program.

I am a current grad student at VTech. If you have any questions about the program (faculty, campus, current placement record, climate,etc.) feel free to let me know!

[frege-bombs]

11 hours ago, brush said:

I'm deciding between the MA programs of FSU, UF, VTech, and NIU. I have funding at two of these and am wait-listed for the other two. If I get funding at all of them, though, I'm not sure which I'd accept. FSU seems to be a tier above the others in terms of faculty, but it has the downsides of being primarily a PhD program. However, I'm told that the PhD and MA tracks are exactly the same for the MA portion of the program (i.e. the first two years) so I'm not sure whether this should even be a concern of mine. The Florida MAs have the best funding, and I'd also like living in Florida. However, VTech and NIU have a proven placement record and I'll be with a cohort of students applying to PhD programs.

Another concern is that lots of FSU MA students transition into the PhD program, and I'm afraid my professors will be offended if instead of doing that I try to apply out of the program.

If you have any questions about VT, feel free to PM me. 

[personagrata]

Decisions..hmm... is it rude to ask the attrition rate of students in the program? Or is there a euphemism/polite way of phrasing this inquiry? PM if you need details. 

[Schwarzwald]

43 minutes ago, personagrata said:

Decisions..hmm... is it rude to ask the attrition rate of students in the program? Or is there a euphemism/polite way of phrasing this inquiry? PM if you need details. 

is this not a thing? I've been asking this outright almost every email.

Explains why I still haven't heard back from BC, lmfao.

[dgswaim]

How do you (or would you) guys break a tie between two programs that seem like a virtual dead heat?

[Schwarzwald]

22 minutes ago, dgswaim said:

How do you (or would you) guys break a tie between two programs that seem like a virtual dead heat?

I've broken ties by faculty-student ratio, the areavibes score, and the highest overall ranked PGR school they'd placed someone at within the last 3 years.

[samori]

3 hours ago, dgswaim said:

How do you (or would you) guys break a tie between two programs that seem like a virtual dead heat?

Local food???

[psm1580b]

12 hours ago, dgswaim said:

How do you (or would you) guys break a tie between two programs that seem like a virtual dead heat?

Local weather

[dgswaim]

I'm moving to Philly. 

[AgentScully]

6 minutes ago, dgswaim said:

I'm moving to Philly. 

Congratulations!

[MentalEngineer]

 @brush, @Schwarzwald - I should have mentioned this earlier, so very sorry! I talked to a bunch of MA students while at FSU, and the common view seems to be that FSU is an exception to the MA at a PhD program rule. The treatment in terms of resources and training is identical, the grad students don't distinguish between those who are doing an MA and a PhD, and there's no stigma attached to applying out or pressure not to do so. There's one incoming MA student who did her undergrad there as well and told me she chose it specifically because she'd seen how well the department treats the MA students. I think they even fund at the same level (which is close to double what most terminal MAs offer). I do still worry about the lack of placement info, though.

[samori]

This isn't really on topic but has anyone noticed the Philosophical Gourmet website is suddenly non-existent?

[AnotherKantFan]

Yeah no idea. Someone email Leiter?  Maybe too many people trying to access it simultaneously?  

[Nicholassss]

1 hour ago, AnotherKantFan said:

Yeah no idea. Someone email Leiter?  Maybe too many people trying to access it simultaneously?  

Leiter should charge those top10-ranked or so for server maintenance.

[Schwarzwald]

On 4/11/2016 at 2:46 PM, MentalEngineer said:

 @brush, @Schwarzwald - I should have mentioned this earlier, so very sorry! I talked to a bunch of MA students while at FSU, and the common view seems to be that FSU is an exception to the MA at a PhD program rule. The treatment in terms of resources and training is identical, the grad students don't distinguish between those who are doing an MA and a PhD, and there's no stigma attached to applying out or pressure not to do so. There's one incoming MA student who did her undergrad there as well and told me she chose it specifically because she'd seen how well the department treats the MA students. I think they even fund at the same level (which is close to double what most terminal MAs offer). I do still worry about the lack of placement info, though.

FSU is an amazing place, I will forever be kicking myself for declining their generous offer. Just decided on Brandeis, however, it'll take some days before I'm emotionally prepared to celebrate.