First apps thread

[Swann]

Its exciting that there are only three weeks until my first application is due (Stanford). I'm so ready for these applications to start being done with!

That said, maybe this thread could be used to discuss the pressures involved in submitting your first apps...e.g., any finalization details, technical questions, or just venting. 

 

How specific do you get—regarding the department you are sending it to—with your SoP. That is, how much time do you spend describing specifics of the department (faculty, courses, whatever)? I have been given differing advice on this: 1) just describe your interests in good detail and it will be obvious whether or not you fit the department, or 2) describe your interests, but then name professors, or highlight specific reasons why you know X department would be an excellent fit for you. Any obvious reason to choose 1 over 2?

Also, Does it seem important, helpful, or worthwhile to include an abstract with your writing sample even if the departments do ask for one? And, if it is not necessarily important or helpful—does it seem like it would actually hurt to include one when they are not requested? How about cover pages?

[Dialectica]

These are great questions. 

 

Regarding the SOP: I've been told by many that you can only give yourself more rope to hang yourself with (especially when trying to mention specifics about the program in question). For this reason, I've opted for (1). There are a variety of reasons why naming a philosopher you'd like to work with might hurt you. They could be on leave, not interested in that topic anymore, not taking students at the moment, they might retire soon, and so on. So (1) is safe, but that isn't to say (2) can't be beneficial, I just think that it isn't reliably so. Of course, you have places like Michigan that ask you to state specifics about who you'd like to work with, in which case you have no choice. But that's rare. 

 

I think it's helpful to write an abstract in general. But I think it's especially important if your sample is long. That way the adcoms can navigate your paper much easier. That's my take anyway. 

[The_Last_Thylacine]

Good discussion, guys. In my statements of purpose, I did not limit myself to a specific philosopher at a department for the very reasons that Dialectica mentioned, and additionally, I did not want to come across as sycophantic. The University of Virginia, University of California San Diego, and the University of South Carolina all required me to list several faculty members under whom I would be interested in studying. Other schools like the University of Southern California, Colorado University at Boulder, and the University of Texas required no extra information outside of the statement of purpose. I believe this is because these departments are more interested in having an intellectually  diverse student body, as long as the faculty are able to specialize in a specific area. Just look at the current graduate students at UT, Austin. Their interests are all over the place. UCR makes you choose from a list of interests, which hopefully correspond to the interests of some faculty members. 

In the letters themselves, I simply stated (1) how I became interested in philosophy [this was important for my USC application, because the whole reason I became interested in philosophy was because of a USC graduate]; (2) my research interests; (3) why I wanted to switch careers from being a lawyer to being a philosopher; (4) and then I tried to say something nice about the school itself. I tried to research the buildings where the majority of classes were held/where the professors and graduate students have offices and said that it would be an honor to spend time in [building] where so many eminent philosophers have been able to work. 

[matchamatcha]

Yikes, as an international applicant, my first apps are due Dec 1 (Indiana, Colorado sort of).  I'm not mentioning any specific individuals in my application unless I'm like very thoroughly familiar with their work.  In my SoP, I'm just outlining my academic history (MA thesis info), current interests, what I've been up to since finishing my MA, and how I wish to contribute both academically as well as in the graduate student community.

[Swann]

Just a few days until my first app is due! I've got most of my stuff together, but I'm definitely beginning to enter full-anxiety mode. Hows anyone else feeling?

Good luck to all those applying to Stanford (or, any other program with a deadline on the 6th)! and, to those with the international Dec 1 deadline, I hope your first apps went smoothly!

 

[Swann]

I"VE SUBMITTED MY FIRST APP. it'll all be downhill from here (until the end of January, when I start dying from anxiety)

[The_Last_Thylacine]

On 12/6/2016 at 11:06 PM, Swann said:

I"VE SUBMITTED MY FIRST APP. it'll all be downhill from here (until the end of January, when I start dying from anxiety)

Crap, man, I wish I had waited like you. I submitted all of my applications back in September, minus a few stragglers to Master's programs as a backup. 

[necessaryandsufficient]

I've done my first four out of sixteen, thank goodness. I don't have to worry about any others until the end of the semester. I'm hoping I'll be able to submit all of my applications before January.

[Swann]

On December 8, 2016 at 1:05 PM, desolesiii said:

Crap, man, I wish I had waited like you. I submitted all of my applications back in September, minus a few stragglers to Master's programs as a backup. 

Why do you wish you had waited? To change some parts of your app?
I wish I had been ready to submit before the deadline! haha

 

6 hours ago, necessaryandsufficient said:

I've done my first four out of sixteen, thank goodness. I don't have to worry about any others until the end of the semester. I'm hoping I'll be able to submit all of my applications before January.

great! Congrats! I also hope to have the rest of mine submitted before the new year. But even just having a few submitted already feels like such a relief. 

[The_Last_Thylacine]

Mainly to have studied for the GRE longer, but the writing sample and SOP's are as good as they'll ever be! I put out 11 apps. ?

[Duns Eith]

Submitted my first 5 (of 17), and I'm already regretting not making a sharper personal statement/statement of intent. That said, my next round is coming up Dec 31st, so I'm gonna wait until this Friday/Saturday (when my papers are turned in) to start cranking out some more apps.

[MickeyRay]

9 hours ago, Turretin said:

Submitted my first 5 (of 17), and I'm already regretting not making a sharper personal statement/statement of intent. That said, my next round is coming up Dec 31st, so I'm gonna wait until this Friday/Saturday (when my papers are turned in) to start cranking out some more apps.

Dang dude. 17 is a ton of applications. I hope you're getting fee waivers. 

[Duns Eith]

On 12/12/2016 at 10:15 AM, MickeyRay said:

Dang dude. 17 is a ton of applications. I hope you're getting fee waivers. 

It certainly is a lot

Part of the motivation is that I know a guy who applied to over 20 places, yet he didn't get accepted anywhere. I'm told that you shouldn't apply to fewer than 12. I'm kind of trying to come as close as I can to guaranteeing an offer. (When you total the probabilities based on acceptance rates, like 0.3%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 6%, 14%, etc., you want the total to be well above a coin flip!) With 17 schools averaging an acceptance rate of 4% I thought the best way to improve my odds is simply applying more broadly.

And yes, I got 4 app fees waived. It is a huge burden off to save $250+ ... I wish someone told me about it sooner. I might have been eligible for more.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Turretin

[Duns Eith]

P.S.

Of course, your individual likelihood of acceptance might be far higher than the base rate. It depends on how you stand relative to the other applicants. Also, if you could at least intuitively guess probabilities of getting in, you might also want to consider the probability of getting in to [some university X] given that you were accepted at [some university Y]. Because if you get 1 offer, that might suggest you have a solid application by any school's standard; so, if you get 1 offer you are likely to get 2-4 other offers.