Columbia TC General Questions

[Albert]

Hello,

I just browsed through this forum and I found a lot of great information on Columbia TC; however, I just want to ask a couple of general questions.

I just graduated from Fordham University last May with a degree in English & philosophy. Overall, my GPA is a 3.6, and I have spent this year working at a law firm. While law school is certainly an option of mine, as I recently took the LSAT, teaching has always been on the back-burner. I am applying to the MA in philosophy and education at TC. I spoke to an admissions counselor yesterday, and she told me that the average GPA of an admitted student is a 3.4. Clearly, though, GPAs are not the only factor when accepting a student. So, I'm not banking on an acceptance into a highly reputable program simply because my GPA is higher than the average.

There is no GRE requirement for this program, so my assumption is that the GPA, LORs, and personal statement are the biggest (perhaps only) factors when making a decision. I am submitting 2 LORs-one from a professor of theology whom I took multiple times and received an A in every class of his, and another from the chair of the philosophy department. So the LORs and my GPA seem to be in my favor. Now I just have to work on the personal statement.

I really want to try to be as succinct and persuasive as I can be in this statement, but I'm not sure if I'm approaching it well. I started it recently, and I don't foresee it exceeding 2 pages. Personally, I don't see why any personal statement would be longer than that, because I know several people who sit on admissions committees (one from Princeton and another from JHU) and they told me that they cringe every time they see a statement longer than roughly 3 pages. I don't want to start a whole debate on that, so I sincerely apologize for any offense I may have raised with that previous remark.

My statement discusses my experience with philosophy as an undergrad, my areas of interest in the subject of philosophy itself, my experience as a tutor and academic grader, and my plans after I obtain this degree (certification in NY and I am strongly considering entering a PhD program in philosophy). I want to add something else into the essay, but I'm stumped as to what that would be at the moment. Any suggestions? Also, do you think that a 2 page personal statement for Columbia TC would put me at a disadvantage?

Ultimately, how do I sound as a prospective applicant? My GPA/LORs are strong, and my personal statement (pending your feedback) will also be in my favor. What do you think? I noticed that a number of people who write in this section have been accepted into TC. Would you mind sharing your credentials so I have an idea of the people I'm applying with?

I apologize for the ramble, but this forum seems to be very active and healthy. Thank you in advance to anyone who is kind enough to reply and help me out.

-Al

[amelapay]

Hi Albert,

As it just so happens, last week I was accepted into the TC PhD in Philosophy and Education. I have a BA in philosophy and have spent 3 years doing work towards a PhD in philosophy, which I'm not finishing for a variety of reasons. I have an undergrad GPA of ~3.8, grad GPA of 3.9, and three strong letters from professors who know me and my work fairly well.

Sounds like you're on the right track, application-wise. My personal statement was about 2 single spaced pages, and consisted of straightforward and fairly detailed paragraphs about my background, interests, career goals, and why I wanted to change graduate programs.

Good luck to you!

P

Edited February 19, 2010 by amelapay

[Albert]

Hi Albert,

As it just so happens, last week I was accepted into the TC PhD in Philosophy and Education. I have a BA in philosophy and have spent 3 years doing work towards a PhD in philosophy, which I'm not finishing for a variety of reasons. I have an undergrad GPA of ~3.8, grad GPA of 3.9, and three strong letters from professors who know me and my work fairly well.

Sounds like you're on the right track, application-wise. My personal statement was about 2 single spaced pages, and consisted of straightforward and fairly detailed paragraphs about my background, interests, career goals, and why I wanted to change graduate programs.

Good luck to you!

P

Amelapay-I PM'd you. Thanks!

[drewball_s]

So did either of you get accepted?