Who else is applying? And where? (I don't actually have a full list yet. But I think it's going to be like... more than 10 places.) Anyone? At this VERY MOMENT, I am procrastinating and not working on my writing sample.
PS. I was walking around in Harvard Square the other day wearing my BACK THAT UP shirt, and some random mid-30s fake-Jonathan-Franzen-looking guy stopped me and said, "Swarthmore? I went to Swarthmore! How's Tamsin Lorraine?"
21 September 2008
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Well, I'm not applying yet, but I'll think about it down the road
ReplyDeleteI don't now if anyone else is applying to Philosophy Grad. School other than Ronni, but I thought I'd put it out there that I'm willing to help anyone with any questions about the process I went through last fall or answer any questions about what being a first-year phil. grad student is like (at Michigan, anyway). Just send me an email (or ask a question on this thread?) and I'll reply as best I can. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely applying this year, but (1) I'm not ready to call my current list final, and (2) I find myself embarrassed by its apparent ambitiousness (brazenness?). On the other hand, it's probably better to sit a year out and try again than to go to a second-rate school (what with the job market, yadda yadda). But it'll probably be around 10 schools or so. What are you using as a writing sample ?
ReplyDeleteI'm rewriting my philosophy of science honors exam - what about you? I agree about your points (1) and (2). I'm having a hard time figuring out where the cut-off should be; if I go to school I'd like it to be a good one, but I don't want to screw myself over and end up going nowhere. :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shoutout, Dan! Yes, I'm applying! Hebrew school just ended, and tonight is Rosh Hashana Eve, which kicks off a month of holidays. The friendly Jewish State gave us a month off between the end of Hebrew school and the beginning of the fall semester (yeah, school starts on November 2nd). Which means I'm planning to get the whole application process during the month of October.
ReplyDeleteStill no finalized list of schools, but I'm thinking the list will wind up being short and fancy, and then if I don't get in, I'll stay here another year and try again. Maybe? I'm going to revise something from my thesis to use as a writing sample, but I still don't know what.
Oh, Sophie, I had someone stop me and ask about "back that up" in Pittsburgh! Turns out she was a Swattie (and sapt1's cousin). And, come to think of it, someone asked about it in Jerusalem, too. She was an older orthodox lady in a strawberry-blonde wig, who turned out to be a Swat alumna and a former student of rschuld1's. (She said that they used to be buddies, but lost touch after she and her husband became orthodox. I told her about his retirement and stuff, and she said she'll use this whole thing as an excuse to get back in touch with him... but who knows what became of that.)
Wait... they LOST touch after she became orthodox?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I want a month off! No fair. I am going to take a week off in early November, but I hope I can get it done before then. Although this weekend didn't seem to work out too well...
I don't think I finalized my list of grad schools until early October... do you remember when you had yours together, Dan?
ReplyDeleteI didn't have mine together until late October (and Lucy adds that neither did she). Also, one of the last places we decided to apply was Michigan, where Lucy and I are now going, so it's good to keep an open mind even late into the application process.
ReplyDeleteIn response primarily to Sophie:
ReplyDeleteI think I'm revising my philosophy of mind paper (another three months of 'Are desires evaluative?'). I'm not super-thrilled about anything I have written right now, but I think my best chances are probably with that paper. I don't know if I should care that it's got the smallest list of references of anything I've written recently.
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ReplyDeleteI doubt the references list matters... I mean, I hope it doesn't matter!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the reference list issue; I think the more important issue is that you talk knowledgably about whatever you're writing about. References can sometimes show that you really know the field, but this can be done by just writing a really good paper to begin with. So while I don't think lots of references are necessary, they can be helpful (as long as the writing sample doesn't just turn into name-dropping, at which the committee probably just gets ticked off).
ReplyDelete