Things to Keep in Mind When Applying to Graduate School

Letters of Recommendation

•    You will need at least three (3) letters.

•    Should you ask the faculty person to use the form or write a letter? Whatever you do, make sure you ask your letter writer to rank you by percentile: "This student ranks in the top x% of students I've taught" or "This student ranks in the top x% of students who have gone on to graduate school from our department."

•    Courtesy 1: provide addressed, pre-stamped envelopes to the faculty who are writing these letters.

•    Courtesy 2: ask for these letters well in advance.

GRE Test

•    There is some controversy as to how departments actually use this score and whether one score is emphasized over another.

•    Some use it as an initial screen (e.g., everyone who scores below x gets automatically rejected).

•    Some use it as both an initial screen and as a factor weighed in deciding who gets the best funding package.

•    Here's the basic rule of thumb: score as high as you can.

•    Consider investing in a GRE course. This is expensive, but it may be worth it.

Official Transcripts

•    Make sure you have high grades in your major courses.

•    Also try to have high grades in your math, computer science, or physical science courses.

Personal Statement

•    This is your one chance to introduce yourself to the committee.

•    Try to balance between being overly specific and being too general. You want to sound like you know what it is that can be studied, but you also want to sound like you are pliable and teachable.

•    When you note topics of interest, try to note some a groundbreaking article or piece of work that has influenced you, especially if there is someone at the school who does work in that area. Obviously, make sure you have actually read whatever it is that you cite.

•    Use strategic language. For example, if the department is strongly analytic, it's not a good idea to say that you find [insert-French-post-structuralist-name] to be lucid. There is a political sensitivity that you must acknowledge in graduate admissions.

Writing Sample

N. B.: Once you make the first cut, the writing sample is the most important part of your application.

•    Originality is less important.

•    More important is that you demonstrate clear exposition and handling of complicated philosophical ideas. You must show clear and rigorous development of logical and philosophical thinking on a problem.

•    Focus on tightly circumscribed problems that maximize your opportunity to do the thing above.

•    Stay away from: "I have solved [insert perennial philosophical problem]."

•    Rule of thumb: readers are mainly looking at whether you know how to write effective, engaging philosophical arguments.

•    Very important: typos, spelling errors, grammatical errors, and poor word choices will doom you.

•    After the first and second cuts, you will be ranked according to your writing sample. For all intents and purposes, you are your writing sample (e.g., if your writing sample is rambling, you are a rambler in their minds; if your writing sample skids along here and there, then you are a herky-jerky thinker; if your writing sample is clear and precise, you are clear and precise...).

Dates and addresses

•    Different schools have different deadlines.

•    Some pieces of the application may go to different addresses.

•    Sometimes, these pieces are due at different times even for the same school.

Time Commitment and Expenses

•    Applying to graduate school takes time and money.

•    The greater the numbers of schools, the more time and money are required.

•    Be aware of hidden expenses: photocopying, printing, postage, official transcript requests, etc.