Every fall, the Tutorial Office holds a meeting for seniors who wish to know more about how to apply to graduate schools in philosophy, and which programs would best suit their interests. We can help you decide whether you want to apply, as well as advise you on how to approach people for recommendations. We can often help you locate people who have attended, or taught at, the schools that interest you. The Application Process Application deadlines are typically at the beginning of January. We will try to say a few things about these parts of the application, and how generally one might prepare to apply to graduate school, here.
Departments make their admissions decisions based on all of the above information.
It is very important that applicants have solid grades, and not just in philosophy. Many programs look poorly on students who have not exposed themselves to other areas of learning, especially if those other areas bear upon the areas of philosophy in which they are interested. It is also important that students interested in graduate study take a wide range of philosophy courses. It is all well and good to specialize and take a large number of courses in a specific area that is of central interest. But it is equally important that you demonstrate to admissions committees that you have a solid undergraduate education in philosophy and, particularly, in contemporary analytic philosophy, both on the metaphysics and epistemology side and on the moral philosophy side.