Sophomore Year
____ 1. Note which philosophy classes interest you the most; get in touch
with professors whose research or writing is in that
area.
____ 2. Try to meet graduate students. Question them about graduate life,
advanced work in philosophy, professors who are good
info sources on graduate schools, etc.
____ 3. Find out if there are any conventions or conferences in Philosophy
going on at your school or nearby; these conventions
will offer you a chance to hear about many areas in
philosophy, meet other students and professors, and give you a chance to get
a sense of the academic community in which you might
be partaking.
____ 4. Write to the American Philosophical Association (APA) for information
on the job market. (c/o University of Delaware, Newark,
Delaware 19716)
____ 5. Look into doing your work-study job with a professor in the philosophy
department or in the department office itself.
Junior Year
____ 1. Continue 1-3 from Sophomore year
____ 2. Prepare for, register for, and in the spring take the Graduate Record
Exam (GRE).
____ 3. Graduate schools often require 3-5 letters of recommendation from
professors in in the area you wish to pursue. While
you are fresh in their minds, ask for a letter of recommendation
for graduate school from professors you have gotten to know and
have had good academic experiences with. Their letters will be put
on file until you need them (fall, the year before
you apply).
____ 4. Research graduate schools at the Jester Career Center.
Summer Before Senior Year
____ 1. Request bulletins, brochures, financial aid forms, and departmental
application forms from the schools to which you might
eventually apply.
____ 2. Research graduate schools with educational guides, e.g., Peterson's,
Fiske's, Gorman's, etc. (available at the Jester Career
Center) Try to narrow down the factors most important
to your decision of where to apply.
Beginning of Senior Year
____ 1. Ask your philosophy department adviser and faculty for information
about graduate programs and undergraduate requirements
you might have to fulfill. Continue to gather information
about schools you might want to apply to.
____ 2. Arrange for conference(s) with faculty who know about graduate schools
in your preferred specialty area(s). Ask them to evaluate
you qualifications and to recommend schools at which
you may be able to get accepted (Harvard, for example, charges
$50 per application--make sure you're in the running before spending)
____ 3. Send for additional information for any schools you are considering.
Familiarize yourself with the applications you have,
especially the essay questions.
____ 4. Using philosophy faculty lists sent to you by your prospective graduate
schools, go to the main university
library and search for publications by these professors--this
will give you a more specific idea about what they are doing in philosophy
and whether or not their interests coincide with yours.
____ 5. If you haven't done it yet, prepare for, register for, and in October
or December take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
____ 6. Pick up information on fellowships, scholarships, and/or loans with
the necessary application forms. Deadlines for fellowship
applications are often even earlier that those for
admission.
Beginning of Senior Year (continued)
____ 7. Request a student copy of your transcript from each undergraduate
institution that you have attended. Check for errors
since any changes may take many weeks; if you wait
until the application deadline to do this, you may miss the deadline or be
forced to submit an incomplete or erroneous transcript.
____ 8. Make sure you have enough money in December to pay for all the necessary
application fees and transcripts. Depending how many
schools you apply to this could easily exceed $200.
____ 9. Make requests/send reminders to any professors from whom you want
a letter of recommendation.
November of Senior Year
____ 1. Narrow down your list of schools to apply to. Check application deadlines
for each school and post these deadlines and list of
application materials you will need.
____ 2. Final reminder to Professors about letters of recommendation--Make
them aware of your deadlines.
____ 3. Request that GRE results be sent to all schools you have decided to
apply to.
____ 4. Begin working on your personal statement for your application. Show
first drafts to others for their questions and comments.
December of Senior Year
____ 1. Prepare final copies of application materials. Include a photocopy
of your GRE results if you have them (keep a copy of
all materials for yourself!)
____ 2. Request that transcripts be sent to all schools you have decided to
apply to.
____ 3. Make a final check that all letters of recommendation have been sent
in.
January-April of Senior Year
____ 1. Verify that your application materials were received.
____ 2. Send photocopies of any late GRE (December test) scores to each school.
____ 3. Continue researching schools to establish to make sure you make the
best decision from among the schools that accept you.