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PhD Applications in the US

Nov 25, 20245 min read

Following the discussion started in Assume I finish the MoL in one year, what then? and making the same assumptions on the future I made there, I outline when and how exactly I plan to apply to the different PhD positions in the US. I already listed some in the conclusion of the last note: Candidate PhD Positions. In particular, I underlined how the ranking by philosophicalgourmet.com has been of practical use for picking the universities I wanted to apply to.

General Remarks

For each of the positions I want to apply to, I will need to focus on the writing sample they ask for, which will supposedly be the same for all applications and come from Structuralism & Categories (Research Project). I will also pay attention to the deadlines and check if any particular documents are required, I list all of these either here or in Attachments to PhD Applications. For each university, I not only verify the details of the application process but also identify which professors in particular may be key for my studies at that institution, those names are listed here and more details are given in the specific motivational letters in Attachments to PhD Applications.

I also list PhD Application in EU & UK, divided by different deadlines (Oxford belongs to this list and Bristol to the other one, only because of different deadlines). Regarding the Letters of Recommendation I list the timeline below and give here all Information for Recommenders.

Princeton

Application Portal

Notre Dame

  • Deadline: 01.01.2025
  • Language Requirement: Waived (link) (search “English is not my native language”)
  • Letters of Recommendation: ?
  • Fee: ?
  • Application Portal

MIT

Harvard

Oxford

  • Deadline: 07.01.2025 (link)
  • Language Requirement: Not waived, but conditional offer (link)
  • Letters of Recommendation: ?
  • Fee: ?
  • Application Portal

NYU

Carnegie Mellon

  • Deadline: 08.01.2025
  • Language Requirement: Waived
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3
  • Fee: $0
  • Application Portal
  • Financials: Pittsburgh is particularly cheap, min. salary at 2.5$/mo, link.
  • People & Research:
  • Submissions
    • I can waive the GRE requirement for you. You’ll need to enter this code in the online application: phil2025GRE. We use GRE scores to partially assess mathematical preparedness for our program, so please be aware that your application may be weaker without them. To compensate for this, I would advise you to make sure that your application clearly demonstrates other evidence of your background with formal methods (e.g., course grades, examinations, letters of recommendation, your writing sample, and other relevant experience)

Stanford

  • Deadline: 09.01.2025
  • Language Requirement: Waived, link
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3
  • Fee: ?
  • Application Portal

Timeline

Letters of Recommendation

To make applications I need to be sure that I have people that can refer me, here I list candidates by priority and expose their relation to my work:

Both Prof. Merkl and Prof. Schuster may not have read the thesis before the deadlines, I need to send them an email to make sure that they will be able to provide an opinion on my work before the deadlines. I will also need to update them of the new projects I am perusing. I will send them an email within 27.10 to make sure that I will have their recommendation letters.

While the research project Structuralism & Categories (Research Project) proceeds, I will ask the supervisors if they can also provide a recommendation letter, I would then get the 3rd and 4th letter and have solved this issue. I will make sure of that before the 20.11.

I need then to make sure that those professors writing recommendation letters are aware of my current work and, in order to grant that they will receive a copy of my current Curriculum Vitae.pdf

Writing Sample

I will then need to have a written sample to submit of around 20 pages, it will be done before the 01.12 while I begin writing for Structuralism & Categories (Research Project). All documents will be organised in Attachments to PhD Applications.

Berkeley University

  • Deadlines: 17.12.2024
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3
  • Fee: 155$
  • Application Portal
  • Language Requirement: I am supposed to take a TOEFL exam, taking it at home would in principle be doable but it would require still to organise more paperwork and put more effort into the application process. Despite Berkeley would have been by second option, after Stanford (given the few information I currently have), this constrain is enough to make me give up on this application.

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