When deciding whether to admit you, graduate schools look at the following:

(a) your scores on the Graduate Record Exam, a standardized test similar to the SAT and ACT tests.

(b) your grades, especially in philosophy courses.

(c) letters of recommendation from faculty who are familiar with your work in philosophy. You probably will request three letters from Sac State faculty.

(d) a sample of your best writing in philosophy.

(e) your statement of why you wish to study philosophy at their school.

Unlike the application process for an undergraduate degree, the department rather than the university makes the decision on whom to admit.

Graduate schools are looking for students who have the intellectual qualities essential for good work in philosophy, namely,

(1) the capacity to think and write on philosophical issues with clarity, consistency, and thoroughness;

(2) the ability to understand in detail what is involved in the meaning and justification of philosophical claims or positions;

(3) the ability to recognize and to draw out fine conceptual distinctions and to perceive their logical relationships;

(4) strong intellectual curiosity;

(5) independence of thought;

(6) interest in the programs the grad school offers.

What should you do to prepare?

(1) Decide which schools to apply to.  Look at the ranking of graduate schools, and apply to a variety of schools.  Most students apply to 3 to 10 schools. Many of the top schools get hundreds of applicants each year but will admit only five to eight applicants.   Normally you should apply in the fall for admission the subsequent fall.   Visit the philosophy departments online, and request their application for graduate school. You will be applying to a specific department, not to the university, and individual philosophy departments will have their own forms and requirements and deadlines.

(2) Decide whether you wish to pursue the Ph.D. degree or only the Masters degree.  Most schools do not accept students who wish to pursue only a Masters degree.

(3) Apply to schools that fit your interests in philosophy. The Directory of American Philosophers is an excellent resource about different philosophy programs, faculty, locations, etc. It is available in the Philosophy Department office in Mendocino Hall. An online equivalent is available at the APA listing of graduate schools.  For those who aren't inclined towards analytic philosophy, which is the dominant philosophical tradition in the United States, visit The Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy. Most schools describe themselves online, but many schools offer even more information in a brochure they give to students along with the application. Write the department asking whether they have a descriptive brochure for prospective students that they can mail to you.

(4) Study hard for the Graduate Record Exam, the GRE, and take it in plenty of time for the scores to reach your schools by their application deadlines. GRE info is available online and at the Testing Center on the 2nd floor of Lassen Hall.  There is a good, free testing service for the GRE.

(5) Revise your best philosophy paper so that you can include it in your application package.

(6) Because faculty members are difficult to contact between Dec. 15 and Jan. 30, you should request their letters before the break between semesters. Indicate to them the date by which they need to write the letters, what forms need to be filled in by them, and what your interests in philosophy are (Are you interested more in, say, the philosophy of biology than anything else?)

(7) Talk to instructors about what it's like to be in grad school. Most grad schools won't give you money for the first year but often will find fellowship money or teaching assistantship money for you in later years if you do well in the beginning. Most schools require you to get some teaching experience. They do this by requiring you to be a teaching assistant (TA) in their undergraduate courses. Usually you do this in your 2nd or 3rd year half-time for two semesters. You will be paid those semesters by getting free tuition plus a salary you can live on. Very often you may continue teaching for additional semesters; this is a way to get a decent part-time job as you pursue your degree.

(8) This site (from a publishing company) contains a wide variety of useful advice about grad school.  It has links to free online tutoring for the GRE exam.