Best Fit for a Philosophy Major in the New England Area?

College Search & Lists
1

Hello!

I’ve been trying to use college search tools to find a really good fit for me, as I want to major in Philosophy, but not a lot of the schools I’ve gotten as matches have really stood out to me. I am from Mass and prefer to stay in the New England area. I’m currently a Junior in HS. My 9th and 10th GPA so far is 3.53. I’m a B average student. I also love drama and have been in my drama elective for nearly three years. What are the best schools to look at for philosophy majors in the New England area with these grades? I’d also prefer to read some experiences with the schools as well.

I’m also committed to a writing program and have been for two years, I have not really volunteered, I’m in AP English and am doing really well in that subject, and have never done sports. However, I plan on finding volunteer work whenever the opportunity arises.

My projected SAT scores altogether based on PSAT’s is about a 1500.

Thank you in advance!

2

You can major in philosophy anywhere. There really aren’t undergraduate rankings of majors for a variety of reasons; any top college is likely to have a good to excellent philosophy department, although of course some are better than others.

What would be more helpful is if you talked about other characteristics that are important. You say that you are interested in staying in New England. Do you want to be in an urban area, the suburbs, or a rural area? Do you like to hike and kayak or would you rather explore museums and go to the opera? Do you want a large school or a small school? How much do you think your family can afford?

If you want a small college, I thought of Curry College (in Milton, a suburb of Boston); Emmanuel College (which is in Boston), Assumption College (in Worcester), Roger Williams University (in Rhode Island), Providence College (in Providence; could be a little bit of a stretch with your SAT scores), Stonehill College (in Easton; your scores are in the bottom of their range, but they admit 71% of their applicants). A medium-sized place is Fairfield University, in CT.

You might consider some test-optional colleges given your decent GPA but low SAT scores. Hampshire could be a good choice (in Amherst), because they don’t consider SAT scores in their admissions process. Neither does Brandeis, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Stonehill, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Providence, or Middlebury. These are all colleges that would be reaches - in fact, out of reach - for you with the inclusion of your SAT scores. They’re not necessarily in reach without them (your GPA is still a bit lowish for them) but it’s something to take into account - I think Hampshire, Stonehill, Providence, and perhaps Clark are ones that could be realistic reach colleges if you omit your SAT scores.

Also, of course consider your public universities! UMass-Amherst might be a reachy-match for you, but certainly also consider UMass-Dartmouth and UMass-Lowell, as well as Framingham State, Bridgewater State, Salem State, etc.

3

I would second the option of test optional schools. Philosophy majors tend to have some if the highest incoming SAT scores among those who indicate intended major when they sign up for the test. Your cr score especially may raise a red flag.

But if you can show test optional schools that you have the kind of analytical reading and writing skills necessary to make a decent go of it, you’d have a better chance.

I am curious about why you want major in philosophy. Have you done a great deal of reading primary texts? Most teens aren’t exposed to much actual philosophy in high school beyond a few existential allegories in literature classes.

4

It’s also worth noting that most US colleges’ philo departments lean in the analytic direction (as opposed to “continental” philosophy), something I expect you haven’t had direct experience with at your stage of development.

5

Don’t be discouraged by your current PSAT score. My D went from a 1500 on the PSAT (with no preparation) to a 2050 on the SAT with hard work, studying, and lots of practice tests.

6

Have you talked to your parents about the cost constraints, and run the net price calculators on various schools?

Philosophy can be intellectually demanding, requiring the reading and writing skills of English and other humanities majors and the analytical and logical thinking skills commonly associated with math, physics, and CS majors.

7

There are great philosophy programs in the NE area. A lot of the great private schools for philosophy in the NE are very competitive. Tufts for example has a great philosophy department, but I’m not sure if you have the grades for it. I would agree that applying to UMass-Amherst is something you should definitely look into.

Rankings for philosophy are really only important if you plan on attending graduate school. And even with regards to that I’m not sure how much value it really has. My alma mater (UCLA) was a top 10 department when I graduated. I knew of four philosophy students who tried pursuing graduate studies in the subject. Three went off to masters programs, with two currently enrolled in them. The one that finished was not accepted into a PHD program after getting his degree and is now in a very good law school; The fourth friend was accepted into a PHD program, but at our alma mater which is generally frowned upon from what I remember hearing. But then again, we were all transfer students, so that may have had something to do with it.

If you’re not interested in graduate studies, rankings are less important. Rankings may also indicate the quality of your peers. This is because students interested in the subject will generally try to go to the best program they have access to and can afford. But if that doesn’t matter to you either, then you can get a philosophy education at any number of colleges or universities in the U.S. And this includes those in the NE.

If you like the subject, you can major in philosophy and still go on to have a successful career in anything else. Beware though, most people have no idea what philosophy majors do, nor how rigorous the subject is. I’ve been asked ‘why philosophy’ in several (if not all) of the job interviews I’ve had. But they might have asked the same question had I majored in English, classics, etc. And imo it’s been a question with very little importance in my interviews.

If you want a snapshot of analytic philosophy classes, Harvard has a class on ethics on YouTube; Yale has a class on death on iTunes; and Berkeley has a class on philosophy of language on iTunes. (I’ve heard most of this one and it’s actually really good.) And I’m sure there are plenty more online. So you can view the subject and see if it’s something you’ll really like. And I say that because analytic-style philosophy is likely what you’ll be learning in philosophy departments at U.S. colleges and universities.

8

No one’s mentioned money yet, so I will. You can’t go anywhere you cannot afford, so it’s time to sit down with mom and dad now and have a talk about money. Convince them to give you a figure they can provide each year. Later, get them to help you fill out the net price calculators at several kinds of schools: a flagship, a local public, a private, and a mid-size uni. This will help to guide your search and is of course a huge component of fit.

9

I’d love to major in philosophy personally because I really enjoy reading and thinking a lot about life. I also have thought about become either a creative writing or an English major because those are two subjects I really enjoy, another major would be History for myself.

10

@epiphanylove‌: Obviously, the initial “money” issue is Bachelor’s affordability. However, there’s another critical financial concern: a reasonable career after you proudly earn that BA in Philosophy in (perhaps) 2020. I strongly support an undergraduate liberal arts education; it is a long-proven educational path to a happy and successful adulthood. But, for most individuals, entering a career field that BOTH is challenging/satisfying and is financially viable is a crucial matter. I do NOT suggest this is an impossibility with a Philosophy baccalaureate degree. However, it might be very wise for you to investigate and to evaluate post-undergraduate career prospects now, rather than in five years.

11

I’m reading between the lines a bit, but my suggestion to you is that you speak to your guidance counselor about what is involved in majoring in philosophy, English, or creative writing and that you choose a college that has a strong philosophy department (most do!) and also other strong departments inside and outside of the humanities. When you go to college, you might find that philosophy is not the same as “reading and thinking a lot about life.” Two obvious differences between your definition and the department’s definition of the major is speaking and writing. A lot of writing. About some really abstract concepts. It’s not for everyone. You, however, say you like writing, but is it the kind of writing done in college? I’m not trying to scare you away from any of these majors but to get you to educate yourself now about these majors. Talk to the GC, but also talk to people who are majoring in this or that field about how it is like or unlike what they expected, what they had in high school, etc. Educate yourself, and choose a college that will offer a lot of different strong departments.

12

Is your projected score for just Critical Reading + Math, or is it a 3-test score? If it’s a 3-test score, then I strongly recommend looking into test-optional colleges, since most students project higher scores than they receive. You should still take both the ACT and SAT tests at least once, and probably twice, but don’t bind your dreams to scores that might not be within reach for you. If you’re projecting a 2-test score of 1500, then the scenario is quite different, and you could look at some very selective schools. If you’re comfortable with Catholic colleges, they often have very good Philosophy departments. If money is no object, and you’re willing to venture a little bit beyond the 6 New England states, look into Drew University in Madison, NJ, or some small colleges in Pennsylvania.

13

@woogzmama‌ , this is based on my PSAT scores that I received back in December. My family and I do struggle financially quite a bit, so we’ve also been looking at some in state colleges. I’ve been looking at Southern New Hampshire university because they are affordable, close, and test-optional. This is a projected three test score. I do want to apply to the University of New Hampshire, and plan on taking the SAT’s twice.

14

A common “weed out” class for philosophy majors is formal logic. Some hopefuls don’t even make it past informal logic. And it’s not just some random course to cut down on the amount of philosophy majors. Indeed, most departments have noticed a sharp decline in recent decades, with the push towards STEM. Propositional and predicate logic are the backbone of philosophy. Think analytic geometry with words but where you have to arrive at your own variables. It is not just “thinking about life.”

I’m not trying to dissuade you, really. I just think that most kids have no idea what philosophy is. Sure, it’s literally translated as love of knowledge but it’s really more about defining what is knowable. It’s a pretty heavy duty degree, requiring enormous strength in mental flexibility and analysis.

15

Your Cr+M score should go up 100 pts naturally over a year. It can go more if you want to prep, see the SAT-preparation forum for tips pinne to the top. That may help you with acceptances and possibly a little merit money. Also apply instate so you have financial safeties. Be sure to run the Net Price Calculator for each college you are thinking of so you can get an idea of price to you.

16

@neatoburrito‌, thank you for your advice. It’s honestly helping me greatly in deciding on this major. I’ve never really been a mathematics person and that’s where I’ve always fallen short. I’m usually in tutoring to help myself do better in math and understanding it.