The Department of Philosophy at the University of Michigan is thrilled to announce COMPASS at Michigan 2025. This workshop will bring together students with an interest in pursuing academic philosophy for a weekend of discussion, networking, and mentoring. Advanced undergraduates and M.A. students (first and second year) who are planning to apply to graduate institutions in North America are eligible to apply.

Applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Be a part of a group with limited resources for access to academic philosophy, i.e. first generation college students, students of low SES/low income, veterans, students without philosophy degrees, rural students, community college students, etc.

• Have an interest in non-mainstream areas of philosophy, for example: interdisciplinary work in philosophy, philosophy of race/gender, queer philosophy, philosophy of disability, social philosophy, non-western philosophy, etc.

• Have worked to (or have interest in working to) broaden access to academic philosophy. Examples of broadening access to academic philosophy might include participation and/or leadership in community-based organizations and initiatives, personal development and mentorship of other students in philosophy, and contributing to workshops, conferences, or journals that prioritize the mission of making philosophy more accessible to all individuals. 

• Have otherwise demonstrated a vested interest in academic philosophy, even if situated in a non-Philosophy department.

The workshop will take place from September 19th-21st, 2025, with participants arriving in Ann Arbor on the evening of the 18th. 

 

Workshop participants will be expected to read in advance three papers from a range of subfields (depending in part on the interests of accepted participants). In addition to sessions discussing the papers, there will be one session featuring faculty members giving advice on graduate school and one session featuring a graduate student panel on graduate school applications and graduate student life. There will also be opportunities to attend graduate student research presentations and meet with graduate student mentors. 
 

The deadline for applications is June 22nd, 2025. Applicants will be notified in July 2025.

To apply, complete the application at http://tiny.cc/679b001.

There are two components to the application:

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1. Basic information form
    

2. File uploads
    

   1. Academic statement (max. 750 words): Please provide an academic statement addressing the following questions: What is your current background in philosophy? What areas of philosophy interest you most and why? Are you considering applying for further education in philosophy? If you are writing a senior or MA thesis, please include a brief description of it. Additionally, please comment on how COMPASS can provide resources that will help you more successfully pursue the study of philosophy. (For example, if your home institution has no graduate program, you might speak about how COMPASS would provide an opportunity to interact with PhD students. We welcome any thoughts on how COMPASS could be beneficial for you.)

   2. Personal statement (max. 500 words): Please provide a personal statement describing your experiences in philosophy with respect to the eligibility criteria, that is, regarding lacking access to philosophy resources, an interest in non-mainstream areas in philosophy, or things you have done to broaden access in academic philosophy. If you have a more general interest in working towards broadening access in philosophy, feel free to discuss that as well! 

   3. Writing sample (optional): You may also submit a writing sample to demonstrate your interest and experience in philosophy. Your writing sample could be a paper for a philosophy course, a philosophy paper you’ve written for graduate school applications, or an undergrad/MA thesis, for example. This writing sample is not required, and your application will not be penalized should you choose not to send a writing sample. Still, we encourage applicants to send in their best written work in philosophy so that the committee can see where you are in progress towards graduate school applications.
      
      Any questions or concerns can be directed to michigancompass@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your applications!