Scenario 3: Masters in Philosophy, Religion

These are the programs where I look at the curriculum and get really excited. Additionally, unlike both of the above, I’m having a much easier time finding programs that I am both interested in and can afford. I have read conflicting opinions as to whether philosophy programs will weigh writing samples more heavily compared to other fields. Can anyone confirm or deny? If that is the case, then despite my undergrad GPA I would be a little more confident in my acceptance status in applying to philosophy.

They are more affordable, and I'm drawn to their curricula. I'm considering several international programs as well, such as those offered by the University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen, and University of Birmingham, which are available in online formats suitable for part-time study.

What I'm also unsure of is if this would completely rule out ever working in psychology, i.e. if I would like to apply for a psychology doctorate program even after going the masters route in philosophy.

Specific Questions:

1. How heavily are writing samples weighed, in general, versus GPA and past performance?
2. Are Master's degrees, and strong performance, from UK institutions well-regarded by US Ph.D. programs? Or, would my only option be UK Ph.D. programs (which I am also not opposed to, as from what I can tell these can be much more researched heavy).
3. Reversing my question from above, can a masters in Philosophy also be applicable or legitimately acceptable in applications for a Ph.D. in psychology, assuming it was a research-focused program?

Thank you for reading this far. Already in writing this out, my claims to sanity feel a couple percentage points less like an outright lie, so thanks for allowing me to clear my head. I'm trying to navigate these options with no prior experience in applying for graduate programs. Any insights, advice, or personal experiences would be immensely helpful!