Looking for a little guidance

[Johannes Climacus]

Hello, Im currently looking at the University of Utah's MA in Philosophy. I was wondering if anyone could give me a ball park estimate of my chances of acceptance. I majored in Christian studies at a regionally/nationally accredited university. I graduated with a 4.0 but took only two philosophy classes (intro and ethics) so i imagine that im not that desirable of a candidate. I am also worried that I will not have strong references because  I was not very close to many professors and by the time i am planning on applying (january 2018) It would have been two years since i graduated with my BA and last contacted my former teachers. Because of mental health issues, I am for the most part unable to attend school anywhere outside of Utah, so the U of U is my only real option here. Thank you in advance for  the advice. 

[maxhgns]

If it's the only place you can apply, why worry about your chances? Just chase the strongest recommendations you can get, craft a solid writing sample, and put some time into explaining (in your letter) why you think an MA in philosophy (rather than whatever your BA subject was) is right for you.

[kretschmar]

I recommend, both for your application's sake and for your own academic readiness, that you take upper-division post-bac coursework in philosophy this summer or fall. A strong grade in even one recent philosophy course will help reassure the MA committee that you are genuinely interested in the discipline. I have found that, even though the coursework is not particularly challenging at my local university, just being around philosophers and students again has gotten me back into a philosophical (that is, rigorous) mindset that I hope will pay off in my applications. By taking a course or two you could also gain a strong, recent, and relevant recommendation – which will be especially useful if the other letters you will have are from theology or religious studies professors. Lastly, if you take a course with a writing component, you can use that work and the feedback you get on it as a writing sample, rather than using ancient work from undergrad or doing the intimidating alternative and starting from scratch. I, too, have been out of undergrad for a few years (graduated 2014), and none of the writing I did back then feels representative of my interests or ability now. 

Incidentally, I also come from Theology/religious studies. Out of curiosity, what is your area of interest? (Kierkegaard?)