Josh J.

Thats what I got from Vandy, Therewillbeluke...so what do you think that means about funding, if anything? It kind of scared me, but I don't know that my reaction is rational.

I bet you will. Praying for you.

Okay, so I was admitted to the Vanderbilt MTS program today. The thing is, when I started out on the application process I didn't really know what I was doing, and so I did not contact my POI before or after submitting my application. So, how long should I wait? And what do I even say? He obviously knows something about me since he is on the adcomm and I stated in my SOP that I wanted to work with him. Any thoughts?

LOL. I waited a bit, plus I'm on the West Coast.

Thanks! Vandy is my first choice, and I am beyond excited this morning!

Woke up to an email this morning from Vanderbilt, I was accepted into the MTS program! I am super excited! Now I gotta calm down because they are mailing funding information, so I don't know what that looks like yet. Josh

I agree with the rest, if you feel called to ministry at all, do the MDiv. It will provide rich academic preparation plus provide important and practical experience to help you decide if you heard the call correctly. If you find you we're incorrect, you've really lost nothing. As far as two masters degrees, isn't that becoming the new norm in the field?

I would agree with this sentiment, but considering the job market, and the fact that many academics are recommending you take any tenure-track offer you can get, I have a feeling that having PhD after your name might be better. Josh

I see on the results page that someone email Vanderbilt about MTS and received a rejection. Anyone have any more info, such as acceptances having gone out already?

Therewillbeluke: How was the application for GTU? Josh

Just relying on what Duke said, six weeks from app date. That, and trying not to get my hopes up since I've still not heard from Vanderbilt and their application deadline is two weeks sooner than Duke.

Ok, gotcha. I applied at Duke for the MTS in the Divinity School. Haven't heard a thing but I'm thinking it will be another couple of weeks.

Jill: So for Duke, I saw you applied for Art History, but are you doing that as an MTS or MDiv?

I would recommend against contacting the author. A standard review, regardless of what level you are at, will normally both include praise and (carefully worded) criticism of the text. So contacting the author ahead of time if you don't know them would probably be somewhat awkward, and, will draw their attention to you, which might not be good if they could ever be on an adcomm that you are being considered by. I'm working through a text right now where the author, who is a professor and friend, asked me to review it for the same journal I wrote the last one for. That is a bit different because he asked for the review and I know him. He knows that I will be kind and that any criticisms I make will be fair ones. Someone you don't know, however, may take it differently. Josh

Same for Vandy!

Congrats. Too bad Nathan Hatch (the President) probably doesn't teach classes, he would be awesome to study with.

That's some pretty fascinating stuff. Have you considered social psych or psychology of religion programs as a way to do this? Those are the first things that pop out at me. Also, what would anthropology say about these subjects? Sounds like ethnographic research might be the way to tackle this?

If I don't get the funding level I'm hoping for (I think I'll get in, $$ is the question), then I will probably spend the next year doing research and maybe working. I'm blessed in that my wife is finishing her nursing degree this term, which will (hopefully) allow me to quit my 10+ year career in which I am beyond miserable. I think the research I'm currently involved in will ensure my admittance for sure next year once we start publishing some of it. Only time will tell though.

I've been wondering but not holding my breath. It's frustrating to see lots of people with acceptances but to not have heard anything one way or the other yourself.

Anyone out there hear anything else from Vandy?

First time I've ever heard Chicago termed an "okay" school!

That is odd....

I'm hoping to teach history/do research at some sort of college or university. I'm persuing the MTS for good grounding in theology and religious history, then hope to do the PhD in a secular history department, but I'll be applying to both religion and history departments to up my chances. I'm more interested in studying religious history in its secular context, if that makes any sense.

So who got the MTS admit at Vandy, and did you get any funding??

Awesome, good luck!