awells27

To be honest, if UCLA had rejected me, I would be honored to go to Marquette. They have two professors that are a direct match on my research emphasis. The main hold up now at UCLA is grad admission's processing of the LOI, I guess there has been a delay in processing them, which is ill-timed, since orientation is next Thursday and they like to think some have committed by then.. I grew up in Albany and went to school for 6 years in NE Ohio, so I don't miss the cold a bit. In my first MA program, I used to have to commute to night classes twice a week in the blinding snow on the non-salted Cleveland highways. They never cancelled class.

The more I think about this, if I were not a Christian and wanted to study biblical interpretation at a seminary, Iliff would be an ideal place for an MA. I recently interviewed with Dr. Eisenbaum and came out of it wishing that I had done my MA with her. One could get their Greek and Hebrew there, as well as a very progressive interdisciplinary focus. Any other languages could probably be worked out through cross-study at the University of Denver. Iliff actually encourages diversity in student population.

Awesome! Good to hear something positive amidst all the rejections. Meanwhile, just got my rejection letter from Indiana. Their loss.

I would imagine the same. I would imagine the same. The Grad admissions coordinator seemed to insinuate that interviews happened for prospective admits, which I obviously didn't get, but then again HUC waitlisted me without an interview.

If this helps at all, I got my MAs in Jewish Studies and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, since these had the best language training, and then got accepted in UCLAs History program for the ancient emphasis. Your SOP and writing sample, along with whatever academic activities you partake in outside of school, will demonstrate your ability to do historical research. I would be most focused on which program will give you at least two stellar LORs, research method training, and required language training. If you decide on UCLA, let me know, although if you get funding at Oregon, that would be hard to turn down.

All right thanks. How would you prepare Keller and Russel to the Reading Latin Series by Peter V Jones?

As a newly admitted ancient history student, I have to take diagnostic exams in Greek and Latin this September. Any recommendations on best grammar/readings to prepare with would be most appreciated. My Greek is fairly decent, so this would be review, but I have not studied Latin in probably 10 years, so that it will very much be like starting over. As there is a flood of texts, I just want the one that is comprehensive in grammar and graded readings. Thanks.

As far as rejection, better to experience it early and move on. My undergrad record is extremely sketchy, which prevented me from getting into the top most masters programs. Therefore, I needed two MAs, extremely high GPA, and total focus on fit in order to land a PHD acceptance. First, an MA in religion is too vague without a focus. Determine what your research interests are, what languages are crucial to that focus, and what particular emphasis you envision tackling as an MA student. Second, figure out which MA programs cater best to your focus. If you say, "I'm interested in New Testament," that's too vague. That field is flooded and rejections happen all the time. For me, I had no choice but to go to Fuller and go into debt. It would have been larger had I not had family to live with in California and a good part-time job. I would also search out every possible funding opportunity. Plenty of seminaries might not have the top-tier rep, but they have have excellent language and exegesis training. If you need help with determining what schools fit your particular focus. Feel free to PM me.

I got waitlisted as well for Jewish Studies in Greco-Roman Period. Already have first choice. Not a bad outcome for a fully funded program. I don't think my fit was quite as good at HUC.

Depends on the department. But having talked to several faculty, assuming grades and GRE are in order, the SOP fit is solid, and the writing sample is solid, it would come down to your your faculty advisors at the less prestigious MA school. If they are well known, respected, and widely published in their field, their recommendation letters carry a lot of weight. Also, consider language prep. The student who demonstrates better language proficiency in the primary sources from their historical period is at an advantage, regardless of the school.

Well, waitlisted for funding is better than waitlisted for admission, so there is moderate hope at Oregon. I would be thinking hard about who my primary faculty would be at each college.

Do you have another acceptance offer?

So far I have been rejected and accepted by upper tier programs and accepted by upper middle tier. Since acceptance rates for top tier programs hover between 5-10%, my Michigan rejection accepted 4 out of 69, I would think the long term stats would bear out more rejections on average from these schools. However, once one's application is among the most competitive, and I'm assuming yours is if you got into a competitive program, then one needs a bit of divine intervention and/or luck.

Congrats. Got a similar email a couple hours ago. Like my other acceptance, I will have to wait and see if funding indeed arrives.

Sucks. Congrats to whoever got into Michigan's 4 spots.

Can't find rankings on Near Eastern Studies depts, but given UCLA acceptance was in History dept., due to POI, its a top ten school with top tier weather. Time to move on.

Just got rejected from Michigan Ann Arbor Near Eastern Studies. Email claims they accepted 4 out of 69 applicants. Can't speak for any waitlist. Thank the Lord I have an acceptance already. This one hurts. LOL, one of the rejection posts in results has most hilarious comment

So are the rejections coming by email or hard letters? I want to get this over with.

First the adcomm said there would be interviews given to strongest applicants; now email says decision as of March 10. I had interview prior to app, so everything is uncertain. HUC probably could not sway me from UCLA, however, although I hear their funding is excellent. I had to get a second MA. My languages and exegesis skills were abysmal after the first one.

From Hebrew Union: "This is to inform you that currently our faculty is reviewing applications for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Executive Committee will meet on March 10 to make admission decisions. We will then contact you within a few days." They and Rice will probably be final outcomes. I'm assuming Michigan, Indiana, an Penn are rejections, as I see acceptances and interviews already posted. Actually not yet from Penn. Anyone hear from Marquette yet?

American History R_Escobar (20th century, American Indian), crazedandinfused (antebellum, intellectual), hopin'-n-prayin' (southern, religious), stevemcn (transnational), Simple Twist of Fate (early American), zb642 (20th century, labor/working-class culture), BCEmory08 (19th-20th century Catholicism, labor), irvinchiva10 (20th century, immigration/immigration reform) natsteel (early American political culture and intellectual history) unforth (19th century US political and military history, US Civil War) hbeels (colonial, early national, 19th century, transappalachain west, historical memory of these eras/areas) thedig13 (20th century U.S.; built environment, modern consumer culture, race, and immigration) Weepsie (North American Mapping, Exploration and Trade, Anti-Communism/Socialism in Interwar period, bit of a mixed bag) lafayette (19th c. [with a dash of 20th], urban, intellectual) vtstevie (Revolutionary/Early Republic New England, infrastructure/economic) macmc (Feminist, gender, and LGBT history) HistThrift (early America, indigenous history) junotwest (19/20th century African-American, Cultural/Intellectual, Gender & Sexuality) calhoun&caffeine (19th cen. Southern [political]) tampopo ramen (19th-20th century capitalism/business) BookishVixen (late 18th-early 20th ce maritime communities, cultural, gender & sexuality) European History Kelkel (Modern Germany, political), goldielocks (Britain), SapperDaddy (Eastern and Central Europe), kotov (Modern Romania, Holocaust, labor), RevolutionBlues (Modern Western Europe/France labor and leftist politics), theregalrenegade (18th/19th cent British Empire/environment), jrah822 (19th century Britain; emphasis on colonial relationship to India), grlu0701 (Intellectual & cultural history,fin de siecle Germany and Italy), naturalog (modern European [mostly German] intellectual and cultural/sexuality and gender/political radicalism), runaway (Eastern/Central, memorialization & visual culture), Sequi001 (Modern France, gender and sexuality, colonialism/imperialism) Abetheh (19th/early 20th century Germany and France, religious politics vs secularization) NeutralKate (Modern Russia, modern European economic history) Crackerjacktiming (Modern Germany, gender and sexuality) GloFish (USSR, Stalinism, Soviet-American Relations) jamc8383 (19th/20th century France, interwar culture, relationship between body, mind & place) Heimat Historian (19th/20th century Germany, migration, settler colonialism) AshleyJuneBug (Early Modern France and Britain, gender and sexuality) maelia8 (19th/early 20th century Germany, imperialism and colonialism, travel, exploration) BookishVixen (Victorian and Edwardian English imperialism/gender & sexiality) African History Oseirus (precolonial/early colonial West Africa), Singwaya18 (20th century East Africa), Safferz (20th century Horn/Northeast Africa), The People's Scholar (Spanish colonialim in Africa- i.e. middle/West Africa) Jogatoronto (Psychiatry in early colonial West Africa) ronwill06(Social and political radical movements) Heimat Historian (German settlements in Southern Africa) Latin American History CageFree (20th century, Southern Cone), BH-history, The People's Scholar (18th-19th century Colombia) StrangeLight (20th century Central America) Heimat Historian (German settlements in Southern cone and Mexico) Mujereslibres (German informal colonization of Peru, Brazil, and Chile) East Asian History alleykat (Modern China) getitlow (Modern China: Republican, Women, Gender and Sexuality) kyjin (Pre-Modern Japan) aec09g (Modern Japan) pudewen (Late Imperial China) kdavid (Modern China; focus on the Republican period) Near/Middle Eastern History uhohlemonster, (modern Israel, Iran, Palestine) oswic (modern Egypt, gender) Conmel (modern pan-Islamic thought/networks) Atlantic World sandyvanb crazedandinfused Global/World History cooperstreet (Cold War) melissarose8585 Heimat Historian (German settlements throughout world) Jewish History uhohlemonster, (modern Israel) hopin'-n-'prayin, kotov (Holocaust), naturalog (sometimes modern European/Holocaust), runaway (memorialization & visual culture), ticklemepink (20th c. Germany/U.S) awells27 (Late Antiquity: Roman Empire/Palestine/Byzantine) Science/Technology/Environment shaxmaty1848 (Cold War) StrangeLight (environmental history, ecological distribution conflicts) Social annieca (Cold War and Post-Cold War East and Central Europe) BookishVixen (Spheres of influence, Progressive Era reforms affecting immigration) Classical and Medieval Hogs of War (Monastic Studies and Conflicts in Authority) telkanuru (high Medieval intellectual and social history, Cistercian studies) AbbeyRoad (Monastic History, Gender, Cistercians) Kirialax ("Dark Age" Byzantium; the Komnenoi) Cultural StrangeLight (gender, race, ethnicity, and religion) hbeels (race/ethnicity, religious, masculinity/feminimity, print/literature) crazedandinfused (race, nationalism, performance, rhetoric) alleykat (religion, race/ethnicity, cultural relativism) Heimat Historian (German culture in transnational context) Canadian History truthfinder (New France, religious)

Congrats!

Do you see yourself preaching or teaching on the college level?

My general feeling about the SOP and writing sample is that I would just assume trash them permanently at this point. It's a total process of exposing yourself but a necessary one I suppose. That's why it's best to have a MA faculty advisor, who evaluates PHD apps every year, who doesn't mind editing your SOP. That way you can endure the embarrassment early on.