Averroes MD

The weather SUCKS in Syracuse.

Congrats Yale acceptees! Good luck for Harvard.

Actually, I am in Islamic Studies. Great, thanks! Congrats again!

Congrats!!! Oxbridge is at the top of my list for when I apply next year, so I can't help but feel happy for you! What concentration are you doing, i.e. Jewish, Christian, Islamic studies? Also, how much sway do POI's have at Oxford?

That's really exciting. Congrats!

Congrats! Mazel Tov!

You should use the summer to do an intensive foreign language course.

I can totally understand how you guys would be going a bit nuts right now waiting for the acceptance emails. I'm already anxious, and I'm a whole year out from applying... Good luck everyone!

Congrats on the funded cambridge acceptance. Do you mind sharing what kind of funding you got?

Hi, I'm currently a master's student looking to do a PhD. Do you have any tips about how to get close to my professors so that I can get a good LOR from them? What does, for example, one discuss during office hours? (I understand that one should get close to professors for the value of the relationship itself, but alas, I am a bit "shy" with authority figures and so this is an area of difficulty for me.) Thanks!

How does Cambridge divinity differ from the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies for the student of Islamic studies? Can one apply to both? Is there a difference in funding for international students? Is it like the difference between Harvard divinity and Harvard GSAS? Thanks!

What's the magic cut off for gpa? (I realize there is no magic number in reality but on a practical level what is the usual cut-off?)

I see you've applied to Oxford for Oriental Studies. Do you happen to know what their language requirement is? Do you need to know French or German?

Master of Theological Studies. That's a good idea to read PhD dissertations. Thanks for your suggestion! I was just looking for generalities from the collective wisdom of this forum. Interesting!

Interesting. Thanks! Best of luck on your applications.

Thanks for your advice... I was under the impression that one is supposed to propose a dissertation topic when applying to PhD programs, even though it will likely change...That's why I'm asking now.

No, I just started my MTS. And I realize that I don't know my a** from my face on this... And I don't even know if I want to pursue a PhD or not. The reason I am asking on an anonymous forum is to obtain some basics BEFORE I ask someone at my school for advice, since I want to at least have a vague idea before I seek help in person. I'd rather look like a clueless idiot on an anonymous forum rather than in person. I tried googling for information on this, but I did not find much worthwhile. Thank you all for your replies.

Thanks! Should (or can) one address a topic with a hypothesis or theory in mind? Can one, for example, propose a new way of looking at a certain historical event? And then provide evidence to support that view? For example, Fred Donner proposed his "Muhammad and the Believers" theory, which basically argued that the Prophet Muhammad and his early followers were known as "Believers" and included Jews and Christians, and that only later (after the Prophet's death) did "Islam" as a distinct and clearly demarcated religion (mutually exclusive from Judaism and Christianity) emerge. Would that have been a good PhD dissertation? Or, is that more for an already established scholar? Should PhD topics consist mostly of "observations" as opposed to "theories?" I don't know if that makes sense...Sorry if it does not.

Any advice by PhD students about how to pick a good dissertation topic (in addition to speaking to one's advisor)? What makes a good dissertation topic ? Thanks!

Thanks!

Hi, I'm strongly considering Oxford or Cambridge for a DPhil in Islamic studies. I realize that it's not considered ideal for U.S. jobs but, leaving that aside for now, was hoping for an answer about this question I had. What is the residency requirement for these two schools? They are three year programs... Can I spend 1 year at another university (here in the U.S. or maybe abroad in the Middle East)? Would that count as one of the three years? Is this possible since the DPhil's are research degrees only? Or do they require you to be physically there for all three years? Thanks!

Thanks for your replies. I'm not in it to make money of course, but I always think considering finances--especially with student loans--is wise. Naturally, I'm already aware that writing in general does not pay much, but was just wondering. Thanks!

Hi, What are the pros and cons of publishing a book through a university press? I know books nowadays don't earn much more than peanuts for authors but would an author make the same whether he/she went through a university press instead of a non-university affiliated press? Thanks.

My thoughts: Your overall background is impressive. Christianity is probably harder to get accepted in to than other faith traditions. My advice: Don't anticipate doing poorly on the GRE. If you do, then you will score low. Think positive. Study hard and get a good score. A solid GRE score will help offset the F. As for your overall chances, I think they are good. Good luck.

I just saw it on google search so you might be right. Thanks!