Averroes MD

Got the Duke rejection letter!

That's strange. I didn't get an email nor any update when I log in... ?

Someone else on this forum messaged me about an acceptance. I think they have all been sent out although maybe If it goes down the wait list, who knows... also I got the official email from GSAS and so did the other person. We are now waiting for the admission packet in snail mail.

I wonder if that's true though... As much as I wish that were true (in the bold), I think everyone struggles to get a job out of the PhD, let alone at an Ivy or major research university... Anyways, I'm trying not to think about it and actually enjoy getting accepted to a PhD program. But yeah, I've been reading this post by someone in philosophy, which is tempering my job (but not tempering it much, since I am on the moon regardless): I consider UC Berkeley an Ivy League equivalent like Duke... But, perhaps philosophy is rougher than the study of religion, as far as job prospects? (And of course, I don't know if any of those people were "trinity" graduates, so maybe my example is irrelevant to what you were saying.) Furthermore, Berkeley (at least at an undergraduate level) is known for not fostering its students, i.e. there is very little support for students to succeed.

I recall that HDS was in the 30-40% range...but, it is a bit nebulous. EDIT: Quora's brain seems to think the number is between 18-50%. So basically, somewhere between 1 and 100%. On a serious note, I think 70% seems too high.

For the PhD, all decisions are through GSAS, not HDS. HDS will notify master's candidates for MTS, MDiv, and ThM. This is my understanding.

I just received my official acceptance email/letter from Harvard GSAS.

I don't think you necessarily need to cater each letter. Here is how the current letters sounds: Dear Loser: Your application to the PhD program at In-n-Out University was unsuccessful. This was determined after a thorough review of your application materials, and a comparison with the applicant cohort. Thank you very much for your interest in the program. Sincerely, Jerk Face BUT, they could just say something like this: Dear [Applicant], Thank you for your interest in the PhD program at Shake Shack University. We appreciate the time and effort you took in applying, as well as the work you must have done to prepare yourself for graduate level work. Unfortunately, there are far too many applicants compared to available seats. This means that we are not able to offer seats to otherwise excellent applicants. Many of these unsuccessful applicants are accepted to our peer institutions, and others are successful in subsequent years. Therefore, we encourage you even in this time of disheartening news, and wish you well in your future endeavors. Sincerely, Not Jerk Face

Is it just me or admission committees need to learn how to write rejection letters? Some/many of them are heartless and callous.

1. where you applied? I applied to a bunch of programs this year. Here they are in order of my preference: 1) Harvard, 2) Yale, 3) Georgetown, and then the rest in alphabetical order (Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Duke, Notre Dame*, Princeton). * I especially liked ND's program, but I don't know where I'd rank it due to the location (South Bend) and prestige/ranking in terms of placement. (It's an amazing program--but job prospects is something to seriously consider in our current and foreseeable market.) This is my second time applying. Last year, I applied halfheartedly to three US programs, and to Oxford and Cambridge. At the time, my focus was all on Oxbridge, which I think was a big mistake. I don't think Oxbridge is a good option for PhDs, for a variety of reasons: mostly due to obtaining funding, and also I realized I prefer the more rigorous US-PhD. In any case, last year I wiped out except at Oxford: accepted, but without funding. I was able to secure outside funding, but it came with too many strings, so I ended up not taking it. I reapplied this application cycle, and spent much longer on my applications. The most important change was that I actually sent my application components to be reviewed by trusted colleagues and professors--specifically to people who were brutal in their feedback. I have been accepted to Harvard, and am withdrawing my application everywhere else. Suffice to say, I am over the moon with happiness. 2. how you communicated with programs before applying? This is key. I went to Harvard for my master's, so I knew professors there. Honestly, I think this is the biggest factor--getting to know your POI. I feel that you need to do more than just meet them or email them, but actually establish a long-term relationship long before applying. This is of course not necessarily easy or feasible. 3. asking/disabling social media and other online presence? I had a cantankerous online presence many years ago, but I went dark on purpose once I decided to go the academic route. Now that I am accepted to a program, I'll light up again. I did not want my political positions to work to my detriment. I realize that this may hurt me once I apply for assistant professor positions, but I don't care. 4. elements of your application -- writing sample, personal statement, etc.? I massively revised my writing sample and personal statement, and subjected them to brutal feedback by colleagues and professors. As for my writing sample, it is something that I presented at a major conference in the last year. So, this was a major point compared to last year. 5. seeking opportunities to publish/present? See above answer. I'll add that I think presenting is good, but publishing is something you should be careful about for the reasons stated above. On the other hand, I know a student who co-authored a major, major paper (with a professor), and that was very beneficial to his application. 6. other things I might not be thinking of? Apply widely. Start your application way in advance. Meet professors. Visit campuses. Show interest. And don't give up.

Just checked for you. The answer is no, so maybe you're still in the game. It was only my POI who notified me.

I just logged mine. Very ecstatic and grateful. It was an especially tough year for me: I was accepted to Oxford last year, obtained outside funding, and then realized that the funding came with too many strings to accept. In any case, my intended supervisor emailed and called me with the results. The official email is still pending. I'll hold tight until I get that, before withdrawing my other applications, since Harvard is my number one choice by a landslide. It seems like I've spent two years of my life sending out applications and waiting, waiting, waiting... Refreshing email and Grad Forum compulsively... It's great that it's all over now and the next stage of my career begins iA. AH

Don't you mean to say "whose focus is contemporary rather than historical"? I think you accidentally switched it around. But, I may be mistaken.

Acceptance?

I'm pretty sure Almaqah was messing with us, and I just played along.

I don't think so, for two reasons: 1) This shunting to the MA program is mostly only for people who are applying straight out of undergrad, without a master's. I think if you already have a master's, then they will most likely send you back a rejection. 2) I think you need to be even more competitive, i.e. almost PhD level. I think you run the risk of outright rejection if you're not at this level, whereas had you applied straight to the MA, then you'd be judged on that level. This is all guesswork on my part though.

That's true, but it's a lesser known secret of the application process, even though I would consider it the key to obtaining admission.

That's a very well written email on their behalf. I'm sometimes surprised about how heartless and tone deaf some rejection emails can be, so it's nice to see something like that. Anyways, congrats!

That is a seriously sweet statement. Count your blessings, and sorry to hear about the suboptimal result. But sometimes life has something better in store... Good luck!

Silent farts are OK, but the risk of accidental conversion to a loud one means that they should be avoided if possible.

Which citation manager do you recommend ?

I know that people in American PhD's will often move with their supervisors if the supervisor is hired elsewhere. But, are PhD students ever able to transfer to another peer program and not have to start over? What are the barriers to doing this?

I dunno, it seems hard to believe (the bolded part). Anyways, what do you and others think of ND for doing a PhD in Theology?

Am I the only one who thinks khigh comes across as pretentious? The initial post seemed like a humble brag, and then when teknaru pointed out the errors or what could be improved, khigh responds by laying the blame on someone else, who BTW is a Rhodes scholar.

If you have a job that is 8-5 M-F, then I think it will be extremely hard if not impossible, as you would not be able to attend classes. However, if you can work evenings, nights, and weekends, then it is possible but will not be easy. Also, you should see if you can get a job where you can study during work time, i.e. library desk job, security, etc. I did it, and got excellent grades, but the experience burned me out and I was chronically low on sleep with zero social life. I have now dropped down to part-time work, and will drop down even further in order to focus on my PhD.