Averroes MD

Wear pants.

My friend applied to the PhD program and was shunted to the master's program just like you. He was subsequently accepted to it. I don't know whether or not this shunting is automatic or not. However, if you are interested in doing the master's you should absolutely take advantage of this and apply.

As someone who, like you, has a professional doctorate (MD in my case), time to degree was a major concern of mine. Additionally, I was initially keeping myself very geographically restrained due to the higher level of personal and family commitments associated with being an older person. However, I have realized that no matter how you slice it, you always get back what you put in. That is to say, I don't know how much you will gain out of receiving a PhD by distance by publication. I mean this in two ways: (1) How much a secular university would value such a degree, and (2) perhaps more importantly, how much of a developed scholar you will become. On this latter point, I think the PhD is meant to take time, as the process itself is important and is what will turn you into a real scholar. In the end, I've decided to bite the bullet and dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the endeavor of theology and religious studies, so I am hoping to get into a rigorous PhD as opposed to something that can be sped through. Having said that, our situations may be different. You seem to already have teaching positions in the field of your interest, and also have many publications. Therefore, at this point in time, you may not feel that a PhD is needed for you any more. However, even still, I wonder how much a distance PhD will truly help you to break into the secular academy. In any case, good luck!

Damn. You'd think that this would have been listed prominently on the application page. Anyone know about Harvard? Is there an interview?

That's a cool, contemporary topic!

I applied to Yale in Religion (Islamic Studies) and did not read anything about interviews being a part of the process. (However, I did have an informal phone interview with the POI before submitting my application.) Is an interview a part of the process for the Religion PhD at Yale? What about Religion and NELC at Harvard? I thought they didn't do interviews. Damn it, I've had radio silence from all five programs I've applied to. This probably means I'm toast.

When are we expected to hear back? Anyone know? What about for Oxford and Cambridge? And how about U.S. schools like Harvard? Is it really March or April?

I just got an interview from Hogwarts University!

Rising_star, I realize my reply to you was unnecessarily snarky. Sorry about that!

Sure, but I'm not in your class.

I'm not mad nor do I think the professor is out to get to me. The post was half in jest. I certainly don't think the professor is out to get me. That's the thing. I think it often seems arbitrary.

Why !?!?

Also coming in with all or at least most of one's languages would be important in order to do this. In any case, I was also thinking about how quickly I can finish my PhD, but now I realize that I shouldn't rush it at all. It takes a certain amount of incubation time to become an expert and budding scholar. (To be clear, I just applied for PhD's and don't even know if I'll get in. But I'm now leaning towards US PhDs whereas prior I was focusing my energies on UK ones.)

I've noticed that many people are single-spacing their personal statements. I double-spaced mine, so it appears to be longer, even though it is under the word limit. Is there some convention here? Should I have used single space? (Too late to change anything, but just curious.)

What are some good academic introductory books for Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism? Thanks!

I don't see why an MA candidate couldn't or wouldn't be able to use the same allotted space.

This waiting is driving me crazy and now I'm thinking about worst case scenario. How should one best utilize a year off to maximize admission the following year? This is supposing one has already completed a relevant master's degree. My weakness is languages, so I'm thinking about using the year to work on secondary languages, French and German. I already have my two primary languages down, although there is a third I want to work on. Anyways, good idea?

It's like they saw my post. I just got a rejection email.

By the way, if the deadline is Dec. 15, when do you think the committee deliberates? Probably in January right?

It's pretty stupid that we can't just log on to a website and confirm that we didn't get offered an interview.

I also applied to Harvard NELC, as well as Study of Religion--however, in Islamic Studies. I read elsewhere on this forum that applying to both won't increase chances, but that doesn't make sense to me, since they are two different applications and viewed by separate committees. It is possible one committee likes the application, and the other doesn't. Shrug.

Have you considered Hartford Seminary?

None of the programs I applied to had this option.

I've interviewed with the POI, but that's about it. So, does the fact that I haven't received and notification from either the department or Gates Cambridge mean that I'm out of the running?

I've sent in all my apps and now I am a nervous wreck.