Philologus

Yeah, looking back on things, I was just going through a rough spot that it seems like a lot of graduate students go through (is this really should I should be doing?). Since I wrote that post I've come to find an area of study (still within Religious Studies) that I'm much more drawn to than I was to what I had been working on, and I'm set for a great PhD program next year. The wind is definitely back in my sails!

Just today I was accepted off the waitlist at Duke's Graduate Program in Religion!

I'm certainly interested in sweetening the deal since it's so high on my list anyway, but I'm not sure I am following you. Do you mean that, if they knew that I was on a waitlist at another school whose offer I very well could take, they might offer more money just to get the spot filled before April 15? How would that be better than just offering my spot to someone else if I end up declining their offer?

I e-mailed to ask about the status of my application and got a confirmation from Warren Smith that I've been waitlisted. He informed me that I am at the "middle" of the wait-list, that there's a "good chance" they'll get to me, and asked when I will need to have a definite answer. I know that the positive tone need not imply more than that they want to keep me from accepting another offer for now, but it is nice to have this information. My other offer said that we shouldn't feel pressured to make a decision before April 15, but that, of course, they'd like us to inform them as soon as we can. What do you think I should say? Duke is my first choice, and I'm wondering if telling him that I do have another good offer but that Duke is my first choice would help me at all.

Congratulations!! Will you go there? I applied in the Early Christianity track (to do near eastern Christianity w/Lucas van Rompay) and stated an interest in making Islamic Studies my internal minor. They've made an offer to someone and have sent out a bunch of rejection letters, but I still haven't heard anything. I even e-mailed the departmental secretary to ask if there might be some kind of unofficial waiting list and to make sure that my application even made it from the graduate school, but she also hasn't responded. What do you think I should do? I have a good offer at another program but don't know whether I should hold out hope that I'm on some kind of waiting list and that the person who was accepted will go somewhere else.

Theology interviews were last weekend and they have started to make some notifications within the last few days.

Rodney Stark at Baylor seems like he would be good for that.

I don't know about STM, but I do have a friend who was offered a spot in the Department of Theology's Ph.D. program.

Awesome! I think I may call them tomorrow to ask if there is some kind of unofficial waiting list, since I know for sure that an offer has been made in my subfield but still haven't received a rejection.

So what do you think is going on with our applications?

Early Christianity. Are you in Islamic Studies?

I'm in the same boat. I haven't received anything. I know for sure that they have had interviews and made some offers, though. Unofficial waiting list?

The only MA programs I applied to were funded. Why would someone go to grad school in the humanities without funding??

Sure. It was actually Notre Dame both times (MA, Early Christian Studies; PhD, Medieval Studies).

Thanks for your response! I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.