fides quarens intellectum

The Ford Foundation offers grants for doctoral students. Only one I know of off the top of my head, but there are quite a few organizations that offer funding awards of various sorts. Typically, though, there are some sort of requirements for applicants like you mentioned above.

One of the scripture professors at my school, a Duke grad who just landed a job at Oxford, advised me that if I wanted to go for a PhD in scripture, I'd be wasting my time and money to apply without demonstrable knowledge of at least Greek (since I was thinking about NT at the time).

I'd say learn as much French and German as possible, because everyone will want to see that when applying to PhD programs. I got really lucky and was admitted to a program despite having no language training (aside from speaking Spanish and one year of Latin), but I would have had better chances for sure if I'd done the kind of work you're aiming for.

FWIW, I'm hispanic also! Haha. I only got accepted at one out of the seven schools I applied at, though. But it was my top choice!

I did pretty well on the test myself, but professors I know have told me that Many places use the scores to quickly sort through the applications that they want to review more thoroughly. I think you never really know what will get you in. I'm sure many people have applied with the same score on different years and had very different results.

Congrats Steven! Glad that worked out for you man!

Hi all, I just applied to be an instructor for the GRE, and obviously I don't even know if they'll accept me, but I thought this might be a good place to ask a few questions. Funny enough, their application data was still using old score numbers. So it asked my score range and I had to use the conversion table to come up with a total number. Also, in the job posting it said I had to have a minimum 90% on the test, as they do for all of their jobs related to preparing people for the various tests. I'm curious if anyone here has worked for Kaplan before and what you think my chances might be. I scored a 165 V, 155 Q, and a 5.5 AW in my one shot on the exam last October. The V and AW scores are obviously above 90% and also quite obviously my Q score suck, but I was applying for a humanities program so it was good enough (I got in!). Also, does anyone have any idea how (or if it even makes sense) to calculate a total score Percentile on the GRE? Seemed like an impossibility to me. Thanks! Luke

I'm curious how many people can really get a PhD without going in to any debt. That, obviously, would be an incredible opportunity and a brilliant idea, but I suspect it's only in the cards for single people or those whose partners are working. And perhaps for many people going the PhD route, that's common. I'm going fully funded and with a fellowship which will bring me about 24,000 a year in income as well as a 1,500 stipend for health insurance. While that is truly amazing for me, I've got a wife and three children with a fourth on the way, so obviously it won't get me there. But even with a family I'm probably only looking at around $100k for the duration of the degree. I know lots of people who have done that and while of course the debt sucks, sometimes it's the only way to do it.

*I should clarify: the Total number of invitees to interviews was around twenty, though they only planned on admitting about 15. Those 15 were to cover every field. My field (moral theology) admitted 2 people and I think there were 5 spots in systematics.

I'm certainly no Expert about CUA, but I was on the interview list for the PhD program this season. They invited something like 20 people to interviews for every area (and they have a lot of subfields). I also am not sure about the MA/PhD track. However, their current (relatively new) policy for PhD students is to fund everybody at 18,000 a year. They were doing some much lower levels of funding in the past, but they now admit fewer students and fund them all at the same level. Being there for two degrees, I'm not sure what your timeline would be or the funding as it's different than the program for which I interviewed. But their normal PhD funding is now much better than it has been in the past, although to my knowledge they don't offer competitive funding such as fellowships, etc. Again, I can't speak as a real authority on CUA, but I learned a lot from the interview weekend and would be happy to discuss more. Pax, Luke

Florida State University on a fellowship!!

Hey guys you may want to check out their living communities they offer for students. If you're single and willing to live in a community of some sort to save costs, it might really help cut down on your expenses. Check their website, because when I was researching them before applying and not getting in to their PhD program I thought "Man, this would be really useful information for somebody else." So, it may really help you all. Pax, Luke

I once overheard a conversation of two of my faculty members, while waiting to meet with a third professor at my seminary, and it gave me a stunning realization as to how much work is required to really reach the well-rounded knowledge you speak of. One professor was a philosopher, the other a theologian, but they noted that in their actual PhD program, they got to cover about two of the major areas in their field. But after graduation, while working in a teaching-heavy environment and publishing, going to conferences, etc. they both felt that they'd finally basically gotten a decent knowledge in all of the major areas that they're asked to teach in at the graduate level. They were both just reminiscing, talking about how many books they had to read, articles, etc. to feel like they knew what the heck they were doing. It was a fascinating discussion, and they said that basically ten years after finishing the PhD they finally felt as though they didn't have to fake it. Pax, Luke

So I know many of us are in the waiting game, and it of course drags on and is awful for all of us. I did interviews on campus at a school (by invitation) at the end of January, and they told us they'd have decisions by the end of that week (Jan. 30). That day came and went, and I thought little of it because I figured that was a best case scenario. Another week passed, and I called to get an update. I was told that the process was still working itself out, and some decisions were starting to go out and that I'd hear by next week. Today is the last day of that week. I'm pretty much resigned not to call back or email anybody, and just wait it out. But I have a visit to another school next week, where I've been accepted and it would help me Tremendously to know if I'm in at school #2 or not. It would give my visit an entirely different purpose and feel if I know for a fact that I'm going to attend this school, not merely that I need to debate and discern which place is right. Do you think it would be unreasonable of me to email a professor next week if I haven't heard by Tuesday? My trip is next Thursday-Sunday. And just to be clear, my phone call last week was very calm and polite, and lasted all of about 45 seconds. So I haven't been bugging them, and they even told us we could call. I just kind of worry about throwing my decision into the reject pile if I check in too often. Thanks! Luke

I got that email, and didn't know what to think of it, either. I applied to the PhD program though. Pax, Luke

Their degree certainly would be, but the canonical program (STD, or Doctorate in Sacred Theology) would entail Much more work, so that's why I was curious. It's only available if you concentrate in mariology though, I think. I think it's a safe assumption that you'll hear by March. The waiting game sucks! Where else did you apply? Pax, Luke

I didn't apply, but I did look into their program at one point. Given what I've read here over the past month or so (from those who post, at least), I would guess probably nobody did, but I could definitely be wrong. Were you applying for a civil or canonical degree? Pax, Luke

Congrats! I've been accepted to their PhD program in Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy. You going to the symposium? Pax, Luke

I've only had one interview, but they seemed most interested in my research plans and why I thought their school would be the best place for me to be. They also wanted to give me a chance to ask questions of them about the program. In my (limited) experience, it was much less stressful or intimidating than I imagined it would be. Hopefully that helps some. Congrats on the ND interview, btw! Pax, Luke

Hi Jimmy, I'm a newb to this forum and to the PhD application process, but I have been admitted at one school, and from my many hours of conversation with my own professors and the experience so far, it seems that you are right. As you mentioned, everyone will have good GPAs, good GRE scores, Statements of Purpose, etc. From what I can tell, other than getting a sense of your actual personality (from interviews), it's the research interests you have for your dissertation and the specialization of the faculty at the school you are applying to that make the biggest difference. And it makes sense from their end...why admit somebody who wants to do a dissertation on something that nobody in the faculty is particularly knowledgeable about? It'd be a waste of funding resources for the school and a frustrating experience for the student. Again I've never been on an admissions board or anything, but at the school I was admitted to, I had a lengthy interview with a former graduate who gave me some insight about how to present my research ideas and what professors to single out. It seems to have worked! I also interviewed at another school, and intentionally mentioned a professor whose dissertation is in an area that I want to do research on. That got me on the short list of invitees for interviews. Hope this helps. Pax, Luke

One of the things a professor told me about applying to school, and the difficulties and rejection we're likely to experience is that it is a good foretaste of academic life. He's a young, incredibly successful academic who is almost a printing press since starting his job. He had an entire session devoted to his dissertation at the latest SBL meeting. And he told me if I want to be academic, I will have to get used to crushing rejection over and over again and that even the most successful scholars get articles, book proposals, etc. rejected more than they get them accepted. That being said, from the person who said it, I think really clarifies to me that we're far from able to control things in this line of work that we're all hoping to get into. The application process is just the beginning. Pax, Luke

CUA also did interviews this past weekend and told us the first offers will go out either late this week or early next week.

I know this is silly, but I totally just freaked out with excitement that someone from Notre Dame, IN viewed my Academia.edu account. I'm very glad this website exists, but also glad I hadn't stumbled into it too soon, or I think it may have made me more neurotic about the application process. The waiting game is the worst! Pax, Luke

I applied to the Div school in ethics. Haven't heard anything yet, but I see there's a few people here that have interviewed. I never thought about whether they were Div. school or university applicants though. Anyone?