Calvin S

Does anyone have a sense of what happened with BU’s Graduate Division of Religion last year, and how this affects the program’s reputation? I’m also wondering why they are restructuring/renaming areas of specialization? Thanks.

What about what are the best ThMs? I'm more concerned with whether I will have wasted my money and time.

Thanks @mdivgirl!

I actually have the opposite problem. I have lots of years between my masters and now, so I'm thinking that a ThM or equivalent may help with updated letters of rec and better writing sample.

I am also wondering if it's a good idea to ask POIs how to strengthen your application for next time. Or who else is appropriate to ask.

On the results one of the Harvard admits writes that last year he/she was shut out by all six schools and this year has two acceptances so far. I'm curious what that person did between years that helped? (If anyone wants to claim that acceptance) And in general, anyone who did better in a second round, how did you improve your application?

When will Emory's rejections be going out? Do they ever admit or waitlist someone they didn't interview or is no interview pretty much a rejection?

It is so frustrating not knowing when you have a spouse who is waiting on your news too in order to find a job that in turn affects your budget for housing. And I'm wanting to make summer plans. Agh!

What does it mean if you haven't heard from schools at this point?

Do you mean that an applicant has less of a chance if he/she applied the year before and didn't get in? Is this generally the case?

That is weird because the part of the GDR website I was looking at (FAQ) said December 8, so that is what I told all my recommenders and I didn't realize until the day before that it wasn't the official deadline. There was another school (I can't remember which!) that had two different dates on its website too. So annoying!

Thanks @RD_Paul and @marXian. That is helpful. The application process is very confusing because some students visit all their schools and some none. Since I'm out West, I do not have the time and money to visit all my schools but was thinking about one last-minute trip. I think I will devote my time to working on my SOP and Writing Sample instead. I am, however, going to AAR/SBL, so I am going to meet with some POIs there. I have been emailing POIs, but not multiple for every school. I am definitely applying to 5 schools and may add one or two more. I know someone (in another discipline) who applied to 12 schools, but there just aren't 12 schools I would go to if I got in, so I don't see the point of that many.

I have a few questions for those of you who got into PhD Religion programs in the last couple of years... 1) Did you visit some/all of the schools you applied to before applying? 2) Did you email professors at some/all of the schools you applied to before applying? If so, just one from each school, or several from each school? 3) How many total schools did you apply to? Thanks!