exegete

Baylor probably does have a more Christian "feel" than most other universities considered by people in this forum. That's something to consider for sure. But it's not at all as conservative as one might expect just from hearing that it's a Baptist school in Texas. And the religion department is definitely more liberal than some other departments and than the university as a whole.

Baylor probably does have a more Christian "feel" than most other universities considered by people in this forum. That's something to consider for sure. But it's not at all as conservative as one might expect just from hearing that it's a Baptist school in Texas. And the religion department is definitely more liberal than some other departments and than the university as a whole.

I don't know the stats comparing job placement between those two schools, but my guess is that the reputation would be similar (other than how denominational factors might play a role).
Another important thing you might want to consider is cost of living. It's much easier to live on a stipend in Waco than it is in Boston! All else being equal, this is something worth giving thought to. Of course, you also need to think about where you would prefer to live for several years, and Boston is probably more desirable than Waco for many folks, haha. But grad school is stressful enough, so not having finances as an additional worry can be huge. Feel free to send me a PM if you're interested in chatting further about Baylor and/or Waco.

I interviewed with Baylor and Marquette, and I'm in the NT program at Baylor now. All the best to you!

Last year I interviewed at two schools and was waitlisted at both and then eventually accepted at both. So I wouldn't consider myself an expert at interviewing, but here's some of the most helpful advice people shared with me:
Be yourself Make sure what you say in person matches with what's on paper See each question as an invitation for conversation Frame answers to questions as stories when possible Draw connections (with previous questions, with application materials, etc.) There are some websites with lists of common questions for grad school interviews in general:
https://www.gradschools.com/get-informed/applying-graduate-school/graduate-school-interview/graduate-school-interview-questions
https://www.gradschoolheaven.com/grad-school-interview-questions.html
I found that many of these questions (or variations of them) were asked, but there were also some random questions that would be impossible to prepare for. That's where it's so important to just be genuine (and that can include admitting that you hadn't considered something or aren't completely familiar with an issue). Most interviewers will value genuineness.

This comment is spot on. It's really hard to offer advice about where to apply without knowing more about your specific interests, NTGal. Tell us more about what you envision working on.

Hey all, in case any folks stumble on this thread next year and are wondering if it's possible to get more money from one of the big Div schools: 
YDS just raised my scholarship from 80% to a full ride. It does happen! I was persistent in asking and following up. 

Since you can make Yale work financially, I would say there’s no reason to go elsewhere. I know Harvard’s financial offer is alluring, but I’m fairly confident Yale will set you up best for doctoral studies.

Since you can make Yale work financially, I would say there’s no reason to go elsewhere. I know Harvard’s financial offer is alluring, but I’m fairly confident Yale will set you up best for doctoral studies.

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I was notified of acceptance off the NT waitlist at Baylor today!

I'm also on a couple waitlists (not for NES though). From what I've been told, it's difficult to predict exactly when waitlists will shift. Part of the difficulty is due to the fact that admitted students sometimes wait until the very last possible moment to make decisions. Last year, for example, there was a student who sat on ALL his/her schools until April 15 (!!!!). Of course that caused chaos for everyone; departments hate it as well. What's worse, it can all cause a domino effect because, for example, I won't turn down another school Y where I'm currently admitted until I hear from school X. So everybody on the list for Y is waiting around too. So that's the hard reality. On the other hand, I do know of people who get off waitlists relatively early, even in early March. . .

No luck on my end getting off any waitlists just yet (though I'm NES (Cornell)/NELC (Yale), I imagine many applicants here also applied to programs in Near Eastern Studies). I imagine most people have heard back from their programs by now and have maybe even checked out potential universities; I wonder, then, what the average date is by when they accept/decline and help us waitlisters move up a rung or two on this most slippery of ladders!

I just found out that I was accepted to Georgetown's Theological and Religious Studies program! This is my third attempt at Georgetown and my seventh (yes, you read that correctly) application cycle. Never give up!

They emailed me once all their slots were filled. That was around the end of March. But I wouldn't be surprised if things move more quickly this year. The year I applied, initial offers weren't even made until mid-March.
Good luck!

Hey Exegete, it is so funny that we are having a conversation here. lol
Thanks for your encouragement. I have to say that you deserve so much more than what I have received. I am with you in this process! 

I just received admission from PTS with President Scholarship! 
I am very thankful (and even puzzled) to be accepted from my top 2 choice schools: Emory and PTS. It is going to be really hard making a decision between two schools. But I genuinely feel that I received a gift more than I deserve.

I just got a call from Emory and I am accepted! 

Re your question about having too many degrees: So far as I have noticed, a number of academics in our generation are taking 3–4 years of masters-level coursework before pursuing a doctorate in religious studies. Even among a number of well-established faculty in the field, having a second master's is not unheard of (and by "second master's" I don't mean an MA that is awarded to Ph.D. students who reach ABD status). I imagine that having all the more research experience (and in my case language experience) can only help you with the admissions process and, ultimately, your marketability as a professor to religion departments upon graduation. 
Re your question about median age range for admitted students: It varies somewhat. But, in my estimation, applicants tend to be in their 20–30's. For example, two colleagues of mine got into their respective programs two years ago; one was 29 and the other 24. Another colleague got into a different program just last year; they were in their mid-late 30's. Coming into this application cycle, I will be 27. For me at least, language prep did factor in somewhat to how long I have been in school so far, but this is not the case for everyone. You also have to consider the prereqs of different religion programs and departments, life events that might impact one's decision to continue their education, and so on. We are all hiking the trails of academia at our own pace.
If it will be useful, I will use some of my experience as an example. Last spring I was finishing up the second and final year of my first master's program (Hebrew Bible), and I was faced with a question that no aspiring academic wants to ask themselves: What do I do when all of my prospective schools have rejected my application? So, I sought some advice from a few mentors and they all steered me toward applying for a Master of Sacred Theology (known by its acronym, STM). Very few schools offer this degree or one like it. Often times it is offered by top-tier divinity schools. I applied to the STM programs at YDS and BU-STH. I got into BU-STH.
Now an STM is essentially a one-year master's degree where you can take all manner of upper-level graduate courses. The important thing, at least for BU, is that a majority of these courses have to be relevant to your program focus (or major) and have to be taken at the university. A cool thing about BU is that it is part of a consortium of other graduate universities and seminaries across the Greater Boston area. This way, you have access to a wide range of course offerings from a variety of different institutions. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I studied Akkadian at Harvard NELC, took a doctoral seminar on the Minor Prophets at BC, and a seminar on ancient Jewish wisdom literature at HDS. To finish up the program, you can either take the standard final comprehensive exam or write a thesis. I opted to write a thesis for various reasons. From my experience so far, the STM program at BU is super flexible and will allow you to use your credit hours and program resources as best you see fit. 
In this year's application cycle, I bring to my file a full transcript from my first master's degree, a fall transcript for my second master's, another year of different ancient languages under my belt, and more coursework in areas of biblical studies with which I am unfamiliar. Compared to last year, my application looks a lot stronger, and as a result, I was fortunate enough to receive an offer from a top-tier program earlier in the month. Though I also received a rejection from a program I really wanted to get into and am still waiting to hear back from some other programs, I would not be in this position without this STM program. So, for a backup option, I highly recommend an STM.