Deep Fried Angst

In short, no, one year of Latin is far from enough. Re a couple points made above. No MA in Classics will accept you, since basically all of them in the US require advanced proficiency in Greek or Latin and intermediate in the other (though you might look at 'ancient history' programs). A post-bacc in Classics is your only real option outside of religious studies/theology programs. And yes, if you expect to get into a decent doctoral program in that field, you are going to spend most of said MA in intro/intermediate language classes. There is no practical option here because academia is anything but practical. Catholic University has a great program, but many of its doctoral students are paying (through loans) for it, so that's something to consider (i.e. they might accept you, but expect you to take on 100k+ to get a degree that, in this job market, may not get you any job you want, unless you enjoy adjucting and making poverty wages). As someone else mentioned, many people in this field have two M* degrees; and I'll add that some of us even have two M* despite the fact that we had decent language exposure in undergrad. I'm not saying this is the norm, but it is not uncommon, which means at places like Notre Dame you are going to be applying against applicants who have been studying Latin and/or Greek since undergrad or even high school, through two M*, putting them a solid number of years beyond you.

TAing is better than nothing. However, if you can be the instructor of record for a class, this is way more valuable in the eyes of hiring committees. Almost everyone TA's nowadays, and since this experience is so varied (I have had semesters where I only grade to some where I've taught 5+ times) it is hard to accurately value it. Adjuncting pre-conferral of a PhD will help to begin to set you apart in some fields. 
Also, most people TA as a part of their departments funding package. It's more a situation of how do I get my stipend rather than how I do I better my CV. 

TAing is better than nothing. However, if you can be the instructor of record for a class, this is way more valuable in the eyes of hiring committees. Almost everyone TA's nowadays, and since this experience is so varied (I have had semesters where I only grade to some where I've taught 5+ times) it is hard to accurately value it. Adjuncting pre-conferral of a PhD will help to begin to set you apart in some fields. 
Also, most people TA as a part of their departments funding package. It's more a situation of how do I get my stipend rather than how I do I better my CV. 

It all depends on the program you want to get into. A top tier school is almost certainly out of the question like @NTAC321 said if you are graduating with your only masters from a seminary or SBC school. I would say an exception may be Hebrew Union in Cincinnati (and where to place it in the tiers is always up for debate). Second tier programs as well as seminaries that offer a PhD program in Hebrew Bible or at least a concentration in it may be an option as well (Fuller, Asbury, etc.). Some of these offer full scholarships and even stipends. 
The biggest issue you need to think about is not just where you will get it, but where you will want to teach after you get your PhD or if even that is the goal. If you are looking at going into vocational ministry but you just want the further education of a PhD, a lower tier school may suit your needs. You've made it clear that your current and previous institutions or for that matter almost any institution in which you would have connections from your SBC institutions is out of the question. In some sense, you are going to need a name that can help people overlook your previous education and to help you compete with other applicants who may have institutional affiliations or denominational affiliations which places you may be looking at teaching. For that reason, I would highly urge either the transfer route or looking into an additional MA/MTS/MAR to better your chances to get into a top tier school. 
You do also have the option of trying the UK route. Without denominational backing you would almost certainly be paying your way. That route comes with its own sets of hurdles, but it is available to you. 

In the PhD in Religious Studies at Marquette, all PhD students now TA for 3 years with most teaching a 2-3 class periods a semester. In the fourth year a team-taught Intro to Theology is led by some of the faculty with the fourth year PhD students teaching breakout sessions. Weekly meetings (to the best of my knowledge) are held between the faculty overseers and the PhD students to discuss pedagogical techniques and address any questions they have concerning the process of teaching. Fifth year students teach undergraduate courses for the department on an as needed basis. These courses would be fully developed and taught by the PhD student. 
Additionally, many Marquette theology graduate students take advantage of the Preparing Future Faculty program with the mentor coming from within the department (http://www.marquette.edu/pffp/)
Additionally, twice a semester the graduate program offers a talk on an aspect of the ins and outs of what it takes to flourish in academia: teaching, publishing, research, etc. 
I will also speak to another program since I am familiar with it, and it has your dream. Asbury Theological Seminary requires a course in Pedagogy (Instructional Theory and Development) for all PhD Students, typically offered in a Winter Term/J-Term. The Biblical Studies students do also have the opportunity to become teaching fellows (in Greek or Hebrew) and facilitate the first two semesters of those languages for the MA and MDiv students. The size of the program does not always guarantee a place as an in class TA with teaching opportunity every semester. However, the TA's who do teach in class are often recorded with the professor then taking time to give amble feedback. 

As most people have noted above, there are multiple factors at work. 
SBC actually reports a respectable "vocational placement" out of the PhD  program.in general. However, I have a feeling that their choice of term does include those who work in ministry outside of an academic context as well to be counted. So before anything, find out the placement of the program into academic jobs. Those academic jobs are also probably at small Southern Baptist colleges. If that is where you want to end up, then SBC may be ok for you.
Also, the attrition rate of the program is around 40%. Multiple factors are probably involved. Money is definitely one of them. 
See http://www.sbc.net/cp/ministryreports/2017/pdf/seminaries/sbts/sbts-ats-report.pdf
 
If this is your first go around in your applications, I would highly encourage you to do all that you can between now and December and beef up your applications. Learn a language. Present papers/get them accepted to conference. Rework your statement. Add more research to your paper. Not getting in your first year does not doom you from not getting in anywhere. Also, while other threads have downplayed the UK PhD route, if you are going to go ahead and pay money to a SBC program for a PhD it may be worth your while to try your hand at doing a UK PhD (even part-time from distance). While it will not have the prestige of a Tier 1 US school, it will give you more opportunities than a SBC school. 
 

As most people have noted above, there are multiple factors at work. 
SBC actually reports a respectable "vocational placement" out of the PhD  program.in general. However, I have a feeling that their choice of term does include those who work in ministry outside of an academic context as well to be counted. So before anything, find out the placement of the program into academic jobs. Those academic jobs are also probably at small Southern Baptist colleges. If that is where you want to end up, then SBC may be ok for you.
Also, the attrition rate of the program is around 40%. Multiple factors are probably involved. Money is definitely one of them. 
See http://www.sbc.net/cp/ministryreports/2017/pdf/seminaries/sbts/sbts-ats-report.pdf
 
If this is your first go around in your applications, I would highly encourage you to do all that you can between now and December and beef up your applications. Learn a language. Present papers/get them accepted to conference. Rework your statement. Add more research to your paper. Not getting in your first year does not doom you from not getting in anywhere. Also, while other threads have downplayed the UK PhD route, if you are going to go ahead and pay money to a SBC program for a PhD it may be worth your while to try your hand at doing a UK PhD (even part-time from distance). While it will not have the prestige of a Tier 1 US school, it will give you more opportunities than a SBC school. 
 

As most people have noted above, there are multiple factors at work. 
SBC actually reports a respectable "vocational placement" out of the PhD  program.in general. However, I have a feeling that their choice of term does include those who work in ministry outside of an academic context as well to be counted. So before anything, find out the placement of the program into academic jobs. Those academic jobs are also probably at small Southern Baptist colleges. If that is where you want to end up, then SBC may be ok for you.
Also, the attrition rate of the program is around 40%. Multiple factors are probably involved. Money is definitely one of them. 
See http://www.sbc.net/cp/ministryreports/2017/pdf/seminaries/sbts/sbts-ats-report.pdf
 
If this is your first go around in your applications, I would highly encourage you to do all that you can between now and December and beef up your applications. Learn a language. Present papers/get them accepted to conference. Rework your statement. Add more research to your paper. Not getting in your first year does not doom you from not getting in anywhere. Also, while other threads have downplayed the UK PhD route, if you are going to go ahead and pay money to a SBC program for a PhD it may be worth your while to try your hand at doing a UK PhD (even part-time from distance). While it will not have the prestige of a Tier 1 US school, it will give you more opportunities than a SBC school. 
 

@chaotic, you say you only have full-funding from Marquette. What program did you apply to? The PhD in Religious Studies/Theology comes with an automatic stipend of just under $20k a year in addition to full tuition remission which is typically on par with Baylor's stipend. 
Also, if you have any questions about Marquette, message me. I am in my first year in the PhD in Religious Studies on the JCA track. (I gave up on the Baylor waitlist when Marquette offered, so I do even have some experience in comparing the schools, though you have an acceptance and I just had a waitlisting). 
Also, Marquette has in the past offered money to some students who are in the decision making process to be able to come visit the school. You just have to let them know, and they can see if any is still available. 
 

Even though some of this is straightforward, I'll say it anyway. 
1. Dress like it is an in person interview. 
2. Make sure you have a clean room, a wall without anything distracting, and good lighting where you sit. If possible, use a room where you can have an ethernet connection rather than WiFi; better to have faster more stable internet than to freeze up during your interview. 
3. Work on your answers to typical interview questions. Read everything you can on the program and tailor them to the school. Make them concise and brief. If you ramble, you waste time for other questions or substantial answers. If you get answers down from two minutes to one minute, even with ones like research focus, why you are interested in their school, and influences in your scholarship, you will almost double the amount of questions you can answer/the information they learn about you. 
4. Have at least one or two good, substantial questions about the program. 
5. If you have a smaller laptop, it may be helpful to set it on a couple books or a box so you don't look slouched or hunched over but are looking straight ahead. 

I would second most of the above. 
A monochrome laser printer for the home is a life saver. Even though I have virtually unlimited printing privileges on campus, I still find myself needing to print a lot at home. 
The second monitor is a lifesaver for research, tedious TA work (Netflix on one screen adjusting all the dates in the syllabus on the other), and grading.
Noise cancelling or isolating headphones are a great idea, especially wireless ones so you don't have to pause your music or take off your headphones every time you need to get up to get a book off your bookshelf.
A book stand for your desk to make research, reading, and note taking easier. No more awkwardly trying to hold down pages while you type up the quote you need. 
An Audible subscription. Audio books make the walks across campus and to the car more enjoyable and I don't have to listen to the freshmen talk about how hard their semesters are going. 
Then, your favorite brand of whatever school supplies you like. Anything that brings the stress level down some is well worth it. 

Is there an academic blacklist you will be put on if you accept an offer and then decommit later? No. But it is seen as bad practice.
Will it hurt you in the future? Probably not, unless your admissions committee has a long memory and the very slim chance that one of them will serve on a hiring committee for a job for which you apply. It will probably hurt your chances to return to that school for a PhD if you are decommitting from their offer to go to another M* program. 
If you need more time, the typical route is to ask the school for an extension on the decision deadline. Realize though that if you are waiting on an answer from a PhD program it may not come till Mid-March or April if you get placed on a waitlist. 
Also, once you accept an offer it is best practice to notify all other schools to which you applied and withdraw your application. 
 

1. AAR/SBL website (membership required). 
2. HigherEd Jobs (https://www.higheredjobs.com/)
3. Smaller accrediting/conference websites (CCCU, etc.)

Read the grading guidelines for the AWA, it's very formulaic. There are also sample essays with scores and explanations for why they got the scores they did. Beyond that, practice. 

As has often been posted, GRE scores are viewed quite differently from school to school. Some schools use them to weed out the first round of applicants. Some use solely for comparison data among graduate schools (I was told what quant score I needed for a religious studies program because the Dean of the Graduate school needed that score to remain competitive among other schools...). It all depends.
That being said, I would recommend retaking the GRE based on your verbal score. From what I can find online and from being in a related field (historical studies sub-field within Religious Studies) a GRE verbal score of over 160 (over 163 is better) is typically recommended for top programs. Magoosh published findings is 2013 that for a top 100 program a verbal score of 157 is close to the bottom being accepted. (https://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-arts-and-humanities-programs/) Your writing score is good. If you were able to bump it up to a 5.5 it would help your application. However, the biggest need for improvement is the verbal section. 

Grad schools admit based on the entirety of a student's application. A low GPA does not automatically rule you out. However, some schools will use GPA as a selection for those who get to move on from round 1 to round 2. 

A couple things can help you. First, score well on the GRE. Often GPA and GRE scores are seen to even each other out if one is low and the other is high. Second, explain what changes took place between your first two and last two years of undergrad. Often, application essays or cover letters will allow you to explain low grades. Third, calculate your GPA in your major area. There are online GPA calculator that can show you how to do this. As a former graduate admissions counselor, we were able to ok some people's low GPAs because they had D's and even F's in subjects completely unrelated to their future MA concentration (e.g., applying for history but have low grades in organic chemistry). Fourth, speak with the directors of the departments at the school(s) you are interested in. The directors want the best students for their programs. They may be willing to suggest a couple areas to help strengthen your application (or tell you outright that you may need to apply elsewhere). As a rule though, do not rely on Directors to hold your hand through the process. Be courteous and grateful for any information they give you. Lastly, if you are requesting references from any professors who would have witnessed your improvement in academics, you can always tell them that your GPA is a worry for you and ask them to describe your academic improvement in their letter of recommendation. 

Lastly, remember you are looking at an average GPA. If they accept one 4.0 student and one 3.0 student, the admissions average is still 3.5. 

You will have time if you make time. But be realistic. Are you going to have hours and hours of free time to do whatever you want? Probably not. Will you be able to carve out 30 minutes a day to devote to an interest you enjoy? Yes. 

Protect the time set aside for your personal interests. It will help you keep the stress of graduate school under control. It will help you maintain and identity beyond academia. It, often, will make you a better student. 

Personally, I can get more accomplished in two hours with a 20-30 minute break in which I do an active pursuit of an interest than working two hours straight on writing, reading, or research. 

The key is to be realistic and to be flexible. It will take some time to find the proper balance. The balance will look different week to week, depending on your workload. But one of the easiest ways to get burnout is to sacrifice what makes you who you are for the sake of your studies. Discipline your interests into acceptable blocks of time but do not kill them off. 

I personally found that most students actually are able to carve out much more than 30 minutes per day, especially if they follow the advice of protecting/managing your time. As others wrote in the threads linked by rising_star, time management and setting priorities is really important. I would estimate that most students in my program have something like 10-15 hours per week to devote to personal interests. In some years you might have more and in others you might have less. And some weeks of the year could be very work heavy while others not so much. But on average, most students I know commit to some sort of leisure activity that "costs" about 10-15 hours per week. I know students who are part of a band, some that train for marathons, some that pick up a new sport (e.g. tennis), some that get their pilot's license. Others split this time over several activities that require less time each. Or, just use it as open leisure time and not engage in structured activities at all. There's nothing wrong with using your 10-15 hours one week to binge-watch House of Cards, for example. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything

I'll just note that pedagogical literature shows that the act of physically taking notes is beneficial in the learning process. It's why I strongly discourage my students from taking notes on a computer or printed slides. 
The process of taking notes during a lecture, then going back and filling in portions that is incomplete is also a critical part of learning and helping cement connections. 
When I'm taking notes on anything, it's always pen and paper. Then later I can transcribe them to a digital format if need be (scan, re-type, etc.). But the first brush is always by hand.

I have not found a satisfactory list. Most of the time the lists are not good representations of reality. Mostly because religious Studies is a broad field, probably too broad for any definitive ranking. What matters is your subject area. Who cares if your school is below par at Native American Religions if you are interested in African Tribal Religions? If you are looking for a program that deals with the ANE, the status of the historical theology department will have little bearing on the quality of your program. 
Also, because fit is one of the most important things for a person, everyone will determine the Tier of the school differently based on how they fit with that particular program. If you are going to study Jewish apocalyptic literature, no matter how good a school is, it shouldn't be ranked that high for you if there is not a single person who regularly interacts in that field at that school. 

Some things definitely define the tier structure for most people:
Funding. Unless you are looking outside the US, fully funded programs are typically a higher tier than programs that are not fully funded. Those with a stipend included are typically higher than those without a stipend. UK schools get an exception because as a non UK resident you will have to pay tuition (funding is possible, but not a given), although the schools (in certain areas) are some of the best.  Attached to a Research Institution. Bigger schools have more resources, offer more opportunities for inter-disciplinary studies, and typically host more conferences and speakers. Length of influence in the field. Your PhD will attach you to the legacy of research at your doctoral institution. E Current Faculty and their publications. This typically is more of an intra-tier factor. If you are looking at Biblical Studies or Theology, some standalone seminaries have more well-known scholars than graduate schools at larger institutions. However, due to #1 and #3 and #6 standalone seminaries are typically relegated to tier 2 status (Princeton Theological being the typical exception).  Placement rating of graduates. Not always published. Not always a factor in online rankings. Personally, because of the current state of the job market, this has to be taken into account.  Overall University prestige.  Your best bet is to apply to fully funded programs at large research institutions, that are well known and respected in their own right, with an established faculty that has at least professor who could be an adviser for your potential dissertation topic. 

If you have a specific subject matter within the field of Religious Studies you are interested in, let us know and someone may be able to point you in the direction of the topic schools in that area. 

@nandoswitharando, you're welcome. The Craft of Research, in my opinion, provides the most help in section three of the book "Making A Claim and Supporting It." Since that is exactly what you do with an Issue essay, it is a great resource.

Also, for a pdf copy: http://course.sdu.edu.cn/G2S/eWebEditor/uploadfile/20140306165625006.pdf 

I would put this around a 4 (but really, just guessing). 

Reasons:
Your evidence does not fully support your thesis. You list an example of computer science majors when the issue at stake is all students. You need to argue with more general statements and then offer specific proofs.  Your opposition argument is not strong. You state cost as a factor but then you directly move to time to graduation. While cost and time are linked, you did not link them. You left the reader to assume a correlation. Moreover, you do not prove that the prompt is motivated by financial concerns.  Contrary evidence to your thesis. In your second paragraph, ethics is the only issue you explore. Later you propose an "ethics for computer scientists course" which by its very name would have "a direct bearing on their future courses." In arguing in this way you actually support the prompt you are arguing against.  All your ideas were limited by the prompt. No creative insights. In this way, you have agreed with the unwritten assumptions of the prompt: e.g., that a student going to a university actually knows what they want to do or what they are able to do. Always interact with the assumptions of the prompt. Only one paragraph of for evidence. While you add additional for evidence in your opposition paragraph, you do not interact with the issue on different fronts. Tips:
Make sources up! Really. This is one of the best kept GRE secrets. If you have a prompt about education, just make up a statistic or a quote from Harvard or Yale or someone about the subject, interact with it, and use it to support your thesis. Also do it for the opposition. This takes creativity and may take practice before the exam to do well. Because you can't look up sources, you are allowed to make them up! (I did! Scored a 5.5).  Argue with general statements with specific examples. Argue your thesis with 2-3 claims with 1-2 proofs for each claim.  Transitions, transitions, transitions. For example is not a way to begin a paragraph in a GRE essay. They want topic sentences.  Write with more certainty. Making up sources will help you sound more certain. Instead of "computer science majors generally do not include ethics requirements" try "A 2014 survey of computer science majors published by MIT reported that less that 5% of computer science programs require an ethics class as part of the curriculum." You will need to write as an authority on a subject about which you are not. At this point, some creative BS really will help you.  Set the limitations of your essay early. If you establish two parts of the issue you will talk about and do so in depth, you will be given more leniency for not including other possibilities.  Lastly, if you have time read the Craft of Research. It will make you a better writer and researcher. It probably will help improve your GRE score. 

In my experience, I only visited one school because I was already passing through town (no extra money spent there!). The discussion I had with the Director of Graduate Studies was very beneficial as he gave me information about applications and the program that were not posted anywhere online. Moreover, he walked me through what they really look for in applications from the essay all the way to GRE scores. The visit, however, did not mean I got in (I was waitlisted as there were only two spots available). The program I was accepted to was one in which I never set foot on campus (skype interview). In fact, I had never spoken with them before the offer of an interview.  

I would say if there is a school you are very interested in and are not able to meet up with professors at conferences and they do not have a lot published online about the program, feel free to visit but not if you are spending hundreds of dollars to do so. Also, if you are not comfortable with contacting professors until you have met them in person (just do it anyways), you could find a visit to be helpful. However, until you are accepted your goal is to make your application the best it can be. While a visit may help you tailor your application to a specific school, it is often better to save the time and money, email professors and current students, and take the saved time and make your paper and essays better (and current school work, as references are often make or break it). 

In my experience, I only visited one school because I was already passing through town (no extra money spent there!). The discussion I had with the Director of Graduate Studies was very beneficial as he gave me information about applications and the program that were not posted anywhere online. Moreover, he walked me through what they really look for in applications from the essay all the way to GRE scores. The visit, however, did not mean I got in (I was waitlisted as there were only two spots available). The program I was accepted to was one in which I never set foot on campus (skype interview). In fact, I had never spoken with them before the offer of an interview.  

I would say if there is a school you are very interested in and are not able to meet up with professors at conferences and they do not have a lot published online about the program, feel free to visit but not if you are spending hundreds of dollars to do so. Also, if you are not comfortable with contacting professors until you have met them in person (just do it anyways), you could find a visit to be helpful. However, until you are accepted your goal is to make your application the best it can be. While a visit may help you tailor your application to a specific school, it is often better to save the time and money, email professors and current students, and take the saved time and make your paper and essays better (and current school work, as references are often make or break it). 

This is just my own opinion, but you should be having faculty review and make suggestions on your paper. It doesn't matter if it's newer or not. I used a chapter of my master's thesis.It started life as a seminar paper during my MA, then was edited for a presentation. Finally, it made it into my thesis. I used the chapter prior to making changes that would align it with the other chapters in the thesis. It was 19 pages long, minus the Works Cited pages. It began life as a seminar paper that had a minimum page length of 20 pages.  I don't know what History grad programs require, but even at the MA level, English papers are usually 20-25 pages, so I assume they will run 20-30 pages at the Ph.D. level, which my advisor said hers were.