_Athena_

Well, I've officially accepted my offer of admission at UNC! It's been a pleasure getting to know everyone and braving this gruesome process together. I'm wishing you all, no matter where you've ended up, the very best of luck moving forward!

A HUGE congratulations to you!!!

Good luck, Tyler!!

Just a note that they may be the two most prestigious div schools in particular subfields. For instance, in my own subfield of Hebrew Bible/Second Temple Judaism, Harvard is basically considered defunct now, unfortunately. Yale was a lot better off in HB/STJ when I applied three years ago, but it's going to be in flux beginning this fall with the retirement of John Collins and Steven Fraade.

I just wanted to chime in and extend a secondary word of caution. While having the opportunity to complete a graduate/doctoral degree at an Ivy League school or comparable institution is wonderful and exciting, it can also be incredibly isolating and disillusioning. I did not have a very supportive advisor and often felt like I had to navigate the twists and turns of academia with no help from anyone. My advice to everyone in this thread would be to pinpoint a professor or advisor who is really interested in YOU and YOUR INTERESTS. You're going to have a hard go of it otherwise. Wishing you all the best of luck!

More than two master's degrees seems crazy to me. You have to ask yourself at which point the academia is just not worth it...there is life outside the ivory tower.

Very sorry to hear! I've been there. It's a cold comfort, but this application cycle was unparalleled in its competitiveness, and your results this cycle don't necessarily speak to your merits as a scholar. I'm sure it doesn't hurt to have a publication in a respected journal. Without knowing much about your academic background, the only advice I can offer is to write a statement of purpose that is focused but not narrow. Be really specific about why you want to attend a particular program, though - make sure there is a direct link between your interests and the interests of faculty members. Strong letters of recommendation are a must - solicit four instead of three, if you can. Make sure your writing sample is the best possible demonstration of the work you would like to do. Hope this helps, and good luck!

All offers of admission for the PhD have already been sent out. I was wait-listed, and the prospective student day is coming up on March 18. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Best of luck to you!

Worrying. This makes me wonder: given how competitive the academic job market is in religious studies - and in general - is one at a disadvantage not having a PhD from an Ivy League school or equivalent institution? Let's say you're up for the same job as a candidate who is equally qualified as you, the only difference being that they received their PhD from an Ivy League school - will you be passed up in favor of them? I hope this isn't an elitist question - only thinking aloud about my future prospects...

I hope everyone here has been doing well, as nerve-racking as the last few months have been. Personally, I feel very drained by the pandemic application process (and the pandemic in general!). The mental and emotional labor that goes into applying to doctoral programs under these circumstances, and even under normal circumstances, is a lot - maybe even too much. That being said, I'm really grateful for the support of this community and hopeful that I'll be able to read your work and see you at conferences in the not-so-distant future.

Congratulations!!

I'm afraid I don't have any information in that regard, but I just wanted to say that you disrupted nothing and that I hope you hear some news soon! You may have better luck finding out something in the Fall 2021 MTS thread. Wishing you all the best!

Congratulations!

Does anyone want to claim that Harvard rejection? Curious whether you were told informally or received a status update.

I also have a friend who was waitlisted. But has anyone been accepted or rejected? That is the question...

@Pierre de Olivi Thank you. That's very helpful!

Does anyone have tips for questions to ask potential advisors after being admitted into a program? I find that I already asked many of my good ones during the application process!

Wow! Congratulations!!

For anyone who applied to Harvard CSR: I was told by a friend in the program that decisions will be released this week. May the odds be in our favor!

Well, at Yale, the department was given the choice between not accepting any applicants this year OR accepting applicants but at a reduced capacity for 2 years in a row. It's possible that many departments have chosen the latter option, but who is to say...?

Oh, I'm definitely not. ? I'm so antsy it's not even funny. But I'm down to 4 programs now since hearing from UVA!

Not sure about UVA, specifically, but I know many programs have about 10-13 spots in a regular cycle.

I'm sorry to hear that! This app cycle is just the worst. With only 4 spots available for the whole department, it almost feels like no one should have bothered applying at all...

An email from the director of graduate studies at UVA somehow went directly to my spam folder today. I'm waitlisted! Here's an excerpt: "As you may have heard, the department is only admitting four students this year, so that we can allocate more funding to advanced graduate students who are facing a very difficult job market. With 120 applicants, and only four spots this year, the competition is unusually tough, and unfortunately, it is unlikely, though not impossible, that a spot will open up for you in the PhD program. Please let us know if you have any interest in being admitted into the MA program. We would be delighted to welcome you as an MA student, but you indicated that you would not consider an offer of admission to the MA program." That last part is kind of funny, considering I am already getting a MA degree...