NyarkoSan

Thanks for sharing this, I have been actively reworking my study focus to maximize my marketability after the PhD and this just confirms to me that this shift was necessary. Tough times for everyone.

Sorry for double-posting, another thought crossed my mind. At my undergrad institution public transit was free with your student ID, does the same go for using SEPTA or the like in Philly as a grad student?

Hey all! I'll be attending UPenn for a PhD in Religion this upcoming fall and am exploring options for housing, including potentially looking for a roommate. I'm pretty flexible but would love to stay near campus.

I think official decisions for UPenn should be out for everyone!

Thank you for your congratulations! I think I am leaning towards UPenn more at this point due to the presence of Jamal Elias, who has done a lot of truly inspiring work on Islamic visual culture. Georgetown seems to lean more towards Islamic law and Arabic Linguistics, but I could be mistaken. Plus, UPenn's manuscript collection and focus upon material studies in general seems like something rarely put to the forefront by schools, and I really would love the opportunity to gain strength in that field. Let me know if this seems like an accurate appraisal of Georgetown though, it's so close to home for me that it'd be a very convenient place to attend.

Hey, apologies for the delay in my response. I think I'm ultimately going to be leaning towards UPenn, as they overall align better with my interests, and I already have a former roommate at UPenn that would make my transition easier. Thank you both for all the information.

Hey all, I basically heard back from all of the schools I was most interested in attending, and am trying to decide between UPenn and Georgetown. I got offers elsewhere for the MA level, but due to financial difficulties I am most interested in going straight to a PhD. My interests are in Islamic studies, with a particular affinity for Islamic material culture and historiography. I was offered admission to UPenn for their Religious Studies PhD, and Georgetown for their Arabic and Islamic Studies PhD. Both offer similar levels of funding. I was wondering what general consensus is on the programs' reputations, quality, etc. Any advice helps, thanks!

Accepted to the NYU MA program! The email didn't have much information, but tbh it's definitely not something I'm as interested in now due to having PhD opportunities. Congratulations to the others admitted!

Yeah, it'd hafta be pretty blatant, no? It's my top choice currently for where to attend, so i just wanna make sure everything is alright. As someone with disabilities of my own I don't want to be matriculating into a program with individuals who would show hate or discrimination for like five or six years...

To the person who was rejected from Penn on the 25th, could you clarify what you mean about your rejection being due to a disability? I got in but I'm concerned about there being ableism etc. in the department, If you aren't comfortable speaking here, my DMs are also open.

Georgetown sent an email about 40 minutes ago notifying me that I was admitted! Congratulations to those who were also admitted. They said official letters are to come in the next few days.

Unfortuantely it sounds like NYU had already determined the top cut of people. Pretty sure I didnt make it, but who's to say. They didnt go into more detail unfortunately.

Hey there! I would also look at the NELC PhD thread for information. I just got off the phone with NYU actually, they have already made their offers for the PhD, or have at least already selected the group. I unfortunately don't have information on the other programs, but I wish you the best of luck!

I'm meeting informally with my POI at NYU tomorrow, I'll let you know if they tell me anything about the timeline from here on out.

Seconding this. I was also accepted Sunday night.

Georgetown emailed me, telling me I'm on their shortlist, and want to interview me this upcoming Friday. I was really not expecting this as I feel like I'm sorta a bad fit for the department. Oh boy, I just hafta do better than my Penn interview... Anyone have any experience with Georgetown and their interview process?

Rejected from BU. Starting to really get stressed.

Anyone hear from NYU yet?

Hey, same boat here. I applied to a variety of NELC and Religion programs, mostly going off of figures in the department more than anything else. I'd just check to see which section you fit better in with as a scholar and go from there.

No clue on both, my apologies.

It will definitely be a last resort, but if I get rejected from everywhere else and they give me some level of funding I'll consider it.

Oof, I'm sorry to hear that too. Did they offer you a shot at the MA for either? I got a rejection from there too just a few minutes ago, but they said they're considering me for an MA.

Just got rejected from Cornell... Ugh really starting to think that I don't stand a chance with my garbage GPA and no MA.

Has anyone had their interview with UPenn yet? How did it go?

Dang, I guess if we're reviving this thread, I'll go. My dream degree is a PhD in Religion, focused in Islam, at UPenn. Beyond just loving the school as a whole due to its commitment to diversity, urban setting, and robust set of resources tied to their wealth of manuscript and Arabic texts, the program also has Jamal Elias, Donovan Schaefer, and several other individuals who all form this wonderful group of instructors who could both help me advance my current interests while simultaneously exposing me to new areas and methods of study. It's one of the few programs which have an explicit focus on visual and material culture, and it's definitely the best program for actively individuals into contact with resources pertaining to this topic due to their system of museums and collections. I have an interview with them this Friday, and I am just beside myself with stress and fear.