theofan

I have a couple friends with theology PhDs who are non-American and speak English as a second language. Their English is not perfect: they make grammar and pronunciation mistakes here and there, their vocabulary isn't too sophisticated, and they definitely have an accent from their native language. They haven't had much luck getting hired as teachers here in the US. Do you think their English is an obstacle? Would an employer be turned off by someone they can't understand perfectly? Can publications make up for imperfect English? Another friend of mine thinks it's a big factor, so asking your opinions.

The interview weekend is in three weeks!

Hey, the MT interview invitations went out last week. The interviews are in person and there is an interview weekend. But it could be possible you are on a waiting list. I'm not exactly sure how they manage that, but no news could still be good news.

It's against my university's rules to record class conversations without consent of the participants. For good reasons. I wonder if C recorded with consent and the professors are viewing with consent.

He studied in continental Europe.

Yeah, I'm mystified as to why they didn't take my friend. I don't know what else he could have done to improve his application. Maybe he was overqualified? Maybe there were several applications very similiar to his? Anyway, you should have no doubt that you have something unique that ND was looking for and you should be proud of that!

Yeah, my friend just got his rejection letter. Not even waitlisted. He was a highly qualified applicant (philosophy and theology degrees, perfect GPA, near perfect GRE, seven languages, presentations at conferences, pastoral experience, etc.) with interests in sync with the department, but there are just aren't alot of spots available this year...a big congrats to all those who got offers! And I hope those of you with rejection letter in hand can maintain the dream even if it doesn't come true this particular year...

Yes, I hope that out of pure charity all those with offers will make decisions as early as possible!

Hey thanks alot! I will let my friend know...another friend of mine just got into the ND PhD theology program, so at least some good news for me.

Yes, ND likes their MTS candidates and always takes a good number of them for PhD.

Oh thanks, how did you see that in the results? If I search Notre Dame theology no MTS results come up for me for 2021.

Anyone else get into ND MTS? I have a friend who applied and hasn't received any news so he's kinda nervous...

Anyone know when Catholic U of America sends out their acceptances/invites or how their process goes?

I'm not in your field, but I have a couple friends in top tier NT programs and they needed their Greek and Hebrew from day one of the program (like needing to read texts in Hebrew for a seminar). They also had Latin and some German and/or French. You're probably not excited about waiting a little longer to do your doctorate, but perhaps another no-debt option would be to work in the field of education for a few years, and add a language or two with evening and summer classes. It could improve your chances of getting into your dream program.

This is pretty obvious, but it was helpful for me to read the department's PhD manual, which was on the university's website. I gleaned a few good questions from that.

Hi Mataharii, congrats for your acceptance! Yes there is a thread on this already in City Guide that you may want to check out. I have family and friends in both West Lafayette and Greater Lafayette and for fun they do a lot of biking, swimming and other sports. Indiana has lots of parks and wide open space. They also like the breweries and the Farmers markets, and the Fresh Thyme grocery store. There are some really good sushi and other asian food restaurants pretty much everywhere. They go down to Indianapolis or up to Chicago whenever they want some big city fun. It's true that there are alot of drunk undergrads around the Purdue campus on the weekends so if you like quiet you might live further away. If you're Catholic , then check out the student parish of St. Tom's. They are a great community and have lots of activities year round.

Someone recommended an instapot or crockpot. You set the timer so that there is a hot stewed meal waiting for you when you get back at the end of the day. Very passive cooking.

Thanks, that is great advice! I've been looking at a nice apartment that is walking distance to campus and a grocery store, so I think I could do without a car. I would just need to take a little road trip every two months or so to visit friends and family, but if the rental company will bring a car to me, that's fantastic. The zipcar service also looks great. And I also have two friends at ND who both own cars and probably wouldn't mind me giving me a ride here and there. Thanks again!

Hello everyone! I'm considering South Bend for graduate studies. I've been out of the USA for a while so need some updated advice. Can anyone tell me how much it costs yearly to rent a new car and pay the insurance? Are there typically any other costs I should be concerned about? Is buying a used car cheaper? Something simple, like a Toyota Corolla... Thanks!

parakletos, that was really kind of you to post your experience. I completely agree with the SOP and fit factors. I have lower stats and less impressive grades than you and many other top applicants but I am currently interviewing with a top PhD program because they said they were impressed with my SOP and that my goals were a perfect fit with theirs. And it wasn't pure chance: I spent two months researching the university's mission, goals, faculty, and even grad students (I read all the doctoral student CVs on the website) before deciding to apply. I also have languages, work experience, and international experience, which this particular university values much more than pure numbers, and I knew that before applying. Stats are important, but not everything. If you have the calling to be a theologian or religion professor, there is a program out there for you! Take a good, long, holistic look at yourself and give it your best.

Hey @rejectedndejected check out the thread started by fualmu, right below this one. They talk about the stats for those programs.

Hi Bob, I had a somewhat similiar situation as yours. I studied, then worked for a long time, then studied, then applied to a PhD program. So I wanted my LORs to reflect my varied work and study experiences. What I ended up doing was submit four letters instead of the standard three. I found out it was permitted and went ahead and asked four people: two profesors who had taught me several courses in the last four years, one very well-known professor who taught me several courses six years ago, and one professor who was my supervisor over six years ago. It seems it went fine and helped my application. I think it's good to include a work supervisor because it shows you have a variety of skills and abilities. Work experience is where your leadership and organizational abilities often shine. And it's a good idea to choose people who have known you over a longer period of time and worked with you extensively, whenever possible. Their testimony about your skills and character has more weight, I believe.

Hi, I'm a forum stalker and chiming in for the first time. Curiosity question: is it typical of American universities to keep you waiting for an answer until March even though they have already done their interviews? Do they keep people on the table until the very end, "just in case"? Or do they normally send rejection letters as soon as they have made their first cut? I applied to just one theology PhD program in the USA (plus several outside the USA) and was called for an interview, so I'm not too anxious at this point, but I really feel for those of you who are on the edge and waiting for that special email or call.