dougy

Howdy all. Here's a podcast that you might find helpful. It's from the religion department at Baylor University, where I'm currently a PhD student. It gives insight into the application process, tips for writing strong applications, and tricks for getting through the process. Hopefully it's helpful! Also, for whatever this is worth: When I was in the application cycle, this website was both a gift and a curse. If I had to do it again, I'd stay off of this website as much as possible (especially if you're looking for information on how to write applications to particular schools). Instead of lingering here, I'd reach out to my faculty of interest. If they confirmed an interest in working with me, I'd ask them (among other things) if they might provide contact details for a few current students. These students will give you a sense of the culture of the program, but may also be willing to share their application materials or at least some guidance. All the best to those of you applying this year.

Hope ya'll are holding up okay!

Baylor's preview day is tomorrow now! Excited to see some of ya'll there.

???

So stoked for you!!

I am posting this mainly for folks who scroll through this thread in future years. A brutal winter storm hit Texas this week. Due to major power outages in the state, Baylor's preview day is now postponed. So, the results coming later this year will be an aberration due to weather, not a change in their usual process.

It does seem quieter on here than in other years! It feels odd, too, because I've heard from a couple schools that the applicant pools have been bigger than any year in recent memory. You'd think more applicants would = more chatter on here.

Yes. Baylor has been very open about their timelines, so I am grateful for that. But I am stunned by how little information is given by other schools, when it seems they follow a relatively predictable pattern. Why not just give applicants a target date with some sense of how the communication process will work?

Goodness, I didn't know that February, which normally feels painfully long and dismal, could feel even longer and more dismal. One week until Baylor's preview day, and it can't come soon enough! Bless us all in the waiting!

I thought I might share this with you all. I've never thought to raise questions about the constant refrain of people saying, "There are no jobs for PhDs in religion." If we get in, maybe we do have hope for teaching posts after all! Hang in there, friends. https://theotherjournal.com/2014/11/30/there-are-no-jobs-common-fallacies-and-facts-about-getting-a-phd-in-religion-or-theology/

I applied to CJA (NT) and have not heard anything. I know their Peace Studies/Theology program, which is run separately from their theology department, put out interviews (or maybe decisions?) a bit ago; and one person on this thread mentioned that a theology applicant received an interview. It's possible things are moving but generally their interviews invites go out the first week of February for an interview weekend late in the month. We'll see! This year, with all the disruptions, I'm just not drawing any conclusions until I get notifications directly from the school.

Hi friend: you'll want to venture over to the 2021 thread for most recent postings. In terms of others interested in Islamic studies, the above poster--Alizeh55--is applying for just that field!

Not coming off in the wrong way at all! We're all just looking for some sort of news, even if it isn't reassuring. Thanks for sharing what you know, especially about Duke's ThD. Here's to hoping for a waitlist! Cheers, all.

It's certainly possible that they've all already gone out. I'd be surprised if they put all of them out and no one shared that they received an interview in the results. Did the person you know who received an interview also interview for the PhD? In any case, it looks like they pretty consistently make decisions on rejections and waitlists the second week of February, so we'll all know for sure then!

Yes. I sent my application for theology at PTS the first week of December. Several days later they refunded my application fee and let me know that no theology applications would be received, in order to free up resources for current students. They also limited the number they'd take in across all subfields. I imagine many schools are doing likewise. We chose a brutal year to apply but you never know what might happen in. I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more. How is everyone holding up mentally and emotionally? I hope you're finding healthy ways to cope with the waiting. I'm not doing anything interesting--mostly just finding more work to do and spending time with my kids. What are others doing?

Based on prior years, ND seems to make first communication during the first week of February, though sometimes the communications go out in batches. So, if you see results pop up and haven't gotten yours yet, give it a couple days before you give up hope. Duke Divinity normally communicates during this week. On the results board, someone posted that they were accepted to the Duke PhD program and that they had interviewed for the ThD. I suspect the candidate was top of the list for both programs and did one interview for both, but I can't be certain. I see many of you are troubled by the silence. Look back at previous threads and note how much activity happens mid-late February. Not to mention people getting pulled off wait lists mid-late March. Silence at this point (from many programs) is simply what we should expect. Next time you reach to check your email or GradCafe, take a very, very deep breath, and pray. (Now, I'm off to try to follow my own advice!) God bless you all in the waiting!

@NTGal: the applicant to acceptance ratio looks a bit more like what we would expect from PhD programs than MTS programs, doesn’t it? Thanks for sharing that (presumably!) accurate and interesting information!

Hi friends. I've enjoyed learning from you all about the application process. It is clear that there is far more preparation than I'd anticipated. Fortunately, I'm not in a hurry to apply to a PhD program. As I discern that possibility, however, I'd like to work on a few areas that will help me in the ministry work I'm currently doing as well as prepare me to flourish in a PhD setting. So, I'm exploring strategies for learning Hebrew on my own (or, potentially, with a study group). Due to scheduling conflicts, I am not able to do classes at a nearby university. I did one semester of Hebrew in undergraduate (using Pratico / Van Pelt) but that was some time ago. I am wondering if anyone here has learned Hebrew on their own? If so, what suggestions do you have? Is there a grammar you've found especially useful? Has anyone utilized Zondervan's video series created by Van Pelt and Pratico? (I am hesitant to spend money on it, since I feel like it'll wind up just be them reading the book to me.) Every blessing!