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Sleepless in skellefteå

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  1. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to Almaqah Thwn in Fall 2023 PhD Religion   
    First, on the interview itself: Pre-Covid, Baylor had two open spots per subfield. I don't think they did on online interviews (at least I don't recall getting one) but only a big on-campus interview. They would invite four people in, pay for their travel, and lodge them during the interview with current students in the program in which the students are interested (sometimes multiple students in the same house, so you get to share a room with one of your competitors). I came a day early and booked a hotel on my own expense, just so that I would be fresh the day of and not groggy from travel. My interview began in the afternoon with everyone, potential students and current students of all fields of the department, meeting in a big room in a meet-and-greet and just talking to each other. Following that at some point was a free roam period where all the perspective students run around the department trying to find the offices of your professors-of-interest and then meeting with them briefly, all the while accidentally barging in on other students who are meeting with the professors on accident. There's just enough time to meet all the professors in your subfield and potential students end up visiting the offices of professors in other fields as well as they wait for their professor of interest to open up (I had a decent length conversation with one of the professors in New Testament. So, it might help to know generally what professors outside of your specific field research in case you find yourself in their office). During my time, students also did an informal bar meet and greet afterwards. I can't remember if this was all the students in every field, but primarily it is with students in your field at least, or at least they try to put you near those students. I don't recall much about that night, just that the beer I got was nasty and overpriced and then a cat bit me afterwards. Anyway, I forget the activities of the early second day, but there's a big lunch with professors included, after which all the professors then meet up to make decisions. Within the week following the interview, they send out acceptances to two of the four candidates in each field. That being said, this was all pre-Covid and things might have changed after the pandemic. 
    Second, the timeframe for interview invites: When I applied to Baylor, the first thing I saw was that someone else got an interview invite. I flipped out because I assumed that meant all the interview invites had gone out and I was not invited. That being said, I got an invite around a week later. So, apparently they don't send out their invites all at once. So, if you see someone get invited, don't lose all hope yet. I'd give it probably another week and a half before writing it off as a rejection. 
    Anyway, if you can score and interview, it's pretty great and was formative to my direction in graduate school on whole, even though I did not end up attending there. Baylor was at the bottom of my list going in and rose up to the middle afterwards (In retrospect, if the decision for me personally had been between Baylor, Duke, or Vanderbilt, I would probably prefer Baylor if funding ended up being equal). They have a high placement record, tend to graduate students on time, and are excellent at encouraging comradery among cohorts. So, it can be a fun and informative time if you can score an interview. 
  2. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to xypathos in How to deal with racist professor in a Catholic theological college at TST?   
    So I know Thomas Worcester personally. He's a racist. Low key, but a racist none the less and doesn't take kindly to the influx of Asian students in Toronto.
    So, here's how you handle this:
    Hit 'Reply' BUT add Pamela Couture (pamela.couture@utoronto.ca), she's the Executive Director of TST. You're also going to want to CC, and probably individually reach out, to the ARCDO office (antiracism@utoronto.ca) at the University of Toronto (https://antiracism.utoronto.ca/resolution/).
    Write what you want in the email but call out Thomas. This isn't the first complaint against him. He'll apologize profusely, likely want to buy you a meal and "mend wounds." If you decide to accept, don't give in. This is what he does.
  3. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to Averroes MD in How to deal with racist professor in a Catholic theological college at TST?   
    This is crazy. You should post this on all social media and publicize. Unacceptable. 
  4. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to ladydobz in To people who did master's programs: did you do resume-building extracurriculars?   
    I volunteered while at my undergrad program for online research with a History museum. I've reached out to a couple again to see if they're interested in a free researcher, but had to back out due to some health issues currently. I'm studying French to work on the language requirements as well. If you find you have the time, maybe reaching out to local historical societies or museums to volunteer research, or working on getting published? Of the professors I've spoken with, those are two of the points that they like the most. I wish you luck with your applications! 
  5. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to TMP in To people who did master's programs: did you do resume-building extracurriculars?   
    I worked as an administrative assistant (part time) in an organization related to my interests for money.  The skills and projects that I did were helpful for job interviews after my MA (when I didn't get into any PhD programs) as I did not take any time off between BA and MA to keep building my resume.
  6. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from ladydobz in To people who did master's programs: did you do resume-building extracurriculars?   
    I'm having problems finding projects outside of classes to do. Within the scope of my program, I am studying languages and plan to do research when given the opportunity. However, my friends who are not doing history are all doing reading groups, side jobs etc that are somewhat connected to their interests. I have had a hard time finding similar projects that align with my goal of becoming a historian. Does anyone have any tips/inspiration? Or is it not that important when applying for PhDs? 
  7. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from hjy16 in MTS/MAR Fall 2022?   
    I have only been here for a short while, but my experience so far has reflected what Xypathos wrote. However, in the classes outside of HDS that I have been taking (Kennedy School and law school), the professors have seemed genuinly excited about having us there. Perhaps due to the lack of job prospects for people with a div school degree, I feel like HDS students have a reputation for being true nerds who are actually excited about their field. I would also add (aware that I am getting somewhat defensive) that my HDS classes have been more demanding in terms of the amount of readings and assignments than the non-HDS ones. In the end, of course, other peoples opinions are mostly irrelevant for the total experience. 
  8. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to Sisko in MTS/MAR Fall 2022?   
    Thank you kindly for your thoughtful response. This is good to know. I totally concur with your remarks. 
    Keep up the good work at HDS! Stay safe and well.
  9. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to earlymodernist123 in 2022 Application Thread   
    Longtime lurker here and I'm wishing I would've spoken up sooner. The "adults" who really use this thread to "get their own emotional needs fulfilled" are PhDs and more senior grads who constantly use a website for graduate admissions so they can punch down and stroke their egos. I'm not sure why else they'd feel the need to be so condescending, pompous and self righteous. Since everyone is focused on the job market, this is a good reminder that your field is always a mucchhh smaller world than you think. The criticisms of this forum aren't the brand new ideas of whiney applicants who want a safe space. Those who act badly on places like this GC forum and academic Twitter get widespread reputations amongst graduate cohorts and faculty alike. The longer you stay in academia the more you'll see the the academy's demands and exploitation weaponized as an excuse to be an ass to "inferiors." This is, sadly, not uncommon but most people see it for what it is -- bullying. A lot of newbies tried, especially initially, to be reasonable and genuine and were met with snarky, patronizing, and often unfair and mischaracterizing responses. 

    No one in this recent discussion has rejected or dismissed the realities of the job market, suggested that they're expecting a tenure track position at the end of all this, seemed to take this decision lightly, said we should never discuss how bad the job market or whatever. No matter how many people explain that they're already aware of what they're signing up for because any complaint about behavior is written off as secret denial about the job market or wanting to be coddled and shielded from any sad news or something. There hasn't been so much disfavor with the forum in the past day or so because we've been exposed to shocking new truths about academia from valiant truth tellers trying to save us and we're just too mentally weak to accept it. Rather, there's been a group of users preferring GC to be mostly about our current applications as that's what CG and this particular thread are supposedly predominately for. There are threads for the job market and its been discussed here and in other application threads to give very needed context. As a few others have pointed out, most of us already did our research before we applied. Right now, we're overwhelmed by the step right in front of us and figuring out what's best for our research. Some just wanted a place mostly dedicated for applications for practically's sake if nothing else and I get that. Wayyy more importantly, people done with the smugness and belittling that are falsely categorized as altruism. 
    Everyone has a right to be discontent with the hellscape that is the job market to say the least. But the victim complexes of those now worried about being "silenced" and "safe spaces" is ironic. I'm amazed at the recent discussions of privilege and how truly blind some people still are
    There's a ton of truly solid advice on this forum, but its great advice can be found elsewhere and those giving it would tell you that. The application and job market wisdom will always be here to revisit. To me, it's worthwhile to carve out a new space as others did yesterday. I'm sure those who are okay with how the forum has been run and are "staying" would like this all to end anyways. My two cents: use the results page for updates, take note of what is/was useful from the forum, but save your breadth for the new platform that was posted about yesterday. That's what I'm doing at least. Okay, logging out of GC and going to touch grass now. To those moving to the new platform, see you on the flip side. Good luck with apps, everyone
     
     
  10. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to charmsprof in 2022 Application Thread   
    I mean, I guess I'm mistaken, but I thought that this was the thread that people wanted to post about admissions stuff? At least that's what various people have expressed that's what they're wanting/thought they were getting/what they had prior to yesterday from the thread? 
    I'm genuinely not trying to police people or force them to communicate be a certain way. However, if someone is saying that their intent is x, yet their impact is y, then we'd be pretty crappy historians/teachers/educators if we let them continue on x path, oui? If someone is saying that they want to help, guide, teach, and multiple people are saying it's coming off as bullying, condescending, cynicism, arrogance, then... In a course, if a professor isn't teaching to meet their students, and a couple of students say something, the professor would be in the wrong to berate the class, right? 
    Like I'm not getting what the issue here is. It's not about "being to my liking." Some people are saying they're trying to help, others are saying its not helpful (and are asking them to redirect the energy). There are people on here saying they feel like they are being bullied when all they want is to know if they got into a program, and have the continued support of others in this space if they didn't. I'm not getting why we're not trying to fix that.
  11. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from mjsmith in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Accepted to Chicago with a dean's fellowship covering tuition and $10 000 in living expenses! This is so crazy! It feels impossible to make a choice between that and HDS?
  12. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from mjsmith in Fall 2021 MTS   
    I received my financial-aid package really quickly as well, as I understood it I will get 100% tuition and a $8 000 stipend per year! Really excited. 
  13. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from Joey_Jawad in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Unfortunately, it is going very slow but it also changing a lot so perhaps I might be able to get it in time. Americans sure are lucky! Have you started the visa-process? 
  14. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from Joey_Jawad in Fall 2021 MTS   
    I am already in the process of taking 3 different vaccines to meet Harvard's requirements this summer, I should be some kind of posterboy against anti-vaccine propaganda if corona-vaccination requirements are added. 
  15. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to LakeSuperior in Fall 2021 MTS   
    I appreciate the encouragement and information provided by everybody here. To follow-up, I’ve decided to accept Yale’s offer and begin their MARc this fall. Best wishes to all still making their decisions and/or waiting for results!
  16. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from CafeConGabi in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Just accepted my offer from HDS and will decline the offer from Chicago tomorrow. I feel a little sick to my stomach about declining a really great school that gave me a fantastic offer. I also have a paranoid fear that Harvard suddenly will inform me that a mistake was made and that I was not really admitted, as part of some really strange moral lesson from the universe. Anyway, I hope that this can help someone get admitted to Chicago or get increased funding!
  17. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to Joey_Jawad in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Uh I know things often seem more dire from abroad, especially from the myopic lense of the internet but the recent spate of anti-asian hate crimes is horrifying. I'm torn between being afraid to move there, but also wanting to remove the bandaid as fast as possible and start living there because marinating in unquantifiable fear from abroad probably feels worse.
    I know the best practice for this is contested, but if you have Asian friends or colleagues please check in on them. These are frightening times. 
  18. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to crossroadsph in Fall 2021 MTS   
    The one reason keeping me from returning to the US for a doctoral program (assuming I get into the last waitlisted one) is probably the degree to which anti-AAPI hate crimes have increased over the last year, especially since the pandemic began. I was in the US at the beginning of the pandemic and did not personally experience anything, but I was in Berkeley, which is mostly tolerant. However, I did get to hear an unfortunate racist slur from a homeless man shortly before I left. All this is to say that the risk of being attacked for being Asian and Pacific Islander is there, but with what one sees on social media and the news, one cannot see exactly how big the risk is. Nevertheless, people living there have expressed their concerns to me.
    I agree with @Joey_Jawad that if you do have Asian friends or colleagues, please check in on them. Please educate yourselves too on the history of America's involvement in Asia and with Asians. I come from a former American colony, and what I became aware of about this colonial history gave me a mixed picture of a country and culture I otherwise admire. For me, that history explains a lot.
  19. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to jellyfish7 in Fall 2021 Religion PhD   
    @adamchaya I promise it will all work out. If you don't end up attending this institution, you will take the year to reflect and research and find a school that does feel like a confident fit. If you do end up attending this institution, you will find goodness in the experience. At the very least, you will be challenged academically and socially, and emerge stronger, smarter, and clearer on who you are, what you stand for, and the types of environments and people you do/don't want to surround yourself with going forward. If you go, and it sucks, then you transfer! You are never stuck. Walk through the doors that open (if you feel moved to do so) and just embrace the adventure
  20. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to CafeConGabi in Fall 2021 MTS   
    1) Your concerns are valid. VERY valid. 
    2) Echoing KungFuKenny and jellyfish7, both schools are top schools within the religious studies world so adding either on your CV will only benefit you. 
    3) Is HDS worth the $20,000 in my savings or loans? I think that's your decision to make. I took out a small amount when I got there. Full tuition + $8,000 annual stipend was not enough for me to live in Boston. I also had to work off campus during the summer (I did my best to get away from the Harvard bubble as much as I could). 
    4) As much as I want to praise HDS I can't and I must be honest about the conversations that happen on campus. We're considered the "hippie school" ? but lots of folks across campus find that space rewarding. I think the Chicago Div School slogan is "where the fun dies". 
    5) Despite the lack of diversity in faculty (I'm a Latinx scholar) it is ABSOLUTELY possible to find/create opportunities to succeed. I found my mentor when I told him his class was intimidating during office hours haha. We also just lost Dr. Cornel West, again, so it's a huge hit for the Div School. I met with him on a couple occasions and can safely say he was a source for my own development as a Latina scholar on campus. I'll also say I met with some world-known faculty who encouraged me to dream big during our office hour conversations. 
    6) This I think leads into the potential downside of being at HDS: that it's still attached to the Harvard name. I didn't realize how conditioned I became to be mistrusting of my peers because the culture of secrecy is so real! For example, I always felt like I couldn't share my ideas with my cohort because someone might snatch it and beat me to publication. Bizarre, but the feeling was still there. This of course might just be academia in general, but I never felt this at the other schools I went to. 
    7) Also, performativity is taken to a completely different level. I felt it was no longer about collaborating or co-learning but rather establishing the most nuanced take of the assigned reading on Foucault. This, in turn, made me feel like I wasn't reading just to read but rather reading to find something interesting to say in class. The competitive nature of these seminars just made it difficult to drop my guard or forgive myself for simple mistakes.    
    8) And don't get me started on being a Latina at Harvard hahahahahahaha... So, I will say that "my people" became the janitors and the cooks and the security personnel on campus (and a few faculty members). They're the ones who greeted me every day. They're the ones who asked me how midterms were going. They're the ones who looked like my family back home. They're the only ones I thanked at the Div School diploma ceremony because my own working-class family could not make it to my Harvard graduation. They're the ones I'll say hi to when I go back to visit one day. Them and the Spanish-speaking co-workers at the restaurant job I had. They were my community. They're the ones who saw past my Harvard exterior and zeroed-in on my humanity. It's a lot I know but I think I needed to say this. 
     9) I'm sure you know this already but make sure you have a great sense of self before you go to either campus. I know how easily the Harvard name can blow up my ego haha so it was helpful to stay true to the person I was before Harvard. I was always that indigenous-looking brown girl in class who wore huaraches and hoops and red lipstick. So, I made sure to continue that identity at Harvard. (No amount of elbow-patch jackets will ever change me hahaha.) I made sure to eat the same beans and rice I ate back home and listen to the same banda music from my childhood when I walked through Widener Library. LOTS of folks discouraged me from pursing grad school but when I was able to ground myself in my own journey I was able to make it through all the bummer moments at Harvard. It's what's gotten me through this application cycle and what will get me through the rest of my journey. : )
     
  21. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to Chicago Guy in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Closing the loop on this, I've accepted Notre Dame's offer and will be heading to South Bend. Best of luck to everyone and keep in touch.
  22. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå got a reaction from mjsmith in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Accepted at HDS!! Over the moon but also somewhat terrified?
  23. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to שמע אלוהים in Fall 2021 Religion PhD   
    You clearly have the credentials to go far regardless of the decision you make. Even just on the merit of being a University of Chicago undergraduate you will do well (where one does their undergraduate degree matters more than one might think - i.e. while most Top Tier Divinity Schools have high admissions rates, the same is not true of those same schools at the undergraduate level, so it will speak to your ability). 
    For you, I think the question will be where you want to do your PhD. If you want to go to Notre Dame, they have a strong propensity to prefer their own internal candidates, though outstanding external candidates also do well. As long as you perform strongly in your MTS/MAR by earning high marks, acquiring strong letters of recommendation, and working early to produce a stellar writing sample, the difference may honestly be negligible since you already have a very strong profile. Also, I would advise you to pick your top three schools where you want to do your PhD and start networking now. I cannot overemphasize the utility of knowing the professors you want to work with before you apply. By this, I mean more than just meeting at conferences (though I do not mean less than that). Visit the schools in person if you can a year ahead of time and find ways to remain in touch (just not in an annoying way lol). 
    I am an outsider to the field of ethics, so I will pose some questions and statements for consideration that I cannot answer:
    (1) Who has the more renowned professors in your field? These are the letters of recommendation that will have the power to open doors. If both institutions are about equal, then it may come down to which faculty align with your current project or interests. 
    (2) Notre Dame expects their MTS students to teach. This could add a nice touch to your CV come PhD application time. On the other hand, Yale is an Ivy League School and it will pop off the page too. 
    (3) Notre Dame is close to the University of Chicago - while it may be a bit tricky due to the time zone change and commute, you can likely take classes at U of C if you go to Notre Dame. This can be a foot in the door if U of C is in your purview for the PhD. Richard Miller is a fine fellow, truly one of the kindest and most erudite people I know (I had to take an ethics class during my AM at Chicago), and you would be very fortunate to work with him. 
    (4) Where do you want to live? I know this may not be the most important consideration, but it is important nonetheless, and it is worth noting that South Bend is considerably different than New Haven. You should enjoy your MA program (and your PhD, for that matter). 
    As a fellow UChicago alum who also appreciated their commitment to free speech, I wish you the best, and please feel free to message me if you have any further questions or comments. 
     
  24. Like
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to KungFuKenny in Fall 2021 MTS   
    Just received an admissions offer from Candler school of Theology (Emory) with 75% tuition funding! This was the only MTS program I applied to along with 4 PhD apps. I didn’t get into any of the PhD programs so this is a welcome sight!
  25. Upvote
    Sleepless in skellefteå reacted to _Athena_ in Fall 2021 MTS   
    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.
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