hopealways

Following the trend in many other sub-forums here, what are everyone's tips, advice, lessons learned, regrets from this past application season? Hopefully this thread will benefit the Fall 2021 applicants, or at least serve as a space of reflection/rants/anything else for this past season's applicants. I was a PhD applicant (in theology) this past cycle, so I can personally probably only speak to PhD (or possibly even MTS/ MAR) applications and less so to MDiv applications btw-- will comment with my own thoughts/lessons learned soon once I get my thoughts together.

I have visited both campuses this cycle right before things were shut down! I echo some but not all of your impressions of South Bend vs. NYC & really appreciate it.

Hey y'all! With the April 15th PhD decisions deadlines coming up, I find myself facing a difficult decision as I'm discerning between a more traditional but better-ranked Catholic theology department (Notre Dame) versus a progressive Catholic theology department that might be slightly less well-known outside the field (Fordham). My progressive political & theological leanings definitely fit a lot better at Fordham, even though I know that my progressive theological work is possible at both places even though it'll have more conversation partners at Fordham. I'm slightly concerned about placement statistics at Fordham. But my question for everyone is whether/how much placement + mainstream ranking matters? (My goal currently is still to get a job within academia.) (P.S.: Also if anyone is on the waitlist in either place and want to convince me to drop the offer so that they could get in, feel free to do so as well haha!)