CafeConGabi

On funding: Honestly, I had a patchy start to my undergrad but I put in hella work at the end of the undergrad process (it took me 8 years to do the undergrad). So, I felt like I had lots of promise going in. I was able to find a room for $500 an hour away from campus but it was hell commuting! Moved around a few places in Boston, including the residence halls at Harvard Business School, and picked up jobs off campus for the summer because the stipend didn't cover summer. I found that to be rewarding though because it took me out of the Harvard bubble for a few days out of the week. On Language Exams: I would say that my Spanish was rusty by the time the test came around. I didn't really study but my research did require working with similar primary documents so I was familiar with certain concepts (Liberation Theology in Latin America) in Spanish. You have time before you take the test to prepare. The HDS website even has some sample tests from previous years. https://hds.harvard.edu/academics/registrar/language-qualifying-exams I would say that if you have a working knowledge of the language you'll do well. : )

I know right?! Same. My friend was also an HDS student in the MTS program. I would hear from other folks on campus often say "at least you're not in the law school. Tuition there is 88k". I only considered matriculating at HDS because of the fellowship. A year before I had a friend working on her Master's in Art History who told me to only go for a master's program if it was going to be fully funded.

On languages: I am fluent in Spanish. I read it, write it, and speak it. The last time I took a course was in the early part of my undergrad. That said, I was able to take the Language Exam during my last semester at HDS. It was an hour exam (maybe 90 min?) where I had to translate a random theological document. I was allowed an approved Spanish-English dictionary. And passed the exam. However, I really wish I would have taken at least one other language class just to be able to connect with other people. On funding: I was able to get a fellowship that paid for tuition (25k) and a monthly stipend that was less than $800 a month. I had to budget like crazy! At some point I had to move places and ended up taking out a loan. I have a friend who took out a 50k loan. I was like whoa!

i did my MTS at HDS (2018-2018) and did not get interviewed. Decision came in mid March.

That was me a couple years ago. I remember getting rejected by two PhD programs and thinking maybe research isn't for me. Maybe my ideas/opinions are just too ridiculous. So, I tried living a non-academic life quickly realizing that I needed to apply at least one more time. In my heart I knew that I'd regret not attempting to pursue a crazy dream (researcher). The second time would be different, and it was. Even after submitting applications I prepared myself for a second round of rejection and a potential third application cycle. All this to say don't give in. If this is something that brings you joy try again. I'm here if you, or anyone on here, wants to bounce ideas or wants another pair of eyes to look at the statement of purpose. I believe in collaborative work. And I really do believe that everything happens in divine timing.

These are also good points. : )

From a friend who majored in Medieval Studies (10 years ago?) and taught at Baylor: it wasn't her favorite place to teach. She thought the schools was too Christian-leaning for her liking, so there's that. I don't know anything about BU's School of Theology. I've met some great folks who came out of BU including a great professor who's been at HDS for several years. Personally, I'd definitely check out the current grad student profiles because these will be my potential colleagues. And if their research interests interest me then it might make the next few years pleasant. But that's just me.

You're welcome! I agree. Data should be considered for job prospects. Anecdotally, I know a lot of folks from outside religious studies (anthro, hist, ethnic studies, etc.) that end up with jobs in religions studies departments. When I was deciding whether to apply to religious studies or history, a professor told me to look at the questions central to my work to determine whether religious studies or history would be the best place to do the doctoral program. This helped too.

I'm so sorry : ( ?

OMG OMG OMG! Thanks for that. I've been wondering where they were hahahaha! : )

Yeah. I've met other folks from other schools on campus (esp. the HGSE) and age varies anywhere from 19 to 50. I wouldn't let your age determine much.

Hahaha! Recovering medievalist... Well, I am sure glad to hear that. Do you know if UIC does interviews? I emailed the POI in September but that's all the contact I've had.

In the MTS/MDiv program, yes. Some in their 40's. One peer was probably in her mid to late 30's going into a Harvard PhD.

Has anyone heard about the UDenver or UNC Religious Studies program? Do they reach out later?

I wouldn't. Maybe there's just a delay?

Phew! Well, I guess there's still hope. Thank you!

OMG! How did I not notice this thread was in the forum! So happy to be here! I applied to the PhD in US History at UT Austin, Yale, UIC, and Notre Dame. It's a no for ND and I'm sure it's a no for all the other ones because I haven't heard from them. Would that be accurate to say?

I'm not sure if the DIv School's updated their HDS alumni directory but from the little that I know there is a higher chance of getting admitted into the Religious Studies PhD program when you've done your MTS/MDIv at Harvard. I think this has more to do with the ability to connect with a potential advisor. If they/the faculty know your work they might be able to vouch for you in the application process. Then again I applied but didn't get in so there's that. It all worked out though. Off the top of my head I know peers who have gotten into PhD programs in history and religious studies at Harvard, UNC, Berkeley, UVA, Notre Dame, UCLA, UPenn.

I hope this helps someone. I got my MTS at HDS (class of 2018) and never got an interviewed for it. Also, if I remember correctly, the admissions letter came in mid March. Long wait! Honestly, I had zero expectation of getting in because my cumulative GPA was 3.6 and GRE score was super average. Plus, I got kicked outta my first college (circa 2009) for a low GPA. Oh, and I was 26 at the time of the application. What I think helped was majoring in religious studies and showing, vis-a-vis my courses and extracurriculars, that I was serious about a career in academia. I also met supportive professors who encouraged me to apply to research grants and attend conferences. These folks also wrote strong letters of recommendations. While I was in the HDS program we were constantly told that not all of us (my cohort had ~88 mts/mdiv students) would go on for a PhD so that we needed to be open to other career possibilities. Being hard-headed I ignored this advice and worked on tailoring my 2 years so that I would be a competitive PhD applicant. I am 30 years old now and just got into my top PhD program (outside of religious studies) last week. I will be 38 by the time I am done. TL;DR: Do not worry about age. Worry about being a competitive applicant.

I hope my response is helpful. I have a BA and Master's in religion. Ideally, my PhD would be in Religious Studies. Unfortunately, my POI was not in a Religious Studies dept. They were in the Chicanx Studies dept (that historically does not focus on religion). BUT I reached out to him in August with this concern. He said I would be fine if I got into the program. I chose the program because the professors/current students research interests aligned with my own so I know I'd be able to collaborate and strengthen my work. I was also concerned about the job prospects/placements so I reached out to a professor/mentor who reminded me that it's about my work more than it is about what department I graduated from. If you would like to keep the Religious Studies track then I would apply when they're taking students. Why spend time in a department/program you're not going to be happy in?

It is such a strange cycle! Some schools didn't take any applications. So, I would not take anything personally because it really has to do with funding. ow much funding they have for current students/potential new students. Yes! I was afraid that not getting an interview was a bad indication but it all worked out. : )

? I'm sorry : ( History programs can be brutal. I expect the rest of mine to be rejections. Meh! I wanted to apply to Northwestern but decided no to. The POI (in Religious Studies) straight up told me he wasn't able to take me as a student.

Emotionally, A LOT better. After Jan 1 life seemed to speed up again. I've been doing my best at keeping busy by going to the gym and signing up for a Nahuatl class through Pasadena City College. I start in 2 weeks so I'm excited. It's still tough but I'm trying to stay positive and cry when I really need to cry. : )

Yay! How exciting! This is what I did for my PhD applications: 1. Identity research interest. What kind of questions do I want to focus on? What are the questions I've been thinking about? (This will help with everything else.) 2. I made an excel sheet with the basic info (deadlines, profs, etc.) but I also made extra columns for other things that would make my time there fun (baseball parks, comedy clubs, Chipotle, etc.). It honestly made choosing places a bit easier. 3. Research, research, research! I cannot express how long it took me to think about school's I'd apply to. I started by looking at schools, departments (in the humanities), and then professors. This took me all spring and I ended up with a total of 70 schools. 4. I looked other factors too. Current grad students, funding, research, connection to nearby communities to narrow my choice to about half. 5. By the summer, I started emailing professors I wanted to work with. Some replied right away, some did not. 6. At the same time, I started thinking about my statement of purpose. I recorded ideas/thoughts and transferred these ideas to a word doc. 7. By late summer, I reached out to the professors I wanted to write my letters of rec. Luckily, they wrote for me before so they were already familiar with my work. Still, I attached a CV and a statement of purpose later on. 8. By early fall, I started my applications. Early yes, but they're all different and ask for different pieces. Also, started ordering transcripts. 9. At this point, I also worked on my statement of purpose almost on a daily basis. I also had a professor/letter recommender look over it with me. We did a few edits. And the rest was really up to me. 10. I also worked on other pieces of writing (personal statement, writing sample, book review, etc.) 11. Meet with potential advisors. Some called and some Zoomed. Get your elevator pitch ready because leaving a good first impression is important. 12. Triple check everything and submit. It's a long process but totally worth it. Good luck! : ) Rejected from: UCSB and Notre Dame Accepted to: UCLA Interviews: 0 Applied to: UCLA, UCSB, Notre Dame, UIC, UNC, Yale, UT Austin, U Denver

I think that depends on when the deadline was. If it was within the week then sure email them, but if it was back in early December I personally would not. I'm sure you'll make the right decision for yourself.