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I'd love to look into Virginia. An all-Southern education would be fine by me. I'll check into Duke, too, but I'm partly worried that my GRE scores will never be high enough to get in. I was thinking about applying for PhD programs through religion departments as well. The problem is that most religion PhDs require a master's, of which I have one, but none of my professors/potential references can be bothered to return my e-mails (and I was a good student, too, with a nice disposition). It doesn't really surprise me that my liberal arts college profs from undergrad are more than happy to back me up as I apply to English programs but my top-tier/research-oriented profs from grad school are nowhere to be found. Probably off writing books somewhere.

Hi everyone, I have a B.A. with majors in English, writing, philosophy and religion. I was equally torn between pursuit of English/writing and philosophy/religion and went the religion route to earn a Master of Divinity because I felt it would be more "practical" (whatever that meant to my little 21 year old brain). Anywho, six years later and I'm still a lover of literature at heart. I'm interested in applying to PhDs in English literature and already have a few prospects on my list. My primary interest is where issues of gender and sexuality meet religious convention in literature. I was wondering if anyone might recommend any programs or scholars who might be worth looking into on this subject?

Stop the violence! I didn't mean to ignite such a debate. Thank you all for weighing in. After much consideration, I've decided to take the GRE again. Maybe I'll do better, maybe I won't. I think I may have a leg up since I've done it recently and am prepared for the layout and timing of the whole thing. I was able to finish my previous GRE in a timely fashion with time to go over previous questions and check for errors. I'm looking at my GRE as a learning experience and hoping that I can draw from it where I need to focus. I did exceedingly well on the math section, which was a total and utter surprise, so now I can concentrate on the verbal part which is more critical to my applications anyway. My major hope is that my body and mind are in this. I have wretched, stress-induced insomnia (anything stresses me out) and didn't sleep three nights before the GRE. The night before the GRE, I took Nyquil and Unisom in hopes of getting to bed in a timely manner but even that didn't work so I woke up for the test in a haze of grogginess and confusion. What they don't tell you about the GRE is that it's as much psychology as it is actual knowledge and discernment.

I'll do my best. This'll be interesting. I'm used to writing for theologians. Trying to get back in the English/literature mindset.

Hi, Ciarrai300. Thanks for your advice! Here's an update: I asked my prof and it's a go. He remembered me well and was ecstatic to hear I was returning to the English world. Just a really good guy in general.

Hi everyone, My undergraduate majors were English, writing, philosophy and religion. At first I thought I was interested in pursing religion, so I completed an M.Div. course at Vanderbilt. However, despite my interest in religion, I kept coming back to English literature and composition. A large number of my classes were even focused on religious and philosophical literature: Flannery O'Connor, Albert Camus, etc. and I also took courses on writing about religion. I've decided to pursue some English PhDs and MFA programs (joint as well) and I've been encouraged by friends who've gone that way to rely heavily on English professors from undergrad rather than religion professors from divinity school. The only problem is that I graduated in 2008, so my classes with some of these professors were some time ago. I've already got the blessing from one with whom I've kept in touch. Another, my advisor, has long since left my undergrad to return home to Montana but we are still in touch on Facebook and like each others' baseball and literature statuses, so we're not completely estranged. I'm terribly shy and horrible at asking for help. Does anyone know how best to broach the topic of asking for a letter of reference? Should I, in my opening e-mail, include the classes I took for him and my departmental GPA to remind him of my standing in the English program?

Haha, I just meant there's lot of scholars from within the church writing things like "blergh, gays! bad!" but never focuses on the humanity. A lot of my writing deals with the struggle of LGBT people in oppressive religious environments and my goal is to pull out of their stories a Christian theology that is affirming of their humanity and sexuality.

That's what a professor of mine said. He can be a bit scatterbrained at times and was a second-career scholar. He said he wasn't a good test taker, was very reserved and wasn't the typical name-dropping, self-promoting type that seems to fare well in academia, but he was a hard worker and open-minded. It's a shame that humility seems to work against you these days, but if he made it in, there's hope for all of us.

My dream is to make it into the Iowa Writer's Workshop, but I'm applying to other programs as well. My main interest is writing at the intersection of sexuality and religion as a sort of counter-theology to some more vitriolic theologies put out by more conservative religious institutions. My stuff tends to fall into various genres--magical realism, fantasy, Southern Gothic, etc. I'm wondering if submitting material from one area would give me an edge vs others. Do places like the Writers Workshop opt for more cerebral writing over more commercial action/adventure stuff?

If 81st percentile is a typical throwaway cutoff then I'm at least above that. I feel confident that SOPs, references and writing sample would show I know what I'm doing. But this cagey thing is cropping up over and over. Cagey in my mind is translating as misleading. At least that's how it feels. Getting disillusioned before I even apply! Perhaps I'll focus my energies into more ST schools and researching how to procure more funding.

I hear you. My problem is shelling out that much dough without the promise of even getting accepted somewhere. Add that to the fact that some of the application fees for prospective schools are $100 a piece and REALLY?!

Hi everyone, I'm applying to some fully-funded MFA programs in creative writing. They are option to various types of manuscripts, giving only a page limit--but they say things like, "You may submit a chapter from an extensive work, a short story or a combination of the two." I'm wondering if you all know any particular strategies. Would a combination work best? My writings are diverse, so I'm wondering what sort of thing I should send them: magical realism, fantasy/sci-fi, action, drama, LGBT, Southern Gothic, religious? A lot of my writing takes place at the intersection of religion, gender and sexuality. I'll probably write about that in my admissions essay. I'm setting my sights pretty high: I'd love to get into the Iowa Writers Workshop, but have plenty of safety schools I'm considering as well. Would it be safe to assume that places as respected as the Iowa Writers Workshop would prefer serious, dramatic writing to the more commercial action-adventure stuff--and that the samples I give them should somehow tie into the essay I plan to write?

I've got an M.Div. I'm shooting this time around for a PhD.

I'd definitely say contact the admissions office to get clarification. Asking questions means that you're interested and responsible enough to seek help when needed. I'm a Vandy M.Div. grad (2011) and I recall writing one essay in which I wove the answers to the questions together, though my memory may fail me.

Jeezy creezy... goodbye, PhD dreams! I don't want to/can't afford to keep feeding the ETS monopoly. ?

Hi all, Most of the doctoral programs I'm looking into say things like, "Pshaw. Don't worry so much about your GRE score. We evaluate all elements of your applications package." Sometimes: "We have no miminum GRE score and accept students with a wide range of scores." But let's face it: the schools with good reputations and funding (the Harvards, the Yales, etc.) are highly competitive and are probably getting a lot of excellent GRE scores--not to mention the test must mean something or else they wouldn't make you take it. Anyway, having just completed my GRE and gotten my quantitative/verbal scores back, I was wondering whether I could rule out any of these schools since I don't want to spend money and time on applications if my package gets tabled immediately because of the GRE. The schools I'm considering thus far are Drew Yale Emory Claremont Iliff I know there's probably no "make you" score for these schools, but would anyone know what a "break you" score would be? I'm most appreciative of any advice on the subject. Many thanks.

Hi all, My question is twofold. I just took the GRE and received my quantitative and verbal scores (they're the 0-170 range, not the other scoring system) and am beginning to craft my statements of purpose. However, I don't want to be presumptuous and apply to a school if my GRE score is embarrassingly low for that particular school. I'm in a financial lurch and I don't want to waste money on applications. I also am trying to watch my wallet and am wondering what schools (out of the respected programs with good funding) *don't* require an English subject test. So let me rephrase those two questions: 1) What is the minimum verbal (and quantitative, if necessary) score that a good school along the lines of Berkeley, UPenn, Columbia, Iowa or Brown would accept? I know this doesn't make your application package, but it could break it. 2) What schools of the top 30 don't require an English subject test? http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings Many thanks for your help.

Thanks, all, for the encouragement. I had another question arise that I thought I might put to you: would you submit a crummier paper from undergrad on literature, or a theology paper from my master's program that shows of my current writing and research skill if you were me?

Ellen Armour at Vandy would be an excellent person to work with, if she's teaching classes. She wears many hats.

I'd give them two weeks. I heard back within the week from all POIs but one. I don't think it necessarily means that they're a no go. Our society moves at a relentless pace these days and it's easy for things to get lost in the shuffle.

I have a lot of support from undergraduate professors, but it's been years since I've taken classes with them so they've admitted they're not sure they can give specific opinions because my work has branched out so since I studied under them. Master's program professors, on the other hand, are hard nuts to crack. I get that they're very busy with classes and research, but I also think that--as students who presumably relied on their own professors for helping hands as they advanced their own careers--it would be kind to pay that forward. Instead I'm met with no responses at all from them, rather than a definitive answer on my petitions for help. As someone who aced their courses and was always punctual and related well with them, it's disheartening, to say the least. I know a lot of people have been saying to get all your recommendations from people in the specific area you're keen on studying, but finding three recommendations alone is going to be tough enough given the responses I've been getting lately. I think this would be a time when it's better to be extroverted and demanding... It's probably eager to shrug off someone more timid and respectful.

Yes, I only had one professor that I really had repeatedly over the course of my div career with whom I established a close relationship. I'm considering asking the former dean as well--we haven't talked in a while, but he volunteered to be my second reader for my thesis project and appointed me to several committees, so I'm hoping he might be willing.

I plan to mention a couple of faculty advisors in my SOPs rather than putting all my eggs in one basket. If you can make the case successfully about the relationship between the two, perhaps mention the HB professor your reference knows while simultaneously applying to STJ. That's my thought, but I'm in the applications period myself.

I realize I'm totally clogging this forum... but I'll ask as long as you all will have me. Is there a formula to references? Do all three need to be professors? Do all three need to come from master's level? I ask because I was thinking of a few possibilities for a third reference: * my undergrad Bible professor I've been close with since 2006; she could show I have a strong grasp of the Bible * the LGBTQ center director under whom I served as chaplain for my MDiv field education, to show that my work has practical applications * the priest under whom I've been working to show I have a strong grasp of theology, am rooted in a religious community and can write well (I edited everything he wrote)

My undergraduate majors were in English, writing, philosophy and religion (just couldn't choose so I did them all). I had mostly Brit lit classes with an American lit, transcendental, Mark Twain, sci fi/fantasy, editing/publishing and four writing classes. I'd definitely swing in favor of Brit lit though I'm a lover of Michael Cunningham who's done some fabulous LGBTQ stuff as well.