mariposa

James105, Honestly, figuring out your chances at these schools is difficult. It sounds like you have good experience, but some significant factors to consider are which Christian school you are attending (because not all of them are created equal, and each has its own theological/ecclesial leanings) and the fact that you do not have an undergraduate degree in religion or theology. My area is not ethics, so I can't speak for that particular area, but I would recommend doing what you can to research the schools you're interested in to see if what they're doing in ethics is in fact what you want to do, and then shape your applications to show that you are prepared for graduate studies in religion/ethics.

I heard a rumor that Emory just had someone turn them down, so they will be turning to the waitlist for another. However, which dept. will get the lucky waitlister is unknown. I withdrew my app there this week so I'm no longer on the mysterious waitlist-that-we're-not-going-to-tell-you-is-a-waitlist. Best of luck!

Union is indeed a respected school. I don't know that the name/reputation of the school should stop you from going there. The more important factor is whether or not you can study with good people who can get to know you so that you have allies at your school, as well as whether or not you feel like you fit there. I would recommend contacting people at the schools you are interested in for doctoral work and see what they say about the kinds of degrees the students they accept traditionally have prior to matriculation. The difficulty in answering your question is that there is no formula for this process. I don't really have any way of knowing why I was accepted or rejected at the various schools to which I applied. I certainly didn't do things the "right" way, but even people who do things the "right" way get rejected from the top programs. Thus, rather than basing your decision primarily on the degree beyond the master's degree, if you just want to be at Union, I'd say go for it. If you are happy somewhere, you will be able to thrive and develop into the kind of person/student that doctoral programs would want. Hope this helps (or at least doesn't hurt).

Honestly, I hated this process from beginning to end. I hated... ...asking people for recommendation letters ...GREs and studying for them (especially because they're not standardized at all and have no bearing on how one will do in grad school) ...agonizing over every piece of writing I had to produce ...triple-checking to make sure I dotted every i and crossed every t on every application ...the anxiety/psychosis of waiting ...being virtually useless in every other area of my life for six months straight because my mind was totally preoccupied by apps ...the second-guessing self-consciousness and uncertainty of the recruitment interview I attended ...comparing myself to everyone else who could possibly be applying ...receiving rejections and bad news about funding ...being the one who had to turn down two other offers because I had accepted a third I knew I could not go through this process again. It turns people into lunatics/hostages and reduces the hopeful prospect of future study into a meaningless game. I am glad to be accepted and going somewhere I believe I will be happy. But throughout the whole process, I wasn't sure it was worth it. Can't there be a better way?

Hello! I'm headed to Duke Divinity School for a ThD program in theology. I currently live in the Midwest so it will be an interesting and welcome change to be back in the South.

I made my decision: Going to Duke (ThD)!

I'm not teaching full-time, but I have been adjuncting part-time this year in addition to finishing an MA program at a seminary, getting caught up on some incompletes, and working as a faculty assistant for a professor at the seminary I'm attending. I also have two small children and a husband who is also in seminary and who is struggling with health issues. Needless to say, with so much going on besides waiting and trying to decide what to do about doc programs for the next 4-5 years with family in tow, it's hard not to feel like a constant failure at everything. One of my classes is still going pretty well, but the other one has been frustrating and much more difficult to push through this semester. Many factors are contributing to this, but doc apps are no help in the mix either.

For those on waitlists, it ain't over until it's over. My situation was not looking good with one waitlist and two acceptances with very little funding (which is essential for me with a family in tow). Then out of the blue a couple of weeks ago, after I had received rejections from every other program save the two acceptances, I received a phone call saying that I have been accepted off the waitlist with great funding. This process sucks, and it takes way too long. But don't foreclose possibilities before they have the chance to blossom--either way. I also think it's best to stay in communication with all schools that have accepted or waitlisted you. Definitely ask about where you stand on the list; IMO, you have the right to know. I think it's best to let schools know if you have other offers, even waitlisted ones. Don't let the waitlist make you passive, even though it feels like you are completely powerless. Do your homework on the school to see if you really would be interested in going if the offer comes. Good luck, all!

I'm considering going to Duke, and I am curious about public school systems in the Raleigh/Durham area. I have a child who will be starting kindergarten in another year. I'm not looking for a preppy school, or even the best of the best. Any recommendations from those who have done this kind of research?

In response to achowa00, I was accepted to the theological and philosophical studies program at Drew. I do not know if I will accept the offer or not. I'm mostly interested in working with Catherine Keller and Chris Boesel, but the entire faculty looks stellar.

I have three options, and the easy decision would be to go where the money is. However, I feel like I need either to be able to say no to two of them and yes to one, or to have a stronger yes for one than the others. Thus my decision will be a comparative one. The one option I have excluded is turning down all offers in favor of applying again next year with the hope of getting a better offer--that just seems ludicrous to me in my situation (because I don't think a better offer will exist).

I am trying to decide between BU ThD in theology, Drew PhD in theological studies, and Duke ThD in theology. Honestly, I don't know where I will come down on this one. I'm extremely grateful to have three offers on the table, though, because this has been a very bad year for applications. As far as doing things differently, I guess I would add the following: DO... ...ask for app fee waivers if you're in a bad financial situation. ...ask your professors and potential professors at various schools for suggestions in assembling your apps (don't do it all by yourself without getting the input of people who have done this before and helped others before) ...figure out what you want to study and where you can do that. "Know thyself" still seems to be good advice. DON'T... ...get too caught up in "playing the game." Particularly in religion, it's quite disgusting, if not overtly antithetical.