PhD Applications Fall 2019 Season

[FrigidSky701]

I have given up on everything on this cycle because I have not heard back from all other four schools I am waiting. I am now moving on to my backup plans, like applying for post-bacc programs to improve my language skills for my intended areas and also finding source of finance. It is almost a liberating sensation, and I do not know how I was unable to achieve this. Maybe getting three rejections in a row helped? 

[cr615]

Anybody apply to and hear back from Iowa? Or know anything about where they are at?

They have a late application deadline (Jan 15.) and they tend to have a later time frame, but IDK what is normal for them.

[oh no]

On 2/15/2019 at 9:54 PM, J.Z.Smith said:

And I also got an informal email from my POI in Princeton University (not PTS) last Monday and s/he informed me that I was accepted. They will send out a decision sometime next week according to the message I got. And @oh no,  I’m the Princeton-poster on the result page who had an interview early January. Actually, there were two. And if I recall correctly, Princeton University invites all (potential) finalists to the interview process and all the invitations were sent out on January 8 or 9 (my colleagues in other subfields also received their interview-invitations from Princeton on either 8 or 9). I don’t think they do a rolling-basis, or they barely do. If you check the result page, the process is generally similar;  Skype Interview in Jan, emails from professors in the 3rd week of February and official acceptance in three days. 

After J.Z.Smith's post I considered myself out for Princeton (I didn't get an interview). I am so shocked that I just got an informal email from my POI from Princeton that I am accepted. Now I am super thrilled!!! At the same time, I am curious about their admission process. Can anyone explain?

[Fontanabush]

On 2/19/2019 at 6:17 PM, oh no said:

After J.Z.Smith's post I considered myself out for Princeton (I didn't get an interview). I am so shocked that I just got an informal email from my POI from Princeton that I am accepted. Now I am super thrilled!!! At the same time, I am curious about their admission process. Can anyone explain?

I cannot, but congratulations.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Fontanabush

[marXian]

17 hours ago, oh no said:

After J.Z.Smith's post I considered myself out for Princeton (I didn't get an interview). I am so shocked that I just got an informal email from my POI from Princeton that I am accepted. Now I am super thrilled!!! At the same time, I am curious about their admission process. Can anyone explain?

POIs make "informal" calls and emails to their admitted students when their schedule allows typically. So J.Z.'s POI just had availability to do that before yours did.

Usually the POI notification of acceptance is "informal" because the university administrative body that oversees grad programs has to officially approve all departmental admissions decisions. But it is extremely rare for that body to not approve everyone a department wants to admit, since departments don't make these decisions carelessly and know what the requirements are for funding to be granted (i.e. in terms of hard numbers like GPA and GRE scores).

I remember when the DGS in my department at the time called me to tell me I was admitted and then told me it "wasn't official" yet--I freaked out after I got off the phone with her, thinking that there was still a possibility that I was actually not admitted. That wasn't the case, but I still felt like I was having a panic attack!

[kkel]

Anyone heard anything on Georgetown’s Theo and Religious Studies program for this yr?

[Theobuckeye]

14 minutes ago, kkel said:

Anyone heard anything on Georgetown’s Theo and Religious Studies program for this yr?

I reapplied to Georgetown again this year and have not heard anything. 

[kkel]

11 hours ago, Theobuckeye said:

I reapplied to Georgetown again this year and have not heard anything. 

Same  have gotten into a few other places but waiting to hear from them. Hoping they get info out earlier this year. 

[Theobuckeye]

39 minutes ago, kkel said:

Same  have gotten into a few other places but waiting to hear from them. Hoping they get info out earlier this year. 

Congratulations on the acceptances. Where did you get in, if you don’t mind me asking?

[kkel]

Thanks:) CUA religion and culture program—super thrilled by it. GWs counseling PhD program  (research in the faith and trauma) but waiting on funding info. And a Marymount ms program. Waiting on George Mason and Georgetown. What about you?

[kkel]

9 minutes ago, Theobuckeye said:

Congratulations on the acceptances. Where did you get in, if you don’t mind me asking?

Thanks:) CUA religion and culture program—super thrilled by it. GWs counseling PhD program  (research in the faith and trauma) but waiting on funding info. And a Marymount ms program. Waiting on George Mason and Georgetown. What about you?

[cr615]

Admitted to Iowa!

[Theobuckeye]

3 hours ago, kkel said:

Thanks:) CUA religion and culture program—super thrilled by it. GWs counseling PhD program  (research in the faith and trauma) but waiting on funding info. And a Marymount ms program. Waiting on George Mason and Georgetown. What about you?

After being rejected by UVA multiple times, I decided to only apply to Georgetown this cycle. (I need to be close to northern/central Virginia) I have had a number of positive conversations with members of their faculty, and was waitlisted two years ago. I just can’t seem to get over that final hurdle. 

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Theobuckeye

[Moon River]

I just received admission from PTS with President Scholarship! 

I am very thankful (and even puzzled) to be accepted from my top 2 choice schools: Emory and PTS. It is going to be really hard making a decision between two schools. But I genuinely feel that I received a gift more than I deserve.

[Simbbo]

44 minutes ago, Moon River said:

I just received admission from PTS with President Scholarship! 

I am very thankful (and even puzzled) to be accepted from my top 2 choice schools: Emory and PTS. It is going to be really hard making a decision between two schools. But I genuinely feel that I received a gift more than I deserve.

Wow, Congrat!

Were you invited to an interview at PTS? 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Simbbo

[Moon River]

8 minutes ago, Simbbo said:

Wow, Congrat!

Were you invited to an interview at PTS? 

No, I did not have any interview with them.

[exegete]

2 hours ago, Moon River said:

I just received admission from PTS with President Scholarship! 

I am very thankful (and even puzzled) to be accepted from my top 2 choice schools: Emory and PTS. It is going to be really hard making a decision between two schools. But I genuinely feel that I received a gift more than I deserve.

Congrats, Moon River! But, since I know you personally, I have to say you shouldn't be puzzled. You absolutely do deserve it. I always thought you would be admitted at PTS!  

[EarlyXianity]

 

9 hours ago, kkel said:

Thanks:) CUA religion and culture program—super thrilled by it. GWs counseling PhD program  (research in the faith and trauma) but waiting on funding info. And a Marymount ms program. Waiting on George Mason and Georgetown. What about you?

Do you (or anyone else) know about CUA notifications for other fields? Or how the process works? 

I see Church History in the results and your response here, but I haven't heard anything at all. Trying to figure out if I should abandon all hope, or if I should still wait. 

It looks like responses through the years at CUA in theology have varied greatly in timing. Last year, rejections had gone out by now, but other years seemed to have been much later. I've heard nothing at all this year.  

[kkel]

9 minutes ago, EarlyXianity said:

 

Do you (or anyone else) know about CUA notifications for other fields? Or how the process works? 

I see Church History in the results and your response here, but I haven't heard anything at all. Trying to figure out if I should abandon all hope, or if I should still wait. 

It looks like responses through the years at CUA in theology have varied greatly in timing. Last year, rejections had gone out by now, but other years seemed to have been much later. I've heard nothing at all this year.  

I know a couple people (systematics and moral theo) who haven’t heard yet from Cua so it may come in waves dependent on area. Rel & culture came out earlier last year too and I know some folks from last yr that are there now w funding (catechetical and systematics) that heard later. I hope that’s helpful —wishing you the best of luck. 

[Moon River]

2 hours ago, exegete said:

Congrats, Moon River! But, since I know you personally, I have to say you shouldn't be puzzled. You absolutely do deserve it. I always thought you would be admitted at PTS!  

Hey Exegete, it is so funny that we are having a conversation here. lol

Thanks for your encouragement. I have to say that you deserve so much more than what I have received. I am with you in this process! 

[rejectedndejected]

Hey guys--as I've already alluded to, I'm a mixed (PhD and M*) applicant.  I got waitlisted to Notre Dame's MTS program (not super high on the list).  Does anyone have any experience with ND's waitlist/MTS admissions?  Do they often go to their waitlist?  If so, how deep?  Has anyone been accepted to their MTS this cycle?  The M*/MTS/MAR thread is prettymuch dead/moribund.  

[exegete]

On 2/22/2019 at 4:40 PM, rejectedndejected said:

Hey guys--as I've already alluded to, I'm a mixed (PhD and M*) applicant.  I got waitlisted to Notre Dame's MTS program (not super high on the list).  Does anyone have any experience with ND's waitlist/MTS admissions?  Do they often go to their waitlist?  If so, how deep?  Has anyone been accepted to their MTS this cycle?  The M*/MTS/MAR thread is prettymuch dead/moribund.  

I was on the MTS waitlist at ND two years ago and didn't get in. All the slots in my area (biblical studies) were filled by the first round of offers. My suspicion is that's fairly typical for ND, since it's an attractive MTS program. However, I can't speak directly to other areas of study, and the dynamics are obviously different from year to year, so don't give up hope yet!

[rejectedndejected]

3 minutes ago, exegete said:

I was on the MTS waitlist at ND two years ago and didn't get in. All the slots in my area (biblical studies) were filled by the first round of offers. My suspicion is that's fairly typical for ND, since it's an attractive MTS program. However, I can't speak directly to other areas of study, and the dynamics are obviously different from year to year, so don't give up hope yet!

Thanks for the scoop.  How/when did you find out that you weren't going to get in off the waitlist?  Did they tell you, or did you just assume that you were dinged when April 15th rolled around and you didn't hear anything?  Is there anything we can do to influence our chances of getting in off the waitlist?  Maybe a little George Washington will change their minds...

[rejectedndejected]

The latter part of that post was, of course, tongue in cheek, so please, no one chastise me for attempted bribery with one dollar bills.

[exegete]

2 hours ago, rejectedndejected said:

Thanks for the scoop.  How/when did you find out that you weren't going to get in off the waitlist?  Did they tell you, or did you just assume that you were dinged when April 15th rolled around and you didn't hear anything?  Is there anything we can do to influence our chances of getting in off the waitlist?  Maybe a little George Washington will change their minds...

They emailed me once all their slots were filled. That was around the end of March. But I wouldn't be surprised if things move more quickly this year. The year I applied, initial offers weren't even made until mid-March.

Good luck!