Fall 2021 Religion PhD

[KungFuKenny]

37 minutes ago, _Athena_ said:

Hi, friends! It's great to see some activity on this forum. This is my second PhD application cycle (I was rejected from every program my first go-around, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!), and I've applied to several programs in Hebrew Bible/Ancient Mediterranean Religions (Yale EMWAR, Harvard CSR, UVA, UNC, NYU, Fordham, JTS). I have received an offer of admission from UNC (yay!) but have yet to hear from any other programs. Wishing everyone the best of luck in this stressful process!

Congrats! It’s helpful to know that offers of admission are possible lol. Thanks for the solidarity and for sharing the good news!

[alizeh55]

10 hours ago, _Athena_ said:

Hi, friends! It's great to see some activity on this forum. This is my second PhD application cycle (I was rejected from every program my first go-around, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!), and I've applied to several programs in Hebrew Bible/Ancient Mediterranean Religions (Yale EMWAR, Harvard CSR, UVA, UNC, NYU, Fordham, JTS). I have received an offer of admission from UNC (yay!) but have yet to hear from any other programs. Wishing everyone the best of luck in this stressful process!

Congrats! Please do keep us updated if/when you hear from Harvard CSR. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by alizeh55

[_Athena_]

Thank you, everyone! Wishing only good things for you all as well!

[AnxiousinSyriac]

Received word from a department chair that they have yet to make any admissions decisions, due to semester planning being backed up from covid...I guess I'll keep twiddling my thumbs. 

[CafeConGabi]

Just heard from two more places. 

Rejected from Notre Dame's history program. Not too surprised. 

Accepted to UCLA's Chicano Studies program (focus on Latinx religion)! Yay! I hope the funding is good. They're still working on that. Phew! One in the bag! ? 

 

[beorn1968]

yeah, no go with Notre Dame history, but was kinda expecting it. still not an awesome feeling lol. I could not submit GREs this year and they would not budge. back to waiting. solidarity everyone!

[beorn1968]

looks like on the results page someone heard from Harvard history. ( rejection email from POI) Anyone else hear anything from them?

Edited January 29, 2021 by beorn1968

[crossroadsph]

14 hours ago, CafeConGabi said:

Just heard from two more places. 

Rejected from Notre Dame's history program. Not too surprised. 

Accepted to UCLA's Chicano Studies program (focus on Latinx religion)! Yay! I hope the funding is good. They're still working on that. Phew! One in the bag! ? 

 

Congratulations! I’m still waiting to hear from all of the schools in North America I applied to. I’ll just see where the chips fall and plan accordingly. I don’t have a clear first choice as I didn’t receive any interview invites, and I already have a plan B for what happens next.

[CafeConGabi]

7 hours ago, crossroadsph said:

Congratulations! I’m still waiting to hear from all of the schools in North America I applied to. I’ll just see where the chips fall and plan accordingly. I don’t have a clear first choice as I didn’t receive any interview invites, and I already have a plan B for what happens next.

Thank you! 

I'm still waiting to hear from 5 more schools though I'm 99% sure I'll take this offer (waiting for financial package info to come in). I realized that I'd be happier with a supportive advisor than a school with a big name. The ultimate goal is to finish up the degree and continue my research. 

UCLA didn't interview me but I knew the professor wanted to work with me; it was just a matter of whether the rest of the faculty believed I was a good fit for their program. I spoke to the POI back in August/September and the vibe was good. He really sold the program. I was worried about the "Chicanx Studies" part of the program because I've done Religious Studies since my community college days (circa 2013). I mentioned these doubts and he reassured me that I would be fine if I got in.

I checked their current grad students page yesterday and they already have 2 other Harvard Divinity School students! Hahaha! I'll be the third. I was bummed about the last cycle I applied to. I can see that if Harvard or Notre Dame took me in 2019 I'd be missing out on this amazing community of scholars. I hate sounding so cliche but it all fell into place, at the perfect time. 

[AnxiousinSyriac]

1 hour ago, CafeConGabi said:

Thank you! 

I'm still waiting to hear from 5 more schools though I'm 99% sure I'll take this offer (waiting for financial package info to come in). I realized that I'd be happier with a supportive advisor than a school with a big name. The ultimate goal is to finish up the degree and continue my research. 

UCLA didn't interview me but I knew the professor wanted to work with me; it was just a matter of whether the rest of the faculty believed I was a good fit for their program. I spoke to the POI back in August/September and the vibe was good. He really sold the program. I was worried about the "Chicanx Studies" part of the program because I've done Religious Studies since my community college days (circa 2013). I mentioned these doubts and he reassured me that I would be fine if I got in.

I checked their current grad students page yesterday and they already have 2 other Harvard Divinity School students! Hahaha! I'll be the third. I was bummed about the last cycle I applied to. I can see that if Harvard or Notre Dame took me in 2019 I'd be missing out on this amazing community of scholars. I hate sounding so cliche but it all fell into place, at the perfect time. 

Congratulations on this next chapter! Keep us abreast on your research. 

[CafeConGabi]

1 hour ago, AnxiousinSyriac said:

Congratulations on this next chapter! Keep us abreast on your research. 

Thank you! I sure hope I see y'all at some conferences! : ) 

[crossroadsph]

I emailed my POI at one of the schools last night and he asked me to take the long view. One factor is that a lot of schools are taking less people, if not none at all and that things may stabilize in a couple of years. I’m guessing he’s trying to cushion the impact a rejection might bring, and I otherwise don’t want to read between the lines. Good luck to everyone as the decisions start coming in!

[dougy]

58 minutes ago, crossroadsph said:

I emailed my POI at one of the schools last night and he asked me to take the long view. One factor is that a lot of schools are taking less people, if not none at all and that things may stabilize in a couple of years. I’m guessing he’s trying to cushion the impact a rejection might bring, and I otherwise don’t want to read between the lines. Good luck to everyone as the decisions start coming in!

Yes. I sent my application for theology at PTS the first week of December. Several days later they refunded my application fee and let me know that no theology applications would be received, in order to free up resources for current students. They also limited the number they'd take in across all subfields. I imagine many schools are doing likewise. We chose a brutal year to apply but you never know what might happen in. 

I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more.

How is everyone holding up mentally and emotionally? I hope you're finding healthy ways to cope with the waiting. I'm not doing anything interesting--mostly just finding more work to do and spending time with my kids. What are others doing?

[beorn1968]

24 minutes ago, dougy said:

Yes. I sent my application for theology at PTS the first week of December. Several days later they refunded my application fee and let me know that no theology applications would be received, in order to free up resources for current students. They also limited the number they'd take in across all subfields. I imagine many schools are doing likewise. We chose a brutal year to apply but you never know what might happen in. 

I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more.

How is everyone holding up mentally and emotionally? I hope you're finding healthy ways to cope with the waiting. I'm not doing anything interesting--mostly just finding more work to do and spending time with my kids. What are others doing?

spending way to much time checking my email and  on these sites trying to compare my cv and hoping for an end to the radio silence. we all are in this together! Solidarity!

[_Athena_]

I think completing the PhD application process under these circumstances - or under any circumstances, really, but especially under these - is an accomplishment in and of itself! However, I'm hoping for everyone here to have some good news very soon.

Edited January 30, 2021 by _Athena_

[Shijia]

Hello everyone! I've applied to the PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown and received an email from them, asking me take an online Arabic exam. I wonder if there is anyone who is applying to same/similar programs and has some information about what to expect from such exams! For example, how much does it count towards the final decision? What level of Arabic does the admission committee expect from me?  Thanks! I appreciate your advice/information. 

[crossroadsph]

6 hours ago, dougy said:

Yes. I sent my application for theology at PTS the first week of December. Several days later they refunded my application fee and let me know that no theology applications would be received, in order to free up resources for current students. They also limited the number they'd take in across all subfields. I imagine many schools are doing likewise. We chose a brutal year to apply but you never know what might happen in. 

I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more.

How is everyone holding up mentally and emotionally? I hope you're finding healthy ways to cope with the waiting. I'm not doing anything interesting--mostly just finding more work to do and spending time with my kids. What are others doing?

I am actually holding up fine. In fact, for what it's worth, I received a bit of news today. I am applying to the Toronto School of Theology, and earlier today (around midnight, Toronto time), I got an email from someone at one of the member colleges asking me about something related to my application... and telling me that the college was quite happy that I chose it and that he found my SOP and writing sample quite engaging. I don't know if it counts for anything, as a consortium-wide admissions committee handles all the applications. It's heartening, nevertheless, to hear that someone liked it.

In order to cope, I've been taking quite a bit of time to process things through journaling. I've occasionally taken some walks outside (the weather is crisp and cool over here in Manila) and worked on a big project for my art writing job. I do hope everyone is hanging in there! 

Edited January 30, 2021 by crossroadsph
Clarified earlier statement upon re-checking an email.

[Impostor]

12 hours ago, dougy said:

I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more.

If you mean Duke Th.D interview invites, I know one person who received one, so I assume they have gone out by now.

[crossroadsph]

1 hour ago, Impostor said:

If you mean Duke Th.D interview invites, I know one person who received one, so I assume they have gone out by now.

I applied to Duke and didn't receive one as of now. I'm ready to call it.

That's one acceptance, one rejection, four pending.

[beorn1968]

and a no go with Northwestern History, this one kinda hurt. solidarity and congrats to whoever got in.

[crossroadsph]

10 hours ago, _Athena_ said:

I think completing the PhD application process under these circumstances - or under any circumstances, really, but especially under these - is an accomplishment in and of itself! However, I'm hoping for everyone here to have some good news very soon.

Yes I think it's great that we all managed to get through the process. It'll be interesting to see where we will all end up.

[dougy]

5 hours ago, Impostor said:

If you mean Duke Th.D interview invites, I know one person who received one, so I assume they have gone out by now.

It's certainly possible that they've all already gone out. I'd be surprised if they put all of them out and no one shared that they received an interview in the results. Did the person you know who received an interview also interview for the PhD?

In any case, it looks like they pretty consistently make decisions on rejections and waitlists the second week of February, so we'll all know for sure then!

[שמע אלוהים]

Hello everyone,

I hope you are doing well during this intermediate period. I know how difficult this process can be, and the worst part is when there is nothing left that you can do—except wait (are we not conditioned to do everything we possibly can to increase our chances of admittance?). Indeed, what is even worse is when schools keep you in the dark until the last minute, especially when they have already made decisions behind the scenes. It is also not helpful that Grad Cafe has incomplete data, meaning that not everybody who gets an interview or offer of acceptance posts it. 

Ergo, I have gone back and forth about whether I would comment on this thread, because I have an aversion to coming off the wrong way (you can imagine how people may incorrectly interpret one's post as bragging, especially with such a sensitive topic as this). Notwithstanding, since I myself hate the guessing game and speculating what may or may not be happening behind the scenes, I thought I would share some information that I happen to be privy to. 

(1) Notre Dame Theology interview invites went out today. My friend, who applied, received an interview request with the faculty this afternoon (done virtually this year instead of in-person). Typically, at least from my understanding, ND sends out their invites in one batch, which may trickle out throughout the day and perhaps into the next day. I did not apply to ND, but it is a great program, and I hope some of you got invites. 

(2) The University of Virginia is taking students this year. Last year, the JCA subfield had two offers fall through, so I expect that they will get one of the reduced spots this year. I could be wrong about this, but this seems to make good, logical sense. I cannot speak to any of the other subfields. I personally did not apply, but I figured some of you might like to know this. 

(3) I am the Hebrew Bible admit to Duke University's PhD in Religious Studies (GPR). I was also interviewed for the Th.D., and the phrasing of the email that was sent seems to suggest that the short-list for the Th.D. has already been established. The day after I interviewed for the Th.D. I received the news about the GPR, meaning I am holding out hope that they will take a OT/HB Th.D. student. If I do matriculate at Duke, it would fantastic to have a colleague to take classes with. Truly, I am pulling for an additional admit. The exact phrasing of the Th.D. interview offer was as follows:

"Dear X,

The Th.D. Admissions committee has established its short list of applicants for 2021. As the next stage in the process, we invite you to meet for 30-40 minutes via Zoom video conference with two members of the Admissions Committee. This will give you an opportunity to talk in greater depth about the fit of your research interests with Duke's Th.D. Program as well as to ask any questions you may have."

I counted sixteen interviewees who filled out the form, including myself. 

On another note, Duke's GPR only took 6 students total this year (usually 10-12), and applications were at an all time high, meaning that the admittance rate was <2.5%. I anticipate that this is the case at most institutions, and that these numbers are reflected broadly. This means several things: (1) A rejection is not a comment on your ability as a student. The odds were never in one's favor, and this is even more so the case this year. (2) If you do receive an offer, you should be extremely thankful. My sources tell me that PTS is only taking three (yes, three) Ph.D. students this year. That means most subfields will not get a slot. If it helps, my MA is from the University of Chicago and my BA from a top-tier undergraduate institution and I still felt that I would ultimately be rejected given the financial impact of Covid. There are never any guarantees in this process, especially this year. If it does not work out for you this year, I highly encourage you to give it another go around next year. 

That seems like enough for now. Truly, I wish you all the best of luck. Maybe I will meet some of you next year. 

[dougy]

7 minutes ago, שמע אלוהים said:

I have gone back and forth about whether I would comment on this thread, because I have an aversion to coming off the wrong way (you can imagine how people may incorrectly interpret one's post as bragging, especially with such a sensitive topic as this). Notwithstanding, since I myself hate the guessing game and speculating what may or may not be happening behind the scenes, I thought I would share some information that I happen to be privy to. 

 

Not coming off in the wrong way at all! We're all just looking for some sort of news, even if it isn't reassuring. Thanks for sharing what you know, especially about Duke's ThD. 

Here's to hoping for a waitlist!

Cheers, all.

[CafeConGabi]

On 1/29/2021 at 7:26 PM, dougy said:

Yes. I sent my application for theology at PTS the first week of December. Several days later they refunded my application fee and let me know that no theology applications would be received, in order to free up resources for current students. They also limited the number they'd take in across all subfields. I imagine many schools are doing likewise. We chose a brutal year to apply but you never know what might happen in. 

I posted earlier and said DDS normally contacts this week. I haven't seen any indication that folks received interviews so they may be behind on their process. Maybe next week we'll all hear more.

How is everyone holding up mentally and emotionally? I hope you're finding healthy ways to cope with the waiting. I'm not doing anything interesting--mostly just finding more work to do and spending time with my kids. What are others doing?

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. : )