MTS/MARc Application Qs

[YoungTimothy]

Hello,

I'm planning on applying to an MTS / MARc (YDS), concentrating in Christian History, this with the hopes of pursuing a PhD in American Religious History. I was wondering whether I might be a competitive applicant. I'm applying at YDS, HDS, PTS, Notre Dame, Duke, Candler (Emory), UChicago, Wheaton, and BU.

- BA in Theology

- 3.98 GPA with Honors

- Member of Theta Alpha Kappa

- Honors thesis in the sciences, specifically anticancer research; I'd planned on applying to medical school but followed my gut that it wasn't for me and didn't follow through (and glad for it! I have a number of friends in medical school. Props to them but it couldn't be me)

- Languages: Hebrew and Greek in undergrad, Latin in high school, and I speak another contemporary language (if that helps)

- Pastoring now for three years; volunteer at a local school; active in prison ministry

For the academic writing sample, I have two undergrad papers on ecclesiastical history. One pertains to the early medieval period and the other to the early American period. Both need some touching up and aren't ultimately what I want to research. I didn't explore any of my current research interests in undergrad, first because I was focused on medical school, and also because I hadn't even thought to research what I'm not interested in.

So my questions, besides asking do I have a shot?

Does my academic writing sample have to relate to my field of interest? If so, can and should I write a new paper for the academic writing sample? If not, can I rewrite the one mentioned above and if so to what extent?

HDS has some info on this; it says you can submit "An original work that is based upon a topic that you are interested in studying here at HDS." But I looked and around haven't seen any other schools touch on this.

Any recommendations on who to ask for letters of rec? Most schools ask for three; should it be two professors, one professional? I have three professors who I feel could write strong letters, and also my former senior/mentor pastor could speak to my work as a pastor.

Finally (I promise!), Duke's website says that it requires "a commitment to some form of diaconal or lay ministry". I hope to serve my denomination and the wider Christian church as a historian, but is there anything more specific they're looking for?

Sorry for all the questions. This is bringing me back to my days preparing for medical school, stressing myself out comparing myself with other people's stats! I'm definitely more confident in God's leading now then I was then!

Thank you for any feedback!

[xypathos]

On 7/21/2023 at 11:08 AM, YoungTimothy said:

Does my academic writing sample have to relate to my field of interest? If so, can and should I write a new paper for the academic writing sample? If not, can I rewrite the one mentioned above and if so to what extent?

This is school dependent. Generally, no it doesn't need to be a direct fit as far as paper = field, BUT! it needs to showcase skills that are relevant for your field. So, if you're wanting to propose something language intensive, you'd better show skills there. There's no harm in writing a new paper if you have the energy to do it, but you need a trusted mentor(s) to provide feedback. Ideally, your paper is at least tangentially related even it's a little bit of a creative stretch.

On 7/21/2023 at 11:08 AM, YoungTimothy said:

Any recommendations on who to ask for letters of rec? Most schools ask for three; should it be two professors, one professional? I have three professors who I feel could write strong letters, and also my former senior/mentor pastor could speak to my work as a pastor.

Most of your programs are going to expect MAR/MTS applicants to submit three academic references but might not require it. That said, don't submit a lukewarm recommendation to hit this. Check what the schools want. Generally you'll only have detailed requirements for M.Div. If your three best are two academic, and one professional - go with that, unless a school says it must be three academic.

 

On 7/21/2023 at 11:08 AM, YoungTimothy said:

Finally (I promise!), Duke's website says that it requires "a commitment to some form of diaconal or lay ministry". I hope to serve my denomination and the wider Christian church as a historian, but is there anything more specific they're looking for?

You can find more about the MTS application here - https://divinity.duke.edu/admissions/how-apply#mts. Its been well over a decade since I applied to Duke but I think the personal statement is what they used to show that commitment. 

[YoungTimothy]

Thanks @xypathos that’s very helpful to know. Especially concerning the written sample—I can think of a few papers I’ve written that I could submit with tweaks. 
Just as an update, I’m considering MDiv programs, mostly at the same schools. Figuring that I could scratch my itch for research and learning outside of a PhD. Plus I still enjoy pastoral ministry
P.S. super late reply only because I’ve been struggling to log back into my account and I couldn’t reset my password for a while.