2009 Application: Religion-Theology-Philosophy of Religion

[artandrelig]

does anyone know the average age range for students at harvard divinity and yale divinity?

i visited harvard in the fall and it seemed that the majority of people were in their 20s, so i was wondering if yale was similar, or if i was just misconstruing everything in the first place.

nb, i'm in my early 20s, so i'd be happy to find out the age range was 22-28

[mconsul]

can't give you any specs, but when i was at HDS, i'd say 20s was the norm, but that ranged from straight out of undergrad to mid-20s (like i was), to late 20s and early 30s, and there were some students who were older. several late 30s, and a few who-knows-how-much-older-than-that. but i'd guess it averaged out to mid-to-late 20s.

[retiredwaif]

I just got my first acceptance--to Claremont Graduate University MA program. Although it's not my first choice, it's really nice to know I can go SOMEWHERE--I was having the whole freak-out that nobody was even going to acknowledge my application. I'm just so happy. Waiting to hear from Notre Dame, but I'd enjoy Claremont a lot, I think.

[studyordie]

congrats retiredwaif- claremont would be a great MA, I hope I can join you in the used-to-be-freaking-out-because-you-thought-no-one-would-even-acknowledge-your-application-club

[studyordie]

Email response from UVa this morning:

The final decisions should be made this week, so notifications should go out next week via US Mail. Last week was spring break so everything just came to a stand still, but, like I said, should resume this week.

[tyler1]

Two MA results in the last few days-- Indiana rejection and Chicago admit. Just shows how much of this process is a crapshoot-- accepted to 2nd (MA) choice and rejected from my last, 14th choice in the matter of a few days.

[academiccricket]

I just found out that I was accepted to the M.A. program in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis (I applied for the Ph.D.)...

I already have an M.A. in Jewish Studies with a concentration in Hebrew Bible, but this still feels good and lifts a huge weight off my shoulders in terms of staying in the Boston area.

[studyordie]

Congratulations to tyler1 and academiccricket, after the email which I posted above I received another one from UVa saying I'm waitlisted. Could be worse, could be better....

One other thing, my on-line status has not been changed and still says pending. Also, I had emailed an inquiry on Friday as to my status, so they may not be emailing everybody who is waitlisted, the email I got had attached the letter they are sending me. If you haven't been bothering them like I have they may just send you the letter without an email, I don't know.

[retiredwaif]

I got an email from the director of the MTS program at Notre Dame, who I'd been corresponding with, and I'm out. Really nice personal email, too. I have no idea why--I actually thought I stood a really good chance of getting in.

I think it's Claremont for me, since I haven't heard anything from Chicago, I'm not really thinking I'll get into Yale, and Claremont was higher on my list than Emory. Despite being happy about Claremont, I'm pretty wrecked over the ND thing. First choice, and all that.

[cheapham]

Hey, retiredwaif, don't fret about ND too much. Their master's program is very small (esp. compared to divinity schools like Harvard/Yale/etc.), making it not only incredibly selective...but the lottery effect (i.e. - randomness) is pretty significant there as well. ND was my first choice as a masters as well a couple years ago, and I was quite devastated when I didn't get accepted. Yet, looking back now I feel like I ended up in a place much better for my academic journey than ND.

Claremont has a tremendous faculty and excellent resources for learning. It's very ideal for a master's as well, in my opinion. Plus, I think you'll like Claremont, CA much better than South Bend.

That said, if you've made some good contacts at ND...keep them up. They may be very valuable in 2-3 years when applying for PhDs.

Congrats on Claremont BTW, best of luck there and in the future.

[boredandtwitchy]

Hey all,

Long time reader, first time poster Anyway, just wanted to say, depending on the outcome of the HDS decisions this coming Sunday, I might be joining you over yonder at Claremont, retiredwaif (I also received my admission e-mail last week). Us MA-ers have to stick together when it comes to the cruel, harsh climate of Cali, yeah? :wink:

Good luck to everyone! I've been following the thread for the past two weeks, and I feel like I've gone through the ups and downs with you all. Maybe I'll even post more than once... Anywho, good luck again to those waiting, and congrats to those who are in!

[retiredwaif]

Thanks to both of you... and boredandtwitchy, I'll send you a PM!

[CamenPete]

Anybody else out there apply to Duke (MTS)?

also, it doesn't seem many people are fretting over an applicaiton to GTU, suggesting that not many of you applied there. Why is that? Do they lack prestige, or faculty resources, or scholarships and such?

[seekingsophia]

CamenPete,

I applied to Duke's MTS program and found out yesterday afternoon via phone that I have been accepted! I did send the admissions department an email asking when they would release the admissions information, which I think is what sparked the phone call. They also said that formal letters would be going out later this week. Hope that helps!

[peppermint.beatnik]

Does anyone know if ad coms/schools are a tad slower this year? While there are exceptions, it seems to be a general trend.

I am not expecting to hear from two programs until mid-late March, but I am wondering if it might be even later this year.

I submitted all of my apps Dec.1, so I've been waiting for what seems like forever.

p.s. I am in reli st., hence the posting in this thread.

[braun_braun]

As Camenpete, I also would like to know your opinions on GTU. I have been admitted for the PhD in New Testament and I really felt from the beginning that they fully match my interests, but I do not know whether they are not enough prestigious enough or have any other kind of problems. Thanks and good luck to all.

[theonerd]

I've seen that several of you have heard from the MTS program at Notre Dame-- has anyone heard from the PhD program yet (I applied in History of Christianity-- focus on Medieval)? I know that phd admissions met last friday, so I'm getting impatient!

[dodgerdogtx]

theonerd:

ND is notifying acceptances, as a coworker of mine got in to their PhD in Theology yesterday. He did his undergrad there before coming to UChicago for an MA, so I think he may have had a 'special' rapport with some faculty there (so maybe he got to know a little early, I'm not sure). I don't know if that helps.

[studyordie]

Nobody seems as concerned about UVa as I do right now, but I will add this for posterity's sake if nothing else since reading through last years posts has been such a help to me. I asked a week or so back if in-state status ever helps at UVa and the answer is yes it does. Not that it would get you in, but it can allow for more flexible (read smaller) funding packages. If nothing comes through this season I'll be in northern VA next year anyway, so this as good of news as I have right now.

Anybody heard from Chicago? If they sent stuff out Friday and Monday as was posted you'd think somebody from the Friday batch would have heard something by now.

[thumbnail72]

I'm with you, studyordie. Given their (maddening) silence, I'm apparently waitlisted at UVA also. And I'm surprised not to have heard from Chicago yet, as well. At this point, though, I've pretty much resigned myself to trying again next year. I can't keep getting my hopes up every time I hear the mailman outside my door. If I get into either school, I'll be pleasantly surprised, but, in the meantime, I've had to force myself to move on emotionally (difficult though that is proving to be). Anyway, best of luck to you. Lord willing, we'll be put out of our misery soon (and hopefully in a good way). Peace.

[samsarictraveler]

Anybody heard from Chicago? If they sent stuff out Friday and Monday as was posted you'd think somebody from the Friday batch would have heard something by now.

One person so far seems to have heard, or at least one person has posted. Its not surprising to me its taking so long... the Hyde Park post office is extraordinarilly disfunctional!

[retiredwaif]

I just got off the phone with Sandy Dowling at Chicago, who said that they were sending the mail out in batches and the last batch went out today.

I can't help but think they'd have sent out acceptances first, though...

[studyordie]

Good luck to you as well thumbnail72, I am oscillating between resignation and absurd bouts of hope. A few days ago it looked as though my best shot was Villanova but it was posted yesterday that they contacted an accepted student on 3 March. Anyone who has ever had to contact them has been either waitlisted or rejected, and I contacted them yesterday so am now awaiting that news. It's beginning to seem as though I should have picked a less drastic username ...

[general_jr]

I just got off the phone with Sandy Dowling at Chicago, who said that they were sending the mail out in batches and the last batch went out today.

I can't help but think they'd have sent out acceptances first, though...

I live in Hyde Park and just got my MA acceptance yesterday, so I'm not sure that they do acceptances first. I wouldn't hit the bottle yet...

[NRMscholar]

I live in Hyde Park and just got my MA acceptance yesterday, so I'm not sure that they do acceptances first. I wouldn't hit the bottle yet...

Thanks for posting that, general_jr. I live in southern Florida, so who knows when mine will arrive, especially since the last batch went out today. I thought I'd at least know before spring break...

Thankfully, I have my thesis to distract me until it arrives.