How Strong Do You Think This App Might Be?

[AmoDman]

I sent my GRE scores to Notre Dame Theology, Saint Louis Uni Theology, Vanderbilt Divinity, and U of I Religious Studies (sort of a fall back 'something' nearby me).

Degree: BA in Philosophy w/Religious Studies & Bus Admin Minors

GPA: 3.81 (Magna Cum Laude at my Uni)

Academic Honors: President of Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy Honors Society), Dean's List Most Semesters, 1 Paper published in an undergrad Phi journal we put together in my department.

GRE: V 162 (90%), Quant 150 (53% - I know, heh), AW 4.5 (72%).

I did not have a good GRE test day, so I was somewhat disappointed with those scores. Still, does anyone have any idea how competitive such an application might be at the sorts of schools I listed?

Also, my undergrad transcript has a pretty embarrassing sophomore year of basically W'ing everything as my younger, uncertain self wasted time and money before taking a break from college and coming back a year later to do what I wanted more seriously. Any idea how much the older grades on a transcript is considered vs the ending?

Thanks for any thoughts!

Peace, Amos.

[sacklunch]

Your grades and GRE scores are fine, even good. If it helps, I know several people who applied to SLU with 3.8+ GPA's and did not receive really any funding. From what I understand it is fairly common for master students to receive no aid (I have a lot of friends who went to SLU UG).

best

[Sparky]

Your grades and GRE scores are fine, even good. If it helps, I know several people who applied to SLU with 3.8+ GPA's and did not receive really any funding. From what I understand it is fairly common for master students to receive no aid (I have a lot of friends who went to SLU UG).

best

They don't fund everyone, no, at least not first semester. I know multiple MA students who got funding at SLU, tuition remission plus either full or half stipend. What subfield are you aiming at? They are, I suspect, more likely to fund HT people due to that being the PhD program focus. A couple of PhD people I know started there with no funding, and the department was able to obtain it for them by the second semester, so there's that, too. The dept does control funding, it's not linked solely to GRE scores, so if your writing sample is really great you might be in luck. But you'd most likely get in, regardless.

If you are looking to stay in the Midwest, what about UChicago or one of the seminaries there? (Also Marquette, but Marquette is horrible for funding, and rude about it to boot). If money is more of an issue than geography, I was offered a relatively decent aid package as an MA applicant at the GTU (California), so you could look into that. Otherwise you can look through older threads to get an idea of what schools offer M* students funding.

[sacklunch]

Good to hear, Sparky. One of my roommates (who also went to SLU UG) got into their MA program with no funding. It was odd since she got into HDS, BC, ect, all with full funding offers. Perhaps things change year to year?

I was also offered a very generous funding package from GTU. Not only do they seem to give good funding, but their tuition is much cheaper than the other schools listed.

[AmoDman]

If you are looking to stay in the Midwest, what about UChicago or one of the seminaries there? (Also Marquette, but Marquette is horrible for funding, and rude about it to boot). If money is more of an issue than geography, I was offered a relatively decent aid package as an MA applicant at the GTU (California), so you could look into that. Otherwise you can look through older threads to get an idea of what schools offer M* students funding.

I was going to start nearby and move outward with my application interest (due to regional attachments)... but, yes, the notorious lack of funding at Chicago schools is why I didn't initially list any of them on my GRE exam to send scores to. I bet my brother in San Fran would be happy if I applied to GTU, though. Heh.

I'm also not yet sold on a PhD path. I really just wanted to dig in at the Master's level and see what I wanted to do from there (informally speaking here online, of course). I'm sort of one foot in and foot out with academia. I'd really like to study systematic theology and church history (as well as the general intersection of philosophy/religion). And as much as I like the idea of teaching, I simply know from research and word of mouth that academia is an extraordinarily difficult 'career' to get into these days. I'm also not actually Catholic (despite the Catholic schools). My other foot is in practically working with my church (MDiv not specifically necessary), though my professional experience is really in banking/loan processing. Exciting stuff, I know.