PhD applications for 2013-2014 chit chat...

[crackthesky]

Has anyone else wait listed at Chicago's Div School received an e-mail with the link that allows you to accept or reject wait list status?

 

I received my initial e-mail from Chicago exactly one week ago and I was told that I would receive an email within a week to confirm or deny my place on the wait list but I haven't received anything yet. 

 

I don't want to bother them with an e-mail....I'm just curious as to what is going on or if anyone else has heard!

[LisaTO]

Anyone heard anything about BU's PhD program? 

[CUGradStudent]

Anyone heard back from Columbia?

[hbot2013]

Interesting. Like I said, I was waitlisted and then rejected later in March. Would suck if that happened again.

 

 

are you guys talking about Emory??

[religiousstudiesscholar]

Anyone heard back from Columbia?

I've been wondering the same thing. 

[NTstudent]

Don't know if the question has already been posed: Anybody submitting abstracts for this year's aar/sbl meeting? 

I am submitting. I did last year as well.

[newenglandshawn]

I am submitting. I did last year as well.

 

So does a person have a higher chance of getting accepted into a PhD program, or having a proposal accepted for SBL? 

[sogdia]

Don't know if the question has already been posed:

Anybody submitting abstracts for this year's aar/sbl meeting? 

 

I've submitted to SBL's BAMM (Bible in Ancient and Modern Media) section. Would be fun to see some of you in Baltimore next fall!

[Troppman]

Sweet. I presented last year, which was a blast. Still not sure if I'll be submitting abstracts or even attending this year...

[goodbye I]

So does a person have a higher chance of getting accepted into a PhD program, or having a proposal accepted for SBL? 

 

I've wondered what weight presentations in professional meetings have on admittance/how much committees factor these into decisions. Before this application cycle, I had high hopes that they would be heavily weighed. I'm beginning to think they may not be incredibly significant. I had two proposals accepted to the national meeting last year and two at regional meetings in the last two years. I've received one acceptance and one rejection (with another presumed rejection). It'd be interesting to hear from those who have been accepted to high profile programs how many presentations they've given at these kinds of meetings.

 

(Caveat: I recognize that all applications are about the candidate as a whole--presentations certainly wouldn't make or break an applicat, but they certainly couldn't hurt!)

[Troppman]

I've wondered what weight presentations in professional meetings have on admittance/how much committees factor these into decisions. Before this application cycle, I had high hopes that they would be heavily weighed. I'm beginning to think they may not be incredibly significant. I had two proposals accepted to the national meeting last year and two at regional meetings in the last two years. I've received one acceptance and one rejection (with another presumed rejection). It'd be interesting to hear from those who have been accepted to high profile programs how many presentations they've given at these kinds of meetings.

 

(Caveat: I recognize that all applications are about the candidate as a whole--presentations certainly wouldn't make or break an applicat, but they certainly couldn't hurt!)

 

I presented at the AAR, and several other smaller venues. I also published a handful of pieces in scholarly journals--all while enrolled in a terminal MA program. I didn't apply to any "high profile" religious studies programs, mostly because my project wouldn't fit in any of them. I did, however, receive a great offer from my top choice program (which is completely divorced from religious studies/theology). I'll be taking this offer and largely bidding farewell to the field. I think that it is most important to shake hands at the AAR/SBL; this is perhaps more important than presenting. That said, I met some great people from presenting and got tons of excellent feedback/support. 

Edit: I intend for this post to be supportive and encouraging. I know plenty of Ivy League PhD bound Religious Studies/Theology students with naked CV's. Good luck to all :-).

Edited February 22, 2013 by StephanieDelacour

[la sarar]

So does a person have a higher chance of getting accepted into a PhD program, or having a proposal accepted for SBL? 

 

I'd go with the SBL. They are at least lenient with first time presenters...

[NTstudent]

So does a person have a higher chance of getting accepted into a PhD program, or having a proposal accepted for SBL? 

I would say that it certainly can't hurt to have a presentation mark on one's CV. In fact, I think it is a very good barometer of one's ability to produce original research and an awareness of cutting-edge research in the field. For those reasons I wish it was weighed more heavily, but I don't think it makes or breaks an application. What would be great, but more difficult to orchestrate, is to get your POI at your presentation. I had a couple of POIs who were interested in my presentation last year but because of the size of the convention center were not able to make it, or at least that's what they told me. I actually thought one was sitting in the audience, but then it turned out to be someone else. From my limited perspective I'm seeing more and more applicants to PhD programs with an article published or a regional meeting presentation. I think annual meeting presenations are more rare just because you're competing with minted PhDs, but I could be wrong. Anyone else want to weigh in here?

[NTstudent]

So does a person have a higher chance of getting accepted into a PhD program, or having a proposal accepted for SBL? 

I clearly misunderstood the question. I think it's easier to get an abstract into SBL than accepted to a top-tier PhD program, but neither is easy.

[sacklunch]

I have spent quite a bit of time looking at doctoral student CV's on academia.edu to get a sense for a competitive application. And honestly it seems like the vast majority of folks did not present (at least not at any AAR/SBL conference) before entering their programs. I wouldn't worry about it too much, though as someone said above, it certainly will not hurt you. Though I have heard from scattered sources throughout the years that certain schools almost prefer a naked CV, since they want to more or less mold you in their own way. Having a ton of presentations might make you seem a bit too focused (though I admit this seems a bit unrealistic).

 

best

[Qaus-gabri]

The SBL annual meeting *generally* doesn't accept papers from MA/MDiv students; and it often requires full drafts of papers from PhD students and first-time presenters, too. Regional meetings are much more lenient. I would say that there will be many more MA/MDiv students who get accepted into top-tier PhD programs than were there MA/MDiv students who presented in Chicago.

[goodbye I]

The SBL annual meeting *generally* doesn't accept papers from MA/MDiv students; and it often requires full drafts of papers from PhD students and first-time presenters, too. Regional meetings are much more lenient. I would say that there will be many more MA/MDiv students who get accepted into top-tier PhD programs than were there MA/MDiv students who presented in Chicago.

 

It may be that more MA/MDiv students apply to top-tier programs than submit SBL/AAR proposals. This is probably due to the aforementioned requirement that first-time presenters submit a full draft of the paper to be read. Either you have to write a paper that fits a given section's call for papers, or you have to have already written a paper that fits the call well. The number of students accepted to top-tier programs may be higher than those that present at the national meeting, but I would think the percentage of success would be higher among those who submit proposals. Getting a paper accepted isn't a cake walk, but I know several MA/MDiv students who've had success with their proposals. 

[AbrasaxEos]

I'd say keep those presenting jets cool until you hit the PhD program.  I think that a lot of people see it as a way to notch up their belt for a nice full CV when they apply, but I often find that presentations by M* students end up being more or less created for this end.  I also think (and know from sitting on two) that committees often see presentations that are done as a M* as just this.  Plus, if you haven't actually published your work that you presented in some kind of peer-reviewed journal, I hardly think that they are going to think too much of your new reading of Galatians 2.  This is probably a little bit harsh, but my advisor told me the same thing as I sat with him wringing my hands over not having done enough presentations.  So, if you can pull off a sweet presentation that was subsequently published, maybe it would help - but, take a look through these boards (historically) and note the huffy comments along the lines of "Hmph, I guess 2 [garbage] articles in a peer-reviewed [sectarian theological] journal, 5 [garbage] presentations at SBL and NAPS...isn't good enough for school X!"  They are right.  Those aren't good enough, you also have to be an innovative thinker, who is excited as hell about her or his subject, can communicate that through the written medium, and is going to probably change the field with their amazing dissertation. 

 

On an unrelated note - for LisaTO, if you are asking about the PhD through DRTS @ BU, they notify on the late side.  I think I heard (2 years ago) around the first week of March.

Edited February 22, 2013 by AbrasaxEos

[Troppman]

Three of us from my ma program presented in Chicago last year. It's far from impossible

[NTstudent]

The SBL annual meeting *generally* doesn't accept papers from MA/MDiv students; and it often requires full drafts of papers from PhD students and first-time presenters, too. Regional meetings are much more lenient. I would say that there will be many more MA/MDiv students who get accepted into top-tier PhD programs than were there MA/MDiv students who presented in Chicago.

The SBL annual meeting requires all first time presenters, regardless of their status as masters or PhD students to submit their entire manuscript. Last year I submitted a chapter from my thesis.It got accepted because it happened to be a good fit. But, as near as I can tell I won't have to submit my entire paper again because I have already presented there. As a side note, one of the papers presented in the session I was in was so astonishingly bad, I couldn't believe that anyone would give the guy a PhD. Also, as most people know, SBL papers are a very mixed bag. Some are really fantastic, some are sleepers and others are so bad that you sit there wondering if the presenter is joking. I think requiring first time presenters to provide their full manuscript is designed to prevent this sort of thing.

[Troppman]

Good scholarship is good scholarship. :-)

[crackthesky]

Not sure how many others are waiting on Yale, but I just received an email from them so if you haven't heard back you probably will soon! (My application was rejected...which was no real surprise.) I applied to the Religious ethics program.

 

Congrats to those of you who were accepted!

[sogdia]

I would say that it certainly can't hurt to have a presentation mark on one's CV. In fact, I think it is a very good barometer of one's ability to produce original research and an awareness of cutting-edge research in the field. For those reasons I wish it was weighed more heavily, but I don't think it makes or breaks an application. What would be great, but more difficult to orchestrate, is to get your POI at your presentation. I had a couple of POIs who were interested in my presentation last year but because of the size of the convention center were not able to make it, or at least that's what they told me. I actually thought one was sitting in the audience, but then it turned out to be someone else. From my limited perspective I'm seeing more and more applicants to PhD programs with an article published or a regional meeting presentation. I think annual meeting presenations are more rare just because you're competing with minted PhDs, but I could be wrong. Anyone else want to weigh in here?

 

I think NTStudent is more or less right. I might only add that even better than an SBL/AAR presentation is publication in a top-notch peer-reviewed journal. I got a piece in NovT, and I think this was the single most important item in my application. I'd encourage people to try that route first.

Edited February 22, 2013 by sogdia

[religiousstudiesscholar]

Not sure how many others are waiting on Yale, but I just received an email from them so if you haven't heard back you probably will soon! (My application was rejected...which was no real surprise.) I applied to the Religious ethics program.

 

Congrats to those of you who were accepted!

 

crackthesky, did you receive an interview? 

[crackthesky]

crackthesky, did you receive an interview? 

 

Nope. I haven't talked to anyone else in the Religious Ethics concentration that has, either. But I'm pretty sure Yale requires all of its departments to interview PhD applicants. I thought I heard that somewhere, anyway.