Confused =/

[imnotcreative]

So my wife got pregnant during my undergrad years and I was not able to complete my bachelors. My original goal was to finish undergrad and then get into some form of religious studies program (mdiv, mts, etc.)  

I decided to once again pursue that goal, but, given the challenges of being a head of household, pursuing an online degree is what makes sense for me right now. 

My question is:

Would an online degree from a conservative school (liberty) in religious studies  hinder my chances of being accepted into a progressive school (hds,yale, bu)? 

Are there any other paths you would recommend for me?

Thanks a bunch guys.

[xypathos]

There was a student at Vanderbilt that did his BA in Religion online from APU (American Public University) and was accepted into VDS (M.Div) with 75% funding. Anecdotal but it seems that at least at second tier schools, it's not too much of a hindrance.

[theophany]

I would just make sure that the online degree is from an accredited, non-profit institution. If the degree isn't accredited, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Also, you might think about contacting admissions folks at schools you're thinking about applying to and getting their takes. Additionally, if you're in Boston (as your location says), Harvard Extension might be worth considering rather than a purely online degree.

[Averroes MD]

On 2/28/2016 at 0:49 PM, imnotcreative said:

My question is:

Would an online degree from a conservative school (liberty) in religious studies  hinder my chances of being accepted into a progressive school (hds,yale, bu)? 

Yes, I think it would hinder your chances.

[sacklunch]

Spin it to your advantage. Many of the top divinity schools in this country love the 'rags to riches' (conservative to liberal) story. If you have an interesting story to tell (in your SOP), you stand as good a chance as anyone else with your stats (GPA, GRE, and so on). 

[imnotcreative]

On 2/28/2016 at 4:02 PM, theophany said:

I would just make sure that the online degree is from an accredited, non-profit institution. If the degree isn't accredited, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Also, you might think about contacting admissions folks at schools you're thinking about applying to and getting their takes. Additionally, if you're in Boston (as your location says), Harvard Extension might be worth considering rather than a purely online degree.

It definitely is regionally accredited. I actually did look at harvard extension, but my work schedule is too insane to commit to night classes. I'm at a place where it just has to be online.

[AEscalante1]

20 hours ago, sacklunch said:

Spin it to your advantage. Many of the top divinity schools in this country love the 'rags to riches' (conservative to liberal) story. If you have an interesting story to tell (in your SOP), you stand as good a chance as anyone else with your stats (GPA, GRE, and so on). 

@imnotcreative

I can speak from experience on this one (as anecdotal as it might be): my undergraduate education was not regionally accredited (just nationally, ABHE), however, I was able to perform exceptionally and got admitted into "top-tier" graduate programs, and subsequently admitted into a few "top tier" PhD programs. This is of course not standard scenario, but I would suggest that Liberty, while seemingly unhelpful, is not detrimental to your chances of furthering your graduate education.

My advice is as above: 1) do your undergraduate program and do it well, 2) take things like the GRE seriously, 3) network with your professors (they presumably came from programs you might be considering yourself), 4) contact the universities you are considering for your graduate degree and ask them questions about their relationship with universities like Liberty and 5) take your academic interests seriously (attend conferences, write proposals for conferences, etc). There is no way to emphasize #3 and #5 enough; if you are just one application among the hundreds to your program, you are generally less likely to stand out--even with an exception GPA and GRE score (see https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/06/new-book-reveals-how-elite-phd-admissions-committees-review-candidates). Meaning, be a face to the programs and people you want to be with, but even more so, be someone they can begin to see as a junior scholar and as someone they can mentor.

I hope some of this helps.

[axiomness]

 I think the "rags to riches/'fundie' to progressive" move that was suggested above is a great route to take, as others have said. Academics eat that up, especially in the US where many scholars/students (myself included) have similar backgrounds.

EDIT: Unless you personally still wish to identify as a 'non-progressive', of course. You definitely don't want to lie, but I think you could spin this motif even if you do consider yourself more generally 'non-progressive'. 

 

Edited March 2, 2016 by axiomness

[dr. t]

4 hours ago, imnotcreative said:

It definitely is regionally accredited. I actually did look at harvard extension, but my work schedule is too insane to commit to night classes. I'm at a place where it just has to be online.

I would wait, then, and work on getting a schedule that would allow you to attend. The quality of the education you will receive and the connections to faculty you can cultivate are more than worth the delay. Remember, how you go about this matters at least as much - if not more - than simply getting it done.

I'm an alum of both the Extension School (ALB) and the Divinity School (MTS), and I'm currently in a PhD at another Ivy. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk specifics.

[Laodiceans]

3 hours ago, AEscalante1 said:

@imnotcreative

I can speak from experience on this one (as anecdotal as it might be): my undergraduate education was not regionally accredited (just nationally, ABHE), however, I was able to perform exceptionally and got admitted into "top-tier" graduate programs, and subsequently admitted into a few "top tier" PhD programs. This is of course not standard scenario, but I would suggest that Liberty, while seemingly unhelpful, is not detrimental to your chances of furthering your graduate education.

My advice is as above: 1) do your undergraduate program and do it well, 2) take things like the GRE seriously, 3) network with your professors (they presumably came from programs you might be considering yourself), 4) contact the universities you are considering for your graduate degree and ask them questions about their relationship with universities like Liberty and 5) take your academic interests seriously (attend conferences, write proposals for conferences, etc). There is no way to emphasize #3 and #5 enough; if you are just one application among the hundreds to your program, you are generally less likely to stand out--even with an exception GPA and GRE score (see https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/06/new-book-reveals-how-elite-phd-admissions-committees-review-candidates). Meaning, be a face to the programs and people you want to be with, but even more so, be someone they can begin to see as a junior scholar and as someone they can mentor.

I hope some of this helps.

I am also an anecdotal witness to this kind of thing happening, but I wouldn't suggest this as a route to take for anyone. I did my undergrad at a small bible college that is still in the process of ABHE accreditation to this day (and I graduated in '09). I couldn't get into pretty much any M* programs because of it, but I ended up getting into an evangelical seminary and did a whole year there (4.0) to prove to the other seminary I wanted to go to (that had big name faculty in my field) that I could do actually do good work. And now I have just been admitted into Duke's NT PhD program. Talk about a rags to riches story. BUT! This was stressful as hell. I wouldn't risk it. Yes, Liberty is accredited, but, especially as of late, it has such a repulsive reputation among the kinds of people you eventually want to associate with, that I wouldn't risk it. I would take @telkanuru's advice. Also, if you can't swing it now (a move/an on campus work load), why do you think you'll be able to do all that for your M* degree(s)?

Edited March 2, 2016 by Laodiceans

[Samahito]

Echoing @Laodiceans' advice above, I would steer clear of Liberty if you wish to pursue graduate education at a top-tier program. Surely there are better-regarded online undergraduate programs in religious studies/theology? Also, as you identified in your original post, Liberty's "conservative" politics are going to be quite a bit different than the "liberalism" of top theology programs in the US. Unless you can turn that into a compelling narrative, I would think that you'd be doing yourself a disservice by pursuing undergraduate training that will almost certainly be at ideological odds with the kind you aspire to undergo in graduate study. 

What makes you want to want to attend Liberty, specifically, in the first place? I would strongly suggest looking at a wider variety of online programs. ASU, for instance, has an online-only Religious Studies BA program (http://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/undergraduate/bachelor-arts-religious-studies).

My .02

Edited March 2, 2016 by Samahito
I can't grammar in the morning.

[drivingthoughts]

@imnotcreative Similar to folk above, I think the key is just working your ass off in whatever program you get into, and spinning your background as well as you can. I completed my undergrad before taking about 10 years off, but my undergrad was a train wreck - my GPA in the first year was 1.01, I had no business being in college and graduated with a 2.5. Definitely a hindrance. BUT, I got into a mid-level M.Div program on "provisional" status and crushed it, studied hard for the GRE, and earned my professors' respect; from there I got into a fully-funded ThM program (rare) and also did well. I start a fully-funded PhD program next year. Again, just go for what is going to work best for you and your family and do really well at it. It's numbers and your writing that get you in the door, your SOP and letters of rec that get you the interview, where you come from is less important. Look at some top schools' phd candidates, some of them really came from No-Where-U. Best wishes.

[imnotcreative]

On 3/2/2016 at 9:38 AM, axiomness said:

 I think the "rags to riches/'fundie' to progressive" move that was suggested above is a great route to take, as others have said. Academics eat that up, especially in the US where many scholars/students (myself included) have similar backgrounds.

EDIT: Unless you personally still wish to identify as a 'non-progressive', of course. You definitely don't want to lie, but I think you could spin this motif even if you do consider yourself more generally 'non-progressive'. 

 

That's great to know. I still am not sure where on the spectrum I fit. I'm from a conservative background, but have been flirting with the evil-liberals for quite sometime now. I wouldn't mind going to an evangelical seminary like Gordon-Conwell, but it would be awesome to be at an environment where I would have the freedom to explore and to interact with different traditions.

 

[imnotcreative]

On 3/2/2016 at 11:53 AM, telkanuru said:

I would wait, then, and work on getting a schedule that would allow you to attend. The quality of the education you will receive and the connections to faculty you can cultivate are more than worth the delay. Remember, how you go about this matters at least as much - if not more - than simply getting it done.

I'm an alum of both the Extension School (ALB) and the Divinity School (MTS), and I'm currently in a PhD at another Ivy. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk specifics.

That is awesome. You took the path that I have been strongly considering. I will definitely keep in touch. 

[imnotcreative]

Just to update you guys, I decided going the extension school route. 

I'll try to keep you guys updated as I move along.

thanks a bunch for all the helpful info 

[inprogress]

On 3/2/2016 at 3:33 PM, drivingthoughts said:

@drivingthoughts I got into a fully-funded ThM program

I was just reading this thread since it got bumped. If you don't mind me asking, where did you do your ThM? I've heard that funded ThMs exist, but I've never been able to find one.

Edited October 31, 2016 by inprogress

[menge]

FWIW, Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI advertises a couple (I think up to 5?) funded ThM's every year.