Chances of getting in??

[mks114]

I'm thinking about applying to some MTS and/or PhD programs but I'm wondering what my chances are:

Undergrad: UCLA (BS Biology) GPA 3.0

Grad: Talbot School of Theology (MA, New Testament) GPA 3.91

GRE: I haven't taken it yet, but from my friends that have taken it, I doubt I will get anything below 1400 (this is not to sound cocky, I'm just familiar with standardized tests)

I'm wondering if I need to do another masters or do you think my chances of getting into any top-tier NT departments in the US are good?

[11Q13]

I'm thinking about applying to some MTS and/or PhD programs but I'm wondering what my chances are:

Undergrad: UCLA (BS Biology) GPA 3.0

Grad: Talbot School of Theology (MA, New Testament) GPA 3.91

GRE: I haven't taken it yet, but from my friends that have taken it, I doubt I will get anything below 1400 (this is not to sound cocky, I'm just familiar with standardized tests)

I'm wondering if I need to do another masters or do you think my chances of getting into any top-tier NT departments in the US are good?

the GRE is a standardized test of a different breed...there really arent any others like it that i know of. its also fairly unpredictable... on the math section i outscored about 80% of students applying to grad school for engineering degrees when i could barely manage a C in high school math. on the verbal section i scored only in the 55th percentile when i typically run laps around colleagues in anything vocab based. the verbal section is virtually unstudyable, while the math section is very much so.

the chances of anyone getting into a top phd program are slim, to distinguish yourself most are looking for a good publication record, relevant experience, strong recommendations, and most of all a good "fit" with the interests of the faculty.

[4minutemile]

I'm thinking about applying to some MTS and/or PhD programs but I'm wondering what my chances are:

Undergrad: UCLA (BS Biology) GPA 3.0

Grad: Talbot School of Theology (MA, New Testament) GPA 3.91

GRE: I haven't taken it yet, but from my friends that have taken it, I doubt I will get anything below 1400 (this is not to sound cocky, I'm just familiar with standardized tests)

I'm wondering if I need to do another masters or do you think my chances of getting into any top-tier NT departments in the US are good?

You'd probably be best served by getting a MTS from a top school before applying for Ph.D. - that is, if your goal is a top department. I really hate to be discouraging, but, as your application now stands, even with a very high GRE, I think a top tier Ph.D. slot is a stretch. The questions, of course, become the old ones: (1) do you consider top-tier to simply be the top-5 US News and World mainstays or do you consider top-tier to be based on factors more specific to you and (2) how badly do you want to get a Ph.D. and whether this top-tier status is a deal-breaker. If so, I'd suggest, quite frankly, aiming higher than a 1400. That all said, I'd say your chances at a top MTS program are very strong and, especially if you beat a 1400, I'd feel confident that you'd receive a good deal of funding.

Good luck!