PhD Applications Fall '17 Season

[SG_SC]

Things just keep getting better. Duke Divinity just sent me an email saying that I could view the admissions decision online- but the link is not working. Fan. damn. tastic 

[seung]

1 hour ago, axiomness said:

Ah, no that's not quite it. It makes more sense than that. I received the nomination for the Phil Religion track but the department picked an/some alternative person(s) for their "interdisciplinary" slot. They pool the less popular areas together for x amount of offers, and they didn't pick me/Phil Religion at the departmental level. Still very upsetting, though. Especially since it, apparently (acc. to my POI there) makes me less likely to get in this time around.  

That's horrible axiomness. The most irritating of rejections is that which is completely out of your hands. Thanks of the clarification, and good luck!

Edited February 10, 2017 by seung

[Adonalsium]

4 hours ago, SG_SC said:

Things just keep getting better. Duke Divinity just sent me an email saying that I could view the admissions decision online- but the link is not working. Fan. damn. tastic 

Make sure you use the appropriate portal. There were two different links to two different portals in that email: one for current Duke students and one for others.

[menge]

Woke up this AM to an e-mail from Northwestern telling me to check the portal. I already knew it was a rejection since I didn't get an interview. I'm more pissed that it came on a weekend. Is nothing sacred?

[Marcion]

39 minutes ago, menge said:

Woke up this AM to an e-mail from Northwestern telling me to check the portal. I already knew it was a rejection since I didn't get an interview. I'm more pissed that it came on a weekend. Is nothing sacred?

Sorry to hear that.

[Frontline]

On 2/7/2017 at 11:00 PM, Abdelazar said:

I heard back from Harvard NELC around the end of February last year. But if you are waitlisted, sometimes you may not hear that you are on the wait list until March.

Nice, congrats Abdelazar! Who was there to interview?

[Frontline]

On 2/8/2017 at 2:03 PM, turktheman said:

They likely met in January to work the application pile into a short list. It would make sense, timing-wise, that they would finalize their picks the 13th. NELC also has a publicly accessible calendar with a department meeting listed for the day after, on the 14th. I doubt anyone will hear anything next week. The week after would make sense.

Hey! Where did you find the info on NELC department meeting? I can't seem to find it in the calendar http://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/calendar-nelc

[turktheman]

1 hour ago, Frontline said:

Hey! Where did you find the info on NELC department meeting? I can't seem to find it in the calendar http://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/calendar-nelc

Interesting. When I had looked (back in January) the meeting was scheduled for the 14th of February. Maybe it was moved to another date because of Valentine's day. If you look to the left of the calendar under "Upcoming Events," it still shows up there: http://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/event/NELC_faculty

[seung]

Anyone applied to Yale? Hear anything back yet?

[Epaphroditus]

14 minutes ago, seung said:

Anyone applied to Yale? Hear anything back yet?

What subfield are you? I know the NT applicants were invited to interview a few weeks ago. I think someone mentioned that a few pages back on this post. Not sure about other fields.

[Frontline]

1 hour ago, turktheman said:

Interesting. When I had looked (back in January) the meeting was scheduled for the 14th of February. Maybe it was moved to another date because of Valentine's day. If you look to the left of the calendar under "Upcoming Events," it still shows up there: http://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/event/NELC_faculty

Ha, those lovebirds! But you're right - it is in the Events thread! I guess it's fair to assume it will take place on the 14th. Still the question remains: When can we expect to hear back from them?

[menge]

28 minutes ago, seung said:

Anyone applied to Yale? Hear anything back yet?

Besides NT, seems like they don't release decisions until the last week of Feb. historically. 

[seung]

4 minutes ago, menge said:

Besides NT, seems like they don't release decisions until the last week of Feb. historically. 

I'm in theology. So NT decisions were already sent out, huh?

[menge]

5 minutes ago, seung said:

I'm in theology. So NT decisions were already sent out, huh?

No idea, only know of interviews for NT. 

[Marcion]

44 minutes ago, seung said:

I'm in theology. So NT decisions were already sent out, huh?

No idea. 

[turktheman]

51 minutes ago, seung said:

I'm in theology. So NT decisions were already sent out, huh?

I don't think so. I'm sure decisions have been made, but notifications won't go out until Arts and Sciences work through the nominations. That could possibly already have happened and something could come out next week, but much more likely announcements will be made after next week (week of the 20th). There are some departments under Arts and Sciences that have reached out to those who have been accepted like certain fields in history (not historic fields within Religious Studies)

Edited February 11, 2017 by turktheman
Clarification

[seung]

6 minutes ago, turktheman said:

I don't think so. I'm sure decisions have been made, but notifications won't go out until Arts and Sciences work through the nominations. That could possibly already have happened and something could come out next week, but much more likely announcements will be made after next week (week of the 20th). There some departments under Arts and Sciences that have reached out to those who have been accepted like certain fields in history. 

turktheman, you the man. Last question, I promise. Do you know what the GSAS "works through"? And do you know (for Yale specifically; I know it's different for every school) how frequently the GSAS rejects applicants whom the department has recommended?

[menge]

7 minutes ago, turktheman said:

I don't think so. I'm sure decisions have been made, but notifications won't go out until Arts and Sciences work through the nominations. That could possibly already have happened and something could come out next week, but much more likely announcements will be made after next week (week of the 20th). There are some departments under Arts and Sciences that have reached out to those who have been accepted like certain fields in history (not historic fields within Religious Studies)

Thanks for that edit! I want to continue to believe I have a shot! 

[turktheman]

20 minutes ago, seung said:

turktheman, you the man. Last question, I promise. Do you know what the GSAS "works through"? And do you know (for Yale specifically; I know it's different for every school) how frequently the GSAS rejects applicants whom the department has recommended?

I'm not 100% sure how it works, which is why I was ambiguous above.  My understanding is that the department of religious studies works through applications according to subfield. Some subfields do interviews (not sure who all does/doesn't). Full professors are given nominating privileges. Not every professor will exercise his/her privilege. Those nominations from all subfields are sent to GSAS. GSAS determines how many spots religious studies will get and ranks the nominations sent to them (the ranking system is the grand mystery). Let's say they offer 10 spots to religious studies, but 15 people are nominated: the top 10 will get offers. The other 5 will be waitlisted. Let's say you are Ancient Christianity and get waitlisted while another candidate gets accepted into AC. If he/she turns it down, you don't necessarily get the vacant spot. It goes to number 11 on the ranking who might be NT, Judaic Studies, or some other field that tends to have more nominations than Ancient Christianity or the like. So to answer your question, people get nominated without getting offers every year. It all depends on how many are nominated and how many spots overall are allocated to the religious studies from GSAS.

Edited February 11, 2017 by turktheman
Grammar

[alephbet]

Anyone else get an offer from Emory? First acceptance and it feels pretty freaking good!

[menge]

14 minutes ago, alephbet said:

Anyone else get an offer from Emory? First acceptance and it feels pretty freaking good!

Congrats! 

[Marcion]

Does anyone know when Vandy sends out anything...? 

[Abdelazar]

5 hours ago, Frontline said:

Nice, congrats Abdelazar! Who was there to interview?

I was on the waist list for Harvard NELC (Hebrew Bible) 2 years ago and I was notified that I was on the wait list around the beginning or middle March, I think. Last year I got an outright rejection from Harvard and the notification on the website was posted in the last week of February. Harvard NELC does not conduct interviews.

Just a friendly reminder that, as multiple professors from these programs have told me, "it's a craps shoot." And another told me that sometimes even professors aren't full aware of or in control of how admissions committees make decisions. Neither of these things are fun to hear, but at least it helps me to not take rejections so personally.

[xypathos]

52 minutes ago, Marcion said:

Does anyone know when Vandy sends out anything...? 

If memory serves correct, and the results page seems to suggest, Vandy notifies the last week of February. 

EDIT: I believe Vanderbilt is only accepting one Historical Studies student this round and it'll be someone in Reformation, so that means it'll go to Paul Lim for "deciding" who gets it. I don't know if that's specifically the tract you applied for but given your sig, I assumed so. Sometimes they'll take a second student in the field if funding permits but that's sporadic.

Edited February 11, 2017 by xypathos

[seung]

On 11/19/2016 at 2:51 AM, brentthewalrus said:

Just waiting on two of my profs to get in my LOR, and my apps will be set to process.

Have a m.div in systematic theology and did my undergraduate degree in history, 3.7 and 3.3 gpas respectively. Currently finishing a Th.M at Calvin Theological Seminary, and as of now I have a 3.9 gpa, although I still have to write a six credit thesis next semester.

Took the GRE twice and got 160/150/4.5 and 158/148/6. Not sure if the schools I am applying accept composite scores but at any rate I sent them both.

Applying to St. Louis University, Trinity Divinity School, and Baylor University.

This is my first go round with the app process: let's see if I can swing something.

 

Your higher GPA at your ThM will help you. Most schools inform you on their admissions page of their methodology in accepting GRE scores.  You, and everyone else anxiously waiting, have nothing else to do now except wait. It is out of our hands. Good luck!