PhD Applications Fall '18 Season

[Sanskriti Prakriti]

I too just received my "I regret to inform you" letter from Harvard Religion. I have an acceptance from Virginia, though, and I'm still holding out hope for others!

[Epaphroditus]

Duke (GPR) decisions are out. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted.

[hyperborean]

Anyone have a word from CUA? There have been a couple post rejection for systematic and historical theologies, can anyone claim an acceptance?

[Averroes MD]

1 hour ago, Hopeless_Academic said:

Duke (GPR) decisions are out. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted.

That's strange. I didn't get an email nor any update when I log in... ?

[Fontanabush]

8 hours ago, xypathos said:

Sorry to hear that @Fontanabush. If it’s of any use there are several ThM and similar programs at top schools still taking apps. Faculty notified me today at BC that they haven’t exhausted all of their full ride scholarships for STM and don’t anticipate doing so as of yet.

Thank you @xypathos actually I am doing that this year. Will have to do a little retrenching. Thanks again

[Epaphroditus]

21 minutes ago, Averroes MD said:

That's strange. I didn't get an email nor any update when I log in... ?

Try quitting your browser and logging in again. I got an automated email from the admissions office today that my status had been updated.

[Shmandy]

2 hours ago, Hopeless_Academic said:

Duke (GPR) decisions are out. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted.

I also didn't receive anything from Duke GPR today. No email, nor any update on my application status. They have been particularly slow with their decisions it seems, what with interviews being two weeks ago apparently.

[EarlyXianity]

Nothing from Duke for me either. I suspect that means I’m lower than “waitlist” on the hierarchy. 

Edited February 22, 2018 by EarlyXianity

[Averroes MD]

Got the Duke rejection letter!

[Shmandy]

Woke up to an email from Duke GPR saying there was a decision on my application. Logged in to see "Decision Not Ready," which is incredibly confusing and frustrating.

 

Edit: Logged out, then back in and found a rejection letter waiting there for me. It's what I had anticipated.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Shmandy

[qwerty123]

Does anyone have any insight as to how the waitlist at Harvard works? (Is it ranked? How "short" is the short roster?, etc.) Anyone else also stranded in limbo?

[Almaqah Thwn]

I got the Duke email today, albeit previously I had emailed them and told them to withdraw my application a little more than a week ago. Had to still make a new account to log in and check the letter, in the off chance that they had waitlisted me and I was blocking someone else's spot to enter. Did anyone else have to create a new account to check their decision? That was really weird. 

[Averroes MD]

4 minutes ago, Almaqah Thwn said:

I got the Duke email today, albeit previously I had emailed them and told them to withdraw my application a little more than a week ago. Had to still make a new account to log in and check the letter, in the off chance that they had waitlisted me and I was blocking someone else's spot to enter. Did anyone else have to create a new account to check their decision? That was really weird. 

Yeah, it was a lot of work to get a rejection letter. 

[Almaqah Thwn]

3 minutes ago, Averroes MD said:

Yeah, it was a lot of work to get a rejection letter. 

But hey, at least we know they're putting that $85 application fee to good use by upgrading their website!

[EarlyXianity]

I know it’s a lot to ask a school to coordinate such things, but can we agree that it’s bad form to send a rejection letter, an annual fund email, and make an annual fund call on the same day? ? #enjoytheapplicationfee

[Almaqah Thwn]

1 hour ago, EarlyXianity said:

I know it’s a lot to ask a school to coordinate such things, but can we agree that it’s bad form to send a rejection letter, an annual fund email, and make an annual fund call on the same day? ? #enjoytheapplicationfee

I mean, they shouldn't take any more money before sending word on your application because then it looks like they're asking for bribes. And if they accept you and then ask for money, it looks like they're asking for a bribe for grades. But hey, if they reject you, there are no moral quandaries preventing them from asking for more of your money. So why not have at it?

[KA.DINGER.RA]

Good luck to Notre Dame interviewees this weekend. Y'all are going to crush it. 

[bijou2017]

Curious if anyone has any thoughts on when I could expect to receive funding info. Is that something that's typically discussed at a recruitment weekend? Should I expect it in another email? If the latter, how long after admittance does it typically take to come out?

Thanks in advance, this is all very new to me and I appreciate any input!

[xypathos]

Depends on the school. Some notify you of funding with acceptance and some send funding notifications 2+ weeks later.

Generally funding is pretty standard from year to year, plus a small increase for Cost of Living.

[sd_waco]

Especially as a multiple wait-lister (but also just in general) I'm curious how those of you with multiple offers are going about making those decisions and what kind of time frame you've given yourselves to do so. I know it's typically 60ish days or else a given date in April before you have to give answers, but I assume that you're just as ready to have concrete plans for the future as I am.

- Are you giving yourself a self-imposed deadline?

- Putting off terrifying decisions until the 11th hour?

- Giving yourself time and space to be able to make an objective decision?'

- Do you have any problematically short deadlines to accept/reject certain offers?

[KA.DINGER.RA]

53 minutes ago, sd_waco said:

Especially as a multiple wait-lister (but also just in general) I'm curious how those of you with multiple offers are going about making those decisions and what kind of time frame you've given yourselves to do so. I know it's typically 60ish days or else a given date in April before you have to give answers, but I assume that you're just as ready to have concrete plans for the future as I am.

- Are you giving yourself a self-imposed deadline?

- Putting off terrifying decisions until the 11th hour?

- Giving yourself time and space to be able to make an objective decision?'

- Do you have any problematically short deadlines to accept/reject certain offers?

I'm mostly just waiting to hear back from everywhere. If it gets to a late point, I'll just pull the trigger.

[just_a_history_guy]

Does anyone know anything about when Vanderbilt will be sending out acceptances? I interviewed on their visit day 3 weeks ago and saw today that some people received rejections over the weekend (I still haven't heard anything). Just wondering if anyone here's been admitted to the Graduate Department of Religion so far.

Edited February 26, 2018 by HaxMeidelberger

[just_a_history_guy]

Welp just got home and checked the mail and got an answer to my own question. Got a letter informing me that I’m “an alternate” for Vanderbilt.

[xypathos]

2 hours ago, sd_waco said:

Especially as a multiple wait-lister (but also just in general) I'm curious how those of you with multiple offers are going about making those decisions and what kind of time frame you've given yourselves to do so. I know it's typically 60ish days or else a given date in April before you have to give answers, but I assume that you're just as ready to have concrete plans for the future as I am.

- Are you giving yourself a self-imposed deadline?

- Putting off terrifying decisions until the 11th hour?

- Giving yourself time and space to be able to make an objective decision?'

- Do you have any problematically short deadlines to accept/reject certain offers?

I'm handling round two of doc apps like I also did the first and my Masters:

When I have two offers on the table I decide which of the two is a better option (finances, quality of life, etc) and then turn down one - single elimination style. I follow this approach because I also want to be sympathetic to the person that is waitlisted and could use my spot if I'd rather be at a different school.

All of my schools have given me until April 15th at 5 PM EST to decide so no worries there.

[Sanskriti Prakriti]

Still haven't heard from Indiana. What about anyone else? A colleague of mine was accepted to their "Religion, Textuality, and Cultural Imagination" track, but he hasn't posted it in the Results Search.