Philmajor

I completely agree with Samsarictraveler. Your GPA is somewhat low but not necessarily too low depending on the reason. You definately need an SOP that will catch the eye of someone and decent GRE scores. Your letters are also important though mine were from a state school in Mass. Getting accepted into an MA program isn't as difficult as the PhD programs but getting into a strong program that will enhance your chances of being accepted into a strong PhD program is crazy hard. Good luck!

I was accepted off a waitlist last year on May 1st! Don't give up yet.

I just completed my taxes and I don't owe on either state or Federal! YIPPEEEE

Hey Caro, I currently attend Divinity school - what questions can I answer for you?

On 1040-EZ do I enter the amount of my stipend (used for living expenses only) on line 1 as income even though I don't have a W-2? Without a W-2 (only a 1098-T) won't this be confusing to the IRS people - should I indicate it's a 1098-T?

To those of you waiting to hear from Chicago Divinity - last year they begain to notify applicants on March 13 and ending around March 15. They also had a wait list last year which, from what I've been told, was unusual.

Do I need to pay taxes on my entire stipend? If the amount that I actually receive in a check is used for books, school supplies, rent, etc. how does one figure out what amount is taxable?

Excellent news Rollofthedice! I am sure you are overwhelmed with relief - go celebrate!

I attended U of H as an undergrad for 2 semesters and really loved it. The island and weather is beautiful except during the rainy season. Be prepared for everything to be expensive - especially housing. Apartments are very difficult to find and they are much smaller than I was used to. You may also find that food is expensive and some items are hard to get. The culture was so different for me - I'm from the East Coast and thus the slower pace drove me crazy! The school itself was lacking in funding so as an undergrad class rooms and dorms were not very well kept. Let me know if you have any other questions! BTW - CONGRATULATIONS

Jafarius87 - A person by the name of KooKoo in the 2009 Applications Religion folder is an MA student at Harvard. Try posting you questions to him in that category - bet you'll get the information you're looking for. Where else did you apply?

Retiredwaif, I think that your creditials are very good and you should stand a good chance. Your GPA will be considered based on the university you attend and the GRE scores seem fine. Keep in mind that the Divinity School receives 100's of applications each year and that the entire process of getting into any school is somewhat of a crap shot. As a current student at the Divinity School I'd love to know what your interests are and who the "name" is you'd like to work with. Good luck and try to stay calm!

For me, I found the more acceptances I got the more I wanted Perhaps it's some sort of validation that all the years of hard work and the effort of writing applications was appreciated. I also was crushed when I received rejections even though I had acceptances - so be prepared.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! Were you accepted at a school you're truly interested in attending? Did they provide any financial aid information? If you're still waiting on other acceptance letters, just sit tight. I don't see any reason to contact the school - what would you say if you did. Thanks for the acceptance, I'll let you know?

How long ago were the letters mailed? Keep in mind that the mail is pouring into grad school offices and not everything gets opened immediately. Give the office workers a little time to sort through everything and give them a call back in a week or so.

Interesting questions and I can only speak to what I've done. My undergrad degree was in philosophy from a state school (not well known for philosophy). I received my AM from UChicago Divinity and I am now working towards my PhD. I was behind during my first year at the Divinity School since I had no religion background except for the little I got from readings I had done on my own.