Jack Horner

This. Go west, young man! You'll have a much easier time finding an opening without any teaching experience. There are relatively fewer graduate theology programs in California (Bay Area excluded, of course), so those degrees tend to stand out a bit more.

The New Testament faculty at Emory is incredible. Probably the finest in the country. Overall, Duke's program might be better, but for New Testament studies, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place to study than Emory. Luke Timothy Johnson is the MAN. Carl Holladay and David Peterson are also excellent. Never been affiliated with either program/school, so this is as objective as it gets. That said, you can't go wrong with Duke either. It just happens to be that Emory is in a class of its own when it comes to NT/Scripture studies.

You can't go wrong with Vanderbilt. Congratulations!

In terms of quality of scholars teaching in the program, they're equal. Vanderbilt probably has an edge in the number and diversity of classes offered each semester, since I'd imagine that they have more biblical studies/NT students at the school. Of course, Boston College allows you to take classes at the Dept of Theology and the STM, and also has the BTI at its disposal, so it's really not fair to look exclusively at the course offerings of the STM. In terms of which school has a better reputation for Scripture/NT, I really can't say. You said that your professors advised you that Vanderbilt has a stronger program. I'd imagine that reputation probably depends a lot on who you've worked with, and what type of work you've done. If you've studied closely with Amy-Jill Levine while you're at Vanderbilt, that's going to look really good when you're applying to PhD programs. Likewise, if you've studied closely with Dan Harrington or Pheme Perkins while you're at BC, that's also going to look really good when you're applying to PhD programs. It all comes down to your personal preference and money. Good luck!

You can't go wrong with either school. They're especially close if the religious orientation of the school isn't a major factor. Nashville will definitely be boatloads cheaper than Boston in terms of COL and rent. Just curious, why aren't you considering Emory? They have one of the best NT programs in the country.

I'd imagine that it totally depends on what you're looking for. Both Vanderbilt and Boston College are top flight programs. I'll be attending BC in the fall, and one of the things that really excites me about the school is its focus on creating an intentional Catholic community alongside of its quality academic program. Personally, I can't imagine studying theology outside of a religious context. If that's important to you, it's something that BC has in spades. There are a couple of pretty significant NT scholars working at Boston College (Dan Harrington and Pheme Perkins) and it's also the place where New Testament Abstracts is edited. Additionally (as you already stated), you have all of the resources of the BTI at your disposal. I'd also want to make sure that--as a masters student--you're able to get the kind of attention that you need and deserve from your professors. Are they able to dedicate the time to work with you, or are they busy focusing on doctoral candidates? Basically, you'll be able to receive a fine education in whatever program you choose to involve yourself. In the end, it comes down to fit. Does the culture at one school suit your needs (academic, personal and spiritual) better than the other?

I'm sending each of my LoR writers a hand-written note and a framed print with a quick note on the back of the frame. Make it personal, and your professors will love it.

You could start by asking the Cafe about their opinions...

Congratulations! I've only heard great things. I'll be attending the STM in the fall. If you don't mind me asking, what was your fuding offer?

I, too, am interested in hearing more about this subject. Languages have never really been my thing...I've had limited success in all of my attempts to learn another language. When I was a UG, I took 2 semesters of Latin, and I'm still proficient enough that I'd be very comfortable taking a Latin class at the graduate level. Still, I'm going to have to take either French or German, and I'm a little nervous about jumping into a brand new language right away. Eventually, I'd love to learn either Hebrew or Greek. Truth be told, I'm 100x more excited to learn the ancient languages. Still, I think I might like to take a class over the summer. Has anyone done this? Anyone tried Pimsleur?

Fair enough...do what you love. We just want to make sure that people are making educated decisions and not unknowingly mortgaging their future.

The absolute maximum for me would be $40k. My personal situation is that I'm getting an MA because I want to continue teaching high school, and the M* degree results in an immediate $5-7k annual salary increase and a higher annual step increase. Therefore, a $40k degree would (hopefully) pay for itself within 5-10 years and would begin paying dividends immediately after that (a long time, yes, but not unmanageable). Still, ideally I'd love to keep my total debt below $30k, although I just don't know how feasible that will be.

I'd love to pick your brain about the program at Boston College and what it's like to live in Boston, as I'm going to accept their offer tomorrow.

Tuition without any scholarship/fellowship is $39k. Yes, I realize that the majority of applicants who are accepted are accepted with 50% tuition reduction. Still, that's $20k/year in tuition alone. For comparison, tuition at Boston College (another private university in a big city) is $14-15k/year before any fellowships. So we have a starting point of $20k + rent (minimum of $8k/year) + living expenses (minimum of $5k/year) + medical insurance ($1k/year) + books and supplies ($1-1.5k/year). Before you know it, that's $35k/year after they've shaved off $20k of tuition! That's insanity. I wasn't aware of the quarter registration requirements. Still, it's absolutely insane that tuition and fees are anything over $15k/year, especially when you factor in the living expenses of a big city. It shocks me that people even *consider* UChicago without a full tuition grant. Do your future self a favor, and find a cheaper program. The last thing you want to end up doing is teaching high school with $50-70k in student debt and only a Masters degree to show for it. You can find a program of equal caliber that will set you up just as well for future PhD studies without mortgaging your future like you would have to if you went to UChicago.

Not going to Harvard (didn't apply), but I'll be in Boston during that week checking out Boston College.