11Q13

I'll save you the trouble. There is next to nothing. If you were doing an MDiv you would have some scholarship opportunities, or if you are a woman or a minority in particular because they deserve more scholarships for some reason. What you ought to do is simple apply to the programs with good or at least not bad funding. For example, Vanderbilt's standard offer is something like 70%, and with the low cost of living in Nashville, you wouldnt break the bank.

If there's one thing I wish people would have told me earlier on was how important languages were at this level. My experience is that having those languages will prove very beneficial for your application, sell them. I would also tell you to go ahead and take the GRE if you have the money and are interested in Harvard Divinity, even if it's just to wing it. It's only a formality, and I got in with a very low GRE.

As a current Harvard Divinity student I have to say, Harvard doesn't give a damn about your GRE as far as I can tell. I mean, I really bombed it, yet here I am. I know Chicago has a bit of an unwritten minimum however.

I'm making this thread because I have a specific question, but maybe others would like to use it to talk about their book questions as well. I'm taking the beginner biblical Hebrew summer intensive at Harvard, and while it would seem that language courses would be pretty black and white about required books I have a question regarding the lexicon. I figured you guys would be the ones to ask. The syllabus calls for: Brown, Francis, et al. The Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English lexicon: with an appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic: Coded with the Numbering System from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. 7th ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. I understand that this is the pretty standard (cheap) Hebrew lexicon but I was wondering if this is the required text because there is no expectation to continue study in Hebrew, rather than because it's the best. I was told that The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) is much better and up to date, though the price tag is quite incredible. So my question is, should I just bite the bullet now and buy the HALOT? Will I need Brown, Driver, Briggs if I do buy the HALOT? I plan to continue for at least another year's worth of Hebrew, and I am interested especially in late Second Temple, when the DSS entries only present in the HALOT would be especially handy, and likewise in the other ancient Semitic cultures like Ugarit which the HALOT would be better for. What do most students do? Would it be better to just use a library copy of HALOT and save my money? How much should I expect to pay for the whole thing used? Also how many volumes are there, each website seems to list a different number, 2, 3, 5...

well, I kind of chuckled at the title if that gives you any idea...lol Yeah, it seems the primary purpose of the degree is to go on to a PhD. I know lots of people with degrees like it who havent gone on to PhDs however and they seem to mostly be involved in NGOs, but of course that could be because I work in NGO circles.

based on what I've seen 1 depends on if your focus is OT or NT, if its NT they might prefer Latin and Greek to Hebrew. The modern languages vary somewhat but a lot will expect either German or French by matriculation, typically with the other by the time you finish 2 at the top schools yes, as far as I can see 3 at the phd level, definitely

I'm going to Harvard Divinity school starting in June from the Middle East and I'm wondering what you guys would recommend in terms of getting a room since I basically have to move in sight unseen (or at least only photos). Should I be looking at summer sublets and month to month places so I can find a new place when the Fall semester comes around when I'll actually be there to see it in person, or will rents spike in price around September as opposed to now? My budget is tight ($600 including utilities), and since Harvard Divinity School is on the north end of campus I've been looking in Somerville pretty much exclusively, does this sound right?

Just to update everyone. I was offered some money from my family at the last minute specifically to go to Harvard which made the price basically equal, so that's where I'm going! I really wasn't expecting it since I paid/borrowed my own way through undergrad, so I guess I can't hold this against them anymore.

What about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness...?

I have 40k in debt from undergrad If I got to my number 1 choice for my Master's I'll have 50k more....no clue about the PhD yet. I will almost definitely be going into a qualifying field, either as a professor (yes it counts), or working for an NGO. I will also use income based repayment to make sure the payments aren't too high once I finish. So why shouldn't I take out all the loans I need and just count on this program?

It would be best to call them to find out. Are you putting all your eggs in the Duke basket? Because their funding for the MTS is very poor.

I did the math, while 70% to Vanderbilt and 50% to Harvard are pretty much the same dollar figure, Vanderbilt offered more work-study money, the tuition is 5,000 less, and its about 5,000 less to live in Nashville...it works out to Vanderbilt costing 22260 in loans for the degree, and Harvard costing 50,946 in loans for the degree. So more than double for Harvard, but again, will it matter with the public service loan forgiveness thing... I've only really talked to the student representatives at Harvard who seem to pretty much stick to the script, believe me, I've tried to get them to be candid. I have sent a couple messages to posters here but that's it.

Here's the situation, I got into Harvard Divinity School MTS program with a 50% scholarship, I got into Vanderbilt Divinity School MTS with a 70% scholarship My background: I have about 40k in debt right now from undergrad I work in the Middle East doing social justice and interreligious dialog work, I make virtually no money I want to teach at a Christian university after getting a PhD...or if I become disenchanted with academia, I'd probably come back here to the Middle East to work with some kind of NGO again. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of these I want to go to Harvard more because: I'll be in the Jewish studies concentration under Jon Levenson, a guy I'd really like to work with, wheras I don't really know anyone from Vandy It's pluralistic environment is more conducive to the line of work I may go into if I don't go on to a PhD It's Harvard, and if I decide not to do a PhD in Biblical Studies, the name alone will open doors for me elsewhere Boston seems like a nicer place to live than Nashville I could constantly brag about going to Harvard I'd rather go to Vanderbilt because: It seems like the program is specifically geared toward getting you into a PhD which, right now anyway, is my goal It would be far cheaper, like $20,000 debt for the degree versus like $60,000 I could get a condo for the price of a room in Boston It's Christian only (pretty much) environment is more conducive to edifying my personal faith Here is another variable, this new Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program thing. My debt will be canceled after 10 years of being a professor (even adjunct), or working with an NGO. http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/PSLF_QAs_final_02%2012%2010.pdf Am I missing something or is this, combined with income based repayment, an easy out, and essentially make the amount of loans I take out completely inconsequential? Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

from what they sent me: tuition 18k health fee 2k activities/recreation fee 400 books 1k rent and utilities 8.4k food 3.6k personal 1.8k parking 260 grand total ~35k

It would be Biblical Studies. I'm a Christian. Jon Levenson, the chair of the Jewish studies program, has crafted a very interesting niche where he combines historical critical scholarship with interfaith dialog. I really want to get in on that. I’ve been working in Israel/Palestine for the last couple years with a couple charities which are specifically catered toward interfaith dialog. I am also a Bible nerd and consume copious amounts of the most useless esoteric Biblical Studies journal material. Finding a way to do what he does, and well, would give me some purpose, hopefully set me up for a PhD, and also make me better at my job here...I also figured there would be less competition for the Jewish Studies concentration.

I could do my Master's with minimal loans. But like someone else mentioned, I don't really know that much about the specific Divinity School profs. I know that they are good at getting students placed in PhD programs, and that because of some undergrad courses I can waive some introductory stuff. Harvard, the guy that would be my adviser is basically the guy id want to study under more than anything, and HDS has a multi-faith dynamic which is good for the work I'm doing now. But I only got 50% scholarship, which means including living expenses I'd have to come up with somewhere in the neighborhood of 60k just to do the degree... I'm racking my brain day and night about this

I got my info a long time ago, at least 2 or 3 weeks ago. There were a bunch of extra forms that you have to fill out for other types of aid, which I was shocked to hear about because they aren't anywhere on the website. It ended up not mattering because I didn't qualify for need-based grants (which was shocking to me because I literally made 0 income last year). The loan package was pretty standard, but the work study was either 7,500 or 9,000 I forget which, pretty high from what I've seen.

Yeah I got the financial aid package last week about this time, and it was the abysmal offer I expected. A grant of only a few thousand dollars and the rest loans. I honestly don't know who would accept their standard offer, I applied knowing I was basically aiming for one of their full Petry full ride scholarships.

All the people I know who have studied/learned it haven't done so just to read so I can't comment with certainty on that. I just can't imagine how somebody could get beyond page one of an Arabic learning book without assistance. Perhaps you could find some free tutorials online somewhere to get you started. Like I said, once you have a basic grasp, self study would be possible. It's probably also worth mentioning since when you say you want to learn it to read I assume you want to read modern Arabic material, the diversity of vocabulary from Modern Standard Arabic to the various dialects you would be reading could be as much as 60%. But yeah, see what the language board people have to say, I haven't studied Arabic as an academic language.

double post

I live in Palestine and think the answer would depend on what you mean by self study. If you mean getting a book and trying to learn it by yourself, no I don't think it's possible. Assuming you're a native English speaker, the Arabic language has about 5 letters/sounds that will be completely foreign for your mouth to make, making getting going practically impossible without assistance, and probably another 10 that will confuse you. If you mean self study as in hiring a private tutor, I think that would be the ideal way to do it. You won't be getting Modern Standard since that really isn't a language, but imo that's the simplest and easiest way to go. You could also do a combination of the two, hire a private tutor until you learn the basics of the Arabic language and then go with books on Modern Standard from there.

Harvard would definitely be the place for comparative religions, since it has programs in all the major world religions, Yale on the other hand is a fairly traditional model of a Christian seminary. If the music aspect is important to you then Yale definitely has the advantage there. I would think they would both be about equal in terms of "religion and literature" if by that you mean the Bible and the writings of theologians.

congrats! I'm so jealous of all you guys with full funding offers!

Here's Vanderbilt's for the PhD in Hebrew Bible http://www.vanderbilt.edu/divinity/HB%20QE%20reading%20lists%20-%200606.pdf

Anyone have any input on my questions before I make a complete ass of myself? I'm requesting more funding, do you guys think it's bad form to name the other schools I got into and funding offers (Vandys I'm hoping should basically be a full ride after need-based grant)? Attending really wont be feasible unless I get more so there is a lot riding on it. Who should I email my funding request to? The dean, the financial aid department, both?