11Q13

How should I interpret the requirement? It is 6 pages...with completely normal margins, fonts, spacing etc, it's just copiously over the parenthetical word limit for some reason. Does the fact that it's in parenthesis mean I don't really need to worry about it? I condensed the same essay to 5 pages for a different university, they require 5 page max with no word limit, and that has a word count of 1,800 words which is still well over 1500! Thoughts?

the GRE is a standardized test of a different breed...there really arent any others like it that i know of. its also fairly unpredictable... on the math section i outscored about 80% of students applying to grad school for engineering degrees when i could barely manage a C in high school math. on the verbal section i scored only in the 55th percentile when i typically run laps around colleagues in anything vocab based. the verbal section is virtually unstudyable, while the math section is very much so. the chances of anyone getting into a top phd program are slim, to distinguish yourself most are looking for a good publication record, relevant experience, strong recommendations, and most of all a good "fit" with the interests of the faculty.

can you elaborate on that..? When i visit i could give them the witty come back you though of the moment you left

I'm taking a 3 day layover in NYC on my way home to LA in mid-December, I'll be visiting Yale and Harvard if I can. Harvard seemed a lot less accommodating about popping in for a visit that wasn't in one of the designated "student visit days/weeks," but this will be my only chance. Anyone have experience visiting Harvard on their own like this? I'm applying to 4 other schools but visits just don't seem possible with my budget.

Is it a no-no to start a thread where we give each other feedback on our Statements of Purpose/Letters of Intent? Obviously it would be risky to post them in the thread body because of plagiarism but is it a problem via PM? I just feel like the different schools sometimes ask for vastly different essays and, for me at least, what makes sense in my brain could have stopped translating onto the paper a half dozen pages ago. I need fresh eyes, and while I love my girlfriend dearly, she is no academic. It would also be especially useful since there are people already in the programs that either lurk or post here. If anyone is applying to the same schools and programs is interested, post!

I've only finished undergrad so not very much: 3 years of Greek formally, but I've kept up with it I live in the Middle East, so I've been exposed to Hebrew and Arabic for about a year... I can read Hebrew pretty ok, and speak some Arabic. I wish I knew how to add this to a resume/application... Honestly, "Modern Standard Arabic" is going to be the easiest way for you to learn to read theological texts because the expertise required to read theological texts in Arabic practically requires fluency, and you aren't going to get that through studying a book on classical Arabic. Even if you spent a lot of time in the Middle East immersing yourself, the vocabulary across the Middle East is vastly different, and more than 50% different than the Koran. So basically you would have to pick up Modern Standard to get close to fluency with a grammar somewhat resembling classical, and then invest a ton in learning Ancient vocab. Then of course you'll have to work in transcribed Arabic rather than calligraphy, because even Arabs can't read the calligraphy half the time. Don't even get me started on pronouncing some of the letters. Overall quite a difficult language... If you're very serious about learning it you should check out the Kelsey school in Jordan, its supposedly the best for English speakers to learn, and it's run by missionaries http://kelseyarabicprogram.org/

I found this: http://www.divinity.duke.edu/docs/studentservices/0809brochure.pdf it includes two scholarships for the MTS which arent on the main page, though one is only a 1 student scholarship. I'm actually considering applying to the MDiv instead now because of the funding... The reasons I'm applying to MTS' is because I already have a lot of religious studies and ministry background and don't want to do all the intro classes.

thanks guys, MTS it is

update: I sent out a BCC email to the admission@____university at all the schools I'm applying and so far it's 1 send the transcript, 1 I don't need to send the transcript, and one person that appeared confused they received the email... it may seem like im making a big deal out of chump change but I'm applying to 6 grad schools, and counting this JC, attended 4 colleges. Assuming all these transcripts will be so cheap that's 6x4x4 = $96 in transcripts!!! never mind that I have the GRE and apps for $50+ a pop!

I took a class at a community college when I was a senior in high school. Are grad schools going to care about receiving a transcript for it? As it is I'm applying to 7 universities and went to 3 colleges altogether not including this one so I'm hoping they won't care.

Here are the facts: I have a bad GRE score (480V 720Q 5A) I have extensive undergraduate background in Biblical Studies and religion (double major in Biblical Studies, Youth Ministry, minor in Koine Greek, GPA 3.72) I plan to go on to PhD in the field The MA in the Department of Religion requires the GRE score and forces me to choose a concentration, but will have me on a better trajectory toward the PhD The MTS in the Divinity School does not require the GRE, but has 6 courses worth of introduction to the field (I may be able to opt-out of them) I would rather be admitted to the MA program, but I would rather be admitted than rejected obviously. Which should I apply to? The reason I need help quick is because I asked a couple profs if they would write me references yesterday, and said I could send them links to the forms right away. Normally it takes them like a week to get back to me, but they both responded within a couple hours! I need to send them a link to one or the other soon!

yikes that's pretty bad, and it looks like all the scholarships are for MDiv. Am I reading that right?

May I ask why Claremont is so high up on the choices? I haven't attended, but I did visit them 2 years ago when I first looked into MA programs, one of my references did his MA and PhD in HB there, and another instructor with which I'm well acquainted is finishing his PhD in NT now. Everything I have heard was that Claremont has been having major internal problems in recent years, though I don't know the details. I know there have been people here that have gone to Claremont so maybe they can respond, I could probably give you the email of the instructor finishing his PhD there now if you wanted to approach him about the program.

Thanks for the kind words, my score was 480v 720q unfortunately. if I was Paul the Apostle himself I doubt they would get to my statement of purpose to discover it before throwing my app in the trash because of the GRE score. The whole point of the thing is be a first filter.

OMG, I can't believe that... there go my chances of getting in. I only had a 1200 GRE score, but the rest of my application would have been great. I've been scouring their website religiously (pun intended) and they must have only just added this. how could they change this so late in the game? I know this is completely new, but any idea what the GRE expectations would be for admittance to the MTS?

I'm from California so I've been looking to apply to 1 program not far from home since all the rest are on the East Coast. The other programs I'm applying to are either religious (Duke, Notre Dame, etc) or semi-religious/have lots of denominational support for pastoral care on campus (Harvard, Yale) but these California schools are completely secular the program design looks to be the same. 1. How would the experience be different at these UC's from the aforementioned schools? 2. How would the program/course work itself be different? 3. What are the admission standards for these schools? They both require GRE, which I didnt do well on 480v 720m 5essay. 3.7 GPA with a double major and minor all in related fields, tons of related extra-curriculars.

I'm thinking it may be worth it to apply to both MTS/MAR and MDiv programs at the very top schools, namely Harvard and Yale. I've been planning to apply to the MTS/MAR programs, but from what I hear it's easier to get into the MDiv. Is this true? Would the universities look negatively upon an applicant applying to both programs? Would it seem like I don't know which I want? Another aspect I'm considering, how is funding for MDiv's compared to an MTS/MAR? If an MDiv will almost certainly receive little funding it wouldn't be worth the effort for me.

I've been told dozens of times how important networking is (in my field, Religion, I'm assuming it's the same for all humanities), but I was never offered a course in how to do it successfully, well, or without embarrassing career ruining failure for that matter... I'm not completely socially awkward, but I'm certainly not the life of the party. How do I network? How do you? My specific scenario is that I graduated last year, and am in fairly regular contact with my references, but how do I get people I haven't met, in the programs I want to get into, onto my side?

Thanks for the reply. I am not applying to MDiv programs, and here's why (maybe you can tell me if these are valid reasons): like i said in my first post, my ultimate goal is teaching at the university level:

I had no idea a place like this existed, don't know how active it is, but if there's anyone out there I'd really appreciate some help. I tried to be as thorough as possible... I'm in the middle of getting my apps, recs, etc ready to apply for Fall '10 MTS/MAR/etc programs. I graduated last year (Spr '08) with a double-major in Biblical Studies, Youth Ministries, and a Minor in Biblical Greek from from a pretty mediocre private university. GPA: cum laude 3.72 Past Experience: Taught a high school Sunday school for a year was a church volunteer for three years (formally an intern for 1) more or less directing the Youth Ministry, preaching, events; administering sacraments; on campus student leadership for two years which involved giving a few presentations on religious issues. I was volunteering about 30 hours per week in addition to a part-time job, and a full course load. Present Experience: see below RECs: Three Bible profs: one well known as an academic reference, one not well known as an academic reference, one well know as a personal reference; my senior pastor; the Vice President/Dean of Students for my university GRE: my score was 480 verbal, 720 quantitative and a 4.5 analytical. Needless to say, I walked out of the room with a big WTF; I outscored the majority of engineering grad students at math (something I'm dreadful at), and scored only average on something I think I'm quite good at. I know this isn't perhaps as big like it is in undergrad but I'm hoping my story and present work will be a hook: For a substantial portion of my undergraduate career I was in some state of homelessness, and dangerously malnourished. The last two years of my undergrad when this was no longer the case my GPA was pretty steady at about 3.9 and the contrast is marked, would it be awkward to mention this or use it as an excuse? Presently I'm doing somewhat dangerous yet groundbreaking work in the Middle East. Based in Jerusalem I am working for a Christian group which brings Muslim children from Gaza, West Bank, and Iraq who need heart surgeries, along with their parents, to Israel to receive heart surgery from Israeli doctors. I'm at the Gaza border typically no less than 3 times a week and have built strong personal bonds with conservative Muslims from Gaza and Iraq, and am directly involved in breaking down walls and saving lives in some very dramatic ways. I have some pretty dramatic stories. My Goal for the MTS: these two points I fully intent to develop for some of my research goal/interests which are emotional expression in the Bible for which I believe if I could reach the level of 'scholar' I would be able to make some meaningful contributions. I am also very interested in the correlated topics of Poetical and Wisdom Literature, especially in the Bible but the broader Ancient Near East as well, such as the divine human relationship as expressed in poetry, wisdom sayings of Jesus, etc. My Ultimate Goal: I have a few ultimate goals, when I really probe my motivations for studying religion, my beliefs, and my desire to continue, it is because I