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Perytion

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Everything posted by Perytion

  1. Honestly, I'd be really surprised if they get their announcements out by next week. It's a bigger department with more applications to sift through. But who knows?
  2. So far as I know, Harvard CSR did not conduct interviews. But I have it on good authority that decisions there will be announced next week. Also, for what it's worth, I just moments ago received a generic rejection email from Princeton's dept of religion.
  3. I had a ~20 min interview with a small admissions committee last week via Skype. They told me they would still need a couple weeks before decisions could be finalized. Not sure if this timeline applies to all subfields though.
  4. I think sacklunch is probably totally right about the importance of having a solid foundation in Arabic. As for the superiority of the immersion experience, I might be inclined to differ. The Arabic you're going to need is Modern Standard Arabic (الفصحى), which is considerably different from the dialect you will be exposed to in Jordan. Also, on the streets in Jordan with only the Arabic you learn in a summer program, you will almost certainly be speaking English 99.9% of the time. Of course, the quality of instruction in Jordan will likely be much higher than at a program here in the US, so you might get a little bit further. And the experience of being in the Middle East is totally invaluable. But if you're already planning on studying internationally next summer, then I think the advantages of going to Jordan are not so great. In fact, you will probably get more out of an immersion program if you already have some Arabic under your belt. BTW, I'm going to be doing Islamic studies at HDS next term too! See ya there!
  5. Thank you to everyone who has weighed in on this thread. I knew I'd get some good suggestions. I like the idea of surveying the landscape before I get lost in the wilderness. I think I'm going to start with the Deal + Beal book, and then move onto the Daniel Pals reader and overview. Also, the Asad genealogy looks like fun. Thanks again y'all.
  6. Wow, thanks marXian. That should give me plenty of materiel to occupy my time until I head to Cambridge in August.
  7. I, along with many others here, am looking forward to starting a master's program in study of religion this fall. Over the next few months, I was thinking that I might brush up on some of the literature pertaining to theory and method. My area of focus will be Islamic studies, so the whole Orientalism debate is obviously going to be important. But I'm also interested in more general approaches to the study of religion, or theory and method that is relevant to other fields such as Biblical studies, religions of Late Antiquity, etc. I'm especially interested in an inter-disciplinary perspective, maybe looking at materiel from literary criticism and philosophy. Anyone have any suggestions for further reading? Articles, essays, books I should look into?
  8. I'm in the same position as you, Paraclete. Funding was the deciding factor for me, even though it meant that I gave up an opportunity to work with a professor whose work I greatly admire. But, I too am consoling myself with the thought that I'll be sending an application to my dream school when I'm ready to do my PhD.
  9. I'll also be doing a MTS at HDS starting this Fall. What would a typical weekly schedule look like for a grad student there?
  10. Sadly I won't be able to attend the open house. Buying a plane ticket and hotel just isn't in the cards. I'm glad to know that I won't be the only one from out West. See ya there.
  11. Indeed. I spent seven months of 2012 at AUC in their intensive Arabic program, and it was excellent. I learned a ton. From what I understand, their CASA program is also excellent. However, I should mention that the books they publish and use for teaching Modern Standard Arabic (the Kitab al-Asasi series) are, in my humble opinion, terrible. They would be almost useless to anyone hoping to do self-study, and are whole-heartedly NOT recommended. Just my two cents.
  12. Thanks for compiling this list. This should prove very helpful.
  13. I am basically having the same experience. I often find myself daydreaming about life in Cambridge, and I'm especially looking forward to basking in the intellectual environment at HDS. Others have expressed ambivalence about sharing their excitement with others because of a general lack of understanding with respect to "religious studies." Actually, I've found myself in this position for years now. Having attended a state university in a "progressive" and "enlightened" city like Portland has garnered me a lot of blank stares over the years when I tell people I'm interested in religion. I find that when people aren't openly hostile to religion as such, they are generally indifferent to it. So I think I'm most excited to be in a place where I can engage in constructive and meaningful discussions about a subject that is so deeply meaningful to me. I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone here who will be at HDS next term! On the other hand, I'm starting to freak out a little when I think about the logistics of the whole thing. I'm going to have to pack up my life, leave behind so many of my beloved friends, and drive across the country. By August. AUGUST. That's right around the corner! Then I'm going to have to settle into life in Cambridge. I've never been to New England, and, as a life long West-coaster, its all pretty intimidating. So, I guess my feelings are teetering between excitement and anxiety. An emotional rollercoaster.
  14. Given your screen name, I kind of figured that you were in Islamic studies. That means we'll be classmates! I look forward to meeting you this Fall.
  15. Nice. Have you decided on HDS, or are you still mulling over your options? What's your area of focus?
  16. Congratulations to all who heard/will hear good news from Yale today!
  17. Had Chicago and HDS offered me the same aid package, I would have gone with Chicago. I can't speak to Tibetan Buddhism, but Chicago's Islamic Studies faculty is outstanding--plus they keep taunting me with emails about the amazing conferences and events they have coming up. I agree, the intellectual feel there is very special. Ironically, I almost feel bummed that I'm going to Harvard! lol! Anyway, Chicago'll be hearing from me again in about a year and three-quarters when I do my PhD applications.
  18. I feel ya', Instanoodle. I'm weighing HDS and UChicago. I'm doing Islamic studies with an interest in Shi'ite esoterism and mysticism. Chicago is definitely WAY stronger in that department, but I'll probably end up at Harvard considering that it'll save me about $36,000.
  19. Also, does anyone know if the institutional grant for academic year 2014-15 will be granted during the second year of study as well, or is that not guaranteed?
  20. I'm in at HDS, too! It was the last school I was waiting on, and considering the lovely financial aid package they're offering, it looks like I'll be choosing HDS over Chicago Divinity or Columbia (my other acceptances). Congrats to all who have been admitted. I look forward to meeting some new colleagues in the Fall!
  21. I kind of wish that HDS weren't so specific about when they announce decisions. It makes the wait that much more agonizing! I kind of feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. Except, in this case, the lump of coal is a very real possibility.
  22. Does anyone know any good resources for Persian/Farsi? That will likely be my next language, and I wouldn't mind getting a jump start. Also, how different is modern Farsi from older forms? I don't mean Pahlavi, but if I wanted to ultimately be reading, say, Nasir-e Khosraw, or even Mulla Sadra, would a foundation in modern Farsi be helpful? Or has the language changed dramatically since then?
  23. My HDS application says the same--"submitted". For those who are curious: it seems that last year people started hearing back from HDS on March 13; i.e. the second Wednesday of the month. Now, that in itself means nothing. I'm just sayin'.
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