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.

Check out the Results page and you will get an idea as to when offers come out for your program and school.

I have received notification from the Assistant Dean of Students the charge is an accounting error. The $615 insurance premiums are included in the package and I will receive my fully stipend of $20K!

I thought this was a simple thing to understand but it seems I was mistaken. When I received my offer it stated "PhD admission comes with a 5 year funding package: full tuition, $20,000 stipend, healthcare insurance premiums, and 2 summer stipends of $3,000." I took this to mean that the school would be paying the insurance premiums of $618/quarter? Wrong! I just received my stipend check and insurance is taken out of the $20K - does this sound right or do you think the accounting people made an error. The funding has been changed from previous years! Thanks

I don't mean to be rude but don't you think you could locate the information you're requesting? View the university websites and check it out for yourself!

Demondeac, What I learned from a successful admission last cycle - don't give up and try to stay calm once the application submissions are complete. Keep in mind that for the most part the entire process is a crap shoot and even though you may have outstanding creditials you could be rejected. Be sure to read through the posts from last years application process - you'll find it to be very interesting. Good luck and keep posting!

jafarius87 - I may have quoted incorrect admission statistics. I just looked back and last year UChicago admitted 19 MDiv students - the previous year was 16 MDiv students. I know that this year funding was an issue and I believe that will be a concern next year too. However, I wouldn't let that dissuade you from applying assuming you retake the GRE or submit the numbers you currently have.

Your GRE scores are not horrible. The Q is higher than mine and I'm sure you could retake and up your verbal and writing numbers; especially now that you know what to expect. If you're interested in UChi get your application materials together, write a really strong SOP and send it in - I never thought I would be accepted into the Master's program and I was, didn't think I'd get into the PhD program and I did!

The GRE can be scary but it's not as horrible as you might think. I found the math section to be the hardest and with some studying and tutoring help I managed to get through it. The vocab and writing were actually easier than I thought and I didn't study more than a few hours for the vocab section. UChicago is outside of the downtown area - it's in Hyde Park and it's nothing more than a regular neighborhood with some sketchy areas that you learn to stay away from. Getting to downtown isn't difficult but I find that I only venture into the city for specific reasons and not to just hang out - but that's me and I'm sure others will have a different opinion. Remember, graduate school is difficult and pretty much a crap shoot so the more places you apply the better your chances of being accepted.

I can't speak directly to the MDiv degree but I attend UChicago Divinity. I know that the competition to be accepted is fierce and that they receive many more applicants than they can accept. This year the MDiv area accepted 4 students out of 150+. Although there isn't a cut-off for GRE you need to score at least 1200 (perhaps MDiv don't need GRE?) and have great LORs. Have you tried contacting the admissions department with your questions - they're usually very helpful; especially at this time of year!

I'm just finishing up my master's at UChicago so life has been hectic. Graduation is in 10 days and finals are next week. Luckily I only have one - YAY! I'm staying put for my PhD which makes life easier and I'm really looking forward to a relaxing summer. I'll be looking for a new apartment, heading home for a visit and basically just doing some reading and catching up on sleep