Donstantine10

@tdwightdavis @Rabbit Run @918Philosophizer thanks for all the advice. Beeson isn't a school I'd looked at but I am definitely interested to find out more about it; from what you said it certainly sounds like a good fit. The most important thing for me is striking that balance between ministry prep and academics. It sounds like Harvard and U of Chicago would be a terrible fit for me, so I appreciate that input. I am definitely looking for a confessional community. I had briefly looked at Emory's Candler but I currently live in Atlanta and I'm not sure i'd like to be here for another 3-4yrs (the traffic is dreadful!). That being said, is it a school you'd recommend? Have you heard much about peoples experience there? Boston College was definitely a school I came across doing my research, but from my understanding it was primarily focussed on a Roman Catholic perspective- is that correct? Maybe I need to go and have another look there too. Thanks again folks; this forum has been REALLY helpful.

Thanks for your reply @918Philosophizer. I am actually encouraged by your comments because it reassures me that my previous application wasn't necessarily lacking; it may just be that funding is extremely difficult to get at Duke. I love the idea of combining teaching and ministry, so I see both of those as great long term options. I definitely want to be stretched academically wherever I go. Do you have any recommendations? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on schools that do generally offer significant funding. From speaking to a PTS student, I believe their program is very well funded- so that is definitely one I am interested in. Do you have any thoughts on Harvard and Chicago div schools? They are two schools that I would like to consider but am hesitant because I've heard they are extremely liberal, and I'm not sure that's necessarily a good fit for me. Of course, it's not all about funding, but it would be nice to know that if I do manage to get accepted, I have a reasonable chance of actually being able to accept. Out of interest, where do you study? Thanks again for taking the time to reply

Hey all, Looking for some advice from Duke Divinity MDiv students. I am planning to apply to the MDiv program this year to start in Fall 2017 and want to make sure I get as great an offer as possible. I applied to Duke a few years ago and got accepted but was only offered the Ministerial Promise Scholarship (33% 1st year, 22% 2nd & 3rd years). As great as that scholarship is, it simply would not provide me with enough tuition assistance to be able to attend. So my question is, what does it take to get high % scholarships? Have you noticed any distinguishing factors in the folks you know with high % scholarships? My first guess was that they may be seeking ordination in the UMC or something along those lines? I realize this question is very difficult to answer, but it's worth a shot. Any insight or advice on my application would be greatly appreciated.

@Marcion thanks for commenting. I guess my first question is similar to what I asked Rabbit Run. Can you see any commonality between the students that have high scholarships? What distinguishes them from the students with lower % scholarships? I'm also interested to hear why you chose Yale. Did you have other offers? I've just recently moved to the US (I am from Scotland and moved here because my wife is American), so I have a lot of learning to do with respect to different schools and their programs. @Rabbit Run About to PM you now- thanks again for your advice on this post.

And yeah, I'm applying for the M.Div.

Thanks for your reply Rabbit Run. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and provide me with some insight. I'm interested that you suggested my chances are likely in the 50% ballpark. I'm curious what makes you say that? And relatively speaking, does that mean you think I have a good chance compared to most or a poor chance compared to most? (Don't worry about telling me a poor chance- honesty is the most helpful input to my cause right now ) I see you attend PTS- that's one of my top picks, so I'd love to ask you a few questions related to that. I actually applied to Duke a few years ago and got accepted but circumstances meant I couldn't attend (Still living in Scotland) and as it turned out, the scholarship offer was 33% which wouldn't have been enough for me to attend anyway. I am wondering if you have any insight on what differentiates the lower % scholarship students from the high (75-100%) scholarship students? There must be some distinguishing factors. Even given the subjective nature of applications, there must be commonality between your peers that have high % scholarships? Also, what made you choose PTS? Did you have a few offers to choose between? Thanks for your feedback on the liberal to conservative spectrum of divinity schools and seminaries. Cheers

Hey all, This is my first post on here so not sure what to expect in terms of response, but any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I am planning to apply to multiple MDiv programs this year for entry in 2017 and would like some feedback on ways in which I can improve my application. To give context, I am applying to Duke, Yale, PTS, Chicago, HTS, Covenant (St Louis), Redeemer (Dallas), TEDS and Gordon-Conwell. I received my undergraduate degree in physics from the University of St Andrews (in my native Scotland). I have received numerous scholarships/awards in physics including a year long ambassadorial position at Georgia Tech. I have significant experience volunteering with charity organization and within the church community. Basically, my question is, how can I make my application standout? Would beginning to learn Greek and Hebrew be a significant advantage? Obviously I'm coming from a rather unusual background and so I hope you'll understand my confusion/uncertainty. Also, of the Divinity schools I've mentioned...could you possibly rank them in terms of how liberal they are (1 being the most liberal, 5 being the most conservative). Thanks in advance!!!