Nicholas B

I didn't mean can we use that amount, but should I? I guess I was thinking that a PhD applicant might have more they need to cover than a M* applicant, and that a M* applicant might have the danger of saying too much. But, I guess if they didn't specifically mention something like that, I will enjoy using the full word-count.

On the application, it says no more than 2500 words, which is about 5-pages single spaced. However, this limit is for both M* and PhD applicants. I figure a PhD personal statement would naturally be on the longer end. How long is appropriate for a MA candidate? I was thinking somewhere between 2-3 pages single spaced, approx. 1500 word. Was just seeing if someone here had experience with this!

No, I'm not opposed, although I don't know much about such opportunities. What kinds of programs like this are there?

I appreciate the update!

This is a good point and in my chief concern. How right am I in suspecting that the chances for MA funding are slim and that loans to the tune of ten' of thousands are inevitable?

If you don't mind me asking, how much debt to you incur? The more and more I search, it seems to me that getting MA funding is highly unlikely. At best maybe 50%, which is still cool, but once living expenses are added I'm still probabley gonna have to cover 30-50k I'm in a similar position as far as having no dependents, so debt isn't something I'm totally averse to. Especially since I think it'd be worth it if I was able to get into a top program and research my interests!

Sounds like a tumultuous time to be there, but undoubtedly rewarding! Seeing Lhasa in person must have been quite the experience, I didn't even know the Chinese let Westerners in there. If you're ex-Naropa friends ever get back to you, I'd be keen to hear their input about the academic rigor and how Naropa's unique program may help/hinder PhD prospects. Thanks again.

Thanks a lot for all this great information and for reaching out to those Naropa grads! I actually spoke to both a Naropa grad whose a PhD at UVA and my Professors and they all seem to give the same answer: getting into a great PhD program primarily depends on one's background, experience, and research interests that aline with some of, or at least one of, the faculty. No substitute for working your butt off, writing well, and having a good research topic. Wow, going to Tibet must have been something else! Its one of my dreams to go there. I don't blame you for choosing to continue to tour the area instead of studying it in a classroom. Again, thanks for all this great advice. Just out of curiosity, what do you study now?

A great idea. I'm trying to do the same now! Do you have any two-cents about Naropa's program in general? It has a lot of appeal to me because of its contemplative pedagogy, abundance of Buddhism classes, and the availability of Sanskrit classes. However, I'm wondering if it is viewed in a high enough regard by PhD programs? It seems to me I would enjoy the environment of Naropa and benefit from its contemplative style, butI wouldn't want to sacrifice my chances of getting into a good PhD program. Thanks!

How can I check what institutions Naropa students have been accepted to in years past? I can't seem to find anywhere to do so on their website.

Apply broadly is definitely something I need to keep remembering. Thanks for the reminder.......And I didn't realize Naropa students would be able to get into schools like that. I'm going to do some homework on them for sure.

Hey Ya'll, I'm pursuing a MA in Buddhist/Religious Studies. Specifically, I'm trying to acquire a language foundation (Sanskrit) that will allow me to apply to PhD programs in a few years. I am having a real hard time getting a grip on some financial decisions. Here's a quick breakdown: -My dream is to get a PhD from UVA or Brown. Two schools which are near the top in the field for Buddhist Studies. -I assume that a MA from a very prestigious school like, say, UChi or Colombia, would help my chances of getting into these PhD programs. -However, from what I've been able to gather, coming across funding for MA programs in Religious Studies is rare. Seems to be 50% tuition at best. -I have the grades to get in a place like UChi or Colombia, but paying for these places, even with some amount of funding, would require sinking myself around 50k into debt, rounding up my grand student loan debt to 100k. - I'm sure there are some cheaper state school out there that I could get into and incur less debt, but I'm worried such schools may not be of high enough caliber to get into the likes of UVA or Brown. It just seems like all the prestigious programs/programs I'm intrested in for an MA (like UChi, UCSB, Rutgers, Colombia, UVA) are so damn expensive, especially for an out of state-er (I'm in Illinois btw). So the question I've been unable to answer for myself is: How do I find a balance between the economical school and the prestigious one? To put another more specific way: what caliber of MA program would allow me to get into the UVA or Brown PhD programs? Although I want to minimize the debt I go into, I am not afraid to take on some more, since studying in this field is what I want to do with my life. However, I'm already 50k in debt, so I'd like to minimize the damage so to speak, if possible. Hope this makes sense. Any advice is sincerely appreciated.!

So, I have about 6-7 weeks to study for the GRE and have just purchased Magoosh at the suggestion of many friends. I'm very pleased so far and am confident this purchase will help me score well. However, I'm a bit overwhelmed as how to best set up a study schedule for myself. Magoosh has some study plans, however most of them involve purchasing extra reading material. Is it unwise to study for the GRE just by taking as many practice questions/tests as I can, along with some vocab flash cards? Or would it be better to go more along the lines of Magoosh's suggestions, and get and read some extra study books?

I would imagine that I'm not alone amongst you humanities folk in my dislike/ineptitude for Math. As I start prepping for the GRE, I'm getting a little nervous about the quantitative section. I haven't taken a math class in about 6 years and to say that I'm rusty is an understatement. If I do very well on the Verbal and Written section, does it matter for a MA Religion program that I totally bombed the Quantitative section? How worried should I be? (My Religion Profs seemed to fondly recall their low Math scores, which makes me less nervous.) I figure if I study hard I can get an okay math score, but should I spend the time and effort trying to do so? Hope this makes sense.

I'll try to be more clear: I want to study Buddhism and the in-state school does several faculty members in this area, with whom (based on my look at the course catalog) I would be able to acquire the necessary language skills and foundational course work pertaining to Buddhism. However, it's just that the in-state school lacks people doing research in the areas of Buddhism I wish to study (Theravada and Contemplative Science). Sounds like you think that this would be acceptable, as I was hoping. I'll be sure to grab some other opinions too. Thanks for your reply!