sacklunch

First, I feel obligated to say that your last sentence requesting 'only serious responses' is probably why you are not getting many responses. The majority of the responses on this forum are intended to help and not to make light of any situation, but asking for serious responses may make people second guess responding to your post. In the future, that section probably doesn't need to be included.
Anyway, I can only offer advice from my experience. I am in a completely field from you but I have been around this app. process twice now, and I've run over several options in my head before being offered my current situation.
I think that it depends on a few factors that you have not included. A) How much money will it put you in debt? Do you like the program to which you have been accepted? C) Is the program well respected?
If the cost is not too much of a burden and you like the program and it is well respected, then I (me, myself) would be happy to accept and matriculate. But if one or more of these situations is negative, then you have more to think about.
In the end, only you can decide what is best for you. If it is only the feeling of being slighted that is hindering you, then you might need to be reminded that there were many more applicants that would KILL to be in your situation. And, you might want to be grateful for where you are.
But that's just my two cents.

I feel a bit slighted myself with my school. They have a gargantuan list of scholarships and grants they have for the graduate students, and I managed to qualify for a small one. Apparently being dirt poor and having good grades is not enough to get more money. Cheapskates - then again, it's a Catholic-based college, so it makes sense to me that they'd be such tight wads. Not only that, but despite the fact I do qualify for $20K in direct loans, the school will not authorize the loan (which is a federal loan). I did not apply anywhere else because this is the only school in the state with the desired major in a master's program. The fun part is I'm beginning my second year and while I'm glad to get that whole $2000, a loan would help since I just do not have $4700 three times a year when I have no job. Time to start learning to make fake money now, I think.

I was accepted into a graduate program that generally awards assistantships to their first year grad students. I happen to be in the group that received no form of funding at all, except for students loans. I am told if first year grads perform well and pass their comps at the end of the first year, they are 'historically' funded their second year. I know this goes toward my goal of becoming a professor someday however, I feel pretty dumb for accepting their offer. I wouldn't take issue with this if the program offered no financial support to any of their graduate/professional students but that is not the case here. I feel I've been slighted by the department even though, in reality, this is definitely not the case. If you've been in this position before, how did you resolve this issue (mentally)? Did you just bite the bullet and deal with it until you receive funding your second year? Did you decide to reapply to other graduate schools to see if you could get a better deal while in your first year as a grad? I would like only serious responses please.

I'm the exact opposite - I go over department web pages practically for fun, I find it's the perfect compliment to, say, sports (and with baseball right around the corner, I should be looking at a LOT of schools). I just jot down the names of people I'd like to work with, whether they guarantee funding and if they have a foreign language requirement at this early juncture - once I have a list of about 15-20 I'll start narrowing it down and looking into the harder info.

It's still early, don't stress too much yet. For now, just look at your favorite books on your shelf, check out where the author teaches and make note of it. If you're going crazy looking at too much info as of now, simply tone down the amount you're taking in at once - that's what I'm doing anyway.

Call and ask the school.

It's not a big deal. If you are not laid back, then you likely shouldn't live with someone in your program. But as others have said, it will be like any other roommate. You are both busy, and while you both will be going to the "same place," it's doubtful it will make much of a difference in your daily routine. I live with 11 other people (bigass house) from my program, and it's never a problem. But meh, I am extremely laid back.

ok now you've passed the border of making a point to being just plain obnoxious.

I agree. We ought to write accessible text. That is a separate issue from what texts the GRE should sample from. The GRE should sample from the kind of texts you will read in graduate school. Unfortunately, many scholars do write like this. You will need to be able to read such writing in graduate school, regardless of whether or not it ought to exist.

If you haven't worn it in a year, don't keep it. If it doesn't fit well, don't keep it. If you'll never get to wear it where you're moving or where you do research, don't keep it. If you haven't used it in 6 months, don't keep it. If it's paper, try to scan it and keep it digitally (with a backup!) rather than moving it. For books, you may be better off shipping them via media mail than actually hauling them in a truck (they're heavy, take up space, and media mail is pretty inexpensive). If your furniture isn't all that nice, sell it and buy new furniture when you arrive. For everything you're not keeping, try to sell it via a garage/yard sale or Craig's List. Use the money you make to help pay for gas and hotels on the way. I'm totally serious about the clothing, btw. I go through my closet every few months for the gigantic swaps my friends and I have. Each time, I discover things that I never wear or that don't fit. I just recently gave away something I bought back in 2007 but have never worn. I've moved that damn thing across the country and four times in this city! Ridiculous.

I'd highly recommend for most of you to fall in line w/ the hipster crowd and simply go with a 'fixie' road bike. I've fixed bikes for years when I was younger. The more moving parts a bike has, the bigger pain in the ace it is to fix it. Fixing something simple like a chain popping can be a huge pain on a bike that has multiple speeds. A fixed cog will be fine for probably 90% of people simply using a bike to just commute and get around town.

I'm not sure how you decided that was a low score? That is much higher than most. I wouldn't worry about it.

It's not a big deal. If you are not laid back, then you likely shouldn't live with someone in your program. But as others have said, it will be like any other roommate. You are both busy, and while you both will be going to the "same place," it's doubtful it will make much of a difference in your daily routine. I live with 11 other people (bigass house) from my program, and it's never a problem. But meh, I am extremely laid back.

Most schools will offer something like "French for graduate students," which is basically a course (usually in the summer) that is geared toward helping you read French with the help of a lexicon. I know here in Boston pretty much all the schools offer these courses in German and French. Again, they are offered for folks in the humanities.

I'll be applying to PhD programs in biblical studies, NES, and Jewish studies this fall, but I am curious what other folks have done to prep for admission?

Please list what courses you have taken in languages, exegesis courses, or other related prep work. Also list your area of proposed study.
thanks ya'll

I'll be applying to PhD programs in biblical studies, NES, and Jewish studies this fall, but I am curious what other folks have done to prep for admission?

Please list what courses you have taken in languages, exegesis courses, or other related prep work. Also list your area of proposed study.
thanks ya'll

I think you are overestimating the weight placed on GRE scores overall but particularly the Q score. Unless you're doing a quantitative-based field like economic history or demographic history then most programs won't really care what your GRE Q score is. I also think you are putting too much weight on rankings. For example, my GRE V was nothing to shout about, my Q was below 600, and my AW was 4.0 and I got into Yale. Your writing sample, LORs, and SOP are much more important than your GRE scores. That said, language is extremely important for those outside of American history... if you have no language skills in your proposed field, that would be much more of a weakness in your application than your GRE scores. But, I agree with the others, don't limit yourself to Canadian schools or American schools that don't require the GRE... apply widely to schools of varying "rankings" or reputations to give yourself the best shot.

This is why Bernard Madoff ripped off so many people, why there was a financial crisis, why there was Enron. It was "smart" to ignore the lies, duplicity, dishonesty, fraud, manipulation, bullying to keep your job. There is so much fraud and dishonesty in these professions because people like you think it's "sophisticated" to keep quiet when you see clear fraud and bullying.

Time off might help you, it might not? I have friends who went straight through, some who didn't. Some seem happy about it, others do not. If I were you I would apply and if you don't get in, oh well? Then take some time off, build your application, GRE, ect.

The usual rule pushed by accrediting bodies is that graduate credits from a conferred degree cannot be used towards another graduate degree. However, since the M.A.R./M.T.S. relates to the M.Div. much like the A.A. does the B.A. (in that at many schools it is designed as a component of the larger degree), that ‘no re-use of credits’ rule usually isn’t applied to M.Div. students. While there is no universal policy, I know that many schools will simply subtract the transferable M.A. credits from the total required for the M.Div. and allow you to drive on. The only reason I include the term ‘transferable’ is that some schools have unique courses that don’t easily line up with courses from another school, giving the admissions/transfer people fits.

The most likely limiting factor will probably be the maximum transfer policy. Check the catalog at the school you’re thinking of pursuing your M.Div. at and see how many graduate credits must be completed at the M.Div. institution (sometimes 30, but usually 45 or 60 credits of the typical 90-credit M.Div.)

None of the above would apply if you were to try and transfer credits from your Yale M.A.R. into, say, an M.A. in Near Eastern Archaeology. Even if you could line up the classes to satisfy requirements, you’d probably run up against the ‘no re-use of credits at the grad level’ rule. While admissions can bend any rule in theory (get it in writing from the registrar if they do!) the above loophole typically only applies to the M.Div.

Best wishes on your program(s)!

I think that problem is generally restricted to smaller Protestant schools who will not take a "weird" Catholic. I seriously doubt you would have much problem going from a well known Catholic institution (ND/BC) to a well-known Protestant school for doctoral work, such as Vandy or Emory.

I have been told by certain professors this becomes an issue once you are done and looking for a job. Supposedly, many Protestant schools (again, smaller ones...how many of us will actually work at the above) do not like hiring Catholics, since they believe you might teach something not in line with their mission. I guess this isn't necessarily the case at many, even small, Catholic schools. So in theory it might be "safer" to do your PhD at a Protestant school, but I really doubt this will become an issue if you are wanting to be an purely an academic, and not work at a seminary.

At the level many of us are wanting to study it becomes a moot point in many cases where you study. Many school, Protestant or Catholic, have excellent faculty from a variety of backgrounds. In theory, you are going to that institution because that faculty(s) member has a specialty that interests you. I have rarely had a professors personal beliefs interfere with a course. Again, at a seminary setting this would vary.

It's just like anything else? Some people are naturally lonely, boring, anti-social, ect; some people are social and make friends easily.

Don't over analyse it.

The students I know that were accepted last year vary quite a bit. One of them was home schooled, Midwestern, ect...the others went to expensive private liberal arts schools, ect.

I don't think they have any sort of agenda as you propose. I think they just had a ton of applicants, especially in light of the recession, so they get the students they want (that varies I'm sure, just depending on interest, program applied, ect). The fact that it is "Harvard" makes their applicant pool pretty large, I'm sure much larger than most of the other divinity/theological schools (guess).

It's just like anything else? Some people are naturally lonely, boring, anti-social, ect; some people are social and make friends easily.

Don't over analyse it.

Perhaps that differs from the Div school and arts/sciences dept? Also, this is for masters, not PhD.

It strikes me as a bit rude to wait until you visit every program if you get into your first choice with a financial aid package that makes sense. Why cause someone on the wait-list that much more stress if you know where you're going? If you don't have a strong opinion then I guess every school is your first choice.