Apologies for the delay and lack of info-- yes, going into pastoral ministry. I think the struggle for me has been that even though I know Duke Div is a top divinity school, its hard to shake this idea that the ivies are automatically more rigorous and that classes there will be more challenging, so thats something I just need to get over
The other factor I wonder about is the environment created by the students who make up the classes, and therefore the conversation in and out of the classroom-- this is an inherently snobby concern, but having gone to an incredibly rigorous top liberal arts college, I have this lingering worry that I wont find that same intensity that I loved in my classroom experiences there. Again, I know this must come off as arrogant, but I do think its important to go to the school where the student body pushes you to grow as much as the classes themselves.