Joey_Jawad

How's the vaccine rollout in your country? In my country I think it'll be impossible to get them before term starts, so I just pushed up my flight to early August so that I can get the two jabs before class starts. Hopefully foreigners could get the vaccine at that point. Someone said people in the states can just go to CVS(!) to get the vaccine which sounds insane to me. Lucky lucky

Oh yikes that is potentially not good news for me. Where did you get this information? I received nothing from Harvard itself.

Uh I know things often seem more dire from abroad, especially from the myopic lense of the internet but the recent spate of anti-asian hate crimes is horrifying. I'm torn between being afraid to move there, but also wanting to remove the bandaid as fast as possible and start living there because marinating in unquantifiable fear from abroad probably feels worse. I know the best practice for this is contested, but if you have Asian friends or colleagues please check in on them. These are frightening times.

Thank you everyone for your detailed, incisive comments. I SO appreciate it. I've been out of undergrad for some time now, so I feel like I have no room to make any mistakes in what feels like this momentous life-changing decision. Lots to think about for sure.. Again, many many thanks for all those who commented!

This is veering into TMI territory, but I'm really stuck so any words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Basically HDS gave me full tuition, but no stipend, whereas Chicago gave me a 10,000/year stipend and I'm wondering if HDS is worth the extra 20,000. I won't have to take out a loan, but it would deeply cut into savings. I'm eventually hoping to get into a religious studies PhD program, and my interests are amorphous.. broadly 'religion and modernity' I guess.. secularism, intellectual history, christian zionism, evangelism in asian countries etc.. HDS pro: Prestige? to get me to a prestigious PhD program? I think I've seen more HDS grads at top PhD programs? I could be totally wrong. // wider access to classes in other department, schools? HDS con: Boston is so expensive wow. // I wonder if the size of the student body means that it'll be hard to find mentors or teachers to get to know on an individual level. Chicago pro: more interesting classes, for me personally. // 40% of cohort apparently ended up in a doctoral program according to stats, whereas HDS doesn't provide them. Chicago con: This is silly, but I am scared of the hypercompetitive, cutthroat culture. Im a complete sissy and I wilt at confrontation, so I worry I'll not be able to give my all in classes. // Less facility in getting in a top PhD? is that even a thing?? I get these might all be very trivial concerns, but I would greatly appreciate any input. Thank you so so much

HSAR at Yale is absolutely. fantastic. If you can take advantage that would be swell. Yes please do have a lookout for the columbia financial aid. When i was straight out of undergrad I wish someone had told me more firmly that a masters program that doesnt give you enough money is just not worth it. You keep thinking, 'well this prestigious program accepted me so they must want me right?' But unfunded masters programs are really cashcows as unseemly as that word might be, so I hope you can get a good offer. I'm thinking if you can find enough interesting courses at Yale, 2 years to assemble strong rec letters and take the LSAT might be a good plan as well. Hope you make the right choice. Good luck!!!

Well I'd definitely compare the costs, which in general I'm assuming Yale/New Haven will come out cheaper.. but I do wonder about doing Islamic Studies at YDS. Islamic studies I think isnt the strongest at Yale in general at the moment, plus with Yale Divinity's more christian focus I'm not sure you would get enough challenging stimulating classes for your needs. If this were Harvard Divinity there would be absolutely no problem, but YDS.. I'd make sure to check the past course catalogue to see if there were enough classes you'd potentially find interesting!

I think I've seen plenty of doctoral students at top phd programs with just one MA or MTS or MDIV but the degree inflation(?) seems to be a real phenomenon because my TA this summer at Harvard said that of his cohort at the committee for the study of religion, half had 2 masters degrees or more so.. yeah... tough market out there?

Just got an email informing me I got full tuition for Yale. I'm immensely grateful but without a stipend I'm not sure I can be persuaded to live in New Haven over Boston (which I know is an insanely superficial reason but there it is.) Could someone please kindly educate me on why Yale is often ranked higher(at least on this website)/considered better suited for a phD preparation than HDS?

Nah still waiting.

I'm reaaaallly hoping that they don't go online again. I'm not american, but I get the impression that vaccine rollouts are going apace and I'm hoping that schools would take that into consideration and open up the schools again. I'm curious how those more on the ground in the u.s. are feeling. What do you guys predict?

@Chicago GuySorry to intrude, but I couldn't help but notice that you did your undergrad at Chicago yet didn't apply to the MA program there. Could I possibly ask why? I think I'll have to decide between HDS and Chicago (YDS pending), and basically I have a feeling that Chicago might actually be more academically rigorous (with young scholars in my area of interest doing really exciting research) and prepare me better for a PhD, yet at the same time the infamous cut-throat hyper-competitive culture is scaring me off quite a bit... so all in all, I was wondering if you could provide some insights on Chicago that might help me decide. Hope this doesn't come off as too prying. Thanks so much for your time!

I got the very same results haha. Grateful beyond measure. This is going to be a difficult decision. I'm hoping to consult people in the know, especially given that Chicago probably offers a more direct path towards a PhD.

Chicago's results are up!

Started to look at housing just in case, and HOLY MOLY housing around Harvard is no joke. I'm an international student so I was hoping to get something university affiliated but it's crazy expensive not to mention a lottery system, so I don't even know where to start. Potentially HDS-bound people or HDS graduates, any ideas on how to proceed with housing? ?