jellyfish7

@adamchaya I promise it will all work out. If you don't end up attending this institution, you will take the year to reflect and research and find a school that does feel like a confident fit. If you do end up attending this institution, you will find goodness in the experience. At the very least, you will be challenged academically and socially, and emerge stronger, smarter, and clearer on who you are, what you stand for, and the types of environments and people you do/don't want to surround yourself with going forward. If you go, and it sucks, then you transfer! You are never stuck. Walk through the doors that open (if you feel moved to do so) and just embrace the adventure

Definitely!!

I also haven’t heard anything ~ I’ve been waiting with bated breath today since the Graduate School site lists March 31 as the day admissions decisions are/we’re supposed to be released. I’m debating emailing the department tomorrow (?) to see if they can provide any update on the timeline. 

Still no word from Vanderbilt GDR! Anyone have insight?

The one reason keeping me from returning to the US for a doctoral program (assuming I get into the last waitlisted one) is probably the degree to which anti-AAPI hate crimes have increased over the last year, especially since the pandemic began. I was in the US at the beginning of the pandemic and did not personally experience anything, but I was in Berkeley, which is mostly tolerant. However, I did get to hear an unfortunate racist slur from a homeless man shortly before I left. All this is to say that the risk of being attacked for being Asian and Pacific Islander is there, but with what one sees on social media and the news, one cannot see exactly how big the risk is. Nevertheless, people living there have expressed their concerns to me.
I agree with @Joey_Jawad that if you do have Asian friends or colleagues, please check in on them. Please educate yourselves too on the history of America's involvement in Asia and with Asians. I come from a former American colony, and what I became aware of about this colonial history gave me a mixed picture of a country and culture I otherwise admire. For me, that history explains a lot.

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. 

@adamchaya I promise it will all work out. If you don't end up attending this institution, you will take the year to reflect and research and find a school that does feel like a confident fit. If you do end up attending this institution, you will find goodness in the experience. At the very least, you will be challenged academically and socially, and emerge stronger, smarter, and clearer on who you are, what you stand for, and the types of environments and people you do/don't want to surround yourself with going forward. If you go, and it sucks, then you transfer! You are never stuck. Walk through the doors that open (if you feel moved to do so) and just embrace the adventure

@adamchaya I promise it will all work out. If you don't end up attending this institution, you will take the year to reflect and research and find a school that does feel like a confident fit. If you do end up attending this institution, you will find goodness in the experience. At the very least, you will be challenged academically and socially, and emerge stronger, smarter, and clearer on who you are, what you stand for, and the types of environments and people you do/don't want to surround yourself with going forward. If you go, and it sucks, then you transfer! You are never stuck. Walk through the doors that open (if you feel moved to do so) and just embrace the adventure

Hi @LUCASH and @jellyfish7. Thank you for your replies and kind thoughts. I truly appreciate this. I have asked the the department for more details about potential LOA in the first year. Let's see what they say and hoping for the best. Although it is good, I also have some personal fit issues here at this place as it was not in top choices, so that has been a cause of great anxiety as this is my only offer. 

Sorry to hear about this. Take care of your health. This is hard enough craft already. Hope things work out. It is okay to take time away to recharge. There are no guarantees in this game, but if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. 

Hi @adamchaya! Sorry to hear this year has been such a challenge. You are definitely not alone. I have no personal experience with deferrals, but I would be really surprised if, especially this year, the school refused to show any compassion for your situation and work with you. Have you spoken to them about your situation? I imagine most institutions try to deny the option for deferral in their official materials because they want to discourage students from applying there with full intention of deferring anyway. In reality, however, most schools will have capacity and obligation to cut students some slack where necessary. Worst case, they are surely required to permit medical leaves of absence....so, if need be, you could probably just accept the offer and later request a leave?

@Joey_Jawad HDS and UChicago are probably the two most prestigious div schools. As @KungFuKenny said, I wouldn't worry about a difference in prestige. Regarding fit, I do think your concerns about the UChicago culture are valid and important. I shared similar anxieties with a Chicago Divinity admissions rep and she confirmed that it is not a warm, collaborative culture (her exact words were "students at UoC take themselves very seriously...we are proud to be the home of 'unsafe spaces'"). Personally, my happiness and stress levels deeply influence my academic experience. Having said that, you will almost certainly find 'your people' anywhere.
Ultimately, I think what will be most clarifying for you will be to talk to div students at each institution, voice your respective concerns and hear their genuine thoughts. I know HDS has been marketing lots of opportunities to connect with current students (not sure abt UoC)—find profiles of students with similar interests/energy/background to you and reach out!

Just a note that they may be the two most prestigious div schools in particular subfields. For instance, in my own subfield of Hebrew Bible/Second Temple Judaism, Harvard is basically considered defunct now, unfortunately. Yale was a lot better off in HB/STJ when I applied three years ago, but it's going to be in flux beginning this fall with the retirement of John Collins and Steven Fraade.

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!

Will echo @_Athena_. For people going for the MA,  do focus on the subfields before committing. Also, I should say that at the MA level, you can get away with not having a very close alignment of research interests with the faculty. The aim is to have breadth and just some depth. this is a time to refine your research interests, so remain focused but open as well, if that is not too much of a paradox. 
 
Chicago and Harvard's 2 year MAs do not have theses, which means that you'll not get to do in-depth research about a topic. That is fine. If you wish, you can do that through independent reading courses with faculty. Also, very important is that you do not freak out if there aren't relevant courses within the div school, these are massive research universities with a lot of departments, so it's always good to rigorously browse through courses being offered in other relevant departments. for instance, secularism stuff in anthro department etc. what you need from the MA is solid letters, evidence of thorough coursework (focus on something but also be diverse to an extent, the idea is to get acquainted with the field of religion as well, you will benefit from conversations outside your field), language training (if applicable) and solid writing sample. Take courses that require you to write a research (!!) paper not only essays, critical paper and the likes. When you apply for the PhD, you may want not even want to apply to these schools again because then academic fit becomes the most important factor. Without being a calculative robot all the time, it is important to internalize that the MA has two jobs: a) get into a PhD program b) actually develop as a scholar-in-training. all best. 

@Joey_Jawad HDS and UChicago are probably the two most prestigious div schools. As @KungFuKenny said, I wouldn't worry about a difference in prestige. Regarding fit, I do think your concerns about the UChicago culture are valid and important. I shared similar anxieties with a Chicago Divinity admissions rep and she confirmed that it is not a warm, collaborative culture (her exact words were "students at UoC take themselves very seriously...we are proud to be the home of 'unsafe spaces'"). Personally, my happiness and stress levels deeply influence my academic experience. Having said that, you will almost certainly find 'your people' anywhere.
Ultimately, I think what will be most clarifying for you will be to talk to div students at each institution, voice your respective concerns and hear their genuine thoughts. I know HDS has been marketing lots of opportunities to connect with current students (not sure abt UoC)—find profiles of students with similar interests/energy/background to you and reach out!

I just wanted to chime in and extend a secondary word of caution. While having the opportunity to complete a graduate/doctoral degree at an Ivy League school or comparable institution is wonderful and exciting, it can also be incredibly isolating and disillusioning. I did not have a very supportive advisor and often felt like I had to navigate the twists and turns of academia with no help from anyone. My advice to everyone in this thread would be to pinpoint a professor or advisor who is really interested in YOU and YOUR INTERESTS. You're going to have a hard go of it otherwise. Wishing you all the best of luck!

@CafeConGabi these reflections are really powerful, thank you for being so candid

1) Your concerns are valid. VERY valid. 
2) Echoing KungFuKenny and jellyfish7, both schools are top schools within the religious studies world so adding either on your CV will only benefit you. 
3) Is HDS worth the $20,000 in my savings or loans? I think that's your decision to make. I took out a small amount when I got there. Full tuition + $8,000 annual stipend was not enough for me to live in Boston. I also had to work off campus during the summer (I did my best to get away from the Harvard bubble as much as I could). 
4) As much as I want to praise HDS I can't and I must be honest about the conversations that happen on campus. We're considered the "hippie school" ? but lots of folks across campus find that space rewarding. I think the Chicago Div School slogan is "where the fun dies". 
5) Despite the lack of diversity in faculty (I'm a Latinx scholar) it is ABSOLUTELY possible to find/create opportunities to succeed. I found my mentor when I told him his class was intimidating during office hours haha. We also just lost Dr. Cornel West, again, so it's a huge hit for the Div School. I met with him on a couple occasions and can safely say he was a source for my own development as a Latina scholar on campus. I'll also say I met with some world-known faculty who encouraged me to dream big during our office hour conversations. 
6) This I think leads into the potential downside of being at HDS: that it's still attached to the Harvard name. I didn't realize how conditioned I became to be mistrusting of my peers because the culture of secrecy is so real! For example, I always felt like I couldn't share my ideas with my cohort because someone might snatch it and beat me to publication. Bizarre, but the feeling was still there. This of course might just be academia in general, but I never felt this at the other schools I went to. 
7) Also, performativity is taken to a completely different level. I felt it was no longer about collaborating or co-learning but rather establishing the most nuanced take of the assigned reading on Foucault. This, in turn, made me feel like I wasn't reading just to read but rather reading to find something interesting to say in class. The competitive nature of these seminars just made it difficult to drop my guard or forgive myself for simple mistakes.    
8) And don't get me started on being a Latina at Harvard hahahahahahaha... So, I will say that "my people" became the janitors and the cooks and the security personnel on campus (and a few faculty members). They're the ones who greeted me every day. They're the ones who asked me how midterms were going. They're the ones who looked like my family back home. They're the only ones I thanked at the Div School diploma ceremony because my own working-class family could not make it to my Harvard graduation. They're the ones I'll say hi to when I go back to visit one day. Them and the Spanish-speaking co-workers at the restaurant job I had. They were my community. They're the ones who saw past my Harvard exterior and zeroed-in on my humanity. It's a lot I know but I think I needed to say this. 
 9) I'm sure you know this already but make sure you have a great sense of self before you go to either campus. I know how easily the Harvard name can blow up my ego haha so it was helpful to stay true to the person I was before Harvard. I was always that indigenous-looking brown girl in class who wore huaraches and hoops and red lipstick. So, I made sure to continue that identity at Harvard. (No amount of elbow-patch jackets will ever change me hahaha.) I made sure to eat the same beans and rice I ate back home and listen to the same banda music from my childhood when I walked through Widener Library. LOTS of folks discouraged me from pursing grad school but when I was able to ground myself in my own journey I was able to make it through all the bummer moments at Harvard. It's what's gotten me through this application cycle and what will get me through the rest of my journey. : )
 

@Joey_Jawad HDS and UChicago are probably the two most prestigious div schools. As @KungFuKenny said, I wouldn't worry about a difference in prestige. Regarding fit, I do think your concerns about the UChicago culture are valid and important. I shared similar anxieties with a Chicago Divinity admissions rep and she confirmed that it is not a warm, collaborative culture (her exact words were "students at UoC take themselves very seriously...we are proud to be the home of 'unsafe spaces'"). Personally, my happiness and stress levels deeply influence my academic experience. Having said that, you will almost certainly find 'your people' anywhere.
Ultimately, I think what will be most clarifying for you will be to talk to div students at each institution, voice your respective concerns and hear their genuine thoughts. I know HDS has been marketing lots of opportunities to connect with current students (not sure abt UoC)—find profiles of students with similar interests/energy/background to you and reach out!

@Joey_Jawad HDS and UChicago are probably the two most prestigious div schools. As @KungFuKenny said, I wouldn't worry about a difference in prestige. Regarding fit, I do think your concerns about the UChicago culture are valid and important. I shared similar anxieties with a Chicago Divinity admissions rep and she confirmed that it is not a warm, collaborative culture (her exact words were "students at UoC take themselves very seriously...we are proud to be the home of 'unsafe spaces'"). Personally, my happiness and stress levels deeply influence my academic experience. Having said that, you will almost certainly find 'your people' anywhere.
Ultimately, I think what will be most clarifying for you will be to talk to div students at each institution, voice your respective concerns and hear their genuine thoughts. I know HDS has been marketing lots of opportunities to connect with current students (not sure abt UoC)—find profiles of students with similar interests/energy/background to you and reach out!

Hey @sorenerasmus, I'm sorry you're struggling with this, it sounds stressful! I was holding off on responding because I am definitely not an expert, but my advice would be to sit tight for now. It may come off as unprofessional, or at least impulsive, to reach out to admissions committees with new information right before decisions/funding are released. When you eventually do have all the details on your other two offers (which I'm sure you will have early this week!), then I think it is safe, in fact common practice, to reach back out to your top choice(s). You can explain the situation, expressing to 'Program X' that they are absolutely your top choice and it would be your dream to attend, but that you have received other more financially viable options* which you will not be able to turn down unless Program X ups your funding. *I know you are worried that the schools you are waiting on may not offer sizable funding packages either, but I think there are other ways to argue economical superiority (e.g. Program Y is closer to home and would not require you to relocate; Program Z is based in a city with much lower costs of living, etc.). In a way, if you are going to be requesting more funding, it may actually be ideal to do so this late in the timeline; the longer you wait, the likelier that other students will have turned down their funded offers, meaning their scholarship money is now available for people like you! This whole process is brutal, but hang in there. Everything works out in the end.

Hey @sorenerasmus, I'm sorry you're struggling with this, it sounds stressful! I was holding off on responding because I am definitely not an expert, but my advice would be to sit tight for now. It may come off as unprofessional, or at least impulsive, to reach out to admissions committees with new information right before decisions/funding are released. When you eventually do have all the details on your other two offers (which I'm sure you will have early this week!), then I think it is safe, in fact common practice, to reach back out to your top choice(s). You can explain the situation, expressing to 'Program X' that they are absolutely your top choice and it would be your dream to attend, but that you have received other more financially viable options* which you will not be able to turn down unless Program X ups your funding. *I know you are worried that the schools you are waiting on may not offer sizable funding packages either, but I think there are other ways to argue economical superiority (e.g. Program Y is closer to home and would not require you to relocate; Program Z is based in a city with much lower costs of living, etc.). In a way, if you are going to be requesting more funding, it may actually be ideal to do so this late in the timeline; the longer you wait, the likelier that other students will have turned down their funded offers, meaning their scholarship money is now available for people like you! This whole process is brutal, but hang in there. Everything works out in the end.

Just received an admissions offer from Candler school of Theology (Emory) with 75% tuition funding! This was the only MTS program I applied to along with 4 PhD apps. I didn’t get into any of the PhD programs so this is a welcome sight!

@sorenerasmus thank you so much! Glad I did apply to the right program for me ?