aalena75

In the same boat. I only have UCLA left and I have a friend that got in there back in January, so anticipating waitlist or rejection.

Has anyone heard yet from Harvard NELC?

I spoke to my two POIs. It means the recommendation from the department was for rejection. The wording was confusing, though.

UVA decisions are out. I was not admitted, but I am a little confused by the wording of the email. It says I was recommended by the Department for admissions. I wonder what happened.

Were you accepted? Maybe they sent those out first.

I didn't get an email.

I only have five schools left as well...not feeling super hopeful.

Can anyone claim the UPenn NELC acceptance on February 5th?

That's amazing! Congrats again!

Congratulations on the acceptance though! Where were you accepted?

Did you inquire or prompt them in any way...? I thought Yale didn't release until the 15th

I am waiting to hear from the same schools actually, +Columbia and UPenn.

I'm sorry to hear that. Do you still have more places to hear from?

Hi all! First time posting here :) I am waiting to hear back from eight programs after my first rejection from Duke. Does anyone know if Columbia does mandatory interviews? Thanks, and good luck to all!

This is ridiculous. Definitely file a formal complaint if you are comfortable, and notify the head of your department. I can't believe this person really holds the position he has. Valuing your students regardless of identity should be prerequisite number one for a college professor.

Did they get back to you...?

Maybe. No idea how PTS works tbh.

What program did you apply for though? I think they've already sent out MDiv and MTS decisions, but I did not apply to PTS. I would think it's really weird if you haven't heard anything, though. It may be time to contact them.

Which office...? YDS? Have you checked the application portal...? What did you apply for? ...

Thank you! Also, I still don't know about asking why you were rejected. I guess the better question would be, what are you hoping to get from their response? I think ultimately any reason for a rejection would be 1) they felt based on your interests that they were not the right school for you and 2) they felt there were more applicants with interests that aligned with theirs. At the end of the day, though, you want to go somewhere that believes in you. So I just don't think asking is going to get you much; the honest answer is, they just didn't feel strongly enough. That doesn't mean your application wasn't great. That's what I'm saying about how arbitrary this process feels; what did YDS see in me that HDS didn't? I'll never know, but I also don't care because I want a place that wants me. That's just my two cents. Also, it's very possible I know nothing and am just projecting about how I'm handling HDS not even interviewing me. But I think there's something to the idea that a school that wants you wouldn't reject you, and so it really boils down to not feeling strongly enough. Again, it's arbitrary. They probably won't know why they rejected you any more than you don't know other than to point to other applicants you were up against and, once again, their impulses. Maybe I'm wrong. But at least ask yourself what you think you'll get out of asking them before you go through with it. Maybe what you really want to know is how you could have improved your admissions chances. That might be a more productive approach.

If the programs are that close in prestige, I would follow the money. It will cause less stress in the long run. I'm speaking as someone who is also graduating with some undergrad loans and needs to take out money for grad. I know my decision was easier than this because my top choice offered me the most money, but there were still some aspects to consider (such as John J. Collins retiring and the faculty for my track being smaller). But regardless of who is on staff, they will offer enough courses to get you where you need to be, and there may even be emeritus scholars who are retired but come back to teach occasionally, as well as visiting professors. I guess if you think it will make a big difference working with a particular scholar (i.e. you think that them knowing you might help you get into a PhD program), it may be worth considering. But if the faculty are retiring, probably not.

As for recommenders, I personally would thank them again as a courtesy and update them on your final decision. Mine were happy to know where I'm ending up, and I'm sure they appreciate being thought of at the end of the process (since none of us could be where we are without them).

I would not ask a school why they rejected you. What if you want to apply there again, maybe for a PhD? The reality is, I will never know why HDS rejected me, but whatever the reason, they didn't believe we were a good match. I have to respect that, and it means I'm better off elsewhere. If I remember correctly, you got offers from some schools, right?

I have a professor for my Buddhism class this semester that did his masters and PhD at Yale University. He has very similar interests, but I'm not sure what the extent of his research is. I don't really know acceptance rates for the general ivy league masters/PhD population. However, you would have an exceptional shot at ivy league divinity schools. Essentially you can take the same coursework as you would outside of the divinity school, but these programs are better funded. For example, I was accepted yesterday to Yale Divinity School for a Masters of Arts in Religion. Some other div schools (such as Duke and Vanderbilt) only offer Masters of Divinity or Masters of Theological Studies (you can still tailor an MTS to meet research needs without being interested in ministry). Personally, div school was a really great choice for me because of how well funded it is. It's definitely worth considering/applying. I have similar stats as you but in the early Christianity/Second Temple Judaism area and was accepted to many div schools. Not really sure if this is what you are looking for or what the question is, but just some thoughts.

Update: I am YDS-bound! Their financial offer was better than any other school, and besides, I'm more attracted to the MARc program than MTS. I hope everyone else is doing well in their decision-making process! I'm excited to see what you all decide on!