Sisko

Thank you for your thoughts, Danie123. Take care.

I'm both an optimist and a realist. Sometimes, however, being too optimistic can cause stagnation, at a time when we need to move forward. Look at the facts: Interviews are now a prerequisite for admission. HDS is trying to keep their cohorts reasonably small to encourage greater engagement and interaction between faculty and students (and between students). "Mid-March" is their announced decision timeframe, but that benchmark is fastly approaching. A number of candidates have already been selected for interviews. According to this thread, no one has been invited to interview over the past several days. Friends, I can think of only two plausible explanations for that: 1) HDS is deliberating on whether some of the interviewees would be a good fit for their programs; and if not, they plan to go back to the applicant pool early next week to bring in a few more prospects. OR 2) HDS is satisfied with the applicants who have been interviewed, and they have no plans to extend further interviews for this cohort. Hence, the gap in time between the last round of interviews and no efforts to schedule additional interviews to date. My two cents worth of advice? Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Don't allow yourself to become stagnated and held in suspense for the next few days. Life is too short and precious. Find ways to move forward even while remaining hopeful. Just trying to be helpful! Take good care, all!

Cool. Thanks!

Hmm... did the HDS response appear to be a personalized reply to your query? I ask only because I've seen where such emails are basically auto reply during this time of year when admissions offices are inundated with queries. It's conceivable that the email was set up a few weeks ago, hence the continued interview invites. Hopefully, it was indeed a personal response and they truly are still sending out invites. I just want to help manage expectations so folks won't be let down if surely this was an auto reply. Thanks.

Guys, I agree with the advice to cast a reasonably broad net, as opposed to putting all of one's hopes on HDS. There are many reasons why prestigious schools end up not admitting candidates with impressive stats, but none of this has anything to do with who the candidate is as a person or how capable he/she is. The simple point here is, although I was interviewed within what appears to be the first round, and I think the interview went well, I know that I might still be declined admission to HDS. And should that happen, I'll be happy for the admittees and then I'll move on to the next challenge in life. Whatever happens re: this process does not define you or me. Keep the faith, friends -- meaning the faith in yourself!

With all due respect, aalena75, it's interesting how people begin a statement with "I don't want to sound cocky...," only to end up making a "cocky" statement. The fact is, Harvard Divinity rejects candidates with stats as impressive, and perhaps even more impressive, than what you've boasted about. Such an attitude is a bit disheartening especially coming from someone seeking to enter a Divinity program. One would expect a bit more humility and sensitivity to the concerns of fellow applicants who have also not been invited for an interview. Perhaps it wasn't your intention, but you came across as if to say: "I'm so much better than everyone else here, so OF COURSE HDS will interview ME!" Again for the record, I've been interviewed already early in the process. These are hardworking people at HDS admissions. They are also professionals who want to select a cohort that will add to the community spirit of Harvard Divinity School, rather than students who might be all for themselves. Think about that, please. And I wish all fellow applicants much success in this process!

Greetings, friends While I can appreciate the feeling of anxiety if one has not as of yet received an interview invitation (in full disclosure, I was interviewed much earlier), I offer this one cautionary note. If you plan to contact admissions to inquire about interviews -- which I'm not convinced is a good idea at all -- I advise you to be very careful about your tone. I've heard of situations where candidates in various programs came across to the admissions folks as appearing impatient, entitled to immediate answers, and insensitive to the workload demands of admissions staff. Needless to say, such candidates may have ended up derailing any remaining hopes of being admitted to the degree program sought. Thus, if you feel compelled to contact the admissions office, I advise you to check your emotions and tone before hitting that "send" button. Just a thought, guys. Good luck!

Guys, I'm sure they'll be getting to you soon to setup the interview. Just relax. See my note above for a couple of tips when conducting your interview. Best wishes!

Thank you kindly for your thoughtful response. This is good to know. I totally concur with your remarks. Keep up the good work at HDS! Stay safe and well.

Greetings, I've completed my virtual interview with HDS. It went very well, I think. I have two helpful hints for those yet to be interviewed: 1) Relax and just enjoy the conversation. 2) Most importantly, do not expect the sequence of questions that you see from their correspondence. They will ask you random questions that you have not thought of or "practiced" for, just to see if you can think on your feet. Just chill and think of yourself having a leisurely, friendly conversation with a stranger at the coffee shop. You'll do just fine!

Thank you very kindly, xypathos, for your polite feedback! I suspected as much. The occasional elitism and "prove you belong here" mentality do not phase me much, as I am pretty secure in who I am. Nevertheless, your feedback helps prepare me to the extent that I might encounter such dispositions. Thanks again!

Hello, Sleepless in Skelleftea Thanks for offering your insights. As an alum myself of one of the grad programs at Harvard, I realize that there are some petty, snooty "pecking orders" among the various schools in terms of "prestige." In general, how well respected is HDS on campus among the other schools at Harvard in terms of collaboration? Thanks again for your valuable time!

Hello, For clarification in the event there is any confusion as to my purpose in raising the queries above, my focus is not on the "prestige" of Harvard Divinity School. I regard HDS in the same high esteem that I have for any of Harvard's founding schools. And indeed, if all a school (any school) had to say about itself is that "we are prestigious," then I would promptly look elsewhere for a more substantive academic experience. In raising the questions above, I was hoping to ascertain whether HDS is perceived publicly and internally (campus community) as having lost it's original mission - or perhaps reshaped its mission in light of modern thinking. Based on my readings, there appears to be an ongoing debate about that issue even within HDS faculty and administration. Pardon if my initial questions conveyed a different line of thought. As something of an historian, I enjoy learning from the public how certain institutions were and are perceived over time. Thanks guys!

Greetings, For those who may have personal experience or insights, what are your thoughts regarding the LLM Executive Track at Berkeley Law? Btw, some have previously referred to the aforementioned as Berkeley Law's "Professional Program." Thanks in advance for sharing your perspective. Take care!

Hello all, I am considering applying to Harvard Divinity School (HDS) in the near future. Briefly to share a little about my background, I am a U.S. citizen and I hold several academic degrees, primarily from Ivy League institutions. I have several years of professional experience serving the public. I wish to pose the following two queries, which are purposefully broad in hopes of eliciting more thoughtful responses: 1) What is the general perception of HDS, namely in terms of the public? 2) How is HDS perceived within the Harvard community? It would be particularly helpful if people familiar with HDS would kindly reply. And please, friends, let's all make a concerted effort to keep the dialogue respectful of differing points of view. Thanks much for your valuable time in sharing your insights! Take care.