SWEtoMDiv

I was accepted at BU with 100% tuition and invited to apply for a merit award!!

I'm applying for an MDiv at Boston University, hoping to do the dual MDiv/MAT program if I get in! My story, to avoid repeating myself, is in the other masters application thread for this year

That's a tough situation, and unfortunately more relatable than I would like it to be. My parents were also not very enthusiastic about my plan to go back to school and change careers (to them it seemed like a step down from being a software engineer in Silicon Valley). At some point, I just had to do what I really felt called for, regardless of how they would react, and in the end it worked out. I mean they aren't happy about it, but at least they've come to respect that I'm an adult who can make my own choices about my life at this point. I'm glad you're pursuing what you really want to do, and I think you're right about the tradeoff between an "easier" job and what you're actually interested in. I had thought that being a SWE would make for an "easy" life when I started five years ago and here I am. 🥲 On the flip side I'm very cognizant that I am in a very fortunate financial situation compared to most grad students, since my savings are going to help me afford being in grad school.

I'm glad you posted this so we don't have to wait in silence! I've been lurking for months now and poring over old threads for anything that might be remotely relevant to my situation—not that I think it helps much in the grand scheme of things, but I have to occupy myself somehow! 😅 My situation is a somewhat unusual one, I think. I finished my undergrad with a degree in computer science and economics five years ago and have been working for the last five years as a software engineer in Silicon Valley startups. The twists and turns my faith journey has taken me upon, along with my increasing sense of burnout and disillusionment with Silicon Valley, has made me decide to apply for an MDiv program to explore a potential calling to the ministry. Unfortunately, great odysseys of self-discovery and faith exploration rarely coincide well with graduate school application deadlines, and by the time I determined for sure that I wanted to apply for Fall 2024 admission it was December 2023. With my hectic work schedule I felt doubtful that I was going to be able to make it before the deadline for multiple programs, so I (wisely or not) decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and got an application in time for the priority deadline at Boston University. BU was my top choice from when I started investigating divinity schools, between the BTI, financial support, and my sense of the academic and denominational environment (I am a member of a United Church of Christ congregation). I'm also hoping that I can eventually get into their MDiv/MAT teaching since I'd like to have secular teaching as a backup option if I don't find myself called to ordained ministry, which is something I am open to but am not certain of yet. I feel like, despite my constraints, I was able to put together a strong application. I had an excellent undergrad GPA (3.86) with a challenging course schedule (I was able to test out of most of my gen-eds through AP tests). I think I was able to tie my professional background into my plans for my future vocation in a compelling way in my personal statement (the gist is that my time as a software engineer in Silicon Valley has made me reflect on the spiritual and religious ramifications of the ascent of the tech industry, as well as the economic justice issues created by the income disparities in Silicon Valley). The concern is, well, no matter how you slice it just having a single application is pretty risky and I don't have a super great plan of what I'm going to do for the next year if I don't get in. So fingers crossed that I can just avoid dealing with that. ;)