Balatro

Much of the same conversation is/was (at least) going on at Yale in smaller circles. It was predominantly among the ego driven circles in some of the more reputable professional schools and even among the UG student body. That Div students lowered the academic quality of classes b/c they didn't meet "X-requirements" of whatever pedigree they wanted all Yale students to fulfill.

How's the environment at Baylor in the RS department? I ask because I've been following the situation at Boulder and it reminded me of a former professor. She started her PhD at Baylor and, without going into too much detail, said it was the most toxic environment one could imagine for a woman, let alone a progressive one. I know of another PhD student, though she stayed on and finished, while she described it as troublesome, her language wasn't as colorful as the former. She did say she wouldn't encourage a woman to attend Baylor, though. This was back in early 2000 so I realize I'm sure things have changed some.

After reading http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_25039305/cu-boulder-philosophy-faculty-shocked-by-decision-release, I was struck by Michael Zimmerman's comment, "It wasn't our intention to have a public spectacle. Had we foreseen this, we never would've invited those people to come." ...ouch

As turk noted, if you're non-PCUSA your best bet is really an 80% award. That said, PTS is really cheap so that leftover 20% won't be so bad. Yale is fairly generous with FA for MDiv applicants - everyone I knew while there was on a full ride or very close to it. Obviously it'd be nice to snag one of the Marquand, Sloane, or Luke scholarships but that's a long shot even for their best applicants. Vanderbilt is known to lowball initial FA offers to some degree. That said, if Vandy is really where you want to end up, if you REALLY want to attend but their offer isn't enough to make it feasible, get in contact with the school and state your case. Everyone that did that (that I know of), including myself, had their offers increased.

I recall one or two transfer students from my time at Yale, and as I recall you're required to go through the same application process as a first year. On top of that, I believe, there's a policy that potential transfer credits won't be evaluated until you spend a semester at Yale. Now, what that latter requirements means in terms of what classes you can take, I don't know. Presumably they'd let you take upper level courses but than again, they may require you to take Freshman level courses since, in theory, your upper level standing hasn't been established or evaluated yet. That part of the process can really only be addressed by the Admissions or Registrar's Office - or, perhaps someone here has experience transferring into Yale.

While at Yale - a whole lot of B+'s and A's. We didn't openly discuss grade inflation, or I never did anyway, but fellow students and professors seemed to operate as if it was the norm. Granted, whole different ball game in some of the more academic courses. I also found that most of my classes at Yale were easier than undergrad though I contribute that to me being interested, familiarity with a lot of the material, and I didn't take an obscene amount of upper level graduate courses (doctoral seminars). I got two B+s and I slacked off in those courses, finishing pretty close to a 4.0 but not quite. I knew several that did pull off the 4.0 and they didn't look stressed - some went to further graduate studies, some went into ministry. Same for those in the 3.7-9 range too. I've heard of really nasty grade inflation at Harvard Divinity from the MDiv students I knew. Students getting papers returned loaded with red marks, class discussions where it's obvious they didn't read or misunderstood the text and still walking out with a 90-92. Wasn't a student there so I don't know. What caliber doctoral program are you looking at? If we're talking T1, and referencing your M* GPA, I'd think 3.7'ish would be pushing the low end barring circumstances (heavy languages or doctoral seminars, health problems, etc).

That's sad. While a student adcom reader at Yale, anyone that mentioned their cat in their SoP got +5 from me. Unfortunately once they learned of this I was not invited back

I can't speak for Yale now but while there, Episcopalians were dominant though with Berkeley being there, that's why. I imagine that it's the same still. As someone who wrestled with the academic formation required for divinity school, with the ministerial formation, I understand some of the concerns raised here. As an individual, do I think Christianity rests on the divinity of Jesus and his attributed miracles? No. Would I ever dare stand in front of my congregation and say that? No. I'm a fan of Bishop Spong so I'll borrow a title of his and say, that as a lay theologian and current priest - I've had to "reclaim the Bible." My time at Yale required me to do that, but I wasn't a literalist going in, I was already quite liberal. Part of making divinity school work, especially attending a place like YDS, (or even HDS, Chicago, Duke, etc.) is that you have to be open to growth. If you're not becoming more traditional in some aspects, more liberal in others...you entered divinity school with a closed mind. Counseling others that are considering this process, I've stressed the importance of not entering a school that is opposite your own worldview but also not one that matches up. Divinity school needs to be uncomfortable and at times stressful, that's where growth happens. That said, barring specific individual circumstances, I'd never encourage a fellow Episcopal applicant to look at Fuller or say Wake Forest (being from NC). It's not because these schools are bad, they aren't, it's because they are so outside the Episcopal worldview that I question the applicant's ability to achieve meaningful growth there. The point Jufarius87 is, it sounds like you chose the wrong divinity school, maybe you entered with a closed mind, or maybe divinity school just didn't work out for you - much like law students love the academic rigor of school but realize that practicing law is different. I am curious, as a Greek Orthodox, why Yale? More than anything, it sounds like you traveled too far outside of your comfort zone and as a result, your time at Yale and you yourself, suffered for it.

I've heard of toilet training cats and from the people that have done it, it's incredibly easy. Their advice though is to NOT teach the cat to flush. My apartment close to Yale stipulated one pet but I unfortunately (for them, I guess?) had three (two brothers, and a kitten that I found abandoned - he had developed a pretty severe infection, though nothing antibiotics couldn't fix, but the mother had left it to die to save the litter). My two slightly older cats took this kitten in like he was a long lost friend/brother and after I nursed him back to health (antibiotics and syringe feeding as he was about three weeks old), I just couldn't stand to part with him. Anyway, my landlord came and went from my apartment doing maintenance and regularly landlord-y things and never said a word to me, despite knowing they were there. I was also a bit of a litter freak too which may have helped - their box was scooped and the waste discarded in the dumpster every night. A fellow Div. grad student came with two medium sized dogs and the landlord simply had her pay 2x the pet fee, opposite of what the contract said. My point being, despite what contracts say, many landlords are willing to work with tenants. I got lucky whereas others had to pay 2x the fee and she'd waive the pet policy. It doesn't hurt to ask and to be persistent, let them know that you're willing to be flexible with the negotiations, you just want to bring both cats.

Assuming it's accurate, 160+ for both with a 5+ writing is in line for past acceptances. You can check http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=boston+college&t=a&o=p&p=26 - Mouseover the red diamond under Decision & Date and if the submitter has included it, it'll have GRE scores.

I assume you're an international applicant given your post, correct me if I'm wrong. There's a big difference between 3.0 and 3.9 so this doesn't help us any. Since you're referencing 'Big 4' I'll also presume your UG was accounting related. How's your GRE/GMAT? If you are in fact looking into accounting, they'll want one or the other when you apply. As far as your actual questions: #1: It'll hurt your application, probably. They're going to ask why you're applying for a degree that you're already working on in Asia and saying "I want to go to USA," I imagine and I could be wrong, will result in them saying no thank you. #2: Without lying, I'm not sure you can. I'm assuming that you applied for MS programs in the US after you graduated and weren't accepted. Would this be true? #3: Only you know why you're dropping out, we can't and won't help you craft a believable story. #4: They will ask for transcripts, don't worry about that. Most of your schools use a clearinghouse to verify everywhere you went to school. Several years ago I was applying for graduate school and naturally they wanted transcripts of every college course (UG and G) I had ever taken. Surprise surprise, I forgot to include on my application (and by extension transcripts) college courses I took back in high school - nearly 15 years ago. Fortunately the Admissions called me up and asked if I had ever attended X-University during X-years, to which I said I did, back in high school. She told me that they run apps through a clearinghouse to verify school attendance and needed a transcript from that school before the Adcom could make a decision. #5: Why not spend a year strengthening your application for US schools instead of attending a Masters in Asia that you want to drop out of before even arriving?

Regarding the costs associated with Denver, it's a private school so this is sort of moot, but attending college in Colorado, even as a resident at a public school, it's become so expensive that many opt to leave the state for college if they can't secure grants for UG and G. Most of your G programs will inform you (during orientation) that if you MUST secure Colorado residency within X-months (generally they give you 14 months). Colorado is very well known as one of the most expensive places to attend college, even public schools, so many HS graduates head to colleges in Iowa, Illinois, among others. I can share from personal experience that it was cheaper for me to attend college in Iowa as a non-resident than it was to attend college in Colorado as a resident, once financial aid was factored in. For many of the people I met in Iowa who were also from Colorado, this was a common theme as to why we left Colorado for college.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools/types/international#international-schools Not too far down on that page is a link to - http://studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/international-schools-in-federal-loan-programs.xlsx It's a spreadsheet with schools that participate in the Federal Student Loan Program. Why it's in spreadsheet form and not on a website, no clue - that's our government for you. Unfortunately Singapore and Tokyo are not approved universities.

You're fine. Obviously be polite when you contact them to rescind the offer.

Have you successfully defended your Masters and 100% done? I know back when I was in grad, there was a strict policy of no gifts until we were actually done. I think it's a little silly to think someone would jeopardize their career for a token of appreciation but I understand why they did it. Also, yes, $100 would be plenty.

Is English your first language and/or were you educated in a predominantly English speaking country? I think the list includes USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Aus, NZ, and maybe another or two. I ask because if 1) English isn't your first language or 2) You weren't educated in an English speaking country, some schools accept TOEFL in lieu of the GRE for international applicants. Also, some schools will waive the GRE requirement if the applicant already has a Masters. You'll need to contact the DGS of the particular programs to see if that is the case, if it's not explicitly stated on the website.

I'd strongly advise against attending EGS if you want your degree (and by extension, you) to be taken seriously.

Just be upfront, open, and honest with them. Tell them that you're applying to other schools in addition to the one that you're attending currently, at the very least because you want to play it safe and increase your chances of acceptance somewhere. Being a top 10 program, your professors know first hand that competition is incredibly hard and it would be incredibly stupid on your part to only apply to one program/assume you'll be allowed to continue onto the PhD. That said, I know in the humanities if a program has a PhD program, it's rarer that they have a terminal Masters. Are you actually in a terminal Masters program or are you actually admitted to a PhD program and merely getting your Masters en route?

I have some serious doubts about being able to go from MS to PhD in a year, especially in a science field.

All of the universities on that list should provide full funding + stipend for PhD students. I'd imagine Columbia and Harvard would be wonderful resources in this regard due to a long history in this field. Columbia's graduate program for Iranian Studies isn't tied to the Center for Iranian Studies website but rather can be found here: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mesaas/ Harvard's program is of course contained within NELC: http://www.nelc.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k56744&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup76083 Harvard however does strongly suggest that if you're applying to them to study Iranian Studies, you need to consult with the department first. That information is also on the department's website. Outside of that, I know California has a large Persian population and so several of the universities have programs for Iranian Studies. Chicago would also be worth a look. Back to your question on financial aid, at the PhD level, any reputable school funds their students' studies and throws in a minor stipend.

I doubt it'll be a problem, what areas of Indology were you particularly interested in? I know in literary circles, depending on the interests, there's some overlap in say Persian and Urdu. For Iranian Studies, this should get you started: http://www.parsacf.org/Page/183 (I didn't check all entries but I believe it's U.S. only) You'll also need to consider that some schools separate Iranian Studies and Persian Studies. The former is interdisciplinary and makes use of history, political science, art, etc while the latter is generally strictly language and literature. I assume you already knew this but wanted to make sure.

I'm quite aware of the privilege that has been extended to me on account of my race and gender, without even considering any academic merit. I also understand the importance of minority voices, regardless of the content of their message. Speaking of devaluing voices, reminds me of a Feminist Interpretations of the Bible class I took, three or four males in the class and the rest were women. It was the men however, not entirely surprisingly, that dominated the conversation for the first week. If a male and female student started a point at the same time, the female deferred discussion to the male, etc. Anyway, not surprising events really since it speaks to our larger society and gender norms but for the second week the Prof. flipped roles and decided that all discussions must be initiated by females and they would call on specific males for their opinions, otherwise we were to remain silent. Anyway, not entirely related but it's where my mind went.

I'm not sure how ALA handles that generally, if you're attending when a school gets accreditation, you're good. If you've graduated, you're up the proverbial creek. Likewise, if the school loses accreditation after you've graduated, you're fine. Unfortunately for you, there's a risk that your school's appeal process will be quite lengthy because of the simple fact that it generally takes some serious work, or lack thereof, to lose accreditation. Considering how important ALA accreditation is to a lot of employers, I'd pass on the school at this given time.

This is a bit of a rant piece but also an attempt to get other's experiences and insight. During my UG and while getting my MDiv, I took a fair deal of coursework in Women's Studies and LOVED it, did exceptionally well, and received encouragement that I had a future in the field if I was so inclined. The problem came, as more than one professor and student put it, is the fact that I'm a heterosexual male and professors and students simply found it odd that I was interested in the material, let alone interested enough to do well. My first couple of courses in WS in UG, until my name got around, was that I was a confused jock who thought the class would be talking about sex all day. By my third course that reputation was shed and it was known that I was serious about the material but people still told me they found it weird I was so into the material. Perhaps weird like your atypical white male student studying African American Lit? I never asked why people found it so weird to begin with, partially because I always felt constantly being challenged and forced to prove myself. That said, I think such experiences help me relate to others in a similar boat. Anyway, my question is really - Just how rare was it for some of you to have non-typical students in your WS classes? For example, heterosexual white males. In all of UG, I was the only known one (it was a very small program to begin with) and while doing my MDiv, I had one class that had two others. Going further, is there a place for heterosexual males in the field of Women's Studies? Academically (grad. student/professor) but also as far as 'meaningful' contribution to the field itself. I would compain about constantly being tested and doubted until I proved otherwise, but I know many of my female friends went through the same in science programs. Well, that's my late night rant while I work a 3rd shift at the hospital. Take care everyone.

From friends that have gone this route, they've all emailed the Department Chair and inquired through them. I assume you only have a MA? If so, I'd look toward small LAC and state universities - both will from time to time make use of adjuncts to teach Freshman writing courses so it frees up tenured faculty to teach courses they want.