Trin

PS: I don't know that Foucault is bigger than Jesus, but he's certainly uh, looms large in some students pantheon of academic crushes, or something.

Breathe, yall. I'm in my second year at HDS, and my cumulative GPA was a 2.67. Now,half of that was prior to 1991, and the most recent part was a 3.97, but please, stop worrying about your GPA. You want to be a good fit, and you need to be clear about why you're a fit for HDS in your SOP.

Lots of factors. I was admitted with a 2.6 cum, though that reflects a 1.51 from way back when and a 3.975 for recent work. My impression is that your GPA is part of the story -- if it's low, there needs to be enough other compelling reasons to admit you to offset it.

Eeek, just realized you wanted PhD only. Sorry!

I dunno if Cronkhite is *nice*, but it's okay, I think. the other grad housing I mostly can't afford. I agree that some of Somerville is closer, but it depends on the location. I am actually really mindful of *where* things are, and how far the walk is, or what transit options there are. I apologize if I seem cranky about it, but I was trying to be tactful and not say, "Dude, I am almost 45 years old, I have arthritis and the winter weather makes me ache like a mofo. I will have language classes 5 days a week and I am not a freaking morning person. Grr, grr!"

I appreciate your input -- I don't know how many times I've heard that, though. Yes, I understand that there is housing in Somerville, and in many other places that are just one or two T stops away. Each person's situation is different. I'm old enough and self-aware enough to be clear about the housing situation that will best support my academic work while I'm at HDS. I don't know how I can be any more clear than that without TMI. :-)

I didn't get into CSWR and got waitlisted at the Cronkhite. I hope I clear the waitlist, even though I agree it's suboptimal. I want a bathtub. I'm also networking for a possible housing share. BTW, the Student Life/Housing folks at HDS told me in email that we'll be invited to a Facebook group for our cohort soon. :-)

Anyone else apply to the CSWR housing? The resident decisions are supposed to be out on April 30, but I'm wondering if they'll come out today -- and if there are notifications for those who didn't get space, too. Anyone heard about it?

Oh, for me, Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah. I found a lovely used three volume set which I've been gradually working through. It's the translation -- I'm no where near being able to read it in Arabic. For non-school related stuff, the book I'm most excited about is Lev Grossman's The Magician King -- it's not due out until August 9, but I'm one of his beta test readers. :-)

I can't help you with your major-specific stuff -- I'm a Religious Studies person -- but I can tell you about a CSU thing. :-) I'm graduating this spring from SJSU. In the fall, I'll be attending Harvard Divinity School (HDS) in pursuit of the MTS there. I did really well on the GRE verbal and writing part, but not as well on the math. I have nearly a 4.0 at SJSU, but a 2.6 overall, because I had a low GPA when I returned to school. Important to my application were strong recommendations from tenured professors in my major and a good Statement of Purpose. I'm also a really good fit for the program at HDS. In contrast with your advisor, my professors were always optimistic that I could get into a good grad program coming from SJSU. My department actually has a track record of sending folks to HDS -- one every two or three years -- so that helped, maybe. If I were going to offer advice, I'd suggest talking to your profs about programs they think you'd be a good fit for, instead of just your advisor.

The ones from International Women's Day? Hell yes! I looked at *all* the pictures in the set on Flickr, and they're all wonderful, and I cannot wait to be there. :-)

*grin* I have so many previous schools -- women's college, flagship state U, community colleges, BNSU -- that I could pretty much wear a different college shirt every day of the week. :-) I am reminded of the "This is What A Feminist Looks Like" shirts featured recently at HDS for International Women's Day. "This Is What Community College Looks Like". :-) It wasn't particularly *challenging* in an academic sense, but California has so many state-specific requirements for graduates that are much more easily discharged via CC distance education or evening classes.

I am still amused at somehow being an example of diversity. I mean, in person, the ony thing that seems "diverse" about me is my age -- and even that some people don't pick up on. I drove someone back to the airport from the conference on Monday; she was one of several scholars I met during the weekend who mistook me for being about 15 years younger than I am. I seem to defy many of the expectations about the appearance of someone with my avowed identities and interests. So I guess I'm stealth diverse.

You made me laugh! :-) In other news, I am totally ordering school sweatshirts from the Big Non-Selective State U I'm graduating from in two months and the community college I attended before that -- to take with me to HDS. I was inspired by this thread. :-)

Applying for all the on campus options and hoping, then doing another round if I don't get into CSWR or Cronkite (but hopefully the former). I am trying to avoid dealing with furniture.

Yay! I accepted last week, but I didn't say anything because it wasn't that much of a difficult decision or anything. :-)

I'm presenting at a regional AAR conference in about 12 hours, and I was reminded of yall. Why? Well, I'm having this sudden anxiety that my paper isn't queer enough for the Queer Studies section. :lol:

Yup, small world. :-)

Hey, Sky Pilot -- I've just realized you have the same user icon here as someone I know on Twitter. Coincidence? :-)

Depends on what you want. I've already applied for the oncampus grad housing options and created my Harvard-run off campus housing app -- you have to fax your admissions letter to get it approved. They're lottery based, but some have priority deadlines coming up or other reasons to apply early.

Would be interested to hear what you find out about this. It occurs to me that splitting one would be more cost effective than a studio, and still have many of the things I would love in housing (on campus, bathtub, not a single bed, other whimsical stuff, and OMG CSWR!).

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I think that's a great idea for some people. Me? I'm not terribly enthused about sharing a house with other grad students, largely because most other grad students are going to be in a different life stage than I am. There's a whole complexity of social interaction that I have to contend with that you probably don't even have to think about, completely aside from personal and health issues that are part and parcel of that age issue. In short, I think living off campus can be a great thing for some people, some times, but there are also arguments to be made for living alone, or on campus. In my case, I'm hoping to get into the CSWR, which I think represents a good compromise for me.

Alright, so it sounds like we need to plan a GradCafe Southern dinner this fall. :-) Bonus points if you bring Prothero with you. :-) :-)

Yeah, I'd have to say I'm pretty solidly a fan myself -- something that's been nurtured by my department's slight bias that direction, largely from the echoes of Ken Kramer's influence there.

Well, if you go with HDS, we'll have to have to have a big Southern dinner for classmates sometime. I'm a great cook, and it sounds like you'll be able to afford someplace with a kitchen. :-)