AurantiacaStella

It sounds likely, but the committee is still meeting and nothing firm has been decided.

My guess is this perception probably depends on the department. And I would add that once you disproved their initial negative perception, everything was just fine.

If you want a one-bedroom to yourself or for you and your partner, even in Somerville you can expect to pay *at least* $1400/mo.

I do want to add though that I am not sure it is fair to the students that HDS (and other schools) admit so many to the MTS program. The vast majority of MTS students want to pursue PhDs and it is statistically impossible for all of them to do so. So, apart from as a stepping stone to a PhD degree, what use does the MTS have? Everyone thinking about getting an MTS should consider this question and decide whether an MTS would have value for them if they choose a non-academic career path.

I certainly didn't mean to say that HDS students are idiots. In some of the postings above I was trying to convey the *perception* of div school students within Harvard at large. Whether fair or not, there is hostility to div school students at Harvard and elsewhere.

Somerville is significantly less expensive, but the prices there can also be shocking depending on what you're used to paying rent-wise.

It is not widely publicized but it is around 50% for both the MTS and MDiv at HDS. That's not to say there are not many quality students; the MTS is an especially large program. Page 10 of this report on the study of religion at Harvard (commissioned by the Harvard President) includes the citation you want: http://www.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/content/Statement_on_Religion_Report_09192012.pdf

Thanks Lexicon. I live in a major city now and almost always feel perfectly safe -- a few drunks and homeless don't bother me. It's good to hear that Atlanta's buses and trains are no worse than any other major city's. I've been a bit baffled by several people adamantly telling me MARTA is not an option safety-wise.

At HDS, 50% tuition is need-based. There are also a variety of merit awards at HDS, some include full tuition and some even include a stipend. There are really a variety of funding packages for MTS students. MDivs are usually much better-funded because their denominations have often given money to HDS specifically for full tuition + stipend packages for students in their denominations.

Holy shit you guys are being mean tonight. But many giggles were had.

Any feedback about the buses? Frequency? Safety? Maybe it's just the train that is called MARTA. I saw several bus routes that go from Virginia Highland and Candler Park to Emory. (I'm wondering because Emory's free shuttle routes are somewhat limited.)

I wouldn't live in The Fort as a grad student. You would be around a bunch of rowdy undergrads, and the safety of the area has really decreased in the last few years. If you're willing to drive, there are some good apartment complexes in West Knoxville/Bearden, and I know a number of people who rent houses in North Knoxville. I wouldn't really suggest East Knox safety-wise.

I've been told repeatedly not to rely on MARTA. Is this because it is inconvenient (i.e. trips are infrequent), or is it actually unsafe? i currently live in a large city and generally don't ride public transit alone after 8 p.m., but at least here I never feel unsafe. I would really appreciate some insight on this. And if it is unsafe, would it be less unsafe to bike in Atlanta traffic?

You can read the first few pages of Calarco's intro to Zoographies on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Zoographies-Question-Animal-Heidegger-Derrida/dp/0231140223/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363898199&sr=1-1&keywords=0231140223, which I thought was pretty helpful.

When you get a half-tuition grant at HDS it is need-based. Even if you make nothing, that does not mean they will fully fund you, because any aid they give beyond half-tuition is merit-based. So the answer is: Yes. If you want to go, they expect you to take out loans to cover whatever they didn't.

Please check on the stipend amount! -- $12K/year sounds much more likely than $12K/semester.

When you fill out a FAFSA as a grad student, you don't even enter parental financial info.

I'm pretty sure HDS will not negotiate at the masters level. Please take cost of living into account! Cambridge is *such* an expensive place to live. If you go with half tuition, you may have trouble even getting enough loans to cover both 1/2 tuition and the outrageous cost of living.

It is true that HDS is looked down upon by GSAS. When you cross-register for a class in GSAS as an HDS student, you feel like you have to prove that you aren't an idiot, because for some reason that is what GSAS assumes. This mindset can be attributed to the fact that the MTS admits almost 50% of applicants, while the grad programs (all phd-level I believe) in GSAS are incredibly more selective. I don't think this is as true for HDS ThDs, but within Harvard as a whole, CSR PhDs would definitely be more well-regarded by other humanities grad students.

Keep in mind cost of living though too. If you don't have a stipend from HDS you're still going to go into debt because cambridge is such an expensive place to live. Also HDS will position you well for PhD programs, but I imagine Chicago would as well.

We have started a google doc in Lit & Rhet & Comp. https://docs.google.com/a/mail.harvard.edu/spreadsheet/lv?key=0Al9pLrYezRcSdGdUTk0zWk5QVUJFSGxVZ2FJQ1QwWFE

If you choose Yale, work very hard to network with profs and phd students in your field. The connections will help you immensely, but in a bigger program like Yale's, you really have to work to make connections. Also, in an MDiv you're going to be doing ministry stuff. Is this a positive for you? Because I doubt it will either help or hurt your PhD apps.

I also contacted POIs, and I think it gave me a good sense of who I might enjoy working with. I wouldn't put too much stock in an email conversation, but if it's a positive experience then that's a good sign that they would be a supportive advisor. Also, proflorax, I totally second that it's better to only tell your closest friends. Much less stressful to not have every random person in your class asking you about your application success!

Sursie, I just have to say -- Franny and Zooey is my favorite book. Love the quote!

Also, two of my three recommenders were English profs. I think this was key as well.