vega maudlin

That's completely awesome. Go him!

Makes sense.

Highlanders, is there a reason you didn't mention Marquette? I don't know much about the school, but 18K is a huge stipend...

Please do PM me! And I would not ignore that email -- Jeffrey Stackert is a great professor, personable and extremely articulate. I only had him for Intro Hebrew Bible, but we continued to have conversations (mostly about teaching biblical criticism to mixed audiences, which I was interested in) throughout the year. It'd be great if you could make a connection with him before the start of the term -- and if you have specific questions, again, PM me.

New mexico, are you still going to the merit scholar days at BU?

Fair enough I'm sort of realizing that any of these programs will give me an excellent education and will open all kinds of interesting doors -- just a *different* kind of excellent education and different *sorts* of doors. Which is fine. And thank you everyone for the advice!

I very much appreciate you passing the sentiment along! I'm visiting ND in about a week anyway, and I think that will help me decide. (Also, wow -- dropped out of a PhD program to do an MTS program?? What field was she in?) I'd give you my stats, but I suspect you mean you're applying for PhD programs next year? I'm only applying for my MTS, actually (ergo the smallish stipends, comparatively).

Which professor was it? (And did you apply to the MDiv or the MA program?)

Finally heard back from Duke for the MTS! Got waitlisted, took myself off the waitlist.

How much is money a factor in your decision? I'm trying to figure out which Biblical Studies program/faculty I'd rather work with -- at Emory or Notre Dame -- and all the while there's a little voice in my head that's calculating the stipend each school is giving me and the cost of living in each respective city, and that's letting me know that $3,000/year in Atlanta is not going to go NEARLY as far as $5,000/year (plus TA opportunities for additional stipend) in South Bend. At first I thought Notre Dame's Bib. studies program would fit me better, now I'm thinking maybe Emory's would, but I almost feel reluctant to come to that conclusion, because I think I'm much more likely to take on debt at Emory's program than at ND's. I tend to be a pretty frugal person, and I don't want to go overboard and decide JUST based on money, but I also know I'll get more out of my education if I'm not freaking out about money all the time. Thoughts? Anyone in a similar situation? Anyone have advice or suggestions?

Or maybe because Tahuds sounds like Talmud! I had him pegged as biblical studies too.

Glad I could help! PM me if you want any more information/conversation about NT, ECS (like I said, I consistently attended the Early Christian Studies Workshop), the faculty, etc. It sounds like we are in similar fields -- MMM was my thesis adviser, so if you're thinking of working with her, I'd be happy to chat about it.

Chicago has a really superb NT program, but do note that Margaret Mitchell won't be teaching next year -- she has a Guggenheim fellowship to finish translating some homilies of John Chrysostom's (and that's on top of all the responsibilities of being dean). Klauck and Martinez are also excellent, but I'd check to see which professor lines up best with your area of interest. If you're interested in the Gospel of John, Revelation, Johannine letters, parables, or some Paul, you'll be set with Klauck. If you're into Paul, the Gospel of Mark, or early Christian exegesis, I'd talk to MMM at the prospective students day and present the situation to her. She is an enormously supportive and encouraging human being, and puts a ridiculous amount of time & effort into her students, so I imagine she will try to find a constructive solution. Hm. Just checked the website, and it looks like she has pushed her Guggenheim year to 2012-13. Still relevant for you, though.

Originally my first choices were Yale and Chicago, but I honestly didn't consider the possibility that I might get full tuition + stipend offers from other schools. So I'm deciding between ND, Emory, and BU. ND has a superb Biblical Studies program, low cost of living, TA/research opportunities, and proximity to Chicago. It's also in a very freezing middle of nowhere; seriously, I thought I was done with Lake Michigan and midwestern winters when I graduated from U of C. I'm also not sure there is much flexibility in the program -- I still want to explore options, and ND seems very pre-PhD. Aaand I'm pretty sure that the transfer from agnostic Chicago to Catholic Notre Dame would be a bit of a culture shock. But I guess I signed up for that bit Emory also has a good Biblical Studies program, but less geared towards my particular interests. Atlanta would be fabulous and warm and expensive to live in, and (re: the latter) Emory's stipend is the lowest. However, it seems to have more flexibility than Notre Dame, and I know (via phone conversation) that they are excited about the diversity of my interests. BU has all the resources of Boston and the BTI, huge flexibility in the program, higher cost of living but larger stipend to compensate, and (from what I can tell) the kind of open atmosphere that I'm looking for. However, it's less prestigious than the other two, and its NT program is a bit lacking. In summation, ARGH.

If you are planning for congregational ministry and you think you might be able to get a scholarship from your hometown church, there is always the fund for theological education: http://www.fteleader...nal-fellowships The deadline is April 1st, though, so you'd have to get on it . I think they match your hometown church's contribution 100% up to $5,000. So if you get your home church to donate $2,000, The Fund would match that for another $2,000. I *think* that's how it works, at least. I couldn't find many scholarships for an applicant interested in education (like me) -- if you are actually interested in ministry, there seems to be more money out there. I'd pick a random theological school (HDS works fine) and look at their listing of outside scholarships and grants. For example: http://www.hds.harva...side/index.html Some of the deadlines will have passed, but you may be able to find something that applies to you. Other resources are fastweb.com and, well, the internets. Search for "unitarian universalist scholarships" -- it often helps if you're part of a denomination, because there are denominational-specific resources out there. http://www.fastweb.com Good luck!

Not honestly sure yet. Yale was originally my top choice, and I love Chicago Div dearly, but it is hard (and rather unwise, methinks) to turn down a full-tuition plus stipend offer. So I will probably be deciding between ND, Emory, and BU.

Aw, congratulations to both of you! Again, if you do have questions about Hyde Park, U of C, the Div school... Are either of you going to the accepted students' day?

I'm not sure it has so much to do with the languages. I have French (for years and years, plus some experience with medieval French) and some Koine Greek (the latter I have just studied on my own since graduating in '09), but that only showed up in a corner of my resume, really -- and, I guess, in my writing sample. That said... I would not have been accepted/funded at these programs if I'd applied my senior year of college. I graduated, took a year to work odd jobs and think about what I wanted to do next (and, more importantly, why I wanted to do it) -- and, a year and some after graduating, I applied. I'm really glad I took time off. I have several crappy novel drafts, a much more eclectic resume, and an incomplete knowledge of Greek, Hebrew, and German as a result -- nothing to write home about -- but the time I took off was invaluable for figuring out what was important to me and what I wanted to do with my life. Cliche but true. Your SOP will be much stronger if you do so, methinks. Actually having finished your honors thesis will also make a difference -- at least for me, it's hard to evaluate huge projects like that until, as you say, the dust has settled a bit. In summation: get some distance, think very hard about what you're trying to accomplish by going to grad school in religion, and rewrite your statement of purpose accordingly. Audience you're trying to reach, gap in scholarship you're trying to fill, etc. And to answer your last question, I would *both* apply for ND again, and shoot for somewhere more "within reach." Can't hurt to try, can't hurt to have a safety

If you have any questions about the Div school, feel free to ask/message me! Like I said, I took all my classes there fourth year, and I'm pretty familiar with the faculty/student body.

I heard back in early February. However, PTS has rolling admissions, so there is a chance they may send out more acceptances as they hear back from admitted-but-not-attending students. I think Phenom and I are both turning down the offer... hopefully it comes your way instead

I haven't gotten a call yet either. I expect we will all hear within the next couple days.

Check your mail again, they just went out! I'm in at yds!

I heard for Chicago Mdiv last week. I guess there are different mdiv/ma decision dates?

Aww, I'm flattered! Thanks! I, for one, am very glad I am not on an admissions committee... as people share their interests/backgrounds, the distinction between admitted/rejected seems increasingly slim.

Well... I got admitted at HDS, and I graduated with honors at a relatively elite institution, and my interests do not particularly revolve around social justice. I might qualify for "interested in interfaith dialogue"... but that's about it. Also, why would HDS be the school to change its image to get more funding? Harvard has the largest endowment of... essentially anyone. If they need to bend towards social justice to get funding, why doesn't Yale or Chicago or Duke have to do likewise?