caro

Hi guys On MFA waitlists, I am fairly sure that they usually are not strictly ranked (I worked in an MFA admissions office for a couple of months). They generally will pick people from the waitlist that correspond to people who have declined to enroll, in terms of work, gender, etc. Since it is such a careful balancing act to pick a class of MFA students, they try to use the waitlist to keep that balance in place. By the way, many people get in from waitlists! I went to Yale a number of years ago, and at that time there were always one or two people who came in off the waitlist. But I know people who have gone there more recently, and I have heard that there are now a lot of people there who had been waitlisted...and as far as I can tell, these make up some of the best students. I think with the wide variety of schools now available, and the large number of schools applied to by applicants, waitlisted candidates have a better chance than ever. Anyway good luck and don't be discouraged.

Slick: oh yeah. Seems like something that should have been automatic, but...that's why I ask you smart people for good ideas! I feel silly but THANKS!

Dear Jufarius, Slick, etc thank you so much for this encouragement. I was feeling pretty sheepish when I was trying to explain my interest in div school, so it's nice to hear that it's not totally out of my reach in every way. If you have a second, are there any readings you might be able to suggest? Eschatology is of particular interest to me, but also anything about early Christianity would be cool (I have to re-listen to last night's "Fresh Air"...it seemed interesting but I was grading papers so I missed all the best parts!). Anyway, it is just great to hear about div school from a student's perspective Thanks a million Caro

Hi, Basically, I want to know (this is going to sound very stupid) what the classes are like in Divinity School; what is the approach to the study of the Bible? Is it historical, sociological, etc, or is it always from the position of the believer? I am very interested in religion and like very much writing on religion, (have read things by Steven Runciman, IM Lewis, M. Eliade etc...my interest is more historical; early Christianity specifically) but I'm afraid I might be better off in an undergrad religious studies program. The trouble is, I already have a bachelor's from the Maryland Institute College of Art...and a master's from Yale, also in visual art. I am now teaching private high school (art) out west, and have become involved with the Episcopal Church, although I was brought up without church attendance and am not baptized. I want to learn more about religion and can really see myself working for the church in some way. However I haven't taken the GRE and am very scared of it. The more I write, the worse this is seeming! I guess I could attend the study groups at "my" church. When I was at Yale about 10 years ago, I took some classes at the Div School, so it gave me a kind of romantic notion about attending...the teachers were great, and it was so beautiful. Maybe it would be a good idea to just solicit some good recommendations for books I can read on my own, for my own benefit, on my own time! However, I would really like to hear kind of generally about what the Divinity School experience is like! Also, I would like to hear about why you decided to apply and what your background is. thanks Caro

Hello, Is everyone here applying to PhD programs etc...or might some of you be applying to Divinity School? I cannot find information on Divinity School programs on this site, and it would be good to hear some opinions (other than those of the schools themselves). I tried on the "professional schools" page, but there was no forum. I'd be applying in the next round. thanks, Caroline

you know what you should do...find a nice apartment for springtime, when everybody is moving away (that is, start looking now), and then sublet it to a foreign student, visiting fellow etc for the summer. then you won't have to scramble like a madman in july or august. I think Yale offers several avenues for advertising sublets, and New Haven Craigslist is good anyways.

EAST ROCK for all! I wouldn't live anywhere else in New Haven. Westville is too far. Whalley Ave area is no good. The Green is creepy. Dwight street area starts to suck, esp. anything west of that towards the hospital or south around Crown and George Sts. East Rock near State St/Pearl St is full of grad students, but closer to the park is super beautiful. Choice of perfect Italian delis on Orange St...Nica's or Romeo and Caesar's (my favorite is R and C's), Modern Apizza, Peabody Museum, several lovely parks, easy parking for cars (esp in the Northern part...you won't even need a resident permit), sort of safe (way safer than most other sections of town, but there are still things like mugging at knifepoint if you are wandering around too late at night in the summer. And gangs of kids on bikes are a problem...and your car radio will get stolen. But most problems are avoidable with common sense, and honestly it is much safer than the Yale area, 9th Square, etc). Also there are 2 free shuttles, one that goes up and down Orange, the other on Whitney. If you feel like a longish walk, you can walk to the Metro North station to go to New York. Also, you can walk to school in about 25-40 minutes, depending on how far into East Rock you are. Oh my G*d, I miss East Rock...I wish I still lived there. However, I hear that the lesbian scene is better in the Wooster Square neighborhood...apparently there is some kind of amazing cafe there? I'll wait for somebody else to post on that. But Wooster Square requires crossing State St and 9th Square...you could never really walk to school, especially at night.

yale painting interview advice whatever you do, don't tell peter halley you admire the works of mel bochner!!!!!

Yale painting info. Yale interviews 75 painting applicants, from which the take about 20. So if you have an interview your chances are relatively good. They like big work in the interviews, and work that can be hung up easily. They also like to see new work produced after you submitted slides. To the applicant reproducing their paintings for their Yale interview: bad idea. That will just confuse the committee. Better to just make new ones. Ship the big ones already stretched if you can, but make sure the boxes are easy to open/close and all the works and box are labeled with your full name. Bring a bunch of drawings with you too if you want, and printouts of any good 3-d stuff you may have made might be good. Try to find out who is interviewing you ahead of time. Finally, Yale painting is quite interdisciplinary for a "painting program". Good to bring in your digital video to show the interviewers, for example.