MsBOOM

Congrats to all those accepted to HDS! Welcome, new schoolmates! ((Also, if you guys have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to PM!))

I haven't gotten in touch with him to verify who/what/where/when/how/why (I would really like to know to tell everyone!) - I'm guessing he meant that they were mailed out? (And that the emails will come shortly?)

According to my friend who works in the admissions office at Harvard, the acceptances have been sent out as of today. Hope you all hear good news (for those who applied!)!!!

Not trying to be a downer on you right now, but I wouldn't 100% expect Harvard or Yale to cover ALL of your tuition. Two years ago, HDS was great with grants and stipends, but last year, the budget was definitely cut. It's no secret here that the second year MTS/MDiv students definitely got more covereage than the 2012 incoming class. Barely anyone I know was able to get full tuition coverage last year - let alone a stipend. With that said, I hope you do get what you want and need! Furthermore, if you get into HDS and apply at the Law School (and get in), you can do a joint degree in which you get a JD and MTS within three years. I believe you would end up doing one year at HDS and the following two years are at the Law School. I think Yale has the same option (although you might want to double-check on that)... I was very interested in crossing the two, but abandoned the idea once I realized I'm wayyyy too much of a softie to be a lawyer, haha.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you, Blue!

Congrats!!!! Love Columbia

Cry. A lot. The kind of crying that makes you hiccup and shoot snot bubbles everywhere. And also drink myself into an oblivion. Then I would attempt to start some kind of interfaith initiative of some sort - someway, somehow. If I can't do what I wanna do academically, then might as well do it on the ground.

Wonderful! I want to do a PhD in Islamic Studies after I'm done here at HDS, but I'm at a loss as to where I want to/where I CAN (given that I don't know where I'll be living until October 2014 )

Well said! If you don't mind me asking, where are you doing your PhD?

HAHA, I love how we always keep it real, Nick

Yeah, Nick, you're right about the not enough Muslims applying in the area, but I think that there definitely are a lot of people applying for Islamic Studies nowadays (given everything that's happening in the world).

Oh, it totally doesn't HURT your chances, but it definitely DOES help - if you know what I mean, lol (I'll even go as far as to say that HDS LOVES Muslim students - regardless of what they want to concentrate in - and are always looking for more). Great job on the classes - and in all honesty, I wouldn't go out of my way to learn Persian/Farsi, Urdu, etc in a study abroad program unless you absolutely WANT to do it... knowing Arabic (and those other languages as well) should be enough. I know plenty of Islamic study concentrations that came in here with no languages under their belt (and usually ended up in Arabic classes) - and then you can definitely pick up another language while you're here (yes, they do have Persian, Urdu, etc etc etc... a wide variety!). I came here with Urdu under my belt, but that's because I'm Pakistani and it's the language spoken in my parents' home.

Congrats!!!!!!

I know this may sound like a very crude question, but are you Muslim? (There is definite reasoning behind this that does not involve discrimination, I swear!) Arabic definitely helps - so does knowing other Middle Eastern/South Asain languages (such as Persian/Farsi, Urdu, etc). Does your school offer many classes on Islam? If so, take them! With a GPA like that and your languages (and that fact that you're a RS undergrad), you are actually very competitive. I'm concentrating in Islamic Studies at HDS (and hope to go on to it for a PhD), so please don't hesitate to message/PM me.

It was my understanding that stipends are actually very rare at HDS for MA/MDIV students. Most students I know either got a full grant for tuition only, or only half tuition.

I know! It's totally my dream degree... now I'm just hoping everything here at HDS and my life with my significant other works out so I can pursue such degree... haha

To somewhat calm your fears, Yale seems to be generous in funding students. They offered me a full package last year, and I heard the same from other students that had been accepted as well .

From what I've gotten through their website and talking to a professor there, they're interested in religious ethics/pluralism/tolerance and the like. From what I know, you pick two religious traditions (IE: I really want to work between Islam and Judaism), and figure out ways that these two religious traditions can get along, have interfaith dialogue, work for social justice, and through through conflict - and why these traditions should do such a thing.

The GDR.

PhD in Religious Pluralism at Georgetown University - hands down.

Just FYI, Emory seems to have released acceptances. One of my friends here at Harvard just got accepted into Emory on the American Religious Cultures track.

Hi guys! I haven't been on the board as much recently (and for that, I do feel selfish!), and I hope all of you are well! I just wanted to sharing this "Divinity School Application" to share some laughs - especially with those who are waiting anxiously (as I did last year) for acceptance letters! http://homebrewedchristianity.com/2009/07/22/divinity-school-application-for-liberals-dont-laugh-too-hard/

I went about the lazy way and had my friend (who posted right above me) reply to you, hahaha.

Explain your undergrad GPA struggle in your SOP (don't dwell too much on it, just explain it in passing, in a sense), and you should be fine. With such STELLAR GRE scores, you're bound to raise an eyebrow here and there (in all honesty, my jaw dropped when I saw the verbal/written). Wow! And as you said, your LOR's are awesome... so there's a slight chance they might deny acceptance bc of the GPA, but I highly, highly doubt it. Unless... of course, you prove to be an unfit... fit!

Okay, so... I don't know if any current HDS student or a student alumni from HDS has ever chimed in, but I think most people are wrong in assuming that the degrees offered here aren't strong in theology - especially Christian theology. In a school where it is so often hard to find two people with the same kind of interests, the only time I see multiple people say the same topic IS always in regards to theology. I believe that with HDS' programs like their women's, gender, sexuality, and Religion studies, Islamic Studies, and Comparative studies in Religion, people often forget about the MDiv program here... and it can be extremely theologically based. More than anything, on the course offerings for the following two years, the most classes I saw were on two things: Christian Theology and Islamic Theology. AND, I see that you've applied to be a reserve chaplain. I'm not sure if you can do that here, but at HDS, you complete two cases of "field-study" (you can do more if you like) in which you actually go OUT into the field and work with religious communities. For instance, I just met a girl who just completed a field study working as a chaplain at a hospital. Best of all, if you are also able to be paid through these field studies. So it's obvious you will get both, theology and actual field work. The best thing about HDS is that you pretty much SHAPE what you need to do. There are certain requirements, but outside of these minimum requirements, you have so much freedom to pick and choose what you want to focus on. After all, how else can just ONE MDiv program have students that want to do absolutely different things such as Muslim Chaplaincy in a prison setting and becoming a Jewish Rabbi (who is also gay) with a strong academic background in the tradition? Through freedom of shaping their own studies, of course! I'm an MTS student (not MDiv), and even though my concentration is Women's, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion, my first semester is already gearing me up for my PhD application at Georgetown for... Religious Pluralism. So often when we ask each other what are concentrations are, we all just shrug and list off our interests! Your first post in this thread is a statement of purpose already brewing under your fingertips. This also happens to be a statement of purpose that will turn heads at HDS... after all, I think above all, HDS absolutely loves it's diversity and the many different voices that chime in on religion. As different as you are, ironically you would fit right in (in my opinion). HDS wants original, and you want theology. It's a good match. It would never, ever hurt to apply.