Search the Community

I'm very lucky to be in the spot that I am: I have been offered admission so far at three schools (and am waiting on Yale Div School). From JTS, I received a 65% merit fellowship, from HDS, a 75% tuition fellowship, and from UChicago Div School, a full tuition scholarship plus 10k living stipend. This is great! Though I'm now stuck with the anxiety of making the right choice. Money isn't the biggest problem, though I would prefer to pay as little as possible. Any advice? Can I leverage scholarships from one school to get more from another?

Hey everyone, I am going to be a senior next year and start applying for a masters. I want to follow your original advice and you told me learn the languages at a 3 year maximum masters program. I am currently at a overall GPA of 3.07 and major GPA of 3.6. I am currently a history major and most of my classes are in Egyptology. Classes that have covered the Pre-Dynastic period to the fall of the new kingdom, Egyptian Archaeology, and Egyptian Ritual and Magic. Well I am the treasurer of my History Club, I published an article 2 years ago in my university's department student run history journal. I was also an editor for it this year. I have hosted guest speaker talks for my history club multiple times. From topics touching lgbtq history, Chicano history, Theology, Chinese history, Japanese history. I am a former Jehovah's Witness who got motivated to pursue this field. After I was revealed that my own religion's bible was translated erroneously. I was 19 when I left and became catholic 2 years ago. I however resigned from my church in February because I could not agree with the doctrine of Papal Supremacy, married clergy, I am pro-choice, pro-female ordination, and for blessing LGBT unions/marriages. But the last three reasons I kept to myself in my letter of resignation. I have been attending a orthodox church lately but I think I might just become episcopal after a three bible scholars asvised me through email to go where I feel most comfortable. Do not worry about apostolic succession or the fact that you are pro-choice, or being called a heretic." So that another reason I would want to go to Yale. Because YDS from what I hear is super ecumenical. I also hear that YDS is a place where I get a mix of both an academic setting, but also provide me religious resources. I would also like to be ordained in the church and would like to do it through Berkley Divinity School. My end goal is a PhD but I would also like to work as a priest and educator. I want a masters where I can learn the languages because I go to a public university in the inland empire. I just gotta ask what are my chances of getting into any of these schools. Does my life experiences help my chances. Please do not laugh at my list. I would like to apply to these school Fuller Theological Seminary, Loyola Chicago, Catholic University of America, Yale Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, Duke Divinity School, Emory Divnity School, Boston College, and Princeton Theological Seminary. I hope somebody can advise me. Thank you.

Hi all. I’m just trying to get an idea of the stats required for the MTS at Harvard’s Divinity School or other similar programs. I’ve heard the acceptance rate is a lot higher than one would expect, but also that it tends to be a pretty self-selecting group. I have a BA in an unrelated field (3.5 GPA) but religious studies has always been an interest of mine and it’s something I incorporated into my thesis while in undergrad. My language skills are pretty rusty - stopped just short of getting a Spanish major in college because I was having a mental breakdown and languages have never been my forte. Also, I would have been required to read Don Quixote and try as I might it was absolute gibberish to me. My basic question is, if I took maybe 3-4 classes at a community college or local university and wrote a compelling personal statement, might I have a shot? Or should I just give up now? Honest opinions wanted.

Hi all, I am applying to grad programs in Second Temple Judaism and Christian origins, and I'm interested to know what you think my chances are of getting accepted. Master's programs to which I'm applying: MTS @ HDS, ND, Duke Div MA(TS) @ Princeton Sem MA in Early Christian Studies @ ND MAR in Second Temple Judaism @ YDS MA @ Toronto Education BA in Theology, minor in Classics (4.0) MA in Biblical Languages (4.0) [May 2018]* --- both from same evangelical university Languages Greek [classical & Koine] (advanced) Hebrew (advanced) Latin (intermediate) Aramaic (intermediate) German (beginner) -GRE 163 (V), 158 (Q), 4.5 (AW) -One conference presentation (university's theology conference) -Received departmental and university-wide awards during undergraduate years -Two research assistantships Some reasons I'm interested in doing another master's before PhD: -to diversify my education -to develop my research interests into a dissertation topic & proposal -to develop proficiencies in Sahidic Coptic, Syriac, and German -to hopefully get accepted to a PhD program at one of the schools listed above I'd appreciate any thoughts or feedback, especially from those with inside experience at/in any of these schools/programs. + A_CS