Average GRE scores for M.Div students at top schools?

[Adelei]

Please forgive my ignorance - I am VERY early in the process of looking into getting a Masters of Divinity and basically know nothing. I'm an older applicant - several years back I became unhappy with my career and decided to go to law school. Before I got very far in the process, I felt called to move to China to work with orphans. I went on and took the LSAT, mostly just for fun at that point, and scored in the top 1%. My LSAT score has since expired though (I took it in 2011). I'm now wanting to move back to the States and pursue my M.Div. I'm actually thinking I would like to get a dual degree with a Juris Doctor. I will need to take the LSAT again, but I expect to do about the same (hopefully a little better.) I contacted Harvard Divinity School to see if I could apply with an LSAT score rather than a GRE score. They were very kind about it, but told me no. They did mention that if I were to be accepted into the Law School and begin studying, I could then apply for a GRE waiver, but there was no guarantee it would be approved. So I'm thinking it's best if I plan to take the GRE anyway, as other schools may require this as well (obviously I'm not pinning all my hopes on one school). And since my real goal is the M.Div, I would prefer not to start at a law school without knowing whether the school's Divinity program will accept me.

Does anyone know what the average GRE score for M.Div students at Harvard (or any other top school) is? This information is very easy to find for the Law School / LSAT scores, but I haven't found anything in regards to GRE scores for the Divinity School. I'm just wondering what score I need to aim for. I literally have no idea what is considered a good score for the GRE.

I gotta say, I'm way more nervous about the GRE than the LSAT. I haven't done math since high school! I was very good at math - my high school math teacher essentially begged the principal to let me go to a local university and do dual enrollment (it wasn't something people did in my school at the time), so I did all my university level math before graduating high school and never looked back! I feel like I could barely remember how to multiply fractions at this point. I wish they didn't require the GRE as I doubt M.Div students are required to do much math!

Thanks for any help or tips you can provide!

[JDD]

Hey @Adelei

For an M.Div, most programs (basically none but Harvard) don't even require a GRE score. Every single school I applied to last season only required some essays and recommendation letters. As for a JD/M.Div dual degree program - check out Yale. I looked into it for similar reasons. It is obviously no easy task getting into Yale Law, but they have a proven track record of students earning their JD and M.Div simultaneously.

So, unless you are really committed to Harvard, you shouldn't have to worry about taking a GRE until you're ready to apply for Ph.D programs - if in fact that is something you want to do.

[Boolakanaka]

To add, the JD/M.Div track at Yale, is very nicely situated and fairly synergistic, I’m my estimation the best of its kind in the nation. That said, as @JDD correctly states, getting into YLS, is no easy task from even the best of candidates. Even among its potential applicants, it is very self-selecting. While I was doing a fellowship there, I was blown away by the caliber of students, from former CEOs to former Generals to folks who already had obtain Pulitzer’s and Emmys—breathtaking diversity too. Think along the lines of a 173/174 LSAT, as a cutoff and a really compelling SOW, and you will be on your way...best.

[Adelei]

Thank you both. Yeah, I might apply to Yale, but I'm not going to hold my breath over getting in. When I looked into their class profiles a few years back and saw former ambassadors, former peace treaty writers, award-winning novelists, etc. I pretty much realized I didn't stand much of a chance. Even having a perfect LSAT score and 4.0 GPA doesn't guarantee admission - many times they accept people with average LSAT scores (in the 150s) but stellar softs. So applying to Yale Law School is somewhat like buying a lotto ticket (one time) - doesn't hurt to try and you'll be ecstatic if you get accepted, but it's not what you're actually counting on.

One reason I'm particularly interested in Harvard is because of their loan forgiveness program. From what I've heard, the JD side will encompass my M.Div as well. I'm not really planning on going into law to make money. Actually, ten years from now you might find me working in an inner-city somewhere, tutoring troubled teens and delivering food to the homeless while working to get women out of sexual slavery. Who knows! If I practice law, I'd like to do non-profit and pro-bono work that really helps people. So considering that my goals include essentially making no money at all (or at least, not very much), I'm looking for the best way to get my degree(s) without owing anything (or owing as little as possible). Whether I get an M.Div, JD or both, I don't want to be forced to take certain jobs just so I can pay my school loans.

[Boolakanaka]

@Adelei You are taking the right approach and attitude. And wanted to add, and it’s sort of a secret, but not really, if you are able to get into YLS, there loan forgiveness is unsurpassed, literally. Think about it in these terms, YLS, the smallest of the tippy top law schools, has also the smallest enrolled student body, including PhDs, LLMs, etc....at about 700, give or take. However, their endowment specifc to the law school is over 1.2 billion (which in some instances is more than a flagship state university has to support their entire undergraduate population), yes over a billion supporting under a 1000 students. So, while HLS has a slightly higher endowment, it also has to support over three times as many total students. If you get into YLS, run don’t walk to the admissions office....