Thoughts on Harvard Divinity School

[Sisko]

Hello all,

I am considering applying to Harvard Divinity School (HDS) in the near future. Briefly to share a little about my background, I am a U.S. citizen and I hold several academic degrees, primarily from Ivy League institutions. I have several years of professional experience serving the public.

I wish to pose the following two queries, which are purposefully broad in hopes of eliciting more thoughtful responses:

1) What is the general perception of HDS, namely in terms of the public?

2) How is HDS perceived within the Harvard community? 

It would be particularly helpful if people familiar with HDS would kindly reply. And please, friends, let's all make a concerted effort to keep the dialogue respectful of differing points of view. 

Thanks much for your valuable time in sharing your insights! Take care.

 

[Sisko]

Hello,

For clarification in the event there is any confusion as to my purpose in raising the queries above, my focus is not on the "prestige" of Harvard Divinity School. I regard HDS in the same high esteem that I have for any of Harvard's founding schools. And indeed, if all a school (any school) had to say about itself is that "we are prestigious," then I would promptly look elsewhere for a more substantive academic experience.

In raising the questions above, I was hoping to ascertain whether HDS is perceived publicly and internally (campus community) as having lost it's original mission - or perhaps reshaped its mission in light of modern thinking. Based on my readings, there appears to be an ongoing debate about that issue even within HDS faculty and administration. 

Pardon if my initial questions conveyed a different line of thought. As something of an historian, I enjoy learning from the public how certain institutions were and are perceived over time.

Thanks guys!

[Sisko]

Thank you for your thoughts, Danie123. Take care.