2024 M* Thread

[Dumbyguppy]

Ok, I cannot bear the waiting alone anymore. It was fine before I saw the post in the forum, but after seeing it just made me nervous.

How is everyone doing? Where have you applied? Which subfield are you interested in? What are your concerns? What's your background? What's your plan? etc.

I'm interested in East Asian Religion and Gender Studies and I'm applying to several MAs in RS plus HDS' MTS. However, now I'm kinda worried that the topic probably seemed cliche for those programs, especially in this track...I'm also worried about not taking the GRE and having a not competitive GPA. I prefer to pursue a teaching and researching career, but due to cultural considerations, I probably would end up in a law school if did not get into a suitable M* program.🤪

[SWEtoMDiv]

I'm glad you posted this so we don't have to wait in silence! I've been lurking for months now and poring over old threads for anything that might be remotely relevant to my situation—not that I think it helps much in the grand scheme of things, but I have to occupy myself somehow! 😅

My situation is a somewhat unusual one, I think. I finished my undergrad with a degree in computer science and economics five years ago and have been working for the last five years as a software engineer in Silicon Valley startups. The twists and turns my faith journey has taken me upon, along with my increasing sense of burnout and disillusionment with Silicon Valley, has made me decide to apply for an MDiv program to explore a potential calling to the ministry.

Unfortunately, great odysseys of self-discovery and faith exploration rarely coincide well with graduate school application deadlines, and by the time I determined for sure that I wanted to apply for Fall 2024 admission it was December 2023. With my hectic work schedule I felt doubtful that I was going to be able to make it before the deadline for multiple programs, so I (wisely or not) decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and got an application in time for the priority deadline at Boston University.

BU was my top choice from when I started investigating divinity schools, between the BTI, financial support, and my sense of the academic and denominational environment (I am a member of a United Church of Christ congregation). I'm also hoping that I can eventually get into their MDiv/MAT teaching since I'd like to have secular teaching as a backup option if I don't find myself called to ordained ministry, which is something I am open to but am not certain of yet.

I feel like, despite my constraints, I was able to put together a strong application. I had an excellent undergrad GPA (3.86) with a challenging course schedule (I was able to test out of most of my gen-eds through AP tests). I think I was able to tie my professional background into my plans for my future vocation in a compelling way in my personal statement (the gist is that my time as a software engineer in Silicon Valley has made me reflect on the spiritual and religious ramifications of the ascent of the tech industry, as well as the economic justice issues created by the income disparities in Silicon Valley). The concern is, well, no matter how you slice it just having a single application is pretty risky and I don't have a super great plan of what I'm going to do for the next year if I don't get in. So fingers crossed that I can just avoid dealing with that. ;)

[Dumbyguppy]

4 hours ago, SWEtoMDiv said:

I'm glad you posted this so we don't have to wait in silence! I've been lurking for months now and poring over old threads for anything that might be remotely relevant to my situation—not that I think it helps much in the grand scheme of things, but I have to occupy myself somehow! 😅
我很高兴你发布了这个，这样我们就不必默默等待了！我已经潜伏了几个月，并仔细研究任何可能与我的情况无关的东西——并不是说我认为这对事情的宏伟计划有很大帮助，但我必须以某种方式占据自己！😅

My situation is a somewhat unusual one, I think. I finished my undergrad with a degree in computer science and economics five years ago and have been working for the last five years as a software engineer in Silicon Valley startups. The twists and turns my faith journey has taken me upon, along with my increasing sense of burnout and disillusionment with Silicon Valley, has made me decide to apply for an MDiv program to explore a potential calling to the ministry.
我认为，我的情况有点不寻常。五年前，我完成了计算机科学和经济学的本科毕业，在过去的五年里，我一直在硅谷的初创公司担任软件工程师。我的信仰之旅带我经历了曲折，加上我对硅谷的倦怠感和幻灭感越来越强，使我决定申请 MDiv 计划，以探索对事工的潜在呼召。

Unfortunately, great odysseys of self-discovery and faith exploration rarely coincide well with graduate school application deadlines, and by the time I determined for sure that I wanted to apply for Fall 2024 admission it was December 2023. With my hectic work schedule I felt doubtful that I was going to be able to make it before the deadline for multiple programs, so I (wisely or not) decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and got an application in time for the priority deadline at Boston University.
不幸的是，自我发现和信仰探索的伟大冒险很少与研究生院的申请截止日期相吻合，当我确定要申请 2024 年秋季入学时，已经是 2023 年 12 月了。由于我繁忙的工作日程，我怀疑我是否能够在多个课程的截止日期之前完成，所以我（明智与否）决定将我所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里，并在波士顿大学的优先截止日期前及时申请。

BU was my top choice from when I started investigating divinity schools, between the BTI, financial support, and my sense of the academic and denominational environment (I am a member of a United Church of Christ congregation). I'm also hoping that I can eventually get into their MDiv/MAT teaching since I'd like to have secular teaching as a backup option if I don't find myself called to ordained ministry, which is something I am open to but am not certain of yet.
从我开始调查神学院开始，BU 是我的首选，介于 BTI、经济支持以及我对学术和教派环境的感觉之间（我是基督教联合教会会众的成员）。我也希望我最终能进入他们的 MDiv/MAT 教学，因为如果我发现自己没有被召唤去按立事工，我希望将世俗教学作为备用选择，这是我愿意接受但还不确定的事情。

I feel like, despite my constraints, I was able to put together a strong application. I had an excellent undergrad GPA (3.86) with a challenging course schedule (I was able to test out of most of my gen-eds through AP tests). I think I was able to tie my professional background into my plans for my future vocation in a compelling way in my personal statement (the gist is that my time as a software engineer in Silicon Valley has made me reflect on the spiritual and religious ramifications of the ascent of the tech industry, as well as the economic justice issues created by the income disparities in Silicon Valley). The concern is, well, no matter how you slice it just having a single application is pretty risky and I don't have a super great plan of what I'm going to do for the next year if I don't get in. So fingers crossed that I can just avoid dealing with that.
我觉得，尽管我受到限制，但我还是能够组合出一个强大的应用程序。我的本科 GPA （3.86） 非常出色，课程安排具有挑战性（我能够通过 AP 考试测试我的大部分 gen-ed）。我认为我能够在我的个人陈述中以一种令人信服的方式将我的专业背景与我未来的职业计划联系起来（要点是，我在硅谷担任软件工程师的时间让我反思了科技行业崛起的精神和宗教后果，以及硅谷收入差距造成的经济正义问题）。令人担忧的是，好吧，无论你如何切片，仅仅有一个应用程序都是非常冒险的，如果我不进入，我没有一个超级伟大的计划来说明明年我要做什么。所以手指交叉，我可以避免处理这个问题。;)

Hi, SWEtoMDiv. Hope this reply finds you well. Thank you so much for sharing your precious experience with us, I'm glad that someone responded to the thread and we got a place to share our thoughts.

Just according to those old posts, I think you made a good choice--you efficiently managed your time to focus on one program(and it is a good choice) and prepared well! 

I applied to eight schools, from top tiers to backups, not each one of them aligns with my research direction well, but I don't know where else to go either. Unfortunately, in my thesis(which is also my writing sample...) I criticized some top scholars in the field of East Asian Studies for their research methodologies, and more disastrously, my research interest is Confucianism...where authority is extremely important, particularly among the community members. Besides, those who study Confucianism just simply retired. So my choices are limited. 

I got my BA in Religious Studies and BFA in Animation last year with a 3.58 GPA and a Latin Honor from a private university, but I did not have enough energy to take the GRE after finishing two theses and continuing to search for a job and at the same time deal with my psychiatric sister who lives with me.🥲 Despite having strong materials (SOP, Letters, the writing sample, and excellent classical language fluency), I'm worried about being unable to get into a suitable program and get more loans before I start a formal job. My family is not that supportive of my passion for researching, probably they are right because it is a field with a throat-cutting job market. Being an animator or a lawyer will definitely live an easier life, but I don't think my autism allows me to have that before the job gives me burnout. Currently, to distract myself from this nervous process, I decided to take some social work classes. Hope they work and bring me some new views.

So, yes, fingers crossed. I really, really want to pursue higher education under the guidance of knowledgeable people in the field.

Wishing you all the best!

 

 

 

[SWEtoMDiv]

4 hours ago, Dumbyguppy said:

My family is not that supportive of my passion for researching, probably they are right because it is a field with a throat-cutting job market. Being an animator or a lawyer will definitely live an easier life, but I don't think my autism allows me to have that before the job gives me burnout.

That's a tough situation, and unfortunately more relatable than I would like it to be. My parents were also not very enthusiastic about my plan to go back to school and change careers (to them it seemed like a step down from being a software engineer in Silicon Valley). At some point, I just had to do what I really felt called for, regardless of how they would react, and in the end it worked out. I mean they aren't happy about it, but at least they've come to respect that I'm an adult who can make my own choices about my life at this point. I'm glad you're pursuing what you really want to do, and I think you're right about the tradeoff between an "easier" job and what you're actually interested in. I had thought that being a SWE would make for an "easy" life when I started five years ago and here I am. 🥲 On the flip side I'm very cognizant that I am in a very fortunate financial situation compared to most grad students, since my savings are going to help me afford being in grad school.

Edited February 1 by SWEtoMDiv
typo

[YoungTimothy]

12 hours ago, SWEtoMDiv said:

Unfortunately, great odysseys of self-discovery and faith exploration rarely coincide well with graduate school application deadlines, and by the time I determined for sure that I wanted to apply for Fall 2024 admission it was December 2023. With my hectic work schedule I felt doubtful that I was going to be able to make it before the deadline for multiple programs, so I (wisely or not) decided to put all of my eggs in one basket and got an application in time for the priority deadline at Boston University.

I feel this—I only ended up applying to one program too!

I planned at first to apply to MAR/MTS programs at each of the divinity schools (Harvard, UChicago, Duke, Candler), and then realized that I'm not as interested in an academic career as I first thought. I'm a pastor and to be ordained I'd need to complete my MDiv. However, burnout and other stressors made me rethink whether or not I wanted to stay in ministry. Eventually I realized that I do greatly enjoy it, but that I needed also to take better care of myself.

So I've applied only to the MDiv program at Yale Divinity School. Financially, with tuition being free, there was never really any other option, and I fell in love with the school during Fall Open House. The results come out March 15, but I've pretty much pinned my next three years all on this one application, so I keep checking my email anyway lol. I trust it will all work out in the end, but I'm glad I'm not alone in this anxious waiting period!

[Dumbyguppy]

6 hours ago, SWEtoMDiv said:

That's a tough situation, and unfortunately more relatable than I would like it to be. My parents were also not very enthusiastic about my plan to go back to school and change careers (to them it seemed like a step down from being a software engineer in Silicon Valley). At some point, I just had to do what I really felt called for, regardless of how they would react, and in the end it worked out. I mean they aren't happy about it, but at least they've come to respect that I'm an adult who can make my own choices about my life at this point. I'm glad you're pursuing what you really want to do, and I think you're right about the tradeoff between an "easier" job and what you're actually interested in. I had thought that being a SWE would make for an "easy" life when I started five years ago and here I am. 🥲 On the flip side I'm very cognizant that I am in a very fortunate financial situation compared to most grad students, since my savings are going to help me afford being in grad school.

Thank you for your kind words, SWEtoMDiv! It has been kinda hard for me to deal with the family issue, but I guess that's why I'm so enthusiastic about my research subject🤗

3 hours ago, YoungTimothy said:

I feel this—I only ended up applying to one program too!

I planned at first to apply to MAR/MTS programs at each of the divinity schools (Harvard, UChicago, Duke, Candler), and then realized that I'm not as interested in an academic career as I first thought. I'm a pastor and to be ordained I'd need to complete my MDiv. However, burnout and other stressors made me rethink whether or not I wanted to stay in ministry. Eventually I realized that I do greatly enjoy it, but that I needed also to take better care of myself.

So I've applied only to the MDiv program at Yale Divinity School. Financially, with tuition being free, there was never really any other option, and I fell in love with the school during Fall Open House. The results come out March 15, but I've pretty much pinned my next three years all on this one application, so I keep checking my email anyway lol. I trust it will all work out in the end, but I'm glad I'm not alone in this anxious waiting period!

Oh wow, same! Checking email eight hundred times a day even if I knew it would not come at this time LOL

[memoriah_7]

Judging past years, HDS seems to release decision on the second Mondays of March, with it ranging from 15-16th depending on which one is the Monday and the earliest being the 12th. Theres was one year (2019?) where the 11th fell on a Monday, but they released it on the 12th instead of Monday the 11th. So im guessing theyre releasing everything either next Monday or Tuesday.

[mdiv2024]

double posting this here: 

hey all! mdiv applicant! still waiting to hear from yale and harvard, but got into both union and uchicago with full tuition plus 10k stipend! feeling unbelievably excited and relieved that i have options to choose from even without hearing from hds and yds yet! would love to hear folks thoughts on the comparison between uchicago and union. i plan to go in to interfaith chaplaincy, potentially in a hospital context, but may also work in nonprofit/advocacy spaces (what i do now). i think hds is probably my first choice, but with the financial packages from union and uchicago, it may come down between choosing between these two regardless as to my admission to harvard.

good luck to everyone still waiting to hear from their first choices!!!