Should I apply to more schools?

[OliverShon]

Hey everyone!

I’m an undergraduate from Israel-Palestine majoring in Jewish Studies and Classics. Second year out of three.

My goals are both Rabbinical ordination (Reform) and a PhD, and I’m currently considering options for my Master’s. My research interest is mainly medieval Jewish mysticism, specifically how it relates to Neoplatonic philosophy and to Christian and Islamic mysticisms of the time. Secondary areas of interest are liberation theology, queer theology and the intersection of politics and religion in postmodern society.

I’ve been unofficially admitted to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, M.A in Jewish thought (I’ve had a meeting with a potential thesis supervisor there and she said considering my transcript, grades and language training I would have no problem getting in). This seems like a really good option as there are researchers there who specialize in my main area of interest and I’d be able to start my Rabbinical ordination concurrently at Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem (four-year program). Of course, my secondary areas of interest are unheard of here.

I’m also planning on applying to Harvard Divinity School. Their M.Div program sounds amazing for someone who’s interested in a career both in academia and ministry, the interfaith environment sounds like something I could really benefit from, I really love their social-justice oriented approach to theology and they’re really big on all my secondary research interests. However, I won’t be able to start my ordination concurrently and I might not get to focus as much on medieval Kabbalah as I’d want to (if I’m wrong about that please let me know!).

Here’s my question though: should I be applying to more schools? HDS is probably my first choice, and Hebrew University is a great backup option. But even though HU is considered the best university for humanities in Isr-Pal, its global ranking is not that high. I have a 4.0 GPA; I read Hebrew fluently and have been studying Greek, Latin and Aramaic as well; and I have some research experience in the field. Maybe I should at least be trying to get into more high-ranking schools, even if what HU is offering is more closely related to my interests? Oxford has a great religious studies M.St program for example with a focus on Judaism, and University of Chicago also offers an inter religious M.Div. Also, maybe I should be looking into philosophy degrees as well and not just religious studies degrees, which opens up a whole new set of options. However, applying for these schools is a big deal, and I’m not sure I prefer them to HU. Also, studying in the USA/UK is significantly more expensive than in Isr-Pal, and while HDS offers generous need-based financial aid this isn’t true for every school. Is it worth the effort? Will being an alumn of a school like this affect my academic career in the future?

Thanks for reading this far and I’d love to hear any advice you have!