ER2026 Posted February 4 Posted February 4 15 hours ago, Rellee said: Seems they're sending interview requests on Thursdays. Got my invite Jan 22nd. One of my good friends applying for the MTS got his on Jan 29th. Someone else in the thread got theirs Jan 15th! Hold tight for Thursdays through Feb - March! Mine was on requested on a Thursday, too. Praying for all of us! endlessspring and antigonic 2
ER2026 Posted February 4 Posted February 4 Do we know any info from anyone about how likely admission is if you get an interview? The waiting is giving me major anxiety lol. Nouwen2025 1
Rellee Posted February 4 Posted February 4 (edited) 2 hours ago, ER2026 said: Do we know any info from anyone about how likely admission is if you get an interview? The waiting is giving me major anxiety lol. I think its between 50-75% of those who interview get an offer, depending on applicant pool size, degree path (like MTS vs MDiv vs MRPL), and funding. Previous years had about a 25% general acceptance rate into Harvard Div, with odds steadily decreasing due to an increase in popularity (I think acceptance used to be closer to 50% in 2012). And in tracking attendance at various open house events and informational panels, it seems like this year will have the most amount of applicants they've ever had. So the number may lean closer to the 50% side than the 75% side when it comes to odds after interviews. One of my friends who works in admissions at another school said they also started doing mandatory interviews due to the increased use of ai in essays to screen for three things: 1) to see if the candidates are an accurate reflection of the content of the material they submitted, 2) to see if the candidates match the caliber of the material they submitted, and 3) to see if the candidates can think on their feet. So as long as you're able to do all three well, you can hope you've done alright! Edited February 4 by Rellee alyosha1607, FutureDreams, ER2026 and 1 other 4
kangaroojack Posted February 5 Posted February 5 Just got my HDS interview invitation! Good luck to everyone else who just got theirs!!! Nouwen2025, FutureDreams, egui5823 and 2 others 4 1
FutureDreams Posted February 5 Posted February 5 1 hour ago, kangaroojack said: Just got my HDS interview invitation! Good luck to everyone else who just got theirs!!! Congratulations!!! I hope it goes well for you! kangaroojack 1
alyosha1607 Posted February 5 Author Posted February 5 Yay!! Congratulations @kangaroojack! When are you scheduled for? Let us know how it goes!
kangaroojack Posted February 6 Posted February 6 3 hours ago, alyosha1607 said: Yay!! Congratulations @kangaroojack! When are you scheduled for? Let us know how it goes! I wanted to do it ASAP so I scheduled it for this upcoming Monday morning. And I’ll keep everybody posted! Thanks for the congrats and well wishes!!! endlessspring, alyosha1607 and FutureDreams 3
smallgiant Posted February 9 Posted February 9 Hi, everyone, anyone got updates from Harvard PhD in religious studies?
prayingmantis Posted February 9 Posted February 9 i received my interview invitation on 1/29 and completed my interview last week! those 15 minutes went by so quickly. wishing you all luck as we wait together!! alyosha1607, endlessspring and FutureDreams 3
kangaroojack Posted February 9 Posted February 9 I wanna echo everyone else's sentiment that the 15 minutes go by so, so fast. Had my interview this morning and it felt like it was over before I even blinked. Good luck to everyone else who has one scheduled, and here's hoping we all get invited to interview!!! alyosha1607, endlessspring, egui5823 and 1 other 4
alyosha1607 Posted February 12 Author Posted February 12 Happy interview invite Thursday (again)! For anyone who wasn't on HDS's "Preparing for What's Next" webinar yesterday, they stressed that they are still sending out interview invites and have received a very high volume of applications this year – saying, in short, that we shouldn't despair if we haven't gotten an invite yet. That said, praying that we all get invitations today and can shift our collective anxiety to decision day wuminglvren, FutureDreams, endlessspring and 1 other 4
Dr Rizwan Ali Posted February 12 Posted February 12 I received an email on review of my application on 3rd of February. How much time it takes for the interview invite after that.
FutureDreams Posted February 12 Posted February 12 3 hours ago, alyosha1607 said: Happy interview invite Thursday (again)! For anyone who wasn't on HDS's "Preparing for What's Next" webinar yesterday, they stressed that they are still sending out interview invites and have received a very high volume of applications this year – saying, in short, that we shouldn't despair if we haven't gotten an invite yet. That said, praying that we all get invitations today and can shift our collective anxiety to decision day I am starting to look at alternative plans. No one offers the program HDS does, but I also want to be realistic... particularly with the increased number of applicants. Trying to maintain balance between optimism and realism. When did you submit your application?
alyosha1607 Posted February 12 Author Posted February 12 3 minutes ago, FutureDreams said: I am starting to look at alternative plans. No one offers the program HDS does, but I also want to be realistic... particularly with the increased number of applicants. Trying to maintain balance between optimism and realism. When did you submit your application? I submitted my application on the deadline (in the afternoon, if that matters). Weirdly, I got the notification that my application was complete/under review later that day, so I don't know how much that particular notification matters. I haven't received an interview invitation yet, but I'm still holding onto hope! Where else are you considering applying? endlessspring 1
FutureDreams Posted February 12 Posted February 12 12 minutes ago, alyosha1607 said: I submitted my application on the deadline (in the afternoon, if that matters). Weirdly, I got the notification that my application was complete/under review later that day, so I don't know how much that particular notification matters. I haven't received an interview invitation yet, but I'm still holding onto hope! Where else are you considering applying? @alyosha1607 Are you MTS or MDiv? I noticed the webinar yesterday was heavily MTS focused. I submitted before the deadline and got an application complete email immediately - I got a separate application complete and under review email several weeks later. I am looking at potential online programs, which are absolutely less than ideal compared to Harvard - there are limited options that work when you are not of Christian faith. Harvard truly is the best option.
alyosha1607 Posted February 12 Author Posted February 12 4 minutes ago, FutureDreams said: @alyosha1607 Are you MTS or MDiv? I noticed the webinar yesterday was heavily MTS focused. I submitted before the deadline and got an application complete email immediately - I got a separate application complete and under review email several weeks later. I am looking at potential online programs, which are absolutely less than ideal compared to Harvard - there are limited options that work when you are not of Christian faith. Harvard truly is the best option. I'm MTS – and yes, HDS is definitely the best option (after all, I suppose it is Harvard), but it's far from the only option for us! What're you hoping to do with your MDiv? Maybe some folks on this thread have thoughts on other similar programs, either online or near the Boston area, if that's critical for you!
CrazyLuke Posted February 12 Posted February 12 I just got my interview invitation this evening! endlessspring, alyosha1607, kangaroojack and 2 others 5
FutureDreams Posted February 13 Posted February 13 (edited) 5 hours ago, CrazyLuke said: I just got my interview invitation this evening! First, congratulations! How exciting!!! What date did you submit your application? Edited February 13 by FutureDreams
CrazyLuke Posted February 13 Posted February 13 32 minutes ago, FutureDreams said: First, congratulations! How exciting!!! What date did you submit your application? 1/4. alyosha1607 and FutureDreams 2
FutureDreams Posted February 19 Posted February 19 On 2/12/2026 at 2:48 PM, CrazyLuke said: I just got my interview invitation this evening! How did your interview go?
CrazyLuke Posted February 20 Posted February 20 4 hours ago, FutureDreams said: How did your interview go? My interview was highly structured. I don’t think they asked me anything that is too tricky but given it only 15 mins (that includes the time given to the interviewees to ask questions from the interviewer), I believe direct, short answers would be the way to go. Always remember that they have already read and reviewed your application materials, so l they already know who you are. Knowing that makes your interview an enjoyable experience. FutureDreams and endlessspring 2
ER2026 Posted February 24 Posted February 24 Would anyone be willing to either comment here or private message me about their thoughts on other schools? My top is UChicago or Harvard, but I have a great offer at PTS and based on my interview at Brite last week, I think I will have a strong offer there, too. Does anyone know anyone, have personal experience with, etc., any of these schools? I appreciate the lower cost of living in Fort Worth, and I appreciate the strong faculty and aid I've received at PTS, but UChicago and Harvard are my top. Friends who have graduated from PTS are very gung-ho for PTS and dislike both Harvard and UChicago and I would love to hear more from someone who disagrees. Lemme know! I appreciate any help and guidance! endlessspring and rflores 2
kangaroojack Posted February 26 Posted February 26 UChicago results should be out! Congrats to everyone who was accepted!!! egui5823, prayingmantis and Nouwen2025 2 1
ER2026 Posted February 26 Posted February 26 16 hours ago, kangaroojack said: UChicago results should be out! Congrats to everyone who was accepted!!! They are out and I'm so excited! Does anyone have insight on the pros and cons of UChi Div? Nouwen2025, endlessspring and egui5823 1 2
Jaz Posted March 7 Posted March 7 Hello Everyone, I hope everyone is having luck with getting into their programs. I wanted to ask if anyone has received any updates about their application? Are people still getting invites? I know HDS is backed up because of the amount of applications they received this cycle. I was just curious to see if anyone got an interview invite this month? Please help me ease my anxiety 😵💫 Thank you.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now