Editor’s Note: In this post, our 2023-2024 Admissions Graduate Assistants share their initial emotions after being admitted to HDS and what they did to prepare prior to the HDS enrollment deadline.
Betül Maden-Yilmaz, MTS ’24
Being anxious and stressed during this part of the admissions cycle is very valid – I know I was freaking out! Whether you have already decided to commit to HDS or still are considering your options, try to take a step back and see what really feels right to you! (This is super cliche; I know. But it’s genuinely what worked for me!) I was fortunate enough to get admitted to both HDS and one other graduate program that I was very interested in. This other program was an Urban Teaching Apprenticeship, a very rigorous 10-month program that would allow me to gain teaching experience while earning my certification. I was very excited for this program, but after receiving my acceptance from HDS into the Master of Theological Studies program, a field I was very eager to study further, I started to consider what the programs would do for me personally and academically. This was a difficult call for me, and realistically I had to consider financials into my decision making as well! The apprenticeship did not offer me any funding, which meant I would have to take out a lot of student loans. HDS on the other hand allowed me to apply for institutional financial aid in the academic year following my initial deferral, which meant I did not have to come up with the entirety of the tuition on my own. Alongside the real-life decisions like financials, I also realized that the theological studies program would add more to me internally and personally and would allow me to hopefully be a better educator in the long run. After two years here at HDS, I’m happy to report that I believe I made the right decision!
Samirah Jaigirdar, MTS ’24
I was in Spain with COVID when I received my acceptance to HDS. Although I was sick, the downtime in isolation gave me time to think about what I wanted the next two years to look like. I was choosing between three programs – the MTS program at HDS, an international relations master’s, and a conflict resolution master’s. As these programs were so different from each other, I had to spend a lot of time on the websites comparing and contrasting each component and seeing if it would fulfill my short-term academic goals, which were to utilize a master’s degree to inform my research interests for a future Ph.D. in political science. Some components that played a big role in my decision were financial aid, faculty specializations, and the courses offered. I used the Harvard Course Catalog and the HDS Admissions Blog to see if the MTS program had the kind of topics I was interested in. At HDS, I was excited to see that I could take classes across Harvard, meaning I could also supplement my religious studies courses with political science ones from the Kennedy School and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. This made me feel that I could take these two years to immerse myself in different methodological approaches instead of being siloed into one discipline.
At the time, I felt frustrated because I felt like I was taking too much time to make a choice. However, in hindsight, I am glad I took the time to make a well-informed decision! I highly recommend taking the time to sit with the decision for a few days, so you know if this program is the right fit for you. Ultimately, I knew that HDS would expose me to a plethora of scholars and methods of study that would be invaluable during my PhD, and now as I enter a doctoral program, the scope of the MTS degree and my focus on religion, ethics, and politics will be helpful.
Nicole Collins, MTS ’24
When I was admitted to HDS two years ago, I was nearing the end of my final semester of undergrad. I’m grateful that, after officially committing to HDS, I figured out housing and left the rest of the logistical stress for the summer. At this point, honestly, I’d say the only thing you should begin to think about is where you’ll live next year. The Boston housing market moves pretty quickly, so I recommend at least starting to look at apartments in the area. But beyond this, don’t freak out and don’t worry. Focus on where you’re at right now, and you can figure out the rest later!
Kat Woodard, MDiv ’25:
In many ways, HDS was a dream fulfilled for me. I’ve known that I wanted to go to divinity school for as long as I’ve known that I want to pursue ordained ministry, which was a realization I came to only a few weeks into my time as an undergraduate. So the primary question I was considering when applying to divinity schools wasn’t if I’d go to graduate school, but rather how I’d make it happen. Coming to divinity school straight from undergrad, I wasn’t in a financial position where I felt comfortable taking on more loans (especially without paying off the ones I’ve already accrued first!), so the decision of where to attend was largely predicated on my financial reality. Once I heard back from the financial aid office of each of the divinity schools I applied to, I meticulously documented each of their offers side by side, along with the cost of living in each of the cities they were located within. I’m by no means a math expert, but with a few simple calculations, I was able to figure out which schools would likely be the best fit for my financial future. With my options narrowed down, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my first choice academically, HDS, would also be a suitable choice financially. Though the task of building out a mock budget with each of my offers was a relatively mundane way to celebrate my acceptances, it certainly made pressing the “enroll” button a far more easy and joyous occasion!
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