Category Archives: Applying

I Submitted My Application, Now What?

03 Wednesday Feb 2021

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Photo Courtesy of Kristie Welsh

First, take comfort in knowing that the application process is now out of your hands and that you have done what you needed to do to craft a strong application. In addition to celebrating the fact that you’ve submitted your graduate school application, here are some other things you can do while you wait for decisions to come out:  

Apply for Financial Aid: If you haven’t already, be sure to apply for financial aid. Look out for an email from the financial aid office with instructions on how to apply. Although you do not need to apply to for financial aid to be considered for merit-based aid, you do need to apply for financial aid to be considered for need-based aid. About 90 percent of students receive some form of institutional grant assistance, and the vast majority of that is need-based aid, so we strongly encourage all HDS applicants to apply for financial aid even if they feel that they may not qualify for need-based aid. 

Keep Up with Admissions Office: Our Admissions Team will be hosting various panels and presentations in the coming months to help answer any questions you may still have. Keep an eye out for our emails and follow us on Instagram (@harvarddivinity). Also, feel free to look through previously recorded panels here and browse the student crafted content on our Admissions Blog. 

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Last Minute Application Questions and Answers

28 Monday Dec 2020

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Editor’s Note: We hope this blog post helps answer any last-minute questions you may still have. Be sure to also check out our How to Apply series and the recorded HDS Admissions virtual events from this semester. Please note that the Admission’s Office is closed until January 1st and will reopen on January 4th. We are confident that you will use the tools we’ve provided and your best judgement as you finish up your application. Best of luck! 

HDS Photo // Courtesy of Kristie Welsh

Can I submit my application before my recommenders submit their letters? 

Yes, you can submit your application before your recommenders have submitted their letters. However, please note that it is your responsibility to remind your recommenders of the deadline and continue to check the status of your materials to make sure they are submitted on time.  

How do I apply for financial aid?  

The application for financial aid will become available AFTER the application deadline. Those who have applied will receive the financial aid application via email. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive the financial aid application information by late January and contact Financial Aid with any questions or concerns. The financial aid application is short and easy to complete. If you are an American citizen or qualified resident, you must also submit the FAFSA. International applicants are not required to submit the FAFSA.  Please note that you only need to include your personal financial information, and not your family’s financial information, on both the FAFSA and the HDS financial aid application.  

Upon submitting your HDS application, you will be considered for merit-based aid. However, you must submit the HDS financial-aid application to be considered for need-based aid.  Approximately 90 percent of students receive some form of institutional grant assistance, and the vast majority of that is need-based aid, so we strongly encourage all HDS applicants to apply for financial aid. 

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Advice from Current Students as You Finish Up Your Application

21 Monday Dec 2020

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Editor’s Note: For this blog post, we asked current students to share some words of wisdom to help students as they finish up their HDS application. We know this can be a stressful time, but we hope this insight from current students makes the process a little easier. If you have any specific questions about the application, please reach out to the admissions team. 

Kenashia Thompson MDiv ’23 She/Her/Hers 

When you finish your application, celebrate! Relax! Kick your feet up! Treat yourself fam! Don’t stress! The decision will come soon enough. You’ve done your part in applying to HDS and this community would be blessed to have you and everything that you offer. Even if you don’t get accepted, realize that you are still ENOUGH and your talents and scholarship in this season are needed elsewhere. This is not the end. I’m rooting for you one trillion percent. 

Lóre Stevens MDiv ’22 She/Her/Hers 

As someone with a previous master’s degree: Know your deep, clear reason for coming to grad school. That reason will be what gets you through, so if it’s fuzzy or absent, this whole experience will be more difficult and less fulfilling. 

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Applying to Graduate School During a Pandemic

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

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Editor’s Note: My name is Jessica Cantos, and I am a current student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) in the Higher Education program. Due to the pandemic, my entire HGSE experience will be virtual because my program is only a year long. While zoom classes were not what I expected when I applied to graduate school a year ago, I have been overjoyed with the compassionate and support that professors and administrators have shown students during this challenging time. As I finish up my first semester remotely, I wanted to offer my perspective to students who are considering graduate school at a time where it feels impossible to plan ahead. I hope that the advice and insight offered in this post gives you the confidence and support you need to take this next step.  

Post by Jessica Cantos, Admissions Graduate Assistant

While we are currently planning for Fall 2021 to be back to an in-person, on-campus experience, we don’t know what will happen in the future with the pandemic and public health. If HDS needs to be remote for Fall 2021, we won’t have that decision until late spring or early summer, well after the Fall 2021 application deadline of January 7. Rest assured that if you do apply, are admitted, and accept our offer of admission, and then the decision is made to be remote in the fall, we will work with you to discuss your enrollment options. This blog post is meant to help you navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic and plans to apply to graduate school. 

Deciding to apply to graduate school during any “normal” year feels stressful and uncertain, but even more so during a global pandemic. If you’re feeling unsure whether it is the right time to pursue graduate education, you are not alone! Here are some things to consider as you decide:  

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HDS Admissions Application Now Available

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

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HDS Application Season has officially begun and the application for entrance in Fall 2021 is open! For those of you who have decided to or are considering applying to HDS, we know this can be both an exciting and stressful time. In this post, we will highlight some key information as well as a few tips to make the process run smoother.  

Photo courtesy of Kate Hoeting

If you are considering applying this year, we encourage you to start early! During the process, you’ll find that some parts of the application are out of your control, such as your transcripts or letters of recommendation. Allowing yourself ample time to complete the parts you do have control over will make the process less stressful. Be sure to check out our Suggested Application Timeline blog post and our How To Apply Series that explains each application requirement in greater detail.  

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Suggested Application Timeline

07 Tuesday Jul 2020

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Editor’s Note: Kate Hoeting recently finished her first year as a student in the MTS program and as a Graduate Assistant in the HDS Office of Admissions. After a year of guiding prospective students through the application, Kate is sharing her wisdom about how applicants might approach the process.

Post by Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21 and Admissions Graduate Assistant

Kate Hoeting (MTS ‘21) at work in the HDS Admissions Office // 
photo courtesy of Kate Hoeting 

I love a good plan, and if you clicked on this article, it seems likely that you love a good plan too. When you’re facing something that seems as daunting as applying to graduate school, it can be helpful to break the process down into manageable steps. But first, a word of warning: everyone’s journey to divinity school is different, and this timeline shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Do not panic if you’re reading this post in October and thinking, “I’m already too late!” Conversely, if you are already working on your Statement of Purpose, that is fantastic! Please customize the timeline to your particular situation. I personally did not follow this timeline when I applied to HDS—it’s just a set of guidelines for those of you who love a good plan.  

July: Decide if you want to apply to graduate school 

Going to graduate school is a serious commitment of time and resources, so it will be helpful to take some time to sort out if and why you want to apply. This process of discernment can also be helpful in writing a strong Statement of Purpose later down the line. This is a good time to do some journaling, reflecting, and ritualizing. Be in your communities—even if it’s on Zoom—and connect with mentors who can help you decide whether to apply. It can also be helpful to check out our website and sign up for one of our HDS information session webinars. 

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Featured Article: Last Minute Application Tips

02 Thursday Jan 2020

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Post by: Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21, Graduate Assistant in the HDS Office of Admissions

A snowy scene outside 60 Oxford Street on HDS’ campus
Photo courtesy of KATE HOETING

Hi everyone! We hope you’re already having a great start to the year 2020. Since many of you are wrapping up your applications for the January 8, 2020 deadline, we thought it would be helpful to re-post an article from last year called “Last Minute Application Tips.” The article answers some questions you may have about the application as the deadline approaches. 

As always, please email our office at admissions@hds.harvard.edu if you have any last minute questions or concerns. We’re excited to get to know you all through your applications! 

Admissions Staff: What We Wish Applicants Knew

17 Tuesday Dec 2019

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Editor’s note: As the application deadline draws closer, please enjoy these short excerpts from staff members at the Office of Admissions talking about what they wish applicants knew.

Kate Hoeting, Graduate Assistant, MTS ‘21

When I was applying to HDS, I barely knew about the marvelous HDS Admissions Blog! I promise that I’m not just plugging the blog because I’m the blog’s editor—it really will help your journey through the application process. On the blog, we publish everything from student reflections on life at HDS to nuts and bolts articles about the application requirements. Go ahead and click around! 

Julia Reimann, Graduate Assistant, MDiv ‘22 

I wish more applicants knew about the Ask Students email. Run by the graduate assistants, this email is a great way to connect with a current HDS student and learn more about the opportunities to engage specifically in programs relating to each student’s individual interests. Simply send us a note including your name and interests and we will do our best to connect you to a current student with similar interests. Current students can be a great resource when it comes to learning more about HDS and what life at HDS is like. 

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How to Apply: Writing Sample

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

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Post by: Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21, Graduate Assistant in the HDS Office of Admissions 

This article is part of our “How to Apply” series, which answers common questions about the application process and includes these articles:  

This post was originally written in 2018 but has been updated to reflect accurate application information in December 2020. To provide additional insight on this section of the application, we’ve included a short video with our Admissions Graduate Assistants, Kate Hoeting, Atéha Bailly, and Jessica Cantos, where they share their experiences with the writing sample.

In the video we refer to the recorded admissions virtual events. You can access those here.

We know that the writing sample can be an intimidating part of the application process, but remember that the requirements are open-ended on purpose, and always feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. 

What does the admissions committee look for in a writing sample? 

The writing sample serves to demonstrate your academic writing ability. You may choose to submit:  

  • An excerpt of an academic paper in any subject area within the humanities or social sciences 
  • An adapted piece of professional writing 
  • An original work that is based upon a topic that you are interested in studying here at HDS 

The writing sample should be 1,000-1,500 words long and give the admissions committee a sense of your strengths in writing, research, and/or critical analysis. 

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How to Apply: Test Scores

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

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Post by: Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21, Graduate Assistant in the Office of Admissions 

This article is part of our “How to Apply” series, which answers common questions about the application process and includes these articles: 

In this article, we walk through the requirements and best practices for the TOEFL/IELTS and the GRE. Please note that the GRE is optional for all applicants! 

This post was originally written in 2018 but has been updated to reflect accurate application information in December 2020.


I. TOEFL/IELTS  

Is the TOEFL or the IELTS required for me?  

All international applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS, unless you attended an undergraduate institution where English was the sole language of instruction (e.g. a school in the U.S. or the American University of Paris). Even if your major or all the classes you took were taught solely in English, this policy is based upon the entire institution’s medium of instruction. 

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