Category Archives: Considering HDS

Misconceptions I Had When Applying to HDS

20 Wednesday Jan 2021

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Editor’s Note: We know that students who are considering HDS may have some preconceived notions about what being a student at HDS is like. In this post, one of our Graduate Assistants, Kate Hoeting, helps dispel some common misconceptions.  

Post by Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21 

Photo Courtesy of Kate Hoeting

When I was applying to HDS two years ago, I did my research, but I still made a lot of assumptions about what attending HDS would be like. Looking back now, I can’t believe that I had these misconceptions—some of them seem funny because they’re so far off from the truth about HDS. So now, I’m letting you know what my misconceptions were so that you won’t make the same ones. 

  1. I thought all MDiv students were affiliated with a religion. When I was first figuring out which degree program to choose, I didn’t even consider the MDiv because I’m not affiliated with a certain religious tradition. In reality, I could have totally been a nonreligious MDiv! The MTS degree is not at all a degree for analyzing religion from a nonreligious point of view, and the MDiv is not a degree exclusively designed for affiliated folks. At HDS, the lines between these two degrees are blurred.  
  1. I thought that Harvard professors wouldn’t have time for their students. It turns out that assumption couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I have been absolutely floored by the care and dedication that some of my professors have offered up to their students during the pandemic. It’s such an honor to be taught by people who make me feel “star struck,” but also are down-to-earth and ready to offer feedback on whatever projects I’m working on. 
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Frequently Asked Questions

12 Tuesday Jan 2021

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Editor’s Note: For this blog post, we wanted to highlight some of the questions we receive most often in the Ask Students inbox. If you don’t see your question here, we encourage you to reach out to the Admissions Graduate Assistants. 

HDS Photo

I do not have experience in religious studies, is there a place for me at HDS?  

At HDS, we admit students from a diverse range of academic backgrounds. We receive many applications from individuals who have not completed coursework in religious studies and theology. In these cases, the Admissions Committee pays attention to previous coursework in the humanities and social sciences and to the applicant’s demonstrated interests and qualifications. If your work in the humanities and social sciences is limited, you might want to consider enrolling in a course in the field to demonstrate that you are prepared to do graduate-level work in religion. Make sure to use your statement of purpose as an opportunity to demonstrate how your past academic and professional experiences have uniquely prepared you for graduate study in the field of religion. 

My interests overlap with both the MDiv and MTS program, which one should I apply for?  

We receive numerous emails from students who find that both the MTS and the MDiv align with their academic interests. Both degrees will prepare you for a variety of career paths as well as PhD programs. There are some logistical differences between the two programs and the best way to get a snapshot of the two is to look at the comparison chart of the two programs here. We also have recorded panels on both the MDiv and MTS degree programs that you can check out here. We would recommend that you pay extra attention to the MDiv requirements. The MDiv requires a field education component that is optional for the MTS program. Does Field Education feel like an important part of what you want out of divinity school? We’d also recommend asking yourself if you would be interested in courses that involve reflecting on the meaning of ministry and your own personal relationship with religion/spirituality.  If so, then the MDiv might be a better option for you. 

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What’s at Stake? Important Questions to Consider at DivEx, HDS, and Beyond

26 Monday Oct 2020

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Post by Nathan Samayo

Editor’s Note: This week at HDS we are hosting our annual Diversity and Explorations (DivEx) event, which is a 3-day introduction to Harvard Divinity School and the programs we offer. DivEx is geared towards current undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in exploring divinity school. In this post, former DivEx participant and current HDS student, Nathan Samayo, reflects on his personal and academic background and how participating in the DivEx program has impacted his journey at HDS. 

What a critical time it is to be applying to Harvard Divinity School. A contentious election creeps around the corner whose result could either continue America’s dissonance to its long history of anti-Black racism and xenophobia, or a result that will, as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “let our democracy live another day.” We see on our local and social medias the uprisings from marginal communities and allies who denounce state-sanctioned violence, white supremacy that has seeped into every facet of public life, and the legacy of colonialism that altered the land that white America now occupies. We are becoming products of a historical moment where a pandemic has and continues to alter our ordinary lives, bringing to light how broken America’s systems of education, economy, and healthcare have been operating. All these issues and realities ask a similar question—what is at stake? What values and ethics guide us as we advocate and protest for new tangible conditions in hopes of a reconciled world? These questions will be asked to you if you decide to come to Harvard Divinity School, a community committed to transforming you into the change agent you want to be. 

Photo Courtesy of Nathan Samayo
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Reflections on Applying to HDS: Surrender

14 Wednesday Oct 2020

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Post by Patrick Downes, MDiv ‘23 

Editor’s Note: For students who have been out of school for a few years or are well into their careers, applying to divinity school can be an especially difficult decision. Here is a piece from one of our current MDiv students, Patrick Downes, about his experience deciding to apply to HDS. For a more directed approach to the application process, including a suggested timeline, please see this earlier post from July 2020. 

Forest Park in Queens // Photo Courtesy of Patrick Downes

What becomes of a person who flees a call to vocation, flees the Divine, forever fights and retreats? For me, it felt like an endless winter, an overexposure to cold. I wrestled in snow and ice. The moment I turned in my application to HDS, a moment when my acceptance seemed remote, turned into a moment of quiet. I had stopped fighting, for a little while, with God, and began to suffer less. The discernment that became my statement of purpose, my application, belongs to a surrender. 

Last November, fifty-years-old, I attended the Theological Education Day at HDS, or how it is currently known, Open House for Prospective Students.  I walked from my hotel in Back Bay to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, three miles more or less. I chanced the unfamiliar roads, feeling out Cambridge on a weekday morning. I wanted to think and prepare my heart, to cross the Charles on foot. Walking is for me a form of devotion, a time for attentiveness and witness. To attend the day was to advance toward vocation, to situate myself within a scholarly community that embraces exploration of devotion and the future of religion. 

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Exploring Divinity School during COVID-19

10 Wednesday Jun 2020

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Post by Kate Hoeting, MTS ‘21, & Julia Reimann, MDiv ‘22 

If you’re thinking about coming to divinity school, you might be wondering how to decide where to apply when you can’t visit campus. We at the HDS Office of Admissions feel for you, and we’re working hard to develop resources to help you explore HDS!  

  1. Draft Your Statement of Purpose  

Divinity school is a big investment of time and money, so you’ll want to devote time to thinking about why you want to attend. Even if you’re just exploring, starting to draft your Statement of Purpose can give you a good sense of what you’d like to get out of graduate school and why. Having a grasp on your future goals will not only strengthen your application but also make your life happier in the long run by helping you decide which kind of school is right for you. 

  1. Make a Research Spreadsheet 

Summer is a great time to research different schools before you can start filling out our application in September. If you make a spreadsheet to track your research, you can mark things like tuition, programs that interest you, and testing requirements. Just making the spreadsheet can be helpful because it will help you consider which aspects of divinity school matter to you. For example, when I was searching for schools, my spreadsheet had a column to rate each school’s library. 

Students preparing for our annual multi-religious  
celebration Seasons of Light // photo courtesy of HDS OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
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Coming to HDS as a Mid-Career Student

02 Thursday Apr 2020

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Editor’s Note: As admitted students discern whether HDS is right for them, it can be helpful to hear why current students decided to come here! Please enjoy this short piece by Sally Hammel, a second–career MDiv student planning to work in hospital or hospice chaplaincy. 

Post by: Sally Hammel, MDiv ‘21 

When I meet people and I tell them I’m at Harvard Divinity School, they politely ask how I decided to come here. The question always surprises me—until I remember that I’m sixty-one years old, so not your typical graduate student.  

Photo courtesy of SALLY HAMMEL

I am an almost native New Yorker, having lived my whole adult life on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Employed by the same company for about thirty years, I’ve had a robust career in advertising. While I enjoyed the benefits of my demanding career, I wanted more balance in my life and found myself signing up for various retreats, workshops, and online courses to help fill a spiritual need. In 2014, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma—breast cancer. Following treatment, I took a thirty-day sabbatical and walked the Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile walk across Spain. During this trip, I connected with many other seekers, and realized I really wanted to explore and grow my spiritual connection.  

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The Himalayas Brought the Answer

22 Friday Nov 2019

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Post by: Fernando Benetti, MTS ‘21 

Editor’s Note: In this post, Master’s of Theological Studies (MTS) student Fernando Benetti walks us through his complicated path to Harvard Divinity School (HDS). As Fernando’s story shows, our students come from diverse backgrounds and unique experiences—no prospective student’s journey through the application process will be identical to the next. As you read please keep in mind that Fernando’s journey shouldn’t be read as specific advice or requirements for all applicants. In addition, remember that if you’re applying to HDS after already completing another master’s degree like Fernando, your Statement of Purpose should clearly articulate why you need another master’s degree to reach your career or vocational goals. As always, if you have any questions about application best practices, you can email us at admissions.hds.harvard.edu. 

Hello everyone! I’m Fernando, and this is my first post on the blog. I’m excited to be with you all. I’m here to tell you how I decided to apply to Harvard University. I am originally from Southern Brazil and have completed my BA in Cultural History in 2014 in my hometown of Florianópolis. After finishing college, I started traveling the world and visited around thirty countries in Europe, Latin America, North Africa, and the  Middle East. In 2016, I settled in India and started an MA in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religion at Nalanda University, in Rajgir, Bihar. Rajgir is a small village in a rural area. The pervasive peace of the place allowed me to spend long periods studying and practicing meditation without the distractions of big cities. 

My classmates and professors at Nalanda University
Photo courtesy of FERNANDO BENETTI. 
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Reflecting on Theological Education Day

15 Friday Nov 2019

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

I can’t believe that Theological Education Day (TED), our annual open house for prospective students, has come and gone! I had so much fun getting to meet you all that it was sad to see you all go. If you couldn’t make it to TED this year, let me offer you a brief overview. 

Graduate Assistant Julia Reimann welcomes visitors on the morning of TED  
Photo Courtesy of KATE HOETING 
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DivEx: A Year Later

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

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Post by: Natalie Solis, MTS 2021 

Read on to learn about HDS’ Diversity and Explorations Program as well as Theological Education Day from DivEx alum and current student, Natalie Solis. Please see the bottom of this post for more information about DivEx and TED. 

Solis DivEx photo 2

Natalie Solis, author, in front of Andover Hall, DivEx 2017

Whether you have dreamt about going to HDS for years or are still discerning whether Divinity School is the right path for you, the Diversity and Explorations program is an extremely helpful introduction to HDS. Just one year ago, I was getting ready for DivEx. Now, I am pursuing my MTS with a concentration in Religions of the Americas and working as a Graduate Assistant at the HDS Office of Admissions. DivEx was a crucial part of my journey to HDS. As a first-generation college student and religion major at the University of Southern California, I learned about HDS early in my undergraduate career from professors who attended HDS. Since I am planning to pursue a career in academia, I sought out faculty advice when I was applying to graduate school last year. In speaking with HDS alum and USC Dean of Religious Life, Varun Soni, he encouraged me to apply to DivEx.   Continue reading →

Sky-Bridges and Labyrinths: The Long Wait

26 Monday Feb 2018

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HDS Campus 2008

HDS campus after the summer 2008 installation of the campus green and labyrinth. Photo credit to the HDS Office of Communications. Photographer Kristie Welsh.

Our HDS Admissions Blog has served many a prospective student during the application and matriculation process. I’ve compiled an annotated list of the posts that were most helpful to me during the anxious period between submitting my application, hearing back about The Decision in mid-March, and making my decision to matriculate in April. I do hope that these posts will bring comfort and insight to those awaiting decisions, those only beginning to consider HDS, and even those of us already spending evenings in Andover Library, searching for a sense of renewal in a new semester. Continue reading →