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Tag Archives: Recommendation Letters

Last Minute Application Questions and Answers

28 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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financial aid, Recommendation Letters, Statement of Purpose

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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HDS Admissions Application Now Available

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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Academics, Advice, Applying, ask students, How to Apply, Recommendation Letters

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

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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Academics, Applying, ask students, Decisions, financial aid, HDS People, How to Apply, MDiv, MTS, Recommendation Letters, Statement of Purpose, Summer

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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What to Do While You Wait to Hear Back

17 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Waiting to Hear

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ask students, Decisions, financial aid, Open House, Recommendation Letters, Self Care, Summer Language Program

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

We’ve come to that much anticipated time of the year! You’ve finally submitted that application that you worked so hard on, and now you’re sitting here thinking, “Now what?” It might help you to know a bit about what we’re doing on the other end: helping recommenders get their letters in, clarifying transcript details like transfer credits, and making sure all the uploaded documents are legible. We go through each application page by page to ensure that it follows the requirements, and we follow up with applicants if we need more information. Our Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach, which means that we consider all aspects of every application in our decision-making process. Because we receive hundreds of applications, we need time from early January to mid-March to review them in a way that honors your hard work! 

Even though we’re busier than ever, we know that this time can be a stressful waiting period for applicants. Here are 12 tips to help you be relaxed and ready for mid-March: 

Photo courtesy of JONATHAN BEASLEY, HDS Office of Communications 
  1. Celebrate that you turned in your application! You finally finished your application, and that’s nothing to sneeze at! Let’s be honest: writing about yourself in your statement of purpose can be a daunting task. Well, now you’re done with it! 
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Featured Article: Last Minute Application Tips

02 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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Applying, financial aid, How to Apply, Recommendation Letters

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! 

How to Apply Series

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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Advice, GRE, Reapplication, Recommendation Letters, Statement of Purpose, Test Scores, TOEFL/IELTS, writing sample

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

Hi everyone! If you’re planning to apply for the 2021-2022 school year, we hope this blog has been helpful in getting you ready for the January deadline. In 2018, our Graduate Assistants created a wonderful blog post series called “How to Apply” that will walk you through each aspect of the application process. In December 2020, we went back and updated the articles to reflect this year’s requirements. Here are the articles in our “How to Apply” series: 

  • “How to Apply: Letters of Recommendation” 
  • “How to Apply: Statement of Purpose” 
  • “How to Apply: Reapplication” 
  • “How to Apply: Writing Sample” 
  • “How to Apply: Test Scores” 

Remember that during this busy period for those of you applying in this cycle, the Admissions Office is happy to help! Email us at admissions@hds.harvard.edu or ask_students@hds.harvard.edu.

How to Apply: Letters of Recommendation

01 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by HDS Admissions Blog in Applying

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Advice, How to Apply, Recommendation Letters

Post by: Mikaela Allen, MTS 2019, HDS Office of Admissions Graduate Assistant

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

  • “How to Apply: Statement of Purpose“
  • “How to Apply: Reapplication”
  • “How to Apply: Writing Sample” 
  • “How to Apply: Test Scores” 

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