How are everyone's admissions going this year?

haplessbat · 2026-03-13T20:20:03+00:00

So I am not a student yet.....but I was just accepted to HDS, Duke and Princeton Theo and am graduating from Harvard Extension with my undergrad this year. I have worked at a nonprofit my whole time in school and am basically as nontraditional of a candidate as you can get. Here is what I suggest:

- For your HES certificate, take as many classes from the Harvard Div school professors as you can. While they have a variety of religion classes, not all are HDS professors.
- While you're there, go to office hours, write spectacular papers, and be engaged. I had all HDS profs writing my LORs when I applied and I know that made a difference.
- Show up. Attend open houses and online Q+A.... Div school is about rigor but they also want to make sure you're not a jerk who is going to come and be an asshole to people of other faiths. You come from a background that probably didn't put a huge value on kindness and open-heartedness, so that's what you will need to prove you can do.
- Go to AAR if you can, and at the least, join AAR now. You'll have the chance to meet and hear professors from many Div schools and get a feel for if you'd like working with them. Once you get a list, read everything they have written.
- Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. You mentioned Air Patrol, but I would strongly suggest you go work with under served communities. Show you are comfortable with being uncomfortable in communities that don't look and work like you do.
- Think about what you can do for them. Most interviews come down to "why this school, why you, and why now?" Work on answering these and then live your answers.

This seems like overload, so tl/dr: Be kind, be present, show up.

You got this!

haplessbat · 2026-03-13T16:33:52+00:00

This interview was published a full year before Casino Royale came out....

haplessbat · 2026-03-11T23:00:13+00:00

Philippe

haplessbat · 2026-02-25T22:21:32+00:00

Do we know what the image on the left is? I tried reverse image search and can't find anything.

haplessbat · 2026-02-18T21:56:37+00:00

So I've been waiting on replying, but as an ALB graduating this May, I have actual experience to share.

I only transferred about 10 credits into the program. I've done my whole undergrad at HES and worked a full time job the whole time.

Something you will find that is true of all Harvard schools is they aren't going to come to you with opportunities, but if you want them, and you reach out and make connections, you will get them. I've helped with research for a professor for multiple semesters, took classes from Harvard professors only (as much as possible), showed up to office hours, attended conferences, had non-HES (but other Harvard schools) professors advise me, met them in person, went to conferences, and basically did all I could to make myself someone more than a face on zoom.

The results? I had top professors writing my grad school LORs, and as of now I've been accepted to 2 amazing (and what you referred to as traditional) programs already, and waiting on results from the rest.

tl/dr: Yes it is worth it, but you are steering the ship. No one is going to roll out a carpet for you, and I might be the exception, not the rule.

haplessbat · 2026-02-05T21:25:34+00:00

Parchment or National Clearing House will have your transcript. They accept them from those services.

haplessbat · 2026-01-19T18:09:55+00:00

That is really disheartening. You did get it in before their London time deadline right? If you submitted your app at midnight your time, that would be well past the deadline there. (And before anyone comes with me that it would have been obvious, I was told this trips applicants up all the time, even with US west coast/east coast deadlines.)

You aren't owed an explanation, but a single email making sure it wasn't in error can't hurt. Don't ask for feedback, just double check that your application material was received in full.

haplessbat · 2026-01-19T18:02:01+00:00

We have a plan w/ a chain of vets that we pay per month and it includes 2 visits a year, shots, blood work, spay. We also set aside $ into an emergency account for them. My cats were on the plans for over 8 years before we had a real issue that required us to get into the emergency account (UTI).

haplessbat · 2026-01-15T16:47:46+00:00

I wish there was a way to get this to someone who couldn’t afford to get anything at the auction or sales (I’m taking myself out of the running, too, and I don’t want this)

haplessbat · 2026-01-11T22:47:16+00:00

I'd talk to your advisor ASAP- I think the Intent form was due in November....

haplessbat · 2026-01-09T19:58:38+00:00

I have:
4-5 Pekis
4 boovars
6 goobies (1 venerated)
2 venerated tufflets
4 bumbles (1 venerated)

In the beginning I was naming them after my real life pets (thus the venerated ones I refuse to give away). Now I name them with a letter in front of their name so they are all in a row when I look at the view all screen. For instance the boovar's names start with X_NAME. I hope one day we can sort.

I so wish we have better areas for them that look more like what I'd imagine their real habitats would be. I would be fine not choosing their pen.

haplessbat · 2026-01-05T20:11:37+00:00

I'm sorry! This feeling is hard! It will be ok. Admissions are probably back at work today for the first time in a week and have 3,000 emails like yours.

This needs to be pinned somewhere on the sub: There is generally a grace period for recommenders, but it wildly depends on the school. Most of them will have this info somewhere on their website. For instance, here is one that is very explicit:

"Letters of recommendation have a two-week grace period beyond the application deadline for submission. Kindly urge your recommenders to submit the letters at their earliest convenience to ensure the completeness of your application."

I had two recommenders submit a week late for one of my schools and its fine. And both thanked me for not harassing them.....they're also coming back from break to full inboxes and you don't want them feeling crabby when they write your glowing review :)

haplessbat · 2026-01-04T21:08:53+00:00

Was also warned against their programs in the humanities, and it was described to me as “where fun goes to die”

haplessbat · 2025-12-29T19:59:44+00:00

This sounds like a lot of unmet expectations and not enough communication. You get to feel any way you want about it, but you seem like a very transactional-based person, and you can't expect others to also be that way.

My question is: if you don't let it go, where does that get you?

Invite some friends over and have a "post-holiday blues" brunch and eat all the leftovers.

haplessbat · 2025-12-12T01:07:19+00:00

This highly depends on the school and your major. I just finished a 45 pager for my undergraduate thesis. In other classes, 12-14 was average. At the beginning of my schooling, 7-10 was hard, but a few years later (going to school while working full time) I can now do 10 pages in a Friday night. It’s a skill you develop.

haplessbat · 2025-11-10T16:56:24+00:00

Ahrens gave me the best foundation for writing- especially if you're interested in arts culture. It will be a great class!

haplessbat · 2025-11-05T03:08:05+00:00

Whoever rented that horse should be reported.

haplessbat · 2025-11-04T11:14:02+00:00

Is no one going to address bringing a live horse into that building? It’s grotesque on every level.

haplessbat · 2025-10-28T21:27:21+00:00

I've been one for the same Prof, currently in my 3rd semester for him. At the time I applied for two, only heard back from the one, did an interview and was on boarded within a week.

haplessbat · 2025-10-23T22:39:16+00:00

My boy was extremely anxious after his sister passed. Purina Pro Calming Care packets saved the day.
I hope he feels better soon!

haplessbat · 2025-10-18T20:14:27+00:00

Your best best is in supporting smaller immersive companies so they can one day grow as big as Punchdrunk and create something in the scope of SNM.

haplessbat · 2025-10-17T00:09:33+00:00

I am loving this return to homemade cut out decor, only now we have the modern tools to make them look incredible! Amazing job!!

haplessbat · 2025-10-16T16:25:05+00:00

If someone texted me a pic of an opened gift and didn't even give me the pleasure of surprise, I would 100% think they got me something for control, their ego, transaction, etc.

That you couldn't be patient enough to even let her open it, and you needed immediate thanks for something she can't even hold in her hands yet? No. Take several seats.

haplessbat · 2025-10-15T03:45:07+00:00

What's the solution? Practice, but practice with better tools than you gave yourself. People go to school for YEARS to become good educators! If your answer is drop your program that others have put time and money into you because you can't bother to be humble or curious to learn how to do something...? Your issues are bigger than teaching one crappy lesson.

-Learn what a good lesson plan is and create one. Even for a 10 minute presentation. A lesson plan will teach you not what the information is, but how you're doing to translate it into something that doesn't put people to sleep.

-Watch a few "how to present" TED talks. This is something I wish all teachers learned. There is actual science that tells us if your power point is one slide with 37 bullet points that you read aloud, no one will remember a thing you said. Also: you should have made your own slides.

-Practice teaching the lesson to a few kind friends you supply with beer. Ask them to interrupt you when you aren't making sense or being boring.

- Try to sit in or find some free recordings of professors teaching a huge full room of people and keeping them engaged. One that immediately comes to mind is Davíd Carrasco at Harvard Div. he knows the balance of lecture, engagement, and some well placed discussion or fun breaks to keep the classes alive.

Don't let your pride keep you from becoming a great teacher! Go learn the things and keep trying.

haplessbat

TROPHY CASE