Hi, so this question sort of has two parts. I’ve applied to 5 schools for an MA in religious studies (focus on Hebrew Bible and ANE Studies) and I’ve heard back from four so far. My top school, Notre Dame, waitlisted me. They said I was first on the list both overall and in my concentration, but that varies. The degree I’ve applied for is tuition free, so I want to wait on that as long as I can. But I don’t know the protocol for being waitlisted or what I can do to make myself more competitive at this point. Basically, how long should I wait - what is your general advice for GSAS waitlists?
Secondly, I’ve been accepted to three other programs, Brandeis, U Wisconsin - Madison, and Yale Divinity. Now, Yale is by far the cheapest school (unless I hear back favorably from Notre Dame or the fifth school), but according to my adviser it’s also the weakest program I applied to, and my end goal is a PhD and working as a professor. U Wisconsin is the best program I’ve been accepted to, and it is about 1k cheaper than Brandeis, but they haven’t offered me any funding. And Brandeis has offered to cover 1/2 of my tuition with the possibility of assistantships… So the difference could close. Their program is just in a state of flux right now because they just lost their top Hebrew Bible person and are having trouble replacing him. So I guess I’m just asking what to prioritize here, money or quality?
Because if ND comes to the rescue I won’t have to sacrifice either, but I really want to be prepared for the possibility that nobody will give up their spot. I know I wouldn’t.