Canator

I'd add the University of Kansas to your list. It is a good department with decent funding ($14,000 for 9 months, which goes very far in Lawrence, KS). Their graduate students tend to get into some good programs (at least those who want to pursue a PhD). You will probably also find the professors willing to work with you on getting your underprepared language up to snuff. Tony Corbeill is working on a book focused on grammatical gender right now, so you might even find him to be excited about working on the (rather specific sounding) topic you mentioned.

I wonder about your decision to apply to the Classics Department as your "home" department. Would Philosophy or Medieval Studies not be more appropriate for such late (from a Classicist's point of view) authors? I only bring this up because I wonder how the Classics Dept's admissions committee would view someone interested in an area that falls on the extreme fringe of the field. I don't know anything about the CASA fellowship, but just because it is not directly related to your interests doesn't mean it won't boost your admissions profile. It might demonstrate an ability to thrive in a difficult academic environment for instance - something obviously important to adcoms as they try to determine who's going to flop under the pressures of graduate work. I'm also going to send you a PM in a few minutes with a few other thoughts.

UW-Madison has a great GWS department. I would get in touch with them when you're working on your application and see what they can tell you about possible TA/RA opportunities they might have for you. I think TAships in the History department can be difficult to get on a consistent basis - you might be able to fill off semesters by working for GWS. Obviously you should also look at the associated faculty from GWS and information on the PhD minor they offer (though you've probably already done so).

Maybe send an email to a few professors who teach courses on rhetoric and logic and ask them to send you a syllabus. Explain your interest in the topic and I'd think most of them would be willing to give you their thoughts. If you ask a few different people you will probably get a pretty good feel for standard texts and the best order for reading. It might help to ask for syllabi from a few different course levels (introductory, intermediate, graduate seminars, etc.) Try a Google search for syllabi, too. I put in "classical rhetoric syllabus site:.edu" and got a whole list. Same thing for logic, history, etc. You can use a variety of syllabi as a sort of guide for your own curriculum. Cut out things you aren't interested in and maybe add others that you are. I also don't think it's too late to learn one or both languages. Maybe check out the Textkit (http://www.textkit.com/) website. They have textbooks available for download and a whole forum of people learning Greek and Latin. Of course, the time commitment for properly learning the languages is immense, but you might find it rewarding ... especially if dealing with philosophical texts that can't always be translated properly into English. If you want suggestion of additional sources I can throw out a few thoughts. I don't see Homer on your list. He's the beginning of Greek literature and references to Homeric characters/events show up all the time in other texts. Translations of Parmenides and Empedocles might interest you if you like philosophy. Lucretius, too, on the Latin side of things. Greek tragedy is great for anyone interested in rhetoric and logic. If you get really into a certain author or topic and want to read additional scholarship the Blackwell Companions might make a decent start. They tend to cover a wide variety of topics and generally include a good bibliography to continue your research. Check out the website at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-324320.html.

It might be easier to give her a call. It's much harder to dodge a question over the phone than it is via email. I know what it's like to deal with a snippy departmental administrator. Just keep pushing politely.

Orchard Street is part of what is called the "Sophomore Slums" or "Sophomore Dorms." Tons of undergrads and parties. Look closer to the Trader Joe's area on Monroe Street if you're interested in that area.

I don't know anything about those particular apartments, yellow.wallpaper, but if were back in Madison I'd prefer to be closer to the downtown area where there is more to do (coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc.). I'd look for places northeast of the Capitol or near Williamson ("Willy" as locals call it) Street. These areas tend to have lower concentration of undergraduates as well. The UW has a good apartment search that they host. Check it out at http://campusareahousing.wisc.edu/. The area I recommended above would be zones 3 and 6 on the map you will get to several steps in. 1, 2, 4, and parts of 5 are mostly undergrads. As for the cold weather ... make sure you buy a nice coat. Make a good investment and don't skimp. The same thing goes for boots. I buy high quality for those, too. You will also want to own scarves (winter ones, not floofy fashion ones), hat, and mittens. Several pairs of wool socks. I think you will find that you quickly become used to the winter weather. Obviously don't plan to walk far on very cold days. Watch the weather report and become familiar with the bus system (which is quite good and free for UW students). If you are planning to have a car and drive be very careful. Many drivers who haven't experienced snow don't realize just how much of a change in mindset winter driving demands. And just remember, if it snows you can always get to class with a pair of skis or snowshoes! (Kind of kidding there ... but you could.)

Yep, will echo this. Really, almost all of the big apartment buildings on campus are full of undergrads ... Grand Central, the Aberdeen, Spring Street ("Sophomore Dorms"), the Embassy, etc.

Well since you've only been rejected for three out of your ten schools (and all of them happen to be elite universities that reject a lot of very good applicants) I would sit tight and wait a little bit longer. Maybe go and talk to your primary adviser and hear what she/he has to say. Have you figured out why your applications are going "terribly"? It may help to try making contact with your confirmed rejections and asking what recommendations they would have for improving your application. Truly though, I think the best thing to do is to wait and maybe have a short chat with your adviser. Just remember that you still have SEVEN schools to go and that getting rejected from top of the line universities like Berkeley, Columbia, and Princeton doesn't mean you won't get in anywhere. Hopefully you applied to some non-Ivy / par-Ivy schools?

Hi Dknows, For $1100 a month you can live just about anywhere in Madison - you could probably even live in a beautiful 1 bedroom right on the Capitol for less than $1100. I'd say $900 would be the upper end for most one bedroom apartments, and probably closer to $750-$800. I'd take a look at Padmapper and see what you can find; it helps to un-check the require address box. The UW also has a great housing search available at http://campusareahousing.wisc.edu/. If you want to avoid undergraduates I would recommend living northeast of the Capitol building. Most undergrads tend to live in a sort of square bounded by N. Breese Terrace on the west, Lake Mendota to the north, Regent Street to the south, and the Capitol to the east. The further up the isthmus you go (zones 3 and 6 on the UW's search site) away from campus the fewer undergrads you will find. I'd recommend looking around James Madison Park or the Williamson ("Willy") Street area. Living around the Capitol is nice, too, especially if you're into eating a drinking. If you want to live on the other side of town look at apartments along Old University past Breese Terrace or down around Vilas Park / Monroe Street. These are further from the Humanities building where the History Dept. is located, though. Feel free to ask here or PM any more questions.

Anyone know anything about the University of Illinois Classics program? I heard it had some troubles with faculty members but that those issues have now been resolved. It's a small department, clearly, but does anyone know if they're adding more professors? Do their graduates have success on the job market?

UCLA sent out interview requests, according to a friend.

A "blue chip" prospect in sports generally refers to a top notch prospect that an organization feels is going to develop into a real player. Sort of a "can't miss" type of thing. If they've attached that label to you it is probably a good sign. Why would she say it? People use sports references all the time.

I'm not a French student so I can't say this with any authority, but I wouldn't be dismissive of an interview or assume it is a sign that you've been accepted. I would be ready to field a lot of questions about your writing sample(s) and to defend your views. They will also most likely ask you questions about your interests. Obviously that should have been addressed in your SOP, but they will probably want to go a little more in-depth. It's nice because you get to touch on some of the points that the short format of the SOP doesn't allow you to explore. One thing you can almost certainly expect them to ask is if YOU have any questions for THEM. I think this can be a good place to show your interest if you have a thoughtful question or two prepared. It will be casual in the sense that no one is going to be rude, but formal in the sense that it is used as an evaluation of your abilities ... and as a sort of means of checking if the "paper" you they see in the application matches up with the real world you. It will also give them a sense of what it is like to work with you as a person. Are you standoffish? Disturbingly shy and difficult to pull into conversation? Boisterous? Those types of things. They're committing to five years of working with you and you can bet they don't want it to be unpleasant. I also wouldn't consider it a definite acceptance. Again, maybe this is different in the world of French departments or at Northwestern, but most universities will use an interview to make their final decisions. It's definitely a good sign to have an interview, but don't treat it lightly. They might have a few more qualified applicants than spots - the interview could help differentiate yourself. Bottom line - don't freak out, but definitely do not brush it off.