LateAntique

It depends on the field. Classics tends to be more strict in what they expect their students to do in terms of modern research languages. There is definitely a different feel amongst grad students that I've met in Classics vs. those in Religion/Theology.

I'd be 100% happy attending any of the places to which I'm applying, though some are less prestigious than others.

If you chose BU over UNLV, would that degree provide you that much more earning potential so that you would be able to pay back all the loans? That's really what it comes down to - if you're willing to be in debt the rest of your life, or you will be able to pay off everything in a reasonable time, go to the more expensive school if you think you would fit in better there.

Maybe she intercepted your SoP and thought, "Hey, that doesn't sound half bad."

When I tell people I do Classics, I always get, "Oh, like Shakespeare and Moby Dick?"

Because I know how wary people are of attachments on emails from people they do not know, I tend to just give some minor facts and figures in my initial email. The first for me is typically a "Do you think I would be a good fit in your program?" email.

Likewise - I'm at 19 hours, but I have to take all of these courses or else I'd graduate in the summer.

What are your languages like? I imagine it will be difficult to get into any Early Christian programs without some Latin and Greek.

I figure if I don't come out knowing Herodotus like a champ, something is wrong. I'm also doing just a smidge of Hesiod in the beginning of the semester, but it should mostly be Herodotus.

Those sound awesome! I have seriously missed my calling as an anthropologist. Is it too late?!

For those who are currently in school (be it in a BA or MA program), what does your final semester look like? Although I'm taking some core requirements classes I put off (a math class and a required PE in the form of bowling), I've got an awesome semester ahead of me. I'm taking: Herodotus and the Persian Wars (with the eminent Peter Green! I'm stoked!) Translating Herodotus for Greek Directed Reading in Greek: Aeschylus' Agamemnon (this is going to be difficult but worth it) Latin Senior Religion Seminar (concerning Matthew Fox, the once Catholic now Episcopal priest theologian) I'm also probably doing some work with an amazing Erasmus scholar. Though it looks like a lot of work, I'm actually pretty excited about it. What about you? Do you have an easy breezey semester coming up or one from hell?

I hate to be a downer, but I think you're pretty behind the ball. Time management is pretty key with things like this.

Yes, we call that "Friday night" at my school.

I'm not familiar with it, but I will go read it. Catullus is just good for shocking people out of viewing the Classics with Renaissance lenses, imagining a culture of nothing but refined European-esque individuals with fanciful tales. Plus, it just helps keep freshmen interested in Latin when you start telling them what "Pedicabo ego uos irrumabo" means. As far as trump cards go, I like to quote Catullus in situations wherein someone's being a bit of a snob. If they start bringing up Farfenflaubengeiserschnell's theories, I'll just quote the most obscene thing I can think of in Latin and then tell them it means something completely different. "Oh yes, as the poet Catullus has said, 'Pedicabo ego uos', or: 'friendship is the best'." People totally fall for it. P.S. - If someone's reading the thread and wants to know what that little line means, feel free to PM me. I felt it best not to translate it in public.

You can always start tomorrow!

I too am trying to figure out how I'm going to cram all of what I want to do into my educational timeline. If I get into an MA, I'll have more time to develop my languages, but the Ph.D programs to which I'm applying are all 5-6 years, two of which are Classics (and thus will not count learning Coptic and/or Syriac towards my degree, but I can still fit it in if I have time). I'm hoping I can do some summer intensives, but we'll see.

One of the programs to which I'm applying has a great archive of papyri and manuscripts but virtually no one is doing paleography anymore. I tried to stress that as one of my interests in my SoP and even met with the professor who does paleography there so he could see that I'm a nice guy and he would want to work with me for the next 5 years. My thinking is basically the same as yours: this is a great resource at this school and nobody's utilizing it, so maybe by being different I'll stand a greater chance of getting in.

You are such a social scientist (and I mean that in the very best way).

You're nicer than I am. I would've had some fun with that lady and gotten her to talk me down to an outrageously low price and then scheduled a date to start the work.

Nice list! I didn't list everything, just some stuff off the top of my head in order to get the ball rolling here. Yeah, the entire Aeneid. My list has a big mix of stuff we read in class and stuff I just read on my own. I try to dedicate at least an hour (30 mins Greek/30 mins Latin) outside of homework to read. I figure if I'm going to use these languages the rest of my life, I might as well go ahead and do as much as I can now.

Mind sharing your GRE score?

I started a service where I told Classics majors I'd translate their SoP into perfect Latin for them. Then I just typed in a bunch of swear words and threats in Latin and sent it off. I hope it works.

+1 - 'has' agrees with its noun in number. I'd use the word 'background' instead of 'grounding'.

I was discussing this with my girlfriend this evening. Why do schools have such varied app fees even when they receive similar amounts of applications? Why does one school charge me 75, but another charges me 30? Where is that extra 45 bucks going?

That's 4,000 dollars a piece.