LateAntique

Through some weird happening, I have friends at the programs I'm applying to or I have friends who know people there. I got the inside scoop at every place I'm applying to.

Muse

I wouldn't share that your education is in some way related to your desire to show up the Jesus Seminar. For one, that's just a fruitless endeavor (they aren't all that well-respected in the NT community anyway). Secondly, it just makes you look crazy. Three, would you not be studying this if the JS didn't exist?

Hey - I like your name. Would you mind sharing a bit about your research interests?

I'm currently applying to Ph.D programs in Classics or related to early Christian stuff, but my parallel universe self is probably doing work in evolutionary anthropology.

Now I'm reading Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind." I've been reading a lot of books lately (mostly by Classicists) that lament the failure of modern "education" (which is typically not education at all, but rather vocational training).

Ask me after I have tenure.

Take this for what it's worth: At the annual SBL meeting I was talking with some friends who are Ph.D students at various institutions (Duke, U of Chicago, etc). They were talking about how American schools are somewhat suspicious of an American who goes overseas to do their Ph.D. Likewise, I was told by someone at a school I was going to apply to (but ended up not) that I would probably be asked to do another MA (or something equivalent) if I went overseas to do an MA.

Tappa Kega Day and I Felta Thi.

You're preaching to the choir. I tell people I study Classics and they look at me and ask, "Like Moby Dick?" Exactly. Call me Ishmael.

I realize sarcasm doesn't come across very well, but I don't honestly think that comp lit is a place only for flunky Classicists (my grandfather taught literature, though not comp lit).

Whoever got the Baylor interview: congrats!

It's nice to know that I won't be asking people, "Is 2% okay?" (that's a coffee shop reference...). Things haven't been finalized yet, but it looks like Eastern NC or Charlotte, NC. I would prefer HS History, but we'll see what comes my way.

I got a couple of emails from comp lit programs from the GRE. Comp lit is where flunky Classicists go.

The Religion department is different from the Div School.

Honestly, I've encountered nothing but friendly people in this process. A professor at FSU gave me his cell number so we could chat about whatever. When I was having transcript issues with a school I attended, one program's administrative assistant asked me if I wanted her to "go to bat" for me and make some tough calls (to the school that was withholding my transcripts). Likewise, an admissions person at Duke helped me solve the transcript issue for Duke. With as many issues as I've had in my educational career, this experience has shown me a bunch of people who are genuinely caring.

I think the bit about finding a good graduate program is probably meant to include theirs (but perhaps they don't want to be presumptuous and assume you're going to choose them). I'd stay reserved with a side of hope.

I've wanted to teach at a university since my first day of undergraduate education. Ideally, I'd like to hold a dual appointment in Classics and Religion at a big state university (I've gotta get my ideas out to as many people as possible!). I also hope to write books that help continue a dialogue already in progress between New Testament studies, Early Christian studies, and Classics.

Since this is our catch-all thread, I'll post my question here. With the humanities on the decline and with Classics being in a minority position within that shrinking category ('Gone are the days when all men who had claim to education and who in their various spheres moulded the current of events had a common background and training in the classics'), would you be willing to teach somewhere other than a 4 year university? What would be your Plan B if you receive a Ph.D and cannot find a job? Considering that the days are gone when "Harvard" or "Brown" written on your degree would secure your future, what are those of us who are going to second tier programs going to do after we graduate? My plan B would be to teach at a private high school/college prep OR adjuncting at a couple of universities until I get tired of it. My SO and I will probably get married and she's getting her Ph.D in the sciences from a prestigious program. If we're still together, I can probably manage to work out something with the university she ends up at (and I would not be ashamed of that at all). If we're not together, then I've only got myself to worry about and I am the most frugal person I know (aside from my book budget).

Congrats to us! I come here because I'm Catholic and Catholics see redemptive value in suffering. I'm working off some years in purgatory by going through this process.

I am at my third undergraduate institution. I went to a community college, then to a confessional Christian school, and now at a state school.

I didn't apply to UVA because the guy I want to study with is retiring. C'est la vie.

Not to hijack a thread, but I'm finishing up my BA in Religious Studies and Classics from a large, though not prestigious state school. If I don't get into grad school, I'm wondering what it is I can do with double majors in the humanities. I've seen a lot of people talk about temping in NYC - is this the usual route?

Every program is going to be different. For instance, I know UVA's Religion program takes their large stack of applications and looks for ANY (and I do mean any) reason to get rid of an application. Typo? Throw it out. Dislike syntax in the SoP? Throw it out. Somewhat low GRE? Throw it out. Then they go through the remaining stack and look for reasons to let you in.

I've thought the same thing. I should've applied to Michigan and University of Texas at Austin, but I just didn't have the energy or money to do two more apps.