Posidonia

Sure, the odds in Classics (and academia generally) are stiff -- but are they really any better in other professions that are intellectually demanding and/or tend to be viewed as prestigious? Do you imagine it's any easier becoming a journalist for a major newspaper or magazine? Does everyone who wants to work for a bank or consulting firm end up getting a job in these industries? And how many failed entrepreneurs do you imagine are there for every successful one? Even in the case of law school (which, incidentally, tends to be a popular option for PhDs who find themselves stranded on the job market), a top JD program no longer guarantees gainful employment, and a precious few eventually end up becoming judges or partners at major law firms. As for top programs and their placement rates, I think it's getting things backwards to believe that a program has some binding obligation to be able to place you in a TT job. When I look at a department's placement record (and yes, no one's is perfect -- though some of the best, like Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton etc. seem to be able to get 4 out of 5 graduates some form of employment in classics straight out of the gate), what it tells me is how strong some of their middling to best students tend to be, which is really a function of how tough their standards of admission are. So, if I get into a dept with a strong placement record (i.e., a mixture of VAPS, postdocs and tenure-track offers for 75%+ of alums), all that allows me to be confident of is the idea that I'm *expected* to turn out to be as strong as some or most of their candidates -- but that certainly doesn't mean I'll be guaranteed something like the nice TT job last year's strongest ABD landed, etc. In the end the onus to succeed is one's own alone; a strong program can only give you a few advantages which you may or may not be able to use to the full. Personally I've made the choice after much reflection to accept this risk and to take my chances in the profession. Fortunately I'll have the help and support of a top program in doing that, and believe me, I wouldn't be making this gamble if I hadn't managed to get into a top program. But now that I've given myself the strongest possible start, I'll take my chances, and enjoy the next 5-6 years doing what I'm passionate about.

Hi Traianus, I think your instincts about taking the MA path are right, and I agree with the advice that hellenist and heliogabalus have given above. I would only add the following few points: (1) the writing sample is absolutely key to a successful application, and there is no doubt the MA will help you produce something much stronger than what you might have already, esp. if it requires a dissertation/thesis. So in addition to shoring up your Greek, focus on your writing. You did mention wanting to try to publish something -- that's a commendable ambition, but by no means necessary to guarantee admission to a top 10. (Publishing is also extraordinarily time-consuming as well as difficult: the referee process takes anywhere up to 2 years, depending on the journal, and that is assuming your paper is accepted in the first round -- which many ultimately publishable papers aren't!) A more realistic way to stand out in the pool is to aim for presenting at a professional conference like the APA or any of the regional classical association meetings -- check the APA website's blog for a listing of calls for papers. (2) if you do not have strong research interests already, take the opportunity of the MA to develop a few. Having a research interest that is demonstrated through coursework or the writing sample is key to making a strong application; you cannot just say you want to do Latin or Greek or history broadly. That being said, what many departments really want to see is an applicant with a variety of interests, not just one narrowly focused interest; they want someone who shows a clear potential for intellectual growth and change, and who can make use of all the resources they might have to offer. So read widely and do some exploring in your MA, or on your own, if you can! Basically the rest is straightforward: aim for strong grades, keep working on your languages. I'd say that for your GRE it's really up to you whether to retake it or not; a score such as yours won't break (even though it might not make) your application. But keep in mind, there are quite a few applicants out there with strong language preparation and strong grades/scores, so the number one way to stand out is to develop your intellectual interests, and work on your written research, to a point where they will make you unique. Good luck!

Congrats to all with acceptances and interviews so far! I just wanted to chime in and second/third/fourth all the people who have had mysterious results in this cycle so far -- I too have gotten acceptances from surprising places, but only silence from others that I thought were better fits. However an undergrad mentor of mine reminds me that academic merit or intellectual fit are often only two of many factors in play. Sometimes, counterintuitively, an adcomm sees where a strong applicant has applied and rejects them because they think they have no chance of getting him/her. And then, sometimes, there's politics, whether between individual professors or even departments; you never know if one of your recommenders has had a tiff with someone at the place you're applying to. So, bottom line is when things get confusing, it can just as often be about them rather than about you. While that's definitely frustrating if it means you're prevented from attending a top choice program, it doesn't mean at all you won't be successful in the long run, which is what ultimately matters.

Thanks, Petros!

Hi all! I'm new to GradCafe and just discovered this thread, and thought I would join as I have also applied to doctoral programs in Classics beginning fall 2014. Samyraeus: In response to your question about Princeton, it can't have been a notification of acceptance (from Classics at least). They do not communicate final decisions before the end (or near the end) of February. Good luck to all!