hippocleides_doesn't_care

Hi everyone!! I am a current student at a small liberal arts college, and I'll be getting my BA in December in History and Classics. I'm applying mostly to History PhD programs (possibly some Classics, but not ideally) in Late Antique Mediterranean Studies. My (current) area of interest is the Late Western Roman Empire and Roman-"barbarian" relations. I would so appreciate any advice anyone has, and I hope the camaraderie of this thread will ease the pain of writing personal statements...

All of this! Also, if you are concerned, contact your Registrar's Office. It is very odd that the coursework from transfer institutions isn't on there-- at least to my knowledge, it should be. Best of luck.

Thanks for your responses everyone! It's so nice to get feedback. I'm planning on doing 4 1/2 years in undergrad, and applying to schools for Fall 2018 with an honors thesis to use as a writing sample, so I do have some time, but not much. Do you all have any ideas (other than mountains of reading) on how to pick a specialization? My school, as I've mentioned, is quite small, so it doesn't have many languages available-- and Latin and Greek are on their way out. Is it best to do intensive summer language programs for Arabic, Farsi, or other such languages, or just find what I can nearby or online? Again, thanks very much!

This is my first post after looking for a while. I would really appreciate some guidance on specialization and its importance. On me: I'm in my 3rd year in undergrad studying History and Classics at a relatively good liberal arts college. I don't think I want to be a philologist, as I am more interested in the broader Historical scope than total command of Greek and Latin language. I am also super interested in the Middle East-- I took an exceptional class in the history of U.S.- Middle East relations this past year that kind of turned my neat little Ancient Mediterranean History track on its head. I've since discerned that my main interest, really, is Empire. What kind of language is used to create them and hold them together structurally and culturally? What's the relationship between colonized and colonizer? Of course, like a lot of History majors, I love everything I study. I'm taking Latin and Greek right now, but I would like to take Arabic next semester, and take classes in Political Science if I can. So, on to my actual question... Do I need to pick one scope or the other now, or should I keep doing everything I find interesting, even if it isn't facilitating my need to choose a specialization for grad school? What was your path? Thanks so much!