screwdriverfemme

How's everybody doing with waiting/decisionmaking/both? I committed to UCLA (my first choice!!) yesterday, and I'm thrilled. Today I've got to decline my other offer, which is necessary but also a little sad.

Of course — I hope it’s a little helpful! (And thank you!) I am American, so I can’t speak to how the international process goes, but that sounds like a promising email. I will also say I was applying for the PhD, not the master’s, so that may also change things (I imagine the process is different).

I got an unofficial offer from BU yesterday. I visited campus early this week as well (they invited me, it was a kind of interview/vibe check visit).

I don’t know if I can tell you which I’d choose, but I can ask you some questions which I’d want to consider if I were making the choice! What are your research interests, and how do you feel the faculty lines up with them? Have you had the chance to talk to current grad students at either school? (If not, I very much recommend doing so, and asking them honest questions about their experiences both good and bad … and paying attention to their answers!) I would also definitely recommend taking into consideration the cost of living in both places! I’m no expert, but I very much imagine that Santa Barbara is more expensive to live in than that area of Illinois; so their offer may look more generous, but actually shake out similarly based on COL.

Does anyone have any tips for recruitment visits? I'm attending a three-day virtual visit for my absolute top school tomorrow through Friday, and I feel like I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I've got three(!) individual meetings with faculty and am working on coming up with questions or conversation topics for all of them, I've got questions for my grad student meetings, I'm doing the readings for the classes I'll be visiting ... am I missing anything?? What kind of questions have y'all asked faculty in individual meetings??

Also applied at Harvard for philology, also haven’t heard anything. No idea whether they usually do interviews or not, though. No rejection means we’re still in it, though!!

Also rejected by UChicago! “Check Portal” email and a form rejection. Bummed, but c’est la vie.

Can’t speak to Michigan, but nothing for me from Harvard (classical philology). I have heard of people getting interviews for the ancient history track, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the tracks interview/make decisions separately. (That’s what I’m hoping anyway!)

I applied for classics at Chicago (philology) and haven’t heard anything either! I haven’t seen anyone posting anything about them, so my guess is that they haven’t reached out in general yet. And like everyone else has said, it’s not over til it’s over — plenty of time still to hear back. Don’t lose hope!

Acceptance from UWashington! No funding … yet. The email said I was high on the waitlist for it, so there’s a potential for that to change. Trying to look on the bright side, which is that they’re interested; especially after hearing absolutely nothing from my three reach apps, it’s kind of a downer to get an acceptance without funding from one of my two more “reasonable-range” options. (On the other hand, I haven’t heard of anyone hearing anything from any of my reach apps yet, so??)

Got offered a Zoom interview with BU! My first contact is from my latest-deadline program, lol ... hopefully they're just particularly on top of it, and it's not a bad sign for those earlier-deadline programs. Wondering if anyone has heard anything from UCLA, Harvard, or University of Washington?

No news from UChicago for me (I applied for classical philology). That’s the only one I can speak to from your list!

"Excruciating" is the exact correct descriptor, honestly!! The incredibly arcane and changeable nature of this process is ... not good for my nerves. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you in all of your apps, and keeping my fingers crossed that Chicago is just dragging their feet and we both end up with interviews!

I can only speak to UChicago, as that's the only place on your list where I applied (also in Philology), but I haven't heard anything either! I have been checking my email with great dread and enthusiasm.

The big one is Greek drama, especially tragedy, and especially in the context of performance studies! I'm also into lyric poetry in both languages (especially Roman love elegy), ancient magic, and reception studies. Good luck and all best wishes from here!! I know it often takes a couple rounds of applications - especially frustrating when you have already done a Master's, too! Are you planning on re-applying to any that didn't work out last year?

Hi everybody! It's early in the season yet, but since this didn't exist yet ... I figured I'd start a thread for fall 2024 applicants. Welcome! I'll be in it this application cycle; I've got a BA and an MA in Greek and Latin, and just graduated from my terminal MA last year. (I was originally planning on apps last year, but ... life happened.) I know for sure I'm applying to UChicago, UCLA, Boston University, and Bryn Mawr ... plus one or two more apps TBD. Would love to hear from other applicants or folks who have been through the process!

Hello, and thanks for making this thread! I'm applying for fall 2023, so I figured I'd drop by to say hello. Currently finishing up a two-year terminal MA in Greek and Latin, so I'm hoping I have an okay time with PhD apps this year. I feel kind of adrift and wildly uncertain about where to apply so far, though! I'm especially interested in Greek tragedy, lyric poetry in both languages, and am curious about Ancient Near Eastern cultural influences on ancient Greece especially.

Good news for me today from University of Maryland! They've offered me full funding!! I'm still waiting on a couple admissions decisions (Rutgers' MA program, and Cornell's bridge MA, most notably; no idea on Rutgers' timing or likelihood but the Cornell bridge seems very unlikely) but Maryland's pretty much top of my list right now so this is really exciting.

Maryland interview went well, I think (I hope)! It felt pretty short (30 min), but the department was super helpful and friendly, I got all my questions answered, etc. Fingers crossed for funding ... they said it'll be probably be the week after next before they have an answer for me, so it's just the waiting game at this point. The suspense is just terrible!

Oof. Sorry to hear about Michigan, and definitely agreed on what everyone else has said about the ridiculous applicant-to-opening ratios this year. It's kind of bonkers, honestly. Hope that some acceptances start coming through for you soon, though!

Eee thanks!! I'm really excited; it's definitely in my top contenders, and honestly I think that if I get the funding I'll likely end up there. We'll see how it goes ...

hey y'all! I just discovered GradCafe, and wanted to pop in and say hello to all my fellow classicists. I'm applying for (funded) MAs for next fall and pretty much just playing the waiting game right now, although I've got an acceptance from University of Maryland and an interview with them for a full-funding TAship this Thursday ? Hope everyone is hanging in there as decisions slowly start to trickle out!