Classics Admissions 2008

[agathon400]

Hello,

Wondering if anyone else has applied to Classics programs this round and if so whether you have started to hear anything back yet, interviews, acceptances, rejections, etc.

I haven't heard anything yet from any of the schools I applied to, but I see lots of other programs are already reporting. So perhaps someone out there has heard already.

Best. Robert.

[sevenleagueboot]

Hi Robert! It's nice to hear from a fellow classist. What do you want to focus on/research? I'm into the comparative literature aspect of the classical tradition (and I'm a Hellenist :mrgreen: ).

I have only heard back from one of the six programs to which I applied (an acceptance). Other than that, I have no idea of my status with the other five schools.

Where have you seen the acceptances/reports? I've not seen too many myself, beyond a couple UK schools on this board and who_got_in (mainly Oxford).

Good luck!

[agathon400]

No, I haven't seen many responses yet posted for Classics programs but other disciplines at some of the schools I applied to have already sent responses. Looks like last year Berkeley started responding in early February though.

Where did you apply to? I applied to basically everywhere, 15 places in all...

I also do Greek, not Latin.

[sidereal]

The decision times of different departments are not reliable indicators of when decisions will be made by Classics departments at the same schools.

I've gotten a rejection from Duke so far.

[schoolhurts]

Sidereal, how did you get contacted by Duke? I have still heard nothing from them at all. As far as I can tell, there's no place to check application status on the application page.

[sidereal]

They sent an automated e-mail that said the application status is available on the website. Maybe they haven't made a decision about yours yet.

[schoolhurts]

Thanks, Sidereal. Duke's my #1 choice, and it's nice to think I may be short-listed.

Already rejected by one school. Wisconsin.

It seems kind of odd that so many programs have decisions going out already. I was told by other grad students and profs not to expect anything until the end of February. Rejections in January are harsh. I needed more time to prepare myself.

[sevenleagueboot]

No, I haven't seen many responses yet posted for Classics programs but other disciplines at some of the schools I applied to have already sent responses. Looks like last year Berkeley started responding in early February though.

Where did you apply to? I applied to basically everywhere, 15 places in all...

I also do Greek, not Latin.

I think it depends on the department and the year--so it can't really be anticipated.

15!!! My old roommate applied to that many (for English) and I didn't realize how intense that would be until I started applying this year. That's a lot of money! I've easily spent half a thousand just applying to 6 programs.

[sevenleagueboot]

Oh, and a general question for all--are you applying for master's programs or doctoral programs? I did a mix of both, but I feel I should probably stick to a master's program first. Is that what most of you have done/plan to do?

[agathon400]

I applied solely to doctoral programs except for the Cam/Oxford programs which specifically require you to have an MA before going on to a PhD. I was under the impression that most of the major US departments, ie Princeton Harvard Yale Chicago Berkeley Austin Michigan Stanford - didn't have stand alone master's programs and that the more normal course unless you needed to bulk up on your languages a bit was to go straight from a BA to PhD. I guess it depends on the individual circumstances involved.

[sevenleagueboot]

I applied solely to doctoral programs except for the Cam/Oxford programs which specifically require you to have an MA before going on to a PhD. I was under the impression that most of the major US departments, ie Princeton Harvard Yale Chicago Berkeley Austin Michigan Stanford - didn't have stand alone master's programs and that the more normal course unless you needed to bulk up on your languages a bit was to go straight from a BA to PhD. I guess it depends on the individual circumstances involved.

Okay, I was under the same impression. One of my applications ended up being for a PhD because I misread the department's page (I thought that they had an MA) and another I changed from an MA to a PhD because I wanted to (the MA didn't ask for a writing sample and I am proud of what I wrote, so I changed the application). As you can see, applying was starting to mess with my judgement skills around mid-January.

I am sure you'll get into one of the 15 you applied to--you definitely seem to know what you are doing.

[sidereal]

I applied to 3 Masters and 7 PhD programs. I took my chances and applied to moderately competitive programs. I think it would be best to go straight into a PhD program with funding, but if that doesn't pan out, doing an MA would obviously be beneficial in the meantime. I actually really like the faculty at the MA-only departments to which I applied, so it wouldn't be that bad if they end up being my only option.

[kbatulli]

I know for sure that Chicago, Berkeley, Michigan, and Oxford have decided who their top choices are and have already sent out emails...I still have yet to receive notification from my list of schools...

[kbatulli]

Oh, and Princeton, too, has contacted students...

[agathon400]

Are they sending emails for interviews? Or early notices? Can you tell us anything more?

[kbatulli]

Are they sending emails for interviews? Or early notices? Can you tell us anything more?

I'm not sure [how] they're contacting students. A classics prospective student visited our department today and said those aforementioned schools have in some way, shape, or form, contacted him... and trips are taking place mostly next week for him...

[schoolhurts]

It seems that two waves of rejections have gone out from Duke Classics. Has anyone been accepted to the program?

[nike of samothrace]

Nothing too much to add here, just that I haven't heard from any of my schools either. It seems that Classics admits are a bit slow this year, except for some of the Big Schools. I think it wasn't until the third week of February last year that things really started to roll....

It's all a bit nervewracking. But I can't be sure that any of mine will be acceptances, so while I want to hear..... I don't know if I really do, y'know?

[meri]

I've only heard back from one school so far (rejection from UW Seattle), but I kind of need to hear back from the other five ASAP. Today I got a job offer to work for NPS and they want to know whether I'm attending grad school or not. I can probably wait a week, but if it's any longer than that I'm afraid I might lose the position regardless.

How rude would it be for me to email the programs I applied to and give them this information? I don't want to be pushy and I am trying to be patient, but if I didn't get in anywhere I would really like to get my life rolling on other fronts, you know?

(Plus, I'm kind of in the same boat as Nike. Since I've already received the one rejection, while I want to hear back from the others, I also kind of don't.)

[nike of samothrace]

meri, is there any way you can tell them that you need more time? You'd have to be really lucky to know for sure that you're in a program that you want to go to this early in the year. Beginning of March is more like it, and even then a lot of people are still stuck on wait lists, or are in at safety's but still waiting on top choices, etc. You can let the programs know that you're facing a deadline, but I don't think they would take kindly to it if they perceived it as pressure. Maybe you could email the secretaries (or the DGS, only if you have a good rapport with them already established) and gently ask when they expect to decide? But I'd proceed with caution.

[Lizzy23]

I have received an email from Duke saying I was not in. That's it, so far. Beside Duke, I have applied to Michigan, Fordham, Toronto, Western Ontario, Notre Dame (Medieval Studies), NYU.

I am not from the US (I am from U of Montreal), so I do not know if this will be help up against me. Also, I am not sure of what is considered competitive. I was advised by my (American) professor to apply, but I doubt that he has sent many students in the US recently. Most people I know here do not consider the US universities - they'd all rather go to France.

[meri]

Thanks for the advice, Nike. I will wait at least until Friday and reconsider my options at that point. On the one hand, I don't want to bother any of the people in admissions, but on the other hand I feel like I'm being rude asking my potential employer to wait as well. I guess it can't be helped.

[kbatulli]

First rejection: Berkeley. Waiting for more to come!

[palimpsest]

Hey Everyone,

My emphasis is an interdisciplinary approach to Greek history through literature and material culture.

So far I've been accepted to Oxford and UC Santa Barbara (my safety school).

Rejected from Berkeley (AHMA).

Waiting on: Michigan (Classics), Penn (originally applied to Classics, but was informed that they'd probably move me to the Ancient History group stack based on my interests), Chicago (PAMW), Princeton (PAW), Chapel Hill (Classics), Brown (Classics), Toronto (Classics)

It's disheartening to hear that Michigan, Chicago, and Princeton have already made their top choices and I'm not one of them :-(

This whole waiting process is having a serious effect on my productivity as well as my general outlook. I'm supposed to be writing an honors thesis and can't seem to concentrate on anything other than obsessively checking my email!

[sidereal]

I guess I'll go ahead and post my stats.

I'm interested in gender in antiquity, Latin poetry, ancient religions, and more. My interests are broad at this point, as I think they should be.

I'm waiting on UCLA, UWa, UPenn, Maryland CP, Texas, SUNY Buffalo, UNC, and UFL. Have been accepted to UCSB (it seems we all have been.) I'm wondering why so many people applied there--I did because of the number of faculty who do gender/cultural studies.