Best places to apply?

[antoninus83]

I'm currently trying to decided where to apply, having to balance best programs with long-term livability of the area (my wife's focus). I graduated this year from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs with a 3.9. My period of interest is Late Antiquity/Early Medieval. I have had papers published in UC Denver’s Historical Studies Journal and  Hortulus: The Online Graduate Journal of Medieval Studies. I took German in undergrad, but have not yet taken Latin or any other classical language. I'd like feedback upon the following list of school best match up with these qualifications and goals. Can some be add or others taken off.

Uni. Of Chicago

Duke University

Uni. Of Washington

Princeton

Uni. Of Virginia

Uni. Of North Carolina

Northwestern

Uni. Of New Mexico

Norte Dame

Uni. Of Texas at Austin

Uni. of Arizona

Uni. of Minnesota

[TMP]

What is your goal of obtaining a PhD?

[Sigaba]

38 minutes ago, antoninus83 said:

 I'd like feedback upon the following list of school best match up with these qualifications and goals. 

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/search/?q=medieval&type=forums_topic&nodes=38

 

[historygeek]

Reach out to professors at the schools that you listed. They’ll be your best resource. We also don’t know your specific research interests, do it would be impossible to tell you.

If I were you I would plan on starting to learn a classical language, especially Latin. My faculty mentor is a medieval/early modernist and when I considered doing medieval history, he told me that schools- especially good ones -would rather have someone with Latin training then someone without. 

[dr. t]

Agreed. Your lack of Latin would be catastrophic for your application to any worthwhile program. I would recommend not applying until you've sorted that out.

[psstein]

Just to echo what @telkanuru and @historygeek have said so far, you probably need Latin. You might want to consider a MA first, preferably one with some financial support.

I would also add that, given the state of the job market, if you're lucky enough to get a TT position, chances are it's not going to be somewhere particularly livable. Many of the available jobs are at R2/R3 universities in small towns (e.g. Kingsville, TX). You have some control over where you go to graduate school, which can mean not going. You have almost no control over where you end up, all one can do is give him/herself the best chance.

Edited August 8, 2018 by psstein

[Sigaba]

3 hours ago, historygeek said:

Reach out to professors at the schools that you listed. They’ll be your best resource. We also don’t know your specific research interests, do it would be impossible to tell you.

If I were you I would plan on starting to learn a classical language, especially Latin. My faculty mentor is a medieval/early modernist and when I considered doing medieval history, he told me that schools- especially good ones -would rather have someone with Latin training then someone without. 

Professors may be the preferred resource for answering questions of this nature, but as indicated in dozens of posts about inquires that don't receive replies.

Out of curiosity, why the down vote?

[OHSP]

This seems like an almost random list of schools to me--can you speak to your interests beyond time period?

[historygeek]

On 8/8/2018 at 6:06 PM, Sigaba said:

Professors may be the preferred resource for answering questions of this nature, but as indicated in dozens of posts about inquires that don't receive replies.

Out of curiosity, why the down vote?

Eh, it was an accident.

, 

[Mikkaela B]

I was in a similar boat coming from undergrad. 

Without Latin, no medieval program will take you seriously for a PhD. I applied to MA programs without Latin training and I actually was laughed at during one campus visit. You can go ahead and strike the ivies from this list unless you’ve got a good connection to faculty or very niche interest that will resonate with one of them. I suggest saving the money you would spend on app fees and looking into other options  

What I suggest is looking into faculty at smaller, private, religious, or R2 schools with MA programs. 

Find faculty who could be a potential advisor and can open the door for you at the end of an MA, and be sure to spend your time focusing on language relevant to your topic. Latin will always be relevant to medieval Europe. 

Many smaller schools have great faculty with more time to spend with you. My advisor went to Fordham and I took classes with someone who is renowned in her area, plus went to Yale. 

A guy from my program went to a PhD at Yale in 2017. One of my former classmates started a PhD at Chapel Hill this year. 

If you’re not willing to go to an MA, it’s going to be tough but you can still work on Latin through some courses at your local college, community college, religious school, or maybe even a parish if you’ve got catholic and episcopal churches nearby. 

There are also some intensives at schools in Toronto and institutes like the MARCO at UT Knoxville where you attend for a month or two for like 6-12 college credits worth of training (not for the faint of heart).