Loans for life?

[Parnassus]

ok so here it is.....I'm in love with The Classics (aren't we all?) I could get my undergrad in classics (with a Latin emphasis) But I'm missing the Greek and the Modern World Lang. My question is: should I stay at my current school and "pick up" the things I'm missing or do a post bac program? Are there funded post bac programs? I know they help me "bone up" on the things I'm missing. Would they, depending on which one I had chosen, help me get into a "good phd program? Or am I woefully misunderstanding how things work? Go easy I'm new at the "life-after-college" thing

Edited August 13, 2010 by Parnassus

[ElCielo]

Your three options would be a post-bac, staying at your undergrad institution for another year or so, or applying for a terminal master's. Of those I'd say pos-bac is the worst - but talk to other people since they may think differently - since it would be as expensive as spending an extra year in undergrad, but you'd have to start all over with teachers etc. A terminal MA might be a good idea, as there are a few that offer funding and having an master's can make your application to PhDs a lot stronger. In addition, some of these MAs are specifically for people like you who need to catch up in a language before continuing to a PhD. But the best option of all might be to just spend another year in your BA, since the faculty there are already familiar with your work and should be able to write you detailed letters of recommendation. My opinions are far from definitive, but hopefully that can get you started. Also check out this site for a list of MAs, PhDs and post-bacs available in the US and Canada: http://classicaljour...s%20surveys.php

[Thanks4Downvoting]

ok so here it is.....I'm in love with The Classics (aren't we all?) I could get my undergrad in classics (with a Latin emphasis) But I'm missing the Greek and the Modern World Lang. My question is: should I stay at my current school and "pick up" the things I'm missing or do a post bac program? Are there funded post bac programs? I know they help me "bone up" on the things I'm missing. Would they, depending on which one I had chosen, help me get into a "good phd program? Or am I woefully misunderstanding how things work? Go easy I'm new at the "life-after-college" thing

I think your best bet is a terminal MA. There's some funding out there and, perhaps more importantly, your PhD application will thank you for it.

[spozik]

A post-bac could be a great idea for you. From what I can tell, there are not funded post-bac programs: you have to pay your way, although it will be much cheaper than the ticket price on a degree-seeking student's year (pace ElCielo, a post-bac program often qualifies you for a special rate that your current institution may not have). Big caveats: (1) if it's at a public school, you should be a resident of that state or it will be too expensive to make sense; (2) if it's at a private school in a big city, it should be much, much cheaper as a non-degree-seeking student, but make sure to account for the high cost of living; (3) often the good 'rates' for classes only apply to the Classics courses, so if you want to take something like French/German/Italian your price may go up by a lot. In short, make sure you investigate thoroughly.

Staying at your current school for an extra year could be a viable option, but it is valuable to show that you can successfully do Classics at a different institution. Likewise, having the knowledge you have now you can choose a post-bac program that will help you network a little bit better for where you want to focus. Depending on the size of your current department, it may also be very helpful to have a few more tenured professors to write recommendations.

I'll agree with the others, though, that a terminal master's is probably your best bet--if you can get in. The application season this past year was very competitive, even (perhaps especially) at that level. You can aim for a terminal MA and probably be alright, but you're going to need the auxiliary pieces of your application (GRE, Statement of Purpose, recommendations, etc.) to be exceptionally strong. I don't want to discourage you! It is just helpful to be realistic in the current application season. There were definitely people with Latin, Greek, and German/French experience who were rejected from terminal MAs this past year. I doubt that the upcoming application season will really be any better, though it might. It is a viable option, but keep in mind that no one is a shoe-in for these programs.

ok so here it is.....I'm in love with The Classics (aren't we all?) I could get my undergrad in classics (with a Latin emphasis) But I'm missing the Greek and the Modern World Lang. My question is: should I stay at my current school and "pick up" the things I'm missing or do a post bac program? Are there funded post bac programs? I know they help me "bone up" on the things I'm missing. Would they, depending on which one I had chosen, help me get into a "good phd program? Or am I woefully misunderstanding how things work? Go easy I'm new at the "life-after-college" thing