What GPA to be competitive for top tier Japanese history phd programs?

[watashiwa]

Hi, first gen student trying to get ready for grad school applications next fall, and I was just wondering what gpa strong applicants usually have?

[Moka Pot]

Hello. I think your GPA matters less as long as you have a passable GPA. Usually in the field, people have MAs before applying to a PhD program because of the language. I've seen people having Area Studies MA supported by FLAS fellowships (US citizen only) or an MA from Japanese university. Your ability to understand Japanese will probably matter quite a bit. Then is the usual stuff for all PhD students in the field such as your writing sample, SOP, and the letters.