Need Advice: Ancient History Ph.D programs...

[valaquenta]

Hi all,

I will be graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in December and am seriously considering Graduate School for History in Ancient Med. Studies... and I am in sore need of advice and feedback about the projected strength of my application and any possible schools to think of applying to!

My interests focus on society and religion in Late Antiquity, namely, social tension in terms of religious conflict... rise of Christianity v. paganism, influence of eastern religions, etc.

GPA: History 3.97, Religious Studies 4.0, Certificate in Ancient Med. Studies, 4.0, Cumulative should be around a 3.85ish with one re-take for a 100- level Geography class in which I received a D... complicated reasons. (I was in love... forgot about a test... whatever) But the re-take was an A. I have yet to take the GRE's, which remain an unknown quantity as of this point. I have taken 18 300+ level courses in History and Religious Studies and have created and ran a student organization affiliated with the RS program at UWM. In our first year, we've been able to bring in speakers from as far as Sweden. I will have 5 semesters of Greek, 4 semesters of Latin, including one semester in the ICCS: Sicily Classics study abroad program ran through Duke University. I could probably test into 3rd semester Italian as well.

HOWEVER, I spent 2 years previously at a different college. I was 18 and hated everything about the place, and thus have almost 1 year of nothing but F's. BUT, I will have spent 4.5 years at UW-Milwaukee, meaning I essentially started over. I have one professor that will be able to vouch for my character, and ask for me to be judged upon my performance at UWM alone. She is the most difficult teacher I have ever had and have taken 6 upper-level history courses with her. That's a minor! Every history class I have taken was with professors have have Ph.D's in history from Yale, Harvard, Michigan-Ann Arbor, UC-Berkeley and Chicago. One in particular is well-connected in Late Antiquity. I have always asked around to find the most difficult classes and have excelled in them. That experience at my previous college was also a blessing in disguise, I learned a lot about myself AND I was able to take 1.5 years of electives!

I understand that UW-Milwaukee may not be a well-recognized institution, but my experience with the Duke program has taught me that I have received a first-class education at a fraction of the cost. I was very successful in Milwaukee... all while working almost full-time to support myself while still being close to family. We can't all be rich kids... but I have no illusions that name recognition is important.

I am not exactly sure if I will be applying for Ancient History in Classics or History departments as of yet... but the schools that offer Ph.D's in this field seem... intimidating.

Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? I have talked extensively with my professors about the strength of my application... but it would be wonderful to hear any feedback from a student prospective. You're the ones receiving acceptance and (hopefully not!) any rejection letters.

I appreciate any feedback whatsoever, and best of luck to you all (even though I am sure most of you have heard back from your schools)

[semper_ubi_sub_ubi]

Valaquenta,

Congrats on assembling such an outstanding undergraduate record! Unfortunately, numbers amount to next to nothing in terms of grad. school applications. Certainly, a high GPA and strong GRE scores will get your application past the first cuts (I imagine), but you really need to be focusing your energies on your Statement of Purpose and Writing Sample -- probably more on the latter than the former. Don't be seduced into thinking that strong numbers will automatically equal an acceptance, though I think you have positioned yourself well for success.

If you are aiming for the top programs, the writing sample needs to not only be lucid and cogently written, but the prose should be highly polished, your research should demonstrate a strong awareness of existing scholarship, and your argument should demonstrate your ability to make a genuine contribution to your field. Remember, the writing sample is your best opportunity to show schools that you are a scholar-in-the-making. Wow them.

With the Statement of Purpose, aim to articulate some clear research interests for the future, recapitulate past areas of research interest, and be careful not to pigeon-hole yourself! It's a tough balance to strike -- narrow, but not too narrow; broad, but not too broad -- but you can do it. And identify some people you would like to work with at each school, though be careful not to suggest that you wish to become anybody's acolyte. As much as possible, identify multiple people, especially because if you make it to the interview stage, schools will ask you which professors you see yourself working with. Also, try not to let your Statement of Purpose represent a regurgitation of your CV. There is a reason you submit a CV, and while there are certainly some things worth highlighting in your Statement of Purpose (e.g. modern and ancient language preparation, ICCS experience), no need to waste precious space rehashing items already present elsewhere in your application.

And I'm of the opinion that there is no harm in making contact with programs before you apply, just to say "I'm interested in X, and I'm wondering if your school would be the sort of place where I could study X." Maybe start making contact around October/November -- not too early, but not too late!

I know this is all delightfully vague advice, but I am absolutely positive that there is no formula for cracking this application process. Admin. committees reinvent their selection criteria every year, so there is truly no way to know how things might end up. The best thing you can do is research the hell out of the programs you like, apply ONLY to schools that you are genuinely interested in attending (applying is an expensive and time-consuming process, so choose wisely), and spend gobs of time on your Writing Sample and Statement of Purpose. Your best bet is to connect with a professor in your department who has worked with other people who have applied to (and had success in applying to) graduate programs, and work with that professor on drafts of your Statement of Purpose and Writing Sample.

I hope some of this is at least marginally useful!