Fall 2015 applicants

[birchleaf]

Everyone here makes me feel like I finally have a community of people who share my anxiety about applying to grad school! I still have yet to hear anything back from anyone, some of my schools shouldn't even release anything until March though but the rest of my friends in unrelated fields have already started hearing back and I'm getting sick of the kicked puppy look they keep giving me. Blah

[AH2015]

FYI : Washington University in St. Louis is sending Ph.D. acceptance emails. Apparently, they had 10x the applicants as funded positions - pretty good for their first year.

[birchleaf]

Oh wow! I thought the general belief was that classics apps were down this year?

[ruchudoo]

Just got my rejection from the Stanford PhD, but it can with the caviat that I could still be considered for the MA if I want. Has anyone heard of his happening before? Do they offer this to everyone?

[bbpo]

Just got my rejection from the Stanford PhD, but it can with the caviat that I could still be considered for the MA if I want. Has anyone heard of his happening before? Do they offer this to everyone?

 

I think they offer it to everyone. I received the same notice today and I already have an MA in Classics. That's not to say it isn't worth throwing your hat in the ring if it doesn't cost anything extra, just in case!

 

Sorry about the rejection, by the way! I had a phone call with someone there a couple weeks ago so I was clinging to hope. This definitely put a damper on my afternoon.

Edited February 4, 2015 by bbpo

[AH2015]

Oh wow! I thought the general belief was that classics apps were down this year?

 

My Berkeley (AHMA) acceptance said that the applicant pool was "large and unusually strong" this year. It seems that they accepted about 13% of applicants.

[B. Blumenstrauss]

I have also been told that the pool of applicants was really large this year!

[birchleaf]

What! Where have I been! Jeez! Maybe it was just me hoping

[Psi]

Hey all

 

Heard last week that I've got a Skype interview at Princeton on the 13th for the Classics PhD, and in my nervous googling I found this place. I'm applying from abroad (UK) so I'm unsure of what to expect (their email was very vague). Anybody have any tips on what to prepare? Also, I'm not sure if I should go formal with a suit and tie or just wear a decent shirt.

 

Also, like some of you I got a Stanford rejection yesterday, so hooray for that

 

Psi

[B. Blumenstrauss]

Hey all

 

Heard last week that I've got a Skype interview at Princeton on the 13th for the Classics PhD, and in my nervous googling I found this place. I'm applying from abroad (UK) so I'm unsure of what to expect (their email was very vague). Anybody have any tips on what to prepare? Also, I'm not sure if I should go formal with a suit and tie or just wear a decent shirt.

 

Also, like some of you I got a Stanford rejection yesterday, so hooray for that

 

Psi

 

Congratulations! Princeton is a dream.

In my interviews I wore a "decent dress", but I think no one really cares: they are focused on your face and on the things you say.

What can they ask you? Whatever they want. Background, interests, career plans, your broader intellectual project, causes of your application, why Princeton is the one... and much more.

Just be yourself, read carefully your application to Princeton and try to relax a little.

 

By the way, in your free time you can go over here http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=classics&t=a&o=&pp=25and submit your results.

[inner_outer]

Anyone hear from Michigan and IPCAA today? I saw someone was invited to Recruitment Weekend...

[RedViper]

Interview offers for U Penn and Brown and Yale and NYU have been reported. WashU has already sent out acceptances. I got a rejection from Stanford.

I applied to 12 schools. At that point, I just want one sliver of good news.....

[birchleaf]

I noticed that a good deal of the interviews reported were extended to applicants who were in some way international! So that's a little piece of hope that you can cling to.

 

All of the programs I applied to I love in one way or another, so I'm just hoping that I get accepted to at least one of them! I think I'm emotionally ready for grad school, and emotionally over-ready to hear back from at least one place

[B. Blumenstrauss]

University that will never accept me: Harvard.

Reason: I hate mathematics and I never made any course related with numbers in my undergraduate degree (ergo the part of "math courses" was empty).

And you?

[NonSumNonCuro]

University that will never accept me: Harvard.

Reason: I hate mathematics and I never made any course related with numbers in my undergraduate degree (ergo the part of "math courses" was empty).

 

I was wondering about that math section in the application.  I haven't taken a math class in 5 years, I don't understand why that's even there for us/humanities in general.  Hopefully they don't value it too much, otherwise we'll both be getting rejections. 

[AH2015]

I was wondering about that math section in the application.  I haven't taken a math class in 5 years, I don't understand why that's even there for us/humanities in general.  Hopefully they don't value it too much, otherwise we'll both be getting rejections. 

 

I added my high school AP math classes. I think it was just a generic (and really long) application. I thought the question about whether any of your ancestors were from so-and-so 19th century graduating class was interesting. I'm a first generation college student and a first generation American, so I guess it doesn't apply to me!

[tristansmells]

Hi all! I'm British but applied to British and American unis. I have an offer from WashU but don't know much about the uni, the department or St Louis... Anyone got any opinions on it? Thanks for your help!

[AischylosDerBoss]

On 2/5/2015 at 6:49 AM, tristansmells said:

Hi all! I'm British but applied to British and American unis. I have an offer from WashU but don't know much about the uni, the department or St Louis... Anyone got any opinions on it? Thanks for your help!

So I've got some insight into the program. What are your interests? What program did you apply to? The MA, or the PhD? Are you funded well? Do you have more appealing options at this point? 

PM me, I'll PM back.

[B. Blumenstrauss]

Wow, what a risk to apply to unknown universities.

 

I spent hours and hours surfing around every department of every university: programs, courses, professors, graduate students, activities, campus, maps, local climatic conditions...  :freak:

[tristansmells]

Well yeah, I did that too, but being British I don't know anyone there and can't just go visit, and because it's a brand new programme the info's a little thin on the ground.

[B. Blumenstrauss]

Well yeah, I did that too, but being British I don't know anyone there and can't just go visit, and because it's a brand new programme the info's a little thin on the ground.

 

Oh, I understand. I've never been to the USA in my life...

[NonSumNonCuro]

Oh, I understand. I've never been to the USA in my life...

 

I'm curious, if you had to choose a school based only on its location, where would you go?  You applied to a nice range, so you'd have the chance to see so many different parts of the US!

[birchleaf]

If any of you want info about Ann Arbor feel free to PM me!

If I could go anywhere based on location it would probably be somewhere in Maine. Not that I applied anywhere in Maine, I just think it would be a nice place to study. I know that wasn't your question really!

Edited February 5, 2015 by birchleaf

[ciistai]

I am!  I'm mostly applying to Classical Studies though.  I'm most interested in Etruscan archaeology, but also in Roman collecting and re-interpretation of Etruscan materials/culture.  Also Southern Italy's late Bronze Age contact with Greece.  Basically I love anything pre-Roman, even though Roman stuff is also completely fascinating.

 

To be honest, the thing I fear most about whatever interviews I might get is the question about what I'm interested in.  It's all awesome.  How on earth can I be concise about a field that's so interesting in various ways??

 

What are your interests?

 

*barges in excitedly* I'm late to the party and actually this isn't my application season (I was on the boards more frequently in 2012-2013 when I was applying for a Master's, and I won't be applying for PhD til later this year) but HELLO fellow pre-Romanist! I just had to say hi, there are too few of us! I'm focused mostly on Lucania and Apulia, but I also have interests in central Italy (Latium, Umbria, Samnium). Good luck with the applications!

 

Good luck to everyone else as well - some of the details associated with results posted have blown my mind. That UPenn acceptance with the amazing GRE scores... you deserve it!!!

Edited February 6, 2015 by ciistai

[B. Blumenstrauss]

I'm curious, if you had to choose a school based only on its location, where would you go?  You applied to a nice range, so you'd have the chance to see so many different parts of the US!

 

Well... places like Toronto, Chicago, New York or Massachusetts are quite a challenge for me: I've seen snow only three or four times in my life. Hence working, living and walking around snow can be a really new situation.

On the other hand, California seems more climatic-friendly to a person that comes from a place where temperature stays between 12°C and 32°C.

 

Yesterday my thesis advisor pointed me out that Texas could also be a challenge, but "ideologically" speaking: I am not that comfortable with the idea of capital punishment, for example. And the fear of being discriminated for being "latina" is always in the air.

 

But maybe I'm over-reacting...