Anyone worried about cuts?

[caputmundi]

Hi.

Our classics forum is dead. I'm hoping this topic will generate some more activity. Regardless, LateAntique, I would love your input.

I'm wondering if anyone is particularly worried, like I am, about admissions numbers this year. I have a friend in a top PhD. program who has confided to me that her department will be admitting far fewer applicants this year. Has anyone heard or know of anything similar?

Maybe I'm being paranoid, and I hate to project my fears on anyone else... but I just can't feel comfortable about my application and my chances. I am applying to top schools, and I feel almost convinced that I will not be admitted into a single program. And, at least according to the objective standards people discuss on this forum, my application is in pretty good shape. I just have this whole idea that programs will admit fewer students...and those students will all be coming with MPhils from Oxford or Cambridge or after having spent a year abroad on a Fullbright.

Ease me fears. Confirm them. Just tell me what you think.

[LateAntique]

I know one of the programs to which I'm applying isn't even sure if they can accept any students and won't know until January, however another program I'm applying to has admitted fewer students than normal over the last few years and has had a lot of drop-outs, so they've got money to spare. Private schools have fared far better in this economy than public ones. I suppose we'll know soon enough.

[Ardea]

If this year is anything like last year, which I suspect it is, admissions will be very tight. The number of accepted students at almost all universities dropped drastically last year.

That said, I agree with LateAntique about private universities. If I recall correctly, Brown hosted 15 students for an interview weekend and accepted 5 of them last year.

[Joe001]

Of course I recognize that admissions will be tighter now because of the recession. But I'm not worrying about it or fretting. It's just a fact I can't change. If I get into a good school, huzzah for me. If I don't, then I guess I need to get a real job.

[LateAntique]

Is it silly to hope that during a recession people will stop applying to humanities programs and go for an MBA or something more practical? I wonder if there's any research on application trends correlated with economic trends.

[Ardea]

Is it silly to hope that during a recession people will stop applying to humanities programs and go for an MBA or something more practical? I wonder if there's any research on application trends correlated with economic trends.

Applications for pretty much all graduate/professional schools were up last year. Students were definitely applying to law/med/business school in droves, but numbers were way up in the humanities too.

[LateAntique]

Applications for pretty much all graduate/professional schools were up last year. Students were definitely applying to law/med/business school in droves, but numbers were way up in the humanities too.

You went to Duke for Classics? I sat in on a Medieval Latin class and the seniors in there put me to shame. That program seems to put out really top-notch undergrads.

[spozik]

A lot of state schools are going to be in serious trouble. I'm especially looking at you, California. Some other states might be OK -- a large portion of the Mid-West and Mountain areas has been relatively not so affected by the recession on a large scale.

Does anyone know if applying to a public school in a state in which you live helps your chances at admission? If I live in Texas and apply to the University of Texas, for example, the department/school would have to spend less money to fund me to the same amount as an out-of-stater. I wonder if that will actually start to matter a bit more in this cycle.

I wish that programs were a little more upfront with their admissions, to be honest. I'm applying where I'm applying anyway, but I'm not so sure I'd be all that keen on throwing away 100 bucks and a couple hours of my time to apply to a program that's only mildly attractive if they're only accepting 2 students this year.

Anyway, that's my brief rant. I'm hopeful about my prospects as I think that I have a pretty solid application, but I'm applying to a few terminal MAs just in case. If those don't pan out either, well, there's always what I've been doing for the past few years before I decided to go back to school.

As for feeling comfortable, I don't think anywhere is entitled to let me in. I can only hope I can make the right impression on the right person with my writing sample, SOP, and letters of recommendation. Outside of that, what's done is done. No need to fret about it or overanalyze it... although that's much easier to say than it is to do.

[caputmundi]

Hey guys. Thanks, everyone, for chiming in.

A few things:

1. It makes complete sense about public schools having a harder time than private schools. And yes, we all know about the difficulties in CA. What worries me is that my friend, whom I mentioned above, is at a private school. Hence (in part) my paranoia.

2. You all have the right attitude of "done what I can do, no sense freaking out now." I wish I was more level-headed about this whole process, but I guess it's just not in my nature. Plus, I cringe over the amount of money I'm spending if it is all for naught.

3. I certainly, in no way, feel entitled to be admitted to graduate school. If I did, I wouldn't be so nervous. I'm just feeling "uncomfortable" right now because this is really what I want to do! I will have an extremely hard time saying, "oh well... time for plan B." And I really don't want to have to do that; this is the career I want. Hence my uncomfortableness.

[Joe001]

That's a good point (3). I want to do classics. But I am trying to be realistic about my chances. Considering that I didn't really apply to any "safe" schools (my logic is that, given the crappy prospects of PhDs in humanities, why do I want to pursue a PhD at a place where I won't even be able to get a job once I get out of school?) there is a very good possibility I won't get in anywhere. I'm ok with that though.

[caputmundi]

Yeah, Joe, I applied with the same strategy in mind. So I guess I can rationalize this way... I would rather not go at all and have to figure out another option than go to a program that will either provide a second rate education (probably less of a problem actually) OR make landing a university job even more of an uphill battle. So, if I am so destined, bring on the rejection letters! At least I will know I tried.

[Ardea]

You went to Duke for Classics? I sat in on a Medieval Latin class and the seniors in there put me to shame. That program seems to put out really top-notch undergrads.

I did, yes. I suppose it does; I don't really have a basis for comparison. It's probably mostly because there were so few of us, and we combined with grad students in many of our courses.

[Sparky]

(I am not a classics person; can I play anyway?)

I would rather not go at all and have to figure out another option than go to a program that will either provide a second rate education (probably less of a problem actually) OR make landing a university job even more of an uphill battle. So, if I am so destined, bring on the rejection letters! At least I will know I tried.

I am going to make this my mantra in the coming months.

Also, caputmundi, your screenname rocks.

[natsteel]

(I am not a classics person; can I play anyway?)

I am going to make this my mantra in the coming months.

Also, caputmundi, your screenname rocks.

I'm only a Classics minor, but with Latin. My main field is early American history. I entered university torn between philosophy and classics. Anyway, I think it's accepted "wisdom" that in bad economic times applications to grad schools go up since many people see grad school as a way of putting off entering a horrible job market. Though I can't imagine that those people are serious candidates at top schools so I guess it clogs up the middle tier more than top tier.

[rising_star]

A lot of state schools are going to be in serious trouble. I'm especially looking at you, California. Some other states might be OK -- a large portion of the Mid-West and Mountain areas has been relatively not so affected by the recession on a large scale.

Does anyone know if applying to a public school in a state in which you live helps your chances at admission? If I live in Texas and apply to the University of Texas, for example, the department/school would have to spend less money to fund me to the same amount as an out-of-stater. I

Alright, I'm not in Classics but I'm going to chime in anyways. I'm a PhD student in a social science department at a state university. This semester, for the first time ever, my department is worried about tuition waiver money. What I mean by that is yes, it may help if you're in-state because in-state tuition waivers are a lot less than out-of-state waivers. Unfortunately, per university rules, it's impossible for any of us to become in-state for tuition purposes unless we marry a state resident that is not a full-time student.

[Joe001]

Interesting. Maybe this will help my chances of getting into UT!!! Probably not, I'm not that lucky