The School/Uni Thread
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Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
That would have been the case several years ago, but now it's a ton more competitive and I just don't have enough credentials yet to be a top choice. But we'll see about Michigan.
The other thing is that I didn't bloom into a full-fledged academic until I was already in college. Had I had such aspirations sooner, I would have been more ambitious in high school and applied somewhere more prestigious. UMaine has not been challenging enough for me but I may be stuck here. Luckily I've got a handful of top-notch professors to stick with and it's my own work that people look at, not necessarily where you attend.
I gave Toronto a very serious consideration, but concluded that their program wasn't the right fit. Some people told me to apply to the big guns of England, but after the Ivy Leagues wouldn't take me that would probably have been a pie in the sky.
However, once I'm further along in graduate studies I would really like to study at the American Academy at Rome for a semester or two. They have a sort of contest for that, but only grad students qualify.
Einherjar86
Active Member
It's extremely competitive, and you applied to some top-notch schools. Don't be too frustrated, the acceptance rates at those schools is unfathomably low; they're some of the most selective in the country.
This was my problem as well. I didn't come from a family of academics and so didn't give it much credence when I was in high school. I applied to one university for undergrad that was easy to get into and went there. Once I realized I really wanted to study literature, I started kicking myself because USF isn't even in the top hundred schools for literature programs. Are you applying to PhD programs, or Master's? If you get rejected from doctoral programs, start looking for Master's programs to apply to; it might cost you a bit more money, but sometimes it's a good stepping stone between undergrad and PhD, and can show admissions boards that you're serious about your field.
I couldn't get into Chicago's PhD program for English (I wasn't even eligible, which I knew when I applied); but they offered me a chance to study there for one year and earn a Master's, so I took it. It's a chance to get to know some professors here and to get recommendation letters from them; and the professor I asked to be my thesis advisor is a big name right now, so I'm hoping a letter of recommendation from him will raise my chances for doctoral programs down the road.
ehh I don't know. If one of my friends from lowly CSULB was able to get into Cardiff, I'm sure you'd have a shot somewhere in the UK
Sorry to hear about this turn of events Zeph. I wish I could offer something helpful other than my condolences.
However, it has frightened me to the point of driving me to e-mailing my advisor last night in order to set an appointment with him to talk about grad school prospects. He laughed and said that he'd love to but that I shouldn't worry. I just feel like if I want a shot at getting into a mildly preeminent doctoral program I need to start doing some serious work ASAP. I have some ideas for a thesis but they're only floating around my head in nascent form, and I know that I have so much ahead of me in the next three and a half years.
However, it has frightened me to the point of driving me to e-mailing my advisor last night in order to set an appointment with him to talk about grad school prospects. He laughed and said that he'd love to but that I shouldn't worry. I just feel like if I want a shot at getting into a mildly preeminent doctoral program I need to start doing some serious work ASAP. I have some ideas for a thesis but they're only floating around my head in nascent form, and I know that I have so much ahead of me in the next three and a half years.
Master_Yoda77
Juggalo
Illinois rejected you? I find that surprising considering the amount of fags that I know that attend that school.
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
Der Morgenstern
Trailer Park Bacchus
difference between my grad and undergrad programs: the women are older...I'm still only one of three guys in the majority of my classes
Master_Yoda77
Juggalo
Yeah, I figured that. Kinda scares me as well. I plan on attending graduate school as well but I feel like you are much more experienced in your area of study then I currently am.
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
Languages, my friend. Take them. I have to master Latin, Ancient Greek, French and German to get a PhD. in Ancient History and I'm sure it's a similar case for Classics, and Philosophy too I'm sure.
Depends on your subfield and whether or not the people on your council care about primary or secondary sources (in regards to the time frame you are studying).
An ethicist won't need the languages for obvious reasons, but a person getting a doctorate in medieval studies certainly might. I say might because it really is up to your chairs. One of the grad students I know had to essentially restart his thesis from scratch because he wasn't translating the original Greek texts himself (his original council member thought that it was perfectly acceptable to use highly regarded secondary sources, but then both had a heart attack and drowned.... r.i.p. Hoffman, you mighty Cartesian planeswalker). His replacement council member was having none of that however.
Master_Yoda77
Juggalo
My undergrad major is English. I may have to take a foreign language but I don't see myself translating original Latin texts anytime soon.
Der Morgenstern
Trailer Park Bacchus
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
I see. My approach to philosophy is obviously biased towards the traditional Greek and German schools.
Not long ago English majors were required to take Latin or a modern language. I couldn't think of a better way to help understand one's own language and literature than through the lens of another's.
Einherjar86
Active Member
A second language typically isn't required (from what I know) to get into an English PhD program, but they'll probably require you to learn one once you're in the program.
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
So it's official. I didn't get in to any of the grad schools to which I applied.
Bummer.
Plan B is going into effect. I'm going to take classes for grad credit with special student status here at UMaine this Fall. I'll be teaching Latin this summer and I might be hired to teach Greek in the Fall. That teaching experience will be some significant credentials that could make the difference next time I apply to PhD programs.
After that, who knows. I have several options. The most logical fallback would be to stay at UMaine even further and pursue a Masters in History here, but I would really like to get the fuck out of here and benefit from a new environment/faculty etc. So I will apply to Masters programs elsewhere, perhaps a couple PhD programs again (hearing back from Michigan so late means I must have been CLOSE to making the cut). I'm looking at Iowa specifically, where I would have a good shot at their Classics MA program due to the strong connections they have with my profs here. My ultimate goal is an Ancient History doctorate, but it's common for people with Masters in Classics to then move on to that.
I'm also entertaining the idea of going to Oxford, Cambridge or Trinity for a 2-year BA, which would be the equivalent of an MA here in the States, and will give me a great chance of getting into top PhD programs in the states.
In short, my future is pretty much secure until the end of this year. We'll see where it goes from there.
Bummer.
Plan B is going into effect. I'm going to take classes for grad credit with special student status here at UMaine this Fall. I'll be teaching Latin this summer and I might be hired to teach Greek in the Fall. That teaching experience will be some significant credentials that could make the difference next time I apply to PhD programs.
After that, who knows. I have several options. The most logical fallback would be to stay at UMaine even further and pursue a Masters in History here, but I would really like to get the fuck out of here and benefit from a new environment/faculty etc. So I will apply to Masters programs elsewhere, perhaps a couple PhD programs again (hearing back from Michigan so late means I must have been CLOSE to making the cut). I'm looking at Iowa specifically, where I would have a good shot at their Classics MA program due to the strong connections they have with my profs here. My ultimate goal is an Ancient History doctorate, but it's common for people with Masters in Classics to then move on to that.
I'm also entertaining the idea of going to Oxford, Cambridge or Trinity for a 2-year BA, which would be the equivalent of an MA here in the States, and will give me a great chance of getting into top PhD programs in the states.
In short, my future is pretty much secure until the end of this year. We'll see where it goes from there.
King Richard
Hello there
Good luck man. I still think you should study overseas personally, if at all possible of course. You seem willing to live what you study which is pretty cool. I highly doubt most American schools would really be as enthralling as a school located in the area you are studying imo.
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
Cheers, Rick! I have thought about studying at the American Academy at Rome. They offer an annual "Rome Prize" that would win me a free semester or two of study there. And yes, if I do go the UK route, I will certainly have easier access to Rome, Athens and Constantinople.
Master_Yoda77
Juggalo
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