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 | | From: | aelithes at gmail.com | | Subject: | PhD programmes - help! | | Date: | 19 Jan 2005 08:10:33 -0800 |
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 | Hello,
I'm currently an MA student researching Classics PhD programmes in the
US for entry in 2006, and am at a bit of a loss as to which schools
might be appropriate for my interests and training. I've searched
high and low both online and in career centres, and unfortunately
there are very few rankings of such programmes (NRC, Gourman), and the
ones that do exist are rather outdated. So I hope someone here might
be able to proffer some much-needed advice!
Just to give you an idea of my academic background, I graduated from
Brown with a BA in Classics and Chemistry, and am working on an MA
(Classics) at University College London. I'll be doing an MPhil at
Cambridge before I make my way back to the States. My interests are
mainly in Latin poetry, mostly late Republic to empire, but some
Silver and Medieval Latin.
From what I gather, the Ivies and some others (Berkeley, Michigan,
Chicago, Texas, UCLA) are generally considered the best, but I think
matters are a bit complicated with this whole issue of procuring
funding. I'm aiming to apply to about 10-15 programmes; obviously
there are other factors involved in the application process that I
can't possibly relate here, e.g., writing sample and references, but
would it be entirely unrealistic to expect to come out of the process
with a few schools to choose from (indeed, to even have a choice)?
Would anyone be able to suggest some 'safeties' for someone with my
credentials? Also, there've been only a few scraps of information
I've been able to pick up about US faculties at my current department;
does anyone have any recommendations in terms of depts with
particularly strong Latin constituents?
I apologise for the long email, and thanks very much in advance for
your kind help. Any and all comments are very appreciated.
Best wishes,
Cecily
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| | From: | Petrushka | | Subject: | Re: PhD programmes - help! | | Date: | Thu, 20 Jan 2005 09:10:28 +1300 |
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| aelithes@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm currently an MA student researching Classics PhD programmes in the
> US for entry in 2006, and am at a bit of a loss as to which schools
> might be appropriate for my interests and training. I've searched
> high and low both online and in career centres, and unfortunately
> there are very few rankings of such programmes (NRC, Gourman), and the
> ones that do exist are rather outdated. So I hope someone here might
> be able to proffer some much-needed advice!
>
> Just to give you an idea of my academic background, I graduated from
> Brown with a BA in Classics and Chemistry, and am working on an MA
> (Classics) at University College London. I'll be doing an MPhil at
> Cambridge before I make my way back to the States. My interests are
> mainly in Latin poetry, mostly late Republic to empire, but some
> Silver and Medieval Latin.
>
> From what I gather, the Ivies and some others (Berkeley, Michigan,
> Chicago, Texas, UCLA) are generally considered the best, but I think
> matters are a bit complicated with this whole issue of procuring
> funding.
With the ones you mention, normally they will offer you funding along
with their offer of a place. At the big US programmes, funding isn't
really something you need to worry about separately: if you get a place,
funding will magically appear.
To find out more about these places, it'll make your life much easier if
you drop them all a line and ask them to send you a graduate prospectus.
It's free, do it. I know people are lazy these days and look everything
up online, but you can't beat a prospectus with a decent index.
> I'm aiming to apply to about 10-15 programmes;
I hope you're rich! You do know, don't you, that there are fees just for
applying? Usually in the region of USD$60-80. Try multiplying that by 15
and see if you don't have a heart attack...
obviously
> there are other factors involved in the application process that I
> can't possibly relate here, e.g., writing sample and references, but
> would it be entirely unrealistic to expect to come out of the process
> with a few schools to choose from (indeed, to even have a choice)?
This depends entirely on how you interview, the quality of your writing
sample, your grades, and so on. Theoretically they'll look at your GRE
result too, but I think most people looking at your application will be
aware that GRE results need to be taken with several large handfuls of
salt. If you're good, you'll get a place. I forget whether Cambridge
awards classes of degrees (1, 2.1, 2.2, etc) -- you should certainly aim
for a first, if they do; you might just get away with a 2.1 if you have
exceptionally nice referees.
> Would anyone be able to suggest some 'safeties' for someone with my
> credentials? Also, there've been only a few scraps of information
> I've been able to pick up about US faculties at my current department;
> does anyone have any recommendations in terms of depts with
> particularly strong Latin constituents?
All the ones you have mentioned are extremely well funded, have
exceptionally good resources, and are all very prestigious. So the two
big factors you should be focusing on are:
(1) Who do you want your supervisor/advisor to be? Whose work do you
really identify with, who has influenced you? There's no point in going
to Princeton if the person you really want to work with is at Berkeley,
or working with a linguist/philologist if what you're really interested
in is poststructuralism and intertextuality. *Write to this person* as
soon as possible and describe what you're doing, what you'd like to do
in future, etc. (This has the added bonus that having made enquiries in
advance like this *will* help your application: it shows that you're
well organised and know what you want. Also, showing that you already
have some clear ideas for your dissertation will do no harm, even though
you won't be writing it for several years yet; and remember you can
change your mind about your topic as many times as you like!)
(2) Where do you want to live? This is not a minor factor. Personally
I'd be un-eager to spend six years of my life in Texas. Do you like a
nice summery Californian climate, or could you not live without the
colourful New England autumn? What matters to you?
> I apologise for the long email, and thanks very much in advance for
> your kind help. Any and all comments are very appreciated.
>
> Best wishes,
> Cecily
Good luck. It's a long, complicated process, and it will take almost as
much time and work as your MPhil studies; part of the filtering process,
I guess, is to see how persistent you are!
Petrushka
--
de_meun at yahoo d0t com | Wellington, NZ
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