which majors are easiest to get into (ivy league)

Elderpegasus · 09-14-2008, 09:41 PM

I'm wondering what major I should apply for graduate school. I know I'll be able to choose a field in the hummanities and here are my options: classical philology, classics, history, art history, archaeology. I like all of these fields but I must choose one. Which of these majors are easiest program to get into? I'm reading fluency of latin and greek; fluent in french and italian.

dobby · 09-14-2008, 10:29 PM

Choose an advisor, not a department.

molliebatmit · 09-14-2008, 10:38 PM

Which of the subjects do you want to study full-time for the next half-decade of your life?

If you've narrowed down your research focus but it's interdisciplinary, it's reasonable to talk about which program is easiest to get into. If you aren't sure about your research focus, on the other hand, you need to do some hard thinking before applying.

ticklemepink · 09-15-2008, 08:02 PM

Huh.. it looks like you're into Classical Studies. Then in that case, you're going have to narrow your interest just a bit more and then choose an advisor whose research interests matches yours.

Grad school isn't about getting into an Ivy League... how many posts have we had about this kind of request?

WilliamC · 09-16-2008, 12:17 PM

All the Classics related fields are incredibly competitive these days. I would say, at least as far as the "usual suspects" (e.g. Harvard, Princeton, Berkeley, Chicago, Michigan, etc.) you're looking at about 80-100 applicants for 2 to 5 spots at each school. Be aware that Archaeologgy and Art History will require significant undergrad level work (ideally with field work in the case of Archaeology) in those fields in addition to the languages.

Having modern languages will help your application, but as usual your LORs and SOP will critical. Your writing sample should probably reflect your interests to some extent. This is assuming your GPA and GRE are "in the range" - say 3.6+ GPA, 1300+ combined GRE).

You might want to review the first page of the "Grad Admissions 101" thread - it is mainly about sciences/engineering but the principals are the same. In the end, your professors are your best bet for help as far as determining where you should apply.

tenisghs · 09-16-2008, 12:53 PM

@ Elderpegasus

Which language or culture do you prefer more? Study that.

There is no "shortcut" to get into the Ivy League. Even the "easiest" majors (however you define it) can be the most competitive for grad school admissions.

Elderpegasus · 09-17-2008, 02:36 PM

. i don't get what you mean by "advisor." is this the person u request to be attached to for research once admitted?
yes, i suspected classics would be competitive. but, philology i'm sure is quite obscure enough. also, i'm thinking of learning sanskrit if philology looks like favourable choice.

i'm guessing yale is the best in hummanities and the hardest to get into.

i'm applying from undergrad, so haven't my BA yet. also how do u let them know that u took so many languages on ur own...also that u'll finish the honors program by graduation.

astrina · 09-17-2008, 07:50 PM

"u'll" ... ouch.

WilliamC · 09-17-2008, 11:10 PM

Elderpegasus - you would be completely wrong assuming that philology is "obscure enough". If you go the Indo-European route with Sanskrit, you'll be in an even tougher situation. At Yale, the school you seem to have fixated on, there appears to be only one professor teaching Sanskrit and he only occasionally:

South Asian Studies Council

I know little about S. Asian languages, but I do know that Berkeley at least teaches it on a regular basis. As does my university, Penn:

SOUTH ASIA STUDIES

"Advisor" - in this context means the professor who will direct your PhD research. You don't "request to be attached" to one. Your interests, as indicated in your SOP will be the first step, then, after you are admitted to candidacy (after passing required coursework and examinations), you and the graduate faculty with whom you have developed a professional relationship will ask several (typically 3) professors (with one as your primary advisor) to supervise your PhD research.

Languages "you took on your own" will be irrelevant unless they appear on your transcript or can be demonstrated through testing.

You really need to talk to the professors who will be writing your LORs for advice. Your posts seem to indicate that you have some pretty odd ideas about graduate work in the US.

Keep asking questions - but it would be helpful if you provided more information about yourself or at least named your university.

sra08 · 09-17-2008, 11:55 PM

Elderpegasus, as others have told you, study for a PhD is undertaken because you want to pursue a particular line of research in a particular discipline. Granted, intellectual interests do change and evolve, but all grad schools--regardless of how "prestigious" they are--are looking for students dedicated to their field. Simply wanting a graduate degree from Yale is a wrong way to go about the process, and adcoms will probably see through it. Yale (or another Ivy) might not actually be the best program for your particular interests. "Apply to all the most prestigious schools" is a dubious strategy for applying to undergrad, but is even more misguided in terms of grad school. Ivies do not necessarily have the best programs in a given area. In my field, some of the best schools are state universities, and not necessarily the ones commonly thought of as prestigious, either. One of the very best universities in my field is commonly derided as a "dump," in fact. People who do their homework, though, know better and the program is very competitive, as most PhD programs are.

You're unlikely to enjoy a positive graduate school experience if you go to a school where no one specializes in your subfield. (Actually, in that case, you're unlikely to be admitted in the first place.) There are loads of qualified applicants; adcoms are looking for fit.

Elderpegasus · 09-18-2008, 01:17 PM

i see. well, i'm wondering if ur chances are considerably greater if u apply under the major u took ur bachelor. at the moment, i like all the majors i listed above.

but here's something about me:
i go to ucsd, have average 3.5 gpa, major history, minor french. haven't taken gre yet, but i suspect i'll do well because my vocab is crazy.

i'm not graduated yet, so my transcript will be tentative. how do u note that u will complete the honors program? do they look at fall grades?

Elderpegasus · 09-18-2008, 02:18 PM

i realized harvard offers only phD. do they favor MA degree applicants over BA?

and when should i ask for LOR

WilliamC · 09-18-2008, 03:46 PM

There is no space for "catching up" in grad school - your undergraduate major is critical to your admissions chances. If it isn't already a close match, you'll still be expected to have taken the required coursework. For the fields you mentioned, you're looking at 2 or 3 years of upper level Latin, Greek through intermediate (year 2) AT LEAST, plus the usual history survey courses, some art history and cultural courses, etc. That is why post-bac programs have become so popular in these fields.

A 3.5 is going to be dicey for top programs in the Classics/Archaeology/Art History fields. I have a 3.63 from Penn, with several research awards, 4 years of Latin and 2 of Greek, a 710V700Q/5.5AW GRE, LORs from "household names" in the field, and I completely struck out last year.

Many people don't finish honors programs until their final semester. You'll want to make note of the fact that you are participating in one in your SOP. Briefly discuss the project and how it relates to your intended course of study (if it does). Ideally, your honor's advisor will be one of your LOR writers and he'll discuss it in his LOR.

As far as your transcript, in virtually all cases you provide whatever official transcript your school can send that will get there by the deadline. Then, when your Fall grades are available, send an un-official (that is, a copy) of your up-to-date transcript to each department (each school will have a procedure for handling this). A few schools will accept it the "other way around" - a copy of your transcript by the deadline, then an official one when its available. In all cases, if you are admitted you'll have to provide a complete official transcript after you graduate.

Yes, masters holders do tend to be favored but they are also held to higher standards for admission. And they have major advantages over us simple BA holders since they come in already prepared to teach. And of course they've already shown they can handle the work load.

You should be asking for LORs pretty much on day one of your last fall semester. Talk to your academic advisor(s) about the process - some schools use credentials services and the professors will send the letters there rather than directly to the schools you are applying to. Some schools you are applying to will prefer the LORs be submitted online, others don't care. Always ask if its not clear on the website.

ticklemepink · 09-18-2008, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Yes, masters holders do tend to be favored but they are also held to higher standards for admission. And they have major advantages over us simple BA holders since they come in already prepared to teach. And of course they've already shown they can handle the work load.

Amen. Virtually every PhD student in my program got their MA already.

Elderpegasus · 09-18-2008, 11:17 PM

wow. my chances are slim..any schools i have a chance in?

4 years of latin! that's long. it's usually 1 year of introduction then literature. u must be near perfect in latin. but what major did u apply under? for classics, i think german is required in addition to latin and greek. and perhaps both sanskrit and german is required for classical philology.