What are my chances?

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm a recent graduate from Rutgers University looking to apply to top Classics PhD programs. I had a double major in Math and Classics with a double minor in English and philosophy and I graduated with a 3.65 GPA overall and a 3.8 GPA in Classics. I'm worried because I recently took the GRE and got a 690 Verbal/790 Quantitative. I thought I was alright, but then I was told that admissions committees in Classics/Ancient History throw out anything below a 700. Is this true? </p>

<p>Also, I have two years of teaching experience (teaching math) at a private school in NYC. Can I spin this in anyway to help my case?</p>

2

<p>your scores and gpa are competitive. I highly doubt they will throw out your app because of your verbal score, considering the percentile it is in.
Send in the apps and polish everything else. You will be fine.</p>

3

<p>your score is fine. 690 won’t get thrown out.</p>

<p>the real question will be language prep. classics programs will want you to know latin, greek, french, and german, and to have 2-3 years of latin and greek. if you don’t have that, that’ll be your killer, definitely not the GRE scores. those are fine.</p>

4

<p>I do have 3 years of formal greek and another two years of studying it on my own…likewise, 2 years of Latin and 2 years reading on my own.</p>

<p>I’m starting German for reading knowledge officially in the Spring.</p>

5

<p>Your language background is a little weak for top programs in philology or ancient history, which typically look for 4 years of one language and 3 of the other.</p>

<p>You’d be set for art/archaeology programs.</p>