Apply for Regular Membership

The Regular Member program runs the full academic year, from early September to late May. The program is designed for a variety of advanced students, ranging from those who are visiting Greece for the first time to those researching specific projects. It is an integrated program offering an intense survey of the sites, museums, history, culture, and topography of Greece from antiquity to the present.

DEADLINE: January 15, 2024 
 

Eligibility

Regular Membership is open to citizens of the United States or Canada who are graduate students at a college or university in those countries, or to non-citizens enrolled in a graduate program at a cooperating institution. The U.S. or Canadian citizen must be enrolled in a U.S. or Canadian program at the time of application. Preferably, applicants will have completed one or more years of graduate study before entering the School, but well-qualified undergraduate seniors who will have received a baccalaureate degree by the time of entry shall be considered for admission and for the fellowship competition. Applicants are expected to have reading knowledge of French and German. Reading ability in Ancient Greek, some familiarity with modern Greek, as well as other relevant foreign languages will be helpful. It is the policy of the School not to discriminate in awarding admission for Regular Membership on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

For in-depth details on eligibility, please see the School's Regulations (Section VI.1-3).

Application Process

Important factors in the Admissions and Fellowship Committee’s holistic ranking of applicants include: 1) the breath and quality of training, as based on transcripts, ancient authors read, and field experience, 2) statement of purpose, 3) the strength of letters of recommendations, and 4) performance on the two qualifying examinations. The application serves as both the application for admission and for School Fellowships. The application is due by January 15. Detailed instructions are included on the application form. Please review the online application form well in advance of deadline. 

Link to online application form: https://ascsa.submittable.com/submit/115614/ascsa-regular-membership-application

A complete application consists of the following: 

  • A listing of colleges and universities attended, with dates of residence, degrees, field(s) of major study, and honors attained. 
  • A listing of teaching and other professional experience, with institutions and dates. 
  • Brief descriptions of proficiency in German, French, Italian, Modern Greek.
  • A "Narrative of Research Experience. In a statement of no more than 1500 words, 12pt, single spaced, describe a substantial writing project (seminar paper, MA Thesis, etc.) based on your original research that included at least some measure of re-writing based on feedback from your professor. The following prompts are not intended to be exhaustive—you may consider additional topics—but responses to all of them should appear somewhere in your statement. 
    • How did this experience change your response to constructive feedback? Provide specific example(s).
    • How did this experience contribute to your growth as a writer? Provide specific example(s).
    • How did this experience contribute to your growth as a researcher? Provide specific example(s).
    • What do you consider to be the significant findings of your research?
    • Identify your research question and briefly describe how you came to it.
  • A "Statement of Future Plans."  In a statement of no more than 750 words, 12pt, single spaced, please describe your intended field(s) of study, what influences led to this/these interest(s), the gaps in knowledge you hope to explore, and the types of evidence and methods you think will be useful. This is not expected to be a prospectus of your dissertation nor is it meant to be a statement of what you intend to work on in your year as a Regular Member of the ASCSA. The Admissions & Fellowships committee would like to have a sense of your interests and your awareness of the field from which those interests arise. This statement will also assist faculty in Athens as they plan the curriculum for the coming year.
  • Official transcripts for undergraduate and graduate study. You may order official transcripts, scan and upload them to the appropriate field. If official electronic transcripts are offered by your Registrar, you may send them to application@ascsa.org
  • Applicants should supply contact information from three individuals who are willing to submit recommendation letters by January 20th. One of these letters should be from the student's advisor, thesis director, Departmental Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, or Gradate Chair, and should explicitly confirm that the student is in good standing. (In the case of an undergraduate applicant, a letter from the student's major advisor will suffice.) Once an online application is submitted, recommenders will be sent an email with instructions about how to submit their letters of recommendation. Or, the applicant may choose to send the request at any time using the "Send Request Now" button on the application form before submission. NOTE: The ASCSA will never contact your recommenders directly. The applicant must take responsibility for asking references for submission of letters. 
  • Prepare to sit for the qualifying examinations on the first Saturday of February. After the submission deadline, you will be contacted with further details about scheduling the exam for the first Saturday in February. 

Rubric for Evaluating Application Materials
The Admissions and Fellowships Committee reviews applications for admission to the program, as well for ASCSA Regular Member fellowships. All application materials are reviewed in a holistic manner. Specifically, the committee’s rubric is focused on four major components (on a point scale of 1/inadequate to 5/excellent):

  • Statement of Purpose. The statement of purpose should provide compelling arguments that a year at the ASCSA is significant to the applicant’s intellectual development. The statement of purpose should describe the applicant's areas of interest, even while it is important to note that it need not identify a specific project. We welcome applicants looking for an immersive exposure to the sites and museums of Greece. Review criteria include: Is the statement compelling, either for its contributions to the field or to the applicant’s professional trajectory? Does the applicant articulate their areas of research interest effectively? Is the applicant prepared to take advantage of the School’s program and resources?
  • Preparation for Program. The committee would like the applicant to demonstrate their readiness for the program, answering questions such as: Has the applicant’s previous training (coursework, fieldwork, museum studies, research projects, teaching etc.) provided them with a suitable foundation for the various aspects of the Regular Program? Is the applicant at a point in their studies where they will benefit from the program?
  • Academic Performance. The committee looks for consistently high quality in grades and performance in courses of relevance. Applicants should upload all academic transcripts (including any study abroad transcripts), as well as certificates.
  • References. At least one of the three letters should be from one of the following: the student's advisor, thesis director, Departmental Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, or Graduate Chair; this letter should explicitly confirm that the student is in good standing. (In the case of an undergraduate applicant, a letter from the student's major advisor will suffice.) In general, the committee is asking that recommenders discuss the applicant’s academic qualifications and preparedness for the program, as well as the applicant’s ability to perform in a group setting while learning on-site. 

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Guidance regarding the ASCSA Regular Member Exams

Please be aware that the exam changed format in February 2022 exam, and is continuing to be implemented. Updated information is below. 

The examinations play an important role in the Admissions Committee’s decisions regarding membership and the allocation of fellowships. Candidates should approach these examinations as they would other qualifying or field examinations at the graduate level.

There are two examinations, each two hours in length: 1) a required Greek History examination, with topics ranging from Prehistoric to Post-Classical Greece, and 2) either a Greek Art and Archaeology examination, with topics ranging from prehistory to Post-Classical Greece and covering all major fields; or a Greek Literature examination, with topics ranging from Homer and Hesiod to Late Antiquity, including poetry and prose. Both examinations will consist of an Identification section, followed by an essay section. On each exam, IDs count for 25% of the grade (approximately 30 minutes, or 6 minutes per ID), and essays count for 75% of the grade (approximately 30 minutes per essay).

In the Identification section, candidates are to choose five from a list of fifteen terms, names, or technical expressions. Examiners are looking for brief but detailed identifications that make clear the historical context and significance of the term being identified. Incorrect, vague or inadequate answers will affect one’s grade.

For the second section (Essays), worth 75%, applicants will respond to three of nine (or more) prompts. Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate the breadth and depth of their knowledge by selecting questions that cover a wide range of chronological periods and intellectual approaches. Examiners look for the candidate’s ability to articulate a clear, coherent argument based on detailed engagement with ancient sources and scholarship pertinent to the topic. Answers should combine a discussion of appropriate, specific case studies with broader analysis positioning the question within current scholarly paradigms. Candidates should reserve 90 minutes for this section, or approximately 30 minutes for each essay.

Ancient Greek and the examinations. All examinations will offer candidates the opportunity to display their knowledge of ancient Greek. Some but not all essay options on the History, Art and Archaeology, and Literature examinations will include passages of ancient Greek. These options will be weighted equally with essay questions without Greek passages (i.e., applicants will not be penalized if they choose not to respond to any of the questions including Greek passages). Responses to questions that do include Greek passages need not translate the passage but should use the passage, selected words or phrases from the text, and related scholarship to address the essay question.

Specifically, the committee’s rubric for evaluating each exam is as follows:
 

  Absent Marginal Adequate Exceptional
Quality of argument (e.g., clarity, coherence, etc.) 0 2 4 6
Engagement with ancient evidence (e.g., selection and analysis of appropriate case studies, etc.) 0 2 4 6
Engagement with scholarship (e.g., awareness of significant scholarly debates, etc.) 0 2 4 6
Overall impression of the essay 0 2 4 6

 

Sample Exams in previous and current formats can be downloaded here: 

2001 Sample Exam
2002 Sample Exam
2003 Sample Exam
2004 Sample Exam
2005 Sample Exam
2006 Sample Exam
2007 Sample Exam
2008 Sample Exam
2009 Sample Exam
2014 Sample Exam
2015 Sample Exam
2016 Sample Exam
2017 Sample Exam
2018 Sample Exam
2019 Sample Exam
2020 Sample Exam
2021 Sample Exam
2022 Sample Exam
2023 Sample Exam

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation when considering admission to any form of membership or application for employment.

Ready to Apply?

Deadline: January 15, 2024

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