History (Ancient and Modern) Personal Statement Example 2

Whilst I have had a keen interest in history from a young age, I have only more recently come to appreciate the extent to which debate exists on the interpretation of history through engagement with academic texts. This drew me towards antiquity in particular, because the source material, combined with auxiliary fields such as osteometry, has opened topics to extensive debate. I have applied to study history from antiquity to modernity for a broad opportunity to appreciate periods of history and their interplay before narrowing my interest down.

My academic reading includes Arrian's 'Anabasis Alexandri', which opened my mind to the importance of critical historiography; despite Arrian's good intentions I find it too encomiastic and the justification for its sources flawed, as Arrian treats Ptolemy's narrative fairly uncritically. Syme's 'The Roman Revolution' and Bleicken's 'Augustus' have helped define my views on the late Roman Republic and early Principate. Furthermore, modern academic elucidation of late antiquity has afforded me access to opposing viewpoints concerning the end of the western Roman Empire. These fields appeal to me because the Republic and Empire were so formative to European and post-colonial society, their legacies claimed by states as ideologically and geographically diverse as tsarist Russia, the United States, and both revolutionary and imperial France, that their falls require explanation.

While I have not had an opportunity to study Latin or Greek, my appreciation of sources includes numismatics and archaeology, which I find fascinating because of the evidence they provide about living standards and socio-cultural ideas. Though I have not yet developed a comparable sensitivity to sources in modern history, I have extended my knowledge and awareness through books on topics such as Prussia, the history of Christianity, and the Opium Wars, while Carr's 'What is History?' has improved my understanding of the process of writing history. A school trip to China extended my knowledge of the Chinese government's approach to its country's past, and my fluency in German has rewarded my enthusiasm for early modern German history through greater access to primary sources.

Furthermore, I conducted independent research for an essay I submitted under the title 'Was Rome's transition from republic to monarchy a revolution?' to Peterhouse, Cambridge's Vellacott History Prize. Arguing against the idea through numismatics, primary sources, and modern academic works, my essay was a winning entry, praised for its 'clarity of argument, stylish prose, level of research and originality of thought'. I also wrote my Extended Essay on the limiting effects of Augustus' reforms on Roman territorial expansion. These experiences were invaluable in allowing me to self-sufficiently explore historical interpretations of the late Republic and early Empire.

The IB's history course has extended my knowledge of modern history through the study of Italy's and Germany's unifications, imperial Russia, the move to World War Two in Italy, Japan and Germany, and authoritarian states in the 20th Century, which emphasised the similarities between these systems across societies. I was also inspired to write my Internal Assessment on Prussia's military in the late Napoleonic Wars.
Being Head Boy, a prefect, and a four-time member of the Student Council has let me balance extra-curricular duties with school work. I am enjoying the repertoire of Bach preludes, Beethoven sonatas, and Chopin's 'Fantaisie-Impromptu' I am preparing for an IB piano recital, which has also stimulated my knowledge of classical music. I also enjoy stand-up paddleboarding and hillwalking in the Bavarian Forest mountains, have presented topics to my school's debating club, and have increased my awareness of global issues through participation in multiple MUN conferences.

I am excited about extending my knowledge of history and critically engaging with ideas.