Old One,
It had to happen sooner or later (delurking, that is)!
Yeah, UNCG - "the Research University of the Triad" (or so we're told). Only an hour from the Big Schools in Chapel HIll and Durham, and only 30 minutes from Wake.
I've been in and out of gaming since '78-'79 and am currently eager to start up again - it'll probably be just my wife and I, and most probably C&C or AD&D. But that's for another thread ...
When I applied to grad school, at the tender age of 21, I was super naive (probably still am). I had had high school spanish, and placed out of it in college. I applied all over the place for MA/PhD programs and was roundly rejected (but in a sympathetic way - get some language skills, they'd say) most places. One school took a chance on me, which I guess panned out. I had to work up (good) reading knowledge of Latin and French, and (poor) reading knowledge of German in 4 years. Ay caramba!
You sound like you're in much better shape than I was when I embarked on this adventure. Reading knowledge of the modern languages is all that's *really* required, although should you go to Italy to do research (or wherever), then speaking can help (I acquired SR 2 in French to help my research out - I can order food, give directions, and so forth, but wouldn't want to debate the fine points of Bill the Conqueror en francais). Truly, Latin is the necessary skill, and it's got to be good enough that you can read your stuff in the original. If you're at all thinking of this, I'd recommend picking up an intensive Latin course at your local mage guild, er, university. This would also be a sign of good faith in applying for admission.
My case is proof that you don't actually need the languages to get into grad school (and ultimately, to get a job! whoo-hoo!). Still, the elite schools get so many good applicants that they will almost always reject you out of hand if you have no langugaes to begin with. A state school will be more likely to give you a look, especially if you have good GREs and/or excellent recommendations from people the admission commitee respects. In this case, if you show that you've already got some language under your belt (as you do), and that you've already begun work on Latin prior to entrance, you'll probably be okay.
As Nokia (or someone - sorry) pointed out, a lot of getting in and getting out depends on your career plans. Most schools will at least pretend that all their admitted students are intended to be scholars, and that the desired job for such people is at a research university. Reality (and numbers) reveals that not all PhDs end up at such places - I have some good friends from grad school who are teaching at small colleges where research is not an issue (good gamers, too! Geleg lives, right Wombat?). Still, you're better off in trying to get in by playing up the research end. Should you, on the other end, apply only to smaller, teaching oriented schools, then so be it.
The point about being willing to move to a job is a good one - chances are you'll not be able to land a permanent job in your current residence (I'm a yankee, not a Tar Heel, by birth at least).
Finally (gotta go prepare class), you are right to have some concerns about age. Every school will say that age doesn't make a difference, and that merit always prevails. This is not always true (although there are enough exceptions to make one wake up and smell the coffee - our dept hired someone a couple of years before me who was probably 50 at the time). Still, I bet you'll find that - at least for permanent jobs - schools may say (or not say, but intimate) that they want someone who will be around for longer. It ain't fair, but it's true.
Again, I feel like I'm trying to talk you out of it - I'm not. You sound like you're actually a pretty desirable candidate. Some language background, lots of motivation, and a gamer to boot (oops, that won't count in admission ...). I've had a lot of discussions of this sort with our first year (terminal) MA candidates, and I always try to give them the grim facts about languages, jobs, etc, up front so that they don't feel like they've wasted time working on a PhD.
Anyway, this is way too long a post - sorry. If you want more advice, drop me an email at rebarton at uncg dot edu.
REB
). I read all three much better than I speak or write them. Latin is another story, especially with false cognates 
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