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I discovered SLP later in my degree and don't think I have the grades or experience to make it in the upcoming cycle but I'm giving it a shot to at least become familiar with the process!

Hey, I'm Belle! I'm new to Gradcafe. Just heard this may be a good spot to chat about MFA experiences. I'm a senior English major at Purdue Fort Wayne, looking to apply to Butler's MFA (CNF) program for Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. I've been doing research on other MFA programs (online or low-res) since we're pretty set on moving to Indy next winter. My next step was to work on writing samples! Looking forward to connecting

You sound like you have accomplished a lot for an incoming junior. Kudos! I think you are worrying about some of these things prematurely and may be putting the cart before the horse. Deep breaths!! As a junior, you are probably just starting upper level seminar classes and perhaps independent research (based on my own slac experience). This is a great time to start developing your relationships with professors who may eventually write your recs, think about doing a thesis (if offered at your college), take classes outside of modern/contemporary art, etc. If you have the means, I would apply to do an internship with a major museum or collection next summer. You can also use the next two years to practice skills like interviewing (something that may or may not come up in grad school applications, but is a good skill to have). It's great that you already have your languages well underway (especially the German). My biggest recommendation is to talk to your art history professors and see what they suggest re: grad school and specific programs. PhD applications are not like undergrad apps--there aren't really safety or reach schools. Prestige/program rank is certainly important to consider (especially when thinking about job/fellowship opportunities postgrad), but it's just one of many factors. First and foremost, you should be applying to programs based on research fit (aka you are applying to work with a specific scholar). Modern and contemporary art is a massive field, and each PhD program will have its own culture that you may or may not resonate with. Some questions you can have in the back of your brain as you go through your classes this year/the next: Whose research do you find interesting? What methodologies do they use? Who did they study with and where (or alternatively, who were their students?)? With the academic job market being what it is, it is a good idea to be as flexible as possible. If you continue, you will likely be applying to both academic and curatorial track jobs after your PhD. Keep an open mind and talk to as many people working in your field as you can, so you can hear what their career paths have been. Re: your other concerns: I'm sorry that you feel as if your research or enthusiasm has been minimized, but I wouldn't linger over any offhand remarks like that. Not everyone will be as interested in your research as you are and you have to develop a tough skin for criticism (while still keeping an open mind about the limitations of your project(s)). That being said, your research will grow and change significantly over the years--it is unlikely that the research you are doing now will be the same as your dissertation project. You have over a year before you will be applying to grad school--I would develop your relationships to your art history profs, as they will be able to comment on your academic work most effectively (assuming that these mfa holding profs are studio art teachers?) Don't worry about past department placements, your undergrad ranking, etc. There are very few cases where this actually matters much, especially within top 20 slac rankings An A- will not hurt you, I promise (again, take some deep breaths. Your gpa isn't the be-all, end-all) Best of luck! You will be okay!

Applying to MFAs for the first time (fiction). Getting my writing sample ready and looking at programs. Never published my writing before, so this may be a crapshoot. Good luck to everyone!

Thank you @Jim VK! I didn't know about this survey here, and I definitely will fill it out once I hear in the spring.

Hi all, I’m an international PhD student currently in strategic marketing, and I’ve been dealing with a pretty difficult supervision experience. I often feel invisible, unsupported, and sometimes actively sidelined by my main supervisor. For example: - Delayed approval for key milestones (like research proposals) for up to a year - Ignored emails, including requests for formal letters - Being denied access to necessary admin processes - Passive-aggressive or outright negative energy during meetings - A pattern of students from international backgrounds facing similar issues I’m reaching out anonymously because I still want to graduate and don’t want to jeopardize that, but it’s been affecting my mental health and motivation badly. I’ve started thinking about how to access research funding without going through this supervisor, and how to navigate a PhD in a toxic environment. Have any of you gone through something like this? What strategies helped you survive—or even succeed—despite the odds? Thanks in advance for reading and sharing.

Hi everyone. In honour of Ontario offers being finalized, I thought I would get on it and create the forum for those of us applying next year to Canadian schools!

Great discussion here on finding the right PhD program in Statistics and Economics! I’d like to add that while traditional university rankings are helpful, they don’t always capture the nuances of individual departments or faculty. This is where AcademicJobs.com comes in. As the only niche job board in higher education that incorporates AI, it offers not only job listings but also AI-powered insights into the academic environment, helping you make a more informed decision. Their Rate My Professor feature is especially valuable, providing feedback from current and former students on teaching quality, approachability, and research opportunities. This adds a layer of transparency and allows you to gauge the academic experience at a more granular level, beyond what rankings alone can offer. For prospective PhD candidates, leveraging such tools can be invaluable when evaluating specific programs or faculty members, ensuring a better fit with your academic and professional goals.

i wasn’t invited for an interview either. i also called them to ask about interviews but they didn’t answer and never called me back. i thought yale was my strongest application so i will be really sad if i don’t get in lol

I find Oxford being ranked 1st in the world in Politics difficult to believe.

First acceptance in at GWU! It was nice to receive a phone call with the news. Interviews next week for Georgia Southern and USF. Hoping to hear from Tulane soon.

Just got my acceptance letter from GWU!

Interviewed for GWU in November, and it was mandatory (I believe). As interviews go for DrPH programs, it was standardized and--by far--the least intimidating. The admissions person told me that anyone who meets the essential criteria for the program goes through an interview. I don't know what the criteria are, exactly.

Thank you both for your responses. It's still early on my end but I'm just nervous. The admissions officer said "interview, if applicable" as if there was an option not to.

I interviewed before I was accepted, I believe it's mandatory but I'm not 100% sure.

i got into GWU DrPH in dec and had to do an interview. applied for early acceptance and i believe all early acceptance folks had to do an interview. was super straightforward. not sure if it'll be required for non-early folks.

I found out today that I got accepted to Claremont! I'm definitely leaning towards GWU but still exciting to have another option!

Me, too! How delightful.

I will be online, yourself?

Wonderful! Me, too. Will you be online or in person?

Current MFA student here. I knew I wanted to do a creative writing MFA because I felt it provided the best opportunity to develop the book I'm working on. I'm not interested in writing for the screen so no debate there for me. I will say the people I observe struggling in my program tend to be the people who are not yet sure what kind of artistic output they want to make, so good to get clear on that before you start. As for recommendation letters, it's important to stick to what schools ask for with all application materials, so don't include any extra letters. Recent screen-writing colleagues could be great recommenders. The general wisdom is not to use peers as recommenders unless you have no other choice. Writing your own letter is risky and IMO not worth it. The people reading it will be writers who have had the chance to get very familiar with your writing via your app. Admissions committees are pretty good at telling who wrote their own letters and it's a bad look if you get caught. Jumping between programs...you would have to do an entire new app cycle unless all you wanted to do was switch from like fiction to nonfiction (which some programs do allow). I've heard it can be harder applying as someone dropping out of an MFA than applying without having started one, because programs see leaving another degree program as a red flag.

If you are sure where you want to go, please accept ASAP. Just heard that UT-Austin professors/departments in the (at least within the College of Natural Sciences) "can" rescind offers of *guaranteed* funding if you have not accepted yet. I do not know if this advice goes beyond CNS yet. This also happened at UCSD, except they DID rescind offers of guantanteed funding (for my kid this happened, maybe because she had not accepted). Please if you have an offer you are happy with, accept now, even before the visit. It is MUCH less likely they can/will rescind offers from "YESES."

Because you are an idiot and a hater. What is your problem? Did this thread struck a chord? The truth usually does.