MjamesPDX

Honestly, I wouldn't take this as a huge negative! I have had a number of friends go on to do post-bacc programs before finally entering an MFA program and they all really enjoyed the extra studio time and experience. Cost wise, I'd be cautious to take on the extra debt if it involves taking out more in student loans.. especially if you plan on applying to an expensive MFA program that doesn't offer full tuition waivers. Maybe the panel just wanted to see what your work would look like a year or two from now? Did you apply to any other programs besides SAIC? Maybe it's just them and another school could have a totally different opinion! Just my two cents

Still waiting to hear back from University of Oregon.. They sent out invites on Feb 15th last year, but if anyone hears anything sooner please post on here! So so happy for all of you guys who got interviews out of the way already!

Congrats!

Yeah, I wouldn’t worry yet. Like they said above, we are at the verry very beginning of these things. A lot of schools won’t even release their interview requests for a couple weeks from now.. so just hold on tight

That seems a little weird to me! I guess we have to assume they have all of our social media at their fingertips though..

Congrats!! That's amazing!! Did you do an interview at all or was this based entirely on your application?

It really is!! Good luck as well! Hoping to hear some news soon

So so true! I also only applied to one school this year, so I'm right where you were this time last year. Crossing my fingers for you this time around and hoping everyone takes some good self care time Also, I'll look into Off the Wall! Thanks for the recommendation.

Trying desperately to distract myself with good books and new studio projects. Anyone got a list of yummy reads? Currently re-reading Art & Fear, but would love some other recommendations!

I can’t see the quote you were responding to anymore, so they must have deleted their original comment.. I’ve only seen one person on here so far who got an interview notice.. anyone else hear back anything or get some foot traffic on their websites?

Nope! UO in Eugene☺️ I only applied to one program this year.. kinda did the thing you’re not supposed to do, but it’s the only program on the west coast that I liked and had the best funding. We’ll see if that was a mistake or not, haha. Good luck with the rest of your apps!

Just finished sending my first one in!! Feels really good And now for the waiting game! Haha

How are all of you doing with your apps? Is everyone else going through slideroom to submit their portfolio components also? I have a question about the labeling section.. Are all of you filling out the "additional details" section at the very bottom for each piece? I felt like the majority of what I had to say was already said in my essay, but I don't wanna miss out on an opportunity to connect with the panel. Are you all filling out this section for each piece in addition to what you already mentioned in your essays? Just curious Happy Holidays! Good luck!

I'd be weary about looking up information on this website! I checked out the program I'm applying to and their information is way off. It might be out of date, but none of the admissions statistics I found on that website were even close to being accurate. Just a heads up!

Hi guys! So I have a situation that hopefully some of you have encountered as well. I'm trying to decide what to declare as my focus solely for my applications. I know that most schools ask you to choose a focus but are open to you working across disciplines, which is great. But, I'm wondering what y'all would recommend. I studied painting/drawing in undergrad and have worked in that same realm for many years since graduating. Painting represents about half of my current portfolio. The other half is newer work that is very mixed media and I'm not sure what to call it. I'm using cyanotypes and synthetic dyes to create large scale collages on wood panels. Any ideas? Would this still be considered painting because of the dying methods I'm using? Or would it be closer to photography, even though it's technically camera-less photography? Any ideas or experiences you've encountered in the past would be very helpful! Also- for anyone who's gone through the application process before.. Does having a split portfolio like this appear to be a weakness or strength? The work is still very young and I'm concerned it might be seen as a red flag, but I'm very invested in continuing my exploration of this process through grad school. For anyone that wants to see what I'm doing, my instagram is https://www.instagram.com/m.j.white/ Thanks in advance! -Michael

Just got an email from the department head at U of O. For anyone interested in attending their MFA open house, the date is November 7th. You need to RSVP ahead of time, but they will be doing individual reviews and holding a Q+A session with current MFA students. Anyone else planning on attending? Hope to see some of y'all there!

Likewise! Really enjoying the line quality in your portrait work! And I agree with you, U of O seems to have a very attractive program. Also! Living in Eugene would be fantastic. How's your portfolio coming along? I'm a crazy person and decided to cut 2/3 of my work out; so.. currently in studio lock down, haha!

Hey guys! Happy to see the thread starting again this year. I’ve also been reading these forums the past few years- although, this might be the first year I actually apply. Did my undergrad in Painting and now currently work in mixed media. Looking mostly at 3 year programs and would love to stay on the west coast. Currently leaning towards: University of Oregon UC Davis University of Washington If anyone has info specifically on U of O, I would love to hear some pointers! Currently rebuilding my website, but IG is @M.j.white Lets do this!

Hey all!! So after lurking this forum for a couple years now.. I think I've finally decided this year is it- this is the year I'm applying for grad school. I've got a couple programs in mind, but I'd love to hear any of y'all's recommendations for 3 year programs.. Anyhow- I thought it would be really helpful to see other people's work and see where y'all were applying. My website is still pretty bare bones and I'm really trying to have at least 5 more large pieces in my portfolio before the end of the year. Any advice/comments/criticism is greatly appreciated!! thanks guys!! Www.michaeljameswhite.wordpress.com

Sent you a PM bixler

Well that's comforting to hear. I was wondering if people included details on larger pieces. Did you pull any work from your undergrad portfolio for your applications?? Thinking about including a few pieces

Hey y'all!! Been seeing some great work! I've got a tumblr for now.. Hoping to have my official website up before application season next year Anyone else who works on large substrates finding it hard to get enough work together?! Seriously, 20 pieces sounds like a lot and it usually takes me 1-2 months for each piece.. Haha

Hey guys, love hearing all of your nail biting experiences about applications this year.. Been building my portfolio up and hoping to finally apply for the FA/16 year. I have a couple questions and maybe y'all can give me some advice. Obviously it's different for everyone, but at what point did you say "this is it, I'm ready!". I've been out of undergrad for four years now, and while my resume is getting stronger I'm worried that I'm not where I need to be conceptually with my work. When did you decide to take the plunge and just go for it? My top choice program is Glasgow School of Art, so anyone who has experience with their MFA program I would LOVE to to hear from.. General application advice/tips greatly appreciated.. Haha. Also, for anyone who got into GSA this year, can you post a link to your work? Super curious! Thanks!!

Hello to the Cafe! I've been reading/lurking this forum for quite some time but this is my first actual post. I graduated from the Oregon College of Art & Craft two years ago, and like most of you out there, am starting to toss around the idea of going to Grad school. My portfolio is a work in progress and probably won't be ready to seriously submit for at least another year, but I do have some pieces that I feel strongly about and would love to hear any of you wonderful peoples opinions/thoughts on them. I've been working figuratively for the past few years and see that as the direction my work will take me through Grad school as well. Still compiling a list of future schools to apply to, and have heard of many great universities here in the US (including University of South Florida, mainly because of their huge financial aid packages) but also looking into programs in Scotland, London, and Vancouver BC. My goal is to one day be a working studio artist, and producing enough work to have shows and pay the bills, teaching on the other hand isn't exactly where I see my calling I guess you could say.. haha. Anyways, thank you for any critique and please let me know if you have any program recommendations or places you think I should research further. http://michaeljamespdx.tumblr.com/ Best of luck to you all!! Michael