dollsneerpiece

Thanks, guys. It went pretty well, I think. I've been on the campus before, and love how it's a tree-filled art school bubble. Their photo and printmaking facilities were also pretty rad. As a career changer, though, I'm kind of feeling in over my head and kicking myself about everything, from my work (not being good enough), to how the hell to get all of my aspirations into a 500 word statement, to whether I'm asking the right questions at these visits and making myself stick out (of course, my name will do that for me either way), to how to prepare for the interviews, assuming they happen. It's all pretty crazymaking.

Ha, thanks. Visiting Pratt today. They didn't say to bring a portfolio, but I've got the iPad with me anyway.

I've scheduled a visit to a school I'm considering applying to. They're letting me sit in on a class and giving me a tour. They also said to bring a portfolio, which I wasn't prepared for. I have an 11x17 Itoya portfolio that I've been using--is that too big? Should I go for something smaller, or does it matter? I don't know what the expectation is, and don't want to show up with a giant portfolio if it'll be seen as unusual.

No statement yet, and putting together a new body of work this fall. deseraestage.com

Not in the field of photography, really. I have someone who teaches at ICP, whom I've taken classes from, and who has encouraged me to TA there, which I do now. He thinks I should go for it--even suggested I apply to Yale, which feels silly--but he's been at it since the 70s and he never felt that an MFA was necessary when he was younger, so he can't help me with essays and such. I have close friends deeply entrenched in science programs, and they can help with proof reading and editing of essays, but as far as content goes...

I started considering applying for a photo MFA last fall and decided to give myself the first half of 2013 to consider it. I've spent the past two weeks in Cambodia putting together a portrait series and I've decided to go for it. I feel...ignorant and terrified. I am totally self-taught and feel the gaps in my education. I'd really like to have the two years of intense focus, as well as to spend time working with analog equipment to get a better handle on technical skill, among other things. I did my undergrad in social sciences, though, so the art school application process seems totally opaque to me. Might you guys have any suggestions for resources outside Grad Cafe (which I've been trolling relentlessly), especially with regard to portfolio and personal statement content?

Hi guys, I'm new to the GradCafe and new to the idea of an MFA. Well, sorta. I have a BS in Psychology and started work on a Ph.D. in psych back in 2006. Turned out, I hated the politics and the bureaucracy and the program itself. I initially pursued psychology because it was practical, though I always wanted an art school education. I moved to New York City around that time and fell in love with photography. I started out shooting live music, worked on guerrilla portraits of some of my favorite musicians, headshots, and weddings, but it turns out that my passion project is an extension of my love for the things I studied in my psychology days. I've been working on a portrait-based project called Live Through This (http://livethroughthis.org) for the past two years. It's more of a suicide awareness advocacy project. I work with suicide attempt survivors. They tell me their stories, and I make their portrait while they're in that headspace. These people give me access to their deepest, darkest experiences because I share my story with them, too. At it's most basic level, the idea here is to show that anybody can be affected by suicide. I only have 12 portraits at the moment, but I have a list of 60-70 people across the country who have said that they'd like to participate. I think that kind of breadth will really drive my point home. When I publish the photos on the website, I pair them with a snippet of that person's interview. It's not meant to be terribly 'artistic.' It's straightforward, and I want it to be accessible, mainly. Eventually, I'd like to collect data on the people who sit for me as well (see? My past experiences do inform this work), so that the project appeals to people who are affected by different kinds of information. The only art education I have at the college level is in creative writing. I'm completely self-taught in photography, do as much reading and soak up as much information as possible on my own, but I know that my self-education is spotty in the areas of art history and writing about art. I've been taking continuing education classes at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn, but find that the people who take classes there are mostly imbeciles, and come into classes meant to be taught at a higher level having never operated a DSLR. I'm going to start TAing at ICP in the next few weeks, and I've been spending time with a photographer who's been in the field for three decades, who does NOT hold an MFA, and says that my career will be extremely limited without one. So, now I'm in a place where I'm starting to do research. I want to stay in NYC, so I obviously have options (Pratt and Parsons stick out for me). If I apply, I'll aim to start in Fall 2014. That gives me a year to either work on Live Through This, or start work on a new project. So, the question is: is Live Through This portfolio-worthy work? If not, can it be tweaked? If so, how? If it's not portfolio-worthy, what's the best way for me to start thinking of a new project? What is it, exactly, that programs are looking for in portfolios? Thanks so much in advance for any advice you may have for me. It'll be much appreciated.