Yellow Magnet

I vote London rather than Chicago. I think the connections and opportunities are more exciting. and if you are really set on trying to get that visa, then start working towards those goals now, not towards the end of your academic career. However, if you are really concerned about the money difference go with Chicago.

Thanks everyone! I withdrew my other applications so those of you on waitlists I hope this helps!

Accepted into Cranbrook!!!!!!!!

My visit to cranbrook was amazing and Im so glad I visited. I learned as much as I could about the school in person, and went beyond the sculpture walls to see as much of the school as possible. It has a completely unique program structure, heaviest on the studio practice and discourse, with a small community that will allow me easier access to interacting with multiple disciplines and multiple facilities. A higher level of interaction with visiting artists, critics, and research opportunities with their own established natural science museum, a badass library and their own contemporary art museum. And then they put a perfect cherry on top for me, they have the most Fulbrights per capita through individualized support from a committee. It's something so unique and completely different from my undergrad at VCU...that I've got an overwhelming feeling in my chest, fluttering with excitement, the kind that is so sure that this is the school. I was told by my close friends that Cranbrook would be my school would be a great school for me, I just needed to experience and come to the conclusion for myself. While I was at Cranbrook, I was talking to another applicant about where else I applied and interviewed and he was able to figure out that I was posting here on grad cafe, the lurker knows who he is and I wish him the best of luck as well (this is the second time it's happened to me). It wasn't at all upsetting, just coincidental and entertaining. But it made me realize really how small our little sculpture world is at this stage of the game. In light of that, I realized yes it's completely possible for someone associated with Cranbrook to end up reading this. So I'm gonna put it out there and hope that the universe will reverberate my vibes: I have officially decided, if Cranbrook accepts me, I will withdraw from my wait-list spot at RISD, cancel my travel plans to see CCA in person (the loss I will take on the plan ticket which will still give me a gain towards Cranbrook's 1K deposit), and even if by some miracle SAIC sculpture decided to accept me via letter next week I will turn it down. The only way SAIC could persuade me to reconsider at this point is with at least 50% scholarship and that seems highly unlikely. Yes, I love you Cranbrook Academy Of Art. If you love me too, let's do this....Two years of craziness and self realization, some sleepless nights, the possibility of a bit more debt, but hopefully in the end we will become family. I'm ready to commit to the terminal degree I will have for the rest of my life, and I want it from you.

Hey! I noticed you made the decision to attend CMU! Congrats and best of luck. I hope you will stick around contributing to the grad cafe threads, at least till the season is over.

I know how you feel. I looked at your site and noticed that you graduated in 2011. Since you are considering reapplying next year, you should look at the Jack Kent Cook Foundation Graduate Arts Award. You would need have graduated in the past 5 years, high GPA, show excellence/experience, and have financial need. Its a multi-phase application process, basically leveling up to national award consideration. Its the award that I am nominated for and is one of the biggest reasons why I am applying to grad school this fall, since I am at my 5 year cut off mark. So I suggest that you and any lurkers who are out there look into into the award now. It takes quite a while to get ready with portfolio and reference requests and once i started the process took about 2 months of evenings away from me, but i was obsessive with getting reviews and editing my application. I still won't find out until may if i get the award until may, but I hope that my effort pays off. Maybe it could work for you too.

That sucks about Indiana. I still haven't heard from Ohio State yet and they said I would know by the beginning of March. SAIC sculpture, I don't even know anymore… Im still waiting for a decision letter. I am probably out of the running with both of them. Did you get your financial aid offer from CCA yet? I was able to logon via the online portal to see it before I got my package in the mail. They offered 10K a year of need based scholarship plus 1 guaranteed semester of TA work. It seems like I could possibly get more TA work and I heard from another applicant that I could ask for more financial aid if I really needed to. I've decided to take my vacation time mid april to head out to San Fran to check the school out thoroughly and hopefully get to see the sites a bit. I think I'll rent a car and trek out to Yosemite National Park while I am there. At the beginning I really had my doubts about CCA because it wasn't such a buzz school in my part of my country, but they seem to be courting me to a point where I am getting an exciting feeling about their offer. The director of grad admissions even returned a phone call after business hours and when I told him a about my external fellowship situation he extended the deposit deadline for me. CCA might not have been the school I really set my heart on when entering this process but I think it might be the type of school that I need.

Those of you who were accepted to CCA, financial aid is posted on the web access page.

Yep I think so, because I have really started to give up on SAIC sculpture since I will find out next week via snail mail. In the end i really just need the time to work and grow AND the paper that says i have an MFA so i can get a job advancement. I can do without the opportunity to teach or even classroom structures. I heard the grounds, museum, and tight community are very residency like. Just the description of 'residency like' is very appealing. I'm just worried that because I didn't list Cranbrook on my JKCF award as one of my very top school that they will not consider giving me the fellowship. I emailed the foundation to find out more specifics if this scenario came up.

Tell me about it. All the school that have considered me as a finalist are in the coldest areas of the NE and MidW. One of the reasons that CCA in San Fran is looking so appealing. However, I have learned to layer properly and invest in really nice socks. (SmartWool all the way!) I am also very sensitive to needing a lot of sunlight, especially since i was born in tropical climates and raised in the south…. So i will be investing in a SAD lamp as well if i do indeed end up North. Oh!!! and I also take vitamin D supplements in the winter. It really helps a lot. Remember grad school is only for that 2-3 year time span, but you will have the degree for the rest of your life.

Thanks! So your deciding between Mills and CMU? I vote for CMU! (But, i really don't have enough info about Mills to make it a truly educated vote)

I might be crazy for doing this….If anyone out there is on the wait list for Arts Admin and Policy at SAIC, I just declined their acceptance and 25% scholarship. Even with that assistance, I would need to pull out 30K a year in loans. I'm already in art administration, so that offer was not alluring enough for me. I'm going to just focus on my MFA for now because I was nominated for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Fellowship and I realized that it doesn't fund Arts Administration only fine arts. womp womp. Anyone else in here up for the JKCF? I wasn't sure if it would be worth it starting another thread in the Bank Forum or here in the Fine Arts forum.

Then more I think about my sculpture practice and where I have come in my career already, the more an independent program like Cranbrook might be for me. Fingers crossed for my interview in two weeks.

Wait listed at RISD too

Congrats on the Penn acceptance Kierstin!!!