EDay27

Feels good to be done with this process! Accepted the offer from CU Boulder. Anyone else headed their way this fall?!

Just wrapped up a 15 minute Skype interview with a panel of professors at CU Boulder- It went by so fast, but they really asked a lot and threw some curveballs at me. Good feedback and some reasonable critiques, which I agreed with but had a hard time responding to. Can't remember a thing I said, just hope it made sense! I'm amazed by those of you that have done several of these interviews, some lasting up to an hour! Do you ever feel good afterwards?

Super excited, just got an email request for an interview from The University of Colorado in Boulder! Interview's this Friday…

Awesome! Congratulations on all your acceptances, ismewilde!

Congratulations! Cranbrook is awesome, and the grounds are so beautiful… mystical almost. Best of luck!

Syracuse! I applied for the MFA in Painting and recently had a virtual tour of the school on Skype. Beautiful campus, lovely art facilities, and very strong student work. I believe illustration was their biggest major. Wish I could say more, but overall I had a very good impression.

Hey aem89! Congrats on the acceptances, I've heard great things about Indiana and Ohio University. I did my undergrad in Columbus and was very impressed and surprised by the funding opportunities for artists in Ohio. The arts council there is very strong, and there's a lot more to Ohio than cornfields and soybeans (Although you'll see a whole lot of it traveling between cities!). One of my former peers is currently getting his MFA at Indiana for painting. His work, along with the work of a lot of current and former grads, seems to tend towards representation and figuration. (This is a generalization, of course) I can't really speak to the photography program, but I can say that the alumni & faculty work there is solid and the Bloomington area looks great- strong music scene, good food & beer, lots of parks and outdoor fun, etc. A former professor of mine went to Ohio University and spoke strongly of it too. Personally, I'd rather take on a TA than a GA- getting that teaching experience seems more beneficial in the long run, especially if it's something you want to do with your degree. If funding is really crucial, you might compare the packages both schools offer and compare the cost of living in both areas. I'm also struggling to decide between schools that have offered great funding. I'm definitely visiting one in person later this month, hoping it will confirm what I'm already feeling. You just can't know until you see a place in person. The faculty you'll be working with is so important, I would really research each one and their work, and try talking to them to see if you jive. Also check out the work of current students and alumni- sometimes it's really interesting to see how their work evolves in the program. What are they doing after they graduate, where do they end up geographically? Try and contact some alumni- their perspective can be so helpful. Other random things I'm taking into consideration- is there a visiting artist program, how interdisciplinary is it, does my work fit in, are there opportunities to study abroad, how conceptual is the program, what's the school's philosophy/mission, how accessible is the faculty, are there decent job opportunities for my husband, what's the political climate of the city/state, how's the weather, will I be inspired by my surroundings? In the end, like so many others have said, you've got to go with your gut. I hope this helps!

Yesterday, I got a grand tour of the painting facilities at Syracuse via Skype. It was kind of bizarre to be a disembodied voice floating from room to room on the professor's cell phone, but what an eye-opening visit! The studios are spacious and skylit, the graduate work was ambitious and exciting, and the campus (even seen through a window) was very reminiscent of Hogwarts. Great exhibition spaces, impressive work from undergraduates, and an extensive collection of art all housed in the same spot. I'd be happy to go there, but the funding is a big factor for me and (being a private school) I'm not sure there's as much to go around. Still waiting to hear more… just curious if anyone else out there is considering Syracuse for painting, has visited the school, or has any other insight into the program?

Congrats, BLR! I agree, the responsiveness and help on their end makes a huge difference. Best of luck in sunny Florida! (I'm strongly considering a move there myself… can't do another one of these pothole-laden Michigan winters)

Anyone who applied to Boston University, I just got an email rejection. (Kinda relieved, I couldn't afford to live in Boston anyway!) Still waiting to hear from UC Boulder and Rutgers… Has anybody out there heard anything?

Hey bug wearing shoes, congratulations on OSU! I've heard nothing but good things about OSU's program. I spent four years in Columbus when I did my undergrad at CCAD, it's a great city to live in. (If you haven't visited, ask me anything, I could go on and on about the city ;-)

I'm pretty sure I sent in my application to Syracuse the day it was due. When you submit an application doesn't have any bearing on the results, as long as you submit it before the deadline. (or so I've been told) It could be that they've already decided on a few and are on the fence about others. (I've been asked to have a conversation with SU tomorrow) Not sure whether this is a formal interview or not, but I was urged to have questions prepared. Who knows- sometimes no news is good news!

You were right! I got an email this afternoon, (different wording, they want to "continue the discussion" about Syracuse over the phone. Hmmmm?) Congrats and thanks for the heads up!

A few questions driving me crazy- 1. Have any painters/2d folks out there heard from Syracuse? I got an email earlier this month saying I'd made it into the "top ten" applicants, but not a word since. Also curious if they conduct interviews in the painting dpt.? 2. Does anyone have any insight into the painting program at the University of Arizona? I was accepted earlier this month and the program sounds great. I applied because I liked the faculty/alumni work and the location out west, but I've never visited Tucson. Just wondering if anyone knows anything, I've had a hard time digging up info on this forum since it's mostly dominated by ASU. Congrats to everyone on their acceptances and interviews!

Small world! My husband is wrapping up his business degree at EMU, I visited once to see a student show and marvel at the giant "penis" water tower across campus. There are some great painters in the faculty but I'm not a huge fan of Ypsilanti. I think you chose a great mix of schools.

Welcome to the FrEaK oUt, Ralpho! You're the first person I've seen around here to apply to Wayne State. Judging from your schools, I'd say you're from MI? :-)) I grew up in Garden City, home to the world's first K-Mart. I'm definitely cheap, but willing to move.

Lee, you can check the status by logging back in to the graduate application website. Open up your application summary, scroll down past the application status to "Decision" and you should have an answer.

Thanks for the heads up, tomberry! I haven't checked the portal in a while, it appears I've been "unceremoniously" denied too. (Cue the dramatic strings from the world's smallest violin.) Tyler was definitely the most selective school I applied to, still glad I tried. I'm totally with you on the clarity and being happy with my options. I see you had two acceptances, congrats! Are you leaning towards any one school right now?

Hey Resim, I also applied to UNM for Painting & Drawing and was accepted via email on Feb. 5th. Still waiting on additional info.

Pallavi, congratulations on UW Madison and your interviews!

Finally decided to step AWAY from my computer today. Started a new painting, had some soup, chilled with my man, and when I returned to my computer there was an acceptance email from the University of New Mexico! It felt magical. No details on funding yet, they'll be sending more information via snail mail… It was the only application I sent through the mail, I did it terribly last minute and paid a fortune for rush delivery, but now I'm so glad that I did!

Hey BLR, fellow Michiganian here :-) My feelings towards the motherland vary on a day-to-day basis, but I think Detroit has a lot to offer artists and entrepreneurs right now. We've got problems, for sure, but the cost of living is low and the art scene is wide open for experimentation. No set style predominates, and I've found the artistic community to be pretty inclusive. In times of crisis, opportunities for change and innovation have a chance to flourish. "Barn's burnt down- now I can see the moon."- Japanese poet Masahide, as quoted by John Gallagher in "Reimagining Detroit". At the same time, I totally understand your desire to get away. I wish there were more galleries here featuring contemporary art, more public support for the arts in the form of grants, and a larger base of wealthy art patrons. $$ Not to mention the debacle that is ArtPrize (aka DragonPrize). But enough about America's high-five… haha Anyway, like you, I chose my prospective schools on the basis of location, faculty, alumni work, and numbers (acceptance rates, tuition, etc). One former professor of mine recommended the CAA directory and it became a very helpful resource in my final selection. Peterson's guide was good too. I ended up applying to one school in Michigan (WSU in Detroit, my fav city) and a few others all over the country. I think it was a logical strategy, time will tell! I wish you the best of luck. Just curious, did you do your undergraduate studies here in MI?

Congrats to all the folks hearing back so soon! This is part procrastination on my part, (a few apps yet to submit), but I just read the transcript of a speech that was so wonderful, I want to share it with everyone (artists especially, as many of us are "sublimely mad".) Here's an excerpt to give you a taste: "Culture, real culture, is radical and transformative. It is capable of expressing what lies deep within us. It gives words to our reality. It makes us feel as well as see. It allows us to empathize with those who are different or oppressed. It reveals what is happening around us. It honors mystery. “The role of the artist, then, precisely, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through the vast forest,” James Baldwin wrote, “so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.” http://www.truthdig.com/report/page5/chris_hedges_jan_27_column_transcript_collapse_of_complex_societies_2014012

That's very helpful, thank you. I've been using Photoshop for years to re-size images without fully grasping what "dpi" actually refers to.

Gotcha. Thanks a lot, Loric!