[MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!]

On April 18, 2016 at 10:38 AM, bouef said:

RISD painting is a super strong department. they have great faculty, resources, conncections. it's a rigorous and effective program. also it's fairly interdisciplinary, despite the stereotype; tons of painters this year are making sculpture & projection-based pieces. the discourse is definitely rooted in the traditional painting lineage style, but you can do basically whatever you want. (i'm in sculpture at risd, but we all hang out, take classes together, etc.)

Cool, thanks for the input. Still making a decision, but I know RISD is a wonderful program.  Will be psyched to meet you if I end up there  

[MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!]

Anyone have an opinion on Upenn vs. Risd for MFA? I'm mainly a painter but comfortable across mediums.

[MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!]

On March 27, 2016 at 3:23 PM, bilibili_chan said:

Hi Everyone! This is my first post. This forum is extremely helpful through my application process. Now, I am struggling among three offers: Upenn, MICA (Mount Royal), SAIC(painting). I prefer SAIC painting, but I don't get dean scholarship. They still let me wait for their final funding decision... I am an international student and the financial support is really limited. I really doubt if it is worth to investigate this much $$$ for MFA degree. MICA waves me 1/3 tuition fee. Even if it is not a lot, it is better than nothing. I might just decline offer from Upenn (very poor funding...). Anyone can give me a suggestion: MICA or SAIC?? Thanks a lot! 

Congrats on the accpetances! I got into mt. royal and hoffberger at MICA a few years back, and really wanted to go, but didn't get offered any funding.  If I were you I'd go to MICA, and ask them for more money, seems like the most well rounded program of the three, especially if you're a painter.  I have friends in NYC who went to SAIC, and they all say it's good but too much of a factory, the classes are huge and the facilities and personal attention that they give you at MICA are way better.  Just my two cents

[MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!]

Anyone on here get into RISD painting and not going?

Also does anyone have an opinion on UPenn? I was accepted and seems like a good program but the funding offer is dismal and I'm poor. 

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Yeah, ive heard columbia does give some people funding, but otherwise it's way too expensive. I imagine yale isnt much better in that respect though.  Lots of yale people here in BK doing nothing special, a few that are doing great. In the end I think it just comes down to how good your work is and the value/intensity/mentorship of the interactions you have with your faculty and peers. I grew up in CT and the cost of living there isn't much better than BK, if at all.  Either way definitely all great school in their own way, but it's what you do with your resources that counts, and debt definitely makes no sense when you're not gonna get any nearer to having employment.

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I think yale used to be a lot better, know a bunch of people that went there recently and said it wasn't what it was cracked up to be. UChicago looks like an awesome program, and I'd probably choose columbia over yale.  Columbia has been getting way more attention recently, and can't beat being right in manhattan.