artygrad

Hey, where are you based if you don't mind me asking? I'm waiting to find out about Finland too and there was nothing in the mailbox today. Chicago mail's notoriously slow though...

My husband would come with me. He's being a total trooper but hates the waiting game as much as I do. Do spouses automatically get visas or does that vary by country? I really hope he'd be able to work...

April feels like a really long time away. I hope I can handle being in limbo that long. Ugh.

Why don't we each fill out our information on a new spreadsheet modeled after last year's so you don't need to take on the lion's share of the work going through past posts?

My project involves artists around the country but it makes the most sense for me to be based in Helsinki (I'm an art historian).

Helsinki.

Finalist for Finland too!

my advisor confirmed we will find out tomorrow. am ill with anticipation (and potential heartache)!

So our advisors can't let us know when they find out who made it past this round? It's a confidentiality thing?

Ditto. I have heard nothing and feel super crazy nervous and unable to think about anything else. Plus knowing we can find out any time between Friday and the 31st drives me bonkers.

Cool. Was it a Finn or an American that contacted you? I thought the Americans didn't even pass on applications to the host country until Jan. 31?

Wow, I applied to Finland too but haven't heard a peep so not thrilled to know they're already contacting people! Jon, what's your research area?

SAIC peeps, what neighborhood(s) are you looking into? I've heard good things about Wicker Park and West Town. I'm looking for a hood with action (I'm coming from NYC), that's bikeable to class (at least before the onslaught of winter), super close to the Red or Blue line, affordable, etc. Other folks, feel free to chime in here too...Planning on moving Aug 1 - so excited!!

Yup, I have finally decided that SAIC is the school for me and I turned down Bard for it too. That was hard. I went to visit and while I didn't click with Chicago itself, I really liked the faculty and just got that all-around good vibe. Reminded me how important mutual interest and respect is between faculty and students; Bard was so aloof with me the entire process and they didn't even respond to the email I sent them turning down their offer. Telling, eh? Well some ecstatic person's getting in off the waitlist so it's great news for them. Also, when I went to visit SAIC I grilled the other students in the program and they were really happy with it on the whole. I even have homework already (lots of reading!) - which demonstrates how academically rigorous the place is. A good sign, for sure. I think we're in similar positions in our lives too - I'm walking away from an incredible job in NYC and the life I've built here over the last 7 years (I've been out of school that long). Luckily, my SO is moving with me and that makes this whole change so much more feasible and even exciting. Anyway, you already know that SAIC an amazing school. I'm headed into a double master's program and am so psyched to spend 3 years studying and being surrounded by art and artists. It doesn't get much better than that. Surely you'll love it too!

Wow, studentfromLA, we are in exactly the same boat. I turned down my #1 choice (or what used to be my #1 choice) for a close second that offered me full funding and enthusiasm. I visited this program and liked them even more. School #1 offered me half the funding for the first year only and never even answered my decline email! I'm positive I made the right decision though I agonized about it for weeks. A lack of interest is so telling...

SAIC for a dual master's in Art History + Theory / Art Administration + Policy!!!

I totally understand your dilemma. I got an offer with full funding from one school and an offer from (what used to be) my first choice, but funding info's not available for another 3 weeks! They want students to enroll before they know what the funding package is, if any. So I had to send one of those awkward emails asking the school to speed up the process. Regardless, I'm stumped on where to go. The 2 programs are sooo different, not to mention one's a year longer than the other and requires moving away from NYC, which I'm not really ready to do. Good luck to everyone grappling with similarly tough decisions!

I got in. But funding info's not available for another 3 weeks! In the meantime, I have to get back to another school about their offer...Good luck to anyone else who applied to this program, and I hope you get in off the waitlist!

Hey, has anyone heard from Bard's CCS program? The website says applicants will be contacted by the 31st but I was wondering if people are hearing anything yet. When I met with them, they said the 31st was just a ballpark date. I got into SAIC with a sweet ride but am holding out for Bard, which is my dream program. I live in NYC and Chicago's great, but I'm not dying to move there. Still, I can't keep SAIC waiting much longer. The suspense is killing me! All insights much appreciated.

Yay! Got into a dual master's program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago - with a full tuition scholarship! I am ecstatic...

Interpret the SAIC interview as a good thing. The necessity of it varies by department, but I think it's safe to say that it means they're interested in you. I had an interview last week for the art history/arts admin dual MA and it went really well (and was pretty simple). Good luck!

Anyone hearing anything? This thread is too quiet...

Finally, a little news... Royal College of Art's results are delayed until Fri the 29th (leap year day!). Then they will be notifying everyone by post and email. Fingers crossed! And I just got invited to do a phone interview with the Arts Admin dept at the Art Institute of Chicago. Anyone know if this is standard practice? Not sure how to read this, as I didn't know interviews were an option... Good luck to everyone in a similar boat too!

Me!! Thought I was alone out here. I'm applying for Curatorial Studies - except at Art Institute of Chicago, where I've applied for a dual MA in Art History and Arts Administration. Royal College of Art's website says they're emailing students they want to invite for an interview today, but my inbox has been frustratingly quiet. Also applied to Columbia and Bard, Bard being first choice. Anyone hear anything from Royal College of Art yet?