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Are you by chance looking at an old copy of the bulletin? Previous years had the "include rep image on statement" language, but I didn't see it this year. The portfolio interface has a checkbox for the representative image, so I saw no reason to include it on the statement itself. NB: this is my first time applying, but I've been keeping track

Midnight tomorrow: January 5th @ 11:59pm + 1 minute (or I'm in trouble...)

Talk to people at the places you might potentially apply - I think it's more to do with them and the fit with your work than with any concrete, universal age requirement. Take Ed Fella, for instance - he's a designer, but a great example of the "late plan" working out nicely. He started his MFA at age 47 (at Cranbrook) and still teaches now (at CalArts). Let us know what you decide... best of luck!

We're here - it's never too early to start obsessing! I'm short on time today, so I'll try to quickly run through your concerns... BFA: As you seem to have discovered, if your first degree is in Biology, almost none of it really applies (credit-wise) to graphic design. That's not to say the Biology knowledge isn't useful, it's just that it has little equivalence in art school. Check out the curriculum of any BFA programs you're considering, especially private schools; the classes are probably unlike anything you've taken previously. 3-year MFA: There's also Yale. If you consider RISD and CalArts attainable, you might want to consider Yale, too. Caveat: there's a general way of thinking (and to a lesser extent, a general aesthetic - especially with Yale and CalArts) associated with each of these schools. Look into the work, not to see if it "looks like yours", but to find out what you may have in common with the program more broadly (whether conceptually, formally or...). Ideally you'd figure out what you want out of school, then go find the place that could potentially meet those requirements. It sounds like you might be leaning toward an MFA partially because it will take less time; I think that's a (somewhat) valid consideration, but "might as well make it a master's degree" is (as you probably know) not anything to advertise as a reason for applying to a graduate program. In the end, a BFA and an MFA are completely different animals, and the difference in an extra year of tuition will be nothing compared to the difference in experience. Each will be superior for different reasons to different people, so it's not a matter of getting more for your money, but of figuring out where your thinking is now and where you want it to be in three or four years. You mentioned wanting an MFA to learn "how to think" and "problem solve", but to me these questions seem firmly in BFA territory. An MFA program will likely involve deconstructing the questions themselves after you've already answered them. I hope that makes sense. You're absolutely right that you don't need school to learn software. You can teach yourself almost any of it (now, during or after school). It's absolutely necessary in one sense, but in another it's almost irrelevant to the task (knowing AutoCAD is great, but it doesn't make you an architect). General advice: If at all possible, talk to some people in the profession (whose work you respect, so you know where they're coming from) about your potential and current state of development; I don't like to generalize here (we're all individuals, after all), but I think it's safe to assume that the opinion of one or two practicing designers is infinitely more valuable than any amount of praise from friends, family or people only tangentially related to graphic design (you really have to take that kind of feedback with a grain of salt - use it for encouragement when you need to, but don't treat it as an objective evaluation of your capability). If said respected designers think your work is good or shows promise, ask them where they think you are on the BFA-MFA spectrum - try to have a conversation with them about your intentions, interests, reasons for going back to school, etc. I also recommend reading as much as you can, not of the "100 Best Book Designs" or "Logo Design 2010" variety, but by or about designers. "Must read" lists are often problematic (again, we're all individuals), but after you have a handful of recommendations from people you respect – and hence with interests ostensibly similar to your own - you can cross-reference and get a great group of entry points for further exploration. I hope this is helpful and not too dense. Let us know what you decide or if you have any more questions. Best of luck!

After living vicariously (and nervously) through others' applications for the past two years, I too am getting things in order for 2011. I have my list of schools pretty well narrowed. Now it's just a matter of furiously making new work so I have a range to choose from for my portfolio (I'm about halfway there at this point). Anyway, I expect we'll all be seeing a lot more of each other around here during the next 9 months or so... good luck to everyone!

Getting into a good program with no work to show is going to be nearly impossible. Professional portfolio or otherwise, just about any school wants to see something that demonstrates a basic aptitude for creative thinking. I know you said you'd lost interest in the Parsons AAS program, but based on what you're saying, it sounds like the best fit. There are great instructors, and all that's required to get access to them is proving on the home test that you have potential. To me it's a ridiculously minimal requirement for the level of instruction available. Taking Photoshop classes alone will do next to nothing for your design skills. You need to know Illustrator, InDesign, etc., but those are just programs... it's more important to learn about typography, color, concept, etc. Of course those software classes are also part of the Parsons program, but they're just tools that supplement the main offering - without the design classes, you're not guaranteed failure, but you're definitely starting out with a disadvantage. So my question is: what specifically at Parsons (or what I've said about it) makes you think it's the wrong choice? Keep in mind that I worked in the design field for quite a while before attending; there was a lot of "review" for me, but many of my classmates struggled to keep up because they were completely new to graphic design. My point being that if I got something valuable out of the experience (having already worked in the field), surely you would as well... no?

Just curious, since you mentioned ITP @ NYU - have you looked into the MFA in Design + Technology at Parsons? Again, it's not "Communication Design" exactly, but an interesting program. Communication Design (BFA) and Design + Technology (BFA + MFA) are the same department. Check out cdt.parsons.edu for more info.

I think many would agree that Pratt has the best Communication Design MFA in the city. ITP at Tisch is a completely different animal (and to me more interesting); it's not "Communication Design", though of course it is both communication and design. Depending on your timeframe for applying, I'd say get to their winter show this year - you can get a good idea of the types of things they do (it's also free and loads of fun). Anyway, you could do worse... I have several friends who went to ITP and Pratt and they're all doing well! Oddly, there aren't that many CD/GD MFA programs to be found in New York... SVA has some interesting new programs popping up lately (interactive, branding, etc.), I'd at least give them a look. PS: I don't know anything about the continuing ed MAs at NYU... which unfortunately probably speaks volumes.

Hello - AAS GD graduate here. I can understand everyone's confusion with AAS at Parsons, so I'll try to clarify below. But first, the bottom line: I think of the Parsons AAS GD program as being somewhere between a traditional AAS program (first two years of undergrad) and a regular BA/BFA program. It's not marketed that way, but that's where the level of instruction "feels" to me. You'll take classes that reach into BFA Junior-level territory, but a graduate education this is not (in spite of the fact that many of my classmates told their friends they were "in grad school"). Overall, if you're looking to do advanced studies in graphic design, I think you'd be better off spending a year devouring design books, learning software and then applying to a real MFA program. If you're applying to AAS but haven't been to college yet, I think it's a good way to forego foundation year and get right into a design education. Read on for the long version... _________ AAS in most parts of the country absolutely means pre-BA/BFA, but at Parsons the AAS programs are thought of (internally, anyway) almost as graduate programs... or, more precisely, "here's your chance at a career change". You get an AAS degree, but nearly everyone in your classes will already have an undergrad degree. Most of the stories are similar: tried accounting and hated it, parents/family/whoever would only help pay for a degree in finance, etc. So in that respect, I think the discussion belongs here. However... Be aware that the quality of instruction at Parsons can be outstanding, but is VERY spotty. There are instructors who are fantastic and others who will make you want to dive out a window. If you always do your research (check their site, their work, find several people who took their class), you can piece together a pretty great year or two; but the couple of times I didn't do my research - taking one recommendation without checking into it further or taking a class because it was the only instructor available - I got burned and ended up wasting a lot of time and frustration on people who just couldn't teach. If you just pick what's available by schedule instead of by instructor, you're likely to have a bad time. As far as peers, there were usually a few talented people in each class, but for every genius there seemed to be three students that were mediocre, apathetic or just lacking any potential whatsoever; I think part of the issue with the "second chance" mentality is that a lot of people just can't figure out what they're good at. You often have to share critiques with these people and end up wasting loads of time listening to suggestions that are essentially worthless. Luckily most instructors will provide the bulk of the critique and most of the slackers won't say much anyway (true to their nature). Just be forewarned that since no portfolio is required and the home test doesn't do the best job of weeding out, you're not automatically guaranteed a stellar group of peers. Advising in AAS is rushed and not especially helpful. You're better off taking the requirements chart they give you and piecing together a curriculum on your own (I did and had no trouble graduating). I went to Parsons about ten years after studying something else (and not completing my degree). I figured AAS was a good way to get started again since I'd already worked a bit in the field. I also didn't want to risk running out of money halfway through (Parsons is $30k+ for tuition). After finishing AAS, I transferred to the Communication Design BFA program (also at Parsons) and found the whole atmosphere - from advising and instruction through to the student body - to be much more polished and cohesive. AAS has the feeling of something that's been pieced together haphazardly, whereas BFA seems to be an established, dependable structure with focus. Alright, that was probably far too much info, but hopefully it's useful to someone... I hope I haven't given too unflattering an impression of the program, I just think there's a very narrow range of people for whom it's truly appropriate; it was for me, for the most part - I was just disappointed with certain aspects of the program, especially for the price. Good luck! NB: There's some talk of converting the AAS GD program to an MPS (Master of Professional Studies), which I think is comically ambitious and completely inappropriate unless the curriculum gets a monumental overhaul.