james

Hi all, After initially being rejected from VSC, I have just recieved this letter: "...A place had opened up in... one of your choice of dates and we would be pleased if you are able to join us for the residency. We also have some grant and aid to offer you to reduce the full fee of $3750 to $1850 for the 4 week stay." I only have two weeks to respond and dont know if I can afford it, since I would have to give up my income for a month but still pay rent and other expenses on top of their fees. Is this considered a good offer? Does it sound worth it? Is it possible to haggle with them for more funding? I would loove to go but even with their offer it seems expensive... I dont know what to do! p.s. DaisyO- Which 4 residencies have you attended? John- What did you decide about VSC?

Awsome we can all talk here. Great to know Im not alone. Ill tell my story, as reading about other peoples experiences has been really enlightening. I was rejected last year from Yale, UCLA, and wait listed at U Texas Austin (later rejected). I hear it was a tough year w/ lots of apps and I really didnt do my homework just picked a few names off the top ranked list and threw my name in the hat. I am 26, an oil painter, and I have been out of school for four years. I have a few shows under my belt (solo and group), including one that (luckily) sold out last fall. I realize now how much effort goes into applying. Spending hours just trying to figure out where! I may wait another year to apply because my portfolio really hasnt changed since last year. I wonder if I apply more thoughtfully with the same work maybe... in a less competitive year...and applying to schools more appropriate for my work... I could get in? Or wait a year, improve my portfolio, make my apps really killer, and hopefully get funding. Thoughts? Also still searching for more schools I like. Anyone have any programs to sugest (or eliminate) for a representational oil painter? Currently on my list: Cranbrook, UT Austin, MICA, MCAD, Montclair State, PNCA, New York Academy of Art. Any knowledge of the reputation of the last three? Anyone wanna share work?

brianmc- Tough to say if you should try this year dont know how strong your work is, but I will say most of the programs Ive looked into seem to put an emphasis on "recent" work, generally meaning from within the last two years. You may really benifit from taking an extra year to produce and to learn about the schools. I guess it depends on how eager you are, you say some of the work is recent, maybe youll get lucky. I also dont know how close people are watching either, seems unethical but dates could be fudged a little. Anyone have input on this? My portfolio could become a lot stronger if I include a few older works from 2005/6 but I have enough recent work not to need them. (They are still from after my undergrad). Anybody?