mbadger

Thanks for the info, it's really helpful! I wasn't able to visit both schools unfortunately. But I talked to some students at both schools, made a pros and cons list, and talked to some of my undergrad profs. At the end of the day, houston offered me more money, and the art scene in houston is obviously a lot bigger than in tallahassee. And they get a lot of visiting artists, opportunities to intern at the houston center for photography, and have student fotofest opportunities like shadowing international reviewers for a day to see how people approach galleries and critics etc. So I've decided on them...but making a decision on what is best for you for the next three years is hard! But now I'm excited. Good luck to you at MICA!

But exactly, FOTOFEST!!!!

Sooo this may be opening a can of worms, because I really got a good impression from the FSU people and they are offering me a pretty great deal...but what exactly left a bad taste in your mouth for Florida State? I'm having a tough time deciding and my profs gave me the heads up about U of H being in a transition period where a lot of the really great people aren't there anymore and it's a lot of new blood. hmmm...

@littlenova Thanks for the feedback! Good advice. And I'm either going to be in Houston or Tallahasse, so really I can live as cheaply as I want to.

So, just wondering what you guys think.... Obviously any amount of stipend is great, but how much constitutes a good deal? What I mean is, do you think you could live off of your stipend, or do you plan on taking out loans for living expenses, or do you think it would even be possible to handle taking on a small amount of hours at a job on top of grad school and an assitanship? I'm not sure how intense grad school is, but I'm assuming it's pretty intense and sort of takes up a lot of your time that would otherwise be available for a second job option. lol. I'm just trying to plan out what I need to do for next fall. Any feedback would be great!

I agree completely with what has been said. I really feel like this process is almost as important as the end result. It really does help you to solidify your point of view and take the big jump of being brash and honest and putting yourself out there. It's courageous and all of us should have some sense of pride in the personal momentum created in that act alone, regardless of the outcome of acceptances. After all of this, more than anything I feel a total assurance in what I want to do. That's a pretty valuable souvenir. And of course, like everyone else has said, getting rejected is not always a comment on the value of your work. There are so many factors...and who wants to be stuck at a school where the fit is way off? Getting an MFA at a top private art school is hardly the only road to success. In no way do I mean to trivialize those getting in to that...It's obviously a great honor and speaks a lot about the quality of your work. And of course that road may be a little easier in terms of the getting to the goal but still... One of the best teachers and best artists I have ever met, Keith Carter, didn't go to grad school. He didn't even get his undergrad in art. He is from my small hometown in Texas. However, he has been extremely successful with international success, numerous awards and honors, galleries representing him all over the U.S and abroad, published numerous books, and holds a university teaching profession based solely on his success without an art degree to speak of. And on that same thread...all this knocking of this school or that school as being lesser than...not everyone wants the same things out of a school and not everyone will have the same experience at the same schools. Sure going to a school with a great reputation is amazing. But it doesn't mean that going to a school without any reputation at all dooms you to a fruitless education or future. I received my BFA from a small town university with zero national reputation. However, I whole-heartedly believe that I got an outstanding education and worked with amazing professors. I wouldn't trade it for anything, even an art superstar school with loads of connections.

Congrats everyone!!!! This forum is sort of amazing and has helped me stay less crazy through this process. Good luck to everybody waiting to hear and good luck to those picking their schools! I finally heard from everybody! so that brings me to: Accepted: FSU with full funding and assistantship stipend University of Houston (waiting for letter with details) Waitlisted: Parsons Rejected: University of Washington Rutgers SAIC While I didn't apply to many super competitive private arts schools, I'm pretty excited about my possible programs!

I received a waitlist letter from Parsons today. So as of march 13 Accepted: Florida State University Rejected: SAIC University of Washington Waitlist: Parsons Haven't heard from: Rutgers University of Houston

@littlenova: Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so wonderful! AND an amaazing birthday gift! Good luck in all that you do!

@bubbletea: Thanks! I wish you luck too!! I received my University of Washington (photo) rejection letter today too. So recap: Rejected: SAIC University of Washington Accepted: Florida State University (email coming soon regarding possibility assistantships etc) Still Waiting: University of Houston Rutgers Parsons

@nathancot: Congrats!!!!!!!

@nathancotephoto: Those are some great odds! Congrats and good luck! @bubbletea: I haven't heard anything from Parson's photo yet either. And I feel like if they do interviews we should already know or know really soon, right? I remember reading in a thread a couple of pages back someone getting a Parsons painting interview. Not that the departments are necessarily done at the same time. I don't know

@littlenova Thanks! Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm still hoping to hear from the other schools too...but it just takes a little of the stress off!

ok finally! an acceptance! I emailed the assistant at Florida State University to ask when we would receive information about decisions, and she said that I was accepted and the MFA director would be contacting me for further details. I can finally chill out now that I have at least one acceptance. lol

congrats everyone!!!!!!! I must have also applied to schools that like to wait a while to give out decisions....It's driving me crazy! How do you think they (the schools/art departments etc) view calling and emailing and checking for your status? Because I really want to email and call every school and say decision now pretty please!

@Liz! What was your opinion of the department in general, art faculty, facilities, and the whole vibe? Did you see interesting work coming out of the department grad or even undergrad wise?

I have a friend who is doing somewhat similar work. He got a bunch of military stuff -some from older wars (grenades, bullets, gas masks, rifles etc.) And he used fleece and stretched it over the objects and used some sort of hardener and made imprints of the objects on the fleece and then suspended the fleece onto to a wooden stretcher with grommets and twine. Sometimes the pressed images started to lose a little bit of their easily recognized nature and became sort of humanoid. He used almost but slightly off military colors of material but then painted on top of the fleece with really candy "pop" colors. It was really subtle and at the same time bold and sort of made a conversation out of the two approaches. I think it's a really interesting idea process wise and formally speaking (the sort of ghost images of objects through impressions). I think using subtlety and playing with the ability to distinguish (or not distinguish) the objects/patterns/ associations is what will make it work when you pursue it further. And I think you are right Nathan. It's one of those things that is interesting in itself but more importantly brings you to a bunch of different places where you can develop it and live with it a while before it becomes exactly what it has the potential to be. But again, I do enjoy the work, I just think you can push it more and bring it somewhere even better.

University of Washington is one of my top picks too. I talked to a lady at FSU last week, and she said that the committee was meeting last friday and we should hear something tuesday (today!). So I was expecting news and checked my email a million times. lol.

So I'm getting pretty antsy. I haven't heard anything from Parsons, University of Washington-Seattle, University of Houston, Rutgers, and Florida State University. I know some of those are less mentioned schools on here, but has anyone heard anything from those schools?

@ alizarin: I tried to go to your link, but it didn't work @mnchick: Your work is really lovely! It reminds me a little of Andrea Modica for some reason (and i love her!)

@ alizarin: Thanks so much! Yeah they are all photos but the first couple ones include paint over them also. I'm straight out of undergrad. I got a rejection letter from saic...but I haven't heard from anywhere else yet. All of the websites say mid-march...so I guess I'll just have to wait eek!

congrats!!! that's so awesome!

great idea! Here's my flickr with my grad school application set My link

@Shutterbug: Sorry to hear that. I agree with Littlenova and I'm trying to tell myself all of those things while I nurse my wound from my SAIC rejection letter that I got today. Let's all hope for some good news soon! And march is way too far away to wait for that. ugh

Got my rejection letter from SAIC (photography) today too . I'm eating ice cream for breakfast and hoping to get some good news letters soon.