ismewilde
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Posts posted by ismewilde
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Hello to those trying to make a decision on CMU. I just wanted to let you know that, concerning financial considerations, there are quite a few additional funding opportunities and extras available in our program that help offset some of the costs. For example, the graduates take a trip to the Venice Biennale every other year and the cost is offset by $1000. If planned right, the total cost of your trip is almost entirely paid for by a generous grant to the program. The Frank-Ratchye Studio offers micro grants to just about anyone who writes for one (up to $500) and several larger grants up to $2500 per calender year. Also available are GUSH grants, conference funding twice a year, and grants for 1st and 2nd year shows through the school. Most recently, our first and second year shows this semester were awarded $450 per person to cover material costs (per person to those that applied (11 of us wrote up a proposal). Often, some sort of funding can be found if you look for it. Last month, our first year class took a field trip to NYC to visit The Triennial at the New Museum, other new shows, have Q and A's with some galleries and artists- much of which was funded by the school with a grant our professor applied for. Other perks include free bus fare anywhere in Pittsburgh, free admission to most of Pittsburgh's art museums, the Phipps Conservatory, and other places of cultural interest. One last thing- Carnegie Mellon is one of the universities that will assist in costs associated with attending Skowhegan if you are accepted to attend their summer program.
All that being said, this is not NYC- which should be obvious. What CMU offers is a small, fairly rigorous program where you will be known by name, have many opportunities for studio visits with visiting artists and critics (and of course, faculty). There is the new iDeATE program which is a truly interdisciplinary program in which to take classes in expanding your knowledge of programming in video, sound, and a variety of new media programs, but all of the resources for traditional media are here as well.
One last thing- just about everyone here has the exact same funding as everyone else coming in and throughout the program. Any additional funding is up to you, but it is around.
I hope some of that information is helpful to those on the fence.
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what seeingeyeduck said too!
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Submit nothing that looks underdeveloped or from a class assignment. If you are finishing up undergrad and will have work from your senior thesis and some other recent strong work, then of course that is what you should show.
I think for painters especially it is important to show a few cohesive bodies of work. If, however, you have a new direction that you are growing in which you will not have enough of a completed body of work, but want to include, you may want to stick that at the end and put in the description that they are from a new body of work/direction that you are exploring.
This is just my two cents though...
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Your personal statement is exactly what she said that it is- it about you. Think of it as something like a cross between an autobiography, a letter to a someone you admire telling them about yourself, and a personal ad. Let it reflect your personality...
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Omg I just got a call from Indiana, I've been accepted! With a full tuition waiver,GA position, and a16,000 dollar stipend! So worth the waiting!
Congrats! Great news!
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You may have to look into applying for a Fulbright this next fall to attend the following year if you have very little funds available. Another option is to ask around in your country- are there any resources there to assist you?
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CCA over SFAI.
I've heard Slade is a wonderful school.
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Accepted into Cranbrook!!!!!!!!
Awesome!!!
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My current professor advocated that I choose another school but he wouldn't give me any concrete reasons. Some people have suggested that it's easy to get lost in the crowd. I really loved the professors I interviewed with and the students but I'm afraid that because I did not visit a lot of schools, I have nothing to compare it to.
I heard something similar concerning having little contact/interaction with the professors there, but perhaps see if you can get a hold of some current grads there? Can they give you a list of some to contact? Some schools do this very openly and willingly (CMU) while others you may need to email or call for. Other than that, I've heard some good things- I really think its up to the kind of experience you personally want to have and what your own personal needs are. If you think you need more guidance, then Hunter may not be a good choice for you. However, if you are rather autonomous and good at creating connections with people whose opinions are valuable to you, then it may work out for you.
NYC is a big place, so it is going to be a lot to adjust to if you haven't lived in a large city before. But it is also one of the easiest cities to figure out how to get around in- and you will never lack for inspiration. All three of those schools are in cities and Hunter is definitely the better bargain up front...
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Congrats Coreythegiraffe and bubu2014!
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Congratulations to everyone whose heard and it's almost over for those who are still waiting.
Cal Arts people -- I'm waiting to hear about funding but I'm planning on accepting the offer. Can't wait to study with you in the Fall.
Congrats!
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Hey! I noticed you made the decision to attend CMU! Congrats and best of luck. I hope you will stick around contributing to the grad cafe threads, at least till the season is over.
Thank you! Yes, I just decided that I would probably always regret not going there if I didn't. It is a "dream school" and I'm grateful for the opportunity. Plus, the funding package is also quite nice! I'm very excited about what this next phase in my life and work will bring.
Also, I'll definitely keep checking in for awhile to see what people decide.
I got 25k from CU for sculpture, which is not enough, is there a change that they can review?any ideas about how to get outside scholarships for international students
It doesn't hurt to ask for more, I guess- and I don't have any ideas for how to go about getting outside scholarships for international students, but Columbia seems to: http://arts.columbia.edu/admissions/financing-your-degree
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Rejection from Indiana University (Printmaking) via snail mail yesterday afternoon. It's fine-- I spent yesterday at UW-Madison and fell in love. Anyone else going to UW? My partner and I will be moving to Madison in a few months and it would be wonderful to connect with fellow MFA students before the program begins.
Yay!!!! Congrats! Seems like the place to be for printmaking and I've heard Madison is fantastic!
Yes SMFA for sure. SFAI doesn't have as great a reputation as SMFA does.
And this... That is a nice bump on their scholarship and one of my favorite photographer/sculptors still teaches there I believe.
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Ah I am seriously stressing about this decision now! I have been accepted into SVA (no word on funding yet), Pratt (15k scholarship) and Art Center in LA (no word on funding yet). I already live in LA and love it but feel my artwork will be better received in NYC and I'm wondering if this will ultimately be a better city to start my career in the USA (I'm from Australia originally). But I have been in LA for 2 years now and developed relationships and I feel like it's my home. Not sure if I'm ready to leave... However I want this MFA to lead to a career in the city that I do it in. I just can't decided on city v's school v's money v's weather v's faculty... So hard! I am a video installation artist and I create quite dark artwork - this is why I am drawn to NYC as opposed to LA.
I would also advise staying in LA. The Art Center seems to have a strong program with great faculty and LA has a continually growing art scene.
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Congrats klp, elinik, and Mauve23!
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Tell me about it. All the school that have considered me as a finalist are in the coldest areas of the NE and MidW. One of the reasons that CCA in San Fran is looking so appealing. However, I have learned to layer properly and invest in really nice socks. (SmartWool all the way!) I am also very sensitive to needing a lot of sunlight, especially since i was born in tropical climates and raised in the south…. So i will be investing in a SAD lamp as well if i do indeed end up North. Oh!!! and I also take vitamin D supplements in the winter. It really helps a lot.
Remember grad school is only for that 2-3 year time span, but you will have the degree for the rest of your life.
Yeah, I keep telling myself that.
So, are you hoping for Cranbrook?
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Thanks! So your deciding between Mills and CMU? I vote for CMU! (But, i really don't have enough info about Mills to make it a truly educated vote)
My only issue is the weather. I can handle cold and snow, but lack of sunshine is very hard on me. I didn't realize that Pittsburgh rivals Seattle in wet and grey weather. Needless to say, I am quite distressed right now.
Still, I am going to visit CMU this weekend and researching sun lamps.
One of the assistant professors of art there emailed me earlier today and it would be amazing to work with him.
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I might be crazy for doing this….If anyone out there is on the wait list for Arts Admin and Policy at SAIC, I just declined their acceptance and 25% scholarship. Even with that assistance, I would need to pull out 30K a year in loans. I'm already in art administration, so that offer was not alluring enough for me.
I'm going to just focus on my MFA for now because I was nominated for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Fellowship and I realized that it doesn't fund Arts Administration only fine arts. womp womp.
Anyone else in here up for the JKCF? I wasn't sure if it would be worth it starting another thread in the Bank Forum or here in the Fine Arts forum.
Congrats! That is great news!
I considered asking a faculty member to get involved in this back in the fall, but ended up dropping the ball. Good luck!
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The importance of contacts and reputation is vastly inflated.
It is if you are vastly inflating my comment to be disproportionate to its intention.
Blanket statements are just that- full of nothing helpful. Which is why I said to carefully weigh the options. I wasn't saying to just choose star faculty or prestige, but to weigh out what they all have to offer.
There are a lot of things to consider and the choice isn't as black and white as "go where the money is".
That doesn't mean go to a top school expecting it to be your ticket.
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Yes, Congrats vickolors!
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It's very simple. You go wherever you get full funding. That overrides all other considerations.
I'm amazed at how much debt people here seem to be willing to go into for an art degree. They'll never be able to pay all that money back.
I think one has to be balanced in this approach as it very much depends on what you are doing. I have a friend who has been accepted to RISD for furniture and may not get any funding. We still think that she should go there as graduates are recruited their second year within the design fields.
As for art schools, I think you need to weigh the contacts/reputation along with the costs. I wouldn't go anywhere that offered little to no funding with a second tier reputation and possibly even a first tier, depending on the school. I'd also look at what further funding options were available to apply for within the school and outside of it the following years.
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Got the call today! Accepted to Columbia!
Congratulations!
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Thanks, ismewilde! And belated congrats on CMU. It's fun watching things work out for people here.
In other news, Goldsmiths advises that we will hear final post-interview decisions "by the end of April." Ugh. Not sure how to deal with that.
Thanks! By the end of April ?!?!? That is a very long time to wait! I guess if you think you want to go there it may be worth it?
MFA 2015 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
in Visual
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I don't know anyone in the program who works full-time- and only one person who works once a week. Working more than that while in the grad program isn't ideal and frankly, probably near to impossible, IMO. There are also paid positions to oversee various shops throughout the school at a decent hourly rate if you are wanting some additional income. The costs of living is fairly low here with few paying more than $500 a month for rent and some lower than $400.