Echo_in_ground

Hearing that you're applying while still in undergrad compels me to tell you that literally every single person I know who went directly to grad school after undergrad regrets that decision. Three of them have gone to grad school a second time in their 30s so they could get a more solid experience. You may feel ready and motivated and so pumped to dive in, but as someone who seriously considered doing that, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for waiting and getting years of experience in "the real world". My work has dramatically changed, I'm more informed towards what I want out of graduate school, I've had the experience of balancing work and a studio practice, and I've gotten to work as a studio assistant for artists who have given me invaluable advice. Also, it's super important to make work removed from the atmosphere of an academic setting. Just saying. Don't go just because you want to streamline your education. A professor of mine said one should never go to grad school "until they're thirsty for it". 
As you said, you feel your work is already stronger now than when you applied... that can only continue to happen. And if affordability is an issue for you, you're far more likely to get funding as a more competitive applicant with stronger work. I don't want to influence you too much, but, it's a major life decision and there's nothing worse than regret... especially when it comes with a financial burden. I wish you the best!

Accepted to Yale Sculpture!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

It's also I'm afraid to say possible I will not be able to get a loan to cover the fees of the masters, given Brexit potentially cutting off student loan funding to EU citizens and the fact despite living in the UK for 7 years, I'm from another EU country. It was something they brought up in my interview actually but I can't see that any changes to that loan system happening within the next six months but might only effect my second year.  
I'm going to just have to see what happens! Cheers for the reply

I'm having second thoughts about the cities I might move to, but if I don't get into those programs I'll be scrambling for Winter session admission in Germany or elsewhere in EU. So, I think you have normal nerves and should focus on your professional goals, expensive city or not.  
So happy I'm not the only one feeling left alone in a desert with no water.

 
 

"Alas, Harvard isn't ready for this jelly."

Look, I don't know what you're trying to prove, or why you're trying to make me look and feel inadequate but it's not working.
If you really must know, I study ancient DNA.  That means I go into a lab and I create a bunch of chemical mixtures (usually comprised of some sort of mix EDTA and Proteinase K) that digest the ancient tissue (be it bone or what have you).  I then take the DNA and put into a DNA library with primers and end repair adapters and a bunch of other things to amplify the fragmented and damaged DNA.  And like magic, after a few hours, I get a read out, via a BioRad PCR machine that creates a regression curve.  Anything between 90% and 110% is perfect efficiency for the PCR, anything less, there is likely some sort of inhibitor in the mix.  If it doesn't work, I go back and try again.  If it does work, I visualize the PCR products on an gel and then take them to be sequenced.  My finished and sequenced DNA I then input into any number of computer programs, including programs I have written myself in Python to help me analyze my data for what I need done.
I never said my math scores were good.  So I actually don't communicate with "real" scientists, they are so far advanced my brain can't comprehend what they say.  I usually end up having an epileptic seizure and wake up with my research all done for me and a sudden publication-worthy paper all typed up for me.  Of course, I don't have any idea what it says because my rudimentary knowledge is so far beneath all of the other people's understanding of things.  Especially those in math and engineering, they are really too smart for me. 

Haha sorry, I just can't understand your research. Do you collect data and pass it off to someone else to analyze? Do you expect all your data to be fit with a nice, normal regression? How do you communicate with mathematical biologists/sociologists and computer scientists when you need fancier techniques (like machine learning, perhaps) without having a rudimentary knowledge of those things? 

@AP had great advice. I'm not dismissing them. I'm talking about posters in general on here. Although most posters mean well, I do think that thinking about perspective is important, however, because not everyone has been to grad school and has past experiences to reflect on. Someday, maybe we will. Grad school is a place where many of us want to be and have tried to be, and have failed basically. Many of us don't have the experience or the privilege to say "ok, this is how I felt at this time in my life. Now I feel this way still, even though I'm where I wanted to be years ago." Not that exactly, but I think this goes for everyone who can look back. Some of us can only look forward. It's not a criticism of posters. It's just a product of where we are in our careers. I'll say the same thing about my professors who made it through grad school and who now have jobs in academia: good job, you made it. I see that there will always be troubles. But...you got there. You still made it. Some of us haven't even gotten there and we don't know if we will.
I'll also say that if I ever make it into grad school, I will never again understand what it's like for an applicant who hasn't gotten in. I may be like "well, it took me a couple tries, but eventually...." okay. An applicant who gets rejection after rejection doesn't even know if they'll get in "eventually." It's the uncertainty that sucks more than anything. People told me, "oh, you're an excellent applicant. You'll get in!" and then I didn't. It's a total crapshoot.

I'll just say something: some people, in general, speak from the position of being in a program and dealing with disappointment, where others are speaking about getting rejected from programs or not getting any acceptances. These are two very different places and hindsight is 20/20. Some of us just wanna get in and worry about the trials of grad school and academia later. We know that grad school isn't always a happy place, but it'd be nice to at least get there first.

WashU trying to bump up their application fee revenue like 

http://www.emmafinn.co.uk 
 

In Scotland so I have a little experience with GSA through friends and peers who attend/attended, I even went for an interview for the MFA there a couple of years ago. Didn't get accepted but it was for the best, I think I lacked confidence because basically the feedback I received was my work was well developed, independent etc  but I would benefit from spending a little time outside of education for personal development. They were right because boy did I lack confidence! I've been busy developing myself since then, getting opportunities in the UK and abroad and I definitely think it was the right call on their part. I decided to consider a mfa again this year so I am applying this year to the RCA in London because I'm intrigued by the Moving Image pathway. I won't be applying again to GSA because for me I don't think its a good fit in terms of the facilities for the type of work I make. 
GSA has a good reputation, a big aspect of the 'Glasgow Miracle' is folks that passed through the school and it means a lot of the students are not just from the UK.  I know there has been protests there in the last year. It would be worth googling that. The studio space was decent when I saw it in early 2014 but since 'The Fire INCIDENT' it might have changed? hopefully someone else can come along and clarify. Glasgow is a great city x!

I don't know if the masters is increasing its acceptance rate also but if you apply, it would be a good question, if their class size is also increasing. They might be more careful maintaining the masters resources/facilities. 
Rent isnt so so bad in Glasgow compared to many other cities like Edinburgh and London but most people I know who live there, while studying, live with others. You could check out gumtree.co.uk or sites like it for an idea of cost.