arte

Well, I finished my application two weeks ago, and all I've been doing was sleep, eat, check internet, then go back to sleep. Even in my sleep I dream of checking this forum and emails and website...

wow... brain is weird.. I had a dream about waking up and checking portals, websites, emails and forums... which is what I'm doing right now...

arrrggg... just completed all application process...I think.. I keep going back to the application site to check if I missed anything. I have never felt this insecure about myself and my works.... College application was not this intense...

Mine is 489 words... I tried really hard to make it under 500... Maybe I got it mixed with another school. Hoping for a reply from the office before the deadline

It's not a slideroom link, you'll have to wait til you get yours.. It does say on the website that they need four business days to process your application and send out a link. I have a question about the file sizes! Have you found the file sizes? I'm planning to upload 1024x768 images but I'm afraid it might be too small...

All the other departments require your portfolio to have about half of works from within 12 month and rest from within 3 years. But sculpture department doesn't say anything about three years thing. Is if okay to upload works from before? + I uploaded 15 images and the review section says it could be a potential problem. is 20 images required? Please!!

Yes, I got an email saying that they are reviewing my application so I shouldn't email them... I'm kind of worried since two of my recommenders said they will submit the letters today...

Image size! The requirement is 1024 x 768 @ 72 DPI! but it shrinks my images to around 400~500kb. Is it good enough quality? When I zoom in, it gets pixelated.

Thank you so much for all the advices!!! It's statement of purpose and it should be 500 words. I'm just posting the part about my work because I'm still working on the other parts. I've added and taken out some parts. this alone became 328 words.. I have no idea how I will cram in everything in 500 words... Control and power are one of the major themes in my art works. I search for the reasons behind my obsession with control, and through that I find their fragility. Behind the search for power lies my attempt to understand this world. My obsession with constant planning comes from the uncertainty of the future; I need to remove the uncertainty to gain perfect control. This requires me to focus on gaining power. With power, I can eliminate the possibilities and fix the future into one definite point. I am interested in acquiring and proclaiming control.(maybe I can get rid of this last sentence...) I am focusing on where my power and control stands in this reality. My piece <Hard work never betrays me.> is a participatory performance piece where the audience is given the role of the obstructor. On sand covered floor, I constantly build small sand obelisks and the obelisks, my hard work, gets destroyed by the audience. This piece shows my constant attempt to gain control, which fails miserably every time. My works cannot be categorized into a single theme. I am also fascinated by the history of art and of galleries, particularly the gallery walls. Over the course of time, those walls stand through many exhibitions and shows, but after all is done, they are still white. The layers of paint on the walls tell so many stories, but they all hide under the most recent thin layer of white paint, as though nothing happened. <History> is a gallery wall sanded to show that layers of history. I am planning to continue my research into control and power, extending it to research into sound. I am also interested in working with speech tones, especially those used in religious prayers. I am intrigued by how the sound is articulated in certain ways to give it authority, and I would like to collaborate with other departments such as the sound engineering or astrophysics departments in my search for the right way to exhibit my ideas.

I've got my statement corrected by an online essay editing site. I just can't seem to agree with the editor on the part about my work. It seems like the editor thought I was trying to explain my future plans here or something. This paragraph is solely about my work, but since it's intertwined with my interest, I guess the editor has a point... Should I specify that it is about my work at the start of the paragraph? or should i put in a sentence saying that I like making backup plans too?(I do like making backup plans. I'm not that obsessed about getting it all right at the first try. I can re-plan anytime...) Maybe mentioning that I am pessimistic but that pessimism come from knowing the fragility of control and connect that with my current works would help? I don't know.. any comments will be appreciated... Me: I like making plans; this is something I do. I plan for the next 10, 20, 50 years. However, these plans are not necessarily based on reality. I think about a hypothetical fire and plan a hypothetical escape route. I think about many possibilities that are not likely to become real; I dream and worry at the same time. My obsession with constant planning comes from the uncertainty of the future; I need to remove the uncertainty to gain perfect control. This requires me to focus on gaining power. With power, I can eliminate the possibilities and fix the future into one definite point. This is what I am focusing on right now. I’m interested in acquiring and proclaiming control, and my recent works reflect the fragility of my control. This is the editor's note: I suggest that you rework this paragraph to tone down the obsession with removing uncertainty and obtaining power. These ideas create a somewhat negative impression (see below, for a way to turn the same ideas into positives). If you overemphasize these two halves of your motivation, the reader may worry that you won’t take instruction well or that you would not be cooperative or flexible. (Or that if there is any glitch in your plans, you will not be able to think on your feet and make flexible changes.) However, I don’t think you need to remove these ideas altogether, because it’s not a bad thing to want to try to create a firm future. I suggest that perhaps you rephrase these ideas a bit. Perhaps speak of being disciplined in your plans and having specific aims. Talk about how you like to remove obstacles so you can achieve a clear path to the future. It would even be a very positive idea to suggest that you want to take full responsibility for where your future goes and where you take your art. Those are all very positive expressions of the same feelings and desires.

thanks relm... I know that portfolio is the most important factor in the admissions. In fact, I just sent emails asking two more professors I've been taking classes for whole two years. one said yes, and the other, I've just sent an email asking for an appointment, so will see... I know I should focus on making more art, but the process itself is really frustrating... I just don't like asking for things...

I don't know... I'm pretty confident to say that I did good in at least three out of five of those classes. Maybe not so much with the other two because of my personal issues...and I was interested in other stuffs(like music and science). It has been three yrs since I got my BFA, and maybe its because I asked wrong professors? three of the professors I asked were from my freshman and sophomore years. could that be a reason? I just recently went to portfolio day and got my hopes up... and now its down again...

I've asked five professors from undergrad, and so far only one said yes. one refused, one told me she will reply but haven't heard back from her. One didn't respond, and the last one I just sent a request mail. I might be able to get another letter, but I don't know if I'll be able to get the third letter... I don't have any other people to ask... all the classes I really enjoyed were non-art related classes...(although I got my undergrad degree in visual arts...) who do you guys ask for recommendation letters?

congrats!! I heard Northwestern is more theory-heavy program, which is something you should consider. I visited U of Chicago, I really liked the school, their facility was not exactly huge or anything, but I guess if you're a painting major, facility might not be that important. You should go to the school website and look at the current MFA student works and faculty works. that's how I'm making my list of schools:) SAIC is really great school, but I think they only give out one or two full scholarships per department, but if you do get it, SAIC is really great. I really learned a lot while I was in the school, and their painting dept is amazing and Columbus college of art and design are also great if you live near Chicago, they do have MFA programs. If you live in IL, I think you should definitely visit the schools. You can make an appointment through email, they will give you a tour of the department,(U of Chicago did!) and you can ask all the questions.

I live in Seoul, and got an email about this Korea portfolio day. It will be held in mid September... so I guess it can be a good guide in making portfolio. the only thing that's holding me back is that they ask for $75 fee... and there is only one school I'm actually interested in.(in the list of the schools attending the event.) Will it be worth it? I went to national portfolio day when I was in Chicago, that was like three years ago and I don't remember much.

wow!! really helpful list so neatly listed! I've been refreshing this forum everyday...and here we have 2016 freakout forum! I'm freaking out because now that I take a look at my portfolio... it seems like I have to start over all again... not satisfied at all with my works... :(especially ones I did last year... guess I'll have to just keep making..hehe I've somewhat narrowed down my list to twelve... but I haven't finished researching, so it will change! UCLA UCSD Columbia Hunter Yale Temple VCU Rutgers U of Michigan Ohio State NYU Stanford RISD most of my works are sculptures and installations, and I'm making my list based on fund+location+student works+faculty+I wanna go... I'll probably arrow it down to ten... more searching...

wooowwwww.... thank you!!! this was exactly what I wanted to know!!! my current school doesn't consider debt when deciding financial aid... so I'm having a hard time working+studying... now I all I have to do is get in. ...

Thank you!! This is really helpful! I think this is about the only comment I saw on this forum about yale's financial aid. Can I ask you if the amount of debt is a factor in deciding financial aid? I've tried to find that out, but nothing specific about MFA showed(or yale)

I hope that they would get rid of that requirement soon.... opening math book for the first time in 10 years...

This is my list of schools... I'm going to apply for sculpture program, and would like to get some money if possible... I got my BFA from SAIC. SAIC was great, but I want to go somewhere else. I do not need much facilities, since most of my works are found object based and conceptual. any other recommendations? what's the difference between Ohio state and Ohio university??? I heard that their program is great, but I'm a little concerned that Ohio may not be best fit for me...(never left city in my life...) West 1. UCLA 2. Stanford Midwest 3. U of Chicago 4. U of Michigan North 5. Temple 6. Yale 7. VCU 8. Cornell 9. Columbia

I was browsing stanford admission requirement and found out that they require GRE score...for MFA art practice:( I am considering studying for GRE cause it seems like a decent program, but if I'm going to take the test, I want to apply to more schools that require GRE. Which schools require GRE?