PaintingGrad

If it helps: Fairly soon after you send in your deposits and whatnot, they will send you your MICA e-mail and invite you to a googlegroup that is purely for people looking for housing/roommates. It is very helpful and is how most of the graduate students I know found housing/roommates.

Pretty much what Kick said is right on the money. Myself and most of the people at MICA that I know have a strict "don't get distracted while you are walking around the city" policy. For example, don't look down at your phone like a zombie while you're walking around at night. Pretty much, as long as you don't look like a target you'll be fine. I was a little shocked when I got here at first, my bike was stolen the first night I was here. I just hated the place. With that being said, it's definitely grown on me. It's rough around the edges, but once you find your "spots", it is easy to go out for drinks/food/etc. Also, the proximity to DC ($7 train ride), NYC and Philly makes a weekend of looking at art very feasible. If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me.

I know this topic is relatively old. However, I think it's important to note that the current director of Hoffberger at MICA has only been in the position 5 years. To say that there are no "notable painters" coming out of the program specifically could be considered somewhat unfair considering it's an entirely different program than it was 5 years ago. Grace Hartigan was a pretty much strictly-figurative painter, which in today's art market is a little bit harder to stand out in - which would explain the lack of MICA grads in Chelsea, etc. Several of the painters who have graduated in the last 5 years from MICA are showing all around NYC already, and producing extremely strong work. The program at Hoffberger is much stronger now as it fosters and environment with a diversity in work that is fairly unique for a higher-ranking MFA program.