Today: was rejected from U Michigan (I emailed for an answer after weeks of silence; they said they sent out offers last week); I accepted U Iowa and the Iowa Arts Fellowship for Film. You win some, you lose some. For me, it's 2a/0w/1r out of 3. This is my last post on here, good luck to everyone and thanks for keeping me company during the past few months!
It went well, even though I was a few minutes late (I'm an idiot). The conversation flowed and it was actually really helpful to have the work out on the table, even in print-out form lol
I did ask about how often you can get people into your studio---my interviewers said faculty is around 6-9 times a semester and I think visiting artists are sign-up? They did emphasize that if you want face-time with anyone don't be afraid to reach out. If you look at the example curriculum the Tutorial credits are one-on-one with a professor so that's more often...I'm probably going to ask more specific questions if I get in.
It might be helpful to understand the history of Hunter as more of a DIY program---partially why it's cheap. Artists used to stay in the program like...indefinitely because it was such a good deal for the studio space (when it was in the Hell's Kitchen space). https://www.artandeducation.net/schoolwatch/57989/re-skilling-and-rehousing-an-mfa-hunter-s-recent-transformation
I got good vibes from the fall Open House, but it's true that in a big program (even a competitive one) you're going to get some apathetic/stubborn/distracted people. Honestly cohort seems like a roll of the dice wherever you go...
hope that's helpful~
I just wanted to make sure that you knew about the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Resolution - it states that the CGS member schools CANNOT require an applicant to give a decision before April 15th if they are being offered financial aid (scholarships), and Temple is a member of CGS, so if you were offered a scholarship of any kind, you should have until April 15th to decide....
http://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution
Exactly! It felt like you would definitely need to be motivated and confident in sustaining your own practice and not dependent on faculty/critics. I was actually so surprised by what a lot of students were saying that I completely forgot to ask about critiques! Did anyone else get a sense of what they are like? There are so many students in the program...does everyone attend and how often do they take place?
The 2-3 of you including myself that applied to MIT ACT, I asked about interview requests and they said they should be going out the weekend of feb 16th, with interviews taking place toward the end of march. yippee
Hey all!
What are your thoughts on NYU’s painting program? Do you know someone that went there? What was their experience? Success after graduating? Thanks in advance! ☺️
Hang in there fellow applicants! This is a very tough process! Hoping we have more answers this week. ?
I saw this posted in another forum. Interesting to look at for those of us interested in MFA programs and gallery representation: http://www.havenforthedispossessed.org/
"Art Statistics 2016-2017
The data presented here was produced by the Arts in NYC course taught at CUNY Guttman College by James Case-Leal Spring 2017.
We built a database of 1300 artists represented at the top 45 commercial galleries in New York. We researched each artist noting their: Age, Race*, Nationality, Gender*, and Education (highest degree, institution, and date of graduation)."
Copying my notes from the Columbia Q&A just in case y'all missed it
Columbia Q&A
High tuition at Columbia
Difference between Yale and Columbia
Yale programs are separate and are segregated between departments
Columbia – everyone works together, hearing voices that may not be specific to media, a perspective from someone that does not the ins and outs of your medium
Interdisciplinary environment – what they want their art to accomplish
Making work in relation to other mediums
Community that follows you after school – class ahead and behind you, alumni unique
City of New York, which is an incredible learning environment
We accommodate the needs of applicants – domestically and internationally
Rigorous how we make comparisons between remote and domestic
Treatment of body and materials and sculptural nature of work, better understanding of relationship to sculpture
Sculptural aspect of painting in your own work?
Intersection between body, painting and sculpture – painting deconstructed
- painting as an object, sculptural dimension of sculpture
- so curious to question the limit of painting and how it can be expanded wider within the traditional practice
- what the frame of painting is?
New or more survey work over the course of few years?
- we wish you to make that choice, based on what your interests as an artist
- committees look at your work, meeting you for the first time, what is most important to you
- use that framework
- pride yourself in what you have included
- may be most recent, your interests
- very early work there is a point to go back to to explain where you are now
Fine art tract? How will it prepare students for the professional world?
- the way we prepare students into the world as professional artists
- professional practice – writing statements, grants, etc
- connections we have with curators, etc. for artists how artists at Columbia start widening their audience
- most valuable asset
- one you have been admitted, primary medium, then you are completely immersed in the interdisciplinary community and faculty
- the vis. Arts program is a fine art tract
- courses at school of art film, theater, and writing, are open on the basis of application
- restriction/access to equipment outside of program
- our students are some of the favorites of professors
Asked to rate professors
- top choices and pairings
- think about what the mentor can do along with your practice
How do you evaluate the artist CV?
- committee meeting , we begin with the work itself and then we move down into the statement and CV
- Then the fourth level would be what are the references and transcripts
- Everything relates back to the work and how you relate to your own work
What is an appropriate length – one page
In terms of looking at comparing schools Columbia and
- mentor program is an asset in terms of having a mentor
- forming a relationship- professional and friend
- every semester
- close relationship with them
- critical issues requirement it may be fulfilled outside the art program as well
- an academic course that relates to your studio practice without which you would make your kind of work
- point can be earned in international affairs, philosophy, etc
African studies and painting – class in African studies –
- yes very much so and encouraged to take classes in field and field of interest to your practice
-
-
describe studio facilities
- two buildings
- one houses theater, writing, school of art and two of large classrooms
- studio spaces are in – first year Watson hall at Morningside campus, more or less equal in size
- second year, prentice hall, 125th street from new Columbia west campus and venue for arts
- vary widely, windows not windows small large
- if you get the chance to visit us, we can weekly tours of facilities, shops etc
In regards to interview
- is limited internet access an issue
- yes
- it would be important for interview to have a secure connection, strong connection, so interview is not interrupted
Digital painting…
- show your strongest work
- as long as you identify what is being looked at
How much does the statement refer to image/images
- it really depends on practice
- a lot of the straightforward information
- fields use in many different ways
we all pitch in with those connections
- learn from students
How does the admission committee consider the value and weight of a persons professional experience
- glance at that, but not very weighted
- much more interested in seeing the work and the statement
- overall is to build as diverse a community as possible
- that naturally includes life experience, wide range of life experiences
- the age of a person into program ranges, straight into from undergrad, all the way up to had a professional career
- who made this, what are they like
Does faculty consider research from a developing country
- various limitations through our knowledge
- we do take that into account
- if the work is interesting to us, we would bring that to the next level into the interview
IS this a hybrid of artist CV and resume
We are most interested in the potential going forward
- we are not judging you based on exhibitions you have up to this point
- why graduate school, why now?
When will
- if you are accepted after interviewed will list anyone who will be on leave for the coming year or one of the semesters in the first year and who will replace them
1,200 applicants how many make it into interview
5 or 4 incoming in each department
interview 130 for painting
different every year, based on getting as much information as we can
everyone that we feel, that we want more information from
4 interviews per spot
4 or 5 spots
at what point do you think an artist is ready for them to continue onto their masters?
When you are ready to make your work public to a community, when you want a cross disciplinary feedback
A body of work that you are really ready to apply deeply go very deep into your work
- very young work which is interesting, but not yet ready for graduate school
- fair amount of work that is very advanced and already finding an audience
- how is this person going to benefit from
we prioritize applicants who we feel are clear with themselves why they are bringing themselves back to school into intense process in relation to their work
very international program, very large percentage of women as well
Additional information not included in application, how can I add them to application
- there are ways to attach documents
- last year a candidate attached a masters thesis
Do you still want a description in work
- put yourself in our place and look at slideroom application
- what do I know about this work that they will not know?
- Focus on viewers experience
- What is no longer there when it is being shown as documentation
- Other reason emphasize that, wide range of ways that we encounter art
- Some works are very complex in their position
- Very formal work, people don’t put any description apart from itself
Grades are not a harsh judgment
- we are sort of looking for red flags
- things that don’t compute with what we have
- your motivation for applying
- when can we expect to know for interview what q’s should we think about?
A month after initial round
- we invite people back within a month
- interview list proposed and we contact next day
- variables are time between admission deadlines
- minimum 2 weeks for time to interview
- what kind of questions should we think about?
- In you already, just come and be yourself
- Interview to get to know you and see your art and you
- Not really a set of questions that you should be thinking about, how do I relate to my own work and why you want to be at grad school
- Also interviewing us and how does it fit with you want and what you expect
- Come prepared with questions
- 34/64 women – 63 percent
- pdf is fine, but make sure portfolio is uploaded via slideroom
During study at Columbia – oversee volunteer program
- deans travel grant, might allow some funds for research and travel, financial support, and residencies
- not something that we offer in itself
- these are the kind of things that develop personal relationships with faculty
- not uncommon for students to bring opportunities to professors
- program is so diverse
- we cannot try to imagine what would be beneficial to such a group of artists
- top down structure does not work
- what are my objectives as a student
- where do students go after careers
- many different artist paths
- students collective galleries, such a wide range
Wonder what will be critical reason to offer an applicant scholarship?
- given according to need
- range within them
- app process – two platforms to fill in app information
- not faculty responsibility, it happens in the admission process
- really important, faculty does not look at financial information
- two needed to fill out if domestic, one international
- fafsa for domestic, profile application – for domestic/international
- both apps let us look at what your financial ability is to pay
- scholarships based on need
- looking at ability to pay
- scholarships, service position within vis. Art program, office, etc.
- TA position
- Can TA twice, once in first year and second year
- We give you an entire financial aid scholarship broken down
What staff is available to mentor?
- possible to work with her as mentor
- many students come with very particular interests in a particular person
- faculty do whatever we can to make a good connection
Does an applicant stand out more if they are only applying to Columbia?
- no
- just applying to one school is not a good idea
- after we have accepted you, its only emotional and anecdotal
- it is not a factor
Is it common for candidates to apply to multiple areas?
- common
- interdisciplinary nature od school
If my portfolio is primarily based on sculpture – apply for sculpture or new genre?
- if you apply to more than you have more of a chance of it being seen
- moving image and new genre are close
- think carefully of how you represent yourself
- pass candidates into other committees
Do our social media accoutns matter? Should we link to them?
- no
- if it relates to your work
- makes work that lives online and gets shared through twitter and instagram account
- if it is just like we all have one, then I don’t think we would look at it
Mature artists vs. one looking for their voice?
- we don’t discriminate on age, we don’t make decisions based on age
- somewhere in the middle and explore it
- answer is beneath the question, motivation for coming back to school
- not likely we would admit someone who is just at the beginning they are thinking about
- done a lot of work, for the right reasons
- re-evaluate, reassess, put it through the thought experiments
When is the deadline for Fafsa and profile application
Feb. 1st is when it is due from Columbia
Columbia seems to produce a range of successful artists? What makes it stand out?
- everything that is valuable to students
- being in new york, faculty,
- best emerging artists are applying to the program
- put you in a great place
- when you leave, you are part of this very large community
- moves out into other institutions Columbia has a relationship with
In order to apply to two concentrations do you need two different application, statements, pay twice?
- yes to all of the above
- work submission different, so talk about it in a specific way
- sculpture and printmaking
- prioritize printmaking for one app, but also show some sculpture
- in sculpture, show sculpture, but also show prints as well to see how printmaking informs the sculpture you are making
- make it clear why someone making sculpture is making
Why interdisciplinary program? How might work with other faculty influence work
Very different lens, write it in relation to their lens
What work does Columbia prefer to see in their portfolio?
- gone from people who are technical in printmaking, to a wide range of working with printmaking, or one particular way of working with prints
- what is the relationship between printmaking and other media
- printmakers some of the most diverse practitioners
- two print shops and a professional artist print shop, grads work in both
- can study photogravure
any specific order for portfolio?
- most interesting first
- strongest first
- strongest 10 years ago not best to lead with it
- if a 10 year work is included explain why
- generally, if you prefer to take a chronological approach, begin with the present first
- we don’t ask for works to be ordered in a specific way
- it is a way to telling a narrative, put it in the order that would tell the best narrative
Is it all right to show work in progress or see completed work?
- if it is ambitious, then show one image for it as a model of what it will look like, much better to show completed work
- almost impossible to access work submitted as a proposal
- majority of work is, maybe even have no physical existence, looking at people s proposals for projects
- while ideas are interesting, nothing is revealed about how a work gets made
- artists relationships to work not revealed
Core curriculum
- work in studio, studio visits, and group critiques
- studio courses open to you and cross listed with undergraduate
- within program, small range of critical issues course, closer to seminar based
- most of electives would be taken outside visual art program
- public lectures given by VALS – run by students and invite 8 visting lecturers each semester and lecture at wider university
What is to be expected of the thesis?
- final review of work, composed of one full-time instructor
- submit a written component
- every student approaches it a little differently, requirement is that you develop a position/proposition in a way through work and faculty
- most students in second year, start to consider what comprises the thesis, what will be included, excluded from that a body of work
- what will be made public in thesis exhibition
- artists and curator select work that represents the thesis project
- cannot think of anything who came with an idea of thesis, that ended up being their thesis
What are the drawbacks and benefits of studying at a palce at Columbia?
- benefit to be in a large school like Columbia
- widening range of sources of what painting can be
- draw resources, anthropologists, etc. and bring that all into your work – huge asset
- drawbacks – don’t see any drawbacks
- maybe, being in new york city, huge advantage, but can also be a drawback b/c of metropolis and hard to focus in at times
- more visibility and pressure for students to come up with best work in the best way
- even if you don’t want to branch out other departments, which can talk to materiality of work
- bring in painters painters
- a lot of challenges may feel like drawbacks, but you will benefit greatly from them in the end
- things that were the hardest, objected to the most, but paid off
How important are letters of recommendation in review process?
- one of the lesser important ones, no red flags
- if we are kind of indecisive
- but I would say it is not the most important
- speaks to your relationship with people and mentors
Puerto Rican – domestic or international?
- exempt from requirements
- one year at university in which English is the primary language, Canada, Britain, etc. exempts you from submitting your tofl score
Do you think environment among studetns is competitive?
- yes in a very supportive way
- personally really enjoy is what a great community the students create among themselves
- everyone finds the tiem to help each other and promote each other
- due to interdisciplinary structure
- quickly understand that no one can make their work
- it becomes really apparent
- you ideas, someone out there is not trying to take that away from you
- grad school only making best work, that you will have the kind of success that means something to you
Deadline January 17 11:59 pm eastern standard time
I thought the interview was good as well. I was honestly underwhelmed by the facilities and the way they presented the program. As the most expensive program I applied to, I guess I thought they would have more space and equipment. I also felt this overall vibe that I was just lucky to be there, and every other school I've interviewed with has made a major effort to show interviewees why it's a special place. They didn't give out so much as an informational packet at Columbia. Sorry, this is a lot of words! I'm glad your interview went well. I honestly just don't think Columbia is for me, and it bums me out when schools don't acknowledge what a major decision this is for their applicants. It's not a no-brainer for everyone when tuition is over $55,000 a year.
It actually does seem that Columbia notifies painters on the weekend by phone according to previous years, did anyone else get a phone call? I hope they're not done calling!
It's possible, but unlikely that there will be snow in the first week of March, unless you're talking about going up to Vermont or Maine. Usually the weather in NYC/Boston is in the low 40s around that time, though you won't know what you're in for until a few days before.
Don't bother buying gear. At most, make sure you have wool socks and warmish footwear (as in, no Converse). Go ahead and buy long underwear if you're planning on wearing jeans or slacks all weekend. You might not even need them, so don't spend money just because you're freaked out! Bringing a good sweater will let you get away with whatever jacket/coat you have. In general, layering is your friend, so as long as you have long sleeve tshirts to wear under your clothes, you should be fine!
Sorry to hear that. I've never lived in a small town and can't really appreciate the social difficulties it must pose. I'm kind of floored that those people (who also know everyone else) would think it's perfectly OK to fleece you like that. Can't agree with BICEO enough about requiring partial payment up front for any future freelance work.
If you can't find good contract templates online, see if your closest library has (or can get through interlibrary loan) any relevant Nolo books, which are fairly well written legal guides for non-lawyers. You don't necessarily need one that's written specifically for artists/designers, but one about basics to include in contracts is a good place to start. And again, see if there's a nonprofit or organization in your state for lawyers doing volunteer work for the arts. There absolutely are resources out there, law-wise; finding them can be tricky, but they're there.
Sending you good thoughts and encouragement!
Ive been doing web/app development for about a decade professionally, a lot of which was freelance/contract work.
NEVER do work without any form of payment up front, that is a big no no, because clients never pay you if they don't get what they see in their head, the problem is 9 times out of 10 what they see in their head is crap, and want a way out of the contract if they dont get 100% what they want on first pass.
I always ask for 50% up front, and 50% before delivery of final product. This ensures there is a business agreement and that neither person's time is wasted. If they have a problem with that arrangement then they're not looking to do serious business. If the client doesnt like the work, it should be that they provide feedback and get another round of changes based on what terms you establish regarding rounds of changes, instead of just backing out and not paying. That's just shady.
Sorry that you are not catching a break. Can't add much, but felt compelled to respond with the intention to encourage. Hope that something works out soon.
If you are skeptical of the advice you have been given, try getting anonymous help over the internet. https://www.reddit.com/r/resumes might help, though there are few people in art related fields there. Still, you might benefit from hearing from others who are struggling to make themselves marketable. Things like formatting and word choice are more important than you might think - it never hurts to have as many people as possible give your resume a look-over.
Have you looked into http://everyoneon.org/ to try to get subsidized high-speed internet? It sounds like you've exhausted the resources that are available in your immediate community, and could benefit more from remote resources.
paint_and_destroy got a reaction from Rennnnn in MFA 2018 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
paint_and_destroy got a reaction from thirdtimesthecharm in MFA 2018 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
paint_and_destroy got a reaction from Relm in Disabled Rural Artist Looking for Help.
paint_and_destroy got a reaction from Alment in MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!