KillerWingfield

Feeling the frustration with you all. 7 first interviews, 1 second interview, 1 wait list. I've just assumed that since I didn't get a second interview with the other 6 that I'm out of the running too. I suppose there's still a chance to hear from UNCG, but I'm not holding my breath. I got wait listed for East 15, which is alright. I wasn't super sure I'd be able to go out there or that it would be a great fit for me, but I was very grateful for the follow up interview and the quick wait list notification regardless. I agree that it would be nice to not be kept in the dark and just be told "Thanks, but no thanks at this time," much earlier in the process. If it helps anyone any: I've read and heard from multiple sources that grad schools often like to see candidates apply multiple times. Sometimes it takes 3 - 5 rounds of applications and interviews before you get the spot, and many people receiving the spots you got rejected for this time around have applied and interviewed multiple times in the past. If you really want it go for it again! You can do it! I believe in you! Congrats to everyone who received offers! ❤️

I had a phone interview with UNCG on Thursday. He said that they do most of their decision making in March, but that he is super willing to answer questions if you email him. For what it's worth the phone interview was set up through URTA's, so if you didn't apply through URTAs my guess is that they haven't yet moved to that point yet. That's just a guess. Email him!

Hey @LCampbell I hadn't found any in my research up to this point, but just now stumbled on one at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Have you seen the list of MFA Directing programs that Baylor maintains? It's been extremely helpful. Comprehensive Listing of MFA Programs in Directing (USA & Canada) I'm working on URTA stuff right now. Everything is due on December 2nd! yeeee How's everyone else doing?

Hey @Soongil_Lee! Welcome aboard. Good luck in South Korea! That's very exciting.

thanks @ruthev for getting this started! I am gearing up to apply this year. I applied three years ago and got some interviews, but wasn't accepted into any programs. Obviously I was disappointed, but I went into it looking for a learning opportunity and I definitely got it! I spent those three years working on myself and my craft and I feel a lot more confident coming into it this year (for now anyway - I know I am going to be a panicy mess by the time I start submitting applications, yeesh). I am looking forward to connecting with everyone through Grad Cafe. It was a great resource last time for pointers and support. I am excited to get help and be helpful! (In the past I have seen people caution towards anonymity on this forum, but I am not 100% sure why. If anyone has any thoughts about that I'd love to hear them. In the mean time here is my website. www.seveisaacs.com )

@Squidpunk that is an incredible story! I can actually relate and confirm. I applied for the first time last year and didn't get anywhere past a couple of interviews with some really cool schools, but i learned so much about myself and my art through that process. I've directed four productions since my last interview and each one has gotten so much better than the one before it, as opposed to before I applied where each production kind of felt like I had plateaued in my progression as an artist. I chose not to apply this year, and I feel pretty good about that choice, but I've been lurking around here a lot and I gotta say I am jealous of you all and I am inspired by you all, and, even though we've never met or even had a real conversation, I am sure proud of you all as well. Keep up the good work everyone! <3

Congrats @_RICdirects_!!! That's so amazing! Great job!

Sorry to hear that @Directorial. I, too, was pulling for you.

@Directorial Crossing my fingers, my toes, my eyes for you! @AgentMike That sucks man. I'm still waiting to hear from one, but I don't really have much hope. I just assume I am rejected at this point, and honestly I don't think I would accept a slot if I was offered. I didn't get a strong positive feeling about that program in the interview I got my official rejection from Iowa a few days ago. That stung, but it was not really a surprise. Kind of like AgentMike's experience, I figured out that I didn't get in 3 weeks ago through these forums. The letter just made it official. On a positive note, I've gotten some great ideas from several of you guys on how to develop myself as an artist more in hopes that I will do better in future application seasons. Thank you so much for that! I feel pretty good about the future now. Just gotta implement those plans and ideas. As always, good luck to those of you who are still waiting!

@galbi7892 Got the official "unfortunately we were unable to recommend your admission to the Master of Fine Arts program in the Department of Theater for the Fall 2017 semester." letter from UMass. I got an email about it on 2/25 and the letter was uploaded to SPIRE on 2/27 Haven't heard anything official from my URTA schools, but I assume that no news is bad news at this point. So I think I am officially out of the race for the 2017/18 season. Disappointed and a bit discouraged, but hopeful for the future. I think people are getting hung up on all my high school credits, which is unfortunate, but understandable I guess. If anyone has any big ideas or advice for how I can make myself a more attractive candidate for future MFA application/interview rounds please send me a PM! I would love to pick your brain(s) I am happy for all of you who had success this season, and hopeful for those of you who are still waiting and for those of you in similar boats to mine! Lets gear up and kick ass next year (or the year after! or the year after that!) <3

@galbi7892 I still haven't heard anything. I've checked the website every day this week. No changes. Next week or the week after is when I had originally estimated to be the soonest we could hear from them based on information from their website (6 weeks after the January 15 deadline to apply)

I haven't heard anything from anybody. I assume that since @Boseph16 and @Directorial both found out that they were accepted/wait listed respectively at Iowa (Congrats to both of you!!!) on Monday that I will be getting a rejection from them one of these days. Still don't think I want to go to East 15, but it would be nice to see how they felt about me. UMass Amherst is still processing the applications. I wonder when we will be hearing from that program. Monday was a rough day for me - very discouraging, but I am keeping my chin up! Gotta prepare myself to do some good work and do better next year! Good luck to you guys at DePaul! and to the rest of you waiting. Hopefully there's good news for all!

That's amazing Boseph! Congratulations!

I've been awake for an hour and a half and I've only checked my email four times (six times)

We did have a good conversation about the assistantship options available and he handed me a folder with a letter from him that mentioned the financial package in it.

@Boseph16 I didn't get any such email after my URTA interview with Alan...

I think the hardest part about the waiting is reflecting back on my interviews, picking them apart, and overthinking every little thing I could have done better.

@Coffeelover27 Did you log in to SPIRE and click on the link on the right labeled "Check Status of Application Materials." the page that comes up should tell you that the admissions office has reviewed your documents and tell you what your status is. Here is what mine says: " Your application to the graduate program in Theater for the Fall 2017 semester was processed by the Graduate Admissions Office on January 17, 2017. As of January 17, 2017, the status of your application is applied. The Graduate Admissions Office has processed the credentials listed below in support of your application: " The word applied is a link that when clicked on provides that particular admissions office's definition of "applied" in this case: "Applied Your application has been forwarded to the graduate faculty in your desired program of study for their consideration. At the present time the Graduate Admissions Office is awaiting the conclusion of that review process and the recommendation in regard to your admission. Depending on the size of the applicant pool, it typically takes six to ten weeks from the application closing date for the faculty to make their admissions recommendations known to the Graduate School. In turn the Graduate Admissions Office makes decision letters available in SPIRE within 4 business days of the receipt of the admissions recommendations. " I'm hoping that yours says the same thing. Hope this is helpful!

@Coffeelover27 Welcome! As far as UMass goes, apps were due on Jan 15 and their website says to allow 6 - 8 weeks for faculty to review apps. Have you checked the SPIRE page to see the status of your application? Mine says that it was sent to the theatre department for review. I can't say for certain, but it looks like we might hear from them around the end of this month. Fingers crossed! @GunningForGrad I am not enjoying the wait either. I also thought about how funny it is that our deadlines are so early and we find out results so late. I guess it's just one of those necessary evils, though. -sigh-

Hey everyone. Sorry for the radio silence. Been incredibly busy with my own work. I had my URTA interviews with Iowa and East 15 in NYC on the 21st. I, like @Boseph , absolutely loved my Iowa interview with Alan MacVey. He was very personable and complimentary of my work and understanding of the challenges that I am facing coming from an education background. I am trying not to let my hopes get up too high. I know that he has and will be interviewing lots of really strong candidates. I'm honored that I got to be one of them! Definitely the top pick for me as well! East 15 was a very strange interview. First of all URTA gave me the wrong room number, so I waited outside the wrong room for 30 minutes. I heard voices on the other side of the door so I let it go for another 5 minutes or so before finally knocking and finding out it was not the right room. So I went down to the URTA table to find out which room I was supposed to be interviewing in (now 15 minutes late for my interview, mind you). No one was there. I hung around for a few minutes with no URTA rep showing up. Finally I went down to the front desk of the hotel and had them call his room so he could tell me where to go. By the time I got up there I was already 25 minutes into my 40 minute window, so we just sat down while he rapid fired interview questions at me. Very impersonal, very weird feeling. Mostly it confirmed the feelings I already had going into it that East 15 maybe wasn't the right fit for me. All my other applications have fallen flat, except one which I am still waiting to hear from - University of Massachusetts Amherst. Their applications were due on Jan 15 and the website says it will take at least 6 weeks to process, so, I guess I'll hear about that one in a month or so. Anyway, that's my update. Hope everyone else is having a successful time! Great work everyone!

That is solid advice, and oddly comforting. Thank you!

Hey everyone! It's crazy to see stuff happening! I'm so pumped and nervous for all of you! I'm gearing up for URTAs this coming weekend. Those of you who have done this before, what sort of questions should we be preparing for for these interviews? Is there anything else we should be expecting that we might not anticipate? I am working my way through the threads from the last couple of years to try and get a feel for it. Obviously our theatre experience over the last however many years is ultimately the best preparation for these interviews. But I will take any sage advice from the more experienced among us on what you wish you would have known before going into the process.

Hey folks! So excited to see you guys getting interviews. I got interviews with Iowa and East 15. I'm still pretty leary of East 15, especially after talking to Boseph about studying in the UK, but it's cool that I got an interview. I applied to two others but didn't get an interview, which I have no problem accepting, except I am now wondering if they even got my materials. Iowa and East 15 sent confirmation emails letting me know they received my info within 12 hours of me submitting. I never heard anything from Indiana or Illinois. If I didn't get interviews with them because they're not interested in me that's fine, but if I didn't get an interview because they didn't receive my info then I would be a bit irked. Would it be advisable for me to just drop a quick note to the reps of each of those programs this late in the game to make sure they had the chance to see my packet? Or would I be better off just letting it go? Are any of you going to New York for URTA? I hope you all have Happy Holidays!

@Loose.tap.screws Oh yeah. I must have missed that note when looking at their website. I see it now. They'll be recruiting for the 2018 program next year. Shame. I, too, have been eyeballing that program for years now. Boston was a close close third place for non urta schools this season. Looks like it gets the second place spot now. @Boseph16 I did notice that the list seemed kind of skimpy. I didn't see the list of last year's programs, so I have nothing to compare it to, although there were several programs listed on the URTA site with a note that directing programs were available. Guess those programs just aren't recruiting this season. I'm putting the finishing touches on my common packet for URTA. I finally got my last letter of recommendation this evening. I'll be submitting everything in the morning. I am working on my letters for Iowa and Indiana. I think I might shoot one to UC Irvine as well. I have some pretty strong reservations about East 15 especially after reading that @Boseph16 and friend seemed to have less than positive experiences studying in the UK, but I may submit to them anyway. If I get an interview I will hopefully be able to get a better idea on whether or not it would be a fit for me. I will be working on my application materials for Northwestern and Boston over the next couple of weeks and hopefully submitting them by the 17th of this month. (One is due at the end of this month and the other in the middle of next month). Good luck to everyone! p.s. Sorry for the double post up there. I can't for the life of me figure out how to delete it, or even edit it. The option just isn't there.

Hello @Boseph16 Thanks for the insight on studying in the UK. I was a little hesitant about the East 15 program. It didn't quite seem like what I was looking for, but I thought I would at least send them a packet and see if i can get an interview. I would be interested to know specifics as to why your friend would be unable to recommend E15 to anyone. Hi @Directorial I remember seeing your posts in the 2016 thread. Reading through that thread was very helpful to me in my preparations for this process - and feeling like i could do it! I am wondering if I should be choosing a couple of schools that aren't part of URTA and apply to them as well. I remember reading somewhere that applying to multiple programs is a good idea because it shows the schools you are interested in that you are serious about going to grad school. Any insight on that, Directorial? The Iowa program is very exciting to me for all the reasons Boseph listed and more. I am jealous that you were able to make it out there, Boseph. As far as non URTA programs, I am looking at Northwestern and University of Washington. Question regarding the common packet: Is there a format of some sort I should be following when writing my directorial philosophy and professional goals?