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KatieB1987

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  • Location
    San Francisco, CA
  • Application Season
    2017 Fall
  • Program
    Painting

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  1.    KatieB1987 reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  2.    KatieB1987 reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
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  4.    oliveoil reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  5. KatieB1987
    Hey all, it's been awhile! I'm hoping someone got great news they were waiting for because last week I emailed Tyler to give up my spot in their program, along with a full-ride scholarship, to go to Virginia Commonwealth instead. Visited VCU last week and loved every last thing I saw and learned about! Most impressive grad studios I've seen, excellent program, great faculty, Richmond is safe and happening, nicest students making all kinds of great work, and an overall welcoming vibe. I feel like I found the perfect school for all my needs. So stoked! @hastr683 I would pick Michigan for sure. I went there for undergrad and had an amazing experience. Ann Arbor is a super fun, safe, laid back town, the grad facilities are impressive (we're talking three times the studio space you'd get at UC Irvine), the funding they give grad students is impressive, the faculty are stellar, and the community is really tight. The difference in UCI is that it's in Irvine, and barely any of the grad students live in Irvine, they commute from LA, and are only there a few days a week (yes, many keep their LA studios while in school), therefore there isn't that tight knit of a community as most people expect from grad school. My 2 cents there, but honestly, cannot say enough positive things about Michigan. @cheeseball don't pay that much for grad school! That's crazy! Way too many funding opportunities out there to go into debt from pursuing an MFA. And finally, @Poodle-Doodle congratulations on your final decision! You're going to have a blast in Chicago!
  6.    Xndr reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  7. KatieB1987
    Thank you for your insight! I've visited Tyler and loved it, and am looking into visiting VCU this coming week so I can settle this debate sooner rather than later. It'd be great to be an easy train ride away from New York, but I also know that I'll likely be so engrossed in my program, that it won't really matter all too much if I'm more removed from all of that. Regardless, I feel like it'd have a great experience at either school... Just a matter of coming to the conclusion of what is best for me!
  8. KatieB1987
    Such a dilemma! I got a call from Ron at VCU this morning to tell me that I've been accepted to their painting program! They've offered to pay for my first two semesters, with a possibility of covering the third, a $5000 per semester stipend, and TA opportunities. Dang. I've been all pumped about attending Tyler with a full ride, and now I'm entirely thrown for a loop! Geez louise, it's going to be a big debate of a weekend Seeking any advice or insight you kind fellows have to offer!
  9.    Impartial reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  10. KatieB1987
    @wompwompwomp @leekrasner @sylviecerise This is for Tyler painting, though I know sculpture follows the same format, I just don't know exactly how many people they're accepting this year... What I think is taking Tyler so long is that they accepted five people initially, and they gave us each three weeks to decide if we were accepting that acceptance or not. If someone said no, then they're pulling from their next group of applicants. I don't know if those people get the same timeline, but basically, it sounds like the process is obviously getting pretty drawn out. I was accepted on February 3, and accepted on the last day that I could because I found out at such an early date compared to every other school, (gotta love these staggered timeline!), and despite Tyler being one of my top choices, I wanted to hear back from other schools too. So, if anyone else who was accepted February 3 waited until the 24th to tell them no, then Tyler accepted their #6 choice, and gave them some sort of deadline to say yes or no, leading to the radio silence situation that is happening right now. They sent out rejections in early February as well, so if you haven't heard from them yet, then you're probably still in the running. I've been in touch with a current first year and she said word on the street is that "three or four" of the allocated five have said yes. So especially for those of you who have gotten these awesome offers elsewhere ( @wompwompwomp congrats on the full ride to BU! And @sylviecerise Yale sculpture what's up?!), you should probably take those awesome offers because darn, those are fantastic programs! But here's hoping everyone hears from all their schools real soon because limbo is no fun at all. Theme today and always: these admissions' processes are bonkers.
  11.    Vespertine reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
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  15. KatieB1987
    @meghanmetier I heard back from my friend and she recommends asking for as much funding as Pratt can offer you, and said that they have an abundance of jobs on campus for grad students... anything from studio techs and shop monitors to desk work in the admissions/administrative offices. From what she said, tuition definitely is more than it should be, but the school really does what it can to help make things easier for you as a student. Also, she recommends being in touch with the admin to see what they can do for you in regards to housing, as there are housing options for grad students that will definitely be cheaper than what you'll find via Craigslist in Brooklyn. Hope that helps!
  16. KatieB1987
    Personally I believe that an application can only get stronger with more experience under one's belt. I wish you lots of luck next time around! I got a full ride to Tyler... pretty hard to pass up and I'm mucho excited about their program, so I accepted their offer! Hurray!
  17. KatieB1987
    I will hop right on it and report back! And honestly, you could make some good cash babysitting in New York... some people will pay $25-$35 an hour for sitters! Not too bad, especially if it involves being there while a kid sleeps and you're getting some reading done for class while getting paid
  18. KatieB1987
    Oh no! I certainly don't want to put anyone into a head spin! But it is a big decision, with a lot of factors involved. I'm obviously in the camp of believing that no one should have to go into serious debt to follow through with their art dreams. But sacrifices definitely are made as an artist. Clearly your expenses will increase moving from Iowa to New York, but I totally understand your desire to be part of an artistic community and soak up all that New York has to offer. Regardless, Pratt is such a great program. I have a good friend who is currently a first year in their painting program... I'd be happy to reach out to her and see what insight she has to offer in regards to dealing with high tuition and New York living costs. Truly hope Pratt emails you back with some good news!
  19. KatieB1987
    Oooh! You should absolutely go if you can! I got an advanced reader's edition of Sharon's book a few months ago (serious perk of working part time in a book store) and judging by how eloquently she writes, I can only imagine that she's an excellent and warm hearted speaker. Enjoy!
  20.    ESF2017 reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  21.    felixo reacted to a post in a topic: MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!
  22. KatieB1987
    @Artsy2017 If time and finances really are of the essence, then I would look very carefully at what MFA programs fit those needs. I don't know where you applied this year, but if finance is an issue then steer clear of anything in New York where your living costs will definitely be higher than other cities. There are great programs in smaller cities and towns where you could still easily take a train into New York to get your gallery/museum/big city fix. Also talk to each of the schools you are considering about financial support. Some offer more beyond tuition coverage, such as living stipends (for example, Tyler gives each of its students $4800 per semester as a living stipend. They're not making it rain, but it definitely helps). Ask schools what kinds of job opportunities they offer... many schools have positions for grad students to be studio techs, wood shop monitors, gallery installers, etc. Some schools pay for health care, or part of it. So, in short, call the schools you were accepted to and find out all you can about the possibilities to make things slightly easier for you financially. Also, if you decide to wait until next year, applying to residencies is a great option to still get some amazing artistic experiences. Best of luck! Here's hoping you can have your art cake and eat it too! @felixo So well said! And I totally agreed. Again folks, sorry to diverge for a bit, but I do think it's important to discuss the realities of taking on an MFA and what that means for your career. I'm sure we all wish it was a reality that getting an MFA equated a plethora of well-paying teaching opportunities in exciting locations, but unfortunately that's not the reality. Regardless, I think it's awesome to be witness to such a motivated bunch of artists from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences so revved up to take on grad school. As a supportive lil forum, I definitely appreciate this dialogue! @tugbamina_871 Congratulations on the acceptance to SAIC! It honestly sounds like it would be very difficult for you and your family, however, to raise a child while parents are in different parts of the country and one is in grad school. I know the "wait until next year" chorus isn't what you want to hear, but a great example would be a friend of mine who reapplied a second time and was offered a full ride to Yale, with a living stipend. I'm not saying that's what's going to happen for everyone, but there definitely is an advantage for those who have already been through the process once and have gained so much more knowledge from it (and from forums like this one!), and developed their work more, that their applications will be much stronger the second time around. Sounds like you need to do some thinking and decide if it's more important for you to dive into grad school right now, or rethink what schools you'd like to go to in order to make family life and finances easier. I wish you all the best, and seriously admire you for juggling a wee babe with the grad school process! @Poodle-Doodle YES! This book is fantastic! Sharon offers such great insight and advice, all the while making it very clear that yep, there is absolutely no one way to be an artist. And that's a beautiful thing.
  23. KatieB1987
    More than happy to support you! It sounds like you've had some awesome experiences before undergrad and that definitely has helped informed your work and where you want to go; not to mention being in school has been a tremendous catalysis for your work. Bravo! Honestly, whatever feels right to you is obviously the best path to take. I was only extending some advice because I hate seeing regret on friends' faces and wouldn't like that to be extended to yet another artist. The positive reception you've gotten is definitely something to be proud of. Glasgow would be an incredible experience, as would Purchase. And if you decide this year isn't right for you, you could always defer your acceptance, or give it another go next year. I'm just a strong advocate for artist's getting funding to take on grad school. But your gut feeling rules over anyone else's advice!
  24. KatieB1987
    By no means whatsoever am I advocating for being a barista and being hardened by the real world. I've actually never held a job like that, but serious props to those who have that kind of patience and can handle taking over complicated coffee orders. I don't have that in me. And never did I advocate for hardening in the real world. Delaying an MFA isn't costing you time at all. There are all kinds of experiences and growth to be had! For me personally, I worked for an artist, was the shop tech at a fantastic letterpress studio, and started my own company which successfully grew to a nationally distributed brand. I wouldn't trade those experiences in for anything, and they absolutely helped inform me on what I want out of a grad program and my career. Art is definitely not just a career for the hungry and poor (have you read all the recent articles asking "is art only for the rich these days?"). The advice I was giving comes from friends I have who got their MFAs from Cranbrook, VCU, Hunter, Columbia, and UCLA. All some of the very best graduate programs in the country. And they're still struggling. And a lot peg that struggle upon the fact that they jumped into grad school straight out of undergrad, when they thought they knew what they wanted and what path they wanted to take, and yet, years later are in a different place and wish they could do it over again in a different manner. Because for a lot of people, what your dreams are at 22 are very different that what they are at 28, 29, 30, etc. I am not demeaning anyone who chooses to go that route. It absolutely works for lots of artists. I am instead offering my two cents because this is a supportive group. I am coming from the perspective of having friends who are in tremendous debt from grad school, and art is one of the career choices that is most definitely not a guarantee to pay you back and make those loans an easy pay off. Getting an MFA is an awesome career choice! Duh! It absolutely requires time and financial sacrifice. However, there are so many options for going to grad school for free or for little money, rather than forking over tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. And sadly getting an MFA isn't a guarantee at getting a university teaching job, not to mention "higher income" that you speak of. I have friends that teach at VCU and get paid a mer $2500 per class. I have friends who are heads of their departments at respected art schools, and one who is head of the grad program at a major California university, and they still have side hustles to make ends meet. Art professors are some of the most under funded teachers in the higher education system. If you can go to grad school for free, you absolutely should, because there is zero guarantee that your work will sell or that you will get a teaching job (the field is at its most competitive it's even been, teaching jobs are incredibly hard to get these days). My advice was towards an individual who is in debate over going to grad school not only for the straight out of undergrad time track, but is an individual who is concerned about the debt they will take on. It's one thing to simply say just deal with the financial burden, and quite another to live it. Thank you to @felixo for your well stated views on this topic!
  25. KatieB1987
    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!
  26. KatieB1987
    HURRAY!!!! Congratulations!
  27. KatieB1987
    Oh it's so awesome what they're doing! So for all you folks feeling down and out that things are going quite the way you hoped this year, perhaps you could hang tight a few years and then manage to bask in the swanky new UCLA studios! But yeah, I know "just wait a few years" isn't remotely what anyone on here wants to hear!
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