DitDot

I eventually decided to go with RCA xD, since I like the location more. I didn’t email any of the alumnus in the same program yet, planning to find one to ask about the overall atmosphere at school and such. Thanks for your advices!

I've been accepted to their painting program in March 12, hope the information helps ;D

Got accepted by RCA Painting!!!! I also received an interview request from Goldsmiths Fine Art this morning!!!! Exciting!!!!

I am struggling with a similar decision and it’s definitely keeping me up at night! Since most people on here are saying to not go into debt, I thought I would share the flip side I have heard from several different artists who got their MFAs from middle/lower tier programs for free. They told me to really evaluate what I want out of the program because if it IS to be an artist (not choosing teaching out of scarcity mind set/stability) then the connections really do help you at the top schools. Of course some people who go to Yale end up working at a restaurant and creating and some people who dont ever get their MFA can support themselves with their work. Looking at the success of the recent alumni and location (which is important!) can be really helpful to see if it’s worth it for you. Or maybe speaking with someone who has loans and went to a top 3 school...? I have no idea what to do either...I guess I’m just sharing what I have heard from most of the grads I’ve spoken to. Overall evaluating your true goals for getting an MFA is helpful in making a decision. 

SAIC Skype interviews are happening today right? I wish everyone on this forum does great! 

Please do not worry!!!! Every experience is different. Plus there is a GREAT chance that you will NOT get the same interviewers.  Both of my friends are English-native speakers so language was not an issue. Also know that interviewers are usually very empathetic and do not expect you to be perfect at a second language. Just get your message across, and show that you understood the question. If they give a negative critique of your work, they might be trying to see how well you react under pressure or how receptive you are to criticism. KEEP STRONG!!!! Remember, they call you to interview because they liked your work. Your work is strong to them so stand by it.

Hi everyone, I am a current BFA student at SAIC, and I am surprised that many of you got rejected for its MFA program. I didn't apply SAIC for graduate school because Chicago has a very limited professional resource for any types of studio artists though it is a good school with great facility and faculty members, especially in Painting and Photography. I had classes with the current chair of the painting and photography department, and their works are certainly amazon. 
However, I am sick of being in Chicago for four years, and I primarily applied to schools in the UK. 
As far as now, I have applied to RCA, Goldsmiths, and Chelsea. I interviewed RCA sculpture ten days ago, and I had a very bad experience with the arrogant faculty members, but haven't received any response yet. However, I got into Chelsea College of Arts, and it is a 15-month program, so its tuition is almost half of the others. But I guess Goldsmiths might be the ideal one. Anyone apply Goldsmiths so far? 

Just received an email for an interview at Columbia College Chicago (Photo)

Got an interview invitation from MICA 2-yr GD!

Final Tally:
RISD : Accepted with 17500/year
Columbia: Rejected without interview lol
UCLA: Rejected
SVA: Accepted
NYU: Accepted
SAIC: Accepted with near full-ride (gotta pay 2500~ a year)
CalArts: Accepted with 22k/year
 
Well thats it and It looks like I'm headed to SAIC  They also gave me an additional 8k in work-study so with a side hustle I'll be able to pay for rent & food. Shouldn't come out with much debt.
Overall, pretty happy with how it turned out!

There's a thread of common interview questions here: 
 
 
Good luck!
 

got a call from Yale earlier today, was accepted to their MFA for painting  

FULL RIDE TO SAIC !!!! (tuition wise that is)
That pretty much concludes my whole application process, SAIC was one of my top choices, went there, loved it and the finances make it an easy choice. After an early rejection/silence from Columbia, bad interviews at the start, thought I was done for but so glad and relieved it came out like this. 
 

I want to tell something,hope to be useful. You need to create an Instagram while you are studying arts, it'll be good portfolio and advertisement of yourselves. Also it can be an interesting blog with information about studying. And another reason - you can earn money for life by your account. I advise you to get some help for beginning  
zen-promo.com/instagram_promotion_canada

I'm sure you all saw this post in The Lobby
What do you say we start a game in here?

I'll start--

Back Pain

Here are two useful tools for people wondering about school timelines for accepting/rejecting candidates!
Grad Cafe has a feature where you can search your schools to see when applicants report being accepted, rejected, or interviewed (and if it was by phone, email, or snail mail): https://thegradcafe.com/survey
You can also check out the College Art Association's directory of graduate programs in the visual arts. They post an annual directory with over 300 art schools including info on admissions statistics, when you should hear back, etc: http://www.collegeart.org/pdf/publications/CAA-directory-visual-arts.pdf
Good luck everyone!

Someone (@stitcher) posted about this in last year's forum, and I thought these questions were super helpful even when trying to write my artist statement: 
Interview questions:
*Why do you want to come here and how could you contribute to the program?
Tell us about the materials you are working with.
How do you incorporate your audience in your work?
What is risk in your medium?
*What are your passions besides your art?
Question related to artist statement
Tell us about your work informally
Talk about how your materials/medium relate to your subject matter
Have you ever considered expanding beyond your medium?
*Do you have questions for us?
How are you different than other artists?
Create a 3 item agenda for your interview.
How does your work fit in with the contemporary art world/scene?
*Why do you want to go to this school?
Why do you want to go to grad school? Why now?
What resources of this program will be the biggest benefit to your development as an artist?
*What is your work about?
What are your influences?
What for you constitutes a good work of art?
What draws you to a piece of work?
What motivates your work?
Who are your main influences?
*Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
What do you think is a good critique of your work/bad critique?
Why/how did you choose the people who wrote letters for you?
*What do you do for fun?
What artists do you like?
What artists who are no longer living influence you?
**What book are you reading right now? What do you think about it?
What are you working on right now?
*Please explain this work  (interviewer showing work)
What is your favorite piece of art? Why? (Title, artist,year)
Can you describe yourself, such as personal habit, etc.
Do you get along well with others ?
What would you bring to a group dynamic ?
*What can you offer this program? Any special skills?
What do you think is a good way of critiquing ? a bad way?
What other aspects of culture influence your work besides art/art history?
*How do you see yourself taking advantage of this school’s enviroment/program?
What exhibition have you been to in the last year?
What have you done since you’ve graduated?
What contemporary artists are you into, and why?
Tell us about the conceptual underpinnings of your work?
Talk about your process.
How is your work related to *this movement*?
What do you think about (artist, movement, subject/topic)?
What can't you stand? Why?
What do you think about your own work?
How do you want your work to develop?
Why are you making the work you're making, and why do you want to keep doing it?
Meaning behind your subject matter?
Why grad school, why now?
Who is your artist nemesis?
Do you have any designer that you admire or a movement that you like?
Why did you choose our program?
Do you have any ideas what your thesis project would be about?
Why use arcane techniques in digital age?

I'm 3 for 3 of the people I contacted in the same university. The first responded within two days, the second took almost a week, and the third replied about 20 minutes after I sent the email. I scheduled a phone call with one for tomorrow! 
Generally, I introduced myself by name, said I was graduating with my MA and from where, and added which program I was applying to and where.  I asked if they had time to discuss my research and how it could fit in with the program and that I thought my research could benefit from their expertise. Then I briefly said what I was interested in, how it related to something about their work that I'd read, and then I asked if they'd be at the AAAs in DC this year, and if so, if we could meet to chat about my research. Then I thanked them and said I looked forward to their response. 
Super easy! 

What I did is introduce myself and where I am at (e.g. I just graduated with my M.A. from *insert school*). Then I talked about the research I am interested in doing. Make sure to be detailed, but brief. Last, I talked about why I am e-mailing them (your interests in x, y, and z seem to align with the research I am interested in pursuing) and then asked questions (e.g. what type of research and students are you seeking to add to your program).

Accepted grad students: Could you share a piece of advice, a website, an advice article, or other piece of information that helped you the most when completing your applications?
 
I'll start: https://sites.google.com/site/gradappadvice/
This website, especially the application timeline page, helped me immensely. 

This is a very common question and it's not meant to be a trick question. They just want to know what other schools their applicants are also considering. The responses may not be linked to each person and might just be presented in aggregate for statistical purposes.
However, even if they use your specific response, I think it makes the most sense to be honest. Usually there is only space for 4 or 5 names, so don't name all of your schools if you are applying to like 12+. Just pick 4 or 5 that are both 1) similar in rank to the school you're applying to and 2) representative of your entire list. 
Very few schools will reject you because they think you're good enough for another place. This behaviour makes no sense, because why would they turn down a good student? All programs want the best fit students for themselves. However, the info can still be useful to the program. Programs generally need to make more offers than they have spots for, because the best candidates likely have more options and may not choose them. So if the school wants 8 new students, they might make 16 offers. But then if they see that their list of 16 offers are listing other top programs that typically "take" their students, then they might make one or two more. Or vice-versa, they might make fewer offers if their chosen candidates seem to signal that they will take the offer if given.

While this is a highly unlikely scenario, I agree that this could happen. However, I don't think any reasonable department would make a decision like this based on this single application question answer. They know that students might change their mind (or lie) on these questions, so I think it's way more risky for a department to make a decision based on this question alone than it is for a student to answer this question.
Instead, based on what I know about admissions, if your scenario comes true, then I think the department would likely:
1. Make both offers and take a risk
2. Don't make any offers until other offered applicants say no and open up enough spot to make 2 offers
3. Call the two candidates and ask them if they are still interested in their program
4. Flip a coin (or more realistically, examine other parts of the application and reweigh their decisions to decide based on that)
With some exceptions, schools generally want to make offers in batches and they can usually handle one (or more) fewer or extra person each year. Especially the top schools, like the one you name. It's not common for schools to make offers one-to-one with availalbe spots, they always have to take some risks and make more offers than spots. The reason why schools (especially good schools with $$) don't make exactly 5 offers for 5 spots is that they are likely to lose one or two applicants to another school and if they wait until they get those declines, it's likely the 6th and 7th candidate on their list will have already taken offers elsewhere. This is why they would make more offers than spots, to ensure they can get the best candidates they can get!

The other thing I will add is that if you want to ask about your chances, you need a lot more background on yourself- so many people post a GPA and GRE score, and then want advice- those really are the least important parts of your application.

Talk some about your research- how well you feel you fit into the groups where you're applying- your publication record and the potential for good letters of recommendation.

I will also add that listing schools probably isn't the best way to go about it- very few of us know much about departments at a lot of the schools out there- I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on my area, but there are around 200 PhD granting institutions, and a lot more that grant terminal masters degrees. It's better to ask for general advice on how you fit into the applicant pool, or even relative rankings.

Elaborating on my earlier point and what Strangefox posted, when I talk to my boss about his impressions of applications (he's on the admissions committee) research experience, a good idea for what you want to study, having that area fit with someone in the department, and enthusiasm are all what they want to see. If you're picking someone that is going to work for you for the next 5-7 years, you want someone that promises to be a hard worker, and enjoyable to work with. Show enthusiasm for your area and research and it will do well for you.

Hello,
I know the forum doesn't have much activity during this time of the year, however I am getting all my things together early/researching as much as I can due to my limitation of not being able to travel. I'm planning on applying this upcoming fall to a few different programs, mainly with a painting focus.
My question is for those of you who were accepted last year and have had a semester at your program can you give more insight? Getting most up to date information is important, rather than reading from experiences from lets say 2012. 
I'm interested in hearing everyones opinions, but the schools I'm interested in are:
Hunter
Yale
Iowa
Rutgers
SUNY Purchase
Tyler
Minnesota
Portland State
 
Cheers!