niftypainter
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Posts posted by niftypainter
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16 minutes ago, aparas33 said:
I’m not sure what this means but I’m thinking it’s a rejection? Sculpture dept:
Thank you for applying to Bard MFA. The Graduate Committee and Faculty have carefully reviewed all applications and selected approximately 12 candidates per discipline to interview on March 2nd. I am sorry to say that you were not selected for an interview on March 2nd.
Please know that the admissions and acceptance process will take some time. Your application is now and will remain in good standing until final decisions have been made. At any point in this process you may be notified of a change to your application status.
Thank you for your patience. We send you every wish for continued good work.What do they mean good standing? I’m a little confused lol
Is this the waitlist for the interview? Like whet
That’s what my Bard email said too. I took it as a rejection. I suppose if all extended offers are declined, they will go back into the application pool. So it’s not a straight up rejection I guess? ??♂️
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Bard painting rejection today, via email.
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On 2/18/2019 at 12:40 PM, Lemon2Lemonade said:
Low-Residency programs are relatively a new concept. Students worry about several points with this option:
1. Recognition of your degree: Somehow they might be seen as less prestigious than full-residency programs that include teaching assistantship positions. This however, is a matter of personal preference. A good idea is to talk with your academic advisor seeking professional feedback. Also make sure that they are accredited programs (e.g. NASAD accredited, click on the NASAD title for your Institutions credentials and accreditations)
2. Time invested in a low-residency program is longer than in a full-residency program. They usually last 2 academic years and 3 summers, though some programs last longer. They could be up to 3 academic years and 5 summers. Each campus stay could be between 4 weeks and 8 weeks or longer.
3. The idea that you have all year to do your studio work and only meet for a few days in the summer is a myth. You spend all year round working with on-line courses which are usually Contemporary Theory, Art History, Art Criticism and these are hard work since they involve papers, readings, sometimes midterms and finals. You do these on top of your studio work that is required.
4. Depending on which Institution is offering the Low-Residency MFA, the studio work is done during the academic year with a "Mentor" that could be
- (a) of your own choosing in your geographic location. He/She must be approved by your MFA Institution meaning they are usually required to have an MFA degree and some experience teaching, and it could be really hard to find a full-time artist that has those requirements in place
- (b) chosen from a list that your Institution has on file for your geographic location.
- (c) virtual tutoring by the faculty at your chosen MFA Institution. Meaning the Chair or other faculty meet with you virtually and have some set requirements for you to follow.
5. Cost: They are much more expensive than a full-residency option! This was a total surprise for me. They seldom offer financial assistance, so tuition/fees/others are on you. To that you must add cost of lodging/food/transportation expenses for each time you are required to visit and stay at the Institution. Actually some do not even offer housing (e.g. Lesley U. in Boston which could be daunting to find temporary accommodation). Most places have set dates. For instance January (4 weeks), summer (8 weeks) and these could be done up to 8 times during the whole program. Some programs start the summer before and end the summer after. How are you going to transport your art back and forth? Are you a sculpture artist? Will your ceramics survive? Do you have large paintings? How about installing/uninstalling installation art?
Here are some programs, but there are many more, so feel free to add to this list:
Lesley U in Boston (provides a set list of Mentors)
Vermont College of Fine Arts (has recently changed professors amongst its faculty)
SAIC (very new)
Bard College (the most expensive of them all)
PAFA (virtual Mentoring accepted only with their own faculty)
Wilson College in PA (NOT NASAD ACCREDITED)
MECA Maine College of Art
Low-residency MFAs are said to be for "the working artist who cannot relocate", however some things to ponder are: how you can pay this without having a full time job at the same time? And will you have time to devote to all that is required every semester/summer non-stop for 3+ years?
It is just a matter of preference, really. Please do your research. To me it was just a matter of not finding a full-funded low-residency MFA, but for others it might be the perfect solution. Hope this info helps!
@Portola I would say that @Lemon2Lemonade is pretty spot on from the research i've done. I applied to 5 low-res mfa programs. I'm a high school art teacher, 10 years out of undergrad, and I've maintained a regular studio practice, so the low-res format works best for me at this point, especially because I'll be able to maintain my full time teaching position and travel to the campus during my summer breaks. I applied to Bard, SAIC, SFAI, PAFA, and Northern Vermont University @ Vermont Studio Center. The biggest drawback that I'm realizing for most programs (aside from Bard) is that you are working with a limited summer faculty. Of course there are other pros/cons of both formats, but the low res is ideal for people in my position and just as rigorous. So far I've been accepted to PAFA (50% scholarship), interviewed at SFAI, and got a rejection from SAIC. Still waiting on Bard and NVU.
MFA 2019 Freak Out Forum
in Visual
Posted
I graduated with a BFA and an Art Education degree and accepted a teaching job right out of undergrad. I fully intended on going back for my MFA, but after 2 years of collecting a salary and benefits while still paying off my student loans from undergrad, it no longer seemed rational to leave my new career to go back to school and take on more loans. Which is why I’m now applying to Low Res MFA programs 10 years later. I’m now financially comfortable, can keep my job, and have a decent salary to balance out the debt. With that said, I still would have preferred doing a traditional full residency program when I was younger and I regret not doing it. But it just didn’t seem like a practical option at the time. The cost of some of these programs really is insane.