SocialKonstruct

Just got into the Artist's Residency Program at SVA this summer so looking forward for some productive months In two years I will look at my list of grad schools to apply but sadly enough since the process is not transparent, it seems to be a very shotgun type of approach to finding a place. Visiting a place or an open house does not ensure a spot in the MFA program however. The question is how much anecdotal experience can validate this process (I remember that when I applied to my MPH back in 1999 I only looked at 8 programs.)

I think that Thomas Pynchon and Don Delillo would be rolling in their graves if they saw this :D. Don't forget that novelists who are full-time make it using book tours and book readings which work well. Also you would have to be a completely kick ass novelist to make it full time. Which is why being a professor is awesome.

I spent here a year and a half in Purdue for a Biochemistry PhD track and it was an interesting place. Definitely need a car and it's so dirt cheap to live in. Unfortunately there really isn't much to do on campus. You had to drive or bum a ride (we didn't have Uber back then) to get a flick in a theater. The university library isn't the greatest for bibliophiles. If you are a science major and have a family this is a great but honestly for urban folks, I really wouldn't recommend coming here for a long period of time.

Loved Philadelphia but sadly enough the crime was horrid, particularly in South Philly and Kensington where I was almost killed a few times there. The folks I knew who attended U Penn lived out in West Philly. If you are lucky Center CIty is a kickass area to live in. Lots of art galleries, awesome food (Starr Restaurants), and even a fairly vibrant Chinatown makes this a worthy place to be. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a most awesome collection to check out (and not just the Rocky thingey). If you don't drive don't live too far out. Prices are getting cheaper to live in Philadelphia since 2004. I think most folks migrated out to Doylestown or to NYC... but as a graduate student the U Penn scene and the concomitant bookstore are fabulous. Check out the ICA museum on campus too. It's fly and fresh with some of the best contemporary art you can dig.

I was a former Chancellor's scholar at Vanderbilt University and Nashville was pretty interesting in the 1990's. It is not an overtly racist place but if you part of a minority or LGBTQ group this is not a great place. People tend to be very conservative and elitist. Vanderbilt was alright but I made no friends during my 3 years there and I graduated early because the professors were super nice but I could not deal with the lack of social scene. Food choices were all right but honestly the lack of cultural diversity is pretty glaring. I moved up to Indiana which was a tad better but Philadelphia and New Haven were my fondest memories. Sadly enough... most students were very materialistic. Obsession with weekend parties, fast cars, and loud blaring dorm music were very distracting for studious folks. You probably would be better hiding in the awesome Vanderbilt library which was my best memory there.

Salt Lake CIty, UT. I haven't driven in 8 years and the U of U campus is so easy to access via TRAX. Huge plus for those who hate driving like I do.

I grew up here as a child and hated it there. Very racist and had to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. My mom moved away from there last year and I am grateful. It's very conservative and there really isn't anything to do. Only one movie theater and it's honestly awful without an independent cinema. Definitely safe and cheap to live but without any activities, Nashville is your best bet. I don't recommend the place especially if you are part of a minority or LGBTQ community.

I loved my three years or so I lived in New Haven. I remember Cutler's and Toad's (which is still there). The crime was purportedly bad and honestly, it's a false perception (considering that we have worse criminals in the White House now) I am glad for my experience because it is racially diverse and Yale is not as insular as one would think. Unfortunately at the time I was there, sushi options were limited I hope that changed by now. It's a walkable place if you live on campus or slightly off campus. Housing is affordable but it's a nerdy/intellectual town. I don't know if it's snooty however.

I love it here and I own a house in Midvale. Cheap and affordable living. I attend the U of U for a 2nd bachelor's degree atm.

GPA's in my opinion are pretty worthless. For example, I would admire a person who got 2.5 in three quantum mechanics course over a 3.75 with an outdoor recreation course in terms of workload and immense difficulty. It's very relative... and many committees know that...

Got into two more group exhibitions this end of the month. One in Brooklyn and the other in New Jersey. And those are physical exhibitions.

I went to Yale and had acquaintances at the Divinity School. It was pretty awesome and they are very open-minded. Definitely ideal for comparative religion.

The question is if online learning becomes the predominant method for 2-3 years then should one defer 2-3 years for graduate school?

I assume you are in a MFA painting program?

I will be 46 when I apply for my MFA in 2 years... (I already have a MPH from Yale back in 2001)