Loleagle

Yale is one of the only MFA programs that uses college board CSS to determine aid. This means that your parents assets are taken into account. Ofc someone who has parents who own their home has more privilege than someone with parents who rent but I’m not sure that means that the student is rolling in money. Some people have parents willing to contribute to their MFA but most don’t so that means debt for the student. Idk why people are so hyper focused on Yale on this account but yeah that’s why people have been saying not only does the student have to have no income but the parents too. And that is unique to Yale. Unless that has changed? I applied in 2020 & 21 and it was true then. Currently at another MFA now and was not asked about my parents (both are retired but own their home in socal so Yale would have likely meant a ton of debt for me). 

Unfortunately that is incorrect
from Yale’s website :
“The Yale School of Art requires all Financial Aid applicants submit parental information (must be submitted on CSS Profile) in order to be considered for Financial Aid. Only in extreme cases is this information waived. If you feel you have an extreme case for which parental information should be waived you can wait until receiving a formal interview before completing the Financial Aid applications, at which time the Financial Aid office can talk with you about the specific steps needed to support your case. Upon your acceptance a list of the necessary documentation will then be required to waive parental information.
Instances for which parental information is waived include: deceased parents, documented abuse that has resulted in estrangement or court-ordered separation, extreme estrangement (parent(s) are not reachable without going through severe measures), or abandonment which resulted in adoption, foster, or other family care.
Unwillingness, age, marital status, and other standards of dependency are not conditions for which the School of Art waives the requirement of parental data.”
 
…Yale does not use the same standard of dependency as taxes…

Well I would be very curious if Yale is breaking the law. I quoted the website but I’m also getting my information from the online open house where the financial aid office answers questions. I attended the open house twice and the question about parental assets was asked . They do consider your parental assets in their determination of aid regardless of whether you are claimed as a dependent . They operate similarly to Columbia GS (which was my undergraduate college). I have plenty of 30+ year old friends at Columbia gs with children and/or spouses who receive little grants because of their parents income. You can call yale financial aid and verify. Maybe things have changed.
Not trying to be rude but just trying to back up the statements people have been making about Yale being a huge financial decision for more people than is typical at an mfa. 

I understand the difference between independent vs dependent . 
 
im just trying to say that in the open house I attended someone asked : I am an independent , over 30 , my parents do not claim me on their taxes. Will their assets be taken into consideration in my aid and the financial aid officer said yes because Yale feels that is more equitable. If you want to point me to the federal law that requires schools to only take the independent person’s finances into consideration for distribution of endowment funded money. I can send it on over to Yale. But I’m pretty sure that private schools can distribute their endowment in whatever way they think is most equitable. Government subsidized loans is a different story. You can call Yale and ask them ? Idk this is not that a big a deal to me but you can read peoples’ posts in past years’ forums who were very upset about Yale’s financial aid determination. 

The drama school is free. I have 4 friends at Yale MFA visual arts and no one is fully funded. Although they all get aid.

Has anyone heard anything from Skowhegan ?

I graduated in spring 2020 so I can’t speak to post lockdown things but …in spring 2020 students were still complaining constantly about faculty. They had almost no access to Sarah sze and Justine kurland and 1/3 of adjunct faculty are recent columbia MFA grads (which was fine for me as an undergrad). The studio situation was slightly better because they put netting across all the ceilings . but hopefully that has improved and hopefully they can connect you with current students. 

I did visual arts undergrad at columbia and I’m currently at hunter & bard MFA . Bard hasn’t been amazing lately but I think it will be really good this summer. Columbia is a very very diff vibe than bard so just depends what you are looking for. On a $ note —I’m doing hunter and bard for less than the cost of one year at columbia MFA so it is a very pricey school.

I graduated in spring 2020 so I can’t speak to post lockdown things but …in spring 2020 students were still complaining constantly about faculty. They had almost no access to Sarah sze and Justine kurland and 1/3 of adjunct faculty are recent columbia MFA grads (which was fine for me as an undergrad). The studio situation was slightly better because they put netting across all the ceilings . but hopefully that has improved and hopefully they can connect you with current students. 

Was definitely not expecting to hear back yet, but I just got an interview email from UCLA (painting and drawing).

Just got an interview for Yale painting also! Very exciting news!

Yale interview decisions are out!! Very relieved to say I got an interview. Was also rejected from SAIC the other day, so this really makes up for that ?

This isn't specifically directed at anyone because I've seen like three different people ask for this same thing already, but I just want to say that none of us have made our personal names and info public while we're on these forums and we should not expect other people to do so and especially to attach their names, publicly, to their traumatic experiences for us.
If you believe what is said, then believe it. If you don't, then don't, but we don't need to push for someone's name to prove anything. It's just incorrect to assume that there is nothing left to lose and no further retaliation possible in any situation, especially one that none of us are directly involved in. It is not just a matter of owning what you're saying or being willing to prove it. It's often a matter of safety. So you can take the information that's given and think of it however you do, and also respect someone's privacy for their safety and emotional well-being. 
I understand wanting more info and further understanding, but people have limits and boundaries to what they are comfortable with sharing for good reasons too, not just insidious ones, and I'm going to err on the other side of it. 
 

***

Uh- no.
I’m hesitant to even engage in you because your management of this forum seems borderline trolling and harassing to begin with.
I am a survivor of sexual assault who has been retaliated against in their career for participating in a Title IX investigation by CMU.
How would saying a name make my story more believable anyway?
I could say my name is Jon Burroughs or Emily James-you still would not have to believe me unless you care to. The purpose of what I’m sharing isn’t to convince you of anything insidious.
What happened to me is real, it was horrific and a nightmare, so please don’t harass me and try to “out” me. What, do you think I’m the dean of Yale trying to up my application count by badmouthing another school?
 
The only motive I have is to help other people not make bad decisions. Carnegie Mellon’s School of Art misadvertises its program, and tricks students into accepting. The faculty- Suzie Silver, Paolo Pederecinni, Melissa Ragona and others, are abusive and unhelpful. I am one of many students who have had a horrible experience in the program and many of my colleagues had the same sentiment.
 
That’s all.

I would look through last years forum? I think that I remember people were getting off waitlists as late as July for a fall start

Hi, I got a similar response from Yale (they asked me to reapply in the rejection letter)...I was able to ask a professor who used to be on the admissions committee at Yale and she said that they are saying this because they really do want you to reapply and that this means they will remember your name. My letter also specifically mentioned that they wanted to see more development of my work. I think especially if you have her email it is a great idea to respond. many MFAs that I know get into their top choice the 2nd or 3rd time they apply so this is a great sign:) good luck.
'

Hi, I got a similar response from Yale (they asked me to reapply in the rejection letter)...I was able to ask a professor who used to be on the admissions committee at Yale and she said that they are saying this because they really do want you to reapply and that this means they will remember your name. My letter also specifically mentioned that they wanted to see more development of my work. I think especially if you have her email it is a great idea to respond. many MFAs that I know get into their top choice the 2nd or 3rd time they apply so this is a great sign:) good luck.
'

Ugggggggggh . go away. stop externalizing your own issues onto people who are just trying to use this forum to share information. we are not babies we do not need a dad. go away
I am aware that Hunter students are struggling right now.  everyone is struggling right now. Like if you want to be a banker or work in tech just go do that. Or please start messaging people who are going to the $$$$ MFA programs. I know that arguing with trolls just eggs them on but please stop mansplaining. No one asked your opinion and in fact someone even made an account just to ask you to please stop sharing your opinion.

Ugggggggggh . go away. stop externalizing your own issues onto people who are just trying to use this forum to share information. we are not babies we do not need a dad. go away
I am aware that Hunter students are struggling right now.  everyone is struggling right now. Like if you want to be a banker or work in tech just go do that. Or please start messaging people who are going to the $$$$ MFA programs. I know that arguing with trolls just eggs them on but please stop mansplaining. No one asked your opinion and in fact someone even made an account just to ask you to please stop sharing your opinion.

Ugggggggggh . go away. stop externalizing your own issues onto people who are just trying to use this forum to share information. we are not babies we do not need a dad. go away
I am aware that Hunter students are struggling right now.  everyone is struggling right now. Like if you want to be a banker or work in tech just go do that. Or please start messaging people who are going to the $$$$ MFA programs. I know that arguing with trolls just eggs them on but please stop mansplaining. No one asked your opinion and in fact someone even made an account just to ask you to please stop sharing your opinion.

This is arguably the part that annoys me the most. If you have to forcefully insert your unsolicited opinions here and hijack this forum as your personal outlet, at least have something new to say...
For someone who wants to convince us that we ain’t as “special” as we think, they sure think they’re special enough ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

oh lord, all these aggressive attempts to evangelize this forum with "radical" thoughts are so exasperating. if you think we haven't heard it all before, or aren't living in the same world that y'all are........ girl, delusion.
i hear you all, but there comes a point where it stops being accessible and turns into people just getting off on listening to themselves think/speak. 
so much energy/potential in the wrong place..
xoxo
 

asking in earnest--what are you doing right now to transform society? (other than trolling this forum). besides abandoning the cult of academia or whatever, what kind of practical collective action do you suggest artists engage in? should we drop our paintbrushes, band together and go burn down some banks? alright i wrote that last sentence in jest but it doesn't sound bad upon second reading...
i've lived abroad for the last few years making paintings alone in a shack by the sea, and i'm from a hinterland city in canada with a tiny art scene, so the ego and money-driven NYC art thing is foreign to me... but i also have zero desire to go to the US and play that game, i guess for essentially the same reasons you mention. i just want to make paintings, and a funded MFA seems the best way to do that. i think there is value in spending time developing my craft and trying to produce something that might be resonant with others, even though whatever benefit art might provide is abstract and impossible to quantify. do you think it's ethically irresponsible in this global context to want to pursue any kind of higher studies and we should focus our efforts only on organizing? 

BOB AVAKIAN ARE YOU ON THE MFA FORUM????
also....making fun of people for their dreams is not a show of love or solidarity.