XSX

I would like to add that the connections that MFA students get are top tier schools like Yale or Columbia are not always the kind of connections that best serve many artists' practices. For example, there are a lot of artists working in interdisciplinary approaches using themes related to race, ethnicity, gender / gender expression, disability, or sexuality. Having access to professionals (as faculty, or member of the university's larger art network) is one huge reason to get an MFA. I applied only to two schools - Temple (Tyler) and Concordia. I chose those programs because on top of relly liking the MFA faculty and city, those universities also have some sort of disability studies program, which is central to my developing art practice. Yale or Columbia don't have access to these connections and are not engaging in this theory within the university, so the connections those program provide are of no interest to me. My art practice would not thrive in a program that does not engage with the theory and/or themes which I am exploring. I needed to apply to universities where I could access professionals outside of the MFA program, in addition to Arts faculty, since there are literally no MFA faculty working on the themes I'm explore at any program that fit my other criteria. I know there are other artists who are in similar situations, and need a interdisciplinary approach to their MFA practice.

As prospective MFA students and/or recent BFA grads, we represent the next generation of artists. It’s our responsibility then to reconsider existing hierarchies and ideas of merit—and stay with me—imagine an art world without the need for MFAs. The discourse here about alleged top schools is oppressive, disheartening and frankly boring. It’s also very American to give value to rankings of dubious quality.
Some of us here will be spending $100,000+ on programs like Columbia—which is great—but we should be careful about enforcing the logic of our choices to others. The sunk cost principle would dictate that those who get a prestigious MFA would naturally re-enforce the system on others to justify the cost and labor, but I think we should be able to see past that.
I’ll be going to a “top school” this Fall but its value is really about my practice and how I can utilize the school’s resources. I mean, look at any good mid-tier gallery (which feed into the blue chip galleries once sales are proven) in NY and LA and you will see plenty of people from schools outside of the top 10 (US News has no idea about the art world) and lots of people without MFAs, too. 
Art schools don’t make their artists hot, artists make their art schools hot. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself or others about this myth of a top school.
I think we’re all trying to navigate our interests, faculty, price, where we’d like to live, and perceived prestige as we look at our next steps, but instead of using received wisdom, imagine your own path instead of relying on what has worked for others. Get in where you fit in, et al.

Hallelujah. Also, cannot believe the audacity and rudeness of someone speculating unasked as to why a specific person did not get into a specific program as if he has omnipotent insight into the minds of the prestigious faculty and overarching art world at large. And then to mansplain to a feminist artist why her brand of feminist art is unfashionable? I wouldn't want someone like this in a cohort with me. Please take several seats indeed.

Can we just let everyone on this forum shoot their shot despite what school they are going to. Everyone here has a different story with a different background and different schools fit different people for a million reasons. We get it that you are a curator at a gallery that you run who only looks at where people go to school-- but you are not indicative of the entire art world and we are all just trying to get where we are going. Just please, let everyone have a chance at finding what ever level of success they are happy with no matter what MFA program they do or do not end up in. Not everyone here is trying to become a billionaire business person disguised as an artist. Can we just calm the ego talk down a few notches and let it all go. 

Look, I think @scrambledmegs is upset (I would be too if I did bot get into my top choice school after a rigorous interview process) and I think it is best to put this discussion to rest. 
 
 

accepted to the university of Oregon!

I got an acceptance letter from VCU!(Painting)
I thought I was rejected since my interview was Feb 11th.
They said I will get significant funding package. But I am not sure of how much I can get.
Anyways the forum helped me a lot! Thanks! And good luck!

Just got an interview from USC! Excited but so damn nervous. 
(I feel like the bulk of the interviews are scheduled for the 8th of March)
according to the email: The review committee includes Edgar Arceneaux, Thomas Mueller, Ruben Ochoa, Jennifer West and Keith Mayerson, along with Nao Bustamante. 

got interviewed by Photomedia UW this morning. It went great, and I am really hopeful!
Questions they asked:
1) what is your work about and what is at stake?
2) would you like to teach and why? (or what kind of teacher you are?) 
3) what are you working on at the moment?
4) what art are you consuming right now?
5) why grad school now and why UW specifically?
6) a lesson from your life and what it taught you?
(maybe there was some other question that I forget)
It was kind of weird that they did not address my portfolio at all.
I really like their financial aid package and their faculty is really interesting and accomplished, BUT I am really worried that they are SO outlandishly conceptual and experimental as my work is abstract stylistically but it does not really stretch the medium. 
i had time to ask them 3 questions of my own (they accept only 3 students this year) 

I just got an interview invite from Bard painting

continuing to push the paint around while also obsessively check this forum and email every time i need to step back from what i'm doing. 

continuing to push the paint around while also obsessively check this forum and email every time i need to step back from what i'm doing. 

I got an interview request from goldsmiths! Had no idea there was a strike happening so that’s concerning. 
I also got an interview request for Tulane though I’m not sure if anyone else is applying there. Haven’t heard many people talking about it. 
NYAA scholarship offer was surprisingly good. Feeling more optimistic! Good luck everyone!

It is strange! In all honesty I’m not sure it is the right place for me in the long run, but it’s been my dream school for a while and I applied on a whim, so I’m taking it as a win to even get an interview! And also taking it as a win to get to talk to Stephanie because I really love her work
this whole process is so confusing lol

Hi Lisa, last time I applied to schools I got accepted to CalArts, and I visited for my interview. Evidently, I didn’t go at the end. Partially, it was because of the funding. It’s a very expensive school without great financial aid. I got about 1/3 of the tuition covered by scholarship, and that definitely was not enough for me, especially if I was gonna be living in California. I would be willing to take that amount of debt, for Yale MAYBE. I also visited Yale’s school of art, back then when you could do such things. Back to CalArts, I *really* disliked the vibe of the place. Current grad students were day drinking with the applicants to be interviewed. I have nothing against alcohol, but the whole vibe was seriously weird, and not good weird. I just feel like I had enough of that non-chalant, destructive, teen-like attitude in college. I take my studies very seriously, and the ambiance at the school seemed very naive, and not very serious at all. I saw the painting MFA thesis show and I really disliked everything I saw except for the work of one person, everything else seemed extremely derivative. Cherry on top: teachers confused my home country when interviewing in sort of racist fucked up way... 
Anyways, particularly in contrast to the vibe at Yale, or Northwestern, where I also visited, CalArts just seemed like freshman year in college all over again. Also, their students tend to be on the younger side in comparison to other MFA programs.
This is just my experience, in the painting department specifically.

I did like the faculty. And the setup was each faculty member asked me one question. Questions that were asked included: Why I wanted to go to grad school and why UW? How do you view your work in relation to the current political climate? What was a recent exhibition you saw that had an impact on your work? What was your most valuable thing learned during your undergrad experience? How do you imagine seeing your work 5 years from now?
Hope that helps? I'm assuming photo will have different questions. 

just got an interview request from univ of oregon, and was accepted to kent state last night!

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

my honest opinion is if you're committed to gaining knowledge and becoming a better artist then that's valid enough reason for an mfa at any school.
Every rejection makes you stronger. Life is inherently not easy.
Especially the life of a working artist.
If you've gotten an interview anywhere, I'd mention taking a brief moment to be proud of yourself, it's an accomplishment. If you haven't gotten an interview then perhaps take it as fuel to work harder. There's always room for improvement. Your best work is ahead of you and not in the present. 
From lurking on this site for many years, through many rounds of my own applications. The main source of dissatisfaction seems to be the the difference between expectation and reality. 
(end of rant)
ps. interview tip- get a friend to mock interview you, multiple times- so you get used to talking and answering the questions commonly asked in the interviews. This will get your ideas coherent and you will be able to speak fluidly. 
 

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

Plenty of successful artists right now that didn't go to Yale for grad school. Don't let this article, that I'm not discrediting at all, be a vector for success. There's also plenty of artists that have went to Yale and didn't get a "taste of the kingdom" upon exiting. It's all a crap shoot. 

I did not interview with painting but this is the response I got when I inquired about admission decisions. 
“Decisions are made over the course of February and March. It is a multipart process that includes different parts of Tyler and Temple, so it sometimes can be a bit drawn out.”