SQFunkis

With the applications out of the way, I've had plenty of time recently to obsess about what I'll do if I'm not accepted anywhere or don't get a feasible offer (I'd give it a 35-40% chance, at minimum). I'll probably be fairly dysfunctional right away, but I imagine I'll come around after a few weeks. I've got a decent job, which I can keep for another year, and I suppose I'll just keep working on my portfolio for next season. I'm a little concerned that without access to a workshop I won't be able to produce much new work, but there are a few pieces that I might like to shoot over again and some different portfolio arrangements that I'd like to try out, so I should have plenty to do either way. That sounds like a plan. Hopefully, we won't need to put them into effect.

There seems to be a pattern. My undergrad transcripts were sent to UNM on December 9 and 16, and neither of them made it to the department until January 10 (granted, they may not have had office hours if they were on break). Your missing letters might be floating around somewhere in their campus mail system. I'm sure they've got quite a lot of material to process.

Somewhere in the sculpture neighborhood: Wisconsin at Madison Illinois at Chicago North Carolina at Chapel Hill New Mexico San Jose State Hopefully we'll all be able to make it through the next couple of months. Good luck to everyone.

Here's what I've got: Wisconsin - Madison Illinois - Chicago North Carolina - Chapel Hill New Mexico San Jose State My girlfriend has our mailbox key, and that's probably the only thing keeping me from checking it 10 times a day. Even so, the next couple months will be tense. At least we're not alone.

That's definitely a part of it, but it's also important to give them a sense of context. Most of these essays are really asking for you to explain why you need to make your work the way you do and how that particular program will help you to do it, so it should be more than just an expanded description of your pieces. It can be helpful to have a few specific examples, but those examples should always be dealt with in reference to your work as a whole. That kind of framing is critical. There's not necessarily any single formula to follow, so you can tailor your essay to fit your strengths as a writer. As long as you can get the admission committees to understand how your work fits your perspective, and how that perspective fits their department, you should be alright. I don't know how well I've explained this, but hopefully it helps.

I meant University of Illinois at Chicago

A lot of professors will probably tell you never to assume that your work speaks entirely for itself, so I've always found it helpful to have some sort of description ready, especially if you're dealing with a portfolio or a piece in a show. My work involves a lot of narrative detail that's not always totally evident from photos, so I like to write just enough to get the viewer acquainted with the concept without leading them through by the hand. Most schools seem to be just as interested in your concept and thought process as they are in the final result, even if it seems straightforward, so a good description will show them that you're able to think clearly about your work. As far as materials and methods are concerned, I only mention them in the blurb if it has any bearing on the viewer's understanding of the piece. Otherwise, I just list it along with the title/date/etc. I'm not a painter, but hopefully this helps a bit.

Illinois - Chicago is on the first.

Well, it's about that time. I've got about a month until the deadlines start hitting, so things are starting to come together. I've got my references lined up and given them their information, written a few drafts of my statement and I'm in the process of assembling my portfolio images and application materials. Here's my final list, in deadline order: Illinois - Chicago North Carolina - Chapel Hill Wisconsin - Madison San Jose State New Mexico I'm still struggling a little bit with my CV. I've been in a handful of shows during the past couple years, but I have no other field experience (teaching, fellowships/grants, publications, etc.). Is it acceptable to just fit the shows into my regular work resume, or is there another approach/format that has worked for anyone?

I've come across a number of schools offering post-baccalaureate certificate programs in the art/design spectrum, which might be another option for you. They seem to be mostly in the 1-2 year range, and focus heavily on portfolio development and preparation for MFA admission. It looks like that kind of program could be worthwhile for someone working towards the MFA from another discipline, especially if you already have a substantial portfolio and some experience in the field. I ended up going for a second bachelor's instead, so I can't give any first-hand information on any post-bac. programs, but it could be worth checking out.

Thanks to all for the advice so far. It's good to know what everyone else is up to. Here's my rough list, from North to South: Wisconsin - Madison Michigan - Ann Arbor Illinois - Chicago Tennessee - Knoxville North Carolina - Chapel Hill Georgia I'm at Illinois now, so it should be pretty easy to get information out of them, but if anyone has any experience or opinions concerning the others, I'd be glad to hear about it (I've got some visits coming up later this summer, but extra information is always helpful).

I've been lurking around these forums without registering for some time now, but application season is getting ready to strike and I'm starting to wig out. I was hoping I might be able to find some advice on the process (or at least find a few others who might cower with me). I'm sort of a non-traditional student (27 and working full-time through a second bachelor's degree), and I'm feeling a little under-prepared at the moment. I've been doing a some research over the last year and I'm closing in on a rough list of schools to check out. I'll be visiting the places that are close to where I live now, but I worry that I won't get to see some of the others before the next semester starts up in august. I've been keeping tabs on possible references, and should be able to get that settled around the end of the summer. I've also been working on a couple basic statements that I can use as outlines and tailor to each school/application as necessary. The portfolio is giving me some trouble, but it seems to be an issue of whittling everything down (I tend to do sculpture/installation work, so I'm working on getting the point across with just one or two images per piece) rather than theme and continuity. My basic plan is to finish as much of the administrative work as I can over the summer, then use the fall to clean things up and tie the loose ends. I've been going over this plan in my head for months, but I keep thinking I'm missing something big. Is there anything major I've overlooked, or another angle that's worth investigating? Is anyone else out there as terrified as I am? Thanks in advance for any advice. PS - This is pretty long-winded, sorry.