CSElli

I unfortunately was rejected.

Actually... now that I think about it... not really. We ended up talking about the program when I asked questions, but the interview goes by so fast. I would suggest prepping for the question just in case. For example, in my case I enjoy the work the current students are making. I also researched the TriBeCa area. I hope your interview goes well. They really seem to be invested in their students!

Yes, I received an email last Wednesday. I think all the interviews today were for the painting department (but I could be wrong). I understand what you mean though. I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of schools and it’s so nerve-wracking! I wish you the best of luck!

I just finished my Hunter interview... and it went great! Andrea Blum and Tom Weaver asked thought provoking questions and were great listeners. I was required to screen share five images and walk them through the work. They had great follow-up questions and while they were on a time crunch, they were very polite about it. I asked almost all the same questions as I did in my MICA interview and they responded very positively. Even letting me know that if enough students are interested in a new program (like inviting alumni back for artist talks) then they are open to it. The interview was short (20 minutes) but the time felt valuable to me. I feel inspired and I may even start a new painting today! If anyone has a Hunter interview coming up, I hope you have a similar experience!

Thank you for the reference. I do have the director’s contact information, and I have actually interviewed with her before in 2018. I did not have the same issues in 2018. My question was mainly if I should mention to the admin (the one who emailed me the zoom link for the interview) to pass along my thanks to the director. Or if I should just say thank you and leave out that extra verbiage. Based on the responses I got, I think I will keep it short and sweet. If you have any suggestions about questions I should ask for Hunter, I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your insight!

Thank you for your response. I have already decided not to attend MICA due to my experience and others. Even though it was tough, I’m glad I had that experience. I got a new feel for the school before moving my whole life to a different state. I have a friend in the low residency MFA program at MICA and she loves it. Maybe this year interviews were odd because it was one on one. The funny thing is, I have actually interviewed with the MICA MFA director before in 2018 and did not have this experience. There were more people interviewing me however (including current MFA students). I was waitlisted in 2018, and decided to try again in 2021. If you have any questions about my experience feel free to message me. Especially if it helps you with your decision process. I wish you the best of luck with your future!

This forum has been so helpful for me. Thanks to everyone for being so supportive! I have a couple of questions I wanted your opinions on. At the end of my MICA interview, the MFA director (who is also an artist) asked me not to contact her about the interview or reach out to her personally. I would like to send a follow up thank you message, and I can send it to the administrator. Should I simply say, “Can you pass along my appreciation for the interview to the director?”. Also! I have an interview with Hunter this Saturday. What are some questions you like to ask at the end of your interview?

Thank you for reaching out. It helps to have some sort of validation because I keep going over the interaction in my head. Like logically I know I’m in the right, but emotionally I need to come to terms with that. I wish you the best on your future plans!

Ok, so I just had my interview with MICA. It was a one on one interview with the director. And it went really well... at first. She asked: How long have you been painting? What are your artistic strengths? What are your artistic weaknesses? Why MICA? What artists are you influenced by? What specifically do you like about those artists? Why do you like working with this specific painting medium? What was the most challenging question I asked you? Then came my turn to ask questions, and this is where is got strange. Q: Do alumni ever return as visiting artists? A: No never, maybe once in the last 10 years. Q: Do you find that most alumni stay in Baltimore? A: Everyone is different. Some stay here because it’s cheaper that NYC. There are a lot of smaller art hubs. Q: MICA is a two year program, what are the benefits of a two year program vs. a three year program? A: I don’t know, it was like that when I got here. You would have to ask the Grad school administrator. This is where it got silent and she asked if I had any more questions. I didn’t want to say no, so I thought of something on the spot. Q: From your experience as the MFA director, what is your favorite aspect of the program? A: That is an extremely inappropriate question. That is too personal of a question and you should not be asking such an inappropriate question. I would not ask you something like that. I was so shocked by this. I was talking about the program. I thought it would be a good opportunity for her to speak about the benefits of MICA. I mean, I’m trying to decide what school is best for me as well. I ended up apologizing and she said it’s ok. Then said I have a funny question for you. What do you like to do outside of painting? I’m really upset right now because I feel like that was an over reaction? I keep going over it again and again in my head. I’m trying to think if there was something else I said that was wrong. Was it inappropriate to ask what her favorite aspect of the program is? I don’t know. I guess I’m not getting in. I still have an interview with Hunter on Saturday. I hope that goes better.

Congratulations on the interview! That sounds about right. I haven’t had an interview so I think it’s about time I focus on the other schools. I wish you the best!

Thank you for the update! Did you get an interview? If so, was it for the painting department?

❤️ Thank you! Hannah Schutzengel (MFA Graduate Advisor) emailed me on 2/17, so kind of recent.

I just found this forum, and wow, this is so helpful! Has anyone applied to Arizona State University’s MFA painting program for Fall 2021? If so, have you heard any updates on your application? My progress so far: Hunter College - Interview scheduled for Saturday MICA - Interview scheduled for tomorrow Ohio University - Pending, no response ASU - Pending, no response Thanks for your help!