[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

9 hours ago, everyonelikesbubbles said:

From what I understand CalArts is super interdisciplinary, so I think you'd come out of that program a more interesting photographer. Do you want to be a grad student for 2 years or 3? Or live in NY or LA? Those are 2 huge things that may be easy to answer. I'm curious that you said one of your goals is to get a "well-paid job after graduation." Getting a Photo MFA is an interesting way to go about that. It's certainly possible to blow-up, get an agent, and make it as a fashion photographer but not sure an MFA is required for that. What sort of job do you mean? Congrats on the acceptances!

Thank you for your reply. My ultimate goal is to be an contemporary artist. I wish I could stay in the US for some time after graduation but as an international student, I have to get a stable job that meets the minimum salary required by USCIS to continue my legal residence. So a well-paid job is also what I need to consider when choosing a school before I mature as an artist.

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

2 minutes ago, everyonelikesbubbles said:

25-35 people in the same discipline sounds like a lot. I don't know about these programs specifically, but any difference in alleged "prestige" would seem negligible in these 2 schools. I'd choose based on price and which school has cooler faculty and more student support. I'd assume the connections would be the same, as they likely recruit/compete for the same teachers (unless they have a specific structure for studio visits that makes them unique). Also you're in NY--make your own connections.

Thanks!

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

9 minutes ago, lizavetar96 said:

Thank you! 
I actually was under the impression that Parsons is more reputable than SVA but it seems like all these rankings are so different and it is hard to understand who even creates them so I do not know what to believe anymore lol. 
I actually was told that SVA is quite diverse in the student body, but the faculty itself of SVA is very white and predominantly male (that seems to be the case across the board though in different MFA programs). 

My problem with SVA is that lingering feeling I got from speaking to some people is that it accepts quite a lot of people for the program and churns out a lot of students every year, it does not seem personal or intimate or like there would be personalised relationship with students. That is a downer for me, honestly. But maybe I am wrong, who knows. 

Maybe I should reconsider Parsons? From all the reviews and rankings I’ve read, I feel Parsons is in general more reputed but its MFA Photo is not as good as SVA’s. Many think of SVA MFA photo is the best in east coast while Parsons MFA Photo is just also good. Specifically, SVA is more conceptual (MFA students don’t even have full access to dark room) while Parsons is slightly more traditional. I don’t know how they come to this conclusion. But from their official program introduction page, Parsons MFA is actually quite  intense and small-grouped, which I actually prefer. SVA has a diverse photo faculty and visiting artists, a complex curriculum, and helpful connections but the student body is mainly white and Asian and each graduate program have double or triple the number of students compared to other art schools. I do see what you mean by not intimate enough. That’s what I’m worried too.

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

50 minutes ago, lizavetar96 said:

Is there a website I can see? I would love to connect. (I connect with SVA alumni by asking the faculty, they were very open and encouraging about this. )

Thanks! I’ll definitely ask SVA about it. I don’t have a website either, sorry. I wasn’t photography or fine art major before and haven’t had enough series of photos to put up a website. Btw, congrats on your acceptance to CalArts too (just saw your new post)! I don’t know if you know much about Parsons MFA photography, what do you think of it compared to SVA? It seems to me that SVA may have better connections, reputation and stuff so I didn’t consider Parsons in the first place. But I learned that Parsons will maintain a relatively small group of MFA students (about 12-15) but SVA seems to have 25-35 each year and the diversity is less at SVA. What do you think?

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

4 hours ago, a_monster said:

I went to CalArts for undergrad for two years for Graphic Design before I took a few years off and then transferred to ArtCenter for Illustration/Painting –– so while I can't speak about the Photography department specifically, I do have some experience with the school in general and living in the area.

CalArts was an amazing magical place. Because they have the performing arts schools like Dance and Music, and hold the gallery openings every week, there was always cool stuff happening on campus. The community aspect on campus was very much a real thing, and there was a lot of interesting cross-disciplinary collaboration happening quite organically. There was way more social interaction between metiers, and between undergraduate and graduate students, than at ArtCenter. (Do not regret transferring in the slightest, but way different vibe between the two schools.) I made a lot of friends at CalArts that I'm still close to, many of them from other programs. We would still go back to CalArts for performances, gallery shows, etc. even years after they graduated. CalArts and its alumni, faculty, students are a genuinely relevant presence in the art and creative scene in LA too.

Valencia kind of sucks, but if you don't mind driving, or make friends who like driving, it's really not that isolated from most of LA. We would drive to Hollywood just to eat dinner sometimes (Hollywood is about a 25 minute drive no traffic, Downtown is like 45, stopping myself now before I turn into that SNL sketch and start listing freeway routes.) Santa Clarita area is also relatively affordable for Southern California. It's easy and convenient to live there in terms of normal life stuff like going to the grocery store, etc., which is nice if you're spending most of your time on campus in the studio.

If you think the CalArts program would allow you to make better work, and the LA scene in general seems viable, I would not necessarily let the location dissuade you.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Lacking info about SVA still got me debating. But I’m leaning towards CalArts now.

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

15 hours ago, lizavetar96 said:

Congratulations on acceptances! I got into SVA for Photo and would love to see you as a potential member of the cohort. Do you have an IG where I can see your work? (Mine is @erakhilkina) 

personally, I was really excited about applying to CalArts as I absolutely admire their photo faculty - JoAnn Callis and Sharon Lockhart but I never got even an interview. But it depends what kind of photography you do and what faculty can elevate your work best. 
 

sorry, that I can not offer anything helpful, but I really do not know much about the schools. I would recommend reaching out to CalArts alumni to ask questions about their experiences in the schools. (I did that with SVA). 

Thank you! I appreciate it. I don’t run an Instagram account though. I’ve talked to some CalArts faculty before but haven’t got in touch with any SVA faculty/alumni. Do you know a good way to maybe chat with some current student?

[SVA or CalArts for MFA Photography]

I got into CalArts's and SVA's MFA Photography program this year, but I'm struggling with the final decision.

 

To me, New York seems to be a better place to study contemporary photography and has more chances to find a job, but overall CalArts has a better reputation on this program but is located in a relatively poor location (Valencia, 30mi away from center of LA) to develop photography as an art, have a lively social life and find a well-paid job after graduation (I could be wrong about CalArts, though). P.S., SVA offers me 3-year admission and CalArts is regular 2-year. And neither provides any scholarships, tuitions are quite similar but living in New York cost about 1/3 more and needs an extra half a year to a year.

 

Any additional information or suggestion will be appreciated! Thanks.

 

[MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum]

SVA or CalArts??

 

I got into CalArts's and SVA's MFA Photography program this year, but I'm struggling with the final decision.

To me, New York seems to be a better place to study contemporary photography and has more chances to find a job, but overall CalArts has a better reputation on this program but is located in a relatively poor location (Valencia, 30mi away from center of LA) to develop photography as an art, have a lively social life and find a well-paid job after graduation (I could be wrong about CalArts, though). P.S., SVA offers me 3-year admission and CalArts is regular 2-year. And neither provides any scholarships, tuitions are quite similar but living in New York cost about 1/3 more and needs an extra half a year to a year.

 

Any additional information or suggestion will be appreciated!

 

[MFA Photography SVA or CalArts?]

I got into CalArts's and SVA's MFA Photography program this year, but I'm struggling with the final decision.

To me, New York seems to be a better place to study contemporary photography and has more chances to find a job, but overall CalArts has a better reputation on this program but is located in a relatively poor location (Valencia, 30mi away from center of LA) to develop photography as an art, have a lively social life and find a well-paid job after graduation (I could be wrong about CalArts, though). P.S., SVA offers me 3-year admission and CalArts is regular 2-year. And neither provides any scholarships, tuitions are quite similar but living in New York cost about 1/3 more and needs an extra half a year to a year.

Any additional information or suggestion will be appreciated!