Garamond

Before I leave this forum, I wanted to share some things that I learned from my experience applying to programs. My hope is that you will have a better of idea of what to expect and to help mitigate any problems you might encounter. 1. Give yourself enough time. I spent two years preparing to apply and it helped out tremendously. I spent the first year researching schools I wanted to apply to and emailing graduate coordinators about their programs, financial aid, etc. I was also focused on saving money for taking trips to visit campuses and meet professors and coordinators. The second year I spent working on my portfolio. Most places accept 15-20 images for a portfolio, so you will want at least 10 of your newest pieces in there. You can try to budget one to two projects per month and you should have the amount of new work necessary to apply. You will also need to wrangle letters of recommendation, request transcripts, write personal statements, and fill out applications. Give yourself a full year at least, starting with January, and be ready to apply in December/Early next January to take advantage of early scholarship/financial aid deadlines. 2. Set up on-campus visits with universities and coordinators/professors. Visiting in the Spring or Fall while students are on campus works best, but I have visited some in Summer with success. While this can be expensive, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door. Every one of my five acceptances, I had met and spoke with a professor, coordinator, or current student. It's are a great way to put a face to a name, and shows incentive. This is especially helpful if they ask for an interview, as you will both be familiar with each other and it makes for a more casual experience. You may also weed out options, as I once took a tour of a program that was interdisciplinary, but by looking at the work in the studios, I knew I didn’t belong there. You can try to plan trips around clusters of universities, (UCLA, USC, UCI, Art Center, Otis) or (Ohio State, Ohio, Michigan, Michigan State) for example, to try to make the most of each trip. Expect a lot of driving! 3. Some universities also offer virtual information sessions. I attended ones for Arizona State, Arizona, Missouri, Michigan State, Georgia State, and UCF. I believe Wisconsin has one as well as graduate student visit days. I was able to get in touch with current students through there and they were nice enough to show their portfolio and personal statements when they were accepted. They sometimes advertise these events through Instagram or through email subscriptions, so be sure to follow. 4. Ask for help. Always. I had so much help throughout the process. I had a college professor refine my artist and teaching statements. I asked applicants from Grad Cafe who were recently accepted to share their portfolios. I had messaged current students at MFA programs to share portfolios and their statements. You won’t get help if you don’t ask, and even if somebody doesn’t respond to your questions, at least you tried. Don’t take it personally. An MFA program is an experience to learn, grow, and meet interesting people in a new location. It is not a measure of your ability or a pathway to guaranteed success. Be sure to temper expectations. At the end of the day, the most important thing you can do to succeed is to find or make the time to do the work. An MFA can help with some things in your artistic career, but it is no substitute for discipline. “The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.” -Sister Corita Kent Best of luck on your artistic journeys! It's been a pleasure interacting with everyone in this community! Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want to follow each other on Instagram!

Hello, everyone. I've finally heard back from everywhere I applied to and will post timelines and results for future applicants. Timelines: School Visited campus and representatives? Date asking For Interview Date of Interview Date of Results Wisconsin-Madison No. 1/9/2023 1/20/2023 2/17/2023 Indiana-Bloomington Yes, met with professor. 1/25/2023 1/27/2023 2/1/2023 Arizona Yes, met with professor. 1/29/2023 2/3/2023 2/23/2023 Missouri Yes, met with three professors/entire department. 1/30/2023 2/1/2023 2/10/2023 Kansas State No. n/a n/a 2/6/2023 Georgia State Yes, with professor. 2/14/2023 2/16/2023 2/23/2023 Iowa Yes, with professor. n/a n/a 2/17/2023 Nebraska-Lincoln No. n/a n/a 2/21/2023 Ohio Yes, with current students. 2/22/2023 2/24/2023 3/1/2023 Oklahoma No. n/a n/a 2/24/2023 Florida State No. n/a n/a 4/24/2023 Michigan State Yes, with professor. n/a n/a 4/25/2023 Final Results: School Results Wisconsin-Madison Rejected. Indiana-Bloomington Accepted offer. Fully funded tuition with $22,000 stipend. Healthcare and fees included. Arizona Rejected. Missouri Accepted, but turned down offer. Fully funded tuition with $17,3000 stipend. Responsible for fees and health insurance. Kansas State Rejected. Georgia State Accepted, but turned down offer. Fully funded tuition with $6,000 stipend. Responsible for fees and health insurance. Iowa Accepted, but turned down offer. Declined offer while they were getting the financial package together, but I want to say it was Fully funded tuition with $10,000 stipend. Nebraska-Lincoln Rejected. Ohio Accepted, but turned down offer. Fully funded tuition with $5,994 stipend. Responsible for fees and health insurance. Oklahoma Put on waitlist, asked to be removed. Florida State Rejected. Michigan State Rejected. Indiana was my second interview (late January) and they offered the next week so I was guaranteed to be going somewhere regardless of other results. I got lucky and knew I had a great offer in my back pocket so it was relatively a stress-free experience. I honestly had great experiences with all of the universities, but Indiana made me feel like a priority by acting quickly and being so professional at all touchpoints. Their offer letter itemized everything I was receiving clearly and the whole experience left me impressed. I had an equally impressive experience with Missouri. I got to meet with the entire graphic design department because they told me upfront that they loved my portfolio. They don't get many good graphic design applicants and they rolled out the red carpet for me. I was torn between going there and Indiana but went with Indiana because I would've been leaving $15,000 over 3 years on the table and I wanted the extra money for emergencies. I had also tried to negotiate by using Indiana's letter to get more money, but they were unable to give me. My biggest thing was that I didn't want to take out loans and take on debt and I felt Indiana gave me the best chance. It could've gone either way.

Hello everyone, I have an update! After evaluating my options, I have decided to attend Indiana-Bloomington! 🎉🎉🎉 I would love to connect with anyone who has also committed there. I'm a graphic designer, but I also do photography and am looking to get into printmaking! I never heard back from Michigan State or Florida State, but I'm assuming I've been rejected. I will post the final results when they eventually come. School Results Michigan State Haven't heard back. Missouri Accepted. Iowa Accepted. Wisconsin-Madison Rejected. Georgia State Accepted. Arizona Rejected. Indiana-Bloomington Accepted and committed. 🎉🎉 Ohio Accepted. Florida State Haven't heard back. Nebraska-Lincoln Rejected. University of Oklahoma Put on waitlist. Kansas State Rejected.

I'm 36, though I completed my BA in Graphic Design when I was 24. Having been in a few interviews myself, I think being in my mid-30s has only helped my chances. I've matured as a person and have some 15+ years of industry experience, which is great if you want to teach classes. You also get a better idea of what your work is about and what is important to you, so you can build your portfolio that way. Instead of creating work that I think would get me accepted, I made work that I wanted to create for myself and what interested me. My portfolio is a little weird in that there are no examples of branding (logos, identity systems) or UX/UI mockups, and is instead about magazine spreads and posters. But I love print media and some of the professors that interviewed me shared that love as well. If you're in your thirties and older, I wouldn't let your age discourage you. The professors who interview you probably had a similar career path. If you're younger and worried that a school prefers mature applicants, I would apply anyway, especially if it's a program that excites you. There are enough gatekeepers in this world, you don't need to be closing the door on your own opportunities. I'll be finishing my MFA a few months shy of 40. When I graduated from undergrad, I thought I would never get an MFA or have a chance to teach because I didn't think I would be good enough and that it was too expensive. But the fact that I am getting my MFA degree much later is proof that I refused to give up on my dreams.

It has been interesting hearing of the offers other people have been getting. I only applied to state schools that at least offer full tuition (in-state or out-of-state). Some offer subsidized healthcare, and the stipends I've been offered range from $6,000-$22,000. I don't think private art schools typically give generous funding. I'd be surprised to hear of anyone getting a fully-funded ride to one. The trade-off is that they accept more students, so I would think it's easier to get into one. Some people like its sole focus on the arts, too. For reference, this is what I believe constitutes a "great" offer. From Indiana-Bloomington: $22,000 Annual Stipend Guaranteed for 3-Years Fully Funded Tuition (In-state or out-of-state) Fees also paid for (but this is not typical) 100% Subsidized Healthcare (PPO) Dental (This is rare, and not typical) If anyone has received an offer that matches or exceeds this, I'd be curious to hear about it...

Another update, I was rejected from Wisconsin-Madison (Graphic Design). It was going to be a long shot, they only accept one graphic designer a year and I got the impression that they are more design-focused and less studio art-focused, so I probably wasn't the best fit. They were also one of the few universities I didn't get to meet the faculty in person where everywhere else I interviewed/was accepted had met me in person. The email I received said they got over 200 applications for 17 openings; their funding is on the higher end (I think a $25,000 stipend) so it's not surprising.

Update: I just found out I was accepted to Iowa (Graphic Design)! I'm surprised, they didn't even ask for an interview. I did visit campus last fall and met with the Director of Graphic Design there. That probably helped. ?

I earned my BA in Graphic Design in 2010. Started off doing retail work first and moved onto photo editing/graphic design contract work and was unemployed for months in between jobs for the first 3 years. I've been working as a Graphic Designer full-time for the past 10 years in various industries. Finally got a stable job 5 years ago that allowed me to save money. If you count doing personal work outside of work hours as studio practice, I guess I've done it on and off, but got serious in January 2022 as I was going to apply a year from then. I actually just earned an MFA in Creative Writing, as that has helped tremendously in interviews since I want to write about design, art, and the creative practice. It also shows that I am capable of graduate study. I work at a university that offers tuition remission for that major so I got lucky and got the degree at a reasonable price and attended class in the evenings while working as a designer there full time. This is my first time applying, but I spent 2 years planning for it by doing research on programs and previous Grad Cafe Freakout threads and visiting campuses in that period. Over the course of two years I have visited campus and/or met with faculty at 14 universities. I ended up applying to 9 of the 14, I cut out the other 5 for various reasons. I also applied to 3 others that I wasn't able to visit in person for a total of 12 applications. Current Results: Michigan State - Was told weeks ago that I might hear back around mid-February. Missouri - Accepted! Iowa - Haven't heard back, but I know people have gotten interviews from reading this thread... Wisconsin-Madison - Interviewed a month ago, but haven't heard back. Georgia State - Just interviewed today, actually. Arizona - Interviewed two weeks ago. Indiana-Bloomington - Accepted! Ohio - Haven't heard anything back yet. Florida State - Haven't heard anything back yet. Nebraska-Lincoln - Haven't heard anything back yet. Oklahoma - Haven't heard anything back yet. Kansas State - Rejected. They don't use Slideroom and only accept PDFs less than 10MB. I had to cut out some magazine spreads to try to make it under the MB limit, so I couldn't show the whole scope of my work. I think Gaara had the same experience with Georgia? That's my theory as to why I was rejected.

I'm sharing a post from a previous freakout that has a nice email template to follow if you are able to get multiple offers: If that link doesn't work, I'm copypasting the text from user Afein: I emailed the graduate program director, who then emailed the financial aid officer. (I'm sure the contacts for all school are different. I would have emailed both the program director and financial aid directly, if the program director had not responded so promptly.) The email I wrote is below: Hello Bethany, I have eliminated all but two schools from consideration. RISD is my number one choice. I really believe in your faculty, the vision behind the recent curriculum changes, the whole ethos of critical making. I also related to the students I met, and I loved Providence. I have a hard time envisioning myself anywhere else. I am so excited by your offer. However, Parsons has offered me a 75% scholarship, which reduces total tuition for me to $12,500. I've attached the admissions letter from Parsons. Could you make this decision easier by increasing my fellowship aid? Again, I want to emphasize how grateful I am to be offered a place in the incoming class. At this point, I'm just trying to resolve whether the best choice is the best fit or the most economical. I was fortunate to receive a lot of offers, but it has been fairly easy to see that RISD is where I want to be. Sincerely,

I don't know if you were looking for a particular medium, but here is the graphic design portfolio I submitted through Slideroom to several universities. At least future applicants on here will get an idea on how to display their work. It's about 17MB which is just under the 20MB limit. https://www.alexquintanilla.com/portfolio

I just received an offer from the University of Missouri (Graphic Design)!

Congratulations! I was also accepted to IU-Bloomington (Graphic Design).

I think 4 minutes is a lot of time for any one answer. I timed myself reading my answers (they were about a paragraph long) and it took me about 40-60 seconds at a steady pace. I think 4 minutes worth of content at a normal speaking pace is about two pages and some, which is a lot. I would time yourself with your answers to get an idea, but I think 100-130 words should be an adequate amount for any question. Don't forget, they will want to talk to you about your answer before going to the next question. None of the interviews I had went into deep talks about my portfolio, but it's very straightforward and representative portfolio. I imagine they would want to know your thought process and defending the end result of what you came up with. I will DM you my answers to the Wisconsin interview so you can have an idea to work with. It's less of a recital of answers and more like notes that I can refer to.

I don't think an interview that is 25 minutes long will only have 3 questions (I could be wrong) so I wouldn't worry about keeping answers as short as possible. For reference, I had an interview with Wisconsin that was 30 minutes, but they sent me the 8 questions ahead of time. Some were so closely related that when I answered earlier ones, they were also answers for later ones, so they only ended up asking me 6 questions. There was also time for bits of natural conversation in-between (talking in specifics about the program you're interested in) as these interviews typically do. They kept it a tight interview to fit in the allotted time, so I only had time to ask one question. I usually write answers beforehand to questions I think they ask (like why this MFA, tell us about yourself) so I remember the points I need to get across. You don't need to recite them word for word, but I find it better if I have some reference to pull from. Keep an eye on the time so you don't feel disoriented. Remember that natural conversation can flow off-subject for a bit and that is to be expected. And if you're worried that the interview will be too short, you can always use that extra time to ask them questions (maybe 2 or 3 depending on time.) Best of luck with your interview!

Hello! I am a graphic design applicant too! All of the schools I applied/interviewed with are public state schools and I noticed that you applied to mostly private art schools, but I imagine the questions are similar and I have had 4 interviews already so I will share what I know: Typical questions: Tell us about yourself. Why XYZ University? What do you bring to XYZ University? Why choose graduate school now? What are your career goals and how do you see XYZ University in helping you reach these goals? Do you have any questions for us? (This is usually saved at the end of the interview. My go to questions are what are examples of thesis projects graphic students have done in the past and what do you love most about being at XYZ University?) You always want to ask a question because it shows that you are interested in the program you are applying to. Questions that I have only been asked once: What are your research topics, specifically in the Graphic Design field? What do you see as the major and/or emerging trends in the Graphic Design field, and how have you responded to the new movements? What do you think about new digital technologies in the graphic design field, and what are your efforts to adopt the new digital methods? How do you demonstrate commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Please share an example. How do you deal with challenges or failures, and how did you overcome difficult situations? Please share an example. Questions that I haven't been asked but maybe relevant to private art schools: Talking about your work in detail. (I haven't fielded any questions about my work, maybe I'm an outlier). What have you been reading lately? As far as other interview tips go, make sure you know what makes the university unique (the faculty, the work they do) and how you would fit in there. Make sure your Zoom is set up and updated the day of your interview. Nothing makes you sweat like seeing that Zoom is updating two minutes before your interview! Be sure that you know when the meeting is because of time difference! You don't want to miss an interview because it was an hour earlier! After the interview, it would help to write a thoughtful thank you email to the people that interviewed you. Usually the next day or 24 hours. Best of luck! I know it's cliche but be yourself! They like you and your work for a reason!