_redrabbit7

yes you can. i think they should be willing to recommend you again next year. until then, keep hope alive since you still have two pending applications. i also got an MFA already (completing it this June actually), getting a second one, but got waitlisted by the only program i applied to.

Received an email a few hours ago informing me that I've been waitlisted for Brown Digital/Cross-disciplinary MFA. Two applicants have been accepted and two waitlisted. They said they received 1,100 applications for 12 spots across all their Lit Arts tracks. I'm so worried right now. What's the probability that someone will reject Brown's offer so I could get their spot? 😔

I do not know much about the ceramics program at RISD. I cannot really say if there's anything you should be worried about. It's not about what RISD is not great at, Yale just happens to have a better program. The faculty is more committed to the growth of their students. And they have a track record to prove it. And an amazing faculty too, especially Meleko Mokgosi, who I personally admire for his cerebral approach to artmaking. I combed through every ranking before I came to RISD. I only applied to the top three art schools in the US: Yale, RISD, and SAIC. I got into both RISD and SAIC on scholarships but didn't get into Yale. I chose to attend RISD because it's closer to Connecticut and New York. My expectations were high before I came to RISD, but within a semester I was so disappointed and disgusted with myself because I wasn't making the progress I desired in my practice. Part of this stemmed from my inability to get tangible help from my faculty. The critiques did not help and I'm telling you this, honestly, the critiques DID NOT HELP! I was creatively stranded. And at the time I heard that another student wanted to drop out after that first semester so they could reapply to Yale (they eventually didn't). You mention that RISD caters more to students who are interested in pursuing teaching. I think that is true. I've takne courses in collegiate teaching. But there's also this longstanding problem with the graduate painting department that refuses to take its own students to teach at RISD; they're always looking for graduates from Yale. This matter escalated over the last few years that, beginning in 2023, in order to contain this ruckus, the graduate painting department was forced by its students to begin to retain at least one graduate as a faculty post-MFA. Yale is not a "hyped" school. Before I decided to go to graduate school I read the CVs of almost all their outstanding painting graduates, from the late 90s till date. I read everybody's CV. They have a track record of excellence. The biggest artists to have emerged from RISD to date attended before I was even born: Kara Walker (1994), Julie Mehretu (1997). Yale is still producing at least one amazing artist every single year (most recently Tunji Adeniji-Jones [2017] Dominic Chambers [2019] Chibuike Uzoma [2021]). And I noticed that Yale graduates who decide to teach after their MFAs are appointed associate professors immediately after grad school [Njideka Akunyili Crosby (2011), Jennifer Packer (2012), Jordan Casteel (2014), Devan Shimoyama (2014)]. I don't know of any RISD grads who have gotten the same reception. My advice to anyone applying to any MFAs would be to research. Decide for yourself what you want to get out of an MFA. Then do your research and find the best program that you think can help you. Good luck to you guys in your applications. ***RISD has the best undergraduate program in art, though, that is undeniable. There are Yale grads who attended RISD for their undergraduate degrees, such as Tavares Strachan (2004). And there are undergrads like Anna Weyant and Sacha Gordon.

Send a DM to @elenabulet on Instagram. She's a current photo grad and she's amazing.

I'm a current MFA in painting student at RISD. Please, go to Yale if you get accepted there.

Has anyone heard from Brown?

sorry to hear that. i hope you get accepted somewhere else, if there are any.

oh, OK. thanks.

is that Brown University? what did they say?

Sculptural paintings?! ? What materials do you use? I am currently working towards exploring that aspect of painting.

Hello @Ancient Quail, thanks for your compliments. I have not been able to speak with the head of department concerning the Presidential Fellowship, so I wouldn't know how many applicants were awarded, how many were allocated, etc. We are hoping to jump on a call one of these days, to align and discuss further details about my application and so forth. I am sorry to hear that RISD did not offer you a full ride. But then, two schools are offering you that so congratulations, I think that is something to be glad and grateful for. I cannot say for certain if it would be professional for you to ask about the Presidential Fellowship. Applicants who get awarded are usually nominated by department heads and deans. I did not know anything about this fellowship prior to my award. Kindly check details here: http://risd.edu/giving/priorities/society-presidential-fellows.

Hi, guys. I've not been around here for a while so I just spent some time reading two days old messages. I read a message here that, two days ago, someone received an interview invitation from Columbia. I wondered why I hadn't received mine, so I went to check my application page, perhaps there'd been some update. Lo and behold, I discovered I didn't submit any application to Columbia. I only submitted a portfolio. I just discovered that moments ago. How careless of me, lol. Anyway, I had come online to share some good news. A few hours ago I received an acceptance email from RISD. They have awarded me a Society of Presidential Fellowship, which covers all my tuition for both my first and second year. I have also been given a TA position that comes with a purse of 5000 USD per annum, although I think every candidate gets that. I am still looking forward to hearing from SAIC, following my interview with their chair of painting department last Sunday. Although, at this point, I have made up my mind to go to RISD. Since this might be my last message on this forum, I want to share from my experience that I applied to all these schools (Yale-rejected, SAIC-interviewed, RISD-accepted) without holding a bachelor's degree. A year ago I had emailed several schools, requesting to know whether it was possible to get into their MFA without a bachelor's and they'd tell me that would be impossible. I thank God for helping my heart and for all the guidance and encouragement and prayers I received from a few people around me. And I hope someone out there receives some good news soon! Thank you, thank you. ? PS: My academic qualification is a certificate in education in Fine and Applied Arts (double majors).

My own timeline was slightly different. They reached out to me for the first time on January 30, then I had my interview on the 9th (last week Wednesday), after selecting from the available dates of 7th, 8th and 9th. Between, I had to submit images of paintings I'd done years ago, which were not initially included in my portfolio, along with two recent photos of my studio (I'm currently undergoing a residency program, so that might the reason they requested for studio pictures, to see what I was working on, I suppose). My interview was with the painting department, though. Hope your interview went well.

Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback.

WOW! Congratulations!