Miso

does anyone mind sharing what they plan on doing after getting their mfa? i feel like i'm going crazy because i've worked at this for years and now it's finally happening, but the uncertainty around art careers is making me hesitant about doing this now. like i've heard the adjunct professor life is terrible...and other options besides teaching after your mfa (like gallery work, full time artist, etc..) whatever it may be...they all just seem unstable especially considering how inflation has impacted everything

i was waitlisted by UIC, Nate Young sent the email. and i was told the waitlist isn't ranked but he said each year there's a lot of movement off the waitlist, he made it seem like there's a good chance i get off because a few people accepted will likely go somewhere else.

I'm still waiting to hear back from a few schools, but here's my experience: Over the past three years, I've applied to MFA programs a total of 26 times (some were reapplications after being rejected). Of those 26 applications, I've been waitlisted twice, received two acceptances, and have one pending acceptance. If I get off the waitlist and receive a likely acceptance from another program, I'll have gone 4 for 26. These numbers aren't ideal, but this year it looks like I'll have three fully funded MFA programs to choose from. It goes to show that it only takes one group of people to believe in you and your art. I think it is important to be honest with ourselves as artists, I applied straight out of undergrad and went 0 for 3 because my portfolio was trash and my written statements were weak. Second year, my portfolio improved, but I still had room to grow. Even with better written statements, I was only accepted into a safety school I wasn't keen on attending due to financial concerns. Now my third year, my portfolio is the strongest it's been and I have great options to choose from. Rejection sucks, but as corny as this may sound...you really do become a way stronger applicant each year. My advice: Don't reapply to schools that rejected you unless you were waitlisted or it's been 2-3 years since your last application. It's unlikely a portfolio revision alone will change their minds Keep making art, I can't stress this enough, you can take time to feel every emotion, but after a few weeks...get back to creating because, with each art piece we create, we continue to get better and better Consider that maybe your written statements are what's holding you back, have art professors look at them and listen to their feedback because they have experience being on mfa committees, they know what a good statement of purpose and artist statement looks like Take high-quality photographs of your art with a consistent white background and good lighting. Many programs want to see the entire artwork, and even talented artists can look bad if the photograph of their art is poor When you finally get that chance to interview with an MFA program on Zoom, ask one of your recommenders to do a mock interview with you Interviews you will have in the future, don't overprepare...you will sound rehearsed Make sure the people writing your letters of rec are art professors, it's better having people who can speak on you as an artist (i know this can be tough for people who have been out of school for a while) In written statements, make sure you contextualize your art. Consider incorporating brief allusions or references to relevant artists, thinkers, or communities in your written statements. Highlight relationships between your work and contemporary art, art history, community arts, activist practice, etc. Showing awareness of these dialogues and movements can enrich your application. Also, mention the faculty you'd like to work with and why. And also mention a project you are excited to work on in the future at their program. Don't be too hard on yourself, there are hundreds of mfa programs...most of us are only applying to around 10, if we applied to every single mfa program in the world then we would all get in somewhere, so getting into zero schools from a small list of competitive programs you applied to really isn't as terrible as it may seem If anyone is struggling, because you are expecting no acceptances, or maybe you are accepted but realize you have to apply again because it's too expensive, I really empathize with you all and trust me I know how shitty and painful it feels, just know you aren't alone. Feel free to dm me

waitlisted by UIC today, never interviewed, i think they don't interview at all

Thank you!! I will let you know for sure, I want to see what happens with UCSB first though. But do you know if she liked UIUC? And do you know what she does now that she has graduated? Feel free to dm me

accepted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) *funding package tbd, but i'm pretty sure they are fully funded + stipend

Yea that's true, I always assumed waitlisted people would be the finalist that weren't accepted after the interview. Like if 5 people are accepted into UCR but they interviewed 20, of the 15 not accepted a few would be waitlisted. But you are right, we could be surprised to find out we are on the waitlist 🤷‍♂️

I believe @CactusWren22 and @leavesontree both interviewed with UCR on Feb 2nd. And the program is non-media specific so I am assuming they reached out to all finalists at the same time. I also applied to UCR, heard they have big studios and it seems like a really good 3 year fully funded program, but it's looking like a rejection tbh. Sucks that they know people are rejected and are just choosing to not notify them right away

Has anyone heard from UC Irvine for painting? I know someone has heard for new media, wondering if other areas have heard. Feels like it's too late to receive an interview invite from a place like UCI. And has anyone heard back from UConn, GSU, or Long Beach (CSULB)?

Thank you, I really appreciate that!! I know you also understand what it's like expecting to start your MFA one year and having to wait and do the application process again. I hope you also find a better fit for you this year as well. Your situation with Delaware and Kent last year was unfortunate. I hope your interview with Maryland went well! 🤞

Right lol...no way they could actually expect me to go from a Visual Artist who wants an MFA...to wanting what is basically their version of a masters degree in computer science. Like @Reee3 said, anything CS related you can learn online, there's sooooo many resources to learn about coding for free....these colleges are just greedy and want people's money. Yeah I have a second interview in person with UCSB in March. They are covering all expenses. I'm just grateful to have a few fully funded programs interested in me, glad I most likely will not have to do this process again

Rutgers wants me for something completely different from an MFA lol.... received an email today titled "Invitation: Rutgers-Camden's Emerging Media Programs". A professor reached out personally and said they looked at my application and thought I would be a good fit for their Emerging Media (M.A. or M.P.S.) program. Anyone else receive something like this? I'm not interested at all, just thought it was interesting how they would try to get me for something else.

Thank you for sharing your perspective on this matter. While I understand that asking about other applications can be seen as a sign of interest from the institution's side, it can also create unnecessary pressure for applicants. I would have less of a problem with the question if it was included in the clear interview guide email they sent me; feels misleading when you say we are going to talk about A, B, and C, then completely catch me off guard with something you didn't tell me to prepare for. That question seems similar to if applicants asked them for the names of finalists they are interviewing. Of course it would help me to be able to know my competition, but it would be unprofessional for me to ask. And yes I completely agree, it would be unprofessional for them to contact the schools near them to influence their decision.

Yea I didn't go through my entire list on purpose, I mentioned a few schools that are near UIUC because I felt like it would reinforce that I am interested in living near Chicago. For the other schools, I was vague. To me, it's misleading to say we are going to discuss "specific interest in our program, the nature of your current creative research focus, current inspirations, and how/if you consider education and teaching as part of your practice and career goals."....then catch me off guard with a where did you apply question. They said they ask all applicants the same questions but intentionally left out in the email that they would be asking where I applied. Plus for a few of the questions I asked them, they kinda went around answering the actual question. What happens when someone just lies and says you're the only program I applied to lol. Is that person now favored because they think it's guaranteed that they will attend. Everything about that question just rubs me the wrong way. A lot of this application process feels like dating and who would ask their date if they are talking to anyone else on the first date...like chill lmao. But yeah the question you got is bad too, how high or low you would rank them, obviously everyone is going to lie to them and say, "you're my first choice". These questions aren't very thoughtful, it's equivalent to me asking them soooo how much is the stipend.... certain things aren't necessary to ask and just come off unprofessional.

No I didn't apply to Cornell, but if you click on the search bar in the top right corner, then type in the school name, it'll show you all the times Cornell was mentioned on previous forums. You can also filter it so it shows only art-related stuff.