rhonda89

Hopping on this because I got some pretty spectacular advice my second time applying and I went from being rejected literally everywhere to having some acceptances. I spent the year in between application cycles getting involved in my local art collective, organizing shows, teaching classes- essentially immersing myself and getting a ton of experiences that I could relate back to my research + career goals (I'm also a few years out from undergrad so it was useful to basically relearn how to talk about art again). I did ask the same people for recommendations, and I think it was useful for me to be able to show them a list of things I had done in the past year because it showed them I was serious and dedicated, and gave them new things to write about. I did also completely redo and restructure my portfolio which is a whole other thing, but the main thing is that I don't think it's bad to ask the same people for a LOR

I just got an interview request from NYU Steinhardt a few hours ago- feels crazy late in the game for an interview, I had discounted them entirely at this point.

Yeah, for sure! I always try to start with easy material questions like 'How do you like the studio spaces? How do you feel about the facilities? How are your classes structured? What are your class sizes?' I also really like to ask them if they feel like they have resources and freedom to pursue their research/studio interests, sometimes you get really revealing answers about how hands on/off a program is. I like to ask people what they feel the balance between critical theory and studio practice is at their respective programs. As for what to look for during a visit, I feel like that's become so hard to pin down since everyone's websites are so comprehensive these days, it's hard to find questions or look for things that aren't addressed already online. I do try to gauge how invested a program is in their students-- I always think it's a great sign when I'm chatting with faculty or staff and something in the conversation reminds them of a current student's research and they bring it up. And also, this is very ambiguous but sometimes places just actively feel right! There have been a few programs I've visited and immediately known that I couldn't see myself there- and vice versa. In the end, it's easiest to ask yourself what tools you need to succeed personally, and find out if those answers exist for you at the place you're visiting. I hope any of this helps, and you have a good productive visit!

Congrats on Tyler! I have been chatting with some of the current students to get a good sense of the (painting) program and will be visiting in about a week to sit in on some classes and speak with the faculty. Honestly speaking to current students has been super helpful in getting an idea what the community is like in the program. I did do a road trip last fall to visit most of the schools I applied to and it really did completely change how I felt about them, being there in person. Like VCU for instance had been on the top of my list and then after my visit, I knew it wouldn't be a spectacular fit for me.

First year is no departmental responsibilities, second year is 20 hours a week of departmental service, likely an assistantship!

I received a fellowship from one of the schools that I was accepted to with full (as far as I can tell) tuition remission and a living stipend, and am completely ecstatic about it since I wasn't expecting it. Still haven't heard back from six of the eight schools I've applied to and it feels silly to wait for the other programs when I have such an incredible offer on the table from a school that I am excited about. I think if I haven't heard back from anyone else at this point, odds are I won't be getting nearly as good an opportunity as this from any other institutions.

I also applied to Steinhardt and haven't heard anything from them, except for a reminder two weeks after the deadline that one of my recommenders hadn't uploaded a LOR yet, so you're not alone!

Small update! Received my official acceptance with scholarship to NYAA today after having an informal acceptance over a Zoom call a few weeks ago. Got my official acceptance to Tyler on Feb. 6 and still awaiting information about funding (does anybody know what that timeline typically looks like?) and also got a rejection from SAIC Painting by e-mail Feb. 8th. It sounds like interviews already went out for Cornell, RISD, and VCU so I'm not hopeful about those. Still waiting on word from NYU and PAFA. Hope everyone gets some good news today

Thank you so much for such a brilliant and comprehensive response, I truly appreciate it! I will absolutely use this as a reference for everything to come. Excited to hear about the printmaking faculty too! Even though painting is my primary discipline I've dabbled in printmaking and would love to explore it more. Also Philip Glahn was in my interview and I was really compelled by his questions + engagement and I instantly wanted to work with him, I'm glad to hear good things about him!

Hey, that would be great! I just got my acceptance from them and am super curious about what the next steps look like in regards to navigating financial aid, assistantships, etc, along with other practical things like class sizes, faculty/student ratio and whatnot. I guess the most pressing question is how long after acceptance did you get info about financial aid? If you could put me in touch with some current painters that would be absolutely incredible I would really appreciate it!

Everyone who applied to Tyler at Temple, check your portal! I hadn't received an e-mail or any correspondence from them and checked my portal on a whim this morning only to find out I had gotten accepted a few days ago!!

Hey all, I did not get a get a SAIC Painting interview today and it seems like they all went out today? Bit of a bummer, but I did get an e-mail requesting a Zoom meeting about my application with NYAA and will be conducting that tomorrow. Anyone else have any contact from NYAA?

I'm curious to know if anyone has any experience with Tyler's painting program, out of the schools I applied to it's the only one I hadn't visited or had contact with. Also, I did tour and/or interact with students/faculty/alum at PAFA, NYAA, Cornell, SAIC, and VCU this past fall if anyone has questions about those!

Hey all, just discovered this resource and wish I had found it last year when I applied to (and was summarily rejected from) several programs. Anyways, I did some regrouping and am feeling a bit more optimistic this year. I have applications out for: Cornell (Visual Arts) SAIC (Painting) Tyler (Painting) The New York Academy of Art (Painting) Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art RISD (Painting) NYU (Studio Art) VCU (Painting/Printmaking) Would love to hear if anyone has any experience with any of these schools (especially the Academy). Also I did just have my Tyler interview yesterday which ended up being very interesting. I prepped for a lot of the usual/general questions people seem to expect but only got asked one (Why pursue an MFA/Why Tyler?) and the rest of the interview was guided by very specific questions about anecdotes from my recommendations, what discourse I was engaging with, and what books and film I felt informed my practice. It was my first interview I've ever done and I'm feeling hopeful! Anyways, good luck to everyone out there.