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Really appreciate it. This is perfect

DITTO: Officially headed to Saic for painting in fall. Would love to connect with anyone in the area. Shoot me a message!

So I got the official email for Saic for painting on the 2/27. I was called the day before. maybe it’s a department thing or maybe this is how they handle wait list? ( either way I’m sorry, radio silence sucks and they could do better. I feel for you. The week of the 27th I had lost it and started to make a portfolio for next year ) Tag me if you think there’s anything I can answer. Sorry you’re dealing with the wait.

I’m headed to a painting MFA program in Fall and trying to figure out the best way to prep myself to get ahead and spend my time there as wisely as possible. I have an illustration BFA and a huge gap in my education regarding theory etc. I was thinking of starting there so I don’t need to waste as much time wrapping my head around broader things and can focus on my own practice in a more targeted way at school. I was wondering if any current students are still lurking… And what you all would have done in the summer months to save yourself time down the road?

Update on Saic aid grants for everyone. They haven’t processed the graduate student stuff yet and will most likely have it done this week. ( not the merit stuff, just general need based financial aid )

I don’t think I have… Or I’m getting nothing? Both possible. I set up a zoom call with them Monday afternoon to ask about this. Will let you know what I learn!

Got the acceptance call from SAIC Painting and Drawing tonight. Official notifications should be arriving by tomorrow or Monday was what I was told. Hope some other painters got some good news tonight as well.

For sure, I found this forum last year and was thankful it gave me that soft landing. It was my first time applying and I had absolutely no idea about timelines or interviews. Been a great resource. I think I got rejections from 4 schools so far this year officially but there’s another 4 who I’m in that position with because of this forum. Thankful I’m not wondering.

Yeah don’t overthink that! Delete that thought from your brain! I cannot imagine creative professionals are the best at email inbox management . I got a reply this round from a thank you… where my name was autocorrected to a different first name, the whole email was unpunctuated… but also had an incredibly thoughtful attached essay to read that showed the professor had really understood me. I imagine everyone is just busy and emails get buried! You did your part! It’s out of your hands now

Mine was for painting, idk how they run things for anyone else. Sorry if I hit you with the bummer news. We will all get to the finish line one way or another here!

Hey, really appreciate it. I found out of my three school interviews Cranbrook felt the hardest for me to get a complete read on. I guess because it was a longer more in depth interview but very chill. The super short other interview I had, I'm already familiar with one of the faculty through mutual connections so I had a sense outside of that of the education I’d be getting.

I’d really love to hear you elaborate on what excited you about Cranbrook, if you’re comfortable doing that? **** goes back to blankly staring at the wall until someone sends me an acceptance ****

How’s everyone holding up? I just finished what I imagine was the last interview coming in Thursday, finished up my freelance deadline Thursday. Now I suspect I will be staring at a wall for 10-15 days until I get the results hahah. I’ll go through and add these to the system here too but my three interviews were these schools all for painting or an equivalent. USC Roski- interview 2/3 SAIC - interview 2/11 Cranbrook - 2/16 USC Roski/Cranbrook were super chill interview processes if any future applicants peep this. Very simple and straight forward. Why our school? Give us the elevator pitch, and please elaborate a little on this part of your work. Also a very straight forward, where is your place in art history… which sounds intense but really isn’t. Both schools led me into it with a suggested starting point, and I filled in the gap between their suggestion of 1950s artists until current day. SAIC was a different animal entirely. I imagine it varies a lot based on the faculty doing the interview. I was not given a heads up on the format or who would be there when I received the notification. Did a lot of research in advance to familiarize myself with staff so I wasn't going in completely blind. The interview itself was very free form dialogue that began by pulling up my portfolio asking me to describe my painting to them. It took off from there. Incredibly present and engaged interviewers thoughtful questions and even insightful challenges to my aesthetic and conceptual thought. It was such a natural dialogue that truthfully I have no idea how I did. I do know I didn’t freeze up or fold under pressure and was able to keep them engaged the entire time and that feels like a win in that situation. Left feeling incredibly rewarded having been shown more than just the schools general vibe but offered a peak at the education they are offering. Fingers crossed. But yeah if you get a Saic painting interview in 2024 there is your heads up! I started asking a new question in the last two interviews which I personally found enlightening and I thought I’d add it here for people. It felt fair to test them back so I’ve been asking, “ after speaking with me about my practice and viewing my work, do you have any essays or reading to suggest to me that you feel would benefit my practice immediately in the short term? “ it’s given me an impression what they can offer back instantly. Also why not? If I get rejected I have advice on how to improve for next cycle, if I get accepted then I’m a month or two ahead of where I would have been and started early! Appreciate all the info in past threads, helps me kinda estimate when I’ll hear the results back. To anyone who’s on round one, I went 0/6 no interviews last year and I know it’s rough anxiety wise first round of this ❤️ To anyone who’s at cycle two or three same goodluck! I hope the journey itself is rewarding and has improved your work!

So first time poster but lurked for a while. Thanks for all the info everyone, you helped me cut the chord and stop checking email last March hahah. so far I’ve gotten a usc roski painting interview that was done last Friday. ( one week ago ) Just landed in Chicago and doing Saic tomorrow. Would love to hear some info if anyone has an idea what faculty to expect just to familiarize myself with more depth. And I created an account to let people know the interview request for Cranbrook just hit my inbox