Artsystudent2024

Hey all- I just got finished with Carnegie Mellon’s MFA in Visual Art, and I wanted to share my experience here for those interested in applying. I know the applications are due soon, and I unfortunately made the mistake of applying and accepting their offer. First, there was recently a number of articles published that claimed the program was ‘fully funded’ for all graduate students. From the outside, that is obviously a big draw and an attractive reason to apply. However, it’s just not true. Attending the Carnegie Mellon MFA program cost me around $100k in additional college loan debt, even with the funding the program provides. The university itself doesn’t offer any resources (like cameras, laptops, or rentable tech) so that is important to consider, too. All in all, it feels very weird to me to read all of the articles claiming the program is debt free when my experience and others doesn’t align with that. The truth is the opposite- I’ll be paying for my MFA the rest of my life. Secondly, there has been so much faculty turnover, it’s hard to think of a more tumultuous experience. So many of the faculty have been fired or quit it feels very difficult to sustain connections or relationship. Everyone I worked with has been fired or quit just in the last year. That being said, working with the faculty was not a positive experience. I frequently felt bullied and abused. It’s difficult to pay for tuition and and be treated like a servant. Thirdly, there isn’t much of a student community. It’s so competitive and small, people treat each other very poorly. It felt like being in a very awkward abusive relationship to be surrounded by a group of white men for so long who just criticize me. Finally, the art connections are there if you can use them, but really, they are only good if you want to move back to New York. Pittsburgh doesn’t have many opportunities for exhibiting or connections to a greater art world. So I ended up meeting a lot of people who don’t stick around long enough to really sustain a connection too. Overall, my experience in the three year MFA was not what I expected, and cost much more than the program led me to think. I don’t recommend it if you are looking for an affordable or supportive environment, particularly if you are from a diverse background.