daisy524

Has anyone heard back from RISD photo? Do you know if they do interviews? Also waiting to hear fro Rutgers, Columbia, and Notre Dame for Visual Arts/Studio Arts Photo concentration. If anyone has any info on whether they send out interviews please lmk!

Hi there! From what I have heard, Yale has gone down hill in the photo department in recent years. I have heard this from many mentors and photo professors. It is also a very rigid program from what I have heard, not a lot of room for experimentation, interdisciplinary, etc. BUT these are all subjective things. I do know the program is much more focused on strictly documentary, traditional image making. I also had my eye on it, because it is so well known in the photo world, but I did a private workshops with Justine Kurland (who got her MFA there I believe) last fall and she discouraged me from applying. She thought I wouldn't enjoy the program because my work is more experimental. At the end of the day I hear over and over again that it is an ivy-league at its core, and the stereotypes of "stuck-up-ness" (for lack of a better word), hold true in the photo department. After more research, and the discovery that they really don't provide a lot of funding, I decided it was a waste of money to apply. Rutgers is a great program from what I have heard, one of my mentors went there and speaks highly of it. Purchase, I don't have any info to share. Hope this helps!

I know Columbia sent out their acceptances two weeks ago. Still nothing from the IFA, I have a lot of friends who applied there too and they have also heard nothing.

I would say this is pretty normal. I am sure you did way better than you think!!! Grad school interviews are weird...you essentially just repeat your statement. They really care more about hearing you talk up the school/professors there than they care about anything personal to you. It's rather strange but pretty standard so I wouldn't stress about it.

Hi! Anyone heard from Yale or Columbia yet? I have gotten interview requests from IFA and CUNY for next week. One of my friends got an interview with yale for art history but she is an ancient art specialist and I am modern/contemporary. Do they do interviews based on specialty? Should I just accept a rejection at this point or is it worth holding out hope? Columbia I have heard radio silence from everyone I know who applied.