hotshots

Congrats on your admissions! 🤩 I’ve received offers from European art schools too, and the more I think about it, the more I’m leaning in that direction—especially towards the one in Amsterdam. Europe just seems to offer more in terms of work/life balance and grant opportunities, with less intensity than the US. My priority is to establish a solid new base for my practice, rather than just getting an MFA and then facing uncertainty afterward. Most artist jobs in the US—especially in academia—don’t offer work visas, and I’ve known people in similar situations who bounced between adjunct roles, lost valuable time trying to navigate the American system, and ultimately had to leave and start over elsewhere. It’s unfortunate that things work this way, but I think it’s important, at least to me, to make choices that let us focus on building and sustaining our practice, without being in survival mode all the time.

Hi everyone — long-time lurker here! Finally found courage to join the convo and share experience. I'm an international candidate and was wondering if anyone else feels anxious about how current circumstances might affect the MFA experience. Is anyone else outside US grappling with similar concerns? I've been accepted to Yale, Columbia, and Bard, and I’ve been hearing a lot of mixed opinions. A few Yale alumni I know all expressed serious concerns that many of the promises tied to the school's reputation and word of mouth don’t hold up— especially how well it helps students positioning themselves after MFA. On the other hand, I’ve heard positive things about Columbia and Bard, particularly regarding their more robust and ongoing communities, and how they support building a career after school, and the connection with the New York art scene. Any thoughts or suggestions?