helec2003

i think you need to pick your top 10-20 pieces/images no matter what the theme is. I had objects, videos, installations, sound pieces, etc. I picked my best pieces and tried to have at least two pieces that 'went together' - they want to see a 'body of work'. two different apps with two different bodies of work will make you seem all over the place and too unsure about who you are as an artist and what you are looking for. Put the two portfolios together and show your skill and conceptual development. plus you'll save money and save your letter writers the hassle of filling out two for every school. It sounds like you want an interdisciplinary program anyway, some diversity in your portfolio will probably be a good thing. You should talk to your undergraduate faculty and try to attend one of those National Graduate Portfolio days. good luck!

try to schedule an informal visit - that way they can match the face to the name/portfolio. Right now the graduate chair is John Hitchcock whom is in the printmaking dept. portfolio is the most important everything else is secondary.

I'm having a tough time deciding on Cranbrook... really tough. Did you visit?

I just found this and thought it would help your wait... hope this is cleat without the forum formatting. va. woolf Posted Today, 03:22 PM nope, you misread that. on the 2nd they notified me i was a finalist via email and set up my interview for 3/28. they are supposed to send out their decisions this week. sadly, the woman in charge of processing the notifications had a death in the family so things are delayed on their end. anna2011, on 04 April 2011 - 03:35 PM, said: You were notified and accepted to Cranbrook on the 2nd according to your stats? MFA Painting Cranbrook - interview 3/28, notified by email 3/2 MICA - via mangled we're-sorry-we-ate-your-letter-usps-plastic bag 3/29 NYU - via my own stupidity 3/30; allegedly i never 'submitted' the application PennDesign - wait list. via letter posted to online application 3/14 RISD - via post 3/17 SAIC - via post 3/4 UCLA - emailed 3/12 UCSD - emailed 2/28

if this is any indication: in fine art grad schools on US News and World Reports. PAFA is ranked #58 NYSS is ranked #81 take that info for what you will.

try wisconsin at madison

I just found this... http://www.cranbrookart.edu/library/research/grants.htm

you should call them. you need time to decide too.

Don't do it. Figure out what do you want in your grad school program - more traditional or more conceptual or both? Once you figure that out you can pick a portfolio or you could show 50/50 to show skill level and conceptual capabilities.

If you already have your bfa and intend on getting a masters I wouldn't do it. The only time a bfa student should do a fine art post bac is if you studied painting the first time around and want to get a glass degree the second round. I did a post bac at Columbia College in Chicago because I knew I wanted to get my mfa and had a business undergrad degree. I didn't do it at SAIC because the cost was too high. It sounds like they just want your money. If you were accepted into another masters program I would nix the post bac.

I've been trying to do that with my schools and haven't had much luck - do you have a resource for that other than the school's website?

i got into Cranbrooks Sculpture dept and the offical e-mail comes from the registrar - Katharine Willman. good luck!

congrats on your decision!! I bet it feels amazing! did they give you a deadline? Mine seems kind of loose.

any word from Syracuse Sculpture?

Here you go - sorry it took so long - i haven't been on in a while. Cornell University - College of Engineering Ithaca, NY #10 Purdue University--West Lafayette - College of Engineering West Lafayette, IN #11 University of Southern California (Viterbi) - Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering Los Angeles, CA #11 Texas A&M University--College Station (Look) - Dwight Look College of Engineering College Station, TX #13 University of California--Los Angeles (Samueli) - Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Los Angeles, CA #14 University of California--San Diego (Jacobs) - Jacobs School of Engineering La Jolla, CA #14 Columbia University (Fu Foundation) - Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science New York, NY #16 University of Wisconsin--Madison - College of Engineering Madison, WI #16 Princeton University - School of Engineering & Applied Science Princeton, NJ #18 Northwestern University (McCormick) - Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science Evanston, IL #20 University of California--Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA #21 University of Maryland--College Park (Clark) - A. James Clark School of Engineering College Park, MD #22 University of Pennsylvania - School of Engineering and Applied Science Philadelphia, PA #22 Virginia Tech - College of Engineering Blacksburg, VA #24 Pennsylvania State University--University Park - College of Engineering University Park, PA #25

When I went to Wisconsin I was hoping (so that my decision would be easy) to see that everyone was too busy with classes (assignments) taships, to get into their studio, but that doesn't seem to be the case. You have to take one class outside of the dept and you have to take two art history classes - which I need more of. Other than that it's wide open. I can take an independent study with an instructor and sit in on the three classes that apply strictly to me and my projects. So the assignments are minimal. Also - I love the ideas of residencies but I'm married and 1-2-3 months away from home could be really tough. I think I could do it once - I'd really like to go international for a summer. So I've narrowed it down to two major factors for each school: Wisconsin: Facilities and department philosophy (they are makers and so am I) Cranbrook: Discourse and Community I also want to be happy while I'm there. I loved my post bac experience and want my MFA to be similar. Thanks for the discussion! It really helps to talk to people that are trying to make the same decisions!

Thanks for the responses. I have made no progress and I feel like I am needlessly torturing myself. So far here are my pros and cons for Cranbrook: pros: Community, time in studio, the discourse in my dept, reputation, group crits cons: my other choice has better facilities, no teaching experience, my other program is 3 years and I think I would prefer that, no classes, studios are closed over the summers. I have a lot more thinking to do...

I e-mailed US News and World Reports to ask why the new Fine Art rankings weren't available and this is what they said: Only the Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Engineering specialties are updated annually. All the other specialties are updated about every 4 years. Regards so it's looking like they won't be updated until next Spring.

How do you compare a unique program like Cranbrook to other programs? I am trying to decide between Cranbrook Sculpture and U of Wisconsin at Madison Sculpture/3d/4d. Starting my pro's and con's list today, will post that when it is substantial enough. Any discussion on this topic will help me (and hopefully others!) greatly! good luck to everyone!

hey - i'm really curious about where you end up going. I am completely torn.

designr Ask the schools if they can help pay for a visit. I've learned so much from all my visits. You get to see the intangibles, like the studio culture, sit in on a critique and see how that process goes because its different everywhere, etc. I got my acceptance e-mail from Cranbrook today, while I was having lunch in Madison, WI visiting their program. I am completely torn. two different programs, one under the radar but still ranked in the top 20, the other great reputation and in the top 5. I know everyone says rankings don't matter, but I think the perception of those rankings matter in the community. However, as we know from the grad admissions process, if you don't have a good portfolio they won't even get to know where your degree is from. I'm having a hard time figuring out what I need to grow as an artist. Once I figure that out (how?) I will know which program is the right one.

Finally heard from Hunter via e-mail letting me know that my status changed. yet another rejection... ugh.

Chicago is an awesome city. I've also heard amazing things about Madison - headed there next week. Other than that I don't know much... good luck with your decision!

just turned 30 and married.