smartstrategy

I am glad you posted this. It is very important to note the response rate of only 29 percent! One could speculate that officials from a fair number of the top schools were among the 29 percent who responded;) No way of knowing. Did the respondents visit each school and look at the program in detail?! I think the list does contribute to perceived school prestige because many don't read the fine print like you did (onlly 29 percent response rate) and might think hey this is a printed publication that says that these are the best schools. Many of them are excellent. Other factors come into play. For example, a few years ago Rutgers was not well known. Then an online article was written about schools offering Best Bang for your Buck. Rutgers was on it. People on the forum wrote about large stipends. Now they get many more applicants due to the publicity boost. They seem to be a good school. However in my opinion I would take the rankings list with a grain of salt. Some are riding on a stellar reputation which might have existed years ago. The magazine is a marketing tool. They make money from publishing the info in this survey. People who don't know where to start in choosing a school might use the info when deciding where to apply because they don't have any other reliable source of info. Countless people on this forum apply to "the top ten" and they may well have decided based on that list. I was accepted at several schools with much higher "list" rankings than the one I decided to go to. I don't regret my choice. As always, my advice is go for funding unless you are able to pay yourself. Choose schools that offer funding where you think you might fit in. No school no matter how highly ranked guarantees your career path in the art world. It is very competitve out there.

FAWC had 705 applicants and only 46 are advancing to the final round. Notification received today. The application fee was 57 dollars. Good luck everyone.

Just leave it blank. They are fishing for information. None of their business:) If the school ultimately wants you they aren't going to reject you because you didn't answer that question. Decision will be based first and foremost on your portfolio. When/IF you get multiple offers from different schools, then you might tell them IF they ask as a negotiating tool.

Yes you should ask in my opinion. Sometimes you can find info directly on the school website. Check out these threads as well on funding and offers to get possible info on the schools you are interested in also. I repost so that they are easier to find for newcomers to the forum. Fundng can also vary depending on how you rank once accepted ie some students get larger fellowships (no work required), some TA ships which pay less and require work, is health insurance paid for? Ask how many hours you would work ie 10 hours per week or 20 hours per week. Are international students funded as well? Can you receive in state tuition if you are out of state? A school may not offer that unless you ask. All the best to you and everyone else! This forum is a great resource.

Thank you for posting some links to good material. Here are two crucial links that weren't posted regarding funded programs and offers received by accepted students. If you can't afford to pay and no subsidy at the school of your choice is offered or don't want to go into large debt check out schools that offer funding. International Students are often eligible but check of course to see what they might offer. The info is most likely still valid but check with the school directly. I think USC funding may have changed due to recent events. Also when you do get an offer, negotiate! Particularly if you have received several acceptances and offers. Thanks to everyone who has shared this excellent information and made it easier to find by posting in appropriate threads. This forum really starts to get busy around the end of December when applications are in by the way. You can send private messages to other members if you have an account. You won't get spam. This forum is an excellent source of information Good luck everyone! MFA programs in the USA with Excellent Funding (as of 2012) MFA arts 2015: FUNDING AND DECISIONS

For those who want to research programs with more funding in order to apply next year, check out these threads and add any new information you might have. They are a few years old but mostly still valid. I am reposting to make it easier for forum newcomers to find. http://dodgeburn.blogspot.com/2009/10/11-free-mfa-programs-to-study.html

A good school will welcome diversity in their program. The work is most important. Committees are looking for potential students with promise. Ages can range from 21 to 56 years old. Perhaps even older. What is most important is your attitude and your ability to get along with and learn from others in the program without age being a factor. Some questions to consider: What can you offer the program? Will you be mature enough to show initiative and to create work regularly without being prompted by faculty and your peers? Will social activities take priority over making work? Are you ready for a very intense experience that will last several years? Can you take critical feedback well? Feedback that can be harsh? Can you be self-critical? Are you open to new ideas and viewpoints different from your own? Do you know why you want to go to grad school at this time? Are your goals realistic? Do you have a good understanding of Contemporary Art?

This forum usually gets very very busy starting in January as deadlines appear so don't give up reading and posting. It then seems to go dormant with few posts around end of March/April when people have heard from schools and made decisions.

This is an older article specific to photography but probably still applies and to other programs as well. http://dodgeburn.blogspot.com/2009/10/11-free-mfa-programs-to-study.html

A very smart strategy! Here is a thread with a list of programs that offer funding. It has been posted elsewhere but I have reposted once again to make it easier for people to find as there is a ton of info on this forum to navigate.

After a period of time reading certain posts and responses to certain posts by a variety of members I would like to share this resource which may or may not be of interest or help to some. It has helped me when I remember to use it! http://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/index.htm a further explanation of how it works http://www.ayahuasca-wasi.com/english/articles/NVC.pdf In my opinion, it is important to have the tools to communicate one's point effectively in life, school, work, whatever....otherwise... well the point may be lost and even if you have great stuff to say, others might not hear it. :D Let's all have a big group hug, forget the "tit for tat", insults, return insults, give up the need to be right(eous), make peace with each other and wish each other well even if we may not always agree. There is too much anger in the world.

you can find lots of info on this site. do a search for the schools you are interested in. best of luck to you! rutgers http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/rutgers-the-state-university-of-new-jersey-new-brunswick-mason-gross-school-of-the-arts-program-in-visual-arts-000_10028628.aspx bard http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/bard-college-milton-avery-graduate-school-of-the-arts-000_10038831.aspx#GradDegreesAwards

Here is another old article from 2005 about Columbia that may or may not be of interest to some, http://www.suescottgallery.com/press/Higher-Learning_2

Good points....Which schools do you personally consider to be the top schools currently?

An interesting segment on 60 minutes tonight... see near the end when Blum and Poe discusses the actual percentage of people who purchase contemporary art. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403948n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57407250-10391709/morley-vs-the-art-world-round-2/?tag=contentMain;contentBody http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57407319/even-in-tough-times-contemporary-art-sells/?tag=currentVideoInfo;videoMetaInfo