mtung

Sounds like you should go for it, jkroman.

Made the official call to Hunter earlier this week.

I agree with jk...it seems nuts to do a postbac at SAIC when you've been accepted to Tyler's MFA program!

I applied to both VCU and Tyler, and if I were choosing between the two for Painting and Drawing I would definitely choose Tyler. They have a lot of good work coming out of the program, they just moved into brand new facilities, and Philadelphia itself has a lot going for it, too (growing art scene, great museums, and proximity to NYC). I do like the work coming out of VCU, but I've read some very mixed things about the program, and some folks I know who have visited were none too impressed (I'm afraid I don't know their specific reasoning)...and then you have Richmond...I can't speak to my own experience, as I have never been to the town itself, but between its small size, southern locale, and that the closest major city is DC, it just does not appeal at all. It doesn't seem like the city has much going on culturally beyond the University itself and maybe a small music scene. I guess that could be good if you want to sequester yourself and get a lot of work done, but personally I would much rather have easy access broader cultural activity. You're visiting both, though, right? I think that'll tell you everything...you'll know what feels right. In the end you're choosing between two great programs, so any decision will be a good one.

Although it is getting increasingly expensive, somewhere off of the L train in Brooklyn would give you a very fast commute, and if you're interested in roommates, might not be too expensive. Craigslist is generally the answer to finding apartments and shares, but you should check with NYU to see what kind of housing resources they have, as Universities often maintain their own housing resources. NYU is close to a ton of train lines (L, 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, W, B, D, F, V, A, C, E), so you really have a lot of options. In general I recommend Brooklyn, as it will be quicker to lower Manhattan, and the neighborhoods tend to have more amenities and activity. Queens is certainly a viable option, though, and will be relatively cheaper, but many neighborhoods are on the suburban side and can be inconvenient without a car; a few of the more active and accessible neighborhoods in Queens are Astoria, Sunnyside, and Jackson Heights (the latter are more around the 7, though, which wouldn't be convenient for you). Will you have a chance to visit NYC before you start looking for a place to live? Do you want anything more out of a neighborhood than a place to rest (nightlife, restaurants, parks, etc.)?

I say do what you gonna do! Worst thing that could happen if you accept then rescind is you lose your deposit, and maybe annoy someone at a school you will not be attending...worst thing that happens if you wait only for MICA is you end up not getting in anywhere and being stuck. Of course, first order of business is waiting as long as possible before accepting or denying the offer from the first school. Also definitely go down and visit, you might find it's not even the program for you after doing so, or that you want to go there so badly you'd rather focus just on MICA.

Applying to 9 schools and getting into 1 is NOT that bad...especially if you are applying to top programs! These are insanely competitive programs to begin with in an insanely competitive year, throw in all of the other factors and I would say you should be pretty happy getting into 1 out of 9 programs. It's not as if an application guarantees admission; in many cases you are competing with upwards of 900 other applicants, many of whom are going to be equally qualified, if not more so, that is, sadly, the nature of the game.

I got my rejection letter from SAIC today. I had already pretty much decided I would turn them down unless they offered me a great financial package, but it still really sucks to fly all the way out to Chicago only to end up rejected after-all. It's also kind of funny that I thought my interview there went really well, only to be rejected, while I thought my Hunter interview was disastrous, only to be accepted! In retrospect, I can see hints from the SAIC interview that may have suggested negative results, and how things I perceived as awful in my Hunter interview were actually good in that they showed I could think on my feet, even if the question is out of left field. In the end I was pretty unimpressed with the studios and atmosphere at SAIC, not to mention the fact it is in Chicago, but that only eases the burn of rejection so much. I have now received official word from every school I applied to, and pending the one waitlist, here is my final tally: CUNY Hunter: Accepted! RISD: Waitlisted. SAIC: Interviewed; Rejected. VCU: Rejected and insulted with an "invitation" to apply to their cash-cow summer program. MICA Hoffberger: Rejected. MICA Mount Royal: Rejected. Tyler: Rejected. UPenn: Rejected. Columbia: Rejected. UCLA: Rejected. Still waiting to see what comes of the RISD waiting list. I emailed them and was informed that I am in the "middle" of the list, but they did not specify how long that list is, so it is hard to say what my chances are. Honestly, my mind is pretty made up on Hunter, and in some ways it would simplify everything for RISD to reject me, too, so I don't have to play the "what-if" game.

I just got back from Hunter's spring open studios and was overall very impressed by the work and the general energy there. Of course it is all very subjective, but having been to several of Columbia's open studios, and seen a lot of student work coming out of Yale, I'm far more impressed by the quality of the work I've seen at Hunter both this spring and back in fall of '07 when I had previously visited. The class-size there is pretty huge, which surely has numerous downsides, but I think as a result you get a far greater diversity in the work, and a lot of opportunity to find people you work well with, rather than being trapped with just 5-10 other people you may clash entirely with in smaller programs. I get the impression from talking to people there that it is very DIY, but that if you're prepared to do the work you can really get a lot out of it, and as a result the student community seems to really flourish; rather than have everything handed to them by the school they pool their resources and get things done. The studios are a mixed-bag, as well, some being entirely amazing, others being pretty funky and haberdash. It is definitely a unique working environment that I could see really lending to some folks work and hindering others, but if you're willing to deal with a little funkiness and put some time and energy in, the spaces are all-in-all very large and usable. And most students said that even if you don't have an ideal studio the first year, it's usually pretty easy to move on up the next semester when people move out or shift around. Compared to SAIC's studios, which while very clean and orderly, lacked space and privacy, they are far more impressive. Likewise the autonomy of the MFA building from the rest of Hunter seems to offer it a certain degree of freedom. I am about 90% sure I am going to accept their offer of admission, but that doesn't mean I think they are the "perfect" program. It's all going to depend on the individual, and you're not going to know anything without a proper visit to get a true feel for the place; there are school I thought I really wanted to go to until I actually spent some time at them.

When I was at my interview for SAIC painting the person giving a tour said they had 1000 applicants, which was cut down to 100 for interviews, for 25 spots. I think Hunter was a similar number of total applicants to the entire MFA program, with about 150 interviewing for a total of around 80 spots (both fall and spring entry). Something tells me the SAIC number is a little high or the person was mistaken and meant for the entire studio MFA.

Basically everything jkroman said...unless you are really desperate to be in school right now, save your money, focus your energies for the next year, and reapply.

April 20th is the deadline for us fall acceptances, as well.

Also, what is the best way to approach schools you have been waitlisted at? I heard via post today, and am planning on calling to let them know I am still very much interested and also find out if there is a ranking and where my place is. I have 3 weeks before I need to notify Hunter, but my guess is I won't be hearing anything from RISD until after the 15th...

I'd like to know the same! I just got waitlisted at RISD, and it came as a total surprise, because they didn't invite me for an interview (and I know they require interviews)...it's a weird place to be. I'm thrilled to have made it onto the waitlist, but now it complicates my decision process. I was pretty much set to accept Hunter's offer once I heard back from SAIC (where I also interviewed), but now I feel like I should wait as long as possible to see what RISD says, eventhough I had written them off as a rejection based on lack on interview...

I just got a letter notifying me that I am WAITLISTED at RISD, which came as a huge surprise, because I didn't even get interviewed there, and assumed it to be a rejection based on that fact. I would have expected all of their waitlist positions to go to people who interviewed, but who knows? I have until the 20th to notify Hunter of my decision, so I may as well wait and see if anything comes of the RISD waitlist. Definitely unexpected! What do people think of RISD compared to Hunter?