if youre serious about your mfa being a step towards building an actual art career - you should seriously explore how to get the money for CalArts. LA is currently very much the hotspot for young artists. the Hammer just announced its new Biennial for mostly emerging LA artists - a ton of new galleries. etc. Also, the faculty at CalArts is incredible. All those other programs can just offer you the credentials to teach. CalArts takes care of its own and sets you up in a major art city. = More opportunities to do what you want and pay back those loans! congrats and good luck! (NYC here.)