ol'spice

congrats on your latest acceptance... Honestly do not know a whole lot about their program, but the name itself DOES ring a bell...

I imagined it was something like that (as far as your UIC application)... As far as CCA funding, I'll follow up by emailing their Financial Aid dept. sometime today, since they had me submit some additional documentation after my acceptance ( due to a technical issue with my FAFSA). I had to do that for ALL schools I applied (oh well...). If I hear back with any news I'll email you Sculptor.

As much as I agree with you there is a positive side to working on your portfolio longer, I'm wondering why did you apply to the schools that have accepted you (three of them?), if you had your mind set on UCLA or some other specific school? I'd love to get into UCLA, probably my first choice, but I'm happy to have gotten a couple of acceptances (including the Post Bacc from SAIC) from the other schools I applied to.

VCU keeps insisting I email them transcripts from some continuing ed courses (non-credit) I took in the 80s and which the school I attended have no records to show for. I know what some folks here will say: "at least you haven't been rejected yet"...

At this point I wish they (all remaining schools) could combine all of their rejection letters in a single manila envelope and mail it to me by tomorrow. That way it would be a done deal and the pain or sadness would be over at once and for all, and I'd be able to move on with my life!!!

I was talking to one of my references that I was not very hopeful about the six remaining schools (no interviews, no news)... She told me: "Don't count your beans yet! With graduate schools you never know!"

Hang in there, and you have UCSD in the bag, not a bad acceptance at all... I'm wondering if UCLA know I exist AT this point I'm waiting for my rejection...

basically I buy those really cheap brushes and I rarely clean them... and I buy more when they are caked and drying... but due to environmental concerns and because I'm moving up (I guess) as an artist, I'm hoping to change that and buy good brushes that I'll have to care for and keep forever

you've just reminded me I'm out of titanium white, cadmiun yellow, alizary crimson, lindseed oil, brushes... I'm going shopping soon as well! I know I spelled all those 'anglo color and medium names' wrong but I don't care

I'm assuming not (since in my case I got a signed letter from the school's financial aid office with the breakdown of how much I was getting). That's like a contract, so as long as I send the acceptance form by the deadline stated, the funding should be the same...

"out of the theater of the absurd"... That's the comment one of my professor made when I shared my experience with one of my interviews: (I'll keep this somewhat in stealth mode since I found the interview to be a true recognition of my work) I was looking at a panel (skype) of 4 people, grad students, head of graduate dept. and director of the dept. I was applying. They told me they had looked at my portfolio for the tenth time and they found my work to be really strong and were wondering why I was pursuing an MFA at this time in my life (I'm 47). I told them the work I'm exploring is very new to me, I'm only starting to wrap my head around it and grad school would be the perfect place to continue the investigations I had began and that I wanted to teach art once I finished my degree. She, the director warned me I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear next: She told me they couldn't do anything else for me there. They had over 250 applicants for 10 spots and they needed to manage their limited resources. There were many people trying to get to where I was and because of that they couldn't accept me into their program. She added that I should just paint and become part of my art community and show my work and that I should consider not pursuing an MFA. I tried reiterating that teaching is a really important aspect of my pursing of the MFA, but at that point I realized it would be better to accept the compliments and move on. There... So it was a real interesting rejection. The icing on the cake came when the person interviewing me ( an important critic) told me to mail her an invitation to my first show.

My two cents on this: I think if you have a strong idea (concept) and you explain it well in your writing you probably have as good a chance to get into an MFA as someone who did finish a BFA. I got a BA + almost twenty years of art practice on my own (self-taught) and I got a few acceptances but I remember talking to a person completed his MFA at UCSD years ago and his undergrad had nothing to do with art. He was a conceptual artist though. He didn't "make" anything, he worked with ideas...

From what you wrote it sounds like at some point it may be helpful for you to focus on one of the art practices you listed... Even though I like making sculpture and shooting photos and using the computer and printmaking, I put 95% of my studio time during the last year and a half into painting exclusively and I JUST ended up having the pieces I needed to have a strong portfolio for this application season... I know everyone is different, but I learned something about process recently, and how important it is to try to exhaust an idea or a technique. Sometimes that's the only way an artist will be able to discover his/her own language, by insisting on something if it doesn't reveal itself immediately. Good luck with everything and if you believe you'll succeed then it will happen!

PATIENT? (what's that?)...

I can't remember paying this much attention to my SPAM folder ever in my life...

I sent you an email, at some point we can exchange phone numbers.Sounds good. If you can't make it to SF I'll be glad to let you know what my experience was like after my visit to their open house.

Hi Sculptor, I see that you and I both got accepted at CCA and Sam Fox... It sounded like you are leaning towards Sam Fox... Are you going to the CCA open house April 1st? I was not able to go to the open house in St. Louis but I'm anguishing over that a bit.

hi, I was also accepted there but havent' made up my mind yet...I'd like to wait for as many responses as possible before deciding. What's the focus of your MFA?

Just got my rejection notification from CalArts... Well, as a painter, I knew this was going to be a real long shot...

same here.. I'll definitely be there for the open house... Anyone going from southern Cal?

Congrats! Did they mention an open house in your email? they did on mine (april 1st) and I'm looking forward to it.

Just received an email from CCA and I was accepted there as well!! Wow, humbled again...

congrats to all of you that are getting good news! Now go make some art!

Here how the question was sort of worded: We just finished looking at your work for the tenth time and your work is VERY STRONG. Why do you want an MFA at this point in your life? before she replied to my answer (which was to continue growing as a painter primarily and I'd like to teach painting someday), she said: "you are not going to like what I'm going to tell you next" You are correct Mr. Sad: I know her stature in the art world, she interviews artists, writes criticism, so it was the greatest rejection I could have ever wished for.

it was actually weird and humbling... The interview started by the director of the program saying they (the committee) had just finished looking at my work for the tenth time, and that they found my work to be REALLY strong and after one question they told me I don't need an MFA. She told me to email her the invitation for my first exhibit. I told hear she would be the first on my list.