frez83

The application is very old school, but yes that is the way it is. I wouldn't want to discourage you from applying, because if you think you would want to do it I think applying is always good, but just keep in mind that being accepted is going to be pretty difficult without a lot of preparation and having the recommendation from artists who have already gone through the program. What Coreythegiraffe said is all true.

I would say I know the Pratt program better than SVA, and I agree with what was said on here already about Pratt. The facilities are a joke, there is no attention to that program, and I think the lack of quality coming from the photo program there is reflected in the fact that literally nobody comes out of there anyone has ever heard of. It's a dreary and outdated photo program. The school puts nothing into it. And then when you factor in how much money it costs... SVA as a whole I think is a giant money machine. I don't think the education itself is the worse in the world, but that school definitely is packing in the students like sardines to get the money. Go to an SVA open studios and you will get claustrophobic. SVA is flashy, and has fine facilities/faculty, but again for me I don't know why you would pay the money to go there. I would pick City College over SVA any day. I think you nailed it with your impression of Parsons. That is a big part of the problem (fine facilities and faculty but the program lacks attention and direction). The Photo MFA at Parsons was literally a joke 3-5 years ago. They have worked on it, it has gotten better, and now it is not nearly as much as a joke... until you get that tuition bill. There are administrative problems there that keep the curriculum from being revamped and for the attention the students need to be had. Parsons puts it's energy into its undergraduate programs, there grad programs have been lacking a long time. Apply there in 10 years once they get it together. Keep in mind places like Parsons and SVA have huge marketing budgets and work hard to get there name out there. They are in NYC and the faculty at these places are good, but for what you get out of it, you could easily not spend nearly as much money and get as good or better education. Ask yourself this question, do you care about what you learn more, or the name of the school on the resume more? If all you care about is the name and reputation, Yale is going to get more attention on your CV than Parsons ever would. If you care about education, then you need to find a program that fits you well. This gets more complicated because programs all have their own culture and pedagogy. This is something that really nobody else can tell you is right or wrong, because it has to do with your interests and what you want to get out of it. That being said, I would also factor in money big time to these decisions. I hope any of this doesn't come off as rude. For anyone who loves SVA or Parsons, that is fine. I know a lot of people who have gone to both. Some were happy, some not. SVA seems particularly well suited for technology based things such as video or animation. Parsons is okay for fine arts, I don't think either or great for photo. I would encourage you all to speak directly to the programs, though, and ask them specific questions. That is the best way to see if the culture there fits you. Hope some of this help.

My personal opinion, both Parsons and Pratt have lame photo MFAs. If those were my only two choices, particularly with low funding, I would wait and apply again next year. I know a lot of Pratt people, and I went to Parsons for undergrad, and am personally not impressed with either of these grad programs. The Parsons photo MFA in particular is a joke. Parsons has an okay mfa in Fine Arts, but the photo program is completely separate and not a part of that program in any way. Not sure exactly what type of work you do, or what kind of program you are looking for, but I wouldn't recommend anyone go into debt for either of those programs.

It will be a panel of people, probably about 4. They will all be faculty in the interview itself, but the first year students will be talking to you before your interview and show you the building and their studios. A couple of second year students may be around too, but it will pretty much be first years because they will be the people you will be working with if you're accepted. The interview itself will be pretty laid back, they will have your work projected on a screen and will ask you questions about the work and your process, but mostly they will be gauging you on how you would "vibe" with the program. I mean this personality wise as much as work wise. It's a small program and everyone is around each other all day every day, so who you are is as important than what you make.

they wait list without an interview.

I had checked this with the program the year I applied. There was not a University minimum. However, perhaps this has changed over time so it may be prudent to check again if you are someone applying now.

Trust me, it's far more casual than you are assuming and has no impact on the outcome of your interview.

Cool, good luck with SVA. Message me if you have any questions about NYU or their program.

That's a normal question most places ask. They really are just curious to know where everybody is applying, so no need to worry.

Just be relaxed and cool. They mostly are just trying to get an idea of who you are and what your plans are. Nobody is going to grill you, especially not about work/art theory. It's going to be pretty laid back and you will get to hang out with the current students and check out their studios and the facilities. I would be prepared to talk about why you want to go to grad school and where you plan on going as an artist, but just sound like a real person not a sales person. Just be you.

I wouldn't study too hard if I were you. The GRE is mulitple choice and if you are taking it just for Stanford, they don't really care about the score you get. It's a formality because the universiry requires the scores be on record but the art department wont care what they are.

This is the only program I have ever seen that requires a GRE for admission. It's some strange Stanford policy for all grad programs. I don't think you will find any other MFA programs in visual art that will require them.

Decisions have started to go out via email.

A handy tip for everyone who is currently in grad school, or will be... Many programs have matching grants for skowhegan. Meaning, your school may cover your cost to attend. Capers, if you have decided where your going to go I'd contact that school about this ASAP. one of the people in my program did Skowhegan the summer before he started grad school and NYU paid for it.

Sondra's killing it in 2013! Congratulations!