RedHandedJill

I was rejected from all of my schools last year too, so I spent the last nine months basically birthing a new portfolio, a very ambitious new portfolio. I didn't get into my top choice schools, but I have been accepted this year with lots of funding. It really is true too, every time I was tired and didn't want to go to the studio, I would just think about all of those rejection letters. Hard work fueled by bitterness, it really is a winning combination.

I think you have a good point. While it's easy to look at the faculty and their work and make judgments about whether or not you will click, there is no way to know for sure. And, in my experience, the professors I thought would help me most haven't really brought anything new to the table, and great lessons have come from unexpected people. All we can do is look for the most information and try to make the best decision with the knowledge that we find. For that reason, I recently asked an old friend for the "non-brochure" description of the city I might be going to, and he didn't tell me anything specific that I couldn't have googled, but his impression was the most helpful thing I've heard about the city yet. Knowing who he is, and knowing who I am, and hearing him describe it, was very helpful. I think these are the types of questions that yield the best answers. My two cents anyways.

I am also interviewing in Wisconsin that day. It says in the email that it's a 25 minute interview with 5-10 minutes of you explaining your work and showing them images. That means that we're really only up for about 15 minutes or so of chatting about how you would like to teach. I have a lot of teaching experience and I know that writing the Teaching Philosophy paper they asked for will be hard because it's hard to describe a methodology for something that is so greatly based on the students, assignments and materials/techniques being taught. I think what will help you and I is the course proposal they asked us to make. I would propose a course that you feel really knowledgeable about and think of a couple of assignments that would fit into the curriculum. Once you do that, it should be pretty straightforward to decide what kind of teacher you would like to be, and how you would teach that particular curriculum. I'm sure you'll do fine, and if you want to talk further, berto, you can message me and we can chat about interview anxieties! Hope to see you in Madison!

I really like the facilities, I've been looking at pictures of them online. I might end up driving actually. I looked at flights and they seemed more expensive than the 18 hour drive from Florida. How are you going to do the interview?

Hi! I am interviewing that day too, which is your top choice so far? Hope to see you there!

I just got asked to interview for a TA position with University of Wisconsin--Madison! I hadn't been asked to interview anywhere yet, and with three jobs, booking a flight this soon is SCARY!

My status changed to "2012 Painting," hope is dwindling.

Was anyone with a changed Slideroom status invited for an interview??

The exact same thing happened to me. I don't know if I can handle the stress!

I just got into Iowa for painting! Notified via phone

I just got accepted to UW Seattle for Painting/Drawing! The email said they tried to call me, but I didn't have any missed calls. I've been accepted to UW and UWisc both without interviews. Hope that helps!

I also got into Wisconsin for Painting and it's one of my favorite programs. I was wondering, though, did you have to submit the financial aid application for the TAs and PAs? They told me they weren't making decisions about funding until the applications were due on the 24th.

I also got accepted to Wisconsin, and I'm trying to sort out this TA, PA stuff too. Have you filled out your FAFSA? That might help.

So, I went and did a little digging on last year's freak out forum and compiled some dates so we can all have it in one place I focused on painting and drawing though, so these are rough guidelines from posts by applicants for 2011 in painting and drawing mostly (or otherwise indicated): UPenn- phone interview 2/16--ACCEPTED 3/7 (phone) SAIC FIBER- phone interview 3/5--ACCEPTED 3/10 (letter) SAIC PAINTING- phone interview 3/5--REJECTED (letter) CalArts- REJECTED 2/22 (letter) VCU- Phone interview 2/25- Waitlisted 3/7 Yale- interviewed 3/22-REJECTED 4/2 RISD- interviewed 3/23 - waitlisted 3/29 Hunter- Rejected 3/18 Columbia- Rejected 4/1 Cranbrook-interview 3/28-waitlisted 4/8- accepted 4/14 UCLA-Rejected 3/12 UCSD-Rejected 2/28 SVA-Accepted 3/22 NYU-sculpture-Accepted 3/29 NYU-digital-Accepted 3/29 Pratt-Accepted 3/29 (with merit scholarship) Indiana University- sculpture- Accepted 3/16 Hope this helps, it just made me more anxious!

I did my BFA at FSU and the painters are incredible. Mark Messersmith and Lilian Garcia-Roig know how to teach and create a warm and individual community. Also, you can't beat FSU for financial aid, especially in the grad program. They try their best to give you a free ride. Tallahassee is nice, but it will not provide stimulation if that's what you're looking for. The art scene is small and insular (even with a friendly community) and it can be difficult to find things to do or inspiration. The MFA studios are pretty big, but they are not air conditioned (neither were the BFA studios but you get used to the hot and cold). Good luck! Also, I'm a figurative painter raised by this program