miyamoto81

And btw, I know I'm late to add to this but, I finally got a chance to look at the 2013 MFA rankings . . . is it just me or was there a ton of shake up?!

I am thinking along the same lines. I am going to see if they offer me anything by the April 15th deadline. If they do, I will weigh my options. If not, I am already leaning towards the two schools who are offering me the most funding. Though I have to admit . . . the idea of living in LA - if only for the weather - is totally enticing. I am a little sick of east coast winters. Hey Tyson2! Don't quote me on this, but I believe Montclair offers an initial tuition waiver for everyone they accept into their program. What they offer beyond that, I don't know. I am going up to look at a bunch of schools next week and they are on the list, so if I find out any more info I will definitely keep y'all posted. The director of the program is younger, so I think they are trying to give off a "hip" kind of vibe. Though I agree with you, for those looking to go to school by New York and not wanting to pay an arm and a leg to do so, I think Montclair is a great choice. It's definitely under the radar now, but in a couple years, who knows.

Thanks! I am very grateful for how well my work has been received, though like I said before, I think that I got in a lot of places because I had a wide range of schools that I applied to. I think that Cal Arts might be the only "top" school that takes me, so if I had applied to only schools in the top 10, I may have only gotten in one place. So it's relative to a certain extent. And while I am super excited about getting into Cal Arts, I really don't know if I can afford to go there. I've gotten some pretty hefty financial offerings from some other places, those will be hard to turn down. Though, I am also thinking about the long last effects on my career . . . I dunno . . . Thanks! I have actually had to make one decision already in turning down a program who wanted an early decision. I have places that I am leaning towards, but nothing definite yet. We'll see . . . sympatico, what do you want to do, do you want to teach or just do your work? We've had this conversation before, but these things are a journey. I really, really hope that if it doesn't work out for you this time around that you don't give up. I think I told you, it took me years and years of struggle to get to where I am. And look at it this way: if you just want to do you work, you sure as hell don't need a MFA to do so. And if you want to teach, there are other ways of doing so without a MFA. Have you considered schools that have a rolling admissions, like the Art Center or even Montclair State in NJ? Those might be some options? It kills me when I see people lose hope, mostly because I've been there so many times, I know how it feels all too well. There are always ways of making your dreams come true. It might be hard, but there are still ways.

That's awesome, congratulations! Here's to the end of silence!

No, it's a different site - I don't think a decision will show up on your application site . . . In the email they send, they give you a pin number and without that pin, you won't be able to log on. So unfortunately, you have to wait for them. I'm sure you'll be hearing soon though! My fingers are crossed for you!!

Thanks! I got an email from them that said that a decision was made on my account. I then had to login to a secure page, request a new password, and then you find out. Now, I also interviewed via Skype about a week or so before the "interview day" of March 8th, so I don't know if that is a factor. Regardless, y'all should be hearing soon! Ahh, and I applied for the general Studio Art MFA program.

The roller coaster continues: (finally!) got my rejection email from NYU, but also got an acceptance for Cal Arts! Up and down and up and down! Also, no word from UCLA, though knowing they've scheduled interviews, I'm not holding my breath. Honestly, I'm thinking that everywhere else might be a no for me at this point - thank the gods I applied to so many schools. It really gave me a lot more options than I would have had otherwise. And congratulations Babar_Suleman on the Carnegie Melon acceptance, that's a great program!

I've also heard of people asking to extend the deadline - in my case, I had two schools - one who was cool with it, one who was not. So I think it just depends on the program. Though i got some info from another one of my schools that said that those asking for early decisions before April 15th, especially those offering funding, could potentially be fined by the CGS . . .

Wait, someone on the freak out forum said that they were told they got like, the mythical full funding of tuition reimbursement plus $25k when they called to inquire about admission . . . As far as I know, we all had to submit our letters and they would tell us. The problem for me is that they said they might not be able to notify until after the April 2nd deadline. I dunno, I'm gonna get up there at some point, hopefully I can get some info.

jjr8888, you were the one who got funding, yeah? Whether or not I can go seriously depends on how much they give me. I am wondering what the average amount of funding they give is and what the qualifications are for receiving it . . . (just thinking out loud)

Cady, hang in there - You've gotten into a really good school, so keep your chin up and don't count that out. If I were in your position (and I am to a certain degree with the top schools) I would assume UCLA and VCU are a no. At this point, the way I am looking at it is, even if we are wait-listed or contacted later, at this point we obviously weren't the top choices. I'd much rather go somewhere with people who are excited about my work, and it seems like Madison might be that way for you. If they say you're in and you have the possibility of funding, I'd say go there. (Unless of course you're really opposed for some reason.)

I totally agree, though I think everyone is in on it. It's a total game: The smaller schools want you to confirm admittance early because they know that they need to get the best students. And the bigger schools can let you know the second week of April whether you are in or out because they know that everyone wants to get into their program. I've had 3 schools want an early decision from me, including two in March. It's ridiculous. After spending so much time and money and energy just on the application process, you then are expected to give a decision before you've even heard back from everywhere, or found out about funding, etc. Welcome to academia.

I tried to use this with one school and they told me that because the program was highly competitive, they assumed the right to make the date earlier. I guess we could fight it in theory, but then you run into the problem of making yourself look difficult if you then head to that program. It's a catch-22. That being said, if anyone has luck with this, I'd be all ears to hear how it went. I think the most important thing I've learned through this whole process is how much it is not geared towards the benefit of the student.

Hey Zecchi, I'll bite! I am in as well, and feeling very grateful, I know it's a good school. I used to hang out in New Brunswick some - RU is a nice campus, though huge. I think all the colleges make up like, 50,000 students or something ridiculous. The arts buildings are mostly downtown, though I believe there is also one on the Livingston campus, across the Raritan river. The Rutgers College campus is the most "college-y" campus, and the Douglas/Cook campus is really nice and green. Rutgers is a good location, about a 45 min train ride from New York, about another 45 min drive from Princeton (which is beautiful). Another bonus is that NJ Transit has a train station right in the heart of New Brunswick, so it's super convenient. I also might be going the week of the 19th to check it out. If I make it, I will keep you posted. I'll be interested to hear what you think about the program as well!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII KNOW! It's kinda crazy. Can you imagine? Well, here's keeping our fingers crossed for each other! Btw lstem, I see you got into University of Hawaii? I was *this* close to applying there, but I talked myself out of it because I would get absolutely no work done. The dialog in my head everyday would be, "hmmmmm . . . studio . . . beach . . . studio . . . beach . . . "

Sympatico, I think we all do our fair share of whining on here - my point is that it's hard to compare ourselves to each other at times because we are all in different places in life. I've been in the position of being rejected, and in all honesty, I doubt that I won't feel the sting of it in the future. A life of an artist is filled with rejection: from grad schools, to grant applications, to show proposals, to gallery representation. As corny as it sounds, we have to be the ones who believe in what we do, even if no one else does. That's our commitment to our work and to our careers. Does it mean it doesn't fucking suck at times? No, of course not. But don't lose heart. Just a quick story: I met the artist Peter Saul at one point and he said that he started doing his form of painting in the late 60's and no one wanted to touch him. It took him 30+ years to get to the point he's at now with his visibility. But he was committed to his work. After the door slams in all our faces at one point or another, we have to ask ourselves how much we are dedicated to our work and how much we are willing to go through to see that it leaves its mark. But it doesn't mean it doesn't fucking suck in the meantime. Uke, nah it's all good. Like I said, I think I made the right decision. It's just hard to turn down a fully funded program in hopes that something else might turn up. They said they offer all their grad students the same deal - tuition reimbursement with a small stipend. I'm not sure about TAing. But thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it! Congratulations Song, that's awesome! Congratulations to you as well, OutWest! That's an awesome program, so happy for you!

Yes, I received the same info. I even asked them about finding out about funding and they said that some people may not find out if they are funded until after the April 2nd deadline. Not really sure what to do about it. Yes, I got the same email! F*ckers.

Hey OutWest and Uke, I definitely appreciate your input, so thanks! As has been echoed on here before, this whole process is such a roller coaster - it's hard to take yourself out of it and not feel like you need to second guess yourself all the time. (I keep on having the voice of "IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FUTURE ON THE LINE! Which of course I know isn't true, but still.) I think until we all make a final decision, maybe that's just part of the process. Despite it all, I feel so incredibly fortunate to be accepted into the places that I have, most of whom are all very excited about my work - which I think is so important to keep in mind in all of this. I'd much rather go to a small school who is really excited about what I am doing rather than a big school where I feel like a number. That was definitely one of the reasons why I applied to the schools I did. So now it will boil down to money and who can offer me what financially combined with location. It just gets to hard not to be competitive-minded when the whole business is how it is. I have to keep on reminding myself that grad school should be focused on doing your work in the best place possible with the right people. The art, after all, has to come first. However speaking of decisions, I sadly had to decline Alfred this past week because they wanted a commitment really early on. It was really tough decision because, Uke, I hear you on how awesome the program is. But at this point, I've been offered more assistance at other places and it was just too early to give a yes. But I agonized over that decision for at least a week. I think in the end I made the right choice, but given what you just said and given what I already knew about the program, it was a really hard thing to pass up. I was telling someone else that my hope through it is that my slot can be opened to someone else who will take advantage of such a great program with great people. *sigh* Kazoo, thank you for your continual wise perspective in all of this. I for one don't want to come across as ungrateful or not acknowledge that people are dealing with such high levels of stress and emotion through this whole process. Honestly, I went into this whole application season fully accepting the fact that I might not have gotten in anywhere, and I had a Plan B should that have happened. The thing that I think that is so important to realize is that people are on their own journey. I know I commented the other day about MLo, who managed to be on their way to acceptances to all the top schools - but I have no idea what they went through in order to get there. I can speak for myself and say that it took me almost a decade to get through my undergrad, including getting kicked out of a program and then transferring 2 other times, moving and dealing with chaos in my personal life, and supporting myself on my own through out all of it. I've had to work and struggle and sacrifice to get to the point that I have, and I can only image how many others of us are out there who have had to do the same thing for our work. I've failed so many times. Yet it's up to all of us, to dust ourselves off and keep on at it. A wise professor of mine once told me that it's not the people who are talented who are successful, though I'm sure it helps. The people who are successful are the ones who never give up and who persevere through all the setbacks.

Ahhhhh! Got 2 acceptances today! After so much waiting in silence, it feels so great to have some news! I know people have been asking about Mills - I got a phone call acceptance today, so be on the lookout! I think someone else mentioned that they were called yesterday as well. Though, for me, it looks like it's shaping up to be a lot of the smaller schools who are interested in my work - I'm not sure what that says about how I fit in the contemporary art world. Though to be honest, even if I did get into some of the bigger schools, I'm not sure how I would afford to go there . . . but it definitely gives me pause to think about my work and how it fits into the general scheme of things and why some of the bigger schools didn't respond to it. I don't know . . . Regardless, best of luck to everyone who is still waiting! Keep your chins up! Just think, after almost a full year of planning for some of us, there is only a month or so left to go . . . it's kind of weird to think that either good or bad, one way or another, we'll at least have an answer . . .

Kate, did Mills mention anything about funding to you? Just curious as to if they offer anything.

Ha! Oh, I feel you, believe me. Though I will say this: my acceptance to Rutgers came in a small, thin envelope so keep the faith, even if you see one! (It took my brain a few seconds to process what was going on when I opened it.)

Oh my god, that's awful! I thought about the same thing with the tornados that hit the midwest this week . . . Despite the fact that I've wanted to rip my hair out at various points - while looking at things like this, I have felt very lucky and thankful lately that I'm even in this position, to follow my dreams of doing what I love to do. It does indeed put things into perspective.

Mlo, that's awesome congratulations! Though - and I say this out of much respect - I think I speak for all of the forum members when I say that I kind of hate you a little bit . . . You got into VCU (the #1 sculpture program in the country!), you got into UCLA (another top program) and you had an interview for Yale, (the #1 all around program!). 1. Your work must be amazing, and 2. I'm sure you worked really hard for it, so congratulations! :) (Though I'm still slightly jealous.)

Inkhouse, I sent you a message!

I've had that same thought all week. Mostly everyone on this forum needs a round of shots.