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“A picture is worth a thousand words”, a well-known adage that stands true through time. Even before we could speak, we used graphics to communicate. Today, we are surrounded by designs of all kinds- from the home screen on our mobile phones to the big billboards out on the streets, graphics are a timeless medium to communicate. As a school boy, I had always loved to sketch cartoon characters. A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering gave me exposure to machines of different shapes and sizes. I was intrigued by how design made even the most complex machines easy to use. These experiences gave me the initial push towards graphics and designing which later drove me to the point where I aspire to attain a Masters in Design. During my final year at college, I was introduced to Adobe Photoshop. Impressed by how all-encompassing a software could be, I marveled at how it gave a person the freedom to design what they imagined, without inhibitions. I was eager to start using Photoshop, and started taking tutorials online. Initially, I learnt image retouching and color corrections. As I progressed, I started taking advanced tutorials on compositing, matching lighting and coloring desaturated images. Gradually, I learnt the software in and out. I began by designing as per the tutorials, but after spending hours on reading blogs and looking at designs and compositions for inspiration, I started applying my knowledge to make designs from scratch. During my final semester I got placed as an intern at Skrilo, a firm wherein I had to work on design templates for their mobile application using Photoshop. However, after my internship I graduated and got placed at a firm called Aptara where I had to re-write user manuals for trucks and cars. My interest towards design kept me from continuing at this job. Within 8 months, I quit my job at Aptara and started working for Skrilo again. I now had greater opportunities to learn and work on designs and embraced them. I took a course online - “Introduction to Graphic Design” at Lynda.com. This course made me see how vast the field of Graphic Designing was and taught me the significance of planning my designs on paper before taking it to the machine. I also recognized the importance of feedbacks for designers. Sharing my work with different designers around the world on social media has really helped me grow as a designer and made me realize that the final design evolves with criticism. My job required me to design mobile ad banners for the company’s mobile application. I learnt about the specifications of designing for android devices. This included choosing the right fonts, colors and the specified sizes of the different components on the screens. Though most of my job was done using Photoshop, working with different teams also taught me to study design briefs and make designs tailored to meet specific needs. Enjoying every aspect of being a graphic designer, I started taking tutorials more often, learning about the latest features of Photoshop and studying design in general. After having worked on 4 different versions of Photoshop, I decided to take the Graphic Designing Specialization course by CalArts on Coursera. During this course, I got to work on almost every aspect of designing, including hand drawn sketches, icons, design briefs, color theory and typography. With an insight to the German Art School Bauhaus, I also learnt about the history and origin of design along with the different designers and typographers whose designs are popular till date. The final Capstone Project gave me the opportunity to test all the skills I had learnt so far. For this I got to build a complete Brand Identity from scratch, including its logo, logotype and color scheme. After this course I had gained a much better understanding of how brands work in the real world. I had now worked on it all, except for illustrations. Drawing sketches on a computer is lot more challenging than doing it on paper. Therefore, I have been taking online courses to learn Adobe Illustrator for more than a year now. I have gradually grown into a designer and I feel that with the blend of the creative and analytical mindset that I have developed over the years, I can contribute a lot to the design community. With the field of Graphic Design growing leaps and bounds, the Graphic Design Masters program at the Rhode Island School of Design is well equipped to help me drive my efforts in the right direction. The curriculum at RISD is balanced to prepare aspiring designers like me for the future while at the same time giving us a strong hold of the traditional practices. I believe that having done a bunch of courses online, an opportunity to study design at a campus like RISD will help me get better at what I like doing best and open an ocean of opportunities that the field of design has to offer.

I've been accepted into the MFA in Creative Writing at Oregon State University. (yay!) It is their Low-Residency program, so mostly online, which means they don't offer much funding, since I can't be a TA. I'm also applying to Anticoh and UC Riverside Low-Res. I am having a hard time locating funding for such a specific situation. I'm Latina, first-generation graduate, their must be something out their for me, right?? Please help!

I applied to approximately 11 schools for MFA in fiction and I was rejected from 10 of them. The school that did accept me was College of New Rochelle in Westchester, NY. While the program is tempting given its proximity to NYC, its social justice theme and its exceptional 'newness' (it was launched in 2015), they only offered about 5,000 in merit scholarship overall, and for a school that's $10,000 a semester it barely covers much, especially for someone who has to simultaneously live in new york that is, in of itself, unaffordable. As such, that makes going to get an MFA less than an obvious choice. I am a relatively new writer, wet behind the ears and still trying to get a handle on my work ethic and routine, and as such didn't have much a portfolio to cull from when sending out samples (This was probably what shot me in the foot). Still, I was taken by how impressed the college was by my work, and appreciated their personal approach to writing. My question for the folks here on this forum is thus: should I attend the program at College of New Rochelle now, or should I wait it out and develop a better voice on my own terms and have a better body of work to submit should I apply again? I'm just afraid that if i let too much time elapse, I'll never do this, or if I enter the fray again, I'lll just be rejected across the board again.

Hi all, I'm looking for MFA recs *specifically for creative nonfiction programs*, would love to hear any ideas! Right now I'm thinking of applying to the Iowa NWP (which is scary af and obvs a long shot) and also to Washington U, Columbia and Hunter College. Looking for more, here are my priorities: -A program focusing mostly or solely on CNF (essay, memoir, hybrid, historical, travel, etc.'). I'm probably a memoir/personal essay person, but I feel I need a strong background in the genre. -Academic grounding, in the sense that the program isn't only made of workshops/craft seminars -Full-residency program, 2-3 years. -Very preferably programs w/ full tuition + stipends for all or most students. -Preferably Northeast coast, but I will definitely be willing to consider elsewhere if it's a good fit. -Preferably medical insurance coverage; coverage of HRT for trans* ppl a big plus -Openness to experimentation and non-English traditions of the essay Obviously in no way am I going to get everything I possibly want, but any pointers in the right direction would be v/ appreciated TIA!!

This is my second round applying and after the NY Portfolio Review I will be changing my application approach. It was quite an eye opener. How many fellow MFA applicants are over 50? Have you been told Universities are concerned that they don't know how to handle mature students? Worried you are to stuck in your ways and not fit into their programs? How did you convince them that you are the kind of students they desire?

Does this exist? I felt like there should be a place where we can post on here (I know about the MFA draft facebook but that thing stresses me out.) So far I've been rejected by Ohio State and I still have pending: Michener, New Writers Project, Michigan, UMass Amherst, NYU, Brown, Houston. What about y'all?

Hello! I've recently accepted an offer from the University at Buffalo for their MFA in Studio Art program. Anyone else accept any grad offers from UB? I'd love to get connected!

hello hello! I have been trying to decide between SVA and Parsons MFA Fine Arts. I wasnt able to find a lot of information online for these fine arts programs. Has anyone attended these programs or have any info that could be helpful. Any help much appreciated since I am running out of time to register! thank you all!

Hi everyone! I'm an International Student. I applied to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts MFA Dramatic Writing Program from December 19th and I was told that notifications are sent out ANYTIME between MARCH 1st and APRIL frickin 15th! I am going crazy!!! It's almost the end of March and I haven't seen ANY applicants on this site with a decision for this program. In fact, I think one of the key committee members has been out of office for 1 week or so, with no "return date" in his automated email reply, so I don't know when he's expected back. I don't want to keep emailing admissions to annoy anyone, but this is ROUGH! At least with Brown University, they stuck to the date they gave (although it was just as long of a wait). At least they stuck to their date. Tisch, I don't know what's taking them so long... I mean... they have 1 month AND 15 days and I haven't seen ONE decision on the Results Search page... sigh... I'm also waiting on Boston U's MA Journalism which I was told would be out by next week.... but Tisch.... what is going on in that dept? Does anyone know? Thanks!

Hi all, I ended up lurking last year and it looked like the forum was helpful and interesting to those involved. So, since I've been chomping at the bit and waiting to take another swing at Grad school, I wanted to go ahead and get the conversation started. About me: I applied to several directing programs in 2015 and went through URTA. Schools: Indiana, Illinois State, East 15, Yale, Northwestern, Cal Arts, FSU, Brooklyn. I interviewed with Indiana, Illinois State, Yale, Northwestern, East 15, and FSU. I received offers from East 15 (couldn't afford it) and Illinois State (not a good fit). My wife applied to MFA Acting programs and was accepted into one of her top choices. So we decided to do that. Last year I applied to Yale again (we decided we could be apart for a year if I got into Yale because...it's freakin Yale). I made it to the first round again and was not selected for the final weekend visit. I can only afford to apply to programs that are fully funded so this year I am applying to Boston U, Brown, Northwestern, and Yale (again). I am seriously considering USCD. Maybe: Purdue and CMU. I won't do URTA this year. Not a great experience. This will probably be my last crack at grad school, so fingers crossed. What is everyone else looking at?

Someone I know is trying to decide between a photography MFA at Yale or UCLA. Are there any informed opinions out there, perhaps from current students of these programs or recent graduates? The programs are so nearly equal in his mind – he likes the prestige factor at Yale and prefers to live on the East coast. UCLA has a great program too and he appreciates the interdisciplinary-ness. Yale has a reputation for molding students whereas UCLA seems to operate with a lot more freedom for the student, which he likes. He wants to teach and UCLA offers that opportunity. Both have offered nearly equal funding. Thanks so much, appreciate any input.

Hi everyone! This may be a bit too early to start asking questions about the next application cycle, but I figured why not. I'm currently a senior in college double majoring in Cognitive Science and Creative Writing and I'm planning on applying to MFA programs this coming fall as a poetry applicant. I've been a member of the MFA Draft '19 Facebook page for some time now and seeing everyone talk about their acceptances (or lack thereof, I should say) is making me extremely nervous. I really really don't want to have to go through the application process multiple times to get accepted into a program with full-funding that's a good fit, but the more I read the more it seems like that's the way of the game. So far I have 13 schools on my list (U of Michigan, NYU, Hunter, Cornell, Brown, Syracuse, Boston U, U of Oregon, U of Washington, the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Temple, Mills, and UC-Riverside) and it will be a real financial hardship to apply to all 13. I'm planning on working full-time after I graduate in a month so hopefully I will be able to save/budget wisely, but presumably some of that money will be going toward paying off my undergraduate loans. I guess what I'm asking is should I take more time off to apply or should I just bite the bullet and see what happens this coming year? I know an MFA is something I whole-heartedly want and I don't plan on relinquishing that goal just yet, but part of me wonders if it's better to just keep writing on my own and submitting to journals (maybe even do a summer residency?). Yet, at the same time, I don't want to walk away from academia for too long.. If you have any thoughts or advice, I would warmly welcome it! I'm also open to suggestions on schools I should add to or remove from my list. I made sure most of the schools were fully-funded (while still being a good fit stylistically) and that the ones that aren't either fully-fund the majority of students or have a few competitive fellowships. If anything looks misguided, please let me know. Thank you so much!

Anyone hear back from this program yet or know a notification of decision date?

MFA application opened up this month!!! Who's ready for 2018 freak-out forum?

Finally got the decisions, accepted with no merit scholarship probably because I applied very late (25th Feb). I love the fact that it's in NYC and I have relatives there who can accommodate me for free during my studies, which will save me a lot of $$$. After some research on courses offering and faculty backgrounds, I realized a lot of teachers are part-time recent grads. I am concerned whether these people are experienced enough to lead graduate level courses. Also, what exactly do people do in the major studios and computational labs? Who teach these classes? I came from a liberal arts background and I am interested in UI design and web design. Thanks in advance!

This section has been dead for a while... Any film/digital media/video/art applications for F19?

Hey dudes! I want to hear more about how your MFA Acting audition and everything for 2019 is going on! And, I want to hear from current MFA Actors or anyone that how do you think of PACE MFA Acting (the Actors Studio Drama School) among top MFA Acting programs in US? Absolutely Yale could be a one of best schools, I agree.. but how's the output or status of PACE in grad acting world comparing to others comparing to others? (ex. Calarts, UW or more) Hoping to hear from many of you!

Hey just seeing if anyone else has applied to Columbia's Sound Art program. Or any sound art program. Haven't heard back yet!

Hey everyone! I don't know why but I feel like the graphic design department of every college functions seperately, in regard to their applications and admissions roll-out, so thought of having a different topic about the same. Thoughts?

Hi all, I am waiting on pins and needles to hear back from my MFA programs and I'm trying to put my energy into something worthwhile, so here I am. What schools have ya'll applied to? What are your top schools? What's your genre? How many times have you applied before? Has anyone heard back from anywhere yet? I know it's early in the game but I've had so much nervous energy just thinking about it. Anyone else? How's everybody feeling? Good luck on your acceptances!

Hey everyone! I am fall 2019 applicant for poetry MFA programs. I've seen that people have been getting acceptances back from Ohio State's program and I was just wondering... has anyone been rejected? I'm not sure how they do their send outs but I was just wondering why they wouldn't have sent out rejections if they're sending out acceptances! Thanks

Why I am putting myself through this again? I do not have an answer, but I am here. Anyone else out there going through the portfolio/statement of purpose process, still? My first application goes out next week (University of Arizona). I am beyond nervous. How do you decide when everything is "done"? When is anything ever done, haha

So I did the acting auditions for URTA's Saturday. And I'm feeling a little bummed out. I only had one interview scheduled with a conservatory and two other programs to contact at school.

Hi! So I didn’t get in anywhere for an MFA In Creative Writing. I’m now trying to look into different options. Does anyone know good programs that are either online and still have open admissions or places with rolling admissions?

Hi Guys, thanks in advance for any takers. My sister applied and was accepted to the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in Creative Writing. I'm very supportive of her pursuits, but just worry about her school selection. Has anyone heard of this school? is it a good school? I read that it sorta encourages distance learning. Is that typical? Or does that signify a cash-cow scenario? (i come from a very typical type of grad school-- Public Policy, so I am not accustomed to the idea of GRE not required, but open to it) any thoughts, ideas, opinions? Thanks a lot! DWD