MFA - Studio Art? Anyone else out there?

[pointedears]

Mostly I applied to a lot of schools because my SO is applying this year too. Both of us are international applicants and I wanted as less chances as possible of making this relationship an international LDR. If I have some choice at the end of this, one factor would be a school close to where he is going. I didn't even see any school's catalog. Just went to the student galleries and chose schools based on that. But I know what you mean.

Cranbrook sent me an email saying that my application was complete and ready for review about 2 weeks back. I don't know what took them so long! If schools don't email me, I will be waiting for a long, long time before getting to know what the result is. Letters take about 2 weeks to reach me. :|

[cookiemonster]

Yaay for internationals! I'm an international student too, but I'm earning my Bachelor's in the US.

Well, I hope everything works out for you! Good luck on your interviews and keep us posted!

[pointedears]

Thanks a lot. Good luck to you too.

[labmouse]

Welcome pointedears!

My interview at SMFA seemed to go well. It was two faculty members and a grad student. At the interview, it seemed that either I missed some key information about the program and it's grading methods form the website or something. I was pleasantly surprised and think that it's a good fit. Hopefully they will agree. I also got my first acceptance today from MCAD. Finally, some validation.

[xaviercugie]

Hey Coberry,

I was wondering if you have had your interview w/ ICP. I also applied to them but I haven't heard anything.

[pointedears]

Congrats on the admit labmouse.

[acaseofyou185]

Hi there,

I'm new to the site and about to start a graduate assistant position at Bucknell for photography in the fall. I'm hoping this program will help me expand my work because I minored in art in undergrad and have noticed that most programs require an undergraduate degree/major in fine arts. I'm extremely nervous about applying to grad schools in the future because of this and hope that the assistantship will help a bit.

Does anyone know if there are alternatives to having an undergraduate degree in art? Will this assistantship help me?

Any advice would be warmly appreciated. Thanks so much!!

[pointedears]

If you want to improve your work, I say go for it. Don't do it just to make up for the missing degree though. I haven't done my bachelors in Art either, but things aren't going that bad for me as of now. All the websites of the schools I have applied to say that they don't require a BFA for their grad courses but obviously that will be preferred. So yeah, there is so correct answer to your question. But people DO get admitted even without a BFA.

[acaseofyou185]

Thank you! I want to teach in the future so the assistantship is great!

[riskynostalgia]

I think that unlike CCA which seems to have one hellish day where all the departments get together and pick all the grad students, Cranbrook's departments seem to function entirely separately. I had an interview feb 23rd or 24th and then got an email about being accepted on the 28th. I ran into the head of the Fiber department at the symposium in Philadelphia this week and he seemed unsurprised that letters hadn't gone out yet, even though I did get a generic confirmation of acceptance email from a Katherine Willman.

[riskynostalgia]

oh, labmouse - that's great! I've heard awesome things about MCAD, and I think someone who I think is super-talented from my undergrad program will probably apply there if/when he applies to grad school.

[pointedears]

Cranbrook sent me an email saying the decisions will be mailed out 30-45 days after the deadline(1st feb) for 2D design. So yeah, still waiting for it.

Do you guys notice a trend? I have seen that the admits are informed through email while the rejects arrive by post. Any views on this?

[cookiemonster]

Pointedears,

I got an e-mail last week from Cranbrook (printmedia) that said "she was about to send me admissions information" (basically my rejection) on Monday, March 3. Have not received anything yet. But yeah, to me it seems that acceptances are mainly communicated through e-mail first. It makes sense, they'd want to let you know asap, if they want you there!

[pointedears]

So basically each passing day without an email = torture. I wish I didn't live halfway across the world. Waiting for 2 weeks for a rejection looks ridiculous.

[graphikchik]

Welcome pointedears - It's nice to see another graphics person in the forum. I didn't apply to quite as many schools as you mainly because I had a really awesome visit in October with my #1 pick the University of Arizona and I was pretty confident that I would be accepted (which I was yeah!). But after a few rejections from the other schools I also visited I can see why it makes a lot of sense to apply to a bunch of places. Good luck to you!

Hi acaseofyou185 and welcome! It's funny you mention Bucknell because I just mentioned them the other day on the forum. I was there last week for an art gallery thing and learned a bit about their great assistantship program. I think it will be a great way to build your portfolio and your experience. It think getting into an MFA program really comes down to the portfolio and whether the faculty at the school see your work fitting well with what their current grads (or they themselves) are doing or interested in.

labmouse congrats on the acceptance to MCAD - I thought their program was strong and considered applying there...but I knew I couldn't take the weather...I'm a bit of a weather snob I guess LOL. I didn't apply to SMFA for the same reason. :oops: Guess it comes from growing up in New England, now I'm looking for a warmer climate.

[pointedears]

That's another reason why I applied to a bazillion schools. I couldn't visit any of them and the only way I had to judge them was by their websites. I seriously had no idea where I stand a chance, if any. Like I said I don't even hold a BFA.

I am happy to find someone who's applied to another school I have, MICA. 8)

[labmouse]

Thanks everyone.

I visited MCAD in February and was trapped on the road for 9 hours in a two mile stretch of road,and the experience combined with only being allowed a tour when I got there, left a bad taste in my mouth. However, I had already submitted my online application and they do have nice facilities. I am a bit anxious about the mentor program, but I know that the Graduate Teaching Assistance program is great and in line with what I want to do. I'm currently doing my Post-Bacc in Tampa Florida, so I'm done with wearing flip flops all the time and not having four seasons. I grew up in New York and and did undergrad in Western MA, so I miss the area.

I'm trying to weigh my options carefully and I'm still waiting on five schools( six if you include Concordia).

pointedears, MCAD notified me via mail and SMFA called me the day after the Interview.

[pointedears]

Just confirming, you mean email?

[labmouse]

Nope, postal mail. I just got another letter with scholarship funding from MCAD today. They're pretty different from each other.

MCAD is almost entirely postal mail, SMFA a combination of email (notification of interview), postal mail for follow up and a phone call for my acceptance.

[pointedears]

Phew! Thanks, it gives me some hope.

[labmouse]

No prob. Hang in there! Once you get your first acceptance, your anxiety level will go down! Promise!!

[pointedears]

I hope so. It has reached a point where interview calls don't exactly excite me anymore.

[cookiemonster]

Accepted to Cranbrook... this is unbelievable!

[pointedears]

Whoa! Congratulations.

And now the obligatory question, how did they notify you?

[labmouse]

Congrats cookiemonster!