MFA 2020 Freak Out Forum

[juchang]

3 hours ago, SocialKonstruct said:

Hey there  Do you have any examples of your work btw?

Hello!

i don’t have an active website at the moment... I also come from being an architect for a few years so my portfolio was partly my architectural work, academic and professional. Photography is a big part of my interest/my MFA focus, I do have an Instagram for that. It’s @y.tzuc if you’re interested! Are you interested in applying to EC in a couple of years?

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by juchang

[SocialKonstruct]

2 hours ago, juchang said:

Hello!

i don’t have an active website at the moment... I also come from being an architect for a few years so my portfolio was partly my architectural work, academic and professional. Photography is a big part of my interest/my MFA focus, I do have an Instagram for that. It’s @y.tzuc if you’re interested! Are you interested in applying to EC in a couple of years?

 

I just finished my first year of undergraduate in photography but this week I made a list of 19-20 programs I hope to apply to. EC is one of them. I wonder what it's like being an American up there?

[3131n3505e]

Hey all! I was hoping to receive some feedback about Pratt. Since I've made the career transition from bio/medicine, I am not really aware of what the "good" art schools are and exactly what it takes to become a professor/into a PhD program. Would Pratt's Integrated Practice MFA be a good, prestigious choice that will help me land university-level teaching jobs?

[lynn56]

Hey has anyone heard from UIC or University of North Carolina, Greensboro? I applied to both of these schools and haven’t received any response. I sent a couple emails a week or two ago inquiring about the status and they advised that applications are still being reviewed and decisions are significantly delayed due to COVID. 

[SocialKonstruct]

12 hours ago, 3131n3505e said:

Hey all! I was hoping to receive some feedback about Pratt. Since I've made the career transition from bio/medicine, I am not really aware of what the "good" art schools are and exactly what it takes to become a professor/into a PhD program. Would Pratt's Integrated Practice MFA be a good, prestigious choice that will help me land university-level teaching jobs?

The MFA is usually the terminal degree for art studio practice... if you are looking at a Ph.D. in art theory or criticism then a Ph.D. is the way to go but places like SAIC is a good place...

I looked at Pratt but scratched that off my list to apply in 2-3 years...

[3131n3505e]

Just now, SocialKonstruct said:

The MFA is usually the terminal degree for art studio practice... if you are looking at a Ph.D. in art theory or criticism then a Ph.D. is the way to go but places like SAIC is a good place...

I looked at Pratt but scratched that off my list to apply in 2-3 years...

What was the reason for taking it off your list?

[SocialKonstruct]

6 hours ago, 3131n3505e said:

What was the reason for taking it off your list?

There were a few factors... I already am applying to 19-20 schools in 2022 which is quite a few (my poor profs and artists I worked with is going to have a fun time) and some of the schools I am applying twice to (different programs).

Pratt was on the list but already I am looking at so many other schools in my hometown in NYC- Columbia, Hunter, SVA, Parsons, NYU... I looked at the website intently and wasn't sure whether my very cutting-edge experimental work would fit in there. SVA is pretty commercial but I saw the faculty included some pretty top-notch instructors so that tipped the scales in favor of it. I know that someone in my photography program from the U of U is going there atm and she is happy there but I was like hmm... maybe I want to do something different?

Perhaps you could elucidate me whether I should readd Pratt to my list again?

[janelane2]

14 hours ago, SocialKonstruct said:

There were a few factors... I already am applying to 19-20 schools in 2022 which is quite a few (my poor profs and artists I worked with is going to have a fun time) and some of the schools I am applying twice to (different programs).

Pratt was on the list but already I am looking at so many other schools in my hometown in NYC- Columbia, Hunter, SVA, Parsons, NYU... I looked at the website intently and wasn't sure whether my very cutting-edge experimental work would fit in there. SVA is pretty commercial but I saw the faculty included some pretty top-notch instructors so that tipped the scales in favor of it. I know that someone in my photography program from the U of U is going there atm and she is happy there but I was like hmm... maybe I want to do something different?

Perhaps you could elucidate me whether I should readd Pratt to my list again?

19 or 20?? each school I applied to had like ~$150-200 in application fees... you're gonna pay that for 20 schools?

[Squirrel8296]

22 hours ago, lynn56 said:

Hey has anyone heard from UIC or University of North Carolina, Greensboro? I applied to both of these schools and haven’t received any response. I sent a couple emails a week or two ago inquiring about the status and they advised that applications are still being reviewed and decisions are significantly delayed due to COVID. 

I applied to UIC and still haven't heard anything

[SocialKonstruct]

3 hours ago, janelane2 said:

19 or 20?? each school I applied to had like ~$150-200 in application fees... you're gonna pay that for 20 schools?

I don't apply for at least another 2 years so I will save up for that over time. Honestly I would not want to go beyond one round of applications.

[janelane2]

Just now, SocialKonstruct said:

I don't apply for at least another 2 years so I will save up for that over time. Honestly I would not want to go beyond one round of applications.

damn. i feel like you might be better off heavily researching schools and faculty members to see where you might fit in best, and focus your energy more narrowly towards those? although it could be an interesting experiment to apply to so many and see where you get in... haha

[SocialKonstruct]

8 minutes ago, janelane2 said:

damn. i feel like you might be better off heavily researching schools and faculty members to see where you might fit in best, and focus your energy more narrowly towards those? although it could be an interesting experiment to apply to so many and see where you get in... haha

It's not that simple tbh as my art practice takes a very conceptual and interdisplicinary approach which is not to everyone's taste. For me, I see there is a huge political aspect of how folks are selected into MFA programs. Sometimes good art students are rejected due to the committee having to fulfill a quota. As my eventual goal is to enter the contemporary art world (and teach), the shotgun approach is for me a necessity as I don't have the strongest pull in the art world from here in Salt Lake City.

Edited May 8, 2020 by SocialKonstruct

[MIQI]

19 hours ago, SocialKonstruct said:

It's not that simple tbh as my art practice takes a very conceptual and interdisplicinary approach which is not to everyone's taste. For me, I see there is a huge political aspect of how folks are selected into MFA programs. Sometimes good art students are rejected due to the committee having to fulfill a quota. As my eventual goal is to enter the contemporary art world (and teach), the shotgun approach is for me a necessity as I don't have the strongest pull in the art world from here in Salt Lake City.

I don't think it's a bad thing that you're compiling your list so early. I do think that your practice will likely change drastically in the next few years and so will your ideal MFA program.

 

On 5/7/2020 at 12:26 AM, 3131n3505e said:

Hey all! I was hoping to receive some feedback about Pratt. Since I've made the career transition from bio/medicine, I am not really aware of what the "good" art schools are and exactly what it takes to become a professor/into a PhD program. Would Pratt's Integrated Practice MFA be a good, prestigious choice that will help me land university-level teaching jobs?

The advice that I've gotten from mentors regarding MFA programs that are conductive to producing teachers is to look for academically rigorous programs (you can tell from the curriculum,) and schools whose alums tend to land full-time faculty positions. A more roundabout way to identify schools that produce teachers is to look at the faculty list of every single university that you can think of, look at where their faculty received their MFAs, and WHEN. Some MFA faculty are known for advocating for their students in pursuit of faculty positions. Those individuals may be responsible for spikes in faculty outputs.

[SocialKonstruct]

2 hours ago, MIQI said:

I don't think it's a bad thing that you're compiling your list so early. I do think that your practice will likely change drastically in the next few years and so will your ideal MFA program.

 

The advice that I've gotten from mentors regarding MFA programs that are conductive to producing teachers is to look for academically rigorous programs (you can tell from the curriculum,) and schools whose alums tend to land full-time faculty positions. A more roundabout way to identify schools that produce teachers is to look at the faculty list of every single university that you can think of, look at where their faculty received their MFAs, and WHEN. Some MFA faculty are known for advocating for their students in pursuit of faculty positions. Those individuals may be responsible for spikes in faculty outputs.

Yes I agree somewhat but over the past twenty years the ranking of art schools have not changed. The powerhouses for contemporary art making has centered around Yale, Columbia, SAIC, CalArts, UCLA, and RISD... based on a cursory look at who gets repped in NY and LA galleries and Artforum those have been the regular players. This is unlikely to change in three years...

Edited May 9, 2020 by SocialKonstruct

[MIQI]

38 minutes ago, SocialKonstruct said:

Yes I agree somewhat but over the past twenty years the ranking of art schools have not changed. The powerhouses for contemporary art making has centered around Yale, Columbia, SAIC, CalArts, UCLA, and RISD... based on a cursory look at who gets repped in NY and LA galleries and Artforum those have been the regular players. This is unlikely to change in three years...

That's not what I meant. I meant if your practice changes drastically then the ideal program for YOU may change as well.

[3131n3505e]

Anyone familiar with NYU’s Art + Education: Art, Education, and Community Practice MA? I just received consideration for it.

[swinglinestapler]

On 5/7/2020 at 12:39 PM, lynn56 said:

Hey has anyone heard from UIC or University of North Carolina, Greensboro? I applied to both of these schools and haven’t received any response. I sent a couple emails a week or two ago inquiring about the status and they advised that applications are still being reviewed and decisions are significantly delayed due to COVID. 

UNCG has sent some acceptances.  I have a friend who was accepted about 4 weeks ago.

[Squirrel8296]

 

On 5/7/2020 at 8:36 PM, SocialKonstruct said:

There were a few factors... I already am applying to 19-20 schools in 2022 which is quite a few (my poor profs and artists I worked with is going to have a fun time) and some of the schools I am applying twice to (different programs).

Pratt was on the list but already I am looking at so many other schools in my hometown in NYC- Columbia, Hunter, SVA, Parsons, NYU... I looked at the website intently and wasn't sure whether my very cutting-edge experimental work would fit in there. SVA is pretty commercial but I saw the faculty included some pretty top-notch instructors so that tipped the scales in favor of it. I know that someone in my photography program from the U of U is going there atm and she is happy there but I was like hmm... maybe I want to do something different?

Perhaps you could elucidate me whether I should readd Pratt to my list again?

This is a super long winded explanation so I can save you the heartbreak of making my mistake of applying to too many programs.

A lot of (most?) programs won't let you apply to more than one program in a given year unless it is two very distinct degrees. For example, you may be able to apply to an MA/PhD in Art History and an MFA in Painting (for example), but they may not let you apply for both an MFA in Painting and an MFA in Sculpture (for example). I think I only applied to one place that explicitly allowed you to apply to more than one program in a single year (SAIC). UIUC and a couple of other places I saw allowed you to select an option to potentially be considered for a different area if they thought it would be a better fit but they didn't allow you to apply for these other areas even if you filed multiple applications. 

After finishing my first round of applications earlier this year I would seriously recommend applying to fewer programs and focusing more on the quality of each one. The multiple essays for each program will take quite a bit of time to do well from the initial writing phase to proofreading and editing. While the statement of purpose could be recycled from school to school with only minor changes (for my SOP I had one paragraph that I tailored to each school and the rest was left mostly intact) the other essays will be completely unique to each school. It is also not uncommon for schools to ask for up to 3 additional essays (especially if you want to be considered for any funding). Plus there's the time required to do the administrative tasks like filling out the applications, uploading the portfolio, requesting recommendations, and dealing with the inevitable glitches. There's no getting around these time commitments. I ended up applying to 8 schools (I intended on 12 but ended up cutting 4) and spent last fall semester either working, going to class, working in the studio, working on the first draft of my thesis, and working on grad school applications. I had no free time, no social life, and my studio practice ended up suffering because I had to dedicate so much time to my applications.

Yes my story is meant to be a cautionary tale because I only ended only being accepted to one program that I ended up turning down. That one program was one of two schools I ended up applying to that I had a good deal of contact with.

tl;dr: Grad apps take way too much time to complete, applying to too many will hurt your applications and therefore your chances of getting into a good program. Try to connect with faculty who will be making the decisions and really focus on perfecting each application. Work smarter not harder. That will get you in instead of using the spray and pray method.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Squirrel8296

[janelane2]

4 hours ago, Squirrel8296 said:

tl;dr: Grad apps take way too much time to complete, applying to too many will hurt your applications and therefore your chances of getting into a good program. Try to connect with faculty who will be making the decisions and really focus on perfecting each application. Work smarter not harder. That will get you in instead of using the spray and pray method.

The advice to connect with faculty who will be making decisions is really great. I visited each of the schools I applied to (was able to do so bc it was within a pretty narrow region) and met with the program coordinators and faculty I wanted to work with--the places where I got along well with the faculty and had good conversations were where I got in. I don't think that was a coincidence lol

Edited May 22, 2020 by janelane2

[SocialKonstruct]

Just got into the Artist's Residency Program at SVA this summer so looking forward for some productive months

In two years I will look at my list of grad schools to apply but sadly enough since the process is not transparent, it seems to be a very shotgun type of approach to finding a place. Visiting a place or an open house does not ensure a spot in the MFA program however. The question is how much anecdotal experience can validate this process (I remember that when I applied to my MPH back in 1999 I only looked at 8 programs.)

[ih8cinema]

Checking in again to see if there is anyone else attending the Ruskin MFA at Oxford in the fall, would love to chat.

[gssh]

hi everyone! new poster here

i am starting to look into programs for the future (i still have a year and a bit left in my undergraduate -5 year degree, did it in 6- so i am looking out for fall 2022, but i like to start to prepare early!)

i am mainly interested in columbia and in their sound art mfa specifically, as it seems like exactly the kind of program i am looking for 

however, i have heard mixed comments about a columbia mfa??

also, i would need funding and have heard it is not a school to offer a lot of it. i am an international student from a place that could probably get me refugee status in the us (not that i'm looking for that, but for context), i am also looking into external scholarships. anyways, any experience is very welcomed to pm me!

those are my concerns since i do really love the program from what i can see!

if anyone knows about the program, is in it or know anyone that is, i am intererested in chatting about it.

thanks a lot!

[SocialKonstruct]

On 6/17/2020 at 12:33 PM, gssh said:

hi everyone! new poster here

i am starting to look into programs for the future (i still have a year and a bit left in my undergraduate -5 year degree, did it in 6- so i am looking out for fall 2022, but i like to start to prepare early!)

i am mainly interested in columbia and in their sound art mfa specifically, as it seems like exactly the kind of program i am looking for 

however, i have heard mixed comments about a columbia mfa??

also, i would need funding and have heard it is not a school to offer a lot of it. i am an international student from a place that could probably get me refugee status in the us (not that i'm looking for that, but for context), i am also looking into external scholarships. anyways, any experience is very welcomed to pm me!

those are my concerns since i do really love the program from what i can see!

if anyone knows about the program, is in it or know anyone that is, i am intererested in chatting about it.

thanks a lot!

Columbia is in a huge transition period and honestly at this point, I would not be very expectant of funding for students easily. My friend who just finished there said it's a good program but I would apply for external scholarships mostly for it.

[gssh]

thank you @SocialKonstruct for your honesty! i am curious tho, what type of transition period are you refering to?

hopefully not something that affects the quality of the program. i will for sure extensively research external scholarship options.

[SocialKonstruct]

2 hours ago, gssh said:

thank you @SocialKonstruct for your honesty! i am curious tho, what type of transition period are you refering to?

hopefully not something that affects the quality of the program. i will for sure extensively research external scholarship options.

Recently Columbia had some issues with faculty going on leave for 1-2 years and students there wanted a tuition refund. Recently the program is trying to make sure that most of the faculty stay on campus and there is less turnover. However, I think those are attending there would be the best folks to discuss this in better detail than I could.

Edited June 22, 2020 by SocialKonstruct