MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum

[Scrambledmegs]

11 minutes ago, Painfullywaiting said:

Which program did you interview for at UW? 

Painting.  

[vitbit]

3 minutes ago, Scrambledmegs said:

Well, I think the whole higher educational system will reach some sort of breaking point not just in art.  Tuitions are skyrocketing but teachers are paid the same, facilities are no better, the salaries of graduates aren't increasing, and so many people are defaulting on their debt.  Who knows what will happen?  Lots of broken systems do seem to hobble on endlessly though.

Coincidentally yesterday, I sent my Dad the same article that you posted about Yale and the power law.  (Fruitlessly trying to get him to be excited but he's still heart broken I didn't go on to med school or the like haha)  I feel the larger takeaway of that article is that MFAs simply don't teach you how to be an artist. Yale doesn't have the secret, it just has the prestige.  The numbers wouldn't look like that if these schools were truly shaping their students in the way we like to believe they are.  Sure, a great MFA program will give us great critiques, help us be more open in our practice, and tie us to the art world, but it won't make or break us.  Atelier programs and a few places like NYAA can help realists sharpen their toolkits and give us some good skill exercise too!  Maybe Yale can even get some of their students a gallery.  But being an artist is an extraordinarily self-directed venture and in the end it's simply up to each one of us to keep working towards it.  I don't mean what I say to be negative and I do believe every program tries it's best to be everything it advertises and more.  But the art world is simply too random, subjective, and exclusive for success to follow a linear path.

Wholeheartedly agree. From the conversations I have been having with my professors from undergrad and at work (I work at an art museum), it seems like things are shifting and in a positive way. MICA is going through a lot of changes to make their programs more interdisciplinary but also to make an effort to recruit students that are interested in more than just making their own work and getting it to a gallery. NYC galleries are not the only places were art lives, nor necessarily where good art lives. There are museums and there are other cities, there is teaching and research and curatorial studies.

I agree that art is very self directed and that MFAs wont teach you how to be an artist. I also think the whole idea of being a suffering artist who will perish for their craft and accept nothing else other than that is silly but also a little privileged. I am an international student and had a full ride for undergrad. The only reason why I had a job for the past year is because I sunk myself into credit card debt in order to take an unpaid internship where I currently work. It kinda angers me when schools like Yale talk about liking to see people reapplying because that is not an option for everyone. This shit is expensive. Most of us can't afford to have jobs out of college that actually will add to our practice/application. The truth is that I will end up going to whatever school takes me this year, because otherwise it's a year of doing nothing in my home country where there is an economic crisis and the arts are basically dead. My friends live here, my boyfriend lives here, and I am a whole ass person in addition to being an artist. These are two very formative years, but I hate the way they are portrayed for MFAs. My friends getting PHDs dont get shit for being very upfront about personal reasons why a lesser ranked school is better for them as a person. Idk. Just trying to not idealize the starving New York artist (that is rarely ever starving bc their parents give them pocket money which GOOD FOR YOU, but know that is a privilege).

[Scrambledmegs]

8 minutes ago, vitbit said:

Wholeheartedly agree. From the conversations I have been having with my professors from undergrad and at work (I work at an art museum), it seems like things are shifting and in a positive way. MICA is going through a lot of changes to make their programs more interdisciplinary but also to make an effort to recruit students that are interested in more than just making their own work and getting it to a gallery. NYC galleries are not the only places were art lives, nor necessarily where good art lives. There are museums and there are other cities, there is teaching and research and curatorial studies.

I agree that art is very self directed and that MFAs wont teach you how to be an artist. I also think the whole idea of being a suffering artist who will perish for their craft and accept nothing else other than that is silly but also a little privileged. I am an international student and had a full ride for undergrad. The only reason why I had a job for the past year is because I sunk myself into credit card debt in order to take an unpaid internship where I currently work. It kinda angers me when schools like Yale talk about liking to see people reapplying because that is not an option for everyone. This shit is expensive. Most of us can't afford to have jobs out of college that actually will add to our practice/application. The truth is that I will end up going to whatever school takes me this year, because otherwise it's a year of doing nothing in my home country where there is an economic crisis and the arts are basically dead. My friends live here, my boyfriend lives here, and I am a whole ass person in addition to being an artist. These are two very formative years, but I hate the way they are portrayed for MFAs. My friends getting PHDs dont get shit for being very upfront about personal reasons why a lesser ranked school is better for them as a person. Idk. Just trying to not idealize the starving New York artist (that is rarely ever starving bc their parents give them pocket money which GOOD FOR YOU, but know that is a privilege).

"I am a whole ass person". - LOVE IT!

and kudos to you by the way for getting a museum job.  

[Paintyface]

1 hour ago, SocialKonstruct said:

Agreed. Talks like these suggest that the MFA route could be extinct soon? Or just like painting... never will die out?

https://www.vvrkshop.art/is-it-time-to-kill-the-mfa

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebd8d21e3ef9659c2b9fec9/t/6019fe8692748b7055973b22/1612316295146/Is+It+Time+to+Kill+The+MFA+Press+Release+(1).pdf

Not sure if you caught any of this, but the panel concluded that it wasn't time to kill the MFA, but disagreed with students having to pay any tuition or get into debt for an art education at all...also talked a lot about how MFA programs don't actually prepare you for the art world etc.

[yesterday100]

Has anyone heard from University of Colorado Boulder? 

Best of luck to everyone out there x

[artlover123]

Does anyone know the breakdown between # of people interviewed and those accepted to U Chicago? 

[Popopopo]

I thought UCLA sent straight up admissions, now we know they do have interview process.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Popopopo

[Thursdayhasnofeel]

5 minutes ago, Popopopo said:

I thought UCLA sent straight up admissions, now we know they do have interview process.

If I remember from going to the info session at UCLA in 2019 they sometimes will do interviews and sometimes will not it depends if they want more context from you

[dramallama_07]

2 hours ago, vitbit said:

Wholeheartedly agree. From the conversations I have been having with my professors from undergrad and at work (I work at an art museum), it seems like things are shifting and in a positive way. MICA is going through a lot of changes to make their programs more interdisciplinary but also to make an effort to recruit students that are interested in more than just making their own work and getting it to a gallery. NYC galleries are not the only places were art lives, nor necessarily where good art lives. There are museums and there are other cities, there is teaching and research and curatorial studies.

I agree that art is very self directed and that MFAs wont teach you how to be an artist. I also think the whole idea of being a suffering artist who will perish for their craft and accept nothing else other than that is silly but also a little privileged. I am an international student and had a full ride for undergrad. The only reason why I had a job for the past year is because I sunk myself into credit card debt in order to take an unpaid internship where I currently work. It kinda angers me when schools like Yale talk about liking to see people reapplying because that is not an option for everyone. This shit is expensive. Most of us can't afford to have jobs out of college that actually will add to our practice/application. The truth is that I will end up going to whatever school takes me this year, because otherwise it's a year of doing nothing in my home country where there is an economic crisis and the arts are basically dead. My friends live here, my boyfriend lives here, and I am a whole ass person in addition to being an artist. These are two very formative years, but I hate the way they are portrayed for MFAs. My friends getting PHDs dont get shit for being very upfront about personal reasons why a lesser ranked school is better for them as a person. Idk. Just trying to not idealize the starving New York artist (that is rarely ever starving bc their parents give them pocket money which GOOD FOR YOU, but know that is a privilege).

You mentioned something about your home country. I'm an international student too and the scenario in my country is the same. Can I ask where are you from

[everyonelikesbubbles]

Not sure where I am in the process at UCLA. They reached out to my listed recommenders to get more information about my practice a few days ago. 

[papayalalala]

6 hours ago, everyonelikesbubbles said:

Not sure where I am in the process at UCLA. They reached out to my listed recommenders to get more information about my practice a few days ago. 

Can I ask you how UCLA contacted your recommenders? via email? Thank you!

[papayalalala]

14 hours ago, Scrambledmegs said:

Yes!  I applied to Yale, RISD, MICA, SAIC, University of Washington, Tulane, Goldsmiths, CMU, Northwestern ATP, NYAA, and Smu.  It was my first year applying and I spent every cent of my money on the fees. So far I’ve had a rejection from CMU and Saic, an interview from university of Washington and Yale (and NYAA), and not a peep from anyone else. Honestly I wish schools would just email me I’m rejected at least. I do feel grateful for the Yale bit because that’s my dream school, but it’s hard to keep my spirits up when every other school seems so devastatingly uninterested. Mica told me today that this is just the “first round” of interviews so anyone waiting on mica, don’t lose hope.  But yeah, this whole process is disheartening, stressful, and difficult. 
 

of course we all are silly chaps trying to get our MFA. A terrible investment for any sane person. Luckily we’re artists so sanity doesn’t apply. A ridiculous process for ridiculous dreams! ❤️? but ahhh what dreams they were...

Congrats on your interview at Yale! I spent every cent of my money on the fees as well.. but it appears that I am not getting any interview from anyone, which is sad and hurting but I guess I have to live with it lol and try again lol.
Can I ask about your paintings' sizes? are they like 6 x 8 big? My art professors always had us work on big paintings but I am not sure if Grad schools see small paintings as a lack of effort.

(Yale is my dreams school too! Hope we can meet next year lol as a 1st year and 2nd year student  !!!)

[Painfullywaiting]

13 hours ago, yesterday100 said:

Has anyone heard from University of Colorado Boulder? 

Best of luck to everyone out there x

You’d think with applications due in December we’d heard something by now! ? 

[jack343234]

Hi,

Has anyone heard anything from Pratt?

[Scrambledmegs]

22 minutes ago, papayalalala said:

Congrats on your interview at Yale! I spent every cent of my money on the fees as well.. but it appears that I am not getting any interview from anyone, which is sad and hurting but I guess I have to live with it lol and try again lol.
Can I ask about your paintings' sizes? are they like 6 x 8 big? My art professors always had us work on big paintings but I am not sure if Grad schools see small paintings as a lack of effort.

(Yale is my dreams school too! Hope we can meet next year lol as a 1st year and 2nd year student  !!!)

Well it’s still early February so if you are just waiting to hear don’t lose hope! 
I don’t work on anything as big as 6ft yet because that’s just a lot to take on for me! My biggest paintings are something more like 40 inches by 30 inches. And my smallest is something like 6 inches by 4 inches! Generally what I find most manageable and rewarding is something in the 20 by 20 land. I don’t think grad schools care at all about the size as long as the size fits what you are painting and the way you are painting it. So you should paint the size you like painting on. Beyond that, I personally think it’s important to switch up sizes a bit. It’s a nice challenge to see if you can paint with a size you aren’t used to, because different sizes present so many different challenges. However, lord knows I’m no professor so perhaps fallowing their advice is wise?  And if you’ve graduated you could email them because they’d probably love to tackle your question.  I hope that 1st 2nd year things happens too!  It’s cool to see my possible future classmates are all so hardworking and supportive. 

[papayalalala]

Just now, Scrambledmegs said:

Well it’s still early February so if you are just waiting to hear don’t lose hope! 
I don’t work on anything as big as 6ft yet because that’s just a lot to take on for me! My biggest paintings are something more like 40 inches by 30 inches. And my smallest is something like 6 inches by 4 inches! Generally what I find most manageable and rewarding is something in the 20 by 20 land. I don’t think grad schools care at all about the size as long as the size fits what you are painting and the way you are painting it. So you should paint the size you like painting on. Beyond that, I personally think it’s important to switch up sizes a bit. It’s a nice challenge to see if you can paint with a size you aren’t used to, because different sizes present so many different challenges. However, lord knows I’m no professor so perhaps fallowing their advice is wise?  And if you’ve graduated you could email them because they’d probably love to tackle your question.  I hope that 1st 2nd year things happens too!  It’s cool to see my possible future classmates are all so hardworking and supportive. 

Thank you for your encouraging word and sharing your input with me! 
Hope that happens as well! Let's make it happppen!  (Wait for me there!! lol)
Stay safe and good luck with your interview! 

[vitbit]

12 hours ago, dramallama_07 said:

You mentioned something about your home country. I'm an international student too and the scenario in my country is the same. Can I ask where are you from

Of course! I'm originally from Brazil, although I have not lived there since I was 16. Where are you from?

[dramallama_07]

9 minutes ago, vitbit said:

Of course! I'm originally from Brazil, although I have not lived there since I was 16. Where are you from?

India. There's virtually no art funding or good art education here. At least at the school level

[Hphphphp]

8 hours ago, everyonelikesbubbles said:

Not sure where I am in the process at UCLA. They reached out to my listed recommenders to get more information about my practice a few days ago. 

Did you get an interview? Check your spam folder. I had a request there that I didn’t see for four days. 

[Noe124]

Has anyone received a rejection email / message from UCLA? 

[mari11]

24 minutes ago, Noe124 said:

Has anyone received a rejection email / message from UCLA? 

Nothing here, I'm guessing that isn't a great sign ?

[katfude]

Is anyone else waiting on UMass Amherst? I’m not familiar with what their timeline is, but possibly someone in this thread may have a better idea! 

[sunnydelightt]

Anybody know what they ask during the CCA interview?

[TheePainter]

Hi! Does anyone have any tips on successfully getting financial aid / finding other methods of funding? A lot of the school websites direct you to the scholarship search engines and wondering if anyone has had any success with them? Thanks!

[graciej]

just got an interview request from univ of oregon, and was accepted to kent state last night!