MFA 2021 Freak Out Forum

[kiddroy]

  On 3/13/2021 at 12:44 PM, PlzTakeME said:

Yes; Painting interview were/are scheduled for 12th and 13th of march

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Oh woah. Yeah I never received an email/call and my portal doesn't have any updates. That's very strange. I'll definitely reach out to the office of admissions and ask. Anyone else here not hear anything? 

[elix]

  On 3/10/2021 at 11:47 PM, HB9bird said:

I just turned down UMass Dartmouth for ceramics & it was really difficult to do! VCU Craft & Materials gave better funding so it was a no brainer, but after all the time, effort, and money it took to apply to these schools—it’s difficult to say No Thank You.

I wish everyone peace in this process. I keep telling myself “This or something better”. It helps.

And, if you didn’t get in anywhere this year, do your best & keep trying—if it’s what you really want. 

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Hi! I also got accepted to a different MFA program at VCU. BUT i can't find the full price of the tuition online anywhere(baseline price without the funding). Do you know where this information is?

[hello this is]

ucsd people - where did you get a financial aid offer? I got accepted but cant find anything ?

 

[Sofullsofull]

  On 3/13/2021 at 1:51 PM, elix said:

Hi! I also got accepted to a different MFA program at VCU. BUT i can't find the full price of the tuition online anywhere(baseline price without the funding). Do you know where this information is?

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https://accounting.vcu.edu/tuition/tuition-and-fees-calculator---post-undergraduate/

Here you can check.

[elix]

  On 3/13/2021 at 3:04 PM, Sofullsofull said:

https://accounting.vcu.edu/tuition/tuition-and-fees-calculator---post-undergraduate/

Here you can check.

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thank you!

[okok]

  On 3/12/2021 at 9:51 PM, beepbopboop said:

I just got straight rejected lol. On their website it says interviewees who don’t get accepted just get waitlisted.... guess I didn’t even make it in the upper half of the bottom half of interviewees lol

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sorry to read that they don’t include all. I thought my interview was bad, but I appreciated the learning experience. hope you will learn from that too!

I also got waitlisted. 4-5 got accedpted

if we were 12 photo interviews(12 spots were available to schedule ), I don’t understand their unranked waitlist system. 

 

[okok]

  On 3/12/2021 at 9:22 PM, rororiroor said:

Was just waitlisted at bard. Check portals!

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also got waitlisted yesterday - photo Bard

good luck

[sunnydelightt]

  On 3/13/2021 at 2:44 PM, hello this is said:

ucsd people - where did you get a financial aid offer? I got accepted but cant find anything ?

 

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I haven’t gotten any emails yet of acceptance but Danielle Dean called me telling me it was all going to be covered.

[Hphphphp]

  On 3/13/2021 at 7:04 AM, TokenToken said:

I am wondering if people have thoughts... heard back about financial aid for the program I want to attend and received a package that looks like this:

Tuition (45k/yr) - Covered (need based scholarship)

Living expenses (18k/ur) Unit loan (recommended a federal subsidized loan)

It’s a three-year program which amounts to 54k in debt. It seems like a good scholarship but I am still in debt from undergrad. Are schools ever known to include living expenses in their need-based scholarships, or is this probably the most generous they’ll be? Should I ask for more? I don’t have much leverage...it was the only school I applied to.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

 

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You should definitely try to ask for more, even if you don’t have other offers to use as leverage. They admitted you, which means they want YOU to join their program.  Also sometimes schools will offer stipends in exchange for TAing. I don’t know what school this is, but most schools haven’t totally distributed departmental funding yet, so it’s worth a shot and if you’ve been in touch with any of the professors you could try asking them for any fellowships or scholarship opportunities that could help out.   

[TokenToken]

  On 3/13/2021 at 5:35 PM, Hphphphp said:

You should definitely try to ask for more, even if you don’t have other offers to use as leverage. They admitted you, which means they want YOU to join their program.  Also sometimes schools will offer stipends in exchange for TAing. I don’t know what school this is, but most schools haven’t totally distributed departmental funding yet, so it’s worth a shot and if you’ve been in touch with any of the professors you could try asking them for any fellowships or scholarship opportunities that could help out.   

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So helpful. Thank you!!

[theundoing]

  On 3/13/2021 at 4:19 PM, okok said:

sorry to read that they don’t include all. I thought my interview was bad, but I appreciated the learning experience. hope you will learn from that too!

I also got waitlisted. 4-5 got accedpted

if we were 12 photo interviews(12 spots were available to schedule ), I don’t understand their unranked waitlist system. 

 

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Where do you hear 4-5 were accepted? my friend is currently in photo and the co-chairs said that 3 people would be accepted. Good luck to everyone on the waitlist there might be some movement as some students will take leave due to the hybrid instruction this summer.

Edited March 13, 2021 by theundoing

[theundoing]

  On 3/13/2021 at 7:04 AM, TokenToken said:

I am wondering if people have thoughts... heard back about financial aid for the program I want to attend and received a package that looks like this:

Tuition (45k/yr) - Covered (need based scholarship)

Living expenses (18k/ur) Unit loan (recommended a federal subsidized loan)

It’s a three-year program which amounts to 54k in debt. It seems like a good scholarship but I am still in debt from undergrad. Are schools ever known to include living expenses in their need-based scholarships, or is this probably the most generous they’ll be? Should I ask for more? I don’t have much leverage...it was the only school I applied to.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

 

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Did they give you any work study? I know it is not the same as a living stipend (at all) but at least it would help a bit. And they should be able to offer that very unfortunately only to US citizens or permanent residents.

[katfude]

Committed to University of Massachussets this morning

[TokenToken]

  On 3/13/2021 at 6:16 PM, theundoing said:

Did they give you any work study? I know it is not the same as a living stipend (at all) but at least it would help a bit. And they should be able to offer that very unfortunately only to US citizens or permanent residents.

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Yes, they gave me a little bit of work study. But it’s capped at a couple thousand per year, which is a small dent. No stipend. Before applying I had assumed living expenses were folded into the high tuition ?

[okok]

  On 3/13/2021 at 6:13 PM, theundoing said:

Where do you hear 4-5 were accepted? my friend is currently in photo and the co-chairs said that 3 people would be accepted. Good luck to everyone on the waitlist there might be some movement as some students will take leave due to the hybrid instruction this summer.

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‘’4-5 admissions per discipline’’ they wrote in the decision letter. Maybe that is a generic statement. Perhaps your friend knows the real deal.

can you tell us a little bit more about  the hybrid situation?

good luck all

[beepbopboop]

  On 3/13/2021 at 4:19 PM, okok said:

sorry to read that they don’t include all. I thought my interview was bad, but I appreciated the learning experience. hope you will learn from that too!

I also got waitlisted. 4-5 got accedpted

if we were 12 photo interviews(12 spots were available to schedule ), I don’t understand their unranked waitlist system. 

 

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wait, did it say explicitly in your letter that you were waitlisted? mine didnt but can i assume i was?

[okok]

  On 3/13/2021 at 7:29 PM, beepbopboop said:

wait, did it say explicitly in your letter that you were waitlisted? mine didnt but can i assume i was?

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in my case, Yes, I received a letter of decision saying I am on the waitlist but it is unranked so unpredictable.

what about hybrid instruction ? do you mean compliances with the virus?

[everyonelikesbubbles]

  On 3/13/2021 at 7:29 PM, beepbopboop said:

wait, did it say explicitly in your letter that you were waitlisted? mine didnt but can i assume i was?

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Yes my letter said waitlisted, too. And that it’s unranked, so they choose candidates based on creating a complementary class.

From what I understand, Bard photo department will have a class of 3. That said, some of the deferrals from last year may pull out, their commit deadline is 22nd. Commit deadline for those admitted this year firs-round is 23rd. So if you are waitlisted, you have a pretty okay chance I think. 

Not sure what undoing means by hybrid instruction exactly...Bard said they expect instruction to be in-person but students can choose if they want to be remote. Sounds like they have a good plan. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by everyonelikesbubbles

[dgrkrk]

Has anyone here ever been waitlisted without an interview, then got off the waitlist? If so did they still interview you before giving you the acceptance? Thanks!

[theundoing]

  On 3/13/2021 at 9:20 PM, everyonelikesbubbles said:

Yes my letter said waitlisted, too. And that it’s unranked, so they choose candidates based on creating a complementary class.

From what I understand, Bard photo department will have a class of 3. That said, some of the deferrals from last year may pull out, their commit deadline is 22nd. Commit deadline for those admitted this year firs-round is 23rd. So if you are waitlisted, you have a pretty okay chance I think. 

Not sure what undoing means by hybrid instruction exactly...Bard said they expect instruction to be in-person but students can choose if they want to be remote. Sounds like they have a good plan. 

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It isn't 100% yet but my friend says that there could be as few as 2-3 faculty on campus per discipline with most faculty online. So students would be in person but many faculty would be online. All school crits will be on zoom. A lot of faculty stuff is TBD

Edited March 13, 2021 by theundoing

[theundoing]

  On 3/13/2021 at 6:47 PM, TokenToken said:

Yes, they gave me a little bit of work study. But it’s capped at a couple thousand per year, which is a small dent. No stipend. Before applying I had assumed living expenses were folded into the high tuition ?

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Damn I'm sorry that they didn't account for your living expenses. My undergrad financial aid advisor always told me that when I ran through my work study money he could just ask for more and the federal government would always allow it. I'm  not sure how it works for grad school or with a not cool financial aid officer. Plus, working takes up a lot of time even if it is work study so its not exactly a solution.

[PlzTakeME]

  On 3/13/2021 at 1:21 PM, kiddroy said:

Oh woah. Yeah I never received an email/call and my portal doesn't have any updates. That's very strange. I'll definitely reach out to the office of admissions and ask. Anyone else here not hear anything? 

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Nothing shows on mine either though, it might be worth it to ask either way!

[mfaer]

Also wait listed at Bard! 

[kiddroy]

  On 3/13/2021 at 10:21 PM, PlzTakeME said:

Nothing shows on mine either though, it might be worth it to ask either way!

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Ah, how did they notify you? I'm currently abroad in Taiwan. Wondering if they tried contacting by phone.

[berries]

  On 3/13/2021 at 7:29 PM, beepbopboop said:

wait, did it say explicitly in your letter that you were waitlisted? mine didnt but can i assume i was?

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Mine said waitlisted. Maybe you should email them to make sure?