MFA 2022 (Post-COVID Era) Freak Out Forum

[SocialKonstruct]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:50 AM, bardmfaisadisaster said:

hey yall

 

I would strongly consider not wasting your $ on a bard mfa application. The program is an absolute disaster. Basically if they don't replace the new director it is likely that many faculty and students will leave the program. Sondra Perry has already left the program and will not return in any capacity. There are rumors that many other co-chairs will not return. You can always apply and see what happens but I wanted to give a warning. Sondra Perry is still listed on the website so it doesn't seem that the college has any interest in transparency.

Which Bard program? We have the regular Bard one and then there is the ICP-Bard one for photography out in the Big Apple.

[Feral_Camouflower]

I'm so glad to find this forum! I'm freaking out!

Specifically: I'm doing my writing portion of applications this month which is a ~struggle~ and I'm currently working on an "About Me" section for UGA Athens - it's the first prompt like this that I've come up against. Not an artist statement or a statement of intent, but an area to speak: "about you and your background. Really an area for you to just tell us about yourself as if we were in dialogue in person. An area for you to share what you feel is important to know about you as an artist and person." (<-- further clarification from the graduate office)

Getting hung up on this one. Anyone have experience with this? Advice? I know it's entirely up to me I'm just struggling with how deep to go, what direction to go, etc.  

(Also tried to post this question earlier today and in the midst of being new to the grad cafe format and my own general confusion just started my own forum which now just randomly....exists, halp. ??‍♀️.) 

[kaflake]

8 hours ago, Feral_Camouflower said:

I'm so glad to find this forum! I'm freaking out!

Specifically: I'm doing my writing portion of applications this month which is a ~struggle~ and I'm currently working on an "About Me" section for UGA Athens - it's the first prompt like this that I've come up against. Not an artist statement or a statement of intent, but an area to speak: "about you and your background. Really an area for you to just tell us about yourself as if we were in dialogue in person. An area for you to share what you feel is important to know about you as an artist and person." (<-- further clarification from the graduate office)

Getting hung up on this one. Anyone have experience with this? Advice? I know it's entirely up to me I'm just struggling with how deep to go, what direction to go, etc.  

(Also tried to post this question earlier today and in the midst of being new to the grad cafe format and my own general confusion just started my own forum which now just randomly....exists, halp. ??‍♀️.) 

Oh! I went to UGA for undergrad n printmaking! It’s an absolutely fantastic art school and top rated for print media. The facilities are great too.
 

I would treat an about me section like an artist bio.

mine is something like this: 

“Kate Flake (b. 1991 -  Decatur, Georgia) is based in Waltham, Massachusetts but her heart and home is the hot humid air of the American South where she was born and raised. After spending three years as a teacher in Japan, she decided to return to art and delve deep into studio practice at Brandeis University as a Post Baccalaureate student.  In the studio she’s always playing with paper and testing it’s transformative possibilities. She spends countless hours making prints and drawings only to cut them up and reassemble them into something else: books, sculptures or completely new prints. Flake has a BFA in Printmaking and Book Arts from the University of Georgia and intends to pursue a master’s degree in fine art to be able to teach other people how to print lots of things and then cut them up too.”

Obviously don’t write in third person though.

Cheers! 
 

 

[kaflake]

Just curious where people are applying and in what area of study?

 

I’m torn between printmaking and sculpture as I see printmaking more as a means to an end to developed sculptures or artist books.

top 5 schools are currently:

1.) Arizona State University 

2.) University of Wisconsin- Madison 

3.) University of Tennessee- Knoxville 

4.) Rutgers 

5.) kind of a toss up between a few schools: VCU/Tyler/Columbia/Carnegie Mellon

 

i really want a program where I feel comfortable, able to go at a slower pace and develop more conceptual work. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by kaflake

[Cosmic Doo Doo]

Hey everybody!

I’m a multidisciplinary artist. Since many programs still require applicants to choose an area of study, I most likely will apply under Photography or Time-Based Art.

I am currently in the process of narrowing down programs. As my list below suggests, being in Appalachia is my priority. I’m mostly looking at 3 year programs with funding or that appear generous when it comes to assigning TA/GAships.

I’m in the process of reaching out to these schools and getting a better feel for their programs:

1) University of Georgia- Athens

2) Georgia State University 

3) The University of Alabama

4) University of Tennessee- Knoxville 

5) East Tennessee State University

6) West Virginia University

7) University of Kentucky

8 ) University of Louisville 

9) VCU

10) Clemson

11) UNC Greensboro 

12) Western Carolina University

Please let me know if you have insight into any of these programs, or if there are any other programs I should look into!

Edited September 21, 2021 by Cosmic Doo Doo

[Cosmic Doo Doo]

18 hours ago, kaflake said:

Oh! I went to UGA for undergrad n printmaking! It’s an absolutely fantastic art school and top rated for print media. The facilities are great too.
 

I would treat an about me section like an artist bio.

mine is something like this: 

“Kate Flake (b. 1991 -  Decatur, Georgia) is based in Waltham, Massachusetts but her heart and home is the hot humid air of the American South where she was born and raised. After spending three years as a teacher in Japan, she decided to return to art and delve deep into studio practice at Brandeis University as a Post Baccalaureate student.  In the studio she’s always playing with paper and testing it’s transformative possibilities. She spends countless hours making prints and drawings only to cut them up and reassemble them into something else: books, sculptures or completely new prints. Flake has a BFA in Printmaking and Book Arts from the University of Georgia and intends to pursue a master’s degree in fine art to be able to teach other people how to print lots of things and then cut them up too.”

Obviously don’t write in third person though.

Cheers! 
 

 

I had the same question about UGA’s application. Thank you so much for clarifying! 

[SpillToBuilt]

 

On 9/20/2021 at 1:07 AM, kaflake said:

Flake has a BFA in Printmaking and Book Arts from the University of Georgia and intends to pursue a master’s degree in fine art to be able to teach other people how to print lots of things and then cut them up too.”

I would modify/cut this last line in your about me/bio (above) as it suggests you only want an MFA so that you can teach. 

On 9/20/2021 at 1:17 AM, kaflake said:

i really want a program where I feel comfortable, able to go at a slower pace and develop more conceptual work. 

I don’t know of any slow-paced programs. The work expectation is generally quite high. Most programs that I have seen expect around 25-30 hours of studio time per week in addition to your classes and meetings. Maybe a low-res would work better?

[bardmfaisadisaster]

On 9/10/2021 at 12:47 AM, SocialKonstruct said:

Which Bard program? We have the regular Bard one and then there is the ICP-Bard one for photography out in the Big Apple.

The regular Bard program. Hopefully there will be more concrete information by the application deadline.

[silverbuttons]

hi ~ anybody applying to Hunter this year??? 

im interested in the painting program but my biggest hang-up are the letters of rec. I went to undergrad for photo (2014) but have been working within painting since. any idea how much these weigh in the decision making process?

any insights are appreciated!

[SpillToBuilt]

8 hours ago, silverbuttons said:

im interested in the painting program but my biggest hang-up are the letters of rec. I went to undergrad for photo (2014) but have been working within painting since. any idea how much these weigh in the decision making process?

any insights are appreciated!

From what I’ve seen, letters of rec are usually prioritized below your portfolio, artist statement, any other submitted writing. 

[katfude5]

hi everyone, I went through this process last year and ended up deciding on umass amherst but I already withdrew from the program (3/7 other students were considering it as well when I left) -- just a heads up since I already saw it mentioned.

i don't want to hate on the program too hard, but it seems like they are really uncompetitive/uninspired at the moment.

the full tuition remission/3yr program/teaching stipend/free health insurance was what made me chose the program over the one I actually wanted to go to, but it was the most bland/strict/prescriptive environment I have ever been in. I am primarily a playful/experimental/hands-on material based studio artist so you might have better luck if you're more theory/research/writing based person. 

anyway, I'm going to be reapplying to schools this time around-- but let me know if you have any questions about applying for tyler sculpture/bu sculpture since I also was accepted to those last year.

Edited September 23, 2021 by katfude5

[Strawberrycat]

59 minutes ago, katfude5 said:

hi everyone, I went through this process last year and ended up deciding on umass amherst but I already withdrew from the program (3/7 other students were considering it as well when I left) -- just a heads up since I already saw it mentioned.

i don't want to hate on the program too hard, but it seems like they are really uncompetitive/uninspired at the moment.

the full tuition remission/3yr program/teaching stipend/free health insurance was what made me chose the program over the one I actually wanted to go to, but it was the most bland/strict/prescriptive environment I have ever been in. I am primarily a playful/experimental/hands-on material based studio artist so you might have better luck if you're more theory/research/writing based person. 

anyway, I'm going to be reapplying to schools this time around-- but let me know if you have any questions about applying for tyler sculpture/bu sculpture since I also was accepted to those last year.

Oh dang, I'm sorry it didn't work out, but I'm glad to hear you were able to realize it early enough on and come to the decision to apply again this time around. I'm sure you'll have a good response to your applications again. 

[Garamond]

Hello everyone! I figure now is as good a time as any to introduce myself.

I'm a graphic designer 10 years removed from my undergrad degree in Graphic Design and I am looking to get my MFA in Graphic Design. Aside from design, I also do some photography and am looking towards programs that offer full funding and are interdisciplinary as I would want to learn from other fields like printmaking. I'm looking to apply to the next cycle, Fall 2023, to give myself time to visit campuses and assemble a portfolio.

I have visited 3 campuses and they are my top 3 for now:

1) University of Wisconsin - Madison

2) University of Arizona

3) University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

Others that I am hoping to visit next year:

4) University of Louisville

5) Ohio University (in Athens, OH)

6) University of Iowa

7) University of Missouri

Others that I am hoping to apply to and maybe visit:

8) University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9) Michigan State University

10) University of Nebraska - Lincoln

11) University of Indiana - Bloomington

12) University of Georgia

13) Colorado State University

If anyone has any experiences or information about attending these programs, that would be appreciated!

Thank you!

[Strawberrycat]

So, I watched Yale's online open house info session thing for painting from last year and looked at their app guidelines and it talks about wanting to see the work in the portfolio in context, even if it's just part of the wall around it. I haven't seen anywhere else talk about that, and last year all of the images of paintings I submitted to other places were cropped in to show just the image. Do you guys know if that's bad practice in general or if it's just particular to Yale? I was curious because I understand why Yale wants that, but no other schools have said anything about it to me in any portfolio reviews or interviews. 

I don't know if I'll feel in a silly goofy mood and decide to apply to Yale, but I'm wondering if I should just prepare two sets of images just in case or do them all like that? Anyone have any insight? 

[Pickle555]

On 9/2/2021 at 11:50 AM, bardmfaisadisaster said:

hey yall

 

I would strongly consider not wasting your $ on a bard mfa application. The program is an absolute disaster. Basically if they don't replace the new director it is likely that many faculty and students will leave the program. Sondra Perry has already left the program and will not return in any capacity. There are rumors that many other co-chairs will not return. You can always apply and see what happens but I wanted to give a warning. Sondra Perry is still listed on the website so it doesn't seem that the college has any interest in transparency.

oooo, love this info. i'm a bard "1st year," got in right when covid happened and did the part time thing, then took a leave this past summer. I was already highly considering applying elsewhere this year, so this is very good to know!!!

[SocialKonstruct]

On 9/22/2021 at 4:05 PM, SpillToBuilt said:

From what I’ve seen, letters of rec are usually prioritized below your portfolio, artist statement, any other submitted writing. 

Agreed here. Portfolio is going to be the primary aspect.

[SocialKonstruct]

On 9/27/2021 at 5:44 PM, Strawberrycat said:

So, I watched Yale's online open house info session thing for painting from last year and looked at their app guidelines and it talks about wanting to see the work in the portfolio in context, even if it's just part of the wall around it. I haven't seen anywhere else talk about that, and last year all of the images of paintings I submitted to other places were cropped in to show just the image. Do you guys know if that's bad practice in general or if it's just particular to Yale? I was curious because I understand why Yale wants that, but no other schools have said anything about it to me in any portfolio reviews or interviews. 

I don't know if I'll feel in a silly goofy mood and decide to apply to Yale, but I'm wondering if I should just prepare two sets of images just in case or do them all like that? Anyone have any insight? 

I would crop down to the image of the painting itself unless the painting has sculpture elements. Just my guess here.

[SocialKonstruct]

On 9/22/2021 at 6:06 PM, katfude5 said:

hi everyone, I went through this process last year and ended up deciding on umass amherst but I already withdrew from the program (3/7 other students were considering it as well when I left) -- just a heads up since I already saw it mentioned.

i don't want to hate on the program too hard, but it seems like they are really uncompetitive/uninspired at the moment.

the full tuition remission/3yr program/teaching stipend/free health insurance was what made me chose the program over the one I actually wanted to go to, but it was the most bland/strict/prescriptive environment I have ever been in. I am primarily a playful/experimental/hands-on material based studio artist so you might have better luck if you're more theory/research/writing based person. 

anyway, I'm going to be reapplying to schools this time around-- but let me know if you have any questions about applying for tyler sculpture/bu sculpture since I also was accepted to those last year.

My huge woohoo is Calarts. VIsited the campus this summer and wow. It's my vibe! Open ended to the max. Critical theory heavy. That's all I need.

[katfude5]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:44 PM, Strawberrycat said:

So, I watched Yale's online open house info session thing for painting from last year and looked at their app guidelines and it talks about wanting to see the work in the portfolio in context, even if it's just part of the wall around it. I haven't seen anywhere else talk about that, and last year all of the images of paintings I submitted to other places were cropped in to show just the image. Do you guys know if that's bad practice in general or if it's just particular to Yale? I was curious because I understand why Yale wants that, but no other schools have said anything about it to me in any portfolio reviews or interviews. 

I don't know if I'll feel in a silly goofy mood and decide to apply to Yale, but I'm wondering if I should just prepare two sets of images just in case or do them all like that? Anyone have any insight? 

Hey! So I would definitely make a separate portfolio if you can. Yale is a stickler for seeing the edges of the piece and having a general idea of the scale by including an outlet or something to give a frame of reference. I have heard that they throw out portfolios that do not follow their guidelines. Other schools don’t seem to be as particular and just want you to present the work however you feel most confident doing so. 

[bardmfaisadisaster]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:56 PM, Pickle95 said:

oooo, love this info. i'm a bard "1st year," got in right when covid happened and did the part time thing, then took a leave this past summer. I was already highly considering applying elsewhere this year, so this is very good to know!!!

apply elsewhere! I'm also applying elsewhere. One of the writing co-chairs also just resigned. and it is likely that one of the music and sound co-chairs resigned (they said they were going to last summer). you made the right choice taking leave in summer 2021 ..it was such a disaster. But also I'm biased because I'm not great at having boundaries around this type of situation... some people were able to stay focused on their work. but multiple meetings where faculty cried about how they were treated by the new administration were too much for me to stay focused on my work.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by bardmfaisadisaster

[bardmfaisadisaster]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:44 PM, Strawberrycat said:

So, I watched Yale's online open house info session thing for painting from last year and looked at their app guidelines and it talks about wanting to see the work in the portfolio in context, even if it's just part of the wall around it. I haven't seen anywhere else talk about that, and last year all of the images of paintings I submitted to other places were cropped in to show just the image. Do you guys know if that's bad practice in general or if it's just particular to Yale? I was curious because I understand why Yale wants that, but no other schools have said anything about it to me in any portfolio reviews or interviews. 

I don't know if I'll feel in a silly goofy mood and decide to apply to Yale, but I'm wondering if I should just prepare two sets of images just in case or do them all like that? Anyone have any insight? 

my understanding is that you should always show the edges of your work in an application (at least with painting). 

[slickjaketheruler]

Hi everyone, back here again from last year. Third year applying and I'm happy to see there are printmakers here this year (last year there were so few). I'm applying to much larger batch of schools with a mix of fully funded and more prestigious opportunities. Also maybe considering go towards a Fiber/Material Studies program since I've been playing with unconventional materials recently. If anyone has any fibers programs you think would be awesome please let me know!

My list this year are:

Cranbrook

UW Madison Wisconsin

U of Tennessee - Knoxville

U Mass Amherst

VCU

Maine College of Art

Tyler School of Art

RISD

Glasgow School of Art

Rutgers

I'd love to hear where everyone is applying to!

[slickjaketheruler]

On 9/20/2021 at 1:17 AM, kaflake said:

Just curious where people are applying and in what area of study?

 

I’m torn between printmaking and sculpture as I see printmaking more as a means to an end to developed sculptures or artist books.

top 5 schools are currently:

1.) Arizona State University 

2.) University of Wisconsin- Madison 

3.) University of Tennessee- Knoxville 

4.) Rutgers 

5.) kind of a toss up between a few schools: VCU/Tyler/Columbia/Carnegie Mellon

 

i really want a program where I feel comfortable, able to go at a slower pace and develop more conceptual work. 

I would love to chat with you. I'm applying this year for printmaking at UW Madison, UT Knoxville and Rutgers for printmaking as well. 

I'm located in Richmond and can give you all the scoops of printmaking in the city or if you want more information on VCU. 

[Michelle Santa Cruz]

Inviting all MFA applicants to the traditional 2022 freak-out forum. I would like to keep it applicants only. Thank you!

 

 

 

[AncientQuail]

On 8/20/2021 at 1:31 AM, Brittany0Kay said:

Hi all! It’s early, but time has been flying and I’m already nervous I won’t have everything ready for this round of apps. Gah does anyone else just never feel “ready” (esp with the uncertainty of everything)? Or like a perpetual imposter? I’m 28 and already feel like I’ve lost career growth opportunities due to COVID, so I feel like I just have to go for it! I applied to a few printmaking MFA programs in 2019 and was waitlisted at RISD, so they’re def a top contender, again.
I also wanted to gather opinions on whether accepting an opportunity as a university museum art preparator would benefit my application, at all? I left my job as a painting instructor a year ago to pursue a solo practice, but I’m considering this opportunity to gain a different facet of experience.

Hi @Brittany0Kay! happy to see another printmaker on here. I'm completely with you on the never ready, imposter syndrome feelings. taking up the museum job sounds like it would be beneficial to me. 

I'd love to know what kind of print you do, where you applied in 2019 and what you learned from the programs and experience if you're down to share!