MFA 2022 Freak Out Forum

[Hjuoollpphhfcvn]

I agree!! I even have friends who adviced against popular ones like Saic, CCA (going there during the pandemic). I know a current student in CMU who loves it there and highly praised it but have also read elsewhere (quora I think) that it was trash. It's hard to get an idea when this sort of opinion emerges. In this case if you check CMUsurvivor's previous post you can see they had a terrible experience with a teacher I believe. It would be great if they could expand on the reasons since I have been really set on cmu for a few months.

2 minutes ago, katfude5 said:

People aren't always saying that they are bad universities when they speak out against a program at its current stance. The school as a whole is completely different than the current arrangement of faculty and administration members that are stewards of the institution at that particular time. Schools can be heavily influenced by one or chairs or professors, so if they leave and someone new comes in, the program can shift drastically without anyone having much say in that overall influence.

I understand the desire for more information, but in all honesty covid pretty much eviscerated most programs and they are all currently finding their footing. I worked at a college during covid, and started an mfa program last year, and it is all basically the same story of everyone was fired and now we are starting from scratch in a confusing and unproductive way.

It doesn't mean they're "bad" schools, it just means that the current state of the program is crisis. My one friend even graduated from Yale in 2020 and advised me against applying because she was disheartened by their handle on the pandemic etc. 

Schools that are finding their footing without an established set of chairs and faculty are just more of a gamble, so people are just giving others a heads up that the shiny marketing on the outside is not matching up with the internal chaos. Everyone on here has the full capacity to message current and former students to check up on the status of their programs. I don't think anyone has to reveal their identity, but if you're really concerned about what you read on here about a school, try and contact a current student for some info!

 

[Hjuoollpphhfcvn]

5 hours ago, artsyfartsy2000 said:

The current students at UCSD have already submitted their picks. Faculty is left to decide now. Max amount of students admitted would be 10 but the newest cohort has 8.

Thank you! 

[slickjaketheruler]

6 hours ago, whitewhales said:

honestly i'm trying to "make work" but i am so distracted by this forum since i discovered it, has completely derailed my studio practice. i keep coming back here for news. trying to get back to reading and drawing now..... and wean myself off this forum. 

how did your interview go? i'm happy you feel good post interview. i hope we all get that "went really well" feeling afterwards.. these things are so intimidating.

Same, studio practice has been more or less not as productive.

Print faculty at Tyler were really engaged in my practice and the reasons I was doing things. They started the interview by me asking questions first (which is a first for me, probably trying to break the ice). We went into talking about the conceptual nature of my work along with the history of printmaking. For once, I felt like I really could see how conversations with these faculty could go in a grad critique or a studio visit. We also discussed logistical things like how the university funds their students.

What has me spiraling though, is that they did disclose they are considering taking on 2-3 students in the print department this semester, and that the interviews are a shortlist of applicants they wanted to talk about. So I’m not sure if I’m competing against 5,10,..20 or so shortlisted people. I guess I’m going to have to sit here and wait.

[The-Fourth-Dimension]

1 hour ago, katfude5 said:

People aren't always saying that they are bad universities when they speak out against a program at its current stance. The school as a whole is completely different than the current arrangement of faculty and administration members that are stewards of the institution at that particular time. 

I understand the desire for more information.

 

"I understand the desire for more information." Do you? If someone wants anyone to believe anything then there must be evidence and accountability. Literally the lowest bar out there. This is a board for MASTERS degree student applicants and evidence should never be up for debate for educated people, otherwise education is not education.

This man, "Cmusurvivor," posted back in December talking about all these things he allegedly went through with Carnegie Mellon. Again, no evidence and anonymous. I asked him for evidence to support his claim. He attacked me personally.

I was contacted by a "mysterious stranger" who informed me of who this man is, what the situation was/is, and the institutions that he operates in back east, and even here in Southern California. I didn't take it for face value, so I did some digging on my own and found the information to be accurate.

For all I know, the email could have been from him for some reason.

What it boils down to is an individual who has access to student bodies at several educational institutions from the eastern, to the western United States, and influence over the students. If this person feels that it is okay to make statements without proof, then that absolutely reflects on his modus operandi with regards to higher education pedagogy.

I know who the guy is, and if he reads this then he will know that I know who he is. I'm never going to throw him under the bus and "out" him because I'm not a punk ass bitch like that.

I remain firmly tethered to reality in that that the claims that he is leveling against CMU must be backed by verifiable evidence and must be done by an individual willing to make that public sacrifice no matter what the outcome. If these basic criteria cannot be met then right or wrong there is no basis to believe the claim/claims made by this man.

As a Chicano Public Art Activist, I stand against fascism, hatred, and the 1% supremacy every single day, and I'm loud about it. I do it in the public gallery and people know who I am and where I live. I'm on the side of good, on the side of God, and have zero to fear from any man because my path is just and I have a long record of doing the right thing. That's not a very high bar for me to expect of others.

I've talked enough with this guy and his sock accounts. This is energy that I don't want to entertain.

I've reiterated my piece and I'm over it.

Edited February 3, 2022 by The-Fourth-Dimension
Nihilism likes to take a walk in the park.

[shivbat]

Hey, I know I haven't been here for a while like some of you have, but I think it's important to approach things online with a grain of salt, and at the end of the day-- your own research and perception of what you find is what is important. We are all strangers to each other, this is an online forum. Information is vague, weird, honest, fake, whatever. What matters is, we are all here for comfort throughout this really weird process and this insanely crazy time. Let's be kind to each other, and if you feel any sort of hostility, maybe take it off the forum-- I don't mean going into DMs, I mean just taking a breath and taking a break from gradcafe for a sec. It's so easy to be caught up in tedious arguments when you're stressed about something as daunting as applications, tensions can be high. We have a responsibility towards each other, as somewhat of a support group, to keep it friendly at the least.

If I'm way off base here, let me know. I hope everyone has a good Thursday!

[hibiscusleaves]

Hey all! A graphic designer here.

I have gotten interview invitations from following programs:

Yale, SAIC, Umass Amherst

Do you have any advices for the interview or an idea of what to expect? Would really appreciate any input.

Also, anyone heard back from Parsons? Specifically from MFA Design and Technology.

 

 

[limpcigarette]

3 hours ago, The-Fourth-Dimension said:

"I understand the desire for more information." Do you? If someone wants anyone to believe anything then there must be evidence and accountability. Literally the lowest bar out there. This is a board for MASTERS degree student applicants and evidence should never be up for debate for educated people, otherwise education is not education.

This man, "Cmusurvivor," posted back in December talking about all these things he allegedly went through with Carnegie Mellon. Again, no evidence and anonymous. I asked him for evidence to support his claim. He attacked me personally.

I was contacted by a "mysterious stranger" who informed me of who this man is, what the situation was/is, and the institutions that he operates in back east, and even here in Southern California. I didn't take it for face value, so I did some digging on my own and found the information to be accurate.

For all I know, the email could have been from him for some reason.

What it boils down to is an individual who has access to student bodies at several educational institutions from the eastern, to the western United States, and influence over the students. If this person feels that it is okay to make statements without proof, then that absolutely reflects on his modus operandi with regards to higher education pedagogy.

I know who the guy is, and if he reads this then he will know that I know who he is. I'm never going to throw him under the bus and "out" him because I'm not a punk ass bitch like that.

I remain firmly tethered to reality in that that the claims that he is leveling against CMU must be backed by verifiable evidence and must be done by an individual willing to make that public sacrifice no matter what the outcome. If these basic criteria cannot be met then right or wrong there is no basis to believe the claim/claims made by this man.

As a Chicano Public Art Activist, I stand against fascism, hatred, and the 1% supremacy every single day, and I'm loud about it. I do it in the public gallery and people know who I am and where I live. I'm on the side of good, on the side of God, and have zero to fear from any man because my path is just and I have a long record of doing the right thing. That's not a very high bar for me to expect of others.

I've talked enough with this guy and his sock accounts. This is energy that I don't want to entertain.

I've reiterated my piece and I'm over it.

Hi, I have lurked this forum for a couple of years, and this particular thread since I began my applications for MFA programs.

I am wondering why you are taking a certain tactic towards a survivor of abuse. While I cannot prove what CMUsurvivor is saying is true, I do know that an institution like CMU has more power and reputation than an individual Gradcafe poster. As someone who knows survivors of abuse and sexual assault, I am little put off by your constant questioning of their story. While I understand the desire for truth and accuracy, I think this type of thinking leads to victim blaming. I am of the opinion that we should begin by believing a survivor over the perpetrator of abuse. As I see it, cancel culture is minimal compared to the financial and social capital possessed by big name art schools and programs.

As someone else has said, there are many reasons why an academic institution may not treat their students appropriately or no longer hold themselves to the reputation the university is known for.

I hope you do not take this as me attacking you, just want to know more about why you have taken this approach to a purported survivor of abuse at the hands of a big-name university. I know that you are done with this topic, but I hope you understand where I am coming from.

 

[artcat]

On 2/2/2022 at 7:17 AM, blueviolet said:

I applied to the following MFA programs for ceramics:

LSU

UNL

Alfred

VCU

SIUE

 

Did anyone else apply to these programs or does anyone know the timeline for interviews/admissions decisions for these?

Thanks

I applied to Alfred and VCU in Sculpture but haven't heard anything yet

[katfude5]

30 minutes ago, aylinal said:

Hey all! A graphic designer here.

I have gotten interview invitations from following programs:

Yale, SAIC, Umass Amherst

Do you have any advices for the interview or an idea of what to expect? Would really appreciate any input.

Also, anyone heard back from Parsons? Specifically from MFA Design and Technology.

 

 

My UMass Amherst interview last year was a bit rigid, mostly talking about academic and research interests though that really does seem to be dependent on who your interview is with. People from my cohort had very different interview vibes depending on who was conducting it. I’d say have a broad approach prepared for whether it skews more toward artistic practice or academic/pedagogical placement etc. I enrolled at UMass and was there for a few weeks so if you have any specific questions let me know! 

[seelamfa22]

Did anyone apply to UC Berkeley’s MFA program too?

[AncientQuail]

On 1/31/2022 at 8:36 PM, tomatoriot said:

The chair of the visual mfa at washU / Sam Fox emailed me a few days ago. Said they had already viewed my half finished slideroom application, loved the work on my website, and encourage me to submit the application.

one of the professors at University of Iowa just reached out to me on instagram and email about my unfinished application! (but without the compliments lol)! I wasn't going to apply afterall and the deadline has passed, but they said I have a day or two to get my application materials in.

[SadPainter]

For those asking about Hunter further up in the forum— I got my rejection email last year on March 6th! So I think they are slower with the process. 

[Pickle555]

19 minutes ago, 1800goodluck said:

For those asking about Hunter further up in the forum— I got my rejection email last year on March 6th! So I think they are slower with the process. 

Similarly, those wondering about RISD, two years ago I got a rejection around March 11th. I think RISD falls under the umbrella of schools who send rejections way after sending interviews/acceptances. Kind of annoying imo.. but yeah. 

[SadPainter]

Just now, Pickle95 said:

Similarly, those wondering about RISD, two years ago I got a rejection around March 11th. I think RISD falls under the umbrella of schools who send rejections way after sending interviews/acceptances. Kind of annoying imo.. but yeah. 

I get why they do it but I also find it annoying. UW Madison sent out rejections of February 16th last year and I appreciated their relative promptness. 

[tomatoriot]

42 minutes ago, AncientQuail said:

one of the professors at University of Iowa just reached out to me on instagram and email about my unfinished application! (but without the compliments lol)! I wasn't going to apply afterall and the deadline has passed, but they said I have a day or two to get my application materials in.

That’s amazing! I also applied to Iowa. Hoping for good news for us both. NW rejected me and I didn’t get an interview with UW or Tyler — I need a freaking win. 

[seelamfa22]

1 hour ago, aylinal said:

Hey all! A graphic designer here.

I have gotten interview invitations from following programs:

Yale, SAIC, Umass Amherst

Do you have any advices for the interview or an idea of what to expect? Would really appreciate any input.

Also, anyone heard back from Parsons? Specifically from MFA Design and Technology.

 

 

Congratulations on your Yale interview invitation! I received one too but in a different department. I spoke with a Yale graduate this week for interview tips, and one of the things she said that stuck with me is that you want to be able to answer the question about where your art fits in with the contemporary art world. In other words, they want to hear you contextualize your art. Yale invites museum/gallery curators to co-teach their classes, so this lets you know they're interested in the world of commercial (for lack of a better word) art more than, say, academia art. 

[Antisocialprintmaker]

10 hours ago, abceramics said:

Hi lovely folks - new here but have been lurking. I applied at UMass Dartmouth, University of Oregon, and Syracuse. No word from UO or Syracuse but I got an interview last week and acceptance yesterday from UMass Dartmouth. Feeling slightly sad because UO was my top pick and crickets so far, but grateful and excited for Dartmouth... Hope you all hear from your dream schools soon! ?

I haven’t heard back about Syracuse either but they extended their deadline to the 15th so don’t worry too much. The priority deadline got moved to Feb. 1 from Jan. 15 too so I think it’ll be a while before we hear from them. But congrats on Dartmouth! I hope you hear back from UO and everywhere else soon!?

[hibiscusleaves]

1 hour ago, katfude5 said:

My UMass Amherst interview last year was a bit rigid, mostly talking about academic and research interests though that really does seem to be dependent on who your interview is with. People from my cohort had very different interview vibes depending on who was conducting it. I’d say have a broad approach prepared for whether it skews more toward artistic practice or academic/pedagogical placement etc. I enrolled at UMass and was there for a few weeks so if you have any specific questions let me know! 

Thank you very much! Do you remember any specific questions that they asked? I'd really appreciate it.

[katfude5]

Just now, aylinal said:

Thank you very much! Do you remember any specific questions that they asked? I'd really appreciate it.

What specific science based subjects I would be researching and how I would incorporate it into my practice was definitely one that stuck out to me. 

[hibiscusleaves]

24 minutes ago, seelamfa22 said:

Congratulations on your Yale interview invitation! I received one too but in a different department. I spoke with a Yale graduate this week for interview tips, and one of the things she said that stuck with me is that you want to be able to answer the question about where your art fits in with the contemporary art world. In other words, they want to hear you contextualize your art. Yale invites museum/gallery curators to co-teach their classes, so this lets you know they're interested in the world of commercial (for lack of a better word) art more than, say, academia art. 

Congrats to you as well! Thanks for the info, good luck to both of us!!

Did your interview invitation say you need to talk about 406 of your works during the interview? If yes, will you be talking about things that are already in your portfolio or new works?

[hibiscusleaves]

Just now, katfude5 said:

What specific science based subjects I would be researching and how I would incorporate it into my practice was definitely one that stuck out to me. 

Thank you! My interview is tomorrow so I'm pretty excited

[katfude5]

1 minute ago, aylinal said:

Thank you! My interview is tomorrow so I'm pretty excited

I would reach out to some current students if you can, they had a pretty rough start to the semester so that would definitely be a school where some current student input would be helpful. A few people were also planning on leaving, so definitely do a lot of your own research to see if you’d be happy there!

[Antisocialprintmaker]

4 hours ago, The-Fourth-Dimension said:

"I understand the desire for more information." Do you? If someone wants anyone to believe anything then there must be evidence and accountability. Literally the lowest bar out there. This is a board for MASTERS degree student applicants and evidence should never be up for debate for educated people, otherwise education is not education.

This man, "Cmusurvivor," posted back in December talking about all these things he allegedly went through with Carnegie Mellon. Again, no evidence and anonymous. I asked him for evidence to support his claim. He attacked me personally.

I was contacted by a "mysterious stranger" who informed me of who this man is, what the situation was/is, and the institutions that he operates in back east, and even here in Southern California. I didn't take it for face value, so I did some digging on my own and found the information to be accurate.

For all I know, the email could have been from him for some reason.

What it boils down to is an individual who has access to student bodies at several educational institutions from the eastern, to the western United States, and influence over the students. If this person feels that it is okay to make statements without proof, then that absolutely reflects on his modus operandi with regards to higher education pedagogy.

I know who the guy is, and if he reads this then he will know that I know who he is. I'm never going to throw him under the bus and "out" him because I'm not a punk ass bitch like that.

I remain firmly tethered to reality in that that the claims that he is leveling against CMU must be backed by verifiable evidence and must be done by an individual willing to make that public sacrifice no matter what the outcome. If these basic criteria cannot be met then right or wrong there is no basis to believe the claim/claims made by this man.

As a Chicano Public Art Activist, I stand against fascism, hatred, and the 1% supremacy every single day, and I'm loud about it. I do it in the public gallery and people know who I am and where I live. I'm on the side of good, on the side of God, and have zero to fear from any man because my path is just and I have a long record of doing the right thing. That's not a very high bar for me to expect of others.

I've talked enough with this guy and his sock accounts. This is energy that I don't want to entertain.

I've reiterated my piece and I'm over it.

As a survivor of sexual assault who also had issues with a university in the past. I think it’s none of your business to attack them and demand personal info. Assault survivors are commonly silenced by their schools in order to maintain the school’s prestige and coming forward publicly can be damaging to your career as a young professional. And as a woman (she/they) I’m happy that someone is coming forward with this information because I don’t want to go to a school that covers up sexual misconduct. I was feeling quite crappy for not finishing my Carnegie app after getting good feedback on my portfolio last year, but I’m so glad that I didn’t apply after hearing their story. So be respectful of people coming forward and to people trying to make the right decisions about graduate school. It makes me uncomfortable that you feel the need to attack them, when we should be supporting each other on here and lifting each other up.

cmusurvivor your experience and feelings are valid and thank you for sharing. I hope that you’re in a better place now and I’m sorry that you went through that. Sending you nothing but love and light

[AncientQuail]

1 hour ago, tomatoriot said:

That’s amazing! I also applied to Iowa. Hoping for good news for us both. NW rejected me and I didn’t get an interview with UW or Tyler — I need a freaking win. 

in the email I got, they said that they haven't looked over the applications yet and won't start until a day or 2 from now, which makes me think we won't start to hear things at least until the start of next week. crossing my fingers for the both of us!!

[Strawberrycat]

3 hours ago, seelamfa22 said:

Did anyone apply to UC Berkeley’s MFA program too?

I did, but haven't heard anything back, unfortunately.