MFA 2023 Freak Out Forum

[dawndothat]

10 hours ago, cornchip said:

I spoke with a graduate coordinator from SAIC at National Portfolio Day. I asked the same question. She told me to use the caption section to explain older work and how it has led me to where I am now. She said "it's a good place to explain things unseen."
For context I was showing her my fiber/installation work and then a piece that looked slightly unrelated, and I wondered if I had to explain the odd one out.

imo it would not hurt to add some explanation to the caption section, but they really do flip through the portfolio quickly so keep that in mind too. 
 

Thank you for your answer. I'm gonna apply to the painting program at SAIC. Based on your comment, it seems there is no need to write a description of each work if they are related to each other (I explained my older work and how it has led me to where I'm now in my SOP).  Good luck!

[Loleagle]

On 12/19/2022 at 2:41 PM, Boolakanaka said:

will no longer be responding to you because I don't go back and forth with strangers on the internet. 

 

Hint, you just did. And what you effetely suggest is that if you have already assets and resources, that you should NOT be required to spend them towards you own education.

Again, Yale will attempt to meet full demonstrated full need--but what you insinuate is that need should not be the primacy of how they distribute aid---that despite having your own money, they should still some how still provide aid--despite the documented and demonstrated of other students--that reeks of non-sensical privilege.

A total of under 25k in debt, is not a huge number for a prestigious graduate degree--

Yale is one of the only MFA programs that uses college board CSS to determine aid. This means that your parents assets are taken into account. Ofc someone who has parents who own their home has more privilege than someone with parents who rent but I’m not sure that means that the student is rolling in money. Some people have parents willing to contribute to their MFA but most don’t so that means debt for the student. Idk why people are so hyper focused on Yale on this account but yeah that’s why people have been saying not only does the student have to have no income but the parents too. And that is unique to Yale. Unless that has changed? I applied in 2020 & 21 and it was true then. Currently at another MFA now and was not asked about my parents (both are retired but own their home in socal so Yale would have likely meant a ton of debt for me). 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Loleagle

[Boolakanaka]

4 minutes ago, Loleagle said:

Yale is one of the only MFA programs that uses college board CSS to determine aid. This means that your parents assets are taken into account. Ofc someone who has parents who own their home has more privilege than someone with parents who rent but I’m not sure that means that the student is rolling in money. Some people have parents willing to contribute to their MFA but most don’t so that means debt for the student. Idk why people are so hyper focused on Yale on this account but yeah that’s why people have been saying not only does the student have to have no income but the parents too. And that is unique to Yale. Unless that has changed? I applied in 2020 & 21 and it was true then. Currently at hunter & bard and neither school asked about my parents (both are retired but own their home in socal so Yale would have likely meant a ton of debt for me). 

The CSS is dedicated when your parents are legally claiming you for tax purposes. This inherently and effectively means you are "dependent" on your parents. That said, for many others, this is not the case, e.g. not claimed in their taxes. This is the effective question. If you are no longer claimed on your parents taxes, then you are eligible for aid on a documented basis.

[Loleagle]

7 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

The CSS is dedicated when your parents are legally claiming you for tax purposes. This inherently and effectively means you are "dependent" on your parents. That said, for many others, this is not the case, e.g. not claimed in their taxes. This is the effective question. If you are no longer claimed on your parents taxes, then you are eligible for aid on a documented basis.

Unfortunately that is incorrect

from Yale’s website :

“The Yale School of Art requires all Financial Aid applicants submit parental information (must be submitted on CSS Profile) in order to be considered for Financial Aid. Only in extreme cases is this information waived. If you feel you have an extreme case for which parental information should be waived you can wait until receiving a formal interview before completing the Financial Aid applications, at which time the Financial Aid office can talk with you about the specific steps needed to support your case. Upon your acceptance a list of the necessary documentation will then be required to waive parental information.

Instances for which parental information is waived include: deceased parents, documented abuse that has resulted in estrangement or court-ordered separation, extreme estrangement (parent(s) are not reachable without going through severe measures), or abandonment which resulted in adoption, foster, or other family care.

Unwillingness, age, marital status, and other standards of dependency are not conditions for which the School of Art waives the requirement of parental data.”

 

…Yale does not use the same standard of dependency as taxes…

[Boolakanaka]

9 minutes ago, Loleagle said:

Unfortunately that is incorrect

from Yale’s website :

“The Yale School of Art requires all Financial Aid applicants submit parental information (must be submitted on CSS Profile) in order to be considered for Financial Aid. Only in extreme cases is this information waived. If you feel you have an extreme case for which parental information should be waived you can wait until receiving a formal interview before completing the Financial Aid applications, at which time the Financial Aid office can talk with you about the specific steps needed to support your case. Upon your acceptance a list of the necessary documentation will then be required to waive parental information.

Instances for which parental information is waived include: deceased parents, documented abuse that has resulted in estrangement or court-ordered separation, extreme estrangement (parent(s) are not reachable without going through severe measures), or abandonment which resulted in adoption, foster, or other family care.

Unwillingness, age, marital status, and other standards of dependency are not conditions for which the School of Art waives the requirement of parental data.”

 

…Yale does not use the same standard of dependency as taxes…

With due respect, that is actually incorrect, per the actual intent of policy and law, under the FAFSA, an independent student does not have to report their parents' financial information on financial aid applications. Why they (Yale and/or any other school ask for this document is to verify that you are actually independent.

 

Consider if you had a 34 year old married with children,  this CSS submission would clarify that status thus allowing for the concerned potential student to be considered independent on their parents financial situation.

 

Please see: https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student

 

To give you some context, I am both on faculty and involved in admissions at a university.

 

[Loleagle]

4 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

With due respect, that is actually incorrect, per the actual intent of policy and law, under the FAFSA, an independent student does not have to report their parents' financial information on financial aid applications. Why they (Yale and/or any other school ask for this document is to verify that you are actually independent.

 

Consider if you had a 34 year old married with children,  this CSS submission would clarify that status thus allowing for the concerned potential student to be considered independent on their parents financial situation.

 

Please see: https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student

 

To give you some context, I am both on faculty and involved in admissions at a 

[Loleagle]

6 minutes ago, Loleagle said:

15 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

With due respect, that is actually incorrect, per the actual intent of policy and law, under the FAFSA, an independent student does not have to report their parents' financial information on financial aid applications. Why they (Yale and/or any other school ask for this document is to verify that you are actually independent.

 

Consider if you had a 34 year old married with children,  this CSS submission would clarify that status thus allowing for the concerned potential student to be considered independent on their parents financial situation.

 

Please see: https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student

 

To give you some context, I am both on faculty and involved in admissions at a 

Well I would be very curious if Yale is breaking the law. I quoted the website but I’m also getting my information from the online open house where the financial aid office answers questions. I attended the open house twice and the question about parental assets was asked . They do consider your parental assets in their determination of aid regardless of whether you are claimed as a dependent . They operate similarly to Columbia GS (which was my undergraduate college). I have plenty of 30+ year old friends at Columbia gs with children and/or spouses who receive little grants because of their parents income. You can call yale financial aid and verify. Maybe things have changed.

Not trying to be rude but just trying to back up the statements people have been making about Yale being a huge financial decision for more people than is typical at an mfa. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Loleagle

[Boolakanaka]

3 minutes ago, Loleagle said:

Well I would be very curious if Yale is breaking the law. I quoted the website but I’m also getting my information from the online open house where the financial aid office answers questions. I attended the open house twice and the question about parental assets was asked . They do consider your parental assets in their determination of aid regardless of whether you are claimed as a dependent . They operate similarly to Columbia GS (which was my undergraduate college). I have plenty of 30+ year old friends at Columbia gs with children and/or spouses who receive little grants because of their parents income. You can call yale financial aid and verify. Maybe things have changed.

Not trying to be rude but just trying to back up the statements people have been making about Yale being a huge financial decision for more people than is typical at an mfa. 

If you read the link I provided, at age 24, a person can make a very straight forward case to claim themselves as independent. That is not a Yale thing, it's a federal law.  Now, to be certain, there are folks who are claimed by their parents at age 24 and above, and thus, in that situation, the parents assess/income is taken into consideration for aid. That said, if you have taken the necessary steps to be independent, then ONLY your financial situation will be taken into consideration on your aid package.

 

Finally, I am quite certain that Yale is in full legal compliance.

[Loleagle]

3 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

If you read the link I provided, at age 24, a person can make a very straight forward case to claim themselves as independent. That is not a Yale thing, it's a federal law.  Now, to be certain, there are folks who are claimed by their parents at age 24 and above, and thus, in that situation, the parents assess/income is taken into consideration for aid. That said, if you have taken the necessary steps to be independent, then ONLY your financial situation will be taken into consideration on your aid package.

 

Finally, I am quite certain that Yale is in full legal compliance.

[Loleagle]

5 minutes ago, Loleagle said:

14 minutes ago, Boolakanaka said:

If you read the link I provided, at age 24, a person can make a very straight forward case to claim themselves as independent. That is not a Yale thing, it's a federal law.  Now, to be certain, there are folks who are claimed by their parents at age 24 and above, and thus, in that situation, the parents assess/income is taken into consideration for aid. That said, if you have taken the necessary steps to be independent, then ONLY your financial situation will be taken into consideration on your aid package.

 

Finally, I am quite certain that Yale is in full legal compliance.

I understand the difference between independent vs dependent . 
 

im just trying to say that in the open house I attended someone asked : I am an independent , over 30 , my parents do not claim me on their taxes. Will their assets be taken into consideration in my aid and the financial aid officer said yes because Yale feels that is more equitable. If you want to point me to the federal law that requires schools to only take the independent person’s finances into consideration for distribution of endowment funded money. I can send it on over to Yale. But I’m pretty sure that private schools can distribute their endowment in whatever way they think is most equitable. Government subsidized loans is a different story. You can call Yale and ask them ? Idk this is not that a big a deal to me but you can read peoples’ posts in past years’ forums who were very upset about Yale’s financial aid determination. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Loleagle

[ORRI]

Hello Guys. I was a member of MFA 2022 forum and I came back to promote Stamps MFA program (University of Michigan) No one knows this hidden gem.

I got admission from 5 different amazing programs but I chose this program after having a lot of conversation with recent graduates and doing almost 1-month research on resources, funding, structures, faculty, etc. I even traveled across the country. This program has not been promoted well and I did not consider this program at all during application just because I did not know if this program "exists."

I did not get any payment or request from the program to promote it but I am here to promote this program. I just want to meet many amazing peer artists next year. I am wondering if my recommendation will open a new opportunity for someone who have not considered this program as an option (as I have done)

Here are some pros of the programs I experienced.

 

1) "REALLY"* 100% covered. (*Not fake)

Even thought some MFA programs promoted themselves as 100% funded, actually you need to pay for your insurance (super expensive), material fees, housing, etc. So they are not actually 100% funded. 

This U-Mich MFA program promotes itself 75% funded program but actually it is more than 100%. It covers your material fee for 2 year (almost fully) and there are a lot of scholarship offered to accepted students. I got almost 18,000 $ extra funding this year which was not mentioned on the website. GSI(TA) stipend is extra hidden funding (you will get more than 1,000$ per month). I have never used my personal saving during the program. If you become second year student, you can apply for GSIR (student lecturer) and it will fully cover your tuition and gives much more stipend.

 

2) Structure/Resources of the program

International project in summer (which will be fully covered) is amazing. You can go anywhere in the world. There are frequent invitations of artists, curators, and critics from Detroit and other cities. You can eat lunch and dinner with them by invitation. They come to attend weekly Friday MFA critique and Stamps Speaker Series. Intensive theoretical coursework in the first semester is also great. In addition, you can travel to other cities to see museums and art galleries almost every semester. blablabla.... 

Apply for the CEW+ scholarship (before or after you apply for the program).

There are a lot of resources in the Rackham as well.

Also, post-graduate funding is extra plus. You can get $5,000 (approx) just because you graduate from the program.  

Also, Duderstadt Center is my favorite place... you can work with them and many technicians will help you for free. Great for performance art, video installation, or interdisciplinary people. 

 

3) Faculty

See Rebekah Modrak, Holly Hughes, Osman Khan, Emilia Yang... They are very supportive and rigorous.

The program is now hiring many new faculty. The list of faculty will be updated next year which will be great for new upcoming MFA students.

 

4) Interdisciplinary

REALLY interdisciplinary. Many of my peers now participate in the World Performance Studies certificate program, Engaged Pedagogy Initiatives, Museum Studies certificate program, Digital Music Ensemble, VR and AR learning courses, etc.

 

5) Environment

Transportation is great and for free. Bus goes everywhere on campus. Ann Arbor is really safe and clean. This is close to Detroit and Chicago (but not dangerous as them). I visited Chicago as well for an accepted school visit but I literally ran away. I was scared by violent moments I could see occasionally. 

 

Idk if it helps someone. The application is until Jan 5th. Hope to see many great peers who will enjoy those rich resources with me  

 

 

[CMUSchoolofArt]

Just dropping a note about my grad school experience. When I applied, I was accepted to Cranbrook, RISD, and four of my other top choices.

I made the decision to attend Carnegie Mellon’s School of Art. I was promised “substantial funding” and told that the program was “highly selective”.

What actually happened at CMU was much different. I found out quickly that the funding was not what I thought, and that the program wasn’t “selective”- it just couldn’t keep students enrolled. 

The class ahead of me had mostly dropped out, and my colleagues were literally hysterical about how horrible the program had been for them. Multiple former students I met told me their experience at CMU had harmed their career, and left them without any career opportunities. Students showed up at my house- unannounced- unhinged and in hysterics, before later dropping out- crying about how faculty mistreated them. Faculty immediately began harassing, haranguing and psychologically manipulating and abusing me. This was all the first month.

I complained about the toxic experience, and the retaliation was swift. The faculty I was assigned to work with immediately began to pick me apart, intentionally and maliciously disparaging me to other students and ridiculing my projects without any reason. These are faculty who haven’t published any books, nor had any gallery representation. They were targeting me-not because of the nature of my work- but because of retaliation, gender bias and I guess their overall penchant for psychological abuse.

The most disgusting part of my first year was meeting the former head of the school, John Carson. Carson is a talentless tyrant who sat on people’s careers to squash their potential. He was a sick, childish and toothless bully who used his power to enable abusive faculty and to hobble students who complained of the abuse. Carson was constantly mocked and ridiculed by both his own faculty, staff and many students during his time at CMU. He wasn’t even hired by the faculty vote- many claim he was head simply due to a partner-hire because CMU wanted to hire his wife.

Carson immediately began harassing me as soon as it was clear I was gay. He refused to let me enroll in the international study abroad program, and he intentionally assigned faculty to me that he knew would continue his campaign of harassment. Carson is a homophobic anti-artist who was the most unwelcoming, unfriendly, unprofessional and sick individual I have ever come across. He has had no career, has no legacy, and should have never accomplished more than a menial day job. He is the penultimate example of how heterosexual people succeed without any talent.

CMU only got worse. Ali Momeni, a faculty member, began sexually harassing an undergrad I mentored, and Momeni also started harassing incoming female faculty members, inviting them to his apartment after job interviews. Ali Momeni, between 2013 and 2016, was reported to Title IX for harassing at least four different individuals. He was eventually terminated in 2016, but the university covered everything up, and this has allowed him to go on teaching and continue to work in this field, despite his history of sexual harassment. CMU’s response to my involvement in a title IX investigation has been to permanently ban me from campus.

In the last three years, Carnegie Mellon School of Art has been secretly and covertly retiring nearly it’s entire faculty. Starting with Elaine King in 2017, Lowry Burgess (5/2017), Martin Prekop (5/2018), Carol Kumata (4/2021), Joe Mannino (5/2021), John Carson (5/2022) and Susanne Slavick (5/2022). That’s basically two faculty a year for the first five years of Charlie White’s position as head of the department. This exodus is not a coincidence. The seven faculty above, who once comprised the majority of the department, had no gallery representation, no ongoing career, and shouldn’t have had jobs in the first place.

During this time, the artist Echo Eggebrecht taught painting, but was quickly and quietly terminated for being intoxicated at work. Allison Smith came, but quickly departed. The university hired Jessica Beck, associate curator from the Warhol- despite numerous reports of her abusive behavior. She was also later released.

The university has retained several faculty that have had numerous, ongoing complaints about their work practices, notably Suzie Silver, Paolo Pedericini, Angela Washko, Andrew Johnson, and Melissa Ragona, who now calls herself “Cash”. As a student of these faculty, I can say without hesitation that Ragona is a legitimate sociopath, who intentionally highjacked, manipulated, and sabotaged my art career. Silver is an abusive and outrageously hostile person who curses, screams, and physically threatens students, faculty and visitors. Johnson and Pedericini are psychologically abusive and hostile people who enjoy having the authority and power to demean and insult others, without reason or justification. Johnson only has the job because of his wife, Susanne. 
 

CMU is an incredibly abusive and destructive place because of the tenured faculty who intentionally harm students. I am sincere in my hope that no one makes the same mistake I made and destroys their future by attending their MFA program.

[edgecase]

Question - for the portfolio (photography) is it better to submit all work from one project, or to show 2-3 different projects? 20 images could all be taken up by one project, but is showing a range important or valuable? How do people think about distribution? 

[Forms Without Formula]

Hi all!

Third year applying for me. Three years ago right out of undergrad I applied to SVA and Pratt. I was waitlisted at Pratt and ultimately rejected, and I got accepted to SVA but not offered much funding, and then when the pandemic hit I decided to wait regardless.

Last year I applied to Hunter only and got rejected.

This year I’m spreading my options! Applying to SVA, Pratt, MassArt, SAIC, Tulane, and University of Oregon.

Still trying to finish my applications, I keep getting really stuck with the Statements of Purpose, think I’m getting it done but the prompts are sometimes so vague that I don’t know which direction to go in! 
 

Really ready for this to be the year, I miss school, I miss mentors, I miss being in an artsphere with endless resources!

[Miso]

2 hours ago, Forms Without Formula said:

Hi all!

Third year applying for me. Three years ago right out of undergrad I applied to SVA and Pratt. I was waitlisted at Pratt and ultimately rejected, and I got accepted to SVA but not offered much funding, and then when the pandemic hit I decided to wait regardless.

Last year I applied to Hunter only and got rejected.

This year I’m spreading my options! Applying to SVA, Pratt, MassArt, SAIC, Tulane, and University of Oregon.

Still trying to finish my applications, I keep getting really stuck with the Statements of Purpose, think I’m getting it done but the prompts are sometimes so vague that I don’t know which direction to go in! 
 

Really ready for this to be the year, I miss school, I miss mentors, I miss being in an artsphere with endless resources!

I admire your persistence! Most people aren't willing to keep going after something they want, they usually move on to something new and give up. I really hope you get in this year, more schools should give you a good chance. I made the mistake of only applying to 3 schools my first time. Now I'm applying to a lot more and University of Oregon is actually one of them. I'll make sure to come back here and let you know if and when I get a call for an interview at U of O, their program looks great. Portland's art scene seems underrated, it's definitely not LA, New York, Chicago, or Atlanta, but it's growing and slept on for sure. Goodluck! 

[initalics]

12 hours ago, edgecase said:

Question - for the portfolio (photography) is it better to submit all work from one project, or to show 2-3 different projects? 20 images could all be taken up by one project, but is showing a range important or valuable? How do people think about distribution? 

I would avoid only using one project as they are often looking for a central thread/idea throughout your work. Only showing images from one project doesn't allow them to see the ideas and concepts you're attempting to flesh out. 

Hope that helps out. Are you applying to Yale? Their portfolio requires 20 images. 

[edgecase]

Thanks initalics! That is helpful. It really crystallizes what I had seen around but only vaguely understood or considered. I'm coming out of a creative writing MFA, where I think the standard is different - it's really not a problem to have completely disparate books/projects without a narrative about how they connect to a central thread/idea, if you can pull off each individual one.

But I hear what you're saying and believe you, it confirms that yes, in the visual art world, you need to be able to communicate this backbone or spine and relate everything back to it, I wasn't thinking of it like that, but it makes sense, thank you. 

Not applying to Yale, focusing on schools highly likely to be funded in the western US. It seems like most of them have 20 image counts. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by edgecase

[Loleagle]

21 hours ago, Forms Without Formula said:

Hi all!

Third year applying for me. Three years ago right out of undergrad I applied to SVA and Pratt. I was waitlisted at Pratt and ultimately rejected, and I got accepted to SVA but not offered much funding, and then when the pandemic hit I decided to wait regardless.

Last year I applied to Hunter only and got rejected.

This year I’m spreading my options! Applying to SVA, Pratt, MassArt, SAIC, Tulane, and University of Oregon.

Still trying to finish my applications, I keep getting really stuck with the Statements of Purpose, think I’m getting it done but the prompts are sometimes so vague that I don’t know which direction to go in! 
 

Really ready for this to be the year, I miss school, I miss mentors, I miss being in an artsphere with endless resources!

I know someone who was rejected from hunter twice before getting in on the third try so you can always reapply (if you want). 

[YaleMFAThrowaway]

Hi all, Yale MFA alum here who is lurking bc I have friends applying this year and this forum was so helpful when I was an applicant. I wanted to clear up stuff about Yale's financial aid and provide my own numbers for some transparency. 

Yes, Yale looks at your parents income (and spouse's if applicable). It doesn't matter if you're 23 or 50. You can petition to have your parents income not considered, but your parents not financially supporting you isn't considered a valid reason. I was able to have my father's income waived because I am estranged from him. I had to submit letters from family friends and divorce court documents to support my case.

My mother was making $90k and I was making $45k when I filed for financial aid. I ended up getting ~$25k in aid my first year and ~$35k my second year. I graduated with $21k in student debt. 

Aid varies a lot year-by-year, depending on how much the school has raised. There have been years when everyone's tuition is covered. When I was a student, students were getting a little less. Still most people were getting some aid. I don't think I know anyone who took out $100k in loans. 

I have mixed feelings about them asking for your parents' income, but I understand that they want to prioritize giving aid to students who can't fall back on their parents. There's a lot of nepo-babies in the art world.   

My advice is to set a number for yourself of how much student debt you're willing to take on. For me, that number was $20k and only if I was accepted into a school that I felt like would really push my career forwards. No school is a golden ticket, but Yale did put me in a very good position to grow my career. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by YaleMFAThrowaway

[sussy.spacek]

On 12/29/2022 at 2:26 AM, YaleMFAThrowaway said:

Hi all, Yale MFA alum here who is lurking bc I have friends applying this year and this forum was so helpful when I was an applicant. I wanted to clear up stuff about Yale's financial aid and provide my own numbers for some transparency. 

Yes, Yale looks at your parents income (and spouse's if applicable). It doesn't matter if you're 23 or 50. You can petition to have your parents income not considered, but your parents not financially supporting you isn't considered a valid reason. I was able to have my father's income waived because I am estranged from him. I had to submit letters from family friends and divorce court documents to support my case.

My mother was making $90k and I was making $45k when I filed for financial aid. I ended up getting ~$25k in aid my first year and ~$35k my second year. I graduated with $21k in student debt. 

Aid varies a lot year-by-year, depending on how much the school has raised. There have been years when everyone's tuition is covered. When I was a student, students were getting a little less. Still most people were getting some aid. I don't think I know anyone who took out $100k in loans. 

I have mixed feelings about them asking for your parents' income, but I understand that they want to prioritize giving aid to students who can't fall back on their parents. There's a lot of nepo-babies in the art world.   

My advice is to set a number for yourself of how much student debt you're willing to take on. For me, that number was $20k and only if I was accepted into a school that I felt like would really push my career forwards. No school is a golden ticket, but Yale did put me in a very good position to grow my career. 

Thank you so much for clearing up, and sharing your stats and helpful insights.

I'm actually re-applying for Yale the second time around this cycle. I was a semi-finalist last round and interviewed with faculty, and I remember even then the financial aid office asked for my parental income, so in case you were accepted they can include your financial aid package in the letter.

I never knew about the aid varying year-by-year! I was actually told most students receive full funding but I guess that's all hearsay.

Edited December 31, 2022 by sussy.spacek

[sussy.spacek]

On 12/21/2022 at 11:11 PM, Boolakanaka said:

With due respect, that is actually incorrect, per the actual intent of policy and law, under the FAFSA, an independent student does not have to report their parents' financial information on financial aid applications. Why they (Yale and/or any other school ask for this document is to verify that you are actually independent.

 

Consider if you had a 34 year old married with children,  this CSS submission would clarify that status thus allowing for the concerned potential student to be considered independent on their parents financial situation.

 

Please see: https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student

 

To give you some context, I am both on faculty and involved in admissions at a university.

 

The request for parental income is notoriously unique to the Yale School of Art graduate admissions.

It's separate from filing as dependent/independent on your taxes/FAFSA. Essentially, they're trying to sniff out generational wealth by requiring you to submit parental income - this has been the case for years. And yes, it's a headache because I went through this process last year. But if you don't submit that info, you do not get awarded financial aid. For example: my mom has a disability, collects SSI, and separated from my dad, but I was still required to include BOTH parent's income information.

I've included some screenshots of an email I received from their financial aid staff. Also, a few people and other sources have corroborated on this being part of their process (clearly stated here on this recording of their Virtual Open House) so I don't think this is up for debate. ?

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by sussy.spacek

[initalics]

On 12/28/2022 at 10:51 AM, edgecase said:

Thanks initalics! That is helpful. It really crystallizes what I had seen around but only vaguely understood or considered. I'm coming out of a creative writing MFA, where I think the standard is different - it's really not a problem to have completely disparate books/projects without a narrative about how they connect to a central thread/idea, if you can pull off each individual one.

But I hear what you're saying and believe you, it confirms that yes, in the visual art world, you need to be able to communicate this backbone or spine and relate everything back to it, I wasn't thinking of it like that, but it makes sense, thank you. 

Not applying to Yale, focusing on schools highly likely to be funded in the western US. It seems like most of them have 20 image counts. 

hey edgecase, I want to be a bit more precise with my wording. I’m not advising to build a portfolio around a central idea; that’ll be in your portfolio regardless of your intention. I’m more so attempting to suggest a diverse selection of images that showcase the ideas that you tackle within your work. Cindy Sherman is a good example as her work centers around identity but her work explores a vast amount of topics. I hope I’m making sense. I don't want you to curate a portfolio centered around a central thread; it sounds like a restriction to me. Currently, my portfolio has images from 4 different series’ and each series has 2 photos. I really hope that one makes sense, I’m having a hard time wording that. Although using two images from on series could potentially be seen as entering the same image twice because it’s the same topic. I think it helps showcase how I work through concepts. 

 

My original post was a bit too aggressive now that I’m looking at it. It is possible to achieve what I mentioned through one project. I don't really have the expertise to advise you not the do that. As long as you believe your portfolio represents you and your ability to perform at the level your program desires then you’re golden! 

 

Congrats on the writing MFA by the way, that’s badass. I’ve been trying to bump up my writing game for years! 

 

Thanks for the post! You actually got me thinking more on my portfolio. 

[YaleMFAThrowaway]

14 hours ago, sussy.spacek said:

Thank you so much for clearing up, and sharing your stats and helpful insights.

I'm actually re-applying for Yale the second time around this cycle. I was a semi-finalist last round and interviewed with faculty, and I remember even then the financial aid office asked for my parental income, so in case you were accepted they can include your financial aid package in the letter.

I never knew about the aid varying year-by-year! I was actually told most students receive full funding but I guess that's all hearsay.

I think it's very possible that most students in the past few years have received full funding. The school has a different Dean from my time, which is one of the larger factors in fundraising.

Best of luck!

[sunflowertime]

Hi everyone, 

I have a question about dating works in your portfolio. 

When filling out details for each portfolio image, do you put the date, month, and year the work was completed or is just the year sufficient?

I'm reapplying to two schools and a few of the works in this new application were included in my previous application. The thing is, I have lost track of the exact month and year I finished those works (I know, I'm kicking myself) and while I can approximate the time period, I'm worried if I label them with a date that's different from what was in my previous application it's going to raise questions. I can play it safe and just enter the year, but I'm not sure if they're looking for a more specific time period. I'm applying to UCLA, Yale, Hunter, and Columbia.

I actually checked the pdf confirmation of my previous applications and only the year appears next to each image even though I remember entering a month and a year. 

Thank you and good luck to everyone! I know it's crunch time for a lot of us now.

[sunflowertime]

On 10/15/2022 at 6:55 AM, SocialKonstruct said:

Here are all 11 programs I applied to:

1) Yale University- painting and drawing (completed but unpaid due to third party vendor issue)

2) Yale University- sculpture (completed but unpaid due to third party vendor issue)

3) UCLA- new genres

4) Columbia University- printmaking

5) School of Art Institute of Chicago- painting and drawing

6) School of Art Institute of Chicago- photography

7) School of Art Institute of Chicago- sculpture

? CalArts- studio art

9) CalArts- photography

10) CalArts- art and technology

11) ArtCenter College of Design- studio art

and that's it folks!

Wow nice work!! Congrats on getting all of those applications done. Hope you get into your top choice programs.