MFA 2024 Freak Out Forum

[kiiiiii]

 

I ended up getting through to RISD as well after around an hour of waiting. I also thought that the feedback was really helpful and gave me good insight about what I could do to refine my portfolio before applications are due. 

[Guest]

I had a really nice review with Rutgers, it solidified my interest in them for sure. I waited for a while for RISD but never got a spot so...!

Overall I liked it, but there needs to be some kind of unified lobby or waitlist system between schools. Some kind of infrastructure there. 

[TNRic]

Hello!

It's my first year applying for MFAs and I'm going in with very low expectations because I know it takes people multiple times to get into a program. All my applications are submitted except one that hasn't opened their slideroom yet :(. I'm applying to Bard, Concordia (in Canada), Hunter, Rutgers, RISD, and the New York Academy of Art. I wish everyone the best of luck!! Also, what concentrations (if you're applying to one) is everyone going for?

[Miso]

20 minutes ago, TNRic said:

Hello!

It's my first year applying for MFAs and I'm going in with very low expectations because I know it takes people multiple times to get into a program. All my applications are submitted except one that hasn't opened their slideroom yet :(. I'm applying to Bard, Concordia (in Canada), Hunter, Rutgers, RISD, and the New York Academy of Art. I wish everyone the best of luck!! Also, what concentrations (if you're applying to one) is everyone going for?

 

That's a good mindset to have, I remember my first time applying I was so clueless about how competitive this is. Hope you get in the first time because it is no fun doing this over and over. Don't be like me and think it is the end of the world if you don't get in though lol. I'm Painting & Drawing

[kjsdhl212]

When people say they are getting good feedback from these reviews can you be more specific what they are telling you?  Are they saying you should take things out?  That you should definitely apply?  I'm going to an in person one soon and just trying to figure out what to expect?

[Guest]

Nice, you're ahead of the game! I haven't even started my writing yet. 

Concordia is a good school, what program are you applying to? I live in Montreal and know a lot of Concordia MFA's, maybe I can give some info

I applied to Concordia last year and got waitlisted, but didn't make it in, for the sculpture program. Their painting program is very good, if you're doing sculpture you get to work with Kelly Jazvac who is an EXCELLENT artist and professor, IMO one of the best arts educators in Canada, hands down. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Gkrenz

[kiiiiii]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:38 AM, kjsdhl212 said:

When people say they are getting good feedback from these reviews can you be more specific what they are telling you?  Are they saying you should take things out?  That you should definitely apply?  I'm going to an in person one soon and just trying to figure out what to expect?

Overall, the reviews were pretty casual as each meeting could only go on for around 10 to 15 minutes. I got some advice on possible directions to explore in my art that might strengthen my portfolio without straying too far from the core of my practice. I also got some insights into what I should make sure to address in my written statements. Both reviewers also pointed about specific faculty / resources at their respective schools that they thought I would be interested in based on my work. Neither explicitly said that I should definitely apply to their school, but they did comment saying that I seemed ready to apply to schools in general. They advised that I visit their schools if possible in order to better inform my decision to apply.

Mostly, it was very affirming to hear that my portfolio is already in a decent state and good to learn more about what different schools expect from my application.

Hope this helps, but if you have any questions I can try to go into more detail.

I'm attending the in-person one in New York on Sunday so I'll also be curious to see how it differs from the online format.

 

[kjsdhl212]

34 minutes ago, kiiiiii said:

Overall, the reviews were pretty casual as each meeting could only go on for around 10 to 15 minutes. I got some advice on possible directions to explore in my art that might strengthen my portfolio without straying too far from the core of my practice. I also got some insights into what I should make sure to address in my written statements. Both reviewers also pointed about specific faculty / resources at their respective schools that they thought I would be interested in based on my work. Neither explicitly said that I should definitely apply to their school, but they did comment saying that I seemed ready to apply to schools in general. They advised that I visit their schools if possible in order to better inform my decision to apply.

Mostly, it was very affirming to hear that my portfolio is already in a decent state and good to learn more about what different schools expect from my application.

Hope this helps, but if you have any questions I can try to go into more detail.

I'm attending the in-person one in New York on Sunday so I'll also be curious to see how it differs from the online format.

 

Thanks.  What medium do you use for your art?

[kiiiiii]

11 hours ago, kjsdhl212 said:

Thanks.  What medium do you use for your art?

My main medium is ink on paper and I've explored incorporating acrylic paint, tea and coffee stains, and collaging into my work. In the past year, I've mainly been working on largish (~40in) works on paper that tend toward abstraction but have some suggestions of figuration / representation  as well as some digital experiments here and there. 

[coolgirl]

Quote this if you're applying to graphic design MFA programs! - would love to hear what schools people are applying to and any advice, feedback, etc. is relevant to people preparing application materials in graphic design

[Miso]

*deleted*

Edited October 15, 2023 by Gaara

[Miso]

Does anyone know about the MFA at the New York Academy of Art? Never seen this school talked about in grad cafe and I was wondering if it is worth applying to. 

[kjsdhl212]

Is anyone else applying as a photographer/to photography programs? 

[Guest]

I didn't go, but 

On 10/16/2023 at 1:22 AM, Gaara said:

Does anyone know about the MFA at the New York Academy of Art? Never seen this school talked about in grad cafe and I was wondering if it is worth applying to. 

I didn't go there, but a friend of mine did. They had a very positive experience but did feel there was a lack of support for sculpture work. If you're painting and drawing, it might be a good fit for you. They're one of the participants in the National Portfolio Day thing, I'd check it out

[SocialKonstruct]

Hey folks!

I am a 1st year MFA student here at ArtCenter and definitely I can walk any of you through the whole process :D. This is an example of my 1st show for crit I did last month- https://www.artcentermfa.net/exhibitions/exhibition/albert-wang

Feel free to ask away  (doing my 2nd solo and 1st group shows as we speak)... peace

Edited October 26, 2023 by SocialKonstruct

[SocialKonstruct]

On 10/15/2023 at 10:22 PM, Gaara said:

Does anyone know about the MFA at the New York Academy of Art? Never seen this school talked about in grad cafe and I was wondering if it is worth applying to. 

NYAA is mostly into traditional academic art styles which is hardly my area of interest as a cutting-edge contemporary artist. If you want do an atelier style of education then go for it!

[Miso]

On 10/26/2023 at 6:07 AM, SocialKonstruct said:

NYAA is mostly into traditional academic art styles which is hardly my area of interest as a cutting-edge contemporary artist. If you want do an atelier style of education then go for it!

 

Yeahh probably not a good fit for me, plus I heard they offer little to no scholarships/funding. I was thinking of ways to get into the New York art scene without actually being in New York. What is your opinion on Rutgers MFA in Visual Arts? (Or anyone else who is reading this) 

[SocialKonstruct]

10 hours ago, Gaara said:

Yeahh probably not a good fit for me, plus I heard they offer little to no scholarships/funding. I was thinking of ways to get into the New York art scene without actually being in New York. What is your opinion on Rutgers MFA in Visual Arts? (Or anyone else who is reading this) 

Definitely apply to Rutgers. If you want to be a contemporary artist in a more experimental slant this is your best choice without being in NY. I heard Bard was not in a good state for their MFA program.

[kjsdhl212]

How many schools is everyone applying to?  I have my list narrowed down to 12 and considering just applying to all of them.  Reading through past threads everything seems kind of random.

[Miso]

5 hours ago, kjsdhl212 said:

How many schools is everyone applying to?  I have my list narrowed down to 12 and considering just applying to all of them.  Reading through past threads everything seems kind of random.

I still haven't locked in my final list but I currently have 16. My final list will have anywhere between 12 - 15 though. 

For everyone: 

Do you think it is worth applying to schools that rejected you last year? For more context, I think my work has evolved for the better but out of the 20 required portfolio pieces, 11 will be new and 9 are things they have seen. Would I be better off only applying to schools that haven't seen my work at all? 

[Guest]

On 10/29/2023 at 3:27 PM, Gaara said:

Do you think it is worth applying to schools that rejected you last year? For more context, I think my work has evolved for the better but out of the 20 required portfolio pieces, 11 will be new and 9 are things they have seen. Would I be better off only applying to schools that haven't seen my work at all? 

I will be re-applying to several. I think, and hope, that it gives you a stronger chance than the initial application, providing you can address why you didn't get in last time through your work and practice. 

That's my thoughts, at least. 

[Miso]

26 minutes ago, Gkrenz said:

I will be re-applying to several. I think, and hope, that it gives you a stronger chance than the initial application, providing you can address why you didn't get in last time through your work and practice. 

That's my thoughts, at least. 

 

 

 

I was waitlisted to one program on my list and having interviewed with them, I definitely think the tweaks I have made will give me a good chance of being accepted this time around 🤞

But for the 4 programs I am reapplying to that rejected me with no feedback, it's hard to know if I am just wasting my time and money applying again. For instance, UCLA is one of these schools, not sure if changing half of my portfolio is enough to get different results. But the one time you decide not to apply could be the time you were going to get in. If programs gave just a sentence or two of feedback to rejected applicants instead of the generic ChatGPT letter, this would be a much easier decision. Or even better, just give people a letter grade for their written statements and portfolio. 

Written Statements: B+ 
Portfolio: C- 

Seeing something like this would tell me I shouldn't reapply the next year, meanwhile this "We want to express our sincere gratitude for your application and your interest in...." does nothing for anyone 💀

Edited November 1, 2023 by Gaara

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Gaara said:

I was waitlisted to one program on my list and having interviewed with them, I definitely think the tweaks I have made will give me a good chance of being accepted this time around 🤞

But for the 4 programs I am reapplying to, they rejected me with no feedback, it's hard to know if I am just wasting my time and money applying again. For instance, UCLA is one of these schools, not sure if changing half of my portfolio is enough to get different results. But the one time you decide not to apply could be the time you were going to get in. If programs gave just a sentence or two of feedback to rejected applicants instead of the generic ChatGPT letter, this would be a much easier decision. Or even better, just give people a letter grade for their written statements and portfolio. 

Written Statements: B+ 
Portfolio: C- 

Seeing something like this would tell me I shouldn't reapply the next year, meanwhile this "We want to express our sincere gratitude for your application and your interest in...." does nothing for anyone 💀

I was waitlisted to one program too, and I'm re-applying. They encouraged a re-application.

Yale and SAIC didn't, but I don't care, I'm applying again anyways. I got shortlisted at SAIC and final 20 for Yale, I absolutely will apply again, I wouldn't be able to sleep again for the rest of my life if I didn't.

My advice is look at who DID get accepted, and see what the cohort has in common. Figure out why you didn't fit in, or at the very least, take a shot at it. Be honest with yourself though. I find the opaqueness frustrating too. 

[Miso]

2 hours ago, Gkrenz said:

I was waitlisted to one program too, and I'm re-applying. They encouraged a re-application.

Yale and SAIC didn't, but I don't care, I'm applying again anyways. I got shortlisted at SAIC and final 20 for Yale, I absolutely will apply again, I wouldn't be able to sleep again for the rest of my life if I didn't.

My advice is look at who DID get accepted, and see what the cohort has in common. Figure out why you didn't fit in, or at the very least, take a shot at it. Be honest with yourself though. I find the opaqueness frustrating too.

Oh you for sure should apply to all of those again. It makes a lot of sense for the programs that you were close to getting into. It's just difficult to decide to try again when you don't even know if you were close. 

My only guess is that these programs didn't want figurative artists, which is the category I would fall under. Other than that, I honestly know my portfolio is good enough to get into any program, just comes down to luck and the committee's preference. 

[Miso]

Only on page 2 on November 5th...this has to be unusual. Inflation must have artists giving up on art and going to nursing school instead for stability 💀

Btw I hope new people know this forum is completely anonymous. Making an account takes like two seconds, no need to be a lurker forever lol