MFA 2024 Freak Out Forum

[Miso]

41 minutes ago, ohoh said:

Ok thanks, yes, I'm doing that now!! Not sure why I'm already deciding to get neurotic about specific days I should be watching for, but here I go

 

I did that for almost all of the schools I applied to. It's not like knowing changes anything but my days are more peaceful knowing the dates I can expect to hear back instead of just not knowing at all. What schools did you apply to? I can probably save you some time if you applied to some of the same schools as me. Like this is what I have for Yale based on the past forum: 

2023:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 5

- Interview: Feb 22

- Acceptance: March 4

2024❓:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 4

- Interview: Feb 21

- Acceptance: March 2

[Griselda]

5 hours ago, kjsdhl212 said:

All of my applications are complete and officially in.  Terrified of not getting into any so fighting the temptation to apply to one or two more schools just to increase my odds.

I feel you on that! Especially since Instagram keeps showing me "it's not too late to apply to our MFA" ads for schools I had shortlisted before talking over my options with my spouse.

I'm pretty worried I'm wasting this cycle with only applying to one, but I'm not in a position to go to other schools if I do get into them for entry this fall. I considered some low res options (where you just do a residential intensive once or twice a year) as a middle ground but the tuition costs are still not doable.

[kjsdhl212]

10 hours ago, Griselda said:

I feel you on that! Especially since Instagram keeps showing me "it's not too late to apply to our MFA" ads for schools I had shortlisted before talking over my options with my spouse.

I'm pretty worried I'm wasting this cycle with only applying to one, but I'm not in a position to go to other schools if I do get into them for entry this fall. I considered some low res options (where you just do a residential intensive once or twice a year) as a middle ground but the tuition costs are still not doable.

Yeah I'm a little older than the average MFA student and have a good career outside of arts so I've decided this is my one shot as I don't want to put my life on hold for another year.  However, I'm already applying to 12 and when I look at lists the only other school that fits most of my criteria is UCLA which based on acceptance rates isn't really improving my shot.  Will probably still submit it this weekend.

[btwnthetides]

46 minutes ago, kjsdhl212 said:

Yeah I'm a little older than the average MFA student and have a good career outside of arts so I've decided this is my one shot as I don't want to put my life on hold for another year.  However, I'm already applying to 12 and when I look at lists the only other school that fits most of my criteria is UCLA which based on acceptance rates isn't really improving my shot.  Will probably still submit it this weekend.

I also have this urge but I don't want to ask too much of my recommenders. Two of them finished my recs months ago and the third had trouble getting them all in as it is. Thinking that it's just easier to stick with the original plan. 

[kjsdhl212]

18 minutes ago, caughtbtwnthetides said:

I also have this urge but I don't want to ask too much of my recommenders. Two of them finished my recs months ago and the third had trouble getting them all in as it is. Thinking that it's just easier to stick with the original plan. 

Same thing for me.  From my understanding UCLA only wants the list of Recommenders and will contact them further down the line if necessary which is another reason I'm considering them last minute.

[sad face]

Literally a freakout post -

Is anyone waiting for LORs ??? 

I have two application deadlines marked today - RISD and CalArts - not sure if it's the same for LORs, and two of my profs haven't submitted... I've already sent reminders respectively.

 

Definitely appreciate any info about if late LORs will have impacts on your application. Thanks guys.

[ohoh]

22 hours ago, Gaara said:

I did that for almost all of the schools I applied to. It's not like knowing changes anything but my days are more peaceful knowing the dates I can expect to hear back instead of just not knowing at all. What schools did you apply to? I can probably save you some time if you applied to some of the same schools as me. Like this is what I have for Yale based on the past forum: 

2023:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 5

- Interview: Feb 22

- Acceptance: March 4

2024❓:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 4

- Interview: Feb 21

- Acceptance: March 2

Bard, RISD, Pratt, Yale, Columbia, and Rutgers! Would love any intel. Where did you get the Feb 4 date for Yale--is that your approximation based on past years?

[Miso]

31 minutes ago, ohoh said:

Bard, RISD, Pratt, Yale, Columbia, and Rutgers! Would love any intel. Where did you get the Feb 4 date for Yale--is that your approximation based on past years?

 

 

Yes, because last year in the forum people received interview invitations on the first Sunday of Feburary, which was Feb. 5th. So I went to that exact spot on the calendar for 2024 and it is Feburary 4th. Some schools stick to the same schedule so that is my guess for Yale 2024.

 

I am also applying to Rutgers like you and this is what I have for them: 
2023:
- Interview Invitation: Jan 31
- Interview: Feb 24
- Acceptance: Feb 28
2024❓:
- Interview Invitation: Jan 30
- Interview: Feb 23
- Acceptance: Feb 27

Edited January 5 by Gaara

[Moses09]

On 1/4/2024 at 3:51 PM, Gaara said:

I did that for almost all of the schools I applied to. It's not like knowing changes anything but my days are more peaceful knowing the dates I can expect to hear back instead of just not knowing at all. What schools did you apply to? I can probably save you some time if you applied to some of the same schools as me. Like this is what I have for Yale based on the past forum: 

2023:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 5

- Interview: Feb 22

- Acceptance: March 4

2024❓:

- Interview Invitation: Feb 4

- Interview: Feb 21

- Acceptance: March 2

in 2021 the interview invitation was on the 2nd, so that can help give you a range. I'd assume that last year took a bit longer since they had their most applicants ever 

[Artsystudent2024]

Hey all- I just got finished with Carnegie Mellon’s MFA in Visual Art, and I wanted to share my experience here for those interested in applying. I know the applications are due soon, and I unfortunately made the mistake of applying and accepting their offer. 
 

First, there was recently a number of articles published that claimed the program was ‘fully funded’ for all graduate students. From the outside, that is obviously a big draw and an attractive reason to apply. However, it’s just not true. Attending the Carnegie Mellon MFA program cost me around $100k in additional college loan debt, even with the funding the program provides. The university itself doesn’t offer any resources (like cameras, laptops, or rentable tech) so that is important to consider, too. All in all, it feels very weird to me to read all of the articles claiming the program is debt free when my experience and others doesn’t align with that. The truth is the opposite- I’ll be paying for my MFA the rest of my life.

Secondly, there has been so much faculty turnover, it’s hard to think of a more tumultuous experience. So many of the faculty have been fired or quit it feels very difficult to sustain connections or relationship. Everyone I worked with has been fired or quit just in the last year. That being said, working with the faculty was not a positive experience. I frequently felt bullied and abused. It’s difficult to pay for tuition and and be treated like a servant.

Thirdly, there isn’t much of a student community. It’s so competitive and small, people treat each other very poorly. It felt like being in a very awkward abusive relationship to be surrounded by a group of white men for so long who just criticize me.

Finally, the art connections are there if you can use them, but really, they are only good if you want to move back to New York. Pittsburgh doesn’t have many opportunities for exhibiting or connections to a greater art world. So I ended up meeting a lot of people who don’t stick around long enough to really sustain a connection too.

Overall, my experience in the three year MFA was not what I expected, and cost much more than the program led me to think. I don’t recommend it if you are looking for an affordable or supportive environment, particularly if you are from a diverse background.

 

 

 

[coolgirl]

Hey posted here a few months ago, but wanted to say that I’m applying to graphic design programs in case anyone else wants to compare admission responses. I’ve got 3 apps in and just have to edit some of the writing for 2 more due on the 15th. 
 

my schools are all GD MFAs:

RISD

Yale

Stamps - U of Mich (this one’s not gd, but interdisciplinary studio)

Rutgers

VCU

Edited January 8 by coolgirl

[btwnthetides]

Hey! I applied to 7 programs with a specialization in Photo:

University of Oregon

Tyler

UC Davis

University of Minnesota

University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Arizona

University of New Mexico

If anyone else applied to these schools, let's keep each other posted on when we hear back!

[Griselda]

Anyone else getting freaked out whenever they receive an email? 😅 It's definitely a bit soon to be so jumpy but argh!

[btwnthetides]

1 hour ago, Griselda said:

Anyone else getting freaked out whenever they receive an email? 😅 It's definitely a bit soon to be so jumpy but argh!

Yes, definitely getting antsy already

[sad face]

- NEGATIVE AURA WARNING - 

Just had a mental breakdown because one of my letters of recommendation has still not been submitted by my recommender. It's three days past the deadline for RISD. I have done everything I possibly can to resolve this, and now all I can do is wait. It's literally driving me crazy. I don't know how much LORs weigh in the admission process, nor if there's a grace period for late LORs. I would be devastated if my application is negatively impacted by this. Maybe it's just bad luck.

[murmur]

2 hours ago, sad face said:

- NEGATIVE AURA WARNING - 

Just had a mental breakdown because one of my letters of recommendation has still not been submitted by my recommender. It's three days past the deadline for RISD. I have done everything I possibly can to resolve this, and now all I can do is wait. It's literally driving me crazy. I don't know how much LORs weigh in the admission process, nor if there's a grace period for late LORs. I would be devastated if my application is negatively impacted by this. Maybe it's just bad luck.

just in case you should reach out to another professor and explain your situation to politely ask if they would write a LOR for you. my friend who's applying to a PHD program had this exact problem and his professor was kind enough to write a letter in one day. I don't know when the deadline for RISD is but if it's past 2 weeks already you should look into that option imo. If it's been a couple of days to a week, maybe wait a little bit longer. good luck!

[sad face]

1 hour ago, murmur said:

just in case you should reach out to another professor and explain your situation to politely ask if they would write a LOR for you. my friend who's applying to a PHD program had this exact problem and his professor was kind enough to write a letter in one day. I don't know when the deadline for RISD is but if it's past 2 weeks already you should look into that option imo. If it's been a couple of days to a week, maybe wait a little bit longer. good luck!

Hey thanks!! I've already reached out to two more professors and I'm waiting on either one of them to upload. I know Yale would exempt applicants who didn't complete all materials from reviewing (says on their website), I wish RISD wouldn't do the same. 

[bunnie99]

On 1/9/2024 at 2:02 AM, sad face said:

- NEGATIVE AURA WARNING - 

Just had a mental breakdown because one of my letters of recommendation has still not been submitted by my recommender. It's three days past the deadline for RISD. I have done everything I possibly can to resolve this, and now all I can do is wait. It's literally driving me crazy. I don't know how much LORs weigh in the admission process, nor if there's a grace period for late LORs. I would be devastated if my application is negatively impacted by this. Maybe it's just bad luck.

Hey! I applied to RISD last year (and this year too lol) and one of my recommenders didn't submit their LOR until like 3 weeks after the deadline, and I still got an interview with them last year (ended up waitlisted though  XD) I don't think it's the biggest deal. I wouldn't stress overly about it being a bit late.

[sad face]

On 1/11/2024 at 3:46 AM, bunnie99 said:

Hey! I applied to RISD last year (and this year too lol) and one of my recommenders didn't submit their LOR until like 3 weeks after the deadline, and I still got an interview with them last year (ended up waitlisted though  XD) I don't think it's the biggest deal. I wouldn't stress overly about it being a bit late.

Hey Thanks! I also watched their admission Q&A recording later on and they said usually there's a ten-day grace period.

GOOD LUCK on RISD!!

[Guest]

Hey everyone
Can anyone give me any suggestions on what programs I still have time to apply for?(preferably with good funding) I do installation/sculpture and a bit of video. I'm an international student so I don't have a lot of information about different schools in the US. I already have applied for UCLA and University of Oregon. Any help is appreciated thank you guys

[sad face]

21 hours ago, Jill the lass said:

Hey everyone
Can anyone give me any suggestions on what programs I still have time to apply for?(preferably with good funding) I do installation/sculpture and a bit of video. I'm an international student so I don't have a lot of information about different schools in the US. I already have applied for UCLA and University of Oregon. Any help is appreciated thank you guys

Hi there, I think Cranbrook would be a great choice based on your preference. Application closes on Feb 1st by the way.  And you need to write a statement for funding.

[Guest]

On 1/14/2024 at 1:39 PM, sad face said:

Hi there, I think Cranbrook would be a great choice based on your preference. Application closes on Feb 1st by the way.  And you need to write a statement for funding.

Thank you so much I will check it out.

[paintgal]

Do current MFA students play a role in admissions at all?

[btwnthetides]

25 minutes ago, paintgal said:

Do current MFA students play a role in admissions at all?

I think it depends on the program. Some form admissions committees with current students. I know the University of Minnesota does. 

[mfaapplicant]

Has anyone applied to/attended/have any insights about UChicago DoVA? I just received an interview invitation from them and would love to learn more. I have heard mixed comments about the program -- some were absolutely miserable, and some were very happy. The 75% tuition fellowship with the rest almost entirely covered by TAship sounds really tempting... Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

Edited January 17 by mfaapplicant