MFA Programs in Photography

[Gradsch00LGhoul]

Hi everyone!

I've started on creating my portfolio for grad school applications, and I'm curious if anyone has advice.. I'm looking at various MFA programs in photography in the NW US, Rutgers, Purchase, Yale, RISD, etc. It would be great to find something that's fully funded. I really don't want to have a tremendous amount of debt.. I have my eyes on Yale; I like it's focus on photography, the people who come into look at student work, and there are many people who teach there that'd I'd love to learn from. I've done some research on Rutgers; fully funded, sponsorships/scholarships, a studio arts program, but could be really interesting, within a huge research university, New Jersey, not that far from NYC.. all reasons to consider.. Purchase is fully funded with great facilities I've heard, RISD seems super expensive and not really what I'm looking for.. but this is all to say, what have your alls experiences been? Any programs worth mentioning? Experiences with Yale, Rutgers, Purchase, specifically with photography? I've heard mixed things about Yale recently, and it seems like it has changed since 10 years ago. Does Yale give good scholarship in the photo department? 

Thank you! 

[daisy524]

Hi there! From what I have heard, Yale has gone down hill in the photo department in recent years. I have heard this from many mentors and photo professors. It is also a very rigid program from what I have heard, not a lot of room for experimentation, interdisciplinary, etc. BUT these are all subjective things. I do know the program is much more focused on strictly documentary, traditional image making. I also had my eye on it, because it is so well known in the photo world, but I did a private workshops with Justine Kurland (who got her MFA there I believe) last fall and she discouraged me from applying. She thought I wouldn't enjoy the program because my work is more experimental. At the end of the day I hear over and over again that it is an ivy-league at its core, and the stereotypes of "stuck-up-ness" (for lack of a better word), hold true in the photo department. After more research, and the discovery that they really don't provide a lot of funding, I decided it was a waste of money to apply. 

Rutgers is a great program from what I have heard, one of my mentors went there and speaks highly of it. Purchase, I don't have any info to share. Hope this helps!