MFA 2026 Freak out Forum

[Emolibra97]

25 minutes ago, TwhowantsanMFA said:

I think all of us who applied to and/or interviewed at UCB and haven't heard anything can consider ourselves rejected. They don't do any informing until the enrollment decision deadline basically. My understanding was that accepted students would have heard ~2 weeks ago. I had my interview on January 29 and the prof said they were making decisions later that day.

(I am not endorsing this approach. I think anyone who gets an interview should get an email letting them know they weren't admitted, not have to sweat it out to wait for a portal update. And in general I think schools should inform everyone who didn't get an interview of their rejection right away so they aren't left wondering.) 

Totally agree. At least to let the rest look into their possible available options and plan ahead. Like you said, safe to say we're not in at UCB, but I'm still hopeful on UO! I'm supposed to hear back sometime next week. I'm not getting my hopes up on UCLA since it's so hard to get into that program specially for photo. 

[MFA26]

Has anyone heard back from Uchicago or Upenn after the interviews? 

[NanBan]

Has anyone heard from Bard?

[Multimedia]

Has anyone heard from:

Columbia

NYU Steinhardt

Bard (Photography)

 

(Bard changed their notification date on their website from 2/18 to 2/20)

 

TYIA!

 

Edited February 18 by Multimedia

[NanBan]

21 minutes ago, Multimedia said:

Has anyone heard from:

Columbia

NYU Steinhardt

Bard (Photography)

 

(Bard changed their notification date on their website from 2/18 to 2/20)

 

TYIA!

 

Thanks for the Bard info. More waiting…

[TwhowantsanMFA]

To everyone who is feeling discouraged at this moment by lack of responses to applications or outright rejections, I want to share a little pep talk I wish someone had given me a year ago. (I get a little specific here in case the details are helpful to anyone else trying to figure out a path forward, but I'm not suggesting this as a roadmap, more just as a nudge to keep working, dig deeper and try again.) 

Last year I applied to 5 schools (all small cohort/fully funded programs), I got 1 interview at the worst program on the list and didn't get an offer to go there. I was feeling pretty bruised, even though I saw through the interview process that the program where I interviewed would have been a bad fit.

I spent a few months licking my wounds while all of my recommenders expressed dismay on my behalf and encouraged me to reapply.

In late spring I decided to try again, and got back to work. That work included not just making *more* pieces, but reading more theory and thinking about how I could ask deeper questions with my work, and expanding my practice itself (I applied last year with almost all paintings, and this year started doing much more sculpture/installation, as well as painting on different surfaces). I did much more material research and incorporated unusual materials into my work that relate to the issues I focus on. I got my head around a whole field of scholarship relating to my lived experience and came to understand the areas in the field where other artists are working and where the gaps/opportunities to do something new are, not just nibbling at the edges of the field as I'd done in my portfolio work last year. All of this made my work much stronger and gave me a whole new sense of purpose with it. In the fall I officially decided to dive back into the application process, but I concluded at the same time that even if I didn't get in on the second try, I was still happy I'd gone down this road as it had pushed me to take my practice to a place that felt much more meaningful (as well as super generative and *FUN*).

When it was time to do the actual applications, I felt a new sense of purpose and seriousness come through right away in my statements. My "research interests" were no longer vague, they were concrete and specific, both in terms of ideas and materials. My reasons for wanting to go to graduate school now were urgent and tied to the current state of the field my work is in dialogue with. When I name dropped scholars, it didn't feel performative, and the influence of their ideas on my work was clear. I changed the order of images in my portfolio for each application, leading with sculpture and installation for the more interdisciplinary programs, leading with cohesive paintings in series for others.

I cast a wider net this year and applied to 8 programs (again all small cohort/fully funded, 3 were repeats), and so far have gotten 5 interviews (a 6th is still possible as its deadline was only a few days ago), a dramatically different response from last year. I took a lot of time to prepare for the interviews, and rehearsed both the short elevator pitch about my work and what I want to get out of grad school (because writing about something a lot is not remotely the same as actually talking about it), as well as practicing answering all of the questions on the big list of possible Qs that appears all over this forum. I reminded myself that faculty are usually asking themselves in interviews, "Is this a person I could see as a future colleague in art academia?" and "Is this an artist who is serious about graduate level study but will also be fun to have in the program (and not bring drama or need too much hand holding)?" and tried to subtly answer these questions in my responses. And I spent a lot of time getting to the know the work of the faculty I was interviewing with, finding areas of conceptual overlap I could mention in the interview, but which also made me excited about the possibility of working with them, enthusiasm that I wanted to come through in the interview.

So far I've been accepted with an extremely appealing offer from the program I've long dreamed of attending (a repeat application), I'm a finalist at my second place program (also a repeat) and I feel good post-interview about my chances of getting another offer or two. A year ago when I was trying to see a path forward, I did not imagine I'd be in such a different place only a short time later, in the scheme of things. Best of all, I know all the work I've done in the last year puts me in such a better place to get more out of the grad school experience, as well as push my practice in new directions that feel even more satisfying.

I offer this not to say that everyone should do what I did, because this isn't going to be the right path for a lot of folks, especially those who aren't aiming for the more academic/theory-focused, fully-funded programs. But if you can use a disappointing outcome in one application cycle to push you to go deeper with your practice and the ideas that underlie it, you can absolutely get a wildly different outcome a year or two from now. 

So TL/DR, take some time to feel whatever you need to feel if this cycle doesn't work out the way you hoped, but don't give up. Get strategic in thinking about what would make you a stronger candidate next year (as well as what would make YOU feel better about your practice, aside from any external validation), and then get to work. 

[jobahza]

7 minutes ago, TwhowantsanMFA said:

To everyone who is feeling discouraged at this moment by lack of responses to applications or outright rejections, I want to share a little pep talk I wish someone had given me a year ago. (I get a little specific here in case the details are helpful to anyone else trying to figure out a path forward, but I'm not suggesting this as a roadmap, more just as a nudge to keep working, dig deeper and try again.) 

Last year I applied to 5 schools (all small cohort/fully funded programs), I got 1 interview at the worst program on the list and didn't get an offer to go there. I was feeling pretty bruised, even though I saw through the interview process that the program where I interviewed would have been a bad fit.

I spent a few months licking my wounds while all of my recommenders expressed dismay on my behalf and encouraged me to reapply.

In late spring I decided to try again, and got back to work. That work included not just making *more* pieces, but reading more theory and thinking about how I could ask deeper questions with my work, and expanding my practice itself (I applied last year with almost all paintings, and this year started doing much more sculpture/installation, as well as painting on different surfaces). I did much more material research and incorporated unusual materials into my work that relate to the issues I focus on. I got my head around a whole field of scholarship relating to my lived experience and came to understand the areas in the field where other artists are working and where the gaps/opportunities to do something new are, not just nibbling at the edges of the field as I'd done in my portfolio work last year. All of this made my work much stronger and gave me a whole new sense of purpose with it. In the fall I officially decided to dive back into the application process, but I concluded at the same time that even if I didn't get in on the second try, I was still happy I'd gone down this road as it had pushed me to take my practice to a place that felt much more meaningful (as well as super generative and *FUN*).

When it was time to do the actual applications, I felt a new sense of purpose and seriousness come through right away in my statements. My "research interests" were no longer vague, they were concrete and specific, both in terms of ideas and materials. My reasons for wanting to go to graduate school now were urgent and tied to the current state of the field my work is in dialogue with. When I name dropped scholars, it didn't feel performative, and the influence of their ideas on my work was clear. I changed the order of images in my portfolio for each application, leading with sculpture and installation for the more interdisciplinary programs, leading with cohesive paintings in series for others.

I cast a wider net this year and applied to 8 programs (again all small cohort/fully funded, 3 were repeats), and so far have gotten 5 interviews (a 6th is still possible as its deadline was only a few days ago), a dramatically different response from last year. I took a lot of time to prepare for the interviews, and rehearsed both the short elevator pitch about my work and what I want to get out of grad school (because writing about something a lot is not remotely the same as actually talking about it), as well as practicing answering all of the questions on the big list of possible Qs that appears all over this forum. I reminded myself that faculty are usually asking themselves in interviews, "Is this a person I could see as a future colleague in art academia?" and "Is this an artist who is serious about graduate level study but will also be fun to have in the program (and not bring drama or need too much hand holding)?" and tried to subtly answer these questions in my responses. And I spent a lot of time getting to the know the work of the faculty I was interviewing with, finding areas of conceptual overlap I could mention in the interview, but which also made me excited about the possibility of working with them, enthusiasm that I wanted to come through in the interview.

So far I've been accepted with an extremely appealing offer from the program I've long dreamed of attending (a repeat application), I'm a finalist at my second place program (also a repeat) and I feel good post-interview about my chances of getting another offer or two. A year ago when I was trying to see a path forward, I did not imagine I'd be in such a different place only a short time later, in the scheme of things. Best of all, I know all the work I've done in the last year puts me in such a better place to get more out of the grad school experience, as well as push my practice in new directions that feel even more satisfying.

I offer this not to say that everyone should do what I did, because this isn't going to be the right path for a lot of folks, especially those who aren't aiming for the more academic/theory-focused, fully-funded programs. But if you can use a disappointing outcome in one application cycle to push you to go deeper with your practice and the ideas that underlie it, you can absolutely get a wildly different outcome a year or two from now. 

So TL/DR, take some time to feel whatever you need to feel if this cycle doesn't work out the way you hoped, but don't give up. Get strategic in thinking about what would make you a stronger candidate next year (as well as what would make YOU feel better about your practice, aside from any external validation), and then get to work. 

Happy for you. I really want it to work out this cycle, since this is my first time applying. But if it doesn't work out, I can decide to try again with a more clear image, like you said, for next year. I hope everything works out for you this year. Congrats on the payoff for your hard work. 

[orangeorangecake]

1 hour ago, Multimedia said:

Has anyone heard from:

Columbia

NYU Steinhardt

Bard (Photography)

 

(Bard changed their notification date on their website from 2/18 to 2/20)

 

TYIA!

 

i got NYU interview last week, no words from columbia

Edited February 18 by orangeorangecake

[SocialKonstruct]

8 hours ago, ninjafrog said:

Does anyone heard from ArtCenter?

I haven't received anything from ArtCenter and I checked my portal but there's nothing about my status...

That should be in March late or April.

[NanBan]

On 2/12/2026 at 10:16 PM, tooold4artschool said:

I planned to attend in-residence last year, but I decided not to move, which limited my options, hence the interest in low-res programs this year.  I went to the VCFA Open House last month.  It seemed like it was well-organized and the students seemed happy.  Although the V stands for Vermont, the residencies are at CalArts in California.  U Nevada-Reno's program is also intriguing, and seems well-run, with residencies at Lake Tahoe.  I've also had great experiences with Azusa-Pacific, near Los Angeles.  On the East Coast, the folks at Maine CAD seem to be running their program very professionally.  Cost, rankings, and program timing and organization vary.  

Hi again TO4AS, thanks for all this info. The UNR and CalArts program look very interesting, I wish I had seen them sooner. I’m hesitant to bug my recommenders again to send more recs, and frankly the thought of composing more applications has me pretty exhausted, so I’m on hold for now. I spoke to SVA today and they told me that the SVA Visual Storytelling MFA is still open, and it is a Low Residency program. My work has a storytelling text component so I’m intrigued and I asked them to transfer my application to that department. I wanted to give you the heads up that it is a Low Res program just in case you want to transfer your SVA Art Practice app there.

[TwhowantsanMFA]

3 hours ago, jobahza said:

Happy for you. I really want it to work out this cycle, since this is my first time applying. But if it doesn't work out, I can decide to try again with a more clear image, like you said, for next year. I hope everything works out for you this year. Congrats on the payoff for your hard work. 

Thank you! 🙂 I hope it works out for you this year, too. But if not, trust that it may ultimately be for the best, even if that fact isn't clear for a while. 

[marxista]

columbia sent decision notifications today!

Edited February 18 by marxista

[tooold4artschool]

1 hour ago, NanBan said:

Hi again TO4AS, thanks for all this info. The UNR and CalArts program look very interesting, I wish I had seen them sooner. I’m hesitant to bug my recommenders again to send more recs, and frankly the thought of composing more applications has me pretty exhausted, so I’m on hold for now. I spoke to SVA today and they told me that the SVA Visual Storytelling MFA is still open, and it is a Low Residency program. My work has a storytelling text component so I’m intrigued and I asked them to transfer my application to that department. I wanted to give you the heads up that it is a Low Res program just in case you want to transfer your SVA Art Practice app there.

Thanks.  I decided not to transfer my application to the Visual Narrative program at SVA, because it doesn't fit my work or plans as well.  I think we all use art to tell stories, but that program seemed too specific to illustration and written storytelling than I wanted.  In fact, I think you need to submit a script or story with the application.  That said, it was a hard decision because that program seemed to be very well run.  Nathan Fox and Angelina have been excellent communicators, and took lots of time introducing me to the program, and explaining how I might fit into it.  If you haven't yet, I'd check in with them for your own read.  

[Florhar]

5 hours ago, orangeorangecake said:

i got NYU interview last week, no words from columbia

What medium are you?

[Moodyapplier]

Had my interview with BU today and I think it went well. Crossing my fingers for the next couple of weeks.

[Florhar]

UM Photo - Still nothing 

Parsons Photo - Interviewed

Pratt Photo - Interviewed

SAIC Photo - still nothing

Mass Art Photo - Interviewed

NYU - nothing yet

SVA Photo - Accepted, about to hear about scholarships

VCU Photo - nothing

[kjkjkj1222]

7 hours ago, MFA26 said:

Has anyone heard back from Uchicago or Upenn after the interviews? 

Got waitlist from UChicago ☹️

[orangeorangecake]

50 minutes ago, Florhar said:

What medium are you?

printmaking

[Emolibra97]

UChicago status update are out!

[ninjafrog]

6 hours ago, SocialKonstruct said:

That should be in March late or April.

Thank you! but does the result come out without interview?

[MFA26]

Also waitlisted from UChicago

Edited February 19 by MFA26

[kjkjkj1222]

1 hour ago, Emolibra97 said:

UChicago status update are out!

How is yours?!

[SocialKonstruct]

2 hours ago, ninjafrog said:

Thank you! but does the result come out without interview?

I am unsure about the updated version for ArtCenter policy. I know that they upped the acceptance rate to a rolling admissions for their MFA program so maybe you could be getting an interview later on this month or that part could be skipped and you just get admitted. That I wouldn't know atm.

[Emolibra97]

1 hour ago, kjkjkj1222 said:

How is yours?!

Waitlisted 🫡. But not too bummed this was one of the last options on my list tbh

[crash1996]

just got notified via email that i got into BU (visual narrative) with a 40% merit scholarship! i think unfortunately with the cost (even with the scholarship) and the program itself, i most likely won't be accepting...but soothing to know i got in somewhere i guess haha. i'm assuming that all the departments have different timelines so, can only speak for my own experience