MFA 2026 Freak out Forum

[orangeorangecake]

1 hour ago, mfa2026letsgooooo said:

I had an interview with them last week and was told I was a finalist, but I haven’t heard anything since!

I haven't received any interview invitations at all. Did they mention that they're still sending them out? Thanks for your reply. I hope there's good news.

[Emolibra97]

5 minutes ago, marxista said:

UCLA portal/email update: rejected as assumed

me too!

[TwhowantsanMFA]

2 hours ago, kindacoolartguy said:

Still no word from Berkeley?? haha Losing my mind over here

Acceptances went out over a month ago, I got a waitlist notification earlier this week (email to check portal, and it shows as still pending but there was a popup there to accept or decline waitlist spot). I don't know if others got earlier waitlist notifications and I got promoted to the waitlist after others got in off the waitlist, or if they were just slow to notify waitlisted people. 

[kindacoolartguy]

20 minutes ago, TwhowantsanMFA said:

Acceptances went out over a month ago, I got a waitlist notification earlier this week (email to check portal, and it shows as still pending but there was a popup there to accept or decline waitlist spot). I don't know if others got earlier waitlist notifications and I got promoted to the waitlist after others got in off the waitlist, or if they were just slow to notify waitlisted people. 

damn my portal still just shows under review, I'm not sure whats going on

[TwhowantsanMFA]

On 2/18/2026 at 10:41 AM, TwhowantsanMFA said:

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.

...

Quick update with final results from this application cycle:

(TL;DR from my big post: Last year I got interviews at 1 out of 5 schools, zero offers. Regrouped for a few months and then worked super hard to become a much stronger applicant)

This year:

Applied to 8 fully-funded programs at R1 universities (all provide full tuition remission and health insurance plus TA pay that more than covers rent)

Interviews at 6

2 highest ranked programs: 1 offer, 1 waitlist

2 next highest: 1 finalist visit with informal offer (withdrew before official offer to give someone else the spot), 1 waitlist

Lowest 2 where I interviewed: 1 withdrawal from consideration, 1 rejection (but they asked in interview my other applications and status and I told them about the acceptance at highly ranked program)

(The two where I didn't get interviews were much lower ranked than where I got offers, so I assume they didn't think I would be a good fit there. Fair enough!)

I feel so fortunate to have had great choices this year, which let me be much more relaxed in interviews and really assess program fit instead of just trying to get them to like me, and ultimately to get to go to a dream program with great funding.

Bottom line: It is sooooooo worth brushing yourself off if you don't get the results you want this year. Do the work to make yourself a stronger applicant, and you will be likely have a very different outcome next year. I understand the pain of rejection (last year is still fresh!) and send lots of sympathy, but it's not the end.

[Emolibra97]

46 minutes ago, TwhowantsanMFA said:

Quick update with final results from this application cycle:

(TL;DR from my big post: Last year I got interviews at 1 out of 5 schools, zero offers. Regrouped for a few months and then worked super hard to become a much stronger applicant)

This year:

Applied to 8 fully-funded programs at R1 universities (all provide full tuition remission and health insurance plus TA pay that more than covers rent)

Interviews at 6

2 highest ranked programs: 1 offer, 1 waitlist

2 next highest: 1 finalist visit with informal offer (withdrew before official offer to give someone else the spot), 1 waitlist

Lowest 2 where I interviewed: 1 withdrawal from consideration, 1 rejection (but they asked in interview my other applications and status and I told them about the acceptance at highly ranked program)

(The two where I didn't get interviews were much lower ranked than where I got offers, so I assume they didn't think I would be a good fit there. Fair enough!)

I feel so fortunate to have had great choices this year, which let me be much more relaxed in interviews and really assess program fit instead of just trying to get them to like me, and ultimately to get to go to a dream program with great funding.

Bottom line: It is sooooooo worth brushing yourself off if you don't get the results you want this year. Do the work to make yourself a stronger applicant, and you will be likely have a very different outcome next year. I understand the pain of rejection (last year is still fresh!) and send lots of sympathy, but it's not the end.

Thank you for your words of encouragement throughout this process. Yes I think this is gonna be it for me and it might just be for the best. I am just waiting to hear back from UO and UCB. Didn't get an interview from UCB so I assume rejection and I got a feeling from my interviewer that UO's funding is not gonna be great. It feels terrible, but this will only make me stronger and focus on my work. I'll be ready for the next round! I'm only getting better. 

ps: would you mind sharing the list of schools you applied to?

Edited March 13 by Emolibra97

[Headlessowl]

1 hour ago, Emolibra97 said:

me too!

I only found out because of this forum, crazy they didn't send out an email regarding the update, but also I got a rejection from the Photo and New Genres program.

[noplace]

1 hour ago, Emolibra97 said:

Thank you for your words of encouragement throughout this process. Yes I think this is gonna be it for me and it might just be for the best. I am just waiting to hear back from UO and UCB. Didn't get an interview from UCB so I assume rejection and I got a feeling from my interviewer that UO's funding is not gonna be great. It feels terrible, but this will only make me stronger and focus on my work. I'll be ready for the next round! I'm only getting better. 

ps: would you mind sharing the list of schools you applied to?

so this is my third cycle, after two cycle of complete rejection.  first year i only applied to Yale and was rejected, no interview.  second year I applied to Yale, Columbia, VCU, Columbia and UC Davis.  again complete rejection, no interviews.  that year devastatedd me, and helped me the most, I felt like a complete failure, but used it to drive me to improve I reached out to my friends and community and started seeing as many shows as I could (in Denver) doing studios visits, making friends, showing my face around town for 3 years.  this led to a residency this summer where I met even more Denver art ppl.  I decided i should give grad school one last try since i made enough work.  

 

This year I applied to 6 schools.  UCLA - Rejected.  Yale Rejected.  Rutgers - rejected.  Columbia got an interview (but assumed rejection at this point)  Hunter interviewed and waitlisted.  Brooklyn College, Accepted, and I will be attending in the fall.  

My point is; it took me a long time to even get an interview, and when I did it felt like I was finally onto something, and you can get into a school that is a good fit for you, but do not feel discouraged, it is a brutal process, even less popular schools are extremely competitive bc of cohort size and composition.  don't lose hope, keep making art, and building a community of artists, doing studio visits, getting feedback.  keep working on your art and know it can take time!  message me if you have any more questions or want more input/ peptalk.

[Cclaura]

Just missed a call from CalArts dean of the college of art. Guessing if they’re calling it’s an acceptance? Anyone else? Should I call back or wait for an email? lol. (He didn’t leave a message for some reason). 
 

edit: seemed to be an unofficial acceptance. (Wanted to let you know you were amazing in your interview and faculty are excited about your work. I wanted to save you some sleep let you know official acceptances are going out next Friday). 

Edited March 13 by Cclaura

[RevolutionNowandForever]

I emailed CalArts and they said the decisions are being processed and will be released by the end of March.

[Q-Q8]

Hi!!! I would like to ask, if I submit the deposit but ultimately decide not to attend, how serious would that be? As an international student, I feel that this is almost as serious as breaking an Early Decision commitment😭

[L4mp]

9 minutes ago, Q-Q8 said:

Hi!!! I would like to ask, if I submit the deposit but ultimately decide not to attend, how serious would that be? As an international student, I feel that this is almost as serious as breaking an Early Decision commitment😭

From my understanding there's really no harm other than losing your deposit, if you let them know that you are going somewhere else!

[ReamsOfPaper]

5 hours ago, marxista said:

UCLA portal/email update: rejected as assumed

Huh! Mine still says submitted. Anyone else? 

[Q-Q8]

15 minutes ago, L4mp said:

From my understanding there's really no harm other than losing your deposit, if you let them know that you are going somewhere else!

Thanks!!!!!

[artschoolfrenzy]

does anyone know anything about glasgow school of art?

[paintstress]

Did anyone go to Uchicago's Visit day? How did the program seem? I decided not too as i could not justify the ticket price  for a waitlisted school. 

Edited March 13 by paintstress

[Cclaura]

Yay! Offered a funded place at u of Arizona. 

[ReamsOfPaper]

Finally got all the results back! UCLA finally got back to me right after I posted that they hadn’t lol. It’s an expected rejection! 

Edited March 14 by ReamsOfPaper

[WHam]

11 hours ago, orangeorangecake said:

I haven't received any interview invitations at all. Did they mention that they're still sending them out? Thanks for your reply. I hope there's good news.

I got an interview, but no response still. I'm assuming rejection.

[Artart1212]

Congrats! What major?

[Artart1212]

9 hours ago, Cclaura said:

Just missed a call from CalArts dean of the college of art. Guessing if they’re calling it’s an acceptance? Anyone else? Should I call back or wait for an email? lol. (He didn’t leave a message for some reason). 
 

edit: seemed to be an unofficial acceptance. (Wanted to let you know you were amazing in your interview and faculty are excited about your work. I wanted to save you some sleep let you know official acceptances are going out next Friday). 

Congrats! What major?

[959595]

Anyone accepted at Tyler?

[Cclaura]

9 hours ago, Artart1212 said:

Congrats! What major?

New Genres! 

[arthurrussell]

Received my acceptance to UCSD a few weeks ago, but just wanted to post here to ask other people who also got accepted about the planned change of the program from 3 years to 2? How’s that impacting your decision? Also how’s the logistics of that (are we graduating with last year’s freshman cohort? Or are they also doing only 2 years now?) 

I’m going on a call with a faculty member next week, so hopefully they can answer my questions, but just wanted to start a discussion here!

 

[arthurrussell]

8 minutes ago, arthurrussell said:

Received my acceptance to UCSD a few weeks ago, but just wanted to post here to ask other people who also got accepted about the planned change of the program from 3 years to 2? How’s that impacting your decision? Also how’s the logistics of that (are we graduating with last year’s freshman cohort? Or are they also doing only 2 years now?) 

I’m going on a call with a faculty member next week, so hopefully they can answer my questions, but just wanted to start a discussion here!

 

Also it’s a bummer that funding constraints have restricted them now to only guaranteeing financial support for the first year (in previous years they gave full 3-year financial support for all students). They give out one of the best stipend rates out there (37,500$), but having no guaranteed support for the 2nd year is a bit concerning… It sucks cause they have amazing and thoughtful and kind faculty members whom I was so excited potentially working with, given my background in tech/art. UCSD also has one of the cheapest campus housing out there (I got nominated for some guaranteed housing program, and the cost would be around 520$ per month).