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MFA 2012 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!


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Posted

An interesting list. I would actually say that UW is probably the most competitive there (because they admit far fewer students than Tyler), and UNM the least competitive. All are good schools--it kind of depends on what kind of work you do. There's a pretty big faculty at UNT and they're well tied into the national scene, more so than Houston or UNM (although Houston is pretty decent in that respect as well). Houston also has an outstanding art scene.

If you're wanting a college teaching job, you'll want to go somewhere where you can get plenty of teaching experience. I know that happens at most of these schools, so that's good.

Texas Tech is a good fallback school. It doesn't have the reputation of many others, but it's perfectly decent and much less competitive.

@losemygrip You said I had an "interesting" list. Just curious what you mean by that..is it a good interesting or an AHH! WHAT IS HE THINKING!? lol.

Posted

So I'm finishing everything with my application to Rutgers today, and I learned that after the school application (separate from Slideroom) you are sent a RUID through e-mail 1 to 3 days later so you are able to RE-UPLOAD everything you already have in Slideroom...including having your recommenders uploading another letter. Is it just me or does this seem completely backwards? I talked to admissions over the phone, and they confirmed this stupidity. I realize that they need this information for different areas, but seriously don't get a fucking Slideroom for your school if you don't really use it. I won't be bothering my recommenders again with this one...

Posted

So I'm finishing everything with my application to Rutgers today, and I learned that after the school application (separate from Slideroom) you are sent a RUID through e-mail 1 to 3 days later so you are able to RE-UPLOAD everything you already have in Slideroom...including having your recommenders uploading another letter. Is it just me or does this seem completely backwards? I talked to admissions over the phone, and they confirmed this stupidity. I realize that they need this information for different areas, but seriously don't get a fucking Slideroom for your school if you don't really use it. I won't be bothering my recommenders again with this one...

I know! I found this so silly and slightly confusing. I wonder what happens if your recommenders only upload their letters once..

Posted

So I'm finishing everything with my application to Rutgers today, and I learned that after the school application (separate from Slideroom) you are sent a RUID through e-mail 1 to 3 days later so you are able to RE-UPLOAD everything you already have in Slideroom...including having your recommenders uploading another letter. Is it just me or does this seem completely backwards? I talked to admissions over the phone, and they confirmed this stupidity. I realize that they need this information for different areas, but seriously don't get a fucking Slideroom for your school if you don't really use it. I won't be bothering my recommenders again with this one...

Yeah, a few schools have some strange procedures probably because some of them are finally getting hip to the Slideroom. But, truthfully, if you really like the school, just send your Rec peoples an "I'm sorry for the bother..." email and I'm sure they'd be happy to upload it again. Rec people have seen it (and done it) all before :)

Posted

Yeah, a few schools have some strange procedures probably because some of them are finally getting hip to the Slideroom. But, truthfully, if you really like the school, just send your Rec peoples an "I'm sorry for the bother..." email and I'm sure they'd be happy to upload it again. Rec people have seen it (and done it) all before :)

Yeah, I totally agree with what you've said, but I've just decided to take it off my list for the reason that it's been one of the only schools I've been iffy about. I really like Hanneline Rogeberg, but not enough to spend two years somewhere I'm not excited by just for her. Here's a link to a really good lecture she did at BU for those interested in her work: http://www.bu.edu/buniverse/view/?v=BlR9n56

Posted

So I'm finishing everything with my application to Rutgers today, and I learned that after the school application (separate from Slideroom) you are sent a RUID through e-mail 1 to 3 days later so you are able to RE-UPLOAD everything you already have in Slideroom...including having your recommenders uploading another letter. Is it just me or does this seem completely backwards? I talked to admissions over the phone, and they confirmed this stupidity. I realize that they need this information for different areas, but seriously don't get a fucking Slideroom for your school if you don't really use it. I won't be bothering my recommenders again with this one...

Are you positive that the letters of recommendation have to be uploaded through the additional RUID credential thing? I got that email too but from what I saw they wanted just your resume, statement etc, but I didn't see anything about letters of rec. am I just missing that part?

God I hope not, I'm with you that I don't feel like bothering my people again. After having them upload so many letters and doing some a second time through Lightroom, I'd feel like a real jerk. It would suck for me though, I was rather excited about Rutgers, plus it's the only school I'm applying to that has an acceptance rate above 5% lol.

Posted

I think you guys are all mistaken. I applied to the Rutgers Visual Arts MFA and there is not a requirement to resend the recommendation stuff via RUID credential's upload. In fact, under the RUID credential's upload, it does not list letters and also says NOT to upload anything previously sent. I believe that the only thing that you need to upload there is your resume if required by your program (I could not find such a requirement for visual arts but uploaded one anyway).

I would make no sense to require recommendation people to do it twice. The school would be out of their minds to require that. You also have the option to upload unofficial transcripts if your official ones will not arrive in time.

Here is the link to the list and you will see that letters are not listed.

http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/supporting.shtml

Posted

I am really ready to start hearing back! Good or bad, ha :)I think all of my schools seem like they'll be Feb and March responses.

How are y'all keeping distracted in the mean time? I updated my site, which gave me the idea to play around with coding more. That's one thing to keep busy.

Posted

It's too bad that the Jacob Javitz fellowship has decided to stop accepting applications this year. Does anyone else know of possible funding opps for MFAs?

Posted

I'm ready to start hearing some news back as well. I've applied to MassArt, MCAD, Syracuse, University of Florida, NYAA, CCAD, and KCAD. Good luck to everyone!

Posted (edited)

I considered Texas Tech, but the ranking seemed pretty low and I need to be sure I have a shot at a post-secondary teaching job after getting my MFA. Do you think they are reputable enough?

@berto - thanks for the Seattle info. That gives me some hope. We'll see what happens, but if I get accepted, I'm thinking flying up there to check it out first will be a must.

You know what is interesting about the whole "ranking" thing? There are more than a few fantastic artists to come out of "nowhere" schools. Take Cindy Sherman for instance. She went to Univ of Buffalo-SUNY, which, due to it's low ranking (somewhere around #76 in the (in)famous US News rankings) puts it in the "nowhere" category. And, well, she's done pretty well for herself. Likewise, many mediocre artists (or ones not able to continually make art due to any number of reasons) have graduated from the likes of Yale, Copper Union, RISD, etc...just look at the statistics/ratio of grads vs teachers.

Point being, there have been amazing artists that have gone on to do great, genre bursting work and it didn't matter if they went to Boonies U. or Yale, they "made it" regardless. It's the commitment one has towards one work (and the ensuing success) that matters, and that is what is more likely going to get you a teaching position, not simply where you went.

Edited by OutWest
Posted

You know what is interesting about the whole "ranking" thing? There are more than a few fantastic artists to come out of "nowhere" schools. Take Cindy Sherman for instance. She went to Univ of Buffalo-SUNY, which, due to it's low ranking (somewhere around #76 in the (in)famous US News rankings) puts it in the "nowhere" category. And, well, she's done pretty well for herself. Likewise, many mediocre artists (or ones not able to continually make art due to any number of reasons) have graduated from the likes of Yale, Copper Union, RISD, etc...just look at the statistics/ratio of grads vs teachers.

Point being, there have been amazing artists that have gone on to do great, genre bursting work and it didn't matter if they went to Boonies U. or Yale, they "made it" regardless. It's the commitment one has towards one work (and the ensuing success) that matters, and that is what is more likely going to get you a teaching position, not simply where you went.

good post

Posted

Most of my schools are also february and march responses, which means at least 2 more weeks of waiting! it's weird being impatient when you JUST finished applying haha.

Posted (edited)

SUNY Buffalo has an amazing history of success with graduates that work with media; Gary Hill etc. It is not an example of the boonies, and is an example of the US News rankings wack. See

Edited by nimda
Posted (edited)

SUNY Buffalo has an amazing history of success with graduates that work with media; Gary Hill etc. It is not an example of the boonies, and is an example of the US News rankings wack. See

Indeed, I have nothing against SUNY-Buffalo (looks plenty good to me, and I have a friend who is a video artist that came out of that program and she's awesome), but I was only using it as an example of schools that are not Yale or RISD, or etc. By putting the words "nowhere" and "ranking" in quotes, I was alluding (perhaps unsuccessfully) that all of that ranking stuff is nonsense.

It seems many people just go for the obvious "awesome" schools thinking that they are going to be some kind of meal ticket, when it fact it is, 98% of the time, completely up to you as to how successful you are going to be (and 2% luck).

There are many "boonies", or "low ranking", schools that have very interesting people...I love Univ of Chicago (and Mills and UCSB) because of a certain professor there, and I didn't bother to apply to SAIC because there wasn't anyone who really interested me. Plus, UChicago gives excellent funding (along with Mills and UCSB, and...). SAIC, not so much...same goes for schools like Arizona State, which has an excellent program. Or, San Jose State Univ, or...

You get the idea :)

Edited by OutWest
Posted

Yay, got an email from Guelph that said they got my application and it is complete! At least I don't have to worry about errant missing bits for that one!

Posted (edited)

Yay, got an email from Guelph that said they got my application and it is complete! At least I don't have to worry about errant missing bits for that one!

That's great that they sent that to you! I've been worrying about everything getting everywhere, but I feel that it would be annoying to bother each school by checking ...

Edited by kazoo
Posted (edited)

The schools will let you know if you're missing anything for sure (I've had three remind me about this or that item, and it got sent to them, or it was found, without any hassle, even though it was a day or two after the deadline). They are on it...plus, if a school is that absolutist about one item being a tad tardy, then they don't say anything, and then they reject you, you probably don't want to go there anyway...Seriously though, it behooves schools to be nice about all of this, least they are seen as being draconian...the dates are just there to give some sort of structure...we are artists after all, and notoriously "flighty" :)

Edited by OutWest
Posted

The schools will let you know if you're missing anything for sure (I've had three remind me about this or that item, and it got sent to them, or it was found, without any hassle, even though it was a day or two after the deadline). They are on it...plus, if a school is that absolutist about one item being a tad tardy, then they don't say anything, and then they reject you, you probably don't want to go there anyway...Seriously though, it behooves schools to be nice about all of this, least they are seen as being draconian...the dates are just there to give some sort of structure...we are artists after all, and notoriously "flighty" :)

I agree, I've committed a couple of gaffes and the particular schools sent me emails specifically pointing to the "mistake" or the part of my application that was missing.

One of the schools went out of their way and allowed me to postmark the envelope with my portfolio CD after the deadline (after I explained I'd assumed they were also using slideroom).

Another school allowed me to make a change on a choice (radio button) on an application form (the person dealing with me said he'd print my email reply as proof that I wanted the change, and he'd go ahead and make the change for me).

Posted

I'll post this here before I start a whole thread for it.

I'm just wondering if anyone applied to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and checked their application status online?

Mine says "Incomplete items outstanding" under application status. Does anyone know if maybe it just hasn't been updated.

It says they are missing a transcript, but UTK specifically asked for scans of unofficial transcripts and I uploaded the one that they say is missing at the same time as the other two that I submitted?

Just wondering if anyone else has checked theirs and found things missing that were sent.

they probably just haven't updated the file yet. same thing with SAIC for a few days. are you applying to painting or printmaking?

Posted

Relating to SAIC: On my online application, the recommendation portion says submitted - but on the mySAIC portion it says 'none received'. I'm sure they are very busy.

Posted

thanks for your reassurance everyone, I will send emails for the applications I am concerned about!

Posted

Is anyone else having a horrible time getting a hold of anyone to help at the University of Washington?

My letters of rec have not been recieved. Ugh. I know they were closed for a few days because of the snow but the dead line coming up.

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