SMFA interview 3/10

[ten-of-swords]

Is anyone else going to the SMFA graduate interview day on March 10th?

[leee]

I decided at the last minute not to apply to SMFA, against my better judgment and due to lack of money. although, I just returned from Boston because of an interview with MassArt. If you haven't been to the museum definitely go as it's right across the street (I'm sure you're aware). Best of luck, you got it!

[lfwd]

I'll be at the interview! They didn't give us specific times yet, did they?

[ten-of-swords]

I'll be at the interview! They didn't give us specific times yet, did they?

Not for individual interviews, just 8am-5pm for the day.

[LoloLauren]

I don't think they tell you till the day of. My good friend had an interview last year and it will a littttttle bit cooky to say the least. they are very theatrical people over there. The interviewee wasn't even from the department she was applying for.

[lfwd]

LoloLauren - please tell more! cooky, you say? details?

[ten-of-swords]

I don't think they tell you till the day of. My good friend had an interview last year and it will a littttttle bit cooky to say the least. they are very theatrical people over there. The interviewee wasn't even from the department she was applying for.

Yeah, I'd like to hear more as well.

[LoloLauren]

I'll have to try to get her to go on and post about it. I wasn't there and may not be interpreting her experience 100% !

[bluntfairy]

OH HI!!

So last year, I interviewed at SMFA for Photography. Yes, they said 8am-5pm, so I drove from RI, got there early, and got my schedule. So it's 8am and I've got my portfolio in hand, and my interview is at 4pm. 4PM!!!!! WTF. They had us get on a bus and travel all around Boston. We went to this "gallery," where the excuse for it's mess was "there was an opening the night before." I couldn't tell where the art was lol. We went to a couple more galleries, and then back to the school.

Then we had lunch. Half of the applicants do interviews in the morning, half in the afternoon.

HOPE AND PRAY YOU GET A MORNING INTERVIEW, WITH SOMEONE IN YOUR FIELD.

At lunch, everyone who had morning interviews told all about them, and they seemed to all go pretty awesome. Out of all the dozen people I had actual conversations with, 1 was new media, 1 was painting, and the rest were all photo. Everyone who was Photo was being interviewed by a person in the photo department - except for me.

Do you know how frustrating it is to talk to someone who does Earthworks about your Photography portfolio?

At lunch, all of the faculty kept saying the interviews were being moved up. So if your interview was at 4, you;d now have it at 3:30, and this and that. I didn't get my interview until 4:30, and I was the last interview. They took us to the library, and then there was more waiting - maybe about an hour or two.

The woman and grad student I interviewed with were visibly irritated and made it clear to me I was their last interview, and told me when I walked in that they didn't have time to look at my portfolio because their last interview went so long. My interview was about 20 minutes, and it had nothing to do with photography. She looked at my portfolio on the computer (you are required to bring a disc), and I showed her the prints in person. She thought my darkroom prints were digital, and did not comment on the work at all, rather that the images on disc looked like a slightly different size than my printed ones. Yes, really.

After all this, there's a "reception," where I watched the person I interviewed with talk to other applicants she interviewed earlier that day, smiling and laughing. When I had a chance to get over and talk to her, she said she had to go, and literally ran out the door.

The students have a party afterwards. If you want to get in, you better go and bullshit with everyone you possibly can.

They call the people they want the next day. More than 100 applicants are competing for 50 positions.

If you are not really passionate about your field, and think that MAYBE you might want to branch out into PERFORMANCE art, and are willing to jump through all kinds of hoops to get in, SMFA is totally for you. Unfortunately, I realized too late that it was not for me.

GOOD LUCK!

[ten-of-swords]

They made you bring a disc? I asked the admissions person if I needed to bring additional work and they said no. Hmmm... Yeah, the long day seems crazy. That sucks about your interview, here's hoping I get one in the morning (but not too early or I'll just be mumbling nonsense, lol).

[leee]

I would skip out on the so-called gallery tour and hibernate in the museum until the interview. the person I met with from their during graduate portfolio day in nyc was extremely nice and seemed to understand my work wit relatively no explanation. Good luck nonetheless, if it's meant to happen...it'll happen.

[lfwd]

Thanks bluntfairy for sharing all that! It's nice to have an idea of what to expect.

[lfwd]

It was great meeting you guys! (whoever you guys might be...but I know you're lurking here.)

[ten-of-swords]

It was great meeting you guys! (whoever you guys might be...but I know you're lurking here.)

No idea if I met you, but how did you like the day?

[robowooby]

i had a pretty good day, especially at the end when they gave us booze...

[lfwd]

No idea if I met you, but how did you like the day?

Thoroughly enjoyed it! Felt good about the interview, but then again every person I talked to felt great about their interview as well. Also, haven't heard back from them yet, and in previous years it looks like they called the next day. hmmm.

[ten-of-swords]

Thoroughly enjoyed it! Felt good about the interview, but then again every person I talked to felt great about their interview as well. Also, haven't heard back from them yet, and in previous years it looks like they called the next day. hmmm.

I'm glad someone did! I can't say I liked the school or the program. I had a hard time researching them beforehand so I'm glad I was able to check it out at least.

[anartjunky]

I haven't heard from SMFA either. I know people were saying they call the next day but that seems awfully quick. Any word?

[cdmeade]

I haven't heard anything back yet either. I looked on their website and they mentioned something about acceptance letters on the 15th (Tomorrow). Soooo, yeah. Who knows.

[Sparkleandshine]

Have you guys noticed if you log onto the Embark portal where we filled out out applications and clicked track status decisions seem to have been made already for some of other where others it still says "in review." I wonder what that means...?

[robowooby]

we should be hearing decisions soon, but i think they were a little delayed this year

[ten-of-swords]

Have you guys noticed if you log onto the Embark portal where we filled out out applications and clicked track status decisions seem to have been made already for some of other where others it still says "in review." I wonder what that means...?

Mine says "decision ready"

[Sparkleandshine]

Mine does too. I'm thinking that can't be good as I have heard they tell people very soon if they are in. Considering mine says decision ready as of yesterday and I got no phone call I'm guessing I am out!

[robowooby]

same here! it's Thursday already! I don't think they've sent out anything, good or bad yet.

[Mugelily]

any calls from smfa???