MFA 2013 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!

[indigoconcord]

You WILL get in somewhere, with your caliber of work and your writing ability (read your essay - very interesting). I applied last year at 23 and got in, so if its your age/experience that is bothering you I wouldn't worry. Work speaks for itself.

thanks for the kind words mindfields. i think my concerns lie within the selectivity and proclivities of the programs. the only two I'm applying to that have a designated "painting" department are yale and ucla, and those are a complete toss up for ANYONE, i suppose. The rest of the programs (excluding rutgers) accept 5-7 people and are completely interdisciplinary. while i hold no allegiance to a specific medium, my portfolio is entirely comprised of 'paintings', and with such selective schools that accept maybe 1 'painter', im very skeptical that that person will be me. also, im not coming from a prestigious or well-known undergrad program. i purposefully chose the programs that i feel will challenge me most, without any fallback/safety schools... so, while i hope youre right, im really not expecting much to come of this years app cycle. have any links to your work? im curious

[snoopdoggyartstudent]

if i was a cat i wouldn't even consider going to graduate school...

[Tomislav]

Does anyone have any insight on NYU Steinhardt funding???

Edited December 16, 2012 by Tomislav

[Tomislav]

What if you make nothing and your parents make nothing? How often do people get full tuition?

I would like to know this as well

[Tomislav]

Dude, your portfolio is awesome!

I think your series of "monster inside" are best of you

[Emoree]

Oh god i just submitted my applications.... !!!

I hope my recommendations get sent in and I hope the schools get my transcripts (and know enough to match them to my maiden name).

OH god i can't believe it's over.

Printmaking

Indiana University Bloomington

IUPUI Herron

[jackthecrow]

What if you make nothing and your parents make nothing? How often do people get full tuition?

Yale is a "need blind" institution (http://en.wikipedia....blind_admission), so they accept regardless of the student's ability to pay -- it is also standard policy that they provide financial aid to what ever it is you are lacking. When accepted, you will have to provide in-depth tax reports from you and your parents regardless of the student's age -- to see if you qualify for FA. So the question really isn't really "how often," rather its "do you qualify?"

Here is Outwest's excellent 2012 guide to schools who provide financial aid:

Edited December 17, 2012 by jackthecrow

[ebrie]

Anyone have insider info on MFA Painting programs at:

U Nebraska

U New Hampshire

Montclair

Montana State

Towson

WVU

Toulouse (UNT)

ECU

I know thats a lot.. sry..

Anyways, I'd appreciate any info!

[cookad]

I am applying to the printmaking programs at

University of Kansas

Illinois State

Northern Illinois University

Kendall College of Art and Design

University of Georgia

Ohio University

University of Penn

University of Nebraska

Anybody know University of Penn's acceptance rate to the art program?

[inside.tha.room]

Penn State, Pratt and University of Oregon applications have been sent. I'm so f*cking nervous, my God! Hoping for the best. I'll start sending the other applications in the next coming weeks.

Does anyone know anything about University of Colorado: Boulder, University of Miami, FIU, University of Florida or University of South Florida? The reason I bring up all those FL schools is because my family is moving down there next year, so I'm looking into schools down there, but none of them are really catching my eye like that.

[losemygrip]

just submitted my first application to The University of Chicago... sigh of relief.

also applying to:

Yale - painting&printmaking

Northwestern

USC

UCLA-painting&drawing

maybe Rutgers

im 22. prepared for and expecting complete rejection, hoping for an interview somewhere to see how i fare in such situations. uploaded a few recent images here: www.daveblloyd.blogspot.com

i visited u of c and nw (in my area) and was impressed. both seemed heady and uninterested in hiding behind ideologically futile practice in order to attain a 'look' (nw maybe a bit moreso than u of c). The faculty at both schools are incredibly intelligent, u of c's facilities are brand new as of two months ago (10 story tower-like building), but weird - nw's facilities are old and not up to par with the programs caliber (i sort of like this though)

Is that a PAINTING of the cover of the CS Lewis book? Hysterical.

I, too, am certain someone will snatch you up, but I would still recommend you apply to some less competitive programs. I would suggest Iowa (still competitive), UCSD, and U-Conn for a northeast option.

What is your goal in getting an MFA?

[losemygrip]

I am applying to the printmaking programs at

University of Kansas

Illinois State

Northern Illinois University

Kendall College of Art and Design

University of Georgia

Ohio University

University of Penn

University of Nebraska

Anybody know University of Penn's acceptance rate to the art program?

That's an interesting list. You do have a fallback or two, so that's good. Good luck!

[losemygrip]

Penn State, Pratt and University of Oregon applications have been sent. I'm so f*cking nervous, my God! Hoping for the best. I'll start sending the other applications in the next coming weeks.

Does anyone know anything about University of Colorado: Boulder, University of Miami, FIU, University of Florida or University of South Florida? The reason I bring up all those FL schools is because my family is moving down there next year, so I'm looking into schools down there, but none of them are really catching my eye like that.

Re: those Florida schools, of the ones you mention, UF has the most prominent reputation, but I think that USF is the real up-and-comer. UM is a total mess. Avoid. Colorado has a very nice art department in all respects, but not the reputation of some of the others on your list.

[inside.tha.room]

Re: those Florida schools, of the ones you mention, UF has the most prominent reputation, but I think that USF is the real up-and-comer. UM is a total mess. Avoid. Colorado has a very nice art department in all respects, but not the reputation of some of the others on your list.

Very interesting. What about UM is so horrible, I keep hearing this over and over, yikes! I'm going to keep my eye on USF and UF. The Colorado program looks nice and the campus is BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for your help!

[R. Mutt]

What if you make nothing and your parents make nothing? How often do people get full tuition?

If that's the case, you shouldn't worry about funding. Meaning they will cover it.

Edited December 19, 2012 by R. Mutt

[hwrios]

My list is currently: (in no order, for MFA Painting)

UC Davis

UT Austin

U. North Texas

University of Oregon

U. Colorado-Boulder

West Virginia University

San Jose State

Feel free to let me know if you have any opinions on the quality of these programs! I'm especially interested in the reputation of West Virginia, San Jose State, and U. Colorado-Boulder. I will be seeking teaching opportunities after getting the MFA, and it seems like school reputation is a big part of getting a teaching position. Thanks for any feedback!

hello   I'm finishing my last semester BFA(painting) at West Virginia University.  I have 3 young daughters, so I understand that aspect, and this town definitely IS family friendly.  I don't know what the percentage is, but as far as I know most or all of the MFA painting students do teach classes here, so you could get teaching experience.  Also, the out of state tuition is very low.  I don't know about scholarships for MFA, but I had a full tuition waver, so they definitely have funding. It really is a great town though.  A lot of people that go to school here end up staying. There are also 2 huge hospitals and tons of Doctors etc. here even though it is a pretty small town so if you or your kids get sick, there are doctors and clinics everywhere. The cost of living is also really low.  I live in a 3 bedroom apt. that is only 750/month including all the utilities.

 The Painting Profs. are excellent also.  Two you should look up are Naijun Zhang and Erika Osborne.  

 

 I'm not quite sure what you mean by "reputation" (within academia, with the outside art 'world' or just in general).  It really depends on WHERE you want to teach afterwards.  If you want to teach at an Ivy league college or a place like Carnegie Mellon, then probably none of those you listed would work.  But if you want to teach at a state University type place (like the ones you listed) then all of them are probably good.  

 

[Erpnope]

anyone else pulling late nights wrassling statements of purpose? 

[inkhouse]

anyone else pulling late nights wrassling statements of purpose? 

Try not to wrassle it too much.  Keep your statement concise.  You dont want to overload it with specifics. 

Schools that conduct interviews will learn more about you at that stage. 

 

Aside from briefly describing your work or inspirations, maybe try to simply answer why you feel now is a good time for you to be in a critical environment making things.

[Onedayx3]

anyone else pulling late nights wrassling statements of purpose? 

Uh, yes. For my second round I should be on top of things. But I didn't anticipate a whole new body of work would happen late in the year yielding 10 new paintings in 5 months. I am still trying to iron out my artist statement. I feel the statement of intent is easier because I definitely know what I want to accomplish in the program, but I haven't got it to the final draft yet. Trying not to lose my mind.

[losemygrip]

Very interesting. What about UM is so horrible, I keep hearing this over and over, yikes! I'm going to keep my eye on USF and UF. The Colorado program looks nice and the campus is BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for your help!

A friend of mine did an MFA in printmaking there a few years back, and I don't think they even had a tenure-track printmaking professor.  He had to work with part-timers and lecturers.  Their faculty is too small to offer an MFA, really.  They've had a series of poor chairs.  The university doesn't want to fund them because they're so disorganized.  I'm surprised they haven't eliminated the department. 

[losemygrip]

yesyes, that it is (8 times the size)... and thanks for the second vote of confidence, its encouraging. i am actually very interested in both of those programs. tossed around the idea of applying to them this year, but decided against it. in the case of ucsd: i visited san diego over summer break and talked to some of their grads. they seemed very adamant that there was an LA shadow over the faculty (sort of detached from sd, hardly any of them show/live there) and overall disposition of the school (w usc and ucla in such proximity). san diego is a beautiful city, but the art culture outside of ucsd did not seem very stimulating. that being said - great work comes out of it, and i can definitely see myself applying to ucsd within the next couple of years if i dont get into one of the others. uconn: was my #6 choice before i really looked at rutgers. it actually might still be (mostly b/c of funding), but made the decision to apply there next year if im not in a program. as for iowa, ive lived in the midwest my whole life. im very partial to living near a major coastal city (preferably ny/la) or chicago.

as for the mfa question... A. higher self-awareness (self=work), deeper inquiry, nuanced articulation. ive spent most of my undergrad time educating myself and being very self-ciritical. when secluded, i can think through things and (arduously) write through them effectively, but I still feel the need to improve verbal articulation and on-the-spot critical thinking in social settings. my undergrad environment (peers mostly) has not been challenging enough. im very interested in the theory side of things and am under the impression that such an environment is best found in academia (and not many other places). which segways into B. An environment where i can be as intellectually inquisitive as i can/want to be without the cliched label of 'pretentious'. 'the real world' is not compatible with this. even most art schools arent. i think my work will vastly improve in such a situation. C. relationships/connections with like-mided individuals. D. i want to be taken seriously. i am young. my societal 'credentials' do not fit the sentiment of my inquiry, and as shitty as it may be, there is a certain respect and command of attention given to those (some deserved, others not) with MFA's from particular institutions.

(those were in order of importance)

 

FWIW, I don't understand the philosophy of "I'll apply there next round."  Why waste a year?  Go ahead and apply at a whole range of potential schools.  If you get in, you don't have to go, but if you don't apply, that option is closed. 

 

The goal is to apply to a range of schools, from highly competitive on down.  Then you go to wherever gives you the best financial package.  So if you get into Yale with only 1/3 tuition, but U-Conn offers you full tuition plus stipend, you go to U-Conn.

 

So if your goal is not to get an academic positions afterwards, you can really go wherever you want.  You'll be able to do what you're talking about at nearly all good programs.  But I would say you need to go to a large program as opposed to a smaller one.  Think about Arizona State as well.

[Erpnope]

Try not to wrassle it too much.  Keep your statement concise.  You dont want to overload it with specifics. 

Schools that conduct interviews will learn more about you at that stage. 

 

Aside from briefly describing your work or inspirations, maybe try to simply answer why you feel now is a good time for you to be in a critical environment making things.

 

Totally. I think I am just stressed because I feel like I got a late start on writing, and it's my first year applying. thanks for the outline - will have to take a fresh look using that criteria.

 

Uh, yes. For my second round I should be on top of things. But I didn't anticipate a whole new body of work would happen late in the year yielding 10 new paintings in 5 months. I am still trying to iron out my artist statement. I feel the statement of intent is easier because I definitely know what I want to accomplish in the program, but I haven't got it to the final draft yet. Trying not to lose my mind.

 

i feel you on this! sending good vibes your way. 

 

Also, if anyone likes to proofread I'd love to get any and all opinions on my essay, especially from people who don't know me/aren't super familiar with me. I'm just curious as to how everything is coming across! 

[indigoconcord]

FWIW, I don't understand the philosophy of "I'll apply there next round."  Why waste a year?  Go ahead and apply at a whole range of potential schools.  If you get in, you don't have to go, but if you don't apply, that option is closed. 

 

The goal is to apply to a range of schools, from highly competitive on down.  Then you go to wherever gives you the best financial package.  So if you get into Yale with only 1/3 tuition, but U-Conn offers you full tuition plus stipend, you go to U-Conn.

 

So if your goal is not to get an academic positions afterwards, you can really go wherever you want.  You'll be able to do what you're talking about at nearly all good programs.  But I would say you need to go to a large program as opposed to a smaller one.  Think about Arizona State as well.

i understand the sentiment, but i dont think that applying to 10+ schools of varying competitiveness/locales is the best formula for everyone. for one, theres the application fees. $70+ per app is not cheap for a student, especially if my interest in the program is 'tentative'. if desperate to start an mfa next fall, i agree that a vast range of apps should be the approach. however, im not in that position.

the 5 schools im applying to are my 'dream' programs. if i dont get in this year, ill want to apply at least once more. why waste the app fee on other places when i already have 5 that i am partial to/will want to make a second stab at? so, yes, ucsd/uconn/u of mich/uic/AZ st/somewhere else may (and probably will) be where i end up - but if that is to be the case, id rather know that i exhausted the possibility of these 5.

i probably should have said... my "E." goal would be the possiblity of an eventual academic position.

why do you say large program? ive sort of been attracted to smaller ones for funding reasons (besides yale/ucla). usc, nw, u of c are all 5-7ish people. the student's access to faculty and depth of critiques seemed to be intimate and a really positive aspect to the programs when i visited the latter two.

thanks for the input, very much appreciated!

[Tomislav]

I am applaying for RISD Photo, anyone can make this more clear "The CD should also include two separate text documents: an Artist's Statement (about the work submitted), and a work description list." so what about statment of purpose is that artist statment, or artist statemnet is a separate of statemnt of purpose. anyone aplaying there can we just mail CD or ???

[Gatiio]

Hi everyone,

 

First post here.  Im applying to SAIC for sculpting, based in south korea and very nervous about the whole moving-to-america thing.  I really dont have a clue of what my chances are, but reading about others getting just as jittery sure calms me a bit.