Visual Studies programs, am I competitive?

[kxxx]

I'm having a hard time figuring out how competitive I am of an applicant for Master's or PhD programs as I have a very non-traditional education. My top choices are:

-SAIC Visual & Critical Studies MA

-Simmons Gender/Cultural Studies

-CalArts Aesthetics & Politics MA

-(Dream program) Brown's Modern Culture and Media PhD.

Looking at some other schools as well, but that's the general area I'm looking to apply for.

My tiny undergrad doesn't have grades, GPAs, or per-determined majors. You design your own concentration and primarily write papers, no tests what-so-ever. Very similar to a graduate program. You graduate with a liberal arts BA, though. My concentration has focused mostly on queer/political theory and sociology courses on marginalized identities and some studio art (mainly printmaking). In your senior year you take maybe two courses but mainly write or create your thesis project (averaging around 120 pages for written work). I will be writing about several self-identified queer (mainly visual) artist collectives in the U.S. that seek to produce queer art that challenges or addresses various aspects of gender, sexuality, class, and queer politics... How they create viable alternatives to the capitalist system in terms of community, politics of aesthetics, and the economy of art and artists, etc.

I also spent a semester in Cuba working with an artist to produce several paper-cut pieces and studying Spanish and Cuban cinema. I have severed on the organizing committee for three large scale queer conferences on my campus and will have done three art-related internships, each a semester long. And I will hopefully be completing my undergrad in 3.5 years (liberal arts college is expensive, boo) and expect excellent references from my Professors.

Thoughts?

[marzipanned]

Sounds like Hampshire? If your writing level, recommendations, etc., are all top notch, I'd guess SAIC might be pretty open to you, since they're structured similarly (no grades/majors).

What do you want to do with the degree? If you want to be a full-on academic, you'd need the PhD. If not, it might be superfluous.

[Curious12345]

I'd say very competitive. Any program worth its time - I would imagine would snap you up.

[kxxx]

Thanks for the responses! And yes, it is Hampshire. Most of these threads center on GPAs so I wasn't sure how to compare myself to others applying without one.

[marzipanned]

Funny, I always seem to be running into Hampshire grads-- way more so than with any other school the same size. (Usually they're doing interesting, creative things, too.) And one of them -was- actually a grad student at SAIC. I'd give you his name but I can't for the life of me remember it. Anyhow, good luck!

[kxxx]

I once ran into two Hampshire alums in one of those greyhound stations that's actually just a glorified shack in bumfuck Colorado. WE ARE EVERYWHERE.

And thanks! Hopefully my 'interesting' academic resume will play in favor against traditional majors and students.