Rutgers MFA 2013

[miyamoto81]

Hi Everyone! 

 

Good luck to all of you and much congratulations for those of you hearing good news! For those of you who have either had rejections or no news, keep your chin up. I've been there, believe me. 

 

I wanted to start a thread for those of you who have either applied or have been accepted to Rutgers, starting in the fall. I am here currently, going into the last bend of my first year. Now, I obviously can't answer questions like if you got in, when you will hear, etc. In complete honesty, we (the grad students) have no idea when the notifications can or will go out or who was selected this year. 

 

I can however answer any questions you might have about the program, New Brunswick, Rutgers as a whole, etc. For those of you thinking about coming, it would be great to build a little bit of a community before you might get here as well. 

 

So let the questions rip! Or if you'd rather PM me, by all means feel free to do so. 

 

Upward and onward, everyone! 

[lady rainicorn]

Thanks miyamoto81! That's so kind of you!

I have some questions about the program, and I'm sure this is info that other prospective candidates would like to know, so public forum it is! Feel free to answer what you can, no pressure to answer them all!

1.) What is a typical week like? For example, how often do students meet faculty/week, how many class hours are generally taken, and how often are critiques?

2.) What is the general breakdown with regards to medium? I've heard that the program is very painting-heavy. However, I'm a printmaker/works-on-paper person (who is also looking to try animation if possible...). How interdisciplinary is the atmosphere?

3.) What is the difference (hours and pay) between a part-time lecture position and a TA position? If grad students are allowed to run their own course, do they create their own curriculum or does the school supply a pre-approved syllabus to follow?

4.) Do out-of-state candidates receive much aid from the school? Is there a general trend in financial aid awards? Or does the program give out little aid?

5.) Are students tight with one another? I really want to attend a program that promotes a strong community within its grad students...

6.) What would you say to prospective candidates to win over their hearts with regard to Rutgers? I'm still waiting to hear from 3 more schools, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. I'm curious what you think.

Thanks so much! I'm sure I'll have more questions, but we can start with these for now!

Edited February 23, 2013 by lady rainicorn

[miyamoto81]

Hi lady rainicorn! 

 

Glad to help! I'll be as candid as I can about your questions - and I hope they will be helpful for others as well! 

 

So, let's begin: 

 

1. A typical week: To be honest, there really isn't a typical week. In my opinion, much of the program here is up to the direction of the student. It can be as packed or as bare as you want it to be. There is a minimum of 16 credits per semester, that comes out to 4 classes. So that's the mandatory class time involved. Outside of that, it's expected that you will be working independently, on, well . . . your work. Now you can schedule as many faculty studio visits as schedules permit outside of class time. So you can be as busy or as non-busy as you want to be. Totally up to you, as long as you are working.

 

Graduate classes meet Monday through Thursday. If you Teach or TA, there are some undergrad classes on Fridays. If you have a Graduate Assistantship, there might be some stuff on Friday also. Or if you work outside the department, then that's obviously not bound to a particular class schedule. 

 

2. Graduate students working in what medium: I can honestly say that Rutgers definitely has an emphasis on painting. However, so does the art world in general. I would say at least half of the students would identity as painters, perhaps more. Though, just to put this out there, I am not a painter any capacity. Personally, I do a combination of photography, video and printmaking. 

 

Having said that, the program here is open so that you can do whatever you want to do. I am looking at the graduate shows that have gone up recently, and there have been "painters" who showed video, conceptual stuff, sculpture, etc. So just because you identify with a medium does not at all mean you are restricted to that medium. You're free to do what you want, how you want to do it. I will also say that all of the faculty I have worked with (which isn't all, but a good amont) are highly supportive of working interdisciplinary. So you will have no problem working in whatever medium you wish. 

 

I will also just say this briefly, in regards to your wanting to do animation: there are no graduate animation classes. In all honesty, I'm not even sure if there are any undergraduate animation classes. There's an integration of After Effects to a degree, but I believe it's through the design program, not for film-like animation. Now there are people here who know After Effects, Maya, etc. But you would most likely have to seek them out on a personal level, rather than on a structured-class level.  

 

3. In regards to TA versus a PTL - I honestly have no idea what the PTL's get paid. I have been TAing for this past year, and I make a decent amount for the time commitment (about 5 hours a week). You know, it's not enough to totally support myself, but it helps. Plus the experience is great.

 

As for the question of syllabi, I really think it depends on the concentration you teach in. You are supposed to follow a syllabus that has been pre-determined, but I also do not think that is set in stone. The department has things that they need you to cover, but I also think if you brought some good ideas to the table, people would be more than willing to consider what you think. 

 

4. I myself was an out of state applicant, though I am originally from the NYC area. The main criteria for aid is your work, and only your work. The only factor in money is with in-state vs. out-of-state is tuition. If you are accepted and you decide to come, your studio should be ready for you in the middle of the summer. (Last year it was in the beginning of July.) The sooner you get here and change your residency status, the sooner you can apply for in-state tuition. That being said, I did receive some aid. So that, plus my TA-ship definitely helped. 

 

5. The student body here is definitely into hanging out with each other. Students go out a lot outside of class time, either to each other's residences, places in New Brunswick or to New York. As long as you are around, making work and involved in the community yourself, you will find others of the same. 

 

6. Ha! What to say to win over your heart . . . I like puppies and long walks on the beach?

 

Instead of answering that question directly, I will tell you what I learned from the whole experience of trying to decide on schools last year:

 

Just to give you some background, I applied to 15 schools (crazy, I know) and I got into 7. Out of those 7, I got into one top 5 school with some aid, two top 20 schools with a full ride + stipends, Rutgers, another good school that was incredibly expensive with no aid, then two ok schools but with really good funding as well. 

 

So how did I decide? In all honesty, I was torn for weeks over where I should go. And there were all these factors: money (and not wanting to end up in incredible debt), location, moving, jobs, opportunities, and so on. I automatically nixed the one school that was a lot of money that gave me no aid. Then I nixed one top 20 school that gave me less aid than the other. (Plus they wanted a SUPER early decision, like in the beginning of March.) Then I ultimately decided not to go with the two ok schools, even though they had great funding and really great people - mostly because of a combination of location and what I thought future opportunities would be. 

 

So I was left with a top 5 school with some aid, Rutgers, and a top 20 school with incredible funding. And I obviously ultimately chose Rutgers. The top 5 school, even with some aid was just too expensive. I would have to have moved across the country and would have had to have taken out close to $50k in loans, despite being given some money. And I think I made the right decision with that. Unless you're going to Yale, I don't think crippling yourself with debt is wise in any way, shape or form.

 

So between Rutgers and this other school, I agonized over the decision. This other place had really great people with really great funding, but on the whole, I just wasn't into the work coming out of it. It was fine, but just not my thing. Plus it was far removed from any metropolitan area - the closest city was 4 hours away. Rutgers is obviously by New York, which was a huge draw for me. Rutgers also came through with some money, so it wasn't like I was going in totally without any funding. Once I committed, I also found more opportunities - I got a job that was advertised through the department. And Rutgers has pretty much the best studios in the NYC area. They are known for this. So I ultimately decided to stay close to New York and go for the gold instead of playing it safe. 

 

I have learned a lot since I've been here, much of which has been stuff I didn't even think about before I started. Grad school is very much a stressful thing, and it will push you to learn not only about your practice, but about who you are and what you want out of life. I think no matter where you go, if you are engaged with your education and your own journey in life, you will really flourish regardless where you are. 

 

So instead of trying to "win you over," I would say that once you have an answer from all your schools, you do a balancing act between all the things you want from a program. For me, that was funding, location, facilities, faculty, networking and opportunities for the future. For me, Rutgers came out a good balance of all those things. 

 

Also, VIST YOUR SCHOOLS! You will not know that vibe of a place unless you go there. If you have to book a plane ticket and a hotel, do it. It will make all the difference. 

 

AND, I know you do printmaking, as do I - Rutgers has the Brodsky Center. That was a huge draw for me. They work with major artists, there's opportunity to intern if you want to. It's an incredible resource to have here. Printmakers are a small community, which I am sure you know. Having the Brodsky Center right there as a hub was a major factor in my decision.

 

Ok, I think I'm done. I hope that answered some of your questions. Let me know if anything else comes up! If anyone else has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

 

Btw, lady rainicorn, where else did you apply? It would give me a better idea as to what you are looking for and what your options would be . . .

 

Best of luck! 

Edited February 24, 2013 by miyamoto81

[lady rainicorn]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response!! I also applied to the other usual suspects: Hunter, RISD, and Columbia. I probably have a shot in a million of getting in to any of those schools, but I guess I'll see what happens in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted with regards to how it all pans out, which will probably lead to more questions! Again, thanks for your kind and thoughtful response!

[hdsl]

Thanks miyamoto81 for offering your knowledge and sharing your decision making process. 

 

I'm curious to know more about living in New Brunswick. How much would one expect to spend for a studio or one bedroom walking distance to school? Is there an area where more grads live? What are the best resources for finding off-campus housing? What are common things to expect (or not expect) to be included in the rent? I'm coming from NYC where things like heat and water are usually included. 

 

Also how big are the studios? Are they all located in the same building? 24 hour access? I'm planning on visiting soon but wanted to ask anyway. 

[miyamoto81]

Lady rainicorn, you're most welcome! Please to keep me posted - I will be interested to hear where you end up going. And best of luck with your interview for Columbia, that's exciting! 

 

Hdsl, here are my thoughts on New Brunswick: 

 

New Brunswick is a weird little area. There's a lot of urban parts, a lot of poorer parts, and then the parts that are occupied by Rutgers. The main building that holds the Visual Arts dept. is at the junction of all those things. So right around the school, the area is totally fine. However, I am a little weary walking by myself later on at night for any great distance, especially off of George St., which is the main drag. Now, nothing's ever happened to me (knock on wood), but having lived in cities all of my life, it's just my own personal opinion. 

 

Having said that, there are places to live that are within walking distance, but the farther you get away from the building, a little more iffy the neighborhoods become. The next town over is Highland Park, which is a lot nicer and where a lot of grad students live. You can walk/bike to and from Highland Park, but if you had a car, that would be ideal. However, if you aren't teaching, you can't park in the deck that is meant for the Civic Square Building, which is where the Vis. Arts Dept is. So, you would either have to park on the street (metered), or at a different campus. There are streets not to far away that have no meters, but if you have a BMW, I would not suggest parking there. So, that's a few things to consider. 

 

I'm not sure what utilities are included in rents, but I would assume that many do include water. Heat, I'm not sure of, depending on what the source is. A lot of apartments around here are in houses, so I'm not sure how it's divvied up. My guess is that it's on a case by case basis. If you are renting a room, I think you could expect to pay anywhere from $500 - $900 a month, approximately. If you wanted your own studio, I would say it would be about $1000+, depending on location, size, etc. 

 

Here's a link to the Rutgers Off Campus Housing site: http://ruoffcampus.rutgers.edu/ You can also try things like Craigslist, etc. But at least an official RU site might have a little bit more legit listings. 

 

As per studios: as of right now, studios are located in three different buildings. Most are at the Civic Square Building, which is where mine is. There's another new building that just opened for studios called "Church Street," where 5 studios are - and there are more studios on the Livingston Campus. The studios are grouped by concentration. Painters have the largest studios, almost all of their's are at CSB, although some are on Church St. Almost all of the sculpture students have studios on the Livingston Campus. (And almost all those students have cars to get there.) But those studios are pretty large as well. Photo and video students have the smallest studios, and I do believe that I have the smallest of those. (Lucky me.) So, I would say that my studio is roughly . . . 15 x 20 feet? So if that's the smallest, they only go up from there. Some of the painting studios are GINORMOUS. Like, I've had apartments smaller than some of those studios. So all in all, we have a decent amount of space - though some, more than others. 

 

And yes, all studios are 24/7 access. 

 

Let me know when you're visiting! I'd be down for talking in person, showing you around, etc! 

 

And good luck to you as well! 

[lady rainicorn]

Hey miyamoto81-

I plan on visiting the Rutgers campus on Wed March 13th. I'll be meeting with a member of the printmaking faculty. If you have any interest in also meeting up, I can shoot you a pm and send along my personal info, and details once they've been finalized. Thanks for all your help so far!

[miyamoto81]

Lady rainicorn, definitely let me know! I usually have class on Wednesdays from about 3-6, but I could meet up either a little before or after. We also have our Visiting Artists series on Wednesdays, which you'd be more than welcome to stick around for. It starts at 6:40 and goes until about 8pm. That Wednesday is Joe Sola, if you're at all interested. You'll also be meeting with Barb Madsen, I'm assuming? She's head of Prontmaking here. Barb's a great person, I've worked with her a lot since I've been her. Anyway, definitely keep me posted!

[frez83]

Joe Sola is coming to lecture for you guys? That's awesome! That's not open to the public by chance... Is it?

[miyamoto81]

Robet268, it totally is! Everyone is welcome!

[cloverinthecan]

Hey....Anyone really  

 

I applied to Rutger's and haven't gotten rejected yet and its now March 13th, but I know of others who have received rejection letters..

 

AND... Lady Rainicorn, you were accepted but how? Did you get a letter or email?  

[miyamoto81]

Hi cloverinthecan! 

 

Hmmm . . . I know that some people have been notified of both acceptances and rejections. Though I'm honestly not sure if they all have gone out yet. I mentioned in the Freak Out thread that a general rule of thumb for waiting to hear is that no news is good news. If I remember correctly, Rutgers wanted a semi-early decision from me last year, around the beginning of April. I can't image you'll be waiting much longer. 

 

And if it helps, I received my acceptance by snail mail last year. Some have been called, some go out by snail mail, but I don't think RU does anything by email. You also can try to login and see if your status changes. Those are usually late, but it's worth a shot. 

 

I would say that if you haven't heard in the next week or so, give them a call. 

[lady rainicorn]

Hey....Anyone really

 

I applied to Rutger's and haven't gotten rejected yet and its now March 13th, but I know of others who have received rejection letters..

 

AND... Lady Rainicorn, you were accepted but how? Did you get a letter or email?  

 

Hi cloverinthecan-

 

I actually received a phone call from Stephen Westfall first, and I just got the official letter in the mail the other day. Good luck with your application!!!!!

[cloverinthecan]

Thank you for your feed back! I really appreciate it. Not surprised Stephen would call you

 

Also, If you want any advice with your Columbia interview... I got the stuff! I did their summer intensive and they gave us mock interviews. Their not that bad and what their looking for is genuine artists (natural). So don't get worked up, just be yourself. But they ask you to talk about yourself, your work, history, what you want to do with your work (don't just stick to one thing ie painting). They really love to see when you tie interest into your work that feeds your studio practice like reading, or types of hobbies. They will ask you what your reading and to tell them about it than how it relates to your work as a whole. Just be very present and they will love you Their wonderful people that just want everyone to do well only they can pick so many. Their ask you why Columbia, you want show them that you want to challenge your work with horizontal approach. 

 

Hope that helps and good luck with everything! 

[Catsinspace]

lady rainicorn,

 

I am also planning to visit Rutgers on the 13/14/15 of the month. I am wondering where you are staying, etc? Did they put you up with a grad student or suggest a nearby hotel/offer to get you from the airport? 

[lady rainicorn]

Thank you for your feed back! I really appreciate it. Not surprised Stephen would call you

 

Also, If you want any advice with your Columbia interview... I got the stuff! I did their summer intensive and they gave us mock interviews. Their not that bad and what their looking for is genuine artists (natural). So don't get worked up, just be yourself. But they ask you to talk about yourself, your work, history, what you want to do with your work (don't just stick to one thing ie painting). They really love to see when you tie interest into your work that feeds your studio practice like reading, or types of hobbies. They will ask you what your reading and to tell them about it than how it relates to your work as a whole. Just be very present and they will love you Their wonderful people that just want everyone to do well only they can pick so many. Their ask you why Columbia, you want show them that you want to challenge your work with horizontal approach. 

 

Hope that helps and good luck with everything! 

 

Cloverinthecan-

Thank you!! I am getting so nervous about the interview, so this helps a lot. I've actually already had a critique with the chair of the visual arts department and chatted in person with the head of the specific department/discipline I'm applying through--though it doesn't seem to make me feel any less anxiety! How was their interview style? Conversational? Aggressive? Laid back? Phew, thank goodness I have all types of crazy interests that all tie into my work, I'm just hoping I don't draw a blank (no pun intended) when actually confronted with questions. O_O Again, thank you for your help! Also, what did you think of Columbia's summer intensive?

 

lady rainicorn,

 

I am also planning to visit Rutgers on the 13/14/15 of the month. I am wondering where you are staying, etc? Did they put you up with a grad student or suggest a nearby hotel/offer to get you from the airport? 

 

Hi Catsinspace!

I'm actually staying with a friend in nyc, and just taking a day trip to New Brunswick on Wed to meet with a professor and hopefully chat with current students that are around. Let me know if you want to meet up as well and discuss what we (as prospective students) think of it all. I'm feeling so overwhelmed with this entire process!!

[stan]

Hi miyamoto81,

 

thank you so much for offering your help.

I had a skype chat with barbara madsen last week and we talked about living in new york city while studying at mason gross.

she told me that around 50% of all graduate students live in ny.

I want to focus on my work and they offered me a TA, but coming from germany it would be a fantastic experience living in ny during my MFA.

what's your experience on that? Do people commute to mason gross by train?

And where in ny do they live?

 

thank you so much again!

[miyamoto81]

Hey there Stan!

 

So glad you got a chance to talk to Barb, she's great. I'm assuming you applied for Printmaking? 

 

Just to be perfectly honest, I think the notion of 50% living in New York may be a bit high . . . some do, but I don't think that many (at least that I know of). Those who do live in New York live in Brooklyn, and it's a hell of a commute everyday. I was talking to one of the other MFA students tonight who said it takes him about an hour and a half, each way. Now, you can get stuff done, read, etc, but still. It's a hike. 

 

Many of the grad students live in either New Brunswick or Highland Park, which is the next town over and a little bit nicer than New Brunswick - though admittedly a little hard if you don't have a car. 

 

Personally, I live farther out in Northern NJ, so it's a bit of a hike for me as well, but I'm staying with family, so it's very little in rent. And that much a commute is hard sometimes. But all of us figure out the ways that is best for us in trying to save money, working out the best deals with being close to the studio, etc. 

 

I agree with you about it being a great opportunity to live in NY - my suggestion would be to maybe live for a year close to Rutgers, see how it goes, and then maybe for your second year to move into the city. That seems to be a common trajectory for many of the MFA students here. 

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! Or feel free to PM me!

 

And in the meantime, keep me posted on your decision of whether or not you're attending! I'm really loving getting to meet some of you before the beginning of next year!

[hdsl]

One other thing to mention about commuting from NYC is the cost. On NJ transit a round trip train ticket is $26 not including the RT subway cost which is now $5 = $31/day! When I was visiting Mason Gross one student who lives in Williamsburg, BK told me that there's a bus from Port Authority that is about half the price of NJ Transit ($13 + $5). Getting from Brooklyn to Rutgers on public transportation is about 2 hours door to door (I did my first Masters at Rutgers while living in Brooklyn).

 

If you decide to get a car for the commute be aware that having a car can be very difficult in NYC. Insurance is very expensive (~$250/month?) and most people park on the street which can be tricky depending on the neighborhood. Also associated with street parking is having to move your car for street cleaning 1-2 times a week. I think garage parking is about $250/month.

[miyamoto81]

Bump Bump Bump . . . 

 

Congratulations to all of you hearing good news and making decisions! I was just curious as to if anyone has decided to come to RU next year . . . let me know, I'd love to get in touch with some of you before September! 

[stan]

hey miyamoto81,
the information you gave to all of us about rutgers where really great and helpful. thanks again for this.
i decided to attend the mfa program at rugers and i am totally excited about that. so i am hoping to meet some of my

classmates here.

[miyamoto81]

Hey Stan! I PM'd you back! 

 

I hope other incoming RU grads will find there way here too. Although it's been strangely quiet so far . . . 

[cloverinthecan]

Hey! 

 

I'm going to Rutger's this year for their MFA program, Stephen just called me and made the offer! I live in Brooklyn right now and keep a painting studio in Williamsburg on Lorimer/frost. I'd be really happy to meet anyone who going or have gone...? 

 

Here's my website, my name is Matthew Hotaling 

     http://matthewhotaling.carbonmade.com

 

Look forward to meeting people! 

[somacht]

@cloverinthecan

I'm coming to this conversation three years later...but I figured I'd ask anyway.

I just got accepted to Columbias summer painting intensive, and have to make a decision soon. I would love to hear your impressions of it!