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MFA 2015 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!


Xxanderr

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You're from NY and Hunter is still pretty cheap without funding though right?  It might be best to stay in NYC,

 

yeah, kick87, that's what I was thinking.

 

have to consider the intangibles as well...

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I know... I just got some proof of my images and I am not too happy! Freaking out!!

And no I have never heard from Columbia. I am not sure about the slideroom rumor, but I still have the title as 2015 Painting MFA.

OMG I am starting to doubt myself. :(

 

Which slideroom rumor?

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mine is at 12:00. im praying...lol hope it would go well. are you going to visit the mfa open studio after that?

and good luck to your interview:)

 

Good luck to your Interview too... applying to combined media here, you?

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Wow congrats, and I know what you mean. It will be interesting to see what the offer. Very steep tuition as you said. Smart of you to wait and reapply again to other programs. 

What they offered me was something like 6 credits of tuition remission and a $3000 stipend (as part of an assistantship that required 7 hours/week of work) And then they also offered me a merit scholarship of something around $6000.  I can't remember totally but I think you have to have 9 credits a semester to get done there on time?  It was a really generous and I was a little bummed and worried I made the wrong decision for awhile, but I'm feeling much better now.  In comparison this year I've been so far offered 2 full GA ships (that cover full time attendance, so around 12 credits/semester and 6 credits in summer) one includes full health coverage and the other covers 60% of the healthcare cost and then one is a $15,000 stipend and the other is $11000 stipend + $3000 fellowship. So I'm really glad I waited and I am really excited about where I've applied this year.

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How much debt are you guys okay with accumulating for your art degree?

Louisiana state university offered me a free ride plus stipend and they said they need an answer this week. I visited and I didn't like it at all. But it's freeee. And the other schools that I got into are pretty expensive. I'm scared I'm going to look back on this and kick myself for not accepting lsu's offer. What do I do?!?! What are you guys doing?!?!

 

Further information about LSU :

http://www.nola.com/news/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/04/lsu_art_students_protest.html

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Does anyone know how much power we have to negotiate better deals if we've been accepted into multiple programs? Some schools have given me better funding packages than others, and i'm curious if I can use this to my advantage & pit schools against each other in order to get better offers. Has anyone done this, or heard of anyone who has done this? Is this even a thing? I don't want to use sleazy business tactics, but at the same time, I really don't want to graduate with 60-80k in student loan debt...

 

You should absolutely use this to your advantage. There's nothing sleazy about that.

 

I mean it definitely can't hurt. I've been trying to do it in not a crazy obvious way. It's worth a shot.

 

Thanks lgrcwest &  thepictureisstill for encouraging me to try this.  It turns out negotiating with schools actually works! Last week I spoke with SFAI and mentioned that I received better financial packages from a few other schools and that I was seriously considering them. The graduate recruiter asked me what these offers were, so I told her the breakdown of scholarships, fellowships, etc. Then she asked me to put all of the offers in writing for her, and she would run it by her department. In the end, it turns out they couldn't do much to match the other offers, but they ended up offering me an extra $7k a few days later. Not the best offer, but it was at least something. 

 

Today, after a ton of thinking,  I decided to formally decline the offer from SFAI, so I gave them a call to inform them of my decision and to thank them, out of respect. I gotta say it was kinda painful and awkward, like breaking up with someone... Anyway, as soon as I told them that I was going with a school that made me a better offer, the grad recruiter immediately asked me if another $3,000 would help. I said no, thanked her, and that was that.  

 

I mention this because I know a lot of you will be receiving funding packages soon, and we definitely have the power to negotiate these deals. If I hadn't said anything at all, I wouldn't have received any additional money. And i'm sure if I wanted to really press the issue with SFAI, I could've easily negotiated that last-second $3k offer into $5k, or possibly an extra $10k.  I know people are still interviewing and all that, but if you find yourself in a similar situation down the road, i'd strongly recommend pitting these schools against each other for a better deal. We have a bit more power than we think. Especially at these private art schools. 

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I've been creepin heavy on this forum -

Anyone hear back from UW Seattle outside the 3d4m realm?

How about RIT or Syracuse outside of Photo?

Thus far accepted to Davis - SMFA

Interviewing with Purchase - anyone else?

I finished an informal interview with a professor from Syracuse yesterday.

(My bad, the interview was for photo.)

Edited by photochick
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Thanks lgrcwest &  thepictureisstill for encouraging me to try this.  It turns out negotiating with schools actually works! Last week I spoke with SFAI and mentioned that I received better financial packages from a few other schools and that I was seriously considering them. The graduate recruiter asked me what these offers were, so I told her the breakdown of scholarships, fellowships, etc. Then she asked me to put all of the offers in writing for her, and she would run it by her department. In the end, it turns out they couldn't do much to match the other offers, but they ended up offering me an extra $7k a few days later. Not the best offer, but it was at least something. 

 

Today, after a ton of thinking,  I decided to formally decline the offer from SFAI, so I gave them a call to inform them of my decision and to thank them, out of respect. I gotta say it was kinda painful and awkward, like breaking up with someone... Anyway, as soon as I told them that I was going with a school that made me a better offer, the grad recruiter immediately asked me if another $3,000 would help. I said no, thanked her, and that was that.  

 

I mention this because I know a lot of you will be receiving funding packages soon, and we definitely have the power to negotiate these deals. If I hadn't said anything at all, I wouldn't have received any additional money. And i'm sure if I wanted to really press the issue with SFAI, I could've easily negotiated that last-second $3k offer into $5k, or possibly an extra $10k.  I know people are still interviewing and all that, but if you find yourself in a similar situation down the road, i'd strongly recommend pitting these schools against each other for a better deal. We have a bit more power than we think. Especially at these private art schools. 

Vinny this is great info. I'm going to post it on the fundings forum.

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RE: USC Roski

 

     I live in LA and know some of the story there,

     They have a new dean who is tearing that place apart, all due to a new focus on "innovation in the arts", spurred on by a large gift from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, probably a big tax write off scheme from their sale of Beats to Apple.  That is what set the whole thing in motion. That school was probably the best in the country, not that US News and World Report ever noticed

     Part of what made that school great is how selective they could be with their admissions, due to the small size, the full ride and great faculty. All that has changed. If you haven't gotten into any better schools and are willing to take a risk, it could work out really well. Some faculty might stay. It is still an amazing legacy at that school and some of that should or could remain.  And if some of the funding remains maybe you should go for it.  It is a great time to be in LA too.

 

Damn thanks for the info.  I was so hoping to move to LA for school this time around but yea I couldn't really care less about whatever "legacy" is there because it sure as hell doesn't look like it's gonna be that way now. Seems like just a bunch of drama I'd be inserting myself into. Guess I'll be applying for schools again next year.  Round 3!

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Everyone else going to Hunter's interview day: do you have a lot of new work to show?

I don't have anything I'm comfortable sharing, as the work isn't quite at the level of that which I submitted. Still working through kinks. 

All the work in my portfolio was made between August - December of this past year... does it sound like a mistake to not show anything more recent? Would hate to hurt my chances one way or another. I could pull together something, but... would love to know what other folks are doing!

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Everyone else going to Hunter's interview day: do you have a lot of new work to show?

I don't have anything I'm comfortable sharing, as the work isn't quite at the level of that which I submitted. Still working through kinks. 

All the work in my portfolio was made between August - December of this past year... does it sound like a mistake to not show anything more recent? Would hate to hurt my chances one way or another. I could pull together something, but... would love to know what other folks are doing!

 

had my Skype interview with them today. Not sure if this makes a difference but they didn't really mention or ask me what was new. I mostly sent old work with only one new work since turning in my application. I think if you don't have anything you would be proud to show then don't show it (but have an answer to what you've been doing from the time you applied until now)

Edited by chiboi2015
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had my Skype interview with them today. Not sure if this makes a difference but they didn't really mention or ask me what was new. I mostly sent old work with only one new work since turning in my application. I think if you don't have anything you would be proud to show then don't show it (but have an answer to what you've been doing from the time you applied until now)

This sounds like a good way to go. I'm only showing renderings of a few projects since I don't have anything fully constructed yet.

Chiboi - how was your interview? Any suggestions for Friday's interviewees...what can we expect??

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This sounds like a good way to go. I'm only showing renderings of a few projects since I don't have anything fully constructed yet.

Chiboi - how was your interview? Any suggestions for Friday's interviewees...what can we expect??

 

I think it went well. Pretty standard questions and the faculty was very warm (two faculty and one alumni- at least for Skype). Be ready to mention a book you read/are reading, talk about process/materials, and all the other standard q's (why hunter, favorite artists...) They didn't ask anything that caught me off guard in any way. Good luck everyone! :)

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Damn thanks for the info.  I was so hoping to move to LA for school this time around but yea I couldn't really care less about whatever "legacy" is there because it sure as hell doesn't look like it's gonna be that way now. Seems like just a bunch of drama I'd be inserting myself into. Guess I'll be applying for schools again next year.  Round 3!

I don't know if I can be as patient as you are... this process is extenuating for me. Too much stress. I was in love with the idea of USCRoski as it was but this is my second round and I wouldn't stand another  :/ I know that Dr Dre thing smells bad, but it doesn't mean it will be a disaster. They might bring really good faculty. I don't know the details but ...L.A...

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Everyone else going to Hunter's interview day: do you have a lot of new work to show?

I don't have anything I'm comfortable sharing, as the work isn't quite at the level of that which I submitted. Still working through kinks. 

All the work in my portfolio was made between August - December of this past year... does it sound like a mistake to not show anything more recent? Would hate to hurt my chances one way or another. I could pull together something, but... would love to know what other folks are doing!

I had this same internal debate. I emailed the school about it, and they told me to bring work that showed me in the best light.

Just because work is new, does not mean that it is better than what you submitted. The ten pieces you showed was already better than a lot of work you made over the past few years. Show the best work possible.

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Accepted to Northwestern's art theory and practice. This program has such a great faculty, and it's the best funding offer so far. I can't understand why it's ranked so low in us news. Considering it very seriously.

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Accepted to Northwestern's art theory and practice. This program has such a great faculty, and it's the best funding offer so far. I can't understand why it's ranked so low in us news. Considering it very seriously.

 

There needs to be a more comprehensive overview of MFA programs. Without grad cafe, I wouldn't have known about a lot of program offerings.

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Accepted to Northwestern's art theory and practice. This program has such a great faculty, and it's the best funding offer so far. I can't understand why it's ranked so low in us news. Considering it very seriously.

I was told by some of the faculty where I am that the US News lists are basically comprised from surveys they send to the directors and deans and whatnot and essentially they're asked to rank the schools, but the rankings mostly just end up being influenced by what schools those people filling the surveys out have heard of or are hearing buzz about.  So there's some basis of truth-a good school is going to be generating buzz-but also schools like Columbia and Yale are likely always going to be on them because they're well known and they have mucho money and rep so they're always going to be able to be recruiting and hiring 'top most amazing artists 4 ever' to teach, but other schools with just as rewarding and intensive programs are left off because they're not as universally well known.  Essentially they're an okay place to start, but make sure you're on the lookout for schools that are fitting to you personally, look at who is there, what is happening and what is available to you.  Obviously what you're experiencing with Northwestern is a reflection of that. 

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Accepted to Northwestern's art theory and practice. This program has such a great faculty, and it's the best funding offer so far. I can't understand why it's ranked so low in us news. Considering it very seriously.

You should go-its a free program and I believe you also get a stipend. It's one of the most competitive programs and the faculty is amazing! Only downside are the facilities aren't amazing.

Edited by chiboi2015
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