MovingTarget22 Posted January 31, 2015 Posted January 31, 2015 This space is designated for potential MFA candidates anxious for an upcoming department interview. Please feel free to share your school, interview date (if set), and what's on your mind!
aparticularkindofheaven Posted January 31, 2015 Posted January 31, 2015 Hello, I got an interview for Yale 2yr Graphic Design program on 02/25/15, the interview with the faculty will be 40 min and another 40 minutes with students. I'd greatly appreciate any tips from people that went through this process. What kind of questions did the faculty ask you? How many pieces have you shown? What kind of feedback have they given to your work? What do you wish you'd have done differently? Thank you!
ayhtea Posted January 31, 2015 Posted January 31, 2015 I have a Skype interview with Mass Art this upcoming week and I'm sooo nervous!! I've just been studying a list of potential questions and trying to figure out what the best background could be! (joking but not really joking)
MovingTarget22 Posted January 31, 2015 Author Posted January 31, 2015 Someone posted this previously. Hope it helps and best of luck to everyone on their interviews! Here is a link to the thread and I pasted some of the questions below. Found this on another forum. This is great. How does your work fit in with the contemporary art world/scene? Why do you want to go to XXXXX? Why do you want to go to grad school? Why now? What resources of this program will be the biggest benefit to your development as an artist? What is your work about? What are your influences? What for you constitutes a good work of art? What draws you to a piece of work? What motivates your work? Who are your main influences? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? How does your work fit in with the contemporary art world/scene? What do you think is a good critique of your work/bad critique? Why/how did you choose the people who wrote letters for you? How will you contribute to this program? What do you do for fun? What artists do you like? (you can have a list prepared) What artists who are no longer living influence you? What book are you reading right now? What do you think about it? What are you working on right now? Please explain this work (xxxx03.jpg) What is your favorite piece of art? Why? (Title, artist,year) Can you describe yourself, such as personal habit, etc. Do you get along well with others ? What would you bring to a group dynamic ? What can you offer this program? Any special skills? What do you think is a good way of criting ? a bad way? What other aspects of culture influence your work besidesart/art history? How do you see yourself taking advantage of this school’s enviroment/program? What exhibition have you been to in the last year? What have you done since you’ve graduated? What contemporary artists are you into, and why? Tell us about the conceptual underpinnings of your work? Talk about your process. What do you think about *this essay*? (related to your work) How is your work related to *this movement*? Do you have any questions for us? What do you think about (artist, movement, subject/topic) What can't you stand? Why? What do you think about your own work? How do you want your work to develop? Why are you making the work you're making, and why do you want to keep doing it? Meaning behind your subject matter? influences why grad school, why now? Madhini and worldly 2
BlCEO Posted February 1, 2015 Posted February 1, 2015 I have a Skype interview with Mass Art this upcoming week and I'm sooo nervous!! I've just been studying a list of potential questions and trying to figure out what the best background could be! (joking but not really joking) You should skype from a McDonalds that has wifi. ayhtea, BlCEO and worldly 2 1
FAR Posted February 1, 2015 Posted February 1, 2015 You should skype from a McDonalds that has wifi. Its already been done
Pulsar Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Anyone know how many days notice schools give the students they call over for an interview? (As in the students have to travel there.....)
skdlrk Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 (edited) Hello, I got an interview for Yale 2yr Graphic Design program on 02/25/15, the interview with the faculty will be 40 min and another 40 minutes with students. I'd greatly appreciate any tips from people that went through this process. What kind of questions did the faculty ask you? How many pieces have you shown? What kind of feedback have they given to your work? What do you wish you'd have done differently? Thank you! Hi, siia, I also got an interview for Yale (same program, same day) I am going to prepare several posters and sketches...Good luck! Edited February 11, 2015 by skdlrk
kerning Posted February 16, 2015 Posted February 16, 2015 Hi everyone! An old lurker here. It looks like there are not many graphic designers here but it may help to others as well. I did my Skype interview with VCU Visual Communications MFA program today and here is what they asked, at least the ones I remember. - Why graduate studies? Why now? - Do you have any designer that you admire or a movement that you like? - Why did you choose our program? - Do you have any ideas what your thesis project would be about? Other than these questions there were of course follow-ups according to my answers. About the experience; although my interviewers, there were two, were really nice and relaxed, I was sooooo but sooooo excited (or nervous?) during the interview that sometimes I forgot very basic words (#internationalstudent), and couldn't answer some questions properly. This was my first ever graduate interview and there is another one with SAIC's Visual Communication Design program on February 28th, and I was told that they will ask me to describe 2-3 works in my application portfolio, in detail. I hope these will help someone. =) Pulsar 1
Pulsar Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 If you attend an interview, do you get interviewed in front of other interviewees?
tdevo412 Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I have an interview with NYU Steinhardt on the 9th of March and I am freaking out. I found out yesterday. Any tips?
gwen Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 not sure what to think about my PennDesign interview...they were 15 minutes late contacting me on skype and seemed rushed the whole time. At the end they said 'we hope to see you at the open house on March 30' hopefully that means they are at least considering me since the letters go out before then on March 13
blondertongue Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 looking through, i dont seem to find many other printmaking MFAs on these threads?? anyways i got an interview over email for SVA and received a phone call maybe two weeks ago for SAIC. Both schools are at either ends of the spectrum of my list hierarchy so I guess it bodes well. Also 2/5 interviews feels good ! I'm having a hard time navigating the site to find the common or even rare MFA interview questions.... any suggestions? links?
blondertongue Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 gah just got another Skype interview for Pratt !!
d e o Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 gah just got another Skype interview for Pratt !! Same here!
frez83 Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I have an interview with NYU Steinhardt on the 9th of March and I am freaking out. I found out yesterday. Any tips? Just be relaxed and cool. They mostly are just trying to get an idea of who you are and what your plans are. Nobody is going to grill you, especially not about work/art theory. It's going to be pretty laid back and you will get to hang out with the current students and check out their studios and the facilities. I would be prepared to talk about why you want to go to grad school and where you plan on going as an artist, but just sound like a real person not a sales person. Just be you.
blondertongue Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 had my first skype interview and boy did it throw me. we probably both spoke an equal amount. i sometimes felt like i was saying too much and so i'd hush a little bit. I do not understand why they need to know what other schools you applied to. I feel weird lying when they ask so i just said them and now im trying to figure out if that's really even a good or bad thing.
tdevo412 Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Just be relaxed and cool. They mostly are just trying to get an idea of who you are and what your plans are. Nobody is going to grill you, especially not about work/art theory. It's going to be pretty laid back and you will get to hang out with the current students and check out their studios and the facilities. I would be prepared to talk about why you want to go to grad school and where you plan on going as an artist, but just sound like a real person not a sales person. Just be you. Thanks! I actually trying to prepare for tomorrow's interview with SVA. I found out early this morning and they wanted to interview me right away. I've met with one of my former professors today to talk about the types of questions to ask and he started to ask me questions. I think I have a good understanding for this one, which will be Skype. I'm just nervous. I have one tip for others out there, No coffee before the interview.
blondertongue Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 haha god i made the mistake of having coffee right before a different kind of interview... terrible. and it lasted for ever.
Milkyways Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 From what I have been reading , interviews vary a lot depending on the program. Some schools conduct very thorough interviews and will ask you about the concepts and theory which influenced certain pieces, and some are more laid back and want to see if you connect with the faculty... The interview I had with Alfred was more like the second kind. But for Cornell (skype) I was told I should prepare a pdf portfolio and a presentation of my work for the first minutes of the interview, and then they would ask specific questions about my work....which seems very intimidating to me.
frez83 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 had my first skype interview and boy did it throw me. we probably both spoke an equal amount. i sometimes felt like i was saying too much and so i'd hush a little bit. I do not understand why they need to know what other schools you applied to. I feel weird lying when they ask so i just said them and now im trying to figure out if that's really even a good or bad thing. That's a normal question most places ask. They really are just curious to know where everybody is applying, so no need to worry.
blondertongue Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 I know the question is normal or common but I just wonder why they don't just look at application stats or something. the fact that it's part of the interview makes it seem like it could affect the outcome of your interview.
ANS Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 Hi ! I intend to do MFA Graphic Design for my masters and am really confused about a particular program. The VCU arts MFA in Visual communication program. Does someone have any reviews on it? I am confused if it is going to be graphic design centric or more of a broader visual comm program. For example in a course like Visual comm workshop, which is a studio course, what kind of work will I do? Graphic design related to just any medium that visually communicates! Please help!!
frez83 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 Thanks! I actually trying to prepare for tomorrow's interview with SVA. I found out early this morning and they wanted to interview me right away. I've met with one of my former professors today to talk about the types of questions to ask and he started to ask me questions. I think I have a good understanding for this one, which will be Skype. I'm just nervous. I have one tip for others out there, No coffee before the interview. Cool, good luck with SVA. Message me if you have any questions about NYU or their program.
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