MFA 2016 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!

[langley]

3 minutes ago, cpw0021 said:

That's interesting to hear about UCI. What was odd about your interview? My interview was great, honestly. I only interviewed with Simon and Kevin though, so maybe that's one reason why? I felt like they were very engaged with my work, especially Simon who I discovered, during the interview, has very similar interests as me. And they've been really kind and responsive since the interview. 

Also, my SAIC Printmedia and CalArts interviews were very pleasant. Honestly, the only interview I felt was off-putting was Photo at SAIC. My UChicago interview was fine up until the end, when one of the professors was really weird about answering one of my questions...which was just a huge red flag for me. 

What schools have you been accepted to? 

I was accepted at UCR and (informally) to UCSD (still awaiting funding). I had Simon and Kevin too! And Jennifer. They were all great in the interview, Simon was the most engaging with me as well, it was more of the rest of the day there I guess, it didn't feel as amazing as the interview which made me second guess the optimism I had during it. I also have heard nothing since the interview, which now was three weeks ago. I interviewed on a day with other sculptors and have heard it is the more competitive medium there as there was a larger applicant pool, which is why I'm guessing none of the other sculptors seem to have heard yet? Maybe I'm getting too impatient, but I'm starting to focus on a decision between UCR and UCSD. Both very different programs, but also were amazing visits, and have since been more engaging since my visits. UCSD, even though I have to receive the official offer with funding, seems like it is going to offer more funding than UCR has, but I'm hoping to negotiate further once I get all offers. I have pros and cons going for both options and it's really starting to drain me how to make a final decision. 

If you, or anyone else, is starting to get multiple offers and having trouble deciding, I'd be curious to hear your process. Or if you have already decided, what it was that helped you make the decision? Most of my friends have already gone through MFA programs and say to focus on the faculty first, and then consider the financial implications. In my case, I wouldn't be stuck with very much (if any) in tuition fees, I will mainly be incurring cost of living debt. Curious what other people are thinking about in this, even though perhaps not all schools have made final decisions.

 

 

 

[cpw0021]

1 minute ago, langley said:

I was accepted at UCR and (informally) to UCSD (still awaiting funding). I had Simon and Kevin too! And Jennifer. They were all great in the interview, Simon was the most engaging with me as well, it was more of the rest of the day there I guess, it didn't feel as amazing as the interview which made me second guess the optimism I had during it. I also have heard nothing since the interview, which now was three weeks ago. I interviewed on a day with other sculptors and have heard it is the more competitive medium there as there was a larger applicant pool, which is why I'm guessing none of the other sculptors seem to have heard yet? Maybe I'm getting too impatient, but I'm starting to focus on a decision between UCR and UCSD. Both very different programs, but also were amazing visits, and have since been more engaging since my visits. UCSD, even though I have to receive the official offer with funding, seems like it is going to offer more funding than UCR has, but I'm hoping to negotiate further once I get all offers. I have pros and cons going for both options and it's really starting to drain me how to make a final decision. 

If you, or anyone else, is starting to get multiple offers and having trouble deciding, I'd be curious to hear your process. Or if you have already decided, what it was that helped you make the decision? Most of my friends have already gone through MFA programs and say to focus on the faculty first, and then consider the financial implications. In my case, I wouldn't be stuck with very much (if any) in tuition fees, I will mainly be incurring cost of living debt. Curious what other people are thinking about in this, even though perhaps not all schools have made final decisions.

 

 

 

I haven't really had a hard time deciding, simply because my interviews have been fairly telling, as well as the feedback I've gotten from others about a number of schools I applied to. I think it would've been harder if I'd gotten into schools that all offered good funding AND where I had a pleasant experience. I've been pretty dead-set on UCI for a while now (even before my interview) for a number of reasons, plus I got a nominated for and received a HUGE fellowship from them for my first year, so they win hands down. I actually just officially accepted today, too.   However, even with the financial part taken care of, if I didn't feel good about the faculty or the environment of the school, I wouldn't go (hence why I applied to no local schools). I honestly consider faculty and funding to be equally weighted, as well as the culture of the program and other resources provided. It's all got to be there or else, no dice. 

[Laceybug]

Got my first acceptance today!!! I didn't even have to interview with CCA. So awesome!! Yes!

[langley]

8 minutes ago, cpw0021 said:

I haven't really had a hard time deciding, simply because my interviews have been fairly telling, as well as the feedback I've gotten from others about a number of schools I applied to. I think it would've been harder if I'd gotten into schools that all offered good funding AND where I had a pleasant experience. I've been pretty dead-set on UCI for a while now (even before my interview) for a number of reasons, plus I got a nominated for and received a HUGE fellowship from them for my first year, so they win hands down. I actually just officially accepted today, too.   However, even with the financial part taken care of, if I didn't feel good about the faculty or the environment of the school, I wouldn't go (hence why I applied to no local schools). I honestly consider faculty and funding to be equally weighted, as well as the culture of the program and other resources provided. It's all got to be there or else, no dice. 

Congrats on accepting!! That has got to feel amazing in itself. I have a few friends there currently and know several graduates of the program and all have high remarks about their experiences! It's a hard decision for me as I have been living in LA for the past 5 years and would really love to stay as close by as possible, hence why I've clung on to all possible local schools. In general though, these three UC's I think are all fabulous programs and have amazing faculty at the moment.  Are you planning to live in Irvine or do the crazy commute from LA?

[cpw0021]

17 minutes ago, langley said:

Congrats on accepting!! That has got to feel amazing in itself. I have a few friends there currently and know several graduates of the program and all have high remarks about their experiences! It's a hard decision for me as I have been living in LA for the past 5 years and would really love to stay as close by as possible, hence why I've clung on to all possible local schools. In general though, these three UC's I think are all fabulous programs and have amazing faculty at the moment.  Are you planning to live in Irvine or do the crazy commute from LA?

Thanks! I think LA is the place to be right now, so I'm really excited to move (clearly you can tell I'm not a fan of Houston, lol)! It's good to hear that current students like the program a lot, too! 

I'm going to live in Irvine or somewhere close by. I want to try to be as frugal as possible so I will likely end up living in the grad. apartments because I don't want to have roommates...I just feel so bad about leaving my little shih tzu behind with my parents (I actually took her from my mother last year, so she's not necessarily my dog). I figure it would be best to come back for her when I know I have the lay of the land. 

Did you feel like, after interviewing/touring, UCSD was fairly tech-leaning though? That's one reason why I didn't apply...

I don't think you can go wrong with either one of those schools, honestly.

Edited March 18, 2016 by cpw0021

[langley]

1 hour ago, cpw0021 said:

Thanks! I think LA is the place to be right now, so I'm really excited to move (clearly you can tell I'm not a fan of Houston, lol)! It's good to hear that current students like the program a lot, too! 

I'm going to live in Irvine or somewhere close by. I want to try to be as frugal as possible so I will likely end up living in the grad. apartments because I don't want to have roommates...I just feel so bad about leaving my little shih tzu behind with my parents (I actually took her from my mother last year, so she's not necessarily my dog). I figure it would be best to come back for her when I know I have the lay of the land. 

Did you feel like, after interviewing/touring, UCSD was fairly tech-leaning though? That's one reason why I didn't apply...

I don't think you can go wrong with either one of those schools, honestly.

UCSD, contrary to the way they bill it, it's not tech-heavy! Sure, it exists, and in some ways the program sees a bit split between non-tech and tech faculty, but overall there seems to be a trend there right now of a lot of painters and sculptors doing some great things. I was also surprised the other candidates interviewing, I don't remember meeting anyone who was tech-centric in their practice.

I only met with the faculty that were more 'maker' types while I was there and had some great conversations. I think even those faculty are a bit frustrated with that tech reputation. Historically it's been a very conceptually oriented school, I think the tech side comes from where the money is flowing into the school, and they want to justify the art school with promoting it that way. Overall it seemed the school had diverse artists working there, and mainly in somewhat more traditional media. I also was timid about applying at first, but I had a chance to visit last fall and was surprised by the reality of the situation. I did hear of some cross-UC courses that have happened between UCI and UCSD students, so if I do end up in SD perhaps we'll see each other in one of those!

And you should definitely live on campus, it sounds like that's what most students do there. And perhaps you could sneak your shih tzu in there eventually.....

 

 

[Barber]

On 3/14/2016 at 6:34 PM, Laceybug said:

So SMFAs website says it was updated last Tuesday and I still haven't heard anything on my decision. Losing my mind. I'm guessing it's another rejection coming my way. Why must they torture me so?  Temple left me this lovely message on my dashboard saying my award was being held up by missing financial aid documents when my application had already been rejected. These admissions departments are so cruel!

SMFA decisions went out at the start of the month. Have you had any luck checking your status through the portal, or received an official letter in the mail?

[scaredapplicant]

On 14 mars 2016 at 6:20 PM, oneagain said:

@junie, @photo, @scaredapplicant, @marg37 we need to start a support group! 

Any news? @junie @oneagain?

[cpw0021]

13 hours ago, langley said:

UCSD, contrary to the way they bill it, it's not tech-heavy! Sure, it exists, and in some ways the program sees a bit split between non-tech and tech faculty, but overall there seems to be a trend there right now of a lot of painters and sculptors doing some great things. I was also surprised the other candidates interviewing, I don't remember meeting anyone who was tech-centric in their practice.

I only met with the faculty that were more 'maker' types while I was there and had some great conversations. I think even those faculty are a bit frustrated with that tech reputation. Historically it's been a very conceptually oriented school, I think the tech side comes from where the money is flowing into the school, and they want to justify the art school with promoting it that way. Overall it seemed the school had diverse artists working there, and mainly in somewhat more traditional media. I also was timid about applying at first, but I had a chance to visit last fall and was surprised by the reality of the situation. I did hear of some cross-UC courses that have happened between UCI and UCSD students, so if I do end up in SD perhaps we'll see each other in one of those!

And you should definitely live on campus, it sounds like that's what most students do there. And perhaps you could sneak your shih tzu in there eventually.....

 

 

Ahh really? Thinking that it was tech-heavy was one of the main reasons I didn't apply. Oh well...I'm happy with UCI. 

Good luck with your decisions--it's tough but it's always nice to have options.

[oneagain]

16 minutes ago, scaredapplicant said:

Any news? @junie @oneagain?

Nada!  @trapnado did you get funding info with your acceptance?

[trapnado]

 

51 minutes ago, oneagain said:

Nada!  @trapnado did you get funding info with your acceptance?

Funding info came later via the online portal

you're asking about Columbia right?

Edited March 18, 2016 by trapnado
Nunya

[Laceybug]

2 hours ago, Barber said:

SMFA decisions went out at the start of the month. Have you had any luck checking your status through the portal, or received an official letter in the mail?

I got a very informal email from my admissions counselor on Wednesday asking me if I had time next week to talk about their program.

[yolandak]

Hi everyone! Has everyone admitted to SAIC already received their financial aid decisions? I am still waiting on mine and they said it would take 4-5 days for an estimate (very close to the April 1 deadline to reply), and I was wondering if anyone with an expected contribution of 0 who has already received their financial aid decision could be so kind to pm me (or post) their package so I can get an idea of how many tens of thousands of dollars I may be looking at in loans

Congrats to everyone who got in!

Basically looking to find out the grant to loan ratio...

Thanks!! 

[sissy_vicious]

This will probably be my last post on here for a while..I was accepted to SAIC's Printmedia MFA program, my #1 choice, on Thursday, 3/10 after interviewing on campus on Saturday, 2/27. I opened my official acceptance and financial aid letters on Monday, 3/14 to find out I have been offered the department-based Dean's Scholarship equating to 1/3 of tuition! As a result, I will be relocating to Chicago and attending this fall!

I think this website gave me a lot of unnecessary anxiety during the interview and admissions processes. There seems to be a lot of inaccurate information circulating around boards like this, so my advice is to be patient and get the facts straight from the school if you can. Otherwise, some things are worth the wait, albeit excruciating towards the end.

Good luck to everyone in your endeavors!

[aiaiai]

20 hours ago, cpw0021 said:

Accepted at CalArts via email earlier this afternoon. 

@cpw0021 did your applicant page update? I just hate to wait...even if it's a rejection I just want to know now...

[cpw0021]

1 minute ago, aiaiai said:

@cpw0021 did your applicant page update? I just hate to wait...even if it's a rejection I just want to know now...

Yes, I got an email saying to check it and on the first page there was a link to a decision. 

I've already declined so that'll make room for someone else. Hope you get in! 

[langley]

2 hours ago, cpw0021 said:

Ahh really? Thinking that it was tech-heavy was one of the main reasons I didn't apply. Oh well...I'm happy with UCI. 

Good luck with your decisions--it's tough but it's always nice to have options.

Yeah and honestly I think UCI is a better place for integrating into Los Angeles if you're new to the area. It's a lot closer than SD and therefore you'll probably spend more time there.

 

[aiaiai]

15 minutes ago, cpw0021 said:

Yes, I got an email saying to check it and on the first page there was a link to a decision. 

I've already declined so that'll make room for someone else. Hope you get in! 

thanks, that's kind of you...I don't even know if I could possibly afford it since I'm not from the US and therefore less likely to get scholarships etc. But I would just like to know in order to take further life decisions

[SalmonJerky]

1 hour ago, sissy_vicious said:

This will probably be my last post on here for a while..I was accepted to SAIC's Printmedia MFA program, my #1 choice, on Thursday, 3/10 after interviewing on campus on Saturday, 2/27. I opened my official acceptance and financial aid letters on Monday, 3/14 to find out I have been offered the department-based Dean's Scholarship equating to 1/3 of tuition! As a result, I will be relocating to Chicago and attending this fall!

I think this website gave me a lot of unnecessary anxiety during the interview and admissions processes. There seems to be a lot of inaccurate information circulating around boards like this, so my advice is to be patient and get the facts straight from the school if you can. Otherwise, some things are worth the wait, albeit excruciating towards the end.

Good luck to everyone in your endeavors!

Totally digging this

[Relm]

5 hours ago, yolandak said:

Hi everyone! Has everyone admitted to SAIC already received their financial aid decisions? I am still waiting on mine and they said it would take 4-5 days for an estimate (very close to the April 1 deadline to reply), and I was wondering if anyone with an expected contribution of 0 who has already received their financial aid decision could be so kind to pm me (or post) their package so I can get an idea of how many tens of thousands of dollars I may be looking at in loans

Congrats to everyone who got in!

Basically looking to find out the grant to loan ratio...

Thanks!! 

SAIC offered me $16k per year (which I believe was need-based; also had 0 estimated contribution); got the letter this week. Personally, for me, that's not enough, because tuition alone is ~$48k, not to mention living expenses, so loans on the order of $40k/year would have to make up the difference -- totally beyond my comfort zone. But I hope they give you what you need!

Edited March 18, 2016 by Relm

[hypoart]

I've finally received all of my decisions. Feeling relieved. This has been one wild ride, y'all. 

Good luck with making your final decisions. Is there a gradcafe post MFA internet reunion? See you on the other side in 2/3 years haha

[Tenbu]

Just got my rejection letter from University of Washington in painting. Good luck to those who were accepted still in the running for a couple of schools

[stitcher]

8 hours ago, yolandak said:

Hi everyone! Has everyone admitted to SAIC already received their financial aid decisions? I am still waiting on mine and they said it would take 4-5 days for an estimate.

I also have not received any financial aid decision from SAIC.

[grandguignol]

damn, I just got into iu Bloomington with a really good offer, after I'd already decided I was reapplying to schools next year. feeling very indecisive!  

Edited March 19, 2016 by grandguignol

[looingk]

nothing yet from oregon, did u guys hear anything?

Edited March 19, 2016 by looingk