Directing MFA 2016? Who else is looking?

[mr.taco]

@pghCreatureShop had those directors received call backs?

[alma_the_wolf]

@mr.taco (finally got the hang of this tagging thing) I don't believe so. None of them mentioned it, but that could also just be them being cagey/not wanting to tell people what happened. 

From what I'm reading/hearing, it sounds like they did a first round of rejections and are evaluating the rest of the pool (with the March 1 extension being for something else... it's the most confusing thing to me, honestly. Since you interview after you apply... would that mean they would be holding interviews through March and April? Do you have any thoughts on that?).

My partner's mum is the head of a department (undisclosed, but not directing) at CMU Drama (and he grew up in the school, basically... imagine a small child sleeping in fabric bins and helping frantic grad students with busywork). He told me that this seems odd, but that it's nothing to be overly concerned about. THAT and CMU had that massive scandal where they accidentally sent out hundreds of false acceptances last year... so they might be trying to be careful...

[mr.taco]

@pghCreatureShop That was, like, my favorite scandal ever...my boyfriend and I still talk about it all the time. Thank you very, very much for your information! You are super duper welcome to keep kicking it on the director's thread!!!!

[alma_the_wolf]

@mr.taco It caused such a stir! Luckily drama or art wasn't affected by those shenanigans (I think the admissions process for those schools differs from, say, computer science or engineering), but it was terrible for the school. I bet that all the departments at CMU are being SUPER careful this year to make sure that doesn't happen again. 

And no problem! I was admittedly watching the CMU results postings and these threads and when I saw that no one knew what was going on with CMU, I figured I should share the info I had to possibly ease some minds, haha. And yay! haha. I might just! If anyone has any questions about Pittsburgh/CMU/other things, I've lived here my entire life (no joke) and can answer questions. It's good to make friends with other folks in theater too!

Break legs, y'all! 

[mwatt]

@bluebane congrats on Indiana!!!!!! That is such wonderful news!!! 

@mr.taco I am in the same wired boat when it comes to CMU. I have not gotten a official rejection and I also have not gotten a phone call. Super wired. Part of me dose not want to get my hopes up though. 

I also got the Yale and Brown rejection letters. With Yale I was heart broken with Brown I totally understood. Wrong school for me. 

On the Yale thing. I do know one of the director who got an offer. We did the Lincoln Center Directors Lab last summer together. They are 26/27 but I will say they have a killer killer resume. Major Fellowship and assistantships. Don't know if this makes anyone one feel better or worse. For me it was kinda nice to know one of the director who got in, they are not magical unicorns who are so much more talent. Just different stage in their career and different vision and aesthetic.  

good luck to all  

[directMontana]

@voldy24601 Have you heard anything from Illinois State University?

[bluebane]

Question for the group -- since I've accepted my offer at Indiana, do you think it's necessary or polite to contact Boston and let them know I'm out of the running?

@directMontana, I haven't heard anything from ISU, for what that's worth.

[voldy24601]

@directMontana Radio silence from ISU. I e-mailed them last week asking if decisions were still ongoing...nothing

@bluebane I think sending Boston an E-mail just to update them would be cool.

I fly out to Northwestern on Thursday. Unless I hear back from ISU, which I'm feeling skeptical about, it looks like it'll be Northwestern or bust.
Good luck fellow Directors!

[alma_the_wolf]

CMU saying that they're sending out results "very soon"; the head of graduate admissions is out (it's spring break here) this week, so there's a fair chance nothing will be sent out this week unless they don't need him to make the decision. 

@voldy24601 I'm not in Directing, but I have an interview at Northwestern on March 18! Have fun! :D!

[mr.taco]

After seven different roundtrip flights in less than two months and a checking account that's substantially slimmer, I experienced a sigh of relief yesterday. I was accepted by DePaul! I am elated. I am still waiting to hear from UCLA and Ohio, as well as the ever-elusive Carnegie Mellon. 

[bluebane]

@mr.taco yay!!!! Go team!!!

[mwatt]

YAY @mr.taco thats awesome!!! 

[voldy24601]

Congrats @mr.taco! That's awesome!

[mr.taco]

Hey, guys! Yesterday I got a call from Ohio University! @bluebane and I talked about pros and cons between DePaul and Ohio. It was SO helpful and never would have happened without this forum!! So.....does anyone know a resource that lists micro scholarships for grad school anyone can apply for??

[mlev80]

Oh jeez you guys. I really wish I knew about this forum earlier. Would've saved me countless hours trolling the results page. Sorry for the long post, but gotta catch up! Freelance theater maker in NYC, been out of undergrad for a dozen plus years, figured why not send some apps in for this year and see what happens. Only applied to CMU and CalArts.

CalArts made it to the interview stage (in NYC on January 30th). Met with Travis the head of the program, he said they were only interviewing 15 out of 150, and that there was no auditions after this. I know interviews wrapped up mid-February. I reached out to Amanda in admissions re: notifications and she replied on March 4th "We are hoping to send out our notifications within the next week or two. Thanks for your patience." So who knows. I know Travis isn't actually there this semester, so I wonder if things are being held up because of that?

CMU -- oh boy. Skype interview like the rest of you. Fairly unexciting and tough to get a good read on Caden. He said that they would reach out end of Feb/top of March with auditions in the spring, and that there were 42 candidates that he had to narrow down to 6. I do know that none of my work sample videos or photo slideshow in my portfolio were ever watched (because I can track the vimeo links), so I find that pretty crappy with so few applicants. BUT here's where it gets better -- I start chatting with the person interviewing at CalArts right before me (cause we're stuck in the 37th floor hallway of a hotel in times square and the interviews are running 90 minutes behind schedule) and we are talking about the admission process. Turns out we both applied to CMU.

HER: Oh did you hear back yet?

ME: No, did you?

HER: Oh. Well now I don't want to tell you because you'll feel bad.

Turns out she got the callback shortly after the first interview and was headed down there in mid-Feb for it. Of course she tells me this right before the CalArts interview and then is in there for AN HOUR (scheduled for 30 minutes). Which means my interview gets cut really short because he's running out of time. Oy.

Then I see on the search forum (one of you perhaps?) saying that CMU rejection letters start coming in mid/late Feb. But I still haven't received anything...

Talked to someone else recently who went there years ago (before Caden). He has a friend who just got accepted. But I'm sure she's probably waiting to hear from other programs before accepting the offer or not. So I guess those of us who haven't been contacted yet or rejected are maybe shortlisted for another round of callbacks if they don't get their other picks? My friend said he auditioned in April when he went.

Well that's all from me...

 

 

 

[mlev80]

@UnrulyMop -- hi, I just read thru the forum and saw you interviewed with CalArts. how did it go for you? have you heard a peep yet?

[mlev80]

(and what do you know -- just got my calarts rejection) good luck to everyone!

[bluebane]

@mlev80, welcome! Sounds like you've had a ride this year.

For anyone concerned about Boston, I just received an email that I'm a finalist there. I have to decline the visit, as I've already accepted Indiana's offer, but I hadn't notified them since I haven't signed my documents yet.

[Directorial]

Hey all, lots of action lately it seems. I too got my official CalArts rejection notice today. 

Congrats on DePaul and Ohio, @mr.taco!

 

 

[bluebane]

Got the Northwestern rejection today... man, it still stings so hard that I didn't even score an interview with them.

Edited March 17, 2016 by bluebane

[mlev80]

anyone hear anything at all from CMU? @mr.taco? @mwatt?

the person that I knew had a callback accepted her slot. not sure if their waiting to hear about the second offer before they formally deal with us?

I mean 99.9% sure that it's a no, just frustrating that there is no rejection from them and no response when you write to check-in... 

[mr.taco]

Nah, I'm over those dudes. Haven't heard a peep, @mlev80!

[mwatt]

@mlev80 I have heard nothing!!! which is actually driving me a little nuts. If I am reject ( which at this point I assume I am) have the decency to at least tell me! Or at least respond to my dam email. 

[UnrulyMop]

So sorry to hear about everyone's troubles with Carnegie Mellon!  

On the good news end, I've been waitlisted at both DePaul and CalArts, but more excitingly, accepted a spot at University of Washington.  

So glad to finally be done with my process!  And many many best wishes to all of you on yours!

[bluebane]

Congrats, @UnrulyMop!!!