MFA 2017 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!

[desertdog]

1 hour ago, YayYayYay said:

I just received an interview invite from them. The first after a series of rejections ^.^;;

Congrats! I get that ship has sailed for me!  Bummer 

[MonkeyPants]

Welp, rejected from MECA. Which is a shame, because the program was very attractive to me. 
At least I have the consolation of a SAIC admit. Still waiting on a decision from SFAI after my interview, too.

 

 

[Tyra1992]

1 hour ago, YayYayYay said:

I just received an interview invite from them. The first after a series of rejections ^.^;;

Congrats!!! 

[YayYayYay]

@Tyra1992 @desertdog Thank you! And I think they may still be contacting people. This seems a little too soon for NYU.

[ouchfinger]

Hi, did anyone hear from CalArts Program in Art? I am dying of anxiety here... 

[sylviecerise]

2 hours ago, artdreamer said:

Wow, so exited to see someone with almost same experience as me. Now that you've seen both the Mathematics and art world, did you achieve what you expected after changing your field? Are you satisfied with your decision now? I wish I did what I'm doing now when I was in my undergrad years. I had much fewer things to lose back then.

But I have big hopes for future  

Thanks for your tips by the way  

I'm not sure what my expectations were when I made the full switch—it was kind of a "fuck it, I'll just take the leap." I was very, very new to the art world and had no idea how it operated. All I knew was that math was making me miserable—the department was very theory oriented and expected you to go into pure mathematics grad school. A lot of people told me that those who hated the real analysis sequence would do better & enjoy algebra, but my first quarter into algebra I realized it just wasn't for me. It was really scary thinking about post-graduation & finding a job. I begged my mum to let me go to UChicago even though I got a full scholarship at Purdue and Hunter bc I thought it would best prepare me to become a physicist. The call to tell her I was switching my major to just visual arts was terrifying. Luckily she was supportive. 

Somehow things have worked out really well & I have no regrets. I've had a ton of plain luck, like my job going remote last year which has allowed me to spend a ton of time in my studio with strong financial support. Sometimes things are tough not having gone to an art school—most of my close friends aren't artists and don't really get it. I had to seek out a network of art buddies, which can be hard as an introvert. I think having the discipline of STEM makes the hard work of being an artist come more naturally. My stress tolerance is definitely higher. Putting a ton of hours into something you love is so, so, so much more tolerable than doing something that makes you bitter.

Best of luck!!!! I'm sure that you'll find immense satisfaction.  One of the most encouraging things an artist told me is that if you keep working as an artist for 10~20 years, you will have a career out of it. Maybe you won't be in the Whitney Biennial, but you will be an artist. Know it's hard, but don't give up!

[jpm]

On 2/20/2017 at 2:59 PM, jschut said:

Anyone hear from Alfred, I'm waiting for there response. Applied for the ceramics MFA

Other schools I applied to:

GSU- no decision on file (know someone who was waitlisted)

Nebraska Lincoln- Response is in the post without a phone interview (does that mean rejection?)

Illinois State- Awaiting Department Review

Ohio University (Athens)- Awaiting Department Review

 

Is it abnormal to not have a response yet? I assume GSU and Lincoln are rejections based on what I know, but did anyone hear anything from the other schools listed?

I also haven't heard from Ohio University yet, i have a friend who got accepted into Alfred a few days ago. As for Illinois State, i did my undergrad there so if you have any questions about the department feel free to send me a message. 

[crembrule]

@Poodle-Doodle @bunkerhill

for you ucla finalist email, was it as a finalist in general? or was it sculpture/media specific? is it an invite for interviews, or you have been recommended to the graduate admissions committee as a finalist? Can you please give us as much info as possible for all the people who are dying on here! thanks :0

Edited February 22, 2017 by crembrule

[desertdog]

1 hour ago, YayYayYay said:

@Tyra1992 @desertdog Thank you! And I think they may still be contacting people. This seems a little too soon for NYU.

It does seem pretty early. do you have a link to your work I would love to see!

[Vespertine]

44 minutes ago, sylviecerise said:

Sometimes things are tough not having gone to an art school—most of my close friends aren't artists and don't really get it. 

This is so, so true. 

I'm very excited to be surrounded by artists in grad school. 

Edited February 22, 2017 by Vespertine

[Apple_J]

7 hours ago, oliveoil said:

Thanks!

Yes! I interviewed with them yesterday. Everybody there is so nice and so friendly! The interview process is very casual and is more of a conversation then a formal interview. I think that they are trying to curate a good group of people that will all mesh together! 

Don't be nervous!  Good luck!!! 

 

I see! That's good to know. Thanks for your encouragement!  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, BlCEO said:

Hey welcome.  I'm a software engineer. But not international hah.

Thanks. Software engineering is an interesting field and it can also be combined with arts  ...  I studied Industrial engineering (the farthest field you can imagine from art haha)... I can't think of any way to relate my engineering field with arts :)))). So I simply should just forget about all things I've learnt for almost 6 years. Such a waste of time!

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Vespertine said:

 

 

Like @sylviecerise, I was originally a STEM major (for 2.5 years) too! While it's not nearly the same as having a master's in engineering, I can relate. I'm so much happier than I would've been. 

I'm not sure what your work is like, but definitely expect some questions about the intersection of your work and engineering, or if you've ever thought to combine them. One of the best artists I knew in undergrad was an art/engineering double major, and her work really brilliantly drew on engineering. But it's also fair to completely separate the two. Either way, your story might make you a memorable candidate. 

As for reaching out to professors, I've never heard of anyone getting admitted like that. But it doesn't hurt to talk to some beforehand. I wouldn't send unsolicited emails, but if you contact the graduate admissions departments at the schools you're interested in, they might connect you to relevant professors. Going to a graduate portfolio review day also really helped me (though I realize this would be tough since you're international). I ended up emailing with several professors afterwards, which I think might've helped me out.

First of all, thanks so much for telling me about your experience and for answering my question. It war really helpful . I'm so glad that I found this forum by accident. You guys are really inspiring. Actually I've studied Industrial Engineering. I don't know if you are familiar with this field or not but it is so far from art. I don't know how I can combine so many nonsense formulas for making a company do its works in a more efficient way with painting or sculpting LOL. I mean even mechanical engineering can be more related than my field :))). The reason I made this stupid choice 7 years ago was that I thought I can make money by engineering and then invest my money on doing art works . Although I did art works during the last 7 years, it took me so long to realize I can't be a professional artist unless I just concentrate on arts. The stupid Idea of making money by engineering and being a professional artist at the same time wasn't really practical haha. 

I'm an international living in Riverside, California right now. I don't know anything about "graduate portfolio review day". what is it? I don't think UCR, UCI, and USC have such an event. do they?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, sylviecerise said:

I'm not sure what my expectations were when I made the full switch—it was kind of a "fuck it, I'll just take the leap." I was very, very new to the art world and had no idea how it operated. All I knew was that math was making me miserable—the department was very theory oriented and expected you to go into pure mathematics grad school. A lot of people told me that those who hated the real analysis sequence would do better & enjoy algebra, but my first quarter into algebra I realized it just wasn't for me. It was really scary thinking about post-graduation & finding a job. I begged my mum to let me go to UChicago even though I got a full scholarship at Purdue and Hunter bc I thought it would best prepare me to become a physicist. The call to tell her I was switching my major to just visual arts was terrifying. Luckily she was supportive. 

Somehow things have worked out really well & I have no regrets. I've had a ton of plain luck, like my job going remote last year which has allowed me to spend a ton of time in my studio with strong financial support. Sometimes things are tough not having gone to an art school—most of my close friends aren't artists and don't really get it. I had to seek out a network of art buddies, which can be hard as an introvert. I think having the discipline of STEM makes the hard work of being an artist come more naturally. My stress tolerance is definitely higher. Putting a ton of hours into something you love is so, so, so much more tolerable than doing something that makes you bitter.

Best of luck!!!! I'm sure that you'll find immense satisfaction.  One of the most encouraging things an artist told me is that if you keep working as an artist for 10~20 years, you will have a career out of it. Maybe you won't be in the Whitney Biennial, but you will be an artist. Know it's hard, but don't give up!

Thanks so much for the time you put to write about your experiences. It really means so much to me. Now I'm more confident about what I am doing even if I don't get admitted this year. I really need to be in an art atmosphere after spending so many years in engineering. I need to be near people with same thoughts and same interests as me. being an artist in an engineering university is like being an alien in another planet.

"I think having the discipline of STEM makes the hard work of being an artist come more naturally." I think you're totally right. I even published some papers related to my last field of study during my master's years so I'm completely used to the pressure of being a grad student. I'll do my best to be successful in arts

Wish you luck and thanks for your guidance again  

 

 

[Vespertine]

6 hours ago, artdreamer said:

First of all, thanks so much for telling me about your experience and for answering my question. It war really helpful . I'm so glad that I found this forum by accident. You guys are really inspiring. Actually I've studied Industrial Engineering. I don't know if you are familiar with this field or not but it is so far from art. I don't know how I can combine so many nonsense formulas for making a company do its works in a more efficient way with painting or sculpting LOL. I mean even mechanical engineering can be more related than my field :))). The reason I made this stupid choice 7 years ago was that I thought I can make money by engineering and then invest my money on doing art works . Although I did art works during the last 7 years, it took me so long to realize I can't be a professional artist unless I just concentrate on arts. The stupid Idea of making money by engineering and being a professional artist at the same time wasn't really practical haha. 

I'm an international living in Riverside, California right now. I don't know anything about "graduate portfolio review day". what is it? I don't think UCR, UCI, and USC have such an event. do they?

Most artists have day jobs, even some of the ones you might think of as "successful" artists, so don't worry about it being a stupid idea! It's totally reasonable. 

Portfolio reviews are events where you bring a portfolio of your work to receive feedback, both on the work itself and on the way you have selected and arranged it. If there are particular schools you are interested in, you can also learn more about their programs and connect with some of the professors. The graduate portfolio review days were in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco in 2016 (http://portfolioday.net/graduate-events).

I don't think any of the schools you listed participated, but it's a helpful event regardless, especially if you never had to put together portfolios as an undergrad. Plus (at least for photographers, can't speak for painting/sculpture) there are plenty of portfolio reviews that aren't connected to grad schools, or you could look for other events in your area meant to connect artists. A lot of the people who studied art in undergrad might have a leg up in terms of knowing how to present and (especially) write about their work. 

[dunton]

17 hours ago, artdreamer said:

I haven't received any feedback from them yet! I was started worrying. 

Some word on UC Riverside here.  Got a call yesterday from Yunhee Min telling me I got waitlisted.  So, I think they've made decisions.  She was incredibly nice and explained they only had 4 positions this year.  Still holding out hope someone will drop and I can get in! Anyone get in? 

 

Northwestern interview 2/25

Cornell interview 3/6

University of Wisconsin waitlisted

UC Riverside waitlisted

Edited February 22, 2017 by dunton

[ArtDoc]

Got an email from University of Notre Dame this morning. Interview on Friday!! WOOT WOOT!

[Cengstro]

28 minutes ago, dunton said:

Some word on UC Riverside here.  Got a call yesterday from Yunhee Min telling me I got waitlisted.  So, I think they've made decisions.  She was incredibly nice and explained they only had 4 positions this year.  Still holding out hope someone will drop and I can get in! Anyone get in? 

 

Northwestern interview 2/25

Cornell interview 3/6

University of Wisconsin waitlisted

UC Riverside waitlisted

Hey thanks for this info, I still haven't heard anything from them.

Dear Yunhee Min -- please call me!

Anyone hear from UCLA ceramics?

[dunton]

Just now, Cengstro said:

Hey thanks for this info, I still haven't heard anything from them.

Dear Yunhee Min -- please call me!

Anyone hear from UCLA ceramics?

Are you headed to Evanston on Saturday?

[Cengstro]

2 minutes ago, dunton said:

Are you headed to Evanston on Saturday?

Yeaup. 

Should be fun. Are you?

[dunton]

1 minute ago, Cengstro said:

Yeaup. 

Should be fun. Are you?

Yeah! See you there!

[wompwompwomp]

Hey so has anyone in painting heard back from RISD regarding interviews or otherwise??

And is it true that Tyler is not interviewing this year? I feel like I keep on reading conflicting info. 

[eyerolling]

For the international students: do you all have TOEFL? 

 

[bblox]

1 hour ago, eyerolling said:

For the international students: do you all have TOEFL? 

 

I do as it seems to be required. I did try to get it waived when I was applying last year, but apparently one semester at a US school, a long-term relationship with an americanand an american step-dad are not sufficient...

tbh the only thing that bothered me about having to do it is that it's so expensive. found the test to be fairly easy

[Xndr]

Still waiting in anticipation for the final call from RCA after my interview two weeks ago, but I got an email from Goldsmiths for an interview on March 16th! Will anyone else be there? Their email was really clear about the interview process and questions (discuss one piece in your portfolio, why did you choose Goldsmiths, and questions you have for them), so I'm much less nervous than for RCA.