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

[KatieB1987]

6 minutes ago, meghanmetier said:

That'd be awesome if you got us in contact!  Yea expenses would rise, but I'm living on such little because I'm making that much, ugh.  I'm hoping at least moving to NY would provide opportunity to not work just as a babysitter and barista 

I will hop right on it and report back!

And honestly, you could make some good cash babysitting in New York... some people will pay $25-$35 an hour for sitters! Not too bad, especially if it involves being there while a kid sleeps and you're getting some reading done for class while getting paid  

[meghanmetier]

44 minutes ago, KatieB1987 said:

I will hop right on it and report back!

And honestly, you could make some good cash babysitting in New York... some people will pay $25-$35 an hour for sitters! Not too bad, especially if it involves being there while a kid sleeps and you're getting some reading done for class while getting paid  

I'm really hoping to get some actual serving experience so when I move I can actually make some lucrative cash...

[Gwhar1]

23 hours ago, Franky Wang said:

Accepted by Parsons Design & Technology! Excited!

Hell yes!! 

[oliveoil]

On 3/10/2017 at 10:02 PM, sylviecerise said:

Thank you!!! 

:/ It's an accomplishment to get on the waitlist though! Hoping that a spot opens up for you! 

 

On 3/10/2017 at 10:38 PM, BlCEO said:

ahh bummer :-/ but also semi-cool.  I hope you get it!

Thank you!! Fingers crossed!! 

[MariaTheGreat]

Hey no peeps on Boston? No one answered me. I want to know about BU and life in Boston.

[eyerolling]

On 3/12/2017 at 2:00 AM, Gwhar1 said:

 

Hey Gwhart1, I just mentioned Glasgow as a good school because I know people who went there and really liked it. But I'm sure Purchase is also nice! Wish you the best!

For everyone else, thank you for these thoughts around the MFA itself, super interesting!

 

 

[PhDFall2021]

Has anyone heard back from Pratt's Performance Studies Program or Hunter Integrated Meda Arts MFA?

[AnniKatt]

On 3/10/2017 at 4:39 PM, Causofit said:

LOL, can you forward me this quiz?

Very late response, but here you go!

[Samanthafay]

On Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 4:57 AM, MariaTheGreat said:

New here. Waitin to hear from Boston U for sculpture. Anyone else? Got info about the program? Guess it ain't funded so not sure if the debt is worth it. Boston is a tight city. Might not be good for sculpture though. Hit me up!

I was waitlisted for BU, but i was really impressed with the school an studios when i interviewed there. They offer funding up to half off tuition i think. Boston was amazing, but so expensive.

[tugbamina_871]

23 hours ago, Poodle-Doodle said:

I STRONGLY recommend reading Sharon Louden's new book Artist as Cultural Producer!!!!!! Sharon herself went to SAIC, then to Yale and graduated with more than a 100K in student debt in 91, which would be equivalent of more than 200K today. She managed to pay it off in 10 years. Artist as Cultural Producer is beautifully written and includes stories by 40 artists sharing their way of figuring out this madness of making a sustainable living as an artist.

Judging from what @tugbamina_871, @KatieB1987, @dmirko and others are saying you would enjoy reading the book or seeing her on tour with the book. There really isn't a right or wrong, black or white way to be an artist much less making a living as an artist. It is icky and messy and nuanced. #staywoke

Thanks! This looks like an amazing read!

 

21 hours ago, KatieB1987 said:

@Artsy2017

If time and finances really are of the essence, then I would look very carefully at what MFA programs fit those needs. I don't know where you applied this year, but if finance is an issue then steer clear of anything in New York where your living costs will definitely be higher than other cities. There are great programs in smaller cities and towns where you could still easily take a train into New York to get your gallery/museum/big city fix. Also talk to each of the schools you are considering about financial support. Some offer more beyond tuition coverage, such as living stipends (for example, Tyler gives each of its students $4800 per semester as a living stipend. They're not making it rain, but it definitely helps). Ask schools what kinds of job opportunities they offer... many schools have positions for grad students to be studio techs, wood shop monitors, gallery installers, etc. Some schools pay for health care, or part of it. So, in short, call the schools you were accepted to and find out all you can about the possibilities to make things slightly easier for you financially. Also, if you decide to wait until next year, applying to residencies is a great option to still get some amazing artistic experiences. Best of luck! Here's hoping you can have your art cake and eat it too!

@felixo

So well said! And I totally agreed. Again folks, sorry to diverge for a bit, but I do think it's important to discuss the realities of taking on an MFA and what that means for your career. I'm sure we all wish it was a reality that getting an MFA equated a plethora of well-paying teaching opportunities in exciting locations, but unfortunately that's not the reality. Regardless, I think it's awesome to be witness to such a motivated bunch of artists from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences so revved up to take on grad school. As a supportive lil forum, I definitely appreciate this dialogue! 

@tugbamina_871

Congratulations on the acceptance to SAIC! It honestly sounds like it would be very difficult for you and your family, however, to raise a child while parents are in different parts of the country and one is in grad school. I know the "wait until next year" chorus isn't what you want to hear, but a great example would be a friend of mine who reapplied a second time and was offered a full ride to Yale, with a living stipend. I'm not saying that's what's going to happen for everyone, but there definitely is an advantage for those who have already been through the process once and have gained so much more knowledge from it (and from forums like this one!), and developed their work more, that their applications will be much stronger the second time around. Sounds like you need to do some thinking and decide if it's more important for you to dive into grad school right now, or rethink what schools you'd like to go to in order to make family life and finances easier. I wish you all the best, and seriously admire you for juggling a wee babe with the grad school process!

@Poodle-Doodle

YES! This book is fantastic! Sharon offers such great insight and advice, all the while making it very clear that yep, there is absolutely no one way to be an artist. And that's a beautiful thing.

Thanks for the sound advice and your kind words! I think I will reapply, although I am slightly fearful that whatever turned them off this year may persevere. But who knows? I think the only way is up! 

Where will you attend? Are you excited? 

[Gwhar1]

6 hours ago, eyerolling said:

Hey Gwhart1, I just mentioned Glasgow as a good school because I know people who went there and really liked it. But I'm sure Purchase is also nice! Wish you the best!

For everyone else, thank you for these thoughts around the MFA itself, super interesting!

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to endorse GSA. It is good to know students have had good experiences. I hadn't known much about GSA (aside from the Jenny Seville connection) until one of my professors (a Scotsman), after seeing my work, said I need to look into it. That was over a year ago and since then I have learned much about the program, the alums who have represented at the Venice Biennale, and the Turner prize winners. Prestige and pedigree is nice but the thing that attracted me most was that the GSA MFA student work I saw on line. Some of the best work of all the MFA shows I looked at! (PennDesign and UCLA are the other schools who (100% subjective) had the strongest student work) ) And GSA is on the list of international schools that cooperates with the US Federal Loan Program. I interviewed but at this point have not been offered acceptance. I'll update as things progress. 

[Poodle-Doodle]

I got into Sam Fox, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri! 

[sylviecerise]

13 minutes ago, Poodle-Doodle said:

I got into Sam Fox, Washington University in St.Louis, Missouri! 

You in the MFA game: 

[KatieB1987]

2 hours ago, tugbamina_871 said:

Thanks! This looks like an amazing read!

 

Thanks for the sound advice and your kind words! I think I will reapply, although I am slightly fearful that whatever turned them off this year may persevere. But who knows? I think the only way is up! 

Where will you attend? Are you excited? 

Personally I believe that an application can only get stronger with more experience under one's belt. I wish you lots of luck next time around!

I got a full ride to Tyler... pretty hard to pass up and I'm mucho excited about their program, so I accepted their offer! Hurray!

[KatieB1987]

@meghanmetier I heard back from my friend and she recommends asking for as much funding as Pratt can offer you, and said that they have an abundance of jobs on campus for grad students... anything from studio techs and shop monitors to desk work in the admissions/administrative offices. From what she said, tuition definitely is more than it should be, but the school really does what it can to help make things easier for you as a student. Also, she recommends being in touch with the admin to see what they can do for you in regards to housing, as there are housing options for grad students that will definitely be cheaper than what you'll find via Craigslist in Brooklyn. Hope that helps!

[Gwhar1]

36 minutes ago, KatieB1987 said:

Personally I believe that an application can only get stronger with more experience under one's belt. I wish you lots of luck next time around!

I got a full ride to Tyler... pretty hard to pass up and I'm mucho excited about their program, so I accepted their offer! Hurray!

Congrats on Tyler!! No way to passing on that

[Gwhar1]

1 hour ago, Poodle-Doodle said:

I got into Sam Fox, Washington University in St.Louis, Missouri! 

You are killing it! Congrats again!!

[eyerolling]

1 hour ago, Poodle-Doodle said:

I got into Sam Fox, Washington University in St.Louis, Missouri! 

Poodle Doodle, wow after wow!! Congrats!! Have you decided where you are going to go?

[Artsy2017]

Is is safe to say that if we haven't interviewed with Columbia by now, there is no chance? Also heard they're still reviewing and will take till April to respond. 

[chikapea]

4 hours ago, Samanthafay said:

I was waitlisted for BU, but i was really impressed with the school an studios when i interviewed there. They offer funding up to half off tuition i think. Boston was amazing, but so expensive.

@MariaTheGreat  I was accepted as well and am curious about the program. I know Josephine is doing some great things. Would love to visit but I'm not sure if that's going to be possible before I have to make a decision.  @Samanthafay when you interviewed were you able to talk to any of the current students? Were the studios a good size and private? Thanks!!

[StarryNight_1]

Hi! 
I'm 22 years old and I wanted to apply for an MFA to the US. 
I don't have a Bachelors in Fine Art, but I've learnt it informally. 
I'm scared as hell, and I don't even know if applying would just be a colossal waste of money and time or if I stand a chance. 
I studied Political Science and History, and then did a fellowship for a year. I'd appreciate any help from you guys. And all the best to all of you awaiting decisions xx 

[Vespertine]

2 minutes ago, StarryNight_1 said:

Hi! 
I'm 22 years old and I wanted to apply for an MFA to the US. 
I don't have a Bachelors in Fine Art, but I've learnt it informally. 
I'm scared as hell, and I don't even know if applying would just be a colossal waste of money and time or if I stand a chance. 
I studied Political Science and History, and then did a fellowship for a year. I'd appreciate any help from you guys. And all the best to all of you awaiting decisions xx 

There are many people who get an MFA despite not having studied art as an undergrad! I would even say it's a fairly common reason people get an MFA. 

All that truly matters is your portfolio, not your undergrad degree. I would look at the student work coming out of the programs you are interested in to see if they seem like a good fit for the type of work you do (and if your work is near the level they expect from their grad students). 

If you don't have much experience writing about your art, I'd recommend reading a lot of essays, exhibition reviews, and even other artists' statements. That can help you prepare to write about your work for your applications. If you're friends with any other artists, I'd also ask them to help you edit your portfolio and read over your statement! 

[Gwhar1]

3 minutes ago, StarryNight_1 said:

Hi! 
I'm 22 years old and I wanted to apply for an MFA to the US. 
I don't have a Bachelors in Fine Art, but I've learnt it informally. 
I'm scared as hell, and I don't even know if applying would just be a colossal waste of money and time or if I stand a chance. 
I studied Political Science and History, and then did a fellowship for a year. I'd appreciate any help from you guys. And all the best to all of you awaiting decisions xx 

I had a conversation with an international student last year who told me how she had earned a degree in finance at a US college but took a few art courses as electives. After graduation she knew she wanted to persue her practice. She took a year to compile a portfolio and applied to 13 MFA programs, was rejected from 11 and interviewed at 2. She was happy with her MFA experience was going at Hunter and suggested I apply. I did and I was rejected. Next month, I will have a BFA. Her story was and is inspiring to me as it is evidence of opportunities being available where I may have though there weren't. The fact that I wasn't accepted does not change that because she was and thats the proof. 

[StarryNight_1]

21 minutes ago, Gwhar1 said:

I had a conversation with an international student last year who told me how she had earned a degree in finance at a US college but took a few art courses as electives. After graduation she knew she wanted to persue her practice. She took a year to compile a portfolio and applied to 13 MFA programs, was rejected from 11 and interviewed at 2. She was happy with her MFA experience was going at Hunter and suggested I apply. I did and I was rejected. Next month, I will have a BFA. Her story was and is inspiring to me as it is evidence of opportunities being available where I may have though there weren't. The fact that I wasn't accepted does not change that because she was and thats the proof. 

Thank you for taking the time to write back!
I know this will sound incredibly gloomy, but seeing the quality of work people on this forum have done in order to get admitted into an MFA, I don't think I have it in me or stand a chance and I'm literally in tears. I really want to make this work, but I cannot think of practical ways of making up for the lack of a BFA. Will interning with people help, or is that going to be a waste of time? 

[StarryNight_1]

27 minutes ago, Vespertine said:

There are many people who get an MFA despite not having studied art as an undergrad! I would even say it's a fairly common reason people get an MFA. 

All that truly matters is your portfolio, not your undergrad degree. I would look at the student work coming out of the programs you are interested in to see if they seem like a good fit for the type of work you do (and if your work is near the level they expect from their grad students). 

If you don't have much experience writing about your art, I'd recommend reading a lot of essays, exhibition reviews, and even other artists' statements. That can help you prepare to write about your work for your applications. If you're friends with any other artists, I'd also ask them to help you edit your portfolio and read over your statement! 

Thank you Vespertine! 
I am trying to go through as much student work I can to assess whether or not I should apply. Apart from reading up on reviews, I haven't been able to find any essays that might help me convey the turmoil in my statement of purpose. How does one even write an SOP?
Would you recommend interning with artists, or galleries etc?