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MFA 2018 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!


Xxanderr

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I'm in Chicago. I have a close relationship with SAIC and the Art Institute here - amazing school, campus, city - but feel my painting practice could be explored more in a different environment away from familiarity. First time applying to UCLA, UCSB, Yale and USF. My work is cartoonish, abstract and loose. 

No clue what to expect, I've been outside from academia for about 6 years and have heard so many different opinions of grad school. I've taught in Chicago Public Schools, have had a few shows with my paintings and have lived a life full of non-art related endeavors in my 20s. Hoping all this could help with my applications. May the portfolio gods gaze favorably upon our hard work. 

Edited by darsenbehelm
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9 hours ago, MFAAFM said:

Now how do we pay for this????...Anyone else apply without actually figuring this part out?

Part of my methodology for applying to schools is considering the cost, and if I can afford the tuition, often times the answer is hell, no, thus those schools are crossed off my list. No need to invest in an expensive application fee if I'm going to get possibly stuck with a tuition bill that I can't afford in the first place. 

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On January 12, 2018 at 1:06 PM, OldMFA said:

I heard really good things about Delaware, did you end up applying?

Yes I have applied to Delaware.

I often asked the questions to current graduate students how they fund their education. Either the University provided them with full funding or they received about 1/3 funding. To my surprise all the ones still left with a massive amount of loans told me they do not worry about the loans. Grad school has told them all will be well after they graduate. I wish them well and hope that will be the case. I am amazed by the cost/ROI ratio.  Student loan payment can be the very reason you can't support yourself with art after finishing your MFA. 

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On 15/01/2018 at 10:29 AM, stupidpainter said:

Finally submitted my last application. In the end I feel the whole process of applying has negatively affected me in a way I'm not even sure how lol. Let's see how this all turns out :ph34r:

 

Me too. replete with uncertainty, anxiety attacks and a madness that cannot be verbalised. All the best

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3 hours ago, let_me_in said:

All of my apps are in as well as recommendation letters and now I'm officially freaking out! Oscillating between moments of proud certainty and then paralyzing doubt and fear, ha! 

Wishing everyone here the best!

 

Pretty much sums it up for me too! 

In about 3 weeks we should start to hear.. Best of wishes to everyone :)

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16 hours ago, amberf95 said:

I wonder this exact same thing ?

 

20 hours ago, StarryNight_1 said:

HEY!
I'm freaking out. 
Do all colleges have an interview round after you submit your application? 
 

All of the ones I know about do have interviews after applications are submitted, but they only give interviews to people that they are thinking about accepting.

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Hello all,

I was truly hoping that we could share some insights and tips as to what happens in the interview rounds/what is expected from an applicant etc.

Does anyone have any idea as to what kind of questions to expect or what might be good points for an applicant to raise in an interview?

I'd be truly grateful for any help on the above.

 

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2 hours ago, yuv.sees said:

Hello all,

I was truly hoping that we could share some insights and tips as to what happens in the interview rounds/what is expected from an applicant etc.

Does anyone have any idea as to what kind of questions to expect or what might be good points for an applicant to raise in an interview?

I'd be truly grateful for any help on the above.

 

Someone (@stitcher) posted about this in last year's forum, and I thought these questions were super helpful even when trying to write my artist statement: 

Interview questions:

*Why do you want to come here and how could you contribute to the program?

Tell us about the materials you are working with.

How do you incorporate your audience in your work?

What is risk in your medium?

*What are your passions besides your art?

Question related to artist statement

Tell us about your work informally

Talk about how your materials/medium relate to your subject matter

Have you ever considered expanding beyond your medium?

*Do you have questions for us?

How are you different than other artists?

Create a 3 item agenda for your interview.

How does your work fit in with the contemporary art world/scene?

*Why do you want to go to this school?

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?

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?

*What do you do for fun?

What artists do you like?

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  (interviewer showing work)

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 critiquing ? a bad way?

What other aspects of culture influence your work besides art/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.

How is your work related to *this movement*?

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?

Why grad school, why now?

Who is your artist nemesis?

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?

Why use arcane techniques in digital age?

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On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 2:49 PM, Tuesday04449 said:

Pretty much sums it up for me too! 

In about 3 weeks we should start to hear.. Best of wishes to everyone :)

So in about 3 weeks some will get interview notifications ? or admission notifications ?

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Thesis Topic?

Now that we have some time to think, what have you done to come up with Thesis Topics? 

Are you working on fine tuning just one or come up with several concepts and only fine tune the idea ones your program ok them?

 

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10 hours ago, amberf95 said:

So in about 3 weeks some will get interview notifications ? or admission notifications ?

Looking at past forums the first/second week of February seemed to be the busy period of people receiving interview notifications. Of course not all schools are the same, but I think it's safe to say in around 3 weeks lots of people will have heard something!

What schools did everyone apply to? I love hearing peoples top choices and reasons. 

 

 

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Another list of Interview questions + tips someone posted last year:

 

Common Questions Visual Arts Applicants are Asked During an Interview

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

so you've written a good amount about your practice in your statement...can you expand a little more

what was the last show you saw that had a profound effect on you?

 

 

Ideas for Questions to Ask During Your Interview

what's the degree of permeability between the department's different studio areas?

what do the teaching assistantship duties generally consist of?

Will I be assisting a professor, or will I be teaching my own class?

Have recent alumni stayed in the area or ventured elsewhere? 

What is the grad student to faculty ratio? 

Ask for more information about particular courses in the curriculum.

 

 

Other Tips

Be able to speak about the professors work and why you are influenced by it. 

Write a follow up Thank you email within 48 hours after your interview.

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16 hours ago, charoarte said:

 

www.mercedesllanos.weebly.com

 

so applying to PAFA, Rutgers, Tyler, Hunter, LSU, UF and UDelaware, any buddies here? anyone know when they will tell us if we get interviewed or not? 

@charoarte I was just in Chattanooga for a show at LIT art gallery/involved there at all?  - I am applying to Hunter too (integrated media) Good luck!!1 

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6 hours ago, haunted cornfield said:

@charoarte I was just in Chattanooga for a show at LIT art gallery/involved there at all?  - I am applying to Hunter too (integrated media) Good luck!!1 

really ? did you show there? I had my work there in november!! small world

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7 minutes ago, nmelnicky said:

Hey My Fellow MFA Applications! 

Does anyone want to share their artwork websites?

The link to my page is www.nicolemelnicky.com! Any feedback is appreciated :D

Cheers!

Nicole

1

YeASSS!! I'm really nosy so come through with those websites ya'll! Check me out  www.alexanderkevinwrencher.com

 @nmelnicky Judging by your work you may already be aware of this program,  SAIC Master of Design in Fashion, Body, and Garments.  I'm pretty critical of SAIC as a whole, but their fashion program is amazing and the work that comes out of that department is the strongest at SAIC. 

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