MFA: The (long, grueling, stressful) Application Process
My application story & advice. February 2016
When to apply? Where to apply? How to apply? Are you actually prepared to apply?
Apply doesn't even look like a word anymore.
Trust your gut on this one. You will know when it is right for you, where it is right for you, if it is right for you at all.
Don't let people pressure you to apply. It is a lengthy process, so if your heart is not in it, don't do it. Even if your all friends are, just get in the studio and do what is best for yourself.
Also, disregard any disrespect from others when they hear you are applying for an MFA. This was my most common encounter when I told non art people I was applying: why would you do that? what can you actually do with an MFA? how much money can you earn with an MFA? These three questions are disrespectful toward you and the Arts. They are not concerned for your happiness, your talent and potential as an Artist and Maker. Cast these naysayers aside. Pay them no heed.
I graduated with a BFA in ceramics in 2010, and I was completely exhausted and burnt out. I worked in plant nurseries/garden centers for five years before applying to grad school. In those five years, I maintained various studios, did a 3 month residency, and entered juried shows. I had no real critique from anyone, I was just working slowly, going to the studio at night after work and on the weekends. After five years, I began to realize how lonely and alone I was working completely independent from the outside world.
Taking time off between undergraduate and grad school worked for me. I could not afford to go to a special student program, I had $30,000 in student loans from undergrad, and $1,000 in my bank account when I graduated. I needed a break from the rigorous life of academia. I needed time to breathe, to make work at my own pace, and to understand the balance of working out of necessity, saving money, paying bills while also trying to enjoy life/suffer life's perils.
In the summer of 2015, I had my a-ha moment, where I realized I was tired of the way I was making work, and wanted to go to grad school for my MFA. I had finished paying off my student loans from undergrad that year, and I really wanted to do ceramics full-time. I also knew that if I did not go back to school, I would think about the 'what if' till the day I died. So in June of 2015 I began the process of applying.
Here is my application process in 10 easy steps.
Step One: ADVICE
Email a professor or mentor with an MFA for advice on where to apply. They know you and your work, and they have been to grad school themselves so they have loads of advice they are willing to share with you.
Step Two: RESEARCH
Start researching early. Applications are generally due between mid December and February 1st, but this process of putting together a cohesive portfolio, contacting recommenders, ordering transcripts, and writing artist statements and letters of intent takes time. Especially if you work full time or even part time. If took me most weekends for six months to get my s#*@! together.
Step Three: MAKE LISTS
Start making lists and stay organized. I started with a list of 8 schools and applied to 5. Be aware of the price of applying. Each school is around $50 per application, and Slideroom charges $10 per application. I applied to 5 schools, so I spent around $300.00 just to submit applications. Personally, I was interested in the reputation of the program, the funding, the faculty, and what the alumni were doing in the field after graduating. The region of the schools was also important for me, I mainly applied to schools in the mid-atlantic states and northeast. I am a super nerd when it comes to organization, I had an excel spreadsheet for each of the 8 schools I was interested in and they all fit in a handy dandy binder. I got a lot of my information from the school's website, and when I could not find the information online, I emailed the school's art department.
Step Four: THE PORTFOLIO
This is the most important part. I repeat, this is the most important part. You are being judged on your portfolio, so give it everything you have!! This is the time to make your best work, and make a lot of it. Have your mentor look at your work before you apply, or before you begin making your application portfolio. This was the best thing I could have done. I was advised to really push the surface of my work. So I bought some surfacing books on decals and transfer printing. My grad school portfolio was the first time I had ever used underglaze and decals. I was super nervous, but I do not regret the results. I was glad I asked for help, because otherwise my portfolio would have probably looked very similar to the last 3 years of work I had been making.
Step Five: PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK
You will be submitting photos of your work for your application so they need to be quality, professional photographs. You should feel comfortable taking photos of your own work. Invest in a camera that can shoot in RAW (or borrow/rent one), a quality backdrop (solid or graduated is your preference), lighting, and access to photoshop. I have 2 skills in photoshop: cropping and adjusting white balance. I take my photos myself, and all my equipment is still going strong, after 5 years.
Step Six: VISITING SCHOOLS
Visiting schools is a good idea, period. You have already decided to invest in your future by applying to grad school. Further that investment, by taking time to visit schools. You want to find the school that is a good fit for you and your work. It is worth missing a few days from your job, and the expense of travel. October is a good month to visit and interview with the faculty, it is before midterms, so professors will have time to talk to you. My advice: email the schools a month in advance to set up an interview with faculty, then confirm the appointment a few days in advance. Also, most professors can find you a place to sleep at a grad student's apartment, don't be afraid to ask. Keep this in mind: you want to be refreshed and well rested before the interview and tour. Get there the night before so you can be showered and awake.
I visited 4 schools in October of 2015. I drove to all of them to save money, and I brought a few pieces of my portfolio for the interview. It is not necessary to bring your work with you, but everyone I talked to was pleased that I put in the effort to bring it along. Also, I would rather know before I apply if I am actually ready for grad school. I would rather be told that I should apply to the special student program at the early interview than after I put all the effort into grad school apps. During my visits, I got to see the ceramics facilities and tour the art schools. I met and talked with real human beings (professors and current grad students) and ultimately I got to see if I really wanted to apply there. I ended up applying to 3 out of the 4 schools I visited.
Step Seven: RECOMMENDATIONS
You will need three professors or mentors for your recommendations.* Some schools might want two, but a lot want three. If you do not have a BFA, your references can be a mentor(s) at a residency program or ceramic center etc. Email your references at least 3 weeks in advance, and send a reminder email one week before the recommendation is due. Then send a thank you note, and keep them informed as to where you have been accepted.
*This is why it is important to not burn bridges, you never know when you just might need someone's help. If you have not emailed your undergraduate professors in a while, send them an email, ask them how they are, tell them about your latest work. They would love to hear from you. Even an email once a year keeps the relationship going.
Step Eight: GETTING READY TO APPLY
I started the applications around Thanksgiving. That was my own personal deadline for having my portfolio done and photographed. Each school's online application is different. Some want all your documents (artist statement, letter of intent, transcripts, recommendations) submitted to the online application, some want them submitted to slideroom. And some will not notify your references until the application has been submitted.
If you do not feel like your writing skills are strong, get someone to help you express your ideas on paper. Remember, don't write what you think they want to hear. Schools and professors want you to be honest. Be yourself, be genuine.
Step Nine: SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
So you have uploaded your portfolio, submitted all necessary documents and ordered your transcripts. Now is the time, to double check everything, hit submit and pay the fee. You should feel a great wave of relief sweep over your body.
Drink a beer and get some sleep.
Step Ten: FAFSA
Do your taxes early, because the FAFSA, (federal financial aid) is due Feb 15th for most schools and you will need information from your taxes to complete the form.
Now you wait...
You will likely start hearing back from schools late January to Mid March. It is hard not to panic, but be patient. You might contacted to interview and remember to just be yourself, and be honest. It is normal to be nervous and sweat profusely.
If all your applications are rejected or the funding you received was not enough, see about doing a special student program if it is affordable for you. From what I have read from other's experiences, being a special student gave them the time and studio space to dedicate to ceramics, leaving them with an entire portfolio with which to apply or reapply to graduate school.
If you have specific questions that are not answered here please email me @ [email protected] and I will be more than willing to reply.
Apply doesn't even look like a word anymore.
Trust your gut on this one. You will know when it is right for you, where it is right for you, if it is right for you at all.
Don't let people pressure you to apply. It is a lengthy process, so if your heart is not in it, don't do it. Even if your all friends are, just get in the studio and do what is best for yourself.
Also, disregard any disrespect from others when they hear you are applying for an MFA. This was my most common encounter when I told non art people I was applying: why would you do that? what can you actually do with an MFA? how much money can you earn with an MFA? These three questions are disrespectful toward you and the Arts. They are not concerned for your happiness, your talent and potential as an Artist and Maker. Cast these naysayers aside. Pay them no heed.
I graduated with a BFA in ceramics in 2010, and I was completely exhausted and burnt out. I worked in plant nurseries/garden centers for five years before applying to grad school. In those five years, I maintained various studios, did a 3 month residency, and entered juried shows. I had no real critique from anyone, I was just working slowly, going to the studio at night after work and on the weekends. After five years, I began to realize how lonely and alone I was working completely independent from the outside world.
Taking time off between undergraduate and grad school worked for me. I could not afford to go to a special student program, I had $30,000 in student loans from undergrad, and $1,000 in my bank account when I graduated. I needed a break from the rigorous life of academia. I needed time to breathe, to make work at my own pace, and to understand the balance of working out of necessity, saving money, paying bills while also trying to enjoy life/suffer life's perils.
In the summer of 2015, I had my a-ha moment, where I realized I was tired of the way I was making work, and wanted to go to grad school for my MFA. I had finished paying off my student loans from undergrad that year, and I really wanted to do ceramics full-time. I also knew that if I did not go back to school, I would think about the 'what if' till the day I died. So in June of 2015 I began the process of applying.
Here is my application process in 10 easy steps.
Step One: ADVICE
Email a professor or mentor with an MFA for advice on where to apply. They know you and your work, and they have been to grad school themselves so they have loads of advice they are willing to share with you.
Step Two: RESEARCH
Start researching early. Applications are generally due between mid December and February 1st, but this process of putting together a cohesive portfolio, contacting recommenders, ordering transcripts, and writing artist statements and letters of intent takes time. Especially if you work full time or even part time. If took me most weekends for six months to get my s#*@! together.
Step Three: MAKE LISTS
Start making lists and stay organized. I started with a list of 8 schools and applied to 5. Be aware of the price of applying. Each school is around $50 per application, and Slideroom charges $10 per application. I applied to 5 schools, so I spent around $300.00 just to submit applications. Personally, I was interested in the reputation of the program, the funding, the faculty, and what the alumni were doing in the field after graduating. The region of the schools was also important for me, I mainly applied to schools in the mid-atlantic states and northeast. I am a super nerd when it comes to organization, I had an excel spreadsheet for each of the 8 schools I was interested in and they all fit in a handy dandy binder. I got a lot of my information from the school's website, and when I could not find the information online, I emailed the school's art department.
Step Four: THE PORTFOLIO
This is the most important part. I repeat, this is the most important part. You are being judged on your portfolio, so give it everything you have!! This is the time to make your best work, and make a lot of it. Have your mentor look at your work before you apply, or before you begin making your application portfolio. This was the best thing I could have done. I was advised to really push the surface of my work. So I bought some surfacing books on decals and transfer printing. My grad school portfolio was the first time I had ever used underglaze and decals. I was super nervous, but I do not regret the results. I was glad I asked for help, because otherwise my portfolio would have probably looked very similar to the last 3 years of work I had been making.
Step Five: PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK
You will be submitting photos of your work for your application so they need to be quality, professional photographs. You should feel comfortable taking photos of your own work. Invest in a camera that can shoot in RAW (or borrow/rent one), a quality backdrop (solid or graduated is your preference), lighting, and access to photoshop. I have 2 skills in photoshop: cropping and adjusting white balance. I take my photos myself, and all my equipment is still going strong, after 5 years.
Step Six: VISITING SCHOOLS
Visiting schools is a good idea, period. You have already decided to invest in your future by applying to grad school. Further that investment, by taking time to visit schools. You want to find the school that is a good fit for you and your work. It is worth missing a few days from your job, and the expense of travel. October is a good month to visit and interview with the faculty, it is before midterms, so professors will have time to talk to you. My advice: email the schools a month in advance to set up an interview with faculty, then confirm the appointment a few days in advance. Also, most professors can find you a place to sleep at a grad student's apartment, don't be afraid to ask. Keep this in mind: you want to be refreshed and well rested before the interview and tour. Get there the night before so you can be showered and awake.
I visited 4 schools in October of 2015. I drove to all of them to save money, and I brought a few pieces of my portfolio for the interview. It is not necessary to bring your work with you, but everyone I talked to was pleased that I put in the effort to bring it along. Also, I would rather know before I apply if I am actually ready for grad school. I would rather be told that I should apply to the special student program at the early interview than after I put all the effort into grad school apps. During my visits, I got to see the ceramics facilities and tour the art schools. I met and talked with real human beings (professors and current grad students) and ultimately I got to see if I really wanted to apply there. I ended up applying to 3 out of the 4 schools I visited.
Step Seven: RECOMMENDATIONS
You will need three professors or mentors for your recommendations.* Some schools might want two, but a lot want three. If you do not have a BFA, your references can be a mentor(s) at a residency program or ceramic center etc. Email your references at least 3 weeks in advance, and send a reminder email one week before the recommendation is due. Then send a thank you note, and keep them informed as to where you have been accepted.
*This is why it is important to not burn bridges, you never know when you just might need someone's help. If you have not emailed your undergraduate professors in a while, send them an email, ask them how they are, tell them about your latest work. They would love to hear from you. Even an email once a year keeps the relationship going.
Step Eight: GETTING READY TO APPLY
I started the applications around Thanksgiving. That was my own personal deadline for having my portfolio done and photographed. Each school's online application is different. Some want all your documents (artist statement, letter of intent, transcripts, recommendations) submitted to the online application, some want them submitted to slideroom. And some will not notify your references until the application has been submitted.
If you do not feel like your writing skills are strong, get someone to help you express your ideas on paper. Remember, don't write what you think they want to hear. Schools and professors want you to be honest. Be yourself, be genuine.
Step Nine: SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
So you have uploaded your portfolio, submitted all necessary documents and ordered your transcripts. Now is the time, to double check everything, hit submit and pay the fee. You should feel a great wave of relief sweep over your body.
Drink a beer and get some sleep.
Step Ten: FAFSA
Do your taxes early, because the FAFSA, (federal financial aid) is due Feb 15th for most schools and you will need information from your taxes to complete the form.
Now you wait...
You will likely start hearing back from schools late January to Mid March. It is hard not to panic, but be patient. You might contacted to interview and remember to just be yourself, and be honest. It is normal to be nervous and sweat profusely.
If all your applications are rejected or the funding you received was not enough, see about doing a special student program if it is affordable for you. From what I have read from other's experiences, being a special student gave them the time and studio space to dedicate to ceramics, leaving them with an entire portfolio with which to apply or reapply to graduate school.
If you have specific questions that are not answered here please email me @ [email protected] and I will be more than willing to reply.