Senior Seminar
Spring 2015
Ten things to consider when you’re considering graduate school.
1. Why. Ask yourself why you want to go to grad school, and be honest. Are you interested in an MFA for teaching opportunities? Will 2 or 3 years allow you to fully develop your voice as an artist in a way that would be impossible if you don’t go to grad school? Do you just want to delay the inevitable job quest by 2 or 3 years? Do you feel this is the next step in becoming a professional artist?
2. To wait or not to wait. Should you wait a few years to go to grad school, or jump right in? Both options have pros and cons, and there is no “right way” to do it. Waiting a few years gives you perspective that you wouldn’t otherwise have, it also separates the committed artists: it’s a lot harder to make art when you are out of school so if you are still working two years after your BFA you have proven that you have got the dedication that will make grad school seem like a gift from heaven. Going to grad school straight out of undergrad comes with a lot of pluses as well. If you are finishing up your senior year with all cylinders firing, grad school allows you to just push right ahead uninterrupted with things like life. Receiving your MFA when you’re 24 (rather than 30) gives you more time to develop opportunities for yourself, show your work, and build your resume.
3. Location. You’ve made the choice, now where do you want to go to grad school? Seems like an easy enough question, but it can make a world of difference. Major urban centers (New York, L.A., Chicago) offer the opportunity to establish yourself among a community of artists while you’re in school. Exposure to the latest trends will keep you current with the critical discourse. Large cities offer infinitely more opportunities than small ones, but they have their drawbacks. Small communities and “college towns” can offer you the opportunity to develop without the pressures that come with living in a big city. The internet and easy travel make living in a place like NYC less important than before, but there is no substitute for actually seeing the work of your peers.
4. Program Length. Most programs are 2 or 3 years. Two years might seem like enough time now, but that 3rd year might be crucial. Decide which is right for you, some programs may be 2 years but give you the option for a 3rd.
5. Who’s teaching there? Take a good hard look at the faculty of the schools your interested in. Many schools offer faculty and visiting faculty who are usually contemporary artists that cycle in and out every year. Make sure you visit the schools and talk to the faculty in your discipline, or overall program. You might value their work, but your personaities might not mesh. This sounds weird, but everyone is human, and you will be able to maximize your experience by working with a graduate instructor that is willing to believe in you and offer you valuable opportunites. You are only there for two years at most programs, so it be easy to get rushed through a program and not create any long lasting bonds with faculty.
6. Visit! Are you going to get along in your school of choice? You won’t know unless you go there. Visit the schools you think might be a good fit for you. Talk to the graduate students. If the grad students tell you the program is like an episode of Hell’s Kitchen, ask yourself if that’s the place for you to be. Take a look at the work of the grad students as well; does it suck? Do you want to be a part of that?
7. Cash-Money. How much is that grad school going to cost you? Conventional wisdom says if you have to pay for grad school, you shouldn’t go. Cost is something you should contemplate deeply, particularly if your BFA has set you back 50 or 60 grand. Do you want an MFA that’s going to add another 50K to your loan debt? You also get what you pay for, a $35K - $50K graduate experience (assuming you can get into one of these programs) should provide you with the most current critical issues in contemporary art, offer established visiting faculty, and provide you with cache and social networking that is associated with the program. Also, there is a greater chance of having better peers in your program if it’s a more competitive program.
8. Cash-Money 2. A lot of grad schools offer financial assistance in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships. These can not only make grad school cost free, but actually put money in your pocket while you are in the program. Research this as you would any part of the program. A good assistantship will pay reasonably well and give you the opportunity to build your C.V. while in grad school
9. Apply! This should be obvious, but make sure you keep abreast of any deadlines and application requirements. Did your chosen school require a GRE score and you completely blanked on that? Ooops. Did your school require 20 images and stipulate that at least 5 of them be drawings, and you sent 20 images of paintings? Ooops. Do you need letters of recommendation from former teachers? Does applying for an assistantship require a separate form? Some schools get so many applications per year that they are looking for reasons to deny people, don’t give them one. Dot all of your i’s and cross all of your t’s.
**You might be able to slip in the back door of a graduate program based on what you apply for. Maybe you apply for printmaking instead of painting, it generally would have about 70% less applicants, and you would end up having the same experience as a painter once you get your foot in the door. Or, new-media vs. photography, or some schools have no disciplines at all…
10. Final Thoughts. Graduate school is an amazing occasion to focus on your work, if you get in, don’t blow it. Work so hard that it makes the other grad students look like they are standing still, because you will never have this opportunity again. If you don’t get into the schools you want, work twice as hard in the studio and apply again next year. You may find that after a year of hard work, you have a body of work that you can shop around making grad school much easier to get into, or completely irrelevant.