Who can help evaluate a grad school application?
September 22, 2014 6:56 AM Subscribe
I'm applying to grad school after a long time - it's been 15 years since undergrad. Is there such a thing as a career counselor/guidance counselor for grad schools (ideally in the New York City area) that can help your evaluate and help you improve your application?
Here's some background - apologies for the length, but I can use some advice.
I have parts of the application (statement of purpose, portfolio, recommendations etc.) but I'd really like someone involved in admissions to help me evaluate where the application seems strongest, where I can improve it, and where it's the appropriate level of detail. I've heard of places like Signet Education, but don't know how helpful they are, since I'm somewhat in a specialized field of design, and who I need to speak with are more admissions folks in MFA programs who can tell me 'yes, you're analytical in your description of this project, or no, add more practical examples' - or 'stop worrying, and just apply'. I'm feeling overwhelmed largely because it's been so long since I was in school formally (other than some certificates and individual courses I did over the 15 years) and I'm not sure if I'm competitive enough to get into school now.
As well, my motivation for attending is complicated - I've reached a plateau in my career, and it feels like everyone has a masters (or is a design/coding unicorn) - and I'm just not getting work. I get contracts here and there (for user experience and strategy work), but I'm competing against many in a competitive location, and just can't seem to set myself apart from the hundreds of other job applicants. I have a portfolio of work, but have some gaps in skills, and in the program I'd be learning and working on projects that would gaps in my experience. If I got into the school and graduate, it would be a huge help, as the school has an excellent reputation - and if I was back in an educational setting, I'd be inspired, as I do like learning about new topics and skills (especially cutting edge things). Obviously the cost and student loans issue is scary for me, but I know I won't be able to address this via admissions, and I also know I have to do something to improve my future employability. I also know I CAN describe it more as 'I want to learn more about x topic and apply it to my work' (which is true!) but I don't want to accidentally say something that would doom my chances if I start talking saying, 'I'm doing this to improve my chances at finding work'.
The difficult thing is trying to gauge where you are versus your competition (a.k.a. other people applying) - so when I'm writing a statement of work, I don't know if it's 'research-y' enough, or where it has to be more MFA design oriented. It's tricky because the program is a mix of design and analysis - it's for transdisicplinary design, so not just the traditional visual portfolio for a MFA. I have a good sense of what they're looking for, but it's been a long time since I was in school, my undergrad was in an unrelated field, and want to have experts weigh in to get their professional opinion. I've searched for student's portfolios (i.e. alumni of the program), but it's difficult to see what they're like before they entered school. Additionally, I'm very worried that I sound like I'm there to get into the school just to increase my employability - which I've read is a big no-no. My other main worry is that I'll be seen as 'not academic material' since it's been so long and I'm not a researcher (i.e. no published articles or books), since much of my work has been more practical (i.e. designing things in short projects for clients). I've written reports for work and did undergrad papers and got a 3.0 GPA, but don't know if that and having passion for the topic is enough to qualify me in the eyes of the admissions committee. I've already got 3 separate topics in my Statement of Purpose describing what I'm interested in studying, but for that, too, I don't know how detailed it is, how interesting or if it demonstrates that I have what it takes to research for 2 years. I want them to see that I'd be an interesting, serious candidate who can apply myself and do well, but don't know how to convey that well enough in my application - or that perhaps I've done well in the application and I need to stop worrying.
I know people will suggest contacting the program (the admissions people as well as the professors) since they'll really know what makes a winning candidate, but I'm hesitant to doom my chances with contacting anyone if I seem the slightest bit uncertain. I've considered contacting alumni, but don't want to seem uncertain or waste their time, either. I may contact them, but having someone who can evaluate applications is what I also need so I can make sure I get into the school in the first place!
I'm in the NYC area, so any recommendations of grad admissions counselors would help. Even speaking to and anyone who's gone for a MFA (or any mature students who returned to school after a long gap!) who can help me evaluate how to improve my candidacy for grad school would help.
Throw-away email address if you prefer contacting me via email: mfagradschoolquestions@gmail.com
Here's some background - apologies for the length, but I can use some advice.
I have parts of the application (statement of purpose, portfolio, recommendations etc.) but I'd really like someone involved in admissions to help me evaluate where the application seems strongest, where I can improve it, and where it's the appropriate level of detail. I've heard of places like Signet Education, but don't know how helpful they are, since I'm somewhat in a specialized field of design, and who I need to speak with are more admissions folks in MFA programs who can tell me 'yes, you're analytical in your description of this project, or no, add more practical examples' - or 'stop worrying, and just apply'. I'm feeling overwhelmed largely because it's been so long since I was in school formally (other than some certificates and individual courses I did over the 15 years) and I'm not sure if I'm competitive enough to get into school now.
As well, my motivation for attending is complicated - I've reached a plateau in my career, and it feels like everyone has a masters (or is a design/coding unicorn) - and I'm just not getting work. I get contracts here and there (for user experience and strategy work), but I'm competing against many in a competitive location, and just can't seem to set myself apart from the hundreds of other job applicants. I have a portfolio of work, but have some gaps in skills, and in the program I'd be learning and working on projects that would gaps in my experience. If I got into the school and graduate, it would be a huge help, as the school has an excellent reputation - and if I was back in an educational setting, I'd be inspired, as I do like learning about new topics and skills (especially cutting edge things). Obviously the cost and student loans issue is scary for me, but I know I won't be able to address this via admissions, and I also know I have to do something to improve my future employability. I also know I CAN describe it more as 'I want to learn more about x topic and apply it to my work' (which is true!) but I don't want to accidentally say something that would doom my chances if I start talking saying, 'I'm doing this to improve my chances at finding work'.
The difficult thing is trying to gauge where you are versus your competition (a.k.a. other people applying) - so when I'm writing a statement of work, I don't know if it's 'research-y' enough, or where it has to be more MFA design oriented. It's tricky because the program is a mix of design and analysis - it's for transdisicplinary design, so not just the traditional visual portfolio for a MFA. I have a good sense of what they're looking for, but it's been a long time since I was in school, my undergrad was in an unrelated field, and want to have experts weigh in to get their professional opinion. I've searched for student's portfolios (i.e. alumni of the program), but it's difficult to see what they're like before they entered school. Additionally, I'm very worried that I sound like I'm there to get into the school just to increase my employability - which I've read is a big no-no. My other main worry is that I'll be seen as 'not academic material' since it's been so long and I'm not a researcher (i.e. no published articles or books), since much of my work has been more practical (i.e. designing things in short projects for clients). I've written reports for work and did undergrad papers and got a 3.0 GPA, but don't know if that and having passion for the topic is enough to qualify me in the eyes of the admissions committee. I've already got 3 separate topics in my Statement of Purpose describing what I'm interested in studying, but for that, too, I don't know how detailed it is, how interesting or if it demonstrates that I have what it takes to research for 2 years. I want them to see that I'd be an interesting, serious candidate who can apply myself and do well, but don't know how to convey that well enough in my application - or that perhaps I've done well in the application and I need to stop worrying.
I know people will suggest contacting the program (the admissions people as well as the professors) since they'll really know what makes a winning candidate, but I'm hesitant to doom my chances with contacting anyone if I seem the slightest bit uncertain. I've considered contacting alumni, but don't want to seem uncertain or waste their time, either. I may contact them, but having someone who can evaluate applications is what I also need so I can make sure I get into the school in the first place!
I'm in the NYC area, so any recommendations of grad admissions counselors would help. Even speaking to and anyone who's gone for a MFA (or any mature students who returned to school after a long gap!) who can help me evaluate how to improve my candidacy for grad school would help.
Throw-away email address if you prefer contacting me via email: mfagradschoolquestions@gmail.com
In my field (economics), this is the sort of advice that you ask for from your letter writers. Whether or not to email professors varies a lot by field. In economics it is highly frowned upon, but in many lab sciences it is strongly encouraged. I don't know enough about MFAs to know what the preferences of professors in your field are.
posted by vegetableagony at 6:12 PM on October 9, 2014
posted by vegetableagony at 6:12 PM on October 9, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
DEFINITELY talk to plenty of alumni.
DEFINITELY email a few professors. I'd say the information you can get far outweighs some nebulous sense that they might get that you're slightly uncertain -- they're probably not going to even remember you. If you're really afraid, also consider contacting profs at programs which are like yours but which you have no intention of applying to.
The only MFA consultant I can find is Forster Thomas (they are in NYC), and they seem to concentrate on film school MFAs mostly -- but perhaps they can still help you, or else point you in the right direction.
posted by shivohum at 7:50 AM on September 22, 2014