There’s a couple major crapshoots (and downfalls to the MFA specifically).

1.) there is no technical anything, that’s supposed to be covered in BFA programs.
2.) you pick schools based on who you want to study with but you won’t get a guarantee from an institution who will be teaching your major studio, who is going on sabbatical, and what adjuncts will be running classes.
3.) the faculty play a major role in putting together a cohesive and strong cohort. That’s the biggest crapshoot. You can have classmates who are equally passionate and speak your language and really make a strong and lasting impact on your practice. Or, they admit a group who ultimately they can’t retain via competition and you end up with a group of “meh” Duds.

I personally didn’t enjoy my MFA program. The school had universal standards and expectations for students, which generally is fine… but I was in my 30’s, married, and the only person shooting film and printing wet. My peers were fresh out of their BFA, early 20’s and all single without families. They lived in the building and I simply couldn’t do that. I’d set up for a crit with 20 8x10 contact prints made across a two week span and my classmates would have 60 inkjet prints they made in a few hours the night before the crit. It got old, fast.


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