So You Think You Want a M.F.A.?
By Rosie Trump
Let me begin by saying graduate school is not and should not be for every artist. It requires a huge personal undertaking and a significant financial investment. You will be a different person and a different artist when you finish. With that being said, I want to share some advice I have gathered from my own graduate school experiences and post-graduate career.
Know Before You Go
There are many good reasons to pursue an M.F.A. There are also some very bad reasons. A combination of good timing and clear postgraduate goals can make all the difference. When deciding on pursuing an M.F.A., it is very important to be honest with yourself and realistic about what this degree will add to your life and career.
If you are 5 or less years out of college ask yourself: Do I have significant professional experience? Do I have ample teaching practice and a developed pedagogical approach? Have I developed a distinctive, individual artistic point of view? If you answered no to any of these questions, spend the next two years filling in the gaps before you apply. Additionally ask yourself, will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from friends and family, extremely poor, lonely, overwhelmed and overworked? If you answer yes, wait and reconsider an M.F.A. in a few years.
If you are a mid or post-professional ask yourself: Will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from my established dance community, deferring earning potential and having my established methods and approaches upended and dismantled? Do I have an extra 40-60 hours per week in addition to my non-negotiable responsibilities to dedicate to intense study?
I believe a good M.F.A. experience is akin to boot camp—a very long boot camp. For me, graduate school was the hardest thing I had done to date. On the flip side, it was also the absolutely most rewarding thing I had ever done. I came out on the other side armed with an entirely altered perspective on dance and choreography, and a cohort of brilliant, inspiring friends for colleagues.
Still want to go? Tips on how to pick a good program: