OUGD602 - PPP3 - Applying for an MFA

Since communicating with Brice Croskey of Progressland blog as outlined in this blog post from last year,  I have been actively investigating into the possibilities and opinions of taking a Master of Fine Arts Degree - one in particular - the Themed Entertainment Design programme held at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). The course looks incredible:

I love the idea of it because it touches upon lots of different aspects of Themed Entertainment Design (that in itself containing lots of different aspects of careers in the creative industry - theme parks, exhibitions, schools/ education, zoos, resorts, hotels, restaurants and museums) And then gives opportunities to pursue the areas that interest you most. 

Another great thing about this course is that it opens lots of opportunities for networking-  both of the course leaders have been involved in projects with Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios etc. The course was also well recognised between my colleagues and almost everyone I seem to have spoken to whilst in my job at Walt Disney World this summer.
The course is held in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States, which also puts me in a prime position to network and visit studios I might wish to work in in the future, being based in the US means I can visit events too. They have career fairs tailored a lot more into the area of design I want to go into, too.
However, I have found that it is very hard to communicate with the university and I have a lot of questions I need answering! When would be the best time to do the course? Next year when I graduate - or afterward when I gain more experience? How will I fund it? Of course I can't take out a student loan from the UK ... 

I needed to find out a few things - so I applied! This means that I am assigned to an admissions advisor that can help answer all my burning questions.

I got assigned a lovely chap called Brinton Nute - what a cool name! After I sent him an email bombarding him with questions about funding he replied with a warm response:

Thank you for your application! I was in your position back in 2009 and understand the amount of questions you might have. Below is an outline of everything we will need to complete your application. You will be evaluated for both Academic and Achievement scholarships, these are issued based on your grades and your portfolio/CV. We also have to other scholarships named International Scholarship and Student Opportunity Scholarship. I will send a separate email detailing what it would entail to apply for these.

I will of course be handling your admission case and will be your point of contact at SCAD moving forward.

Below that was a rather large table outlining all of the requirements for application of admission. He sent a follow-up email entailing all of the other scholarships I was eligible for. 

You can receive anywhere from $3,000-$5,000 per scholarship. While these scholarships will not cover the COF/sponsorship letter, they will certainly help. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.The first is the SOS (Student Opportunity Scholarship) - A limited number of scholarships is awarded to accepted undergraduate or graduate students who meet or exceed the normal SCAD admission standards and who demonstrate financial need. These scholarships may be awarded in addition to any other scholarship awarded by SCAD, as long as the total SCAD award does not exceed the cost of tuition. Funding is limited. Eligibility criteria are available by contacting the admission department. By submitting a 500-word essay explaining why you need extra financial help. For this scholarship, please email me the essay and financial aid application attached in this email. The essay explains your financial situation and how additional funding would help toward achieving your goal of attending SCAD.The second in the ISS (International Student Scholarship) - A limited number of scholarships is awarded each year to degree-seeking international students who apply and are accepted to SCAD. To be considered for an international student scholarship, applicants should meet or exceed normal admission standards and must request scholarship consideration by submitting a 500-word essay explaining how an international education would influence their artwork, goals and experiences. For this scholarship, you may email the essay to me.

This was brilliant news, although still quite ambiguous (I would need around £20000 to fund the entire two years in Savannah) it takes a little weight off my shoulders - I think that having both an educational and working VISA for the USA may prove rather difficult. 

After asking around for a few opinions it seems it may be wise to defer my application to 'fall' of 2016, giving me a year in industry to not only raise funds, but to further my portfolio and industry knowledge whilst having a break from education. So the next step is to ask of the possibility of this.