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If you check the postings in the Smith College area, you will find that a student there who was going to transfer to Tufts almost reconsidered sending in her application because of comments from Rightbackatyou.
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<p>I don't think that our civilized, clear-headed arguments (whether you personally agree with them are not) are comparable to what RBAY spews on this forum.</p>
<p>Regardless, I agree with Dsiw when (s)he writes:</p>
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If someone is going to not go to Tufts because of something one guy on a message board says, then I say good riddance. That's just silly.
<p>For better or for worse, at least there are "colorful" posters here who bring life to the forum. I think this is far better than the stagnant "what are my chances" that flood every other school's discussion plate.
I might also remind everyone that this is an internet forum where arguments can escalate and be blown out of proportion.</p>
<p>Jacksonmom notes,"I believe that it is the only state fine arts school in the US. Please correct me if I'm wrong though. ;-)"</p>
<p>Response: Now that I think about it, I believe that you are correct. Mass College of Art is the only state supported, stand alone art school in the nation. Because of their pricing, they are fairly hard to get into. They also have a very good applied art program.</p>
<p>The problem with Mass Art is that their liberal arts offerings are considered less in quality and quantity to that of Tufts. In fact, few stand alone art schools are reputed to have strong liberal arts offerings. This is what makes Tufts unique. Here kids can get the benefits of a stand alone art school together with the strong liberal arts offering of Tufts and a Tufts diploma. It was for these reasons that I and my daughter seriously considered SFMA and Tufts. It certainly is a great choice for those fine artists who also want a very strong liberal arts education.</p>
<p>I hereby challenge you to put together a portfolio of 20 killer pieces of 2 and 3 dimensional artwork in a variety of mediums, including self-portraits, room interiors in perspective, cityscapes, life drawings (yes, naked people!), website designs, artwork using 3 different digital software programs, win 4 state art awards, get outstanding SAT I and II scores, plus have a full roster of activities, as well as a 3.0 GPA. Let's see if you can get admittted to SMFA. Also, have you ever set foot in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston?</p>
<p>In an effort to see the illogical arguments toned down to a minimum, I heard an admissions guy talking about this subject and he said that the SMFA is not certified to grant degrees; Tufts grants the degrees on their behalf, but they ARE NOT Tufts degrees. They are not graduating with a degree from Tufts. Tufts is their degree granting institution, and this only applies to the BFA. They are not recognized as Tufts students or Tufts graduates and any SFMA student that claims they have a Tufts degree is basically falsely representing themselves. but they don't claim that, and they don't think of their degrees as being from Tufts, because they aren't. Also, apparently this arrangment isn't uncommon.</p>
<p>Tadaaaaa. Have a good day!</p>
<p>Edit: also, RBAY, I think it'd be hilaroius if you took the above "challenge." no, seriously, do it. lol.</p>
<p>"I hereby challenge you to put together a portfolio of 20 killer pieces of 2 and 3 dimensional artwork in a variety of mediums, including self-portraits, room interiors in perspective, cityscapes, life drawings (yes, naked people!), website designs, artwork using 3 different digital software programs, win 4 state art awards, get outstanding SAT I and II scores, plus have a full roster of activities, as well as a 3.0 GPA. Let's see if you can get admittted to SMFA. Also, have you ever set foot in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston?"</p>
<p><em>dies</em></p>
<p>Can RBAY juggle a cramped schedule that consists of finger painting and oggling over nude art while still maintaining a breathtaking 3.0 GPA? </p>
<p>That plus the captivating story of a Tufts alumn turned circus freak on the next Maury.</p>
<p>Let's look at this from the SMFA student perspective, which has not been considered here. An SMFA student goes to this school expecting to take art classes that they are passionate about. They register for the classes and show up, all excited about taking what they really love. The class is full because it's a really hot class.</p>
<p>Then in saunters a Tufts student (with the "better than thou" attititude expressed by some posters here) who has decided that they want to take the class as a liberal arts elective. The teacher then has to decide which SMFA student to kick out of the class to make room for the Tufts student, as apparently they have priority. </p>
<p>The SMFA student who has been asked to leave in front of the whole class now has a limited time to find a new class to take, in order to stay full time and meet the credit requirements. But wait - the school has overenrolled, and all the good classes are full. The student must go from class to class and teacher to teacher asking to be let into another class before Add/Drop expires. But there are none. So the student is forced to take an "Independent Study" - which is basically paying for credits with no class and no teacher.</p>
<p>From a student perspective, there are some great classes and great opportunities here, but you must really scramble to get them. From a parental perspective, this school is not a good value for the money and it basically exists to round out the Tufts offering. I find this whole post about what's on the diploma so trivial.</p>
<p>Blurinka - Although your idea makes a lot of sense, I think it's incorrect. I think that SMFA BFA graduates do graduate with a degree from Tufts. I have seen the resumes of several artists with BFA degrees from the SMFA and they list their degree as coming from Tufts. I think a phone call to the admissions dept at the SMFA is in order to clarify this point.</p>
<p>AnyMom99 - I'm really not sure what you are talking about. Most Tufts students cannot take the day classes at the SMFA. The Tufts/SMFA combined degree students (of which there are probably less than 80) get priority registration for courses because they have to fit so many courses into the five years. If they got closed out of courses there is no way they would be able to graduate in the allotted time. Regular Tufts students are not given priority over SMFA students, in fact Tufts students can only take art classes at Tufts or continuing education classes at the SMFA. The day courses are reserved for the SMFA students and the students in the combined degree program.</p>
<p>You may be right - the class the student was closed out of was an evening class. The day class was full, so there was competition for the evening class. </p>
<p>The problem with the school is that it is over-enrolled, and the registration process is not straightforward. Prerequisites are loosely defined, and the teacher has sole judgment over who is allowed in their class. </p>
<p>The classes have limited slots available, and may have a waiting list of 5+ students to get in a class. Some classes are by signature only, which means that the teacher has sole judgment over who gets in a class. I know a transfer student who was refused admission to a class because the teacher was not familiar with the extent of the student's background. Also, a class with a prerequisite of "Advanced students only" recently shut out the 10 juniors who were enrolled, leaving only 4 seniors and 5th year students. (There was no definition of "advanced" anywhere to be found.)</p>
<p>This is not a normal school, where (assuming you have the defined prerequisites) you can sign up for a class and if spaces are open, you are guaranteed a slot. It's a real scramble every semester.</p>
<p>When I was dorming at Tufts, I knew a girl who took all of her classes at the MFA. She would wake up early every morning to commute out to the MFA. Maybe she was a SMFA student.</p>
<p>davidng1 - She would have had to have been in the combined degree program, meaning she was doing a BA/BS degree at Tufts and a BFA degree at the SMFA. Only combined degree students are allowed to live in the dorms at Tufts.</p>
<p>AnyMom99 - Since my daughter gets priority registration, she hasn't been closed out of too many classes. She was closed out of Graffiti Art this semester even though she got up at 6:30 am to register. She also has been somewhat put off by having to get the teacher's permission to take the more advanced art classes. She has yet to sign up for one of those classes. She's only halfway through her sophomore year though.</p>
<p>I'm not trying to insult you, but there is a lot of confusion on this. I'm pretty sure that Susan Lush who is dean of students at the Museum School told me the exact opposite. I will call the Museum School and get to the bottom of this. Don't be surprised if a Tufts Admissions officer doesn't always know the "truth of the matter" all the time.</p>
<p>If you check the website for the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, they state that their students all get a "highly respected degree from Tufts".
I have asked this question of the admissions office at the SMFA and that was the answer that they gave me too. I will call again and double check, but I think the SMFA students get their degrees from Tufts. I know this is disappointing to some of you, but I think it's the truth. I will call again this week and double check. I'll let you know what they tell me. Or if you don't believe me, you can call yourself.</p>
<p>look, it's not a big deal - also, I wasn't insulted at all, I was just trying to say that it wasn't a personal opinion I held, it was a fact. I'm actually over the idea of SMFA kids getting Tufts degrees, because, yeah, credentials to be a good spatial thinker are different from other types of thinking. But I'm just repeating, verbatim, what a Tufts adcom said. It is POSSIBLE they're mistaken, but I do think it's their job to know.</p>
<p>Yes, it is their job to know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the admissions officer was mistaken. I think a lot of people are confused by this. I think I should check it out and get a definitive answer. I'm curious because my daughter is in the combined degree program and I think other people are curious too.</p>
<p>That's why she's in the COMBINED DEGREE program. So she can get two useless degrees. ;-)</p>
<p>Supposedly it's one of the best times to be an art student. There is a lot of international money buying art. My daughter had a painting teacher that was getting $35K per painting. Nice chunk of change.</p>
<p>What's your major rightbackatyou? Economics? Planning on going on for an MBA? That's what I did.</p>
<p>Yeah, Economics and Philosophy. Actually I'm planning to go on to a Seminary and maybe after that Law School. I'm wondering if it's possible to be both a lawyer but still go into the ministry, like, would I have time for both? </p>
<p>Actually though immediately after I graduate I'm going into the Army and I'm going to ask them to put me in Iraq, Baghdad to be even more specific. I've been told it's a done deal if I ask and it's probably a done deal even if I don't ask, lol. If I get through that, God willing, then we'll see about this whole ministry and law school business.</p>
<p>But yeah, it must be one heck of a time to be an art student because it seems like every other person I meet is an art major. Must pay good or something, but I'm just trying to figure out where these tens of thousands of art majors are going to be working.</p>