<p>Hello there, </p>
<p>I just graduated from undergrad in Dec. 2007 and I am interested in applying to the RISD MFA Graphic Design program (and other similar programs) for Fall 2009 entrance. I am particularly interested in RISD's program, but am wondering if the majority of accepted students are fairly recent undergraduates or a bit older and have more industry experience? I was also wondering where I might look at accepted students' portfolios to see the general level of caliber expected? I hope to land a full time design position soon and work at that until Fall '09, but for the moment I am continuing a user interface design internship for a start-up company. I believe I've gained a significant amount of industry design experience these past 6 months, but am unsure of how my qualifications may match the rest of the applicant pool. Thanks a bunch! :D</p>
<p>Most people who are accepted to MFA programs <em>anywhere</em> have worked for long enough to be able to very clearly articulate exactly what they want out of graduate school and how they think a specific school will fit that need. For some people this means coming back after five to ten years, for more people it means coming back after two years, and for a few they do know that already right out of undergrad. </p>
<p>In terms of judging where you are at with your portfolio, try if you can to make it to a 'Grad Portfolio Day', which are held in NY, Chicago, and San Francisco each year. I drove up to the San Fran one from LA last year and found it absolutely worthwhile for guaging where I stood.</p>
<p>The focus of a graduate level application is likely to be upon the portfolio. Whether the work is professional or not is irrelevant. In fact, the best work is most often not produced in a professional context since much of it - though competent - is often no better than average and safe.</p>
<p>It was my experience that older students brought more to classroom discussions and had a better sense of their goals. I would recommend at least a year of professional experience before pursuing a grad. degree.</p>