Photo of the Maclean building

Interview Day 2023

Interview Day Agenda 2023

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Congratulations on your invitation to interview with SAIC! Below you will find information on the events planned for students throughout Interview Day. 

Departmental Interviews

Candidates will receive specific instructions from their department(s) about how to reserve an interview time, options for an on campus in-person interview or virtual interview, and other important information about Interview Day. If you need to contact your department, their information is listed at the bottom of this page.

Graduate Student Reception

Saturday, February 11, 2023
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

MacLean Ballroom
112 S Michigan Ave.
Chicago IL 60603

RSVP

Join us on campus in Chicago for a casual reception to meet and mingle with other applicants across graduate programs. Light refreshments will be served.

Student Financial Services (SFS) Meetings

Saturday, February 11, 2023
LeRoy Neiman Student Center
37 S. Wabash Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60603

Student Financial Services will offer live presentations about financial aid resources at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Throughout the day, Student Financial Services counselors will also be available to answer individual questions from 10:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. No advance appointment necessary.

You may also watch a pre-recorded info session here.

In-Person Campus Tours

Friday, February 10, 1:30 p.m. CT

RSVP

The Friday Campus Tour will depart from SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60603. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour for check-in.

Saturday, February 11, 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. CT

No registration necessary

Saturday Campus Tours on Interview Day will depart from the Neiman Center at 37 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60603. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour.

Virtual Studio Visits

Friday February 10, 2023
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT
Join us

Join us for a series of live virtual studio visits between current graduate students across departments, interviewing each other about their artistic practices and life at SAIC. These interdisciplinary conversations are an opportunity for you to learn more about the SAIC community, connect with current graduate students and fellow applicants, and break the ice prior to Interview Day. This event will include MFA students from Art and Technology Studies, Fashion, Film, Video, New Media & Animation, Performance and Sound, showing their studio spaces and sharing their work. Four pairs of artists will each have a 20-minute conversation.

Participating Artists:

  • Juliana Castro Duperly, Arts and Technology Studies, 2nd year
  • Stephanie Ann Patsula, Sound, 1st year
  • Akshaj Kilewala, Performance, 1st year
  • Gordon Dic-Lun Fung, Film, Video, New Media, and Animation, 1st year
  • Mao Chenhui, Performance, 2nd Year
  • Tefo Tlhaloe, Film Video New Media and Animation, 2nd year

Departmental Contacts

Art and Technology Studies

ATS staff

ats@saic.edu

Art Education

Art Education staff

arted@saic.edu

Art Therapy & Counseling

Art Therapy staff

athera@saic.edu

Arts Administration & Policy

Arts Administration staff

artsad@saic.edu

Ceramics

Ceramics Department

ceramics@saic.edu

Dual Degree

Arts Administration staff

artsad@saic.edu

Designed Objects

AIADO staff

aiado@saic.edu

Fashion, Body, & Garment

Fashion Department

fashion@saic.edu

Fiber & Material Studies

FMS office

fms@saic.edu

Film, Video, New Media, & Animation

FVNMA Department

fvnm@saic.edu

Historic Preservation

AIADO staff

aiado@saic.edu

Painting & Drawing

PTDW office

ptdwoffice@saic.edu

Performance

Performance Department

performance@saic.edu

Photography

Photo Department

photo@saic.edu

Printmedia

Printmedia Department

printmedia@saic.edu

Sculpture

Sculpture Department

sculpture@saic.edu

Sound

Sound Department

sound@saic.edu

Teaching

Art Education staff

arted@saic.edu

Visual Communication Design

VCD office

viscom@saic.edu

Writing

Writing Program

wprogr@saic.edu

Departmental Activities

Please contact your individual departments for more information on these events.

  • Please refer to your invitation for details; the ATS department will email you with any further information.

    • 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.- In-Person Interviews
    • 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.- Lunch Break. We will have a group discussion where you will be provided an overview of the program from our faculty and current graduate students in the Art Education & Teaching department.
    • 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.- Virtual interviews 

    • 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.- Virtual group discussion where you will be provided an overview of the program from our faculty in the Art Therapy and Counseling department. (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.- Interviews
    • 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.- Break
    • 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.- Interviews, Additional Interview Day Activities with Current Graduate Students (Optional)

      If you would like to schedule an in-person visit arranged through the Art Therapy department, please contact maatcinquiries@saic.edu.

    • 9:00 – 9:15 a.m.- Check-In and Refreshments
    • 9:15 – 9:45 a.m.- Presentation by Department Chair Adelheid Mers and Graduate Coordinator Kate Dumbleton
    • 10:00 am – 4:35 p.m.- Interviews. The Graduate Admissions Committee will conduct fifteen-minute one-on-one interviews on campus or via Zoom.
    • 12:00- – 1:00 p.m.-  Group Lunch. Join us for an informal conversation about the program with current students and faculty. Ask us about the Enrichment Fund, Emerge Publication, or anything else you are curious about.
    • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.- Dual Degree Only: Info Session with Bess Williamson, Art History Graduate Program Director

    • 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.- Department of Ceramics Introductions (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.- Meet and Greet with Current Grads & Alumni (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.- Interviews (virtual or in-person, as scheduled)
       

  • Applicants are invited to participate in several departmental events during interview weekend. If coming to campus, we encourage applicants to come early, and stay after their interview to participate in as many events as they wish. Applicants who have an interview on campus should plan to arrive in the Fiber and Material Studies department at least 15 minutes before their interview time, for directions and more information. The Fiber and Material Studies department is located on the 9th floor of the Sharp building, 37 S. Wabash Ave.

    Saturday, February 11, 2023

    • 10:30 a.m.- Department tour with current graduate students (optional)
    • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.- Group lunch for all applicants, graduate faculty, and current graduate students
    • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.- Q+A Opportunity with L Vinebaum, Department Chair, and Danielle Andress, Graduate Coordinator
    • 2:00 p.m.- Department tour with current graduate students (optional)

    Sunday, February 12, 2023

    • 4:00-4:30 p.m. (CT): Remote Q+A Opportunity (via Zoom) with L Vinebaum, Department Chair, Danielle Andress, Graduate Coordinator, and Jade Yumang, Assistant Professor. (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)

  • Please refer to your invitation for details; the FVNMA department will email you with any further information.

  • February 10th

    • 5:00-7:00pm - ICE BREAKER Online Virtual Studio Visits (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
      February 11th
    • 9:00-9:15 a.m.- Virtual coffee (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 9:15-10:15 a.m.- Virtual Welcome Meeting (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.- Interviews (virtual or in-person, as scheduled)
    • 1:00-2:00 p.m.- Virtual Lunch with Current Grads (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 2:00-3.30 p.m.- Afternoon Interviews (virtual or in-person, as scheduled)

    • 9:00 -9:30 a.m.- Department of Photography Introductions (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.- Morning Session Interviews with individual zoom link
    • 1:00-4:00 p.m.- Afternoon Session Group Critiques (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 4:00-5:00 p.m.- Graduate Student Discussion & Tour of Facilities (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)

    • 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.- Morning Interviews (virtual or in-person, as scheduled)
    • 2:00 -4:00 p.m.- Afternoon Interviews (virtual or in-person, as scheduled)
    • 6:30-7:00 p.m.- Grad Student Meetup (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)
    • 7:00-8:00 p.m.- Printmedia Game Event (virtual- Please refer to the Zoom link in your invitation.)

  • February 10th

    • Sculpture Department Evening Gathering (In-Person) - Exact details and location to be sent directly to interviewees.
       

    February 11th

    • 9:30 a.m. - Welcome Gathering (In-person)
    • 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Morning Interviews (in-person or virtual, as scheduled)
    • 1:00-4:00 p.m. - Afternoon Interviews (in-person or virtual, as scheduled)

    February 12th

    • 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Sunday Bowling and Brunch (In-person)- - Exact details and location to be sent directly to interviewees.
       

  • Jacob Ristau, the Visual Communication Design Graduate Coordinator, is available for individualized Q&A upon request (in-person and/or video conference). Currently enrolled SAIC VisCom Design MFAs and P/MFAs are also available for conversations about the school and programs. Please email Jacob Risteau directly at jristau@saic.edu to make arrangements.

    • 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.- MFA in Writing faculty and students are available for an informal, in-person meet and greet Lakeview Building, 116 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 803 Chicago IL 60603.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our admissions office at 1.800.232.7242, 312.629.6100, or gradmiss@saic.edu.