Advice about further studies in Graphic Design in the US

[kab]

So, I am looking to do a masters degree when I'm finished with my BA, but I'm unsure as to where i want to study. I'm currently living and studying in London, but I'm looking towards the US, however, I have little knowledge of American schools and how they structure their education. I basically want an oppurtunity to increase and strengthen my skillset and gain more experience and confidence before I start working. Also, I'm still young and don't want to settle into a job too soon, better to go out and see new places and meet new people while I still have that degree of freedom.

San Fransisco and New York seem to be the most interesting cities for me, and I might have a job oppurtunity in NY that would help me pay the bills. However, SF looks great, a lot of art and culture events that fit my tastes and I have a friend who is also wanting to go there for a Master. I find that having someone you know around helps with motivation, allthough I don't have problems getting to know people either.

My question is this, what are the best schools for graphic design or similar studies in NY and SF, which do you recommend? If any of you have done a MA in a related field I'd love to get some tips.

[Elwell]

Steven Heller has put together a really good program at SVA:
http://design.sva.edu/site/home

[kab]

Thanks Elwell, that looks really good, the designer as author thing sounds right up my alley as I come from a more practical background during my studies in Norway.

SVA is probably my first choice personally, but I'm a bit unsure as to how I'll be able to get in, the deadline for admissions is friday. Sadly I'm late on getting around to having an application sorted, having been really busy with my current studies for the last month or two. I've got all the hand-ins for my current semester due this week and the next with a lot of finishing touches still being done, so I don't have a hope of getting anything sorted before that is finished.

I'm guessing that they practice admissions until the class is full though so there might still be a chance?

Also, I'm a bit worried about the finance statement thing, it says on the website that MFA Design students must show 60k in funds to be able to attend. The Norwegian government funds students with loans/grants that cover both living and tuition, but you have to apply yearly and send them a letter of acceptance showing the tuition you're required to pay, and you get funded based on that. So I would get one years tuition and enough to live and eat for that year, and then have to reapply. I don't see them giving me 60k even if the application requires me to...

I might end up having to take a year off before applying I guess, but I'd rather get right after it =)

[Elwell]

Ooh, sorry about that deadline!
If you have specific questions you should contact the SVA admissions department, they deal with foreign students all the time.

[kab]

Yeah, I'll most likely be sending them an email this weekend, hopefully they'll be able to give me some help. For some reason I never got around to checking when the deadlines for applications generally were, so I got a bit surprised when I started looking and found out everything was due in three weeks and I was swamped down with assignments and no time to research... Kinda think it's odd that our tutors around here never brought that up. =/

I really don't feel like taking an entire year off, as I envision it being a lot of slacking around if I plan on going back to school for 11/12 anyways, likely be working on something outside of design to save money and end up getting rusty =/