slouching

I applied to WUSTL, Syracuse, and Minnesota (among others) for poetry and haven't heard from any of them. Been super anxious all afternoon. I almost don't even mind the idea of getting rejected, just dying to hear something. Congrats!

I'm waiting on Syracuse as well. Hopefully we hear something soon! Didn't apply to Johns Hopkins because I thought it'd be a poor fit for me. The lack of diversity within the faculty was a part of that, and issues of diversity were of major concern to me as I was deciding where to apply. Personally, I always found it super disheartening to come across an interesting program, only to see that the faculty's mostly white guys...that's not the kind of environment that I would thrive in, nor is it the kind of program I would want to support.

I agree-- one of the things that's so anxiety-inducing about this process is that it's so hard to know what programs are looking for. As far as wild cards go, I don't know that I really have any (I spent a truly embarrassing amount of time researching program details and fit), but geographically, Arizona and Alabama are the ones I was most surprised to find on my list. Both programs have so much of what I'm looking for, though, so I hope location wouldn't be too much of an issue.

Yeah, I love the program, but the location would definitely be a major change for me. My hope is that the culture of the program is different/removed enough from the culture of the university that it would allow me to maintain a healthy distance from the football and all that comes with it. Still have concerns about living in a red, southern state (for three years!), but hoping I could make it work. I also had a creative writing prof who attended the program and was able to write a letter for me, so applying made sense.

My impression is that the program is fully funded. I found the funding info on their website to be a bit confusing, but this interview with the program's director lays things out a little more clearly. It's also included on the list of fully funded programs at The MFA Years.

I'm off work for over a week, and it's a nightmare. Really hoping for an early acceptance (or even a waitlist spot) so I can at least obsess over a decision instead of a lack of one. Like @pdh12, I'd kill to go to Brown, but have accepted it's almost certainly not going to happen. I don't know that I can choose any favorites, honestly-- all the places I've applied to have pretty much everything I want/need, and I would be thrilled to attend any of them. Of course, some locations sound better than others (I suspect I'd feel much more at home in Seattle than Tuscaloosa).

Agreed! I'm excited to see how everyone's application season turns out. Having to wait like this in the dead of winter seems particularly cruel...wish I could go out biking or something to force me to stop checking my email.

@Hortense I'm also waiting on Washington University in St. Louis, though I'm a poetry applicant. Also expecting to hear from Minnesota fairly soon, as that was my earliest deadline. Definitely feeling anxious, inadequate, etc. Starting things off with a rejection has certainly not boosted my confidence. Trying my best to distract myself, though I'm pretty awful at it.

Wasn't really expecting to start hearing back this early, but I just got a rejection from Ohio State. Kind of knew deep down that it wasn't a perfect fit, but still, this sucks.

Hi new people! Good luck to everyone! Waiting is starting to kill me. I had kind of forgotten what it's like to have free time...

Just submitted the last of my applications. I guess this is the part where I become consumed by anxiety, regret, etc. until results start coming in? Cool.

Wow, yeah, we picked a ton of the same places! I've managed to avoid Draft thus far, but may cave before this is over. My hope is that I'll be able to focus on some other projects I want to work on once everything dies down and there's nothing left to do but wait...but realistically, I'll probably be a nervous wreck.

Props to you for managing transcripts from six places! I've attended three schools, so I can empathize a bit. Thankfully, I've mostly been able to stick with unofficial copies. @pdh12, what's on your list? I ended up settling on Minnesota, Ohio State, Brown, Cornell, Wisconsin, UCSD, Arizona, UVA, Alabama, Indiana, Notre Dame, Washington, Syracuse, and WashU/WUSTL. Somehow, it still doesn't feel like I'm applying to enough places, lol.

Two down, twelve to go. Finishing a bunch more applications this week. How's everyone doing? The different requirements for SOP length are killing me. I wrote a version that's around 1,000 words that I'm happy with, and have been able to use for some places...but other places want 500 words or less, which seems super short! Has anyone else had to figure out how to craft two different versions of the SOP?

I wouldn't bother. The personal statement is something that requires concision, and since it's assumed that you appreciate being considered, I'd use the space to say something else instead.

Wanted to apply to CalArts so bad...that program looks amazing, and working with Maggie Nelson would be a dream. Good luck!

The thing is, if you're set on applying to fully funded programs, you kind of have to accept that there are no safety schools, that all your options are going to be really selective. It's why a lot of people looking for a fully funded MFA will apply to ten or more schools-- you'll probably have a difficult time finding a lot of fully funded programs with acceptance rates over ten percent. It might help, though, to do some research on "underrated" programs-- that should give you a sense of what options are out there if you want funding but are avoiding the well known, ultra-selective programs (Brown, Michener, etc.). You may also want to expand your search to include programs that offer full funding to many (but not all) students; if you apply, you run the risk of getting accepted without funding, but those places may be a little less selective, so there's that (Montana and UMass come to mind). I'll also add that when applying to MFAs, you want to make sure you're choosing places that are a good fit for your needs and wants and the kind of work you're interested in doing. Look at faculty, program structure, course offerings, teaching responsibilities, etc. Knowing what you're looking for (beyond full funding) and only applying to places that make sense for you is super important-- not all MFAs are the same.

Basically any fully funded program is going to be quite selective. That being said, this might be a good starting point for you.

Thanks! I'm trying not to worry about the GRE too much-- I feel like my time/energy is better spent on my writing sample and personal statement-- but I obviously would like to do as well as I can, too. Mostly just eager to get it over with at this point.

I, too was intrigued by Wyoming's program, but decided against applying because I couldn't see myself living there. Also, finally narrowed down my list of schools, from fifteen...to fourteen, lol. It's kind of a lot, but I'm really hoping to only go through this process once. Since a few of them want the GRE, I put my contempt for the test aside and scheduled a test date...ugh. I'm interested in maybe applying to PhD programs later on, so I figure I'll have to take it eventually anyway. I am astoundingly bad at math, so any study tips for the quant section would be greatly appreciated.

I think that might be your ticket to success, lol. I don't expect to get into Brown (or anywhere, really-- optimism? what's that?), but their program is such a dream for me that I have to try anyway.

BU's program looks so cool, especially for someone who's interested in translation. Good luck! I have a list of 15 programs at the moment...hoping to narrow it down a little, but I also want to apply as widely as I can. Definitely applying to Minnesota, UVA, UCSD, Brown, Cornell, Wisconsin, and Arizona; still figuring out what I want to do with the rest. I've been trying to resist the Draft, too...I have enough anxiety as it is. Thanks for sharing your story!

I'll be applying in poetry as well. What programs are you looking at, @pdh12 (and everyone else)?

Not sure. Maybe some of your professors could shed some light on that? Hope it works out. Not sure how difficult it is to meet with professors individually and have them get to know you at a school that size, but I think that's the key with LORs-- reach out, ask for guidance, and have discussions about your writing, academic interests, etc. so that when you need to ask for letters a couple years from now, they'll know you better and have specific, substantive things to say about you as a student, writer, and person. The way I approached it is that as much as I might feel shy or awkward about initiating those conversations, it always seemed way more awkward to have to ask for LORs from people who didn't really know me or might not even remember me.

I was a transfer student as well, and I think the general consensus is that it's fine to just include the school you graduated from on a resume/CV. As you mentioned, you'll be submitting transcripts anyway, so it's not like you're withholding any info.