slouching

Yes, creative writing programs will want at least some of your letters to come from professors who are familiar with your creative work. Since you're planning for grad school a few years in advance, you have plenty of time to work on making strong connections with those people. As a fellow introvert, I can relate-- it used to be really difficult for me to even speak up in class, let alone have one-on-one meetings with professors, but I've found that the best way to overcome that anxiety is to just force myself to do it. If you've already taken some workshops and you know you're interested in grad school, I'd encourage you to meet with those professors (if you haven't already) to talk to them about your writing and your future plans. I went to a small school, so this was pretty easy for me; class sizes were small, so professors remembered me, and it was easy to reach out and talk to them about my research interests, my writing, and my grad school plans. Ideally, your letters of recommendation will come from people who know you well and can speak about your abilities and potential in specific ways. If you attend a bigger school, developing that sort of relationship may be more challenging, but again, you've given yourself plenty of time to do it.

In my research, I haven't come across any creative writing MFA programs that deal with songwriting, and I suspect trying to do a project like that in the context of a creative writing program would be a challenge. There are certainly some programs that are more open to experimental and interdisciplinary work than others, but ultimately, writing lyrics is different from writing poetry-- what works in a song doesn't necessarily work on the page, and vice versa. Creative writing programs aren't designed to teach songwriting, and I think you'll have difficulty finding faculty who have experience working with song lyrics. You could try looking into programs at schools that also have strong music programs (Indiana, for example) and that would allow you to take courses in that area.

First, if you're feeling unsure about how ready you are, consider waiting. I graduated in 2015, and had originally planned to apply to grad school that fall. For various reasons, I decided to wait a year, and am so glad I did-- I now feel much more confident in my abilities as a writer, and I'm better at articulating what my interests are. It always helps to have more time to read and write, and to think about reading and writing. I get the appeal of wanting to go straight from undergrad to graduate school, but it's quite common for people to step away from academia for a while to work, travel, and try new things. Having those experiences, realizing there are other things you can do with your life besides go to school-- all of that allows you to gain a perspective that I think can only be beneficial, both as a grad school applicant and as a person. Personally, I can't recommend it enough. When it comes to MFA admissions, the single most important thing is your portfolio. Your personal statement and letters of recommendation are important, too, but everything I have read indicates that other things-- publications, prestige of undergrad institution, GPA-- really don't matter much at all. If you feel you're ready to present a portfolio of your best work and write a strong personal statement, and you have professors who will write letters for you and are enthusiastic about you as a writer and student and person, then go for it. You may want to consider applying to more programs, though, and definitely go into the process knowing what you want and need from a creative writing program in terms of funding, size, course offerings, time commitment, etc. For example, you mentioned NYU and Cornell: NYU is not fully funded, but Cornell is; NYU admits 35-50 students annually, while Cornell admits only eight. If both those options appeal to you, great, but if not, consider what your preferences are and what other schools would be a good fit. Finally, if you're curious about how your writing compares to others in your position, reading literary journals that regularly publish emerging writers is a good place to start. Also, MFA programs often provide profiles of their current students, which may include information on where they've been published, so you might want to look up some students at programs of interest to you and track down their work as well.

Poets & Writers has a database of literary journals that you may want to check out. I am also looking into submitting my work for publication, and found it to be a really helpful resource. My understanding, though, is that publication history is not super important in the MFA admissions process.

I was a sociology major as an undergrad, and can see how the topic you've mentioned could be studied from that perspective, but I imagine some sociology programs would be a much better fit for your interests than others. To get a sense of where you belong, it might help to further narrow your research topic in terms of location, time period, etc. To determine whether or not a program is a good fit for you, you'll want to look at things like structure, coursework, and faculty research interests. You may find that it will make sense to apply to a mix of different kinds of programs. Also, keep in mind that different fields will require different things from you; for example, many sociology programs will require you to take at least one course in stats/quantitative research methods, and many programs in the fields you've mentioned will require you to study a foreign language or two, all of which may or may not be relevant to your interests and goals. Finally, what do you see yourself doing with a PhD? If you want to work in academia, then you can do that with a degree in any of those fields, but you'll have to consider where you really want to be. I once read a great piece of advice on these forums that went something like this: if you're trying to decide between academic careers in two different fields, consider which field's intro-level class you'd rather teach. And if you're looking to work outside of academia, then the specifics of what you want to be doing might dictate what field you should study. If you want to work at an art museum, for example, an art history degree might make more sense than sociology.

If you're interested in doing a creative writing MFA at an art school in the US, there are a number of options, but I think the funding at those programs is generally pretty limited, unfortunately. Off the top of my head, I know Pratt, Otis, CalArts, and SAIC (also located in Chicago) all have creative writing MFA programs, and I'm sure there are other art schools that do as well. You'll also find that some creative writing programs that are not at art schools will allow or even encourage students to take courses in the visual arts (for example, the program at UCSD is structured this way).

When you apply again, I would recommend not using the same SOP for all programs. The SOP provides you with an opportunity to explain not just why you write and why you want to get an MFA, but why you want to get an MFA at that specific program. What made you choose the programs that you did? Are there specific opportunities available at each program that appeal to you? How do your interests and goals fit with the program's structure, faculty, coursework, etc.? Addressing these kinds of things in your SOP can help an admissions committee gain a better understanding of why you want to be there. You don't have to craft a completely different SOP for every program (it will make sense for some parts to remain basically the same), but you do want to make sure that you discuss what it is about that program in particular that makes it seem like a good fit for you. As for reading work by faculty members, you certainly don't need to read everything they've ever published, but you do want to become at least a little bit familiar with their work, as this will help you make sure that you're applying to places that are a good fit for you. Are there people at these programs whose work you admire, people who are doing something similar to what you want to do, people who would potentially make good advisors for you? If so, then you're on the right track.

OriginalDuck, thanks for directing me to those threads. I'd love to follow your suggestion of applying to both the MALS and PhD programs, but unfortunately, it's not possible-- applications for the GA position/MALS are due in a few weeks (the program would begin this fall), whereas I can't really start applying for doctoral programs until the fall/winter.

I'm a senior at a small, midwestern liberal arts college, where I'm currently finishing my honors thesis. I'm also interested in applying to doctoral programs in American studies at some point in the future, possibly as soon as this year. My advisor recently forwarded an email to me about a job/grad school opportunity at my school, but I'm not really sure what to make of it. Here's the deal: my college offers the MALS degree, and while aware of this, I never considered pursuing it, because it doesn't seem like the right fit for me. My impression of these kinds of programs is that they're awfully expensive, generally geared toward older students, and don't train students for anything in particular-- all things I'm wary of. I'm sure lots of people find value in that experience, but I'm not sure it's right for me. The opportunity my advisor emailed me about is for a graduate assistant position. Apparently, you get paid for your work as a GA, and you get free tuition for the MALS program. In theory, that sounds kind of great; I'd love to spend more time studying things I'm interested in without paying tuition (with the added bonus of having a job). However, I worry that enrolling in such a program wouldn't do much to make me a more competitive applicant for doctoral programs-- or worse, that it might even hurt my chances. And even though the tuition would be free, it's still something I'd be dedicating two years of my life to, which isn't something I take lightly. Overall, I'm unsure of what to make of this opportunity. As someone interested in doing interdisciplinary graduate work (and not paying tens of thousands of dollars to do so), I'm intrigued. But I still have all these concerns about the value of the MALS, whether it's something that would actually help me if my goal is the PhD. If anyone has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.

Maybe you're thinking of Evernote? I think it has a feature along those lines, though I've never used it personally.

I second the Twin Peaks suggestion. One of my all-time favorites! A few others have mentioned Louie, and I will as well-- I think it's one of the best shows on TV right now. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is great, too, and highly underrated.

This is a bit off-topic, as it's not really something I do myself that someone else could be doing for me, but I just want to throw it out there: go to your local library! As someone who reads a lot of books, watches a lot of movies, and listens to a lot of music, the library is an amazing resource for me. Even if your library doesn't have the item you're looking for, chances are that they participate in an interlibrary loan program, and they can get it for you from somewhere else. Seriously, libraries are great. Also, I make an effort to buy things that are versatile, whether it's clothing or groceries. I find that it's much easier (and cheaper) to buy a few things that can be used many ways than to buy a lot of things that only serve one purpose.

I'm a junior, and I won't be applying to grad school until fall 2015 (maybe even later). About a year ago, I realized that grad school is something I'm interested in pursuing, and since then, I've been taking steps to make myself a competitive applicant. Reading these forums and doing my own research has helped me understand some potential flaws in my application, and since I've started preparing so early, I have plenty of time to attempt to fix those issues. Here are some of the things I've been working on: - My language skills need improvement. I would like to learn French, but I won't have time to do so during undergrad. Instead, I will be doing a brief study abroad trip to France next year, and to prepare for that, I will be studying the language independently this summer. Since I will not be attending grad school straight out of undergrad, I plan to use that time to continue working on language, perhaps by taking classes at a community college. - Getting to do interdisciplinary work is really important to me. I'm a sociology and anthropology major, but I could see myself applying to American studies programs, or programs that combine visual and cultural studies. The requirements for my major don't really give me a lot of opportunities for interdisciplinary work, so I've had to carve out spaces to do that work elsewhere. By the time I graduate, I will have completed an independent study, an honors thesis, and several honors interdisciplinary classes. I am also taking classes in areas that I'd like to study more in grad school, like film studies and art history. - As I just alluded to, I'm in the honors program at my school, which has been tremendously helpful. I get to do the aforementioned thesis and interdisciplinary courses, but I also get to network with really interesting, accomplished people, and learn about things like grants and scholarships. I go to a very small school, and the resources of the honors program are super accessible. - Another benefit of going to a small school is that I have been able to establish good relationships with my professors. I just transferred to this school last fall, and I already know of a few people who could be excellent LOR writers for me. - I am hoping to take the GRE at the end of this summer. Studying for the test is one of my main summer projects, and I finally got my math requirements out of the way this year, so all that stuff is still fresh in my mind. Even if I bomb, I'll still have plenty of time to retake the test. - And, of course, I've started researching grad programs, because reading these forums has taught me a lot about what to look for. My list of potential schools is still ridiculously long, but it keeps me motivated.

Things you need: spinach, chickpeas, tomato, lemon, feta cheese, rice, thyme, garlic. -chop up about a cup of spinach and some tomato -add about 1/4 cup of chickpeas -add some lemon juice (I like to use one whole lemon) -add thyme and garlic to taste -heat in a covered pan for a few minutes -serve over rice and top with some feta

Perhaps I'm misreading something in your post, but the FAFSA deadline isn't January 1. From the FAFSA website: "Because of the variation in state and college deadlines, it is highly recommended that you fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1 to ensure that you do not miss out on available aid." See also: http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa#when-fafsa Hope that helps.

You might want to look into taking some additional anthropology courses, either at a community college or as a non-degree seeking student at a four-year school. You didn't mention how many anthropology classes you took as an undergrad, but if you only took a few, it could be a good idea to get some more experience in the subject before applying to graduate programs. That would give you an opportunity to get letters of recommendation, and to show programs that you know what you're getting into. When you're researching grad schools, be sure to look carefully at the admissions requirements, because some places may require a degree in anthropology or a certain number of anthropology credits, whereas other places may be more open. Considering your background, I'd definitely think about applying to some MA programs. As for finding the right programs, I've found that it's easiest to start the search by looking at schools rather than professors, but that may be because I'm looking at grad programs in a few different fields, not just anthropology. If you know you're only interested in anthropology programs, it may be easier to use another approach, and I'm sure there are a lot of people here who can give you suggestions on that.

I'm currently an undergraduate at a good (but not great) liberal arts college. I probably could've gone somewhere slightly more prestigious, but this seemed like the best option for me. I chose this school knowing that I'd be applying to grad school eventually, so no, I don't think attending a prestigious undergraduate institution is necessary for admittance to a prestigious grad school. In my mind, grad schools are most interested in what you've learned and what your capabilities and interests are, not where you earned your degree. Prestige helps, but there are many aspects of your application that say much more about who you really are: your writing sample, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, etc.

I agree with proflorax. If you haven't already, I'd recommend doing a bit of research on the students currently enrolled in the programs you're interested in. Usually, a department will have a 'current students' section on its website, and each student's bio often includes info on what degree(s) they earned prior to joining the program. What becomes clear very quickly is that students come from all kinds of backgrounds. Given that your background seems to have a strong connection to what you want to study in grad school, I definitely wouldn't assume that you'll need a terminal MA in order to be competitive for the PhD.

If I were you, I'd take some time off from school before doing graduate work. Obviously, going to graduate school is a really big decision, especially if you're not able to get funding. I'm not applying to writing/lit programs, so I'm not exactly sure what the funding situation is like, but my guess is that it's not great. If you take financial matters out of the picture, then of course, the MFA sounds pretty good, and given your credentials, I'm sure it could be a positive experience for you. You just have to ask yourself what you're willing to sacrifice in order to have that experience, assuming you would have to pay for it (at least in part). If you decide you do want to pursue the MFA, then you might consider using time off from school to work and save some money to ease the eventual financial blow. Since you're relatively young, you could easily spend a couple years working without feeling like you're trying to catch up with everyone else. Plus, that gives you more time to prepare for the admissions process, which is never a bad thing. I don't know if my advice means much, given that we're in different fields, but I was just talking about this issue with my advisor today, so I thought I'd offer my two cents. I'm also a junior in college, and I'm planning on waiting at least a year before grad school for several reasons. My advisor actually did the same. It's really common, and the whole idea that "if you wait, then you'll never actually go" is totally ridiculous. If it's something that means a lot to you and is relevant to your career goals, you will do it. You're young, there's no rush.

I'm in the early stages of researching grad programs, so I'm no expert on these kinds of things, but I thought I'd chime in because this is something I've been thinking about lately. My philosophy is this: prestige is important, but so is performance. Ultimately, you want to be in an environment that will allow you to thrive, and sometimes that means sacrificing prestige for fit. I remember reading a post on here once that basically said that it's better to accomplish a lot at an okay school than to accomplish very little at a great school. So, that's something to consider, if that's the choice you're facing. At the same time, going to grad school is generally a means to an end, and it's important to be realistic about the connection between where you go and where you'll end up. If you see yourself in academia, what kind of school do you want to be teaching at? Take a look at your dream employer's faculty list and find out where everyone got their degrees from. Similarly, you can look at a program's job placements section to find out where the graduates are now. Figuring out where you want to be after grad school can help you determine if attending a prestigious school is really important to you.

Is there any way you could do an independent study as a part of your master's program? If you're not able to do a thesis, that might be something to look into.

I'm still in undergrad, but I am also starting to look at grad programs (mainly in anthropology). This is what I've learned so far: 1. Ask yourself what you're looking for. You already know that you want to study a specific period of art, so that definitely helps, but there obviously a lot of other things to consider as well. Are you interested in doctoral programs, or master's programs, or both? Are there certain locations that you can or can't see yourself living in? What kinds of schools are you capable of getting into, given your academic record? With those kinds of questions in mind, go to rankings sites (I like this one), and write down every school you'd like to learn more about. Remember that you're at the very beginning of your research, so you want to explore every option you have. 2. Consider programs with faculty whose work you've enjoyed. This may be more difficult for you, since you've been out of school for a few years, but if there are any articles you read during undergrad that stand out, look up who worked on them, and then find out where they teach. 3. Fit is huge. You'll hear this time and time again on Grad Cafe, and on the websites of grad programs. Lots of things are taken into account when you apply to grad school, but it seems like fit is the most important. So, look at a department's website, and see what their strengths are. You want to apply to places where there are people you could potentially work with, so read faculty interests, and take note of any good matches. 4. Don't be afraid to look at other departments. I assume you're going to be focusing on art history programs, but you may find that other areas in the humanities or social sciences might also have something to offer you. Maybe you're interested in a program that lets you take coursework in other disciplines, or you'd like to do a joint degree (say, art history and museum studies). Again, at this stage, it's better to have too many options than not enough. 5. Explore the forums! I spent months reading Grad Cafe before I started seriously looking at grad programs, and it can be a really great resource. This is the internet, so you have to take things with a grain of salt, but what I've found is that there are some truly helpful people on here who are eager to talk about their experiences. Of course, there are lots of other good sources of information out there, too, both on and off-line. Read as much as you can about the process, because applying to grad school is a huge thing to deal with, and you want to go into it feeling as informed as possible. I hope that helps a bit. I'm new at this, too, so I'd love to see what anyone else has to add here.