Killy Jelly

Don't worry, we are in the same boat. I've yet to receive a reply from any of the UC schools.

Just wondering if any MFA/Creative Writing applicants have heard back from any of the UC schools. My app is still "being processed" at UC Davis, Irvine and Riverside.

Everyone says UC's are the worst of the lot. However my boyfriend just got into two PhD programs at Irvine and Riverside with full funding, so all hope is not lost? I'm still waiting to hear from Master's x.x

I'm close friends with several professors who have MFA's under their belt, and they all told me March was the month to receive letters. So just hang in there I've applied to the Fiction programs at UC Irvine, Riverside and Davis... and everything is still "being processed" on my end as well. Good luck!

Best not to involve the staff of the schools you are applying to in your attempt to get accepted on basis of your relationship... Like another user said, this may even be counter-productive. I am in a very similar situation--except I'm going for a Masters in English and my boyfriend is going for a PhD in Sociology. Because of the immense specificity of his degree (Worlds Systems Analysis) we only applied to three schools together. He's already been admitted to his top two choices, but Masters acceptances don't seem to be coming out of those schools yet and I have my doubts. In the end, if I don't get accepted, I'm just going to have to gather my wits and try again next year. Being in a relationship always complicates things, and you may have to make a compromise here. But until it comes to that, try to stay positive and hope that a school will match up for you. Even if it is not your first choice, it may be best for you in the long run as a couple.

If anyone has the time/desire, can somebody just quickly proof-read my M.F.A. Writing SOP and autobio statement? I'll email them to you.

I'm down to the wire here so I'd thought I'd ask you fine folks for some advice. I'm applying to a handful of schools offering either Masters in English or Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Obviously my writing samples and my statements of purpose will differ from degree to degree. But I noticed that the MFA programs require an additional "autobiographical sketch" along with the s.o.p. The only information I can really find about it, is that the s.o.p. is supposed to be much more formal and academic (like an academic history?) and the a.s. will be a literal biography. How creative am I allowed to get with these papers, do you reckon? Should I just be literal and explain my personal and academic biography? Or do I try to tell a story? If anyone has any further insight into this, or has experience with MFA-fiction programs, I'd appreciate your wisdom Thanks!

Well, I'd been studying for the GRE for about two months, nailed all 400 vocabulary (committed to memory!) and got a math tutor... was taking the Princeton practice tests and getting decent-ish scores (650 V 510 Q), knowing that most english programs don't care about the math score. Then I took my test today... and when I saw my score on the screen I almost started crying. 410 Q, 510 V. I think I did well on the essay because I'm a pretty good writer but who knows how they test those things. The computer hardly gave me ANY of the words I worked so hard to memorize. I bombed hard and I feel like a failure. With applications for the English graduate program at Riverside due Dec. 1st (and I was told by the department that I should aim for Nov. 1) I am completely terrified. For those of you who know anything about Riverside, do you think I still have a chance if I apply with my current scores? I already had the scores sent to the college. I have a 3.6 GPA and lots of decent essays and good letters of rec, but will this low GRE score kill me? Should I retake it next month and try to squeeze it in before the deadline? If so, I'm considering taking the paper test instead. Is the paper test easier? Thanks...