lavendercloud

Singsalot: I totally get that. I'm starting to think about applying to some other opportunities, even those in New York that I've never fully considered because I figured I'd go for them after grad school (like P73, Soho Rep writers/directors lab, and the Princess Grace award) and doing some heavy rewriting of one play and expansion of another in the next couple months to prepare for those deadlines. I'm also looking at internship again, but I'm SO tired of bouncing from one to the next and I'm not sure that I want another low-paid, full-time position that will probably get in the way of my writing. Realized I didn't answer the question about submissions. I've been submitting to things for a while, particularly this past year - residencies, awards, and so on - and haven't gotten anything yet. What I'm trying to focus on now is just writing more and looking for opportunities that are a really great fit for me, instead of applying for anything for which I might be eligible. And after shelling out all those application fees this year, I don't think I'll apply to anything with a fee attached for a good while.

Tate, CONGRATS! I'm so excited for you! When are you heading out there? And have you had interviews at Austin yet?

Heard from Naomi last night, and I'm not on the short list for UCSD this year. Kind of crushing but I absolutely understand. She also said she can't give a more definitive answer because the admissions process is unpredictable...so I'm not not under consideration? But I'm very glad that I've got the Ohio application underway and looking forward to hearing back from more schools so I have a better idea of where I stand this year. Also wishing I'd done more from last year to this, but hindsight is 20/20, and I'm competing against some stellar applicants (y'all ROCK, basically). Onward and upward!

Busybeinganxious: That's EXACTLY what I've been wishing I had the wherewithal to do. It was easy enough early on in application season, but now that I'm expecting to hear important news any day, I have trouble keeping a level head. I know we're not going to make our decisions primarily based on each other, but it's not like we can completely ignore that factor, either. I guess I just wish this were all easier. But on the bright side, my program will only be 3 years (MFA) while his will be 5+ (PhD), so it's certainly not forever. Still. Thanks for the wise words. Y'all are great. And, uh, Happy Valentine's Day?

Oh, good to know! I'll assume UCLA's not interested, then, if they've already started interviews. I don't know much about the program so it was low on my list, but I'm still glad I applied because it meant my first application out of the gate wasn't one of the more important ones, if that makes sense. Barista, good luck with Michener! I decided against applying to the UT-T&D program because it just didn't excite me enough to pull me to Texas, and I decided to stop being so paranoid and cut down on my applications. May not be loving that decision in a month or two, but it feels good for now.

Do you want to get a PhD? Is it worth it to go to a program without funding solely so you don't have to reapply and take the GRE again? Most people apply more than once to more than one place - if you're not willing to do that, maybe you should take a closer look at whether you really want a PhD.

My boyfriend and I both applied to grad school this year. It's my second round and his first; so far I have one rejection, while he has two and a waitlist. We only have one school in common, which is a good choice for both of us but maybe not a first choice for either of us. What seems likely at this point is that I'll end up at the West Coast school where I was a finalist last year, and he'll be in the Northeast if he gets in this year. We've been together for a year, and have been candid about the fact that we'd probably end up in different places next year...but now that the reality is at hand, it sucks. I guess what sucks the most right now is the double uncertainty. We're feeding into each other's stress. (I started checking the GradCafe forum for his discipline and quickly realized I was adding unnecessary stress to his life by telling him what schools were getting in touch with applicants.) We don't know what will happen in our future, so even though our relationship as a whole has taught us to get better at living in the moment and stressing less about the long-term, the impatience is slowly killing me. And yet maybe even this not-knowing is easier than what comes next, because we still have the remote hope of being in the same place next year. So, as one poster recently said here on the Waiting It Out forum, I'm swimming in the warm waters of Crazypants Sea. Advice?

My friend had worked with Erik Ehn before, liked the smaller cohort, and just didn't feel like she fit well at Austin. She was really sure about Brown--applied there three years in a row--and while it was hard to turn down the Michener money, ultimately she loves Brown and it sounds like she's doing really well there. @Barista: I also applied to both the Austin programs last year and only Michener this year. Overall, I still applied to more programs this year. Also, anyone else surprised not to have heard anything from UCLA? They have SUCH an early deadline! Seriously, wtf.

Tate: Ohio has funding - I'm not sure if everyone gets an assistantship/fellowship but if you do, I believe they cover tuition and up to a $9k stipend. Congrats on UT/Michener, that's awesome! Will they be flying you out? My friend who was accepted loved it when she visited (she got into Michener, but ended up choosing Brown). I think I've written a fair amount about the UCSD interview process, but yes, prepare questions! They are so happy to answer anything you want to know about and since they don't ask you many questions, it keeps the conversations going if you have a lot. You'll get one-on-one time with every student and faculty member, visit some classes, and hopefully see a show or reading. Basically, if you're going to be deciding between UCSD and UT Austin and possibly other schools, you want to be as informed as possible. Ask about anything that might affect your decision: electives, funding, productions, location (they take advantage of the proximity to LA), and so on. They'll fill you in on all the bigger stuff, of course. I checked in with UCSD and was told that they'll be in touch with me very soon. I don't know whether they'll ask me to visit again or what, but it sounds like not-bad news...just waiting! @puttputt: Thanks. I'm in rehearsal full-time for a show I'm assisting on right now but I'll try to assemble something to submit to Ohio. It was highly recommended to me and is really well-respected.

Puttputt: no worries, I did get the application info for Ohio. I'm not sure if I can pull together my second full-length by Sunday, but I'll try!

Tate, congrats!! Sounds like their timeline is slightly later than last year - I remember visiting in mid-February. It'll be nice if it aligns more closely with other schools. I haven't heard anything from them yet, but trying not to assume that means anything for sure...eek!

Princess, those questions seem exactly on point. The questions I remember from UCSD last year include "How would you contribute to the community & to the development of your peers' plays?" (something like that, I don't remember the wording), "What are you working on now?" and "Who are your favorite playwrights?" Otherwise I got some questions from students but nothing else very interview-like from Naomi or Allan. I just emailed Ohio U to ask for the application information. Deadline is Sunday - the 15th - and since I haven't heard anything yet from anyone, figured I'd better get started on that one. It's also been kind of comforting to me to think about what I'd do if I don't get into grad school this year. This waiting game sucks!

Also checked Utdirect, and also found out that I was rejected from Michener. Always sucks when your first contact in the entire cycle is a rejection, doesn't it?

Yeah, still thinking of applying to Ohio, especially since Indiana fell through. No, my friend didn't give any other details, but we were in the middle of a different conversation; I can ask for details next time I get a chance. Mid-to-late Feb sounds right for most schools, yeah. Also curious about the change in Yale's timeline.

So: talked to a playwright-colleague and mentioned that Indiana wasn't accepting anyone. She looked kinda sheepish and said "That's my fault." I guess she was offered the position to head up the program and decided not to take it. I thought Ruth McKee was pretty new there, but I take it she's leaving and they don't have a replacement? Haven't heard anything yet...anyone? Any schools starting to contact people yet?

Someday I really want to have a show in the Minnesota Fringe. It's the bomb and I've been involved with two shows there previously, once as an actor and once as a stage manager. But it doesn't really make sense unless I lived there. It's the oldest Fringe in the country and pretty damn awesome. I think the self-producing skills one gains through Fringeing are absolutely great, but financially it's not always going to make sense; it's an investment and there may not be much return. I don't know much about the NYC Fringe, but there's an excellent discussion going on right now about it in the Official Playwrights Group of Facebook.

I'm so excited y'all applied to the Royal Court too! Maybe we'll all end up there together! I borrowed heavily from my grad school essays and proposed a play that's already well underway, so I'm feeling really good about the application, too. Also, this week is the first time I'd read recommendations from the two recommenders I used for that application...anyone else feel weird about reading recs? I'm still waiting to hear back from several other summer programs, including Seven Devils, Sundance, and BAPF. Can't believe they don't get back to us til April! SO MUCH WAITING. One more potential application for a summer program would be due in a couple days: http://www.thelighthouseworks.com/fellowshipprogram.html. Not sure if I can justify the $25 application fee given that they receive 500 apps for 12 spots (in all arts disciplines), but it looks really cool. SeaLou: have you heard from anyone at Indiana about what's going on? Can't believe that decision was so swift - given my Yale blunder, I figured I must have just been missing something that everyone else already knew. Princess: I'm so curious about what that extension of the UCSD deadline means! Maybe they extended it because they didn't get enough applicants?? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?? But at least not feeling bad about not having heard from them yet this year, if they are indeed still accepting applications....though that's questionable, given that the deadline on the website itself hasn't changed from 1/6.

Yo, am I incredibly dense? How did I not see this before? "We are not recruiting for the M.F.A in Playwriting for the fall 2015 academic year." - Indiana U (http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/academics/MFA_playwriting.shtml) When did that go up? I think what may have happened is that I was accessing a cached version of the page, because I saw that when I Googled the program instead of following the link from my saved spreadsheet. Oofta. Well, there's one application off my list, I guess. Anyone else applying for this? http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/international-playwriting/international-residency Or any other summer opportunities? And has anyone started hearing things? It's a year ago today that I first heard from UCSD about scheduling a phone interview...I know timelines change but it's hard not to get antsy (thanks, Timehop!).

Tate: Here's what I know about UCSD funding (what I learned when I interviewed last year). The second and third years, you have in-state tuition and a TAship. The first year, you have neither, so the funding is more limited...but this doesn't mean you're paying full tuition and have no other income. I think there are still work-study jobs you'd be doing in the department, for instance. I don't know the numbers, but it sounds pretty doable. I think what you may be covering is, say, the difference between in and out of state tuition, but I'm not sure. Plus, there are potential university-wide diversity fellowships you can apply for. And here's the number I do know: you're given $10,000 upon graduation to help you settle in a major city. Plus $2,000 your second summer to travel, and your first summer you'll be an observer at the O'Neill. Funding is actually quite competitive overall and student housing is available to help you reduce costs for 2 out of your 3 years. And thanks, Princess! Yay for productivity! Who else is still applying and in their final stretch? And is anyone planning to tack on more apps if they haven't started hearing back yet? I may add in Ohio if I haven't heard anything about interviews by their deadline (Feb 15). Also, last year I only remember doing the finaid form for Yale. Any others that expect you to do it before getting into the school?

Princess: I ended up uploading the resume to Michener as an additional document. Got down to the wire with the Iowa app and ended up submitting something very unfinished as my second play, but what can ya do - I'd already paid the submission fee and everything. Gonna be even harder to pull it out for Indiana because I have to expand this new play into a full-length by Feb 1...eek!

iamnonightbird: I'm not sure how much of the forum you've read through - I think I've answered that question, and I was a finalist there last year so I guess I was on the right track. In my playwriting essay I went into how I got into theater and writing, what being a playwright means to me, and why and how I write. The statement of purpose was much more focused on why I want to go to grad school and why UCSD in particular, and my goals as a theater artist. Last year I went a little more into my post-college training in my SOP but because they also have the "what have you been doing since college" question and they already know me, I'm not focusing on that as much (except for what I've been doing in the past year). Both can be very personal but I'd say the playwriting essay should be more so. Keep in mind that, although they ask for a four-page essay and two plays on the application, they're only requiring a two-page essay and one play now according to the website requirements (but they will accept more if you want to submit it). I still have Iowa and Indiana to finish and haven't decided for sure about USC and Stonybrook; I dropped the UT Austin-Theatre dept program this year. I tend to over-apply to try to cover all my bases but I know I'm a strong applicant this year so I'm trying not to stress out too much. I've submitted UCLA, Brown, Michener, and Yale and in the process of wrapping up the UCSD app. Mostly just super-nervous and wanting to start hearing back soon...

Checked in w/ my recommenders to see if they had suggestions regarding the missed Yale deadline, and they told me to email Jeanie, which I did. Woke up to one of the best emails ever: "We knew that the change in date would trip a few people up and we are happy to make an exception with your application. There are two others who will be submitting their applications on January 2nd (the original deadline). Please feel free to submit your application any time up to that date. Happy Holidays Best wishes Jeanie" So if anyone else made that mistake - get in touch! Seems like they anticipated mix-ups and are prepared to accept a few late applications. As for Indiana, while I don't know any students there I've definitely heard good things, including from the current playwright-in-residence at Indiana Rep, who's familiar with the program. With one student a year I believe it's the smallest program out there, and for the Midwest it's actually a decent location, only two hours from the Actors Theatre of Louisville and four hours from Chicago. The money's also decent. Maybe this is all available on their page, so I'm not sure how helpful this info is, but I think it's absolutely worth applying to.

WOW. I am in shock. Not sure how I missed that Yale had changed their deadline - I thought I'd double-checked all the deadlines for this year just in case - but it was December 1 this year?? I had it down as January 2, which is apparently now only the acting deadline. Not sure when they updated that but I completely missed it. Soo no Yale for me...that really sucks! I was so excited about it after visiting too! I'm kind of devastated right now :/ And I'd seen people posting on here about already submitting to Yale and just thought it was weird that y'all were doing it so early - I didn't even consider that the deadline had mysteriously changed. UCSD requires a Statement of Purpose and a two-page essay about yourself and your interest in playwriting (see req'ts here: http://theatre.ucsd.edu/academics/gradAdmissions/PlaywritingApply.html). SOP is more about your plan for grad school and the essay can include your philosophy, background, whatever you want.

Singsalot: I know that the Brown class takes directing with Trinity Rep in their first year. Marcus Gardley is also on the faculty (OMG AMAZINGNESS). You can find more info about faculty on the website, I believe. Um, does anyone know whether Michener takes a resume? I'm tempted to just upload one under the guise of "miscellaneous admissions document" because while I listed internships and awards on the form, there's more that I want to make sure they see (readings, productions, teaching experience, etc), and I don't have time to talk about it in a 350-word personal statement! I think a resume is a pretty central part of the application so I'm slightly confounded that I don't see a mention of it anywhere.

Thanks! Fortunately, UCSD only requires one play this year instead of two, so I'm feeling a bit more confident about that. As Glenwood said, 3 people get into Yale each year. They have 12 people come to their interview weekend. I'm not really sure what set my friend apart, other than the fact that he's a great writer. He's young - he was only a year out of undergrad - but in addition to a really solid script that dealt with cutting contemporary issues, he had stellar recommendations (including a very well-known writer and a recent Yale grad). Those were people he'd worked with and gotten to know, so they were meaningful, not just fluff. He'd also had a professional reading as well as university productions and readings. We worked together at a professional theater and the connections he made there were great for his career. (He's more outgoing and networking-oriented than I am.) I also had an in-depth conversation with a friend who's currently at Brown and chose it over the Michener program. She said it was really hard to walk away from the money but she knew Brown was a perfect fit for her - she'd applied 3 years in a row. Everything about Brown sounds great; I wish I'd gotten a chance to visit there as well. Still working on my UCLA personal statement...why are these things so hard??