anemoneceremony

Hi there! I've heard consistently that the writing sample and the SOP are the most important parts of your application by a longshot. Publication record doesn't really matter; school prestige even less, and likely not at all. The writing sample & SOP are what you have control over, so try to focus on that! Unfortunately, the NYC MFAs are not great with funding. I know because I had the same desire as you to live in NYC, but I got into 3 programs and they all offered little or no funding. Columbia doesn't offer anyone full funding, and I was offered $0. The New School's top scholarship is 20% off. NYU has some fully-funded spots out of the 20 they accept each year (I was offered a half-scholarship). There's no NYC school that I know of that is a fully funded program -- I hear that Hunter is inexpensive, though. I want to add that while prestige isn't everything, it also works a bit differently in MFA programs. Prestige-wise, Michigan and UVA are up there with Iowa. Columbia's undergrad is prestigious, but its MFA program is one of the least selective out there. I also advise to focus less on location. There will be publishing opportunities at any selective MFA program, including those in small cities. Cornell, of course, is in a small city and 4 hours away from NYC.

Hi all! I'm interested in doing a creative writing Fulbright. Does anyone here have experience with applying for one?

Glad to hear this worked out for you! This fall I'm moving to Boston from California for BU's MFA in creative writing, and hoping to secure a place without flying to visit beforehand. Is Craigslist the way to go? Or has anyone here tried connecting with other new students in their school/program who are coming from far away? Edited to fix a typo.

I've heard many wonderful things about low res programs and seriously considered attending one this fall, but decided on a full time program because I wanted to quit my job and start anew in a different city. When I was weighing offers, I sought advice from a former professor who got her MFA at the low res program I was considering. She said that she's in a relationship with someone at a full time funded program and has been able to compare. To her, it seems that low res programs don't have the competitiveness and funding awkwardness that full time programs do. And though she saw her cohort only twice a year, she was able to build community with them and keep in touch through non residency periods, and is still friends with some 10 years later. Additionally, the faculty of low res programs are sometimes superstars from other MFAs across the country. One professor who teaches at both a traditional program and a low res program said he spends more time on his low res students, just due to the mentorship nature of the program. As far as I know, low res programs offer little to no funding. One of the two I applied to provides strictly need based funding; the other said I received their biggest scholarship, which was $2k per semester. But I mean, the idea of low res is that you keep your job. I'll be making less money this fall at a fully funded program with a living stipend, than I would if I kept my current salary and paid for low res out of pocket. I have a lot of feelings about low res, haha. Particularly Warren Wilson, which this post is mostly about. Edited to fix a typo.

Agreed. Just do you.

I'll be there this fall for the MFA in poetry!

What's your genre?