DangerDetective

Well, that's my last school. I applied to Iowa, Irvine, Austin, Ann Arbor, and Bloomington. 5 rejections, all form letters. Best of luck, everyone. See you on the 2017 forums . Just because you're not good enough doesn't mean you won't be.

It seems like a weird political comment was made about affirmative action - that comment also seems to have been deleted. Someone externalizing their self-loathing, which is like missing the point of missing the point. Also, congrats to the max for realz.

"Year after year, their ranking of Columbia University—my alma mater—has steadily fallen. I can remember when it was in the toppermost tier." "Columbia is a school for people who actually want to become better writers, get books published, and survive—or even thrive—in the rough-and-tumble world of American letters. It is not a holistic weekend retreat. Columbia is a place for people who want to be the best and study with the best. (Or, OK, the best after Iowa.) It's for people whose genitals still work, dammit. For writers who want to be brave and persevere in the real world where people often fail." Oy.

As a liberal who grew up in a very conservative town, I would not worry about it in the slightest. NC generally has the same laws and protections as anywhere in the United States, especially on college campuses. And, in my experience, southerners do not discriminate against those with disabilities. That being said, I'd encourage visiting both campuses or getting in touch with former students. And if you see problems at UNC, remember that they could use someone with an alternate point of view - someone like you. Best of luck on your decision!

On the Iowa rejections: Do you think there is a reason why some rejection letters got nice, handwritten notes, while others got nothing? On a related note: Tell me I'm pretty. TELL ME I'M PRETTY.

@icantanymoreFirst time around. Unloading ahead. I'd suggest skipping this post. I just need to shout, if only to hear my own voice. I've been out of college for nearly three years. I was not in any sort of writing department in college, but I found myself writing for a magazine and working in the film industry in LA. I've written a few books, but I feel like I missed out on a literary education. Since I had a job and a good group of friends, I decided that I'd only submit to and attend a school if it was worth yet again uprooting my life. But now I'm working as a receptionist, and that's the way life is going right now. I've been rejected by every literary agent I've approached so far. I've had an equally tough time with publishers of both long and short fiction. I guess I thought that a good workshop would show me what was wrong with my writing. But I'm being rejected here as well. I guess I could just write three more books and hope I happen across someone who's willing to read. I know nobody asked, but I'm feeling pretty low about all of this. I always felt like this was what I was made to do. I've worked really hard. I've objectively proven myself in a lot of ways. I've been told that I'm good, by those forced to read my writing. It might not sound humble, but this is anonymous. If I'm lying, I'm only lying to myself. And I must be lying, right? If nobody wants to read my stuff, that's an objective sign that I'm not cut out for this. If nobody cares about my writing - family and S.O. included - after my 100,000 hours, shouldn't that be a sign that I'm not cut out for this? I know that people hold out hope for much longer than I have. I know that I'll still be writing twenty years from now, no matter how many times I fail. But I wish it wasn't this way. I wish I didn't feel built for a task that I'll never achieve. I wish I was the natural genius I wanted to be. I wish I wasn't so bitter about a school making a decision to help someone else. To those of you who made it in this year - don't waste it. Dopes like me only wish we were so lucky. Work as hard as we dopes do, and don't forget the gift you're given.

Maybe mailcimp is too busy producing Serial. Maybe they didn't want to make us feel anonymous with a mass email and they really wanted us to internalize our rejection – to make us feel special.

Go search through the results page. Iowa has accepted a lot of people over the phone already, according to those who posted there.

My last name ends with Y. As in "Y the hell am I holding out hope for this." It does seem a little cruel. I'd rather smash my false hope than let it grow into false expectation.

@gaudysideoftown, have you heard from Michigan? Everyone else - what's the rationale behind staggering rejection letters? I'm not familiar with the selection process, but it seems odd to send out a batch of rejections without rejecting everyone.

I haven't heard from them. I would hold off calling until tomorrow unless you're anxious. Good news - it's still early enough for them to get us our rejections. Don't get down, buddy. These things don't mean that you're not good. That's something we'll all have to learn. The first step in recovery is to find an abandoned mine and howl out your rage deep within the bowels of the Earth until the Hardy Boys come to investigate the Spectre of Willbertsonson's Hollow.

Are we still posting salty salty salt? *Creattive Writing *You know, bro? *30 places, 50 states. Politics, bro. *stress of my dad

Thanks, @karosko. I guess I just took it the wrong way. I've worked really hard, and I'm getting fairly depressed about my chances of getting into a quality school. I was responding with another joke, and I hope I didn't make you feel bad about making an innocent comment.

It was a joke. There was a rimshot at the end. Sorry. Through happy accident (putting myself through school) I've been somewhat poor for a few years. I was actually pretty proud that I could scrape together 10,000 dollars last year while working the course load I had. But "actually work hard" is a great idea. I should have done that, instead. Thanks for the tip!

I'm new to all of this, but my suggestion is to make as little money as possible in the year of 2014. If you can make it below the poverty line, some schools will waive your application fee. Also, it prepares you for life as a published author. ba dum chhhh. And yes, I'm disappointed that I applied to certain schools - even for applications I didn't pay for. I'm absolutely floored by the amount of time I put into programs that didn't fit my style or my goals. Still, though, it's better to have more choices. $380 is nothing compared to grad school money. Just think of it as an investment. It's okay to loose a little while you're groping around - you took some risks, and one of those risks might pay off.