Hortense
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Posts posted by Hortense
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23 hours ago, pdh12 said:
totally hypothetically/generally, what do y'all think of UC-Irvine's program? Did anyone else apply there?
@pdh12 Didn't apply to Irvine, but it's one of the top programs. Lots of famous alumni. Great stipend, reasonable teaching load, 3-year program. Not sure about the location--I've heard Irvine's boring, but it's not far from LA, right? I would have applied, but my partner was adamant he didn't want to move to CA (too far for us to relocate). Incidentally, I've heard almost nothing about Irvine on Draft. Some places just don't seem to generate a lot of excitement on there, but it doesn't mean it's not a great program.
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42 minutes ago, Sleam said:
While waiting to see if anyone accepts me, I started looking at the low-res options for another round of applications. I do like the idea of keeping my freedom to travel and move around, the one on one focus, and the independent studies. BUT! I can't stand the idea of getting into a $36,000 debt for the MFA. What do you think? Basically I'd applied to only fully/ mostly funded schools so far. Is it worth the debt and loan? I'm broke as it is so I wonder if it would allow me as a fresh MFA holder to suddenly get a teaching job or would colleges wait for me to prove myself? Any thoughts? It seems like a good Sunday conversation since I doubt OSU will contact me today!
Thanks, s
Personally, I think the main situation where a low-res program is worthwhile is if you have a well-paying job and you can afford to pay for the program without going into debt AND you can manage to do the writing/ reading/ learning while working full-time. In that situation low-res might even be a smarter choice than a full-res program because there's no opportunity cost. Whereas if you quit a good job to enroll at a full-time MFA program, then you could lose a lot of income and have to start over on your career in 2-3 years. Also, for almost everybody, the prospect of an MFA as a springboard into a teaching job is not realistic--at least, not the kind of teaching job that most people would want. And a low-res MFA is particularly unlikely to help you get a teaching job b/c most low-res programs don't give you any teaching experience.
I'll tell you that I had a well-paying job until a few months ago. I decided to quit and focus on my writing/ full-res MFA apps. But I hated the job and would have quit anyway. And for several years I considered doing the low-res thing, but for me personally I just think my writing will improve more at a full-res program and I'd value the experience of being immersed in an academic community for a couple of years--a nice break from the anti-intellectual grind that is my career. Also, I'd love to teach a few creative writing classes. And I don't plan on becoming a teacher after the MFA, but I can apply the teaching experience to my non-writing career.
- Scheherazade, MFA17OrBust and Sleam
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5 hours ago, MFA17OrBust said:
Thank you, @Hortense! Have you seen a lot of Iowa fiction acceptances on Draft?
Not a ton. Maybe 2 or 3? They tend to spread out their notifications.
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For anyone not on Draft, there were many Iowa poetry acceptances today, a couple of Iowa non-fiction acceptances, and an Ole Miss fiction acceptance.
- pdh12 and Everyday Inn
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6 minutes ago, pdh12 said:
If this isn't too self-indulgent, I'd love to hear your perspectives on a decision quandary....
I've been granted a scholarship to study Urdu in India for a year. I could defer the MFA program (poetry) for one year to do this fellowship, or I could go straight into the MFA and forego the language study.
But two years ago I picked a language program (translation) over the mfa, and told myself I would finally get to work on my own poetry this year. Waiting a whole other year makes me feel a little weary, but should I do it anyway? They'll even pay for the plane ticket + a living stipend.....gehhhhh
(sorry for the woe-is-me rantish thing)
I'd take the scholarship. I'm assuming you'll have time to write in India. Bonus: If you don't get in at your 1st-choice MFA program this cycle, you have another chance to apply, assuming you aren't formally committed to the first program--but would you be formally committed?
And OMG congrats on having options.
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40 minutes ago, BLeonard said:
@BananaPancakes There was at least one thing on Draft where a poster said that they got into Iowa AND NYU, got a ton of comments asking to see their SOP, and then changed their post to say that they hadn't gotten in at all and that it was mean people were asking for an SOP. Then that post was deleted, so keep that in mind when calculating. I also think Canada, b/c of visas and what not, counts as International.
Oh, I saw that post. It looked fake and I was surprised people were liking it. Maybe they were all drunk-clicking the like button.
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@manandcamel It's refreshing to see one of the regular commenters here have such a promising result. I'm basically living vicariously through you and @pdh12 at this point.
Also, wondering if you've had any other good results yet, and do you have more schools you're waiting to hear from? You'd think a Michigan waitlist would be a good omen whether or not you get in there.
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1 hour ago, manandcamel said:
I've been waitlisted at Michigan! There's a post on Draft atm that's curbing some of my enthusiasm BUT I'm so hopeful.
:-)
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23 minutes ago, MFA17OrBust said:
So, do we think Iowa has finished acceptance notifications?
I'm guessing no. There just aren't that many notifications on Grad Cafe or Draft. They admit 50 people total, so I'm guessing there'll be more. Also, I think in years past the acceptances were spread out. Hope I'm right, but I don't have any inside information.
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2 hours ago, badeyebrows said:
agreed--in general, i think the group is a good resource and a fine place to commiserate. although, as others have said, the vibe here on gradcafe just suits me better.
the "drama" that i saw this morning centered around a semi-fictional (i think?) SOP someone shared with the group. it touched on sensitive topics including rape, and then the thread escalated into comments (that i've only skimmed, for my own sanity/productivity at work) about trigger warnings, the merits of this guy's piece of writing, and a whole lot more. i think some of the other slightly more contentious threads about application fees and how/if white writers should write characters of color were interesting and mostly productive. this latest thread seems heavier on shenanigans, lighter on productivity.
ETA: maybe it's a valuable conversation and i just haven't taken the time to read it closely, so don't take my word on it
It's not shenanigans. People are serious. It's just a tempest in a teapot and no fun at all. You did the right thing by not reading it closely.
UPDATE: They deleted the entire conversation. All is safe again.
- badeyebrows and MFA17OrBust
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6 hours ago, slouching said:
I'm wondering how everyone's reading and writing habits have been impacted by this process. I've started a few new pieces recently, but for the most part, I find myself wanting to do things that allow me to think about something other than poetry (mine or anyone else's).
For writing, it's been debilitating. Not generating much new material, and the fun/ joy I normally take in my writing has diminished. That said, editing old work for publication has kept me semi-productive.
For reading, I'm starting to feel motivated to read more, be more adventurous in my reading selections, but also more systematic. Largely it's b/c I worry that I missed the mark with my writing sample and need to be more in touch with contrmporary fiction.
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Has anyone heard from Florida for fiction? I thought they'd notified already b/c there's a fiction acceptance and waitlist reported on Grad Cafe. And it was the same day that people on Draft started reporting Florida poetry acceptances/ waitlists. But in previous years they've notified fiction later than poetry. And their deadline was 1/15, so that's a really quick turnaround for a fiction program that gets a lot of apps. So I'm wondering if the Grad Cafe fiction results are fake. Possibly wishful thinking on my part, but it's been bugging me.
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Cornell poetry acceptance just posted on Draft.
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13 minutes ago, Scheherazade said:
I'm in the same boat! Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington are my last hopes, but I'm not too optimistic since I've already been rejected (or will soon be rejected) from less selective programs. Even if I don't get in, though, I feel like I'm making steps in the right direction. And despite the stress (and expense) of the application process, the experience has been a net positive overall. I wrote and polished my best story ever, learned a lot about myself as a writer, and crafted several personal statements of which I'm proud. And I'm already thinking of ways to make my application even better next year.
I ended up rejoining Draft, and some of the acceptances have actually been reassuring. A bunch of the high profile fiction acceptances (Cornell, Syracuse, et cetera) were posted by writers who are on their second or third year applying. So don't lose hope; sometimes it takes a lot of rejections to get the things you want.
Agree 100%. Right now it stings b/c it's so many big rejections at once. But rejections are the norm.
I'm also happy with one of the stories I wrote for my apps, and I'm sending it out to journals now.
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58 minutes ago, pdh12 said:
@Hortense Wow, thanks for that realness update! It's kind of amazing that it held out for so long--it usually starts with one antagonizer and then erupts from there. How has your season been so far? Did you mention earlier that you got into your dream school?
so many people on draft seemed like they were going to be successful this year (maybe it's always like that?), I sort of wish i was witnessing all the acceptances, but this distance is bliss
@pdh12 Me? No, I did not mention getting into a dream school. The season has gone abysmally, but I appreciate you asking. Most of the schools I thought I was a good fit for have either rejected me or already sent out acceptances and waitlists. Johns Hopkins is my last best hope, but the odds are longggggggg. I think my writing sample needed more work. But I learned a lot from this round of applications. Honestly, I'm already thinking about MFA Draft '18.
Oh, lots of people on Draft have been successful. Sometimes it's annoying (esp. if the person has been a non-contributor to the group and then starts bragging about an acceptance) and other times it's inspiring (esp. if it's a Draft veteran).
Incidentally, Syracuse just started notifying fiction acceptances.
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For @pdh12 and anyone else not on Draft, things finally got real today. There's a massive thread full of heated comments about application fee waivers/ class privilege in MFA admissions/ university exploitation of applicants. Everyone was being so peaceful and supportive before now. I think the stress of multiple rejections is starting to kick in for most people.
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53 minutes ago, pdh12 said:
@Hortense No, I didn't! funny story though--I applied there in '15 and got waitlisted, and the adcom member I emailed said it was because my poetry was "too intellectual"---it was...strange, but they seem great
And a Cornell fiction acceptance is up!!
Oh yeah, someone on Draft got into Cornell on Friday. All my boats are sinking!
Unsolicited advice: You should go to Notre Dame! I've decided I'm applying next year no matter how much I hate Indiana/ Midwestern winters/ religious schools. That program is sweet. Reading a novel now by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi and it's so good.
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@pdh12 Did you apply to Florida? They did acceptances and waitlists tonight for poetry and fiction. (Haven't receive a call or e-mail myself). Incredibly quick turnaround, as their deadline was Jan 15th.
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1 hour ago, zen fang said:
nice, i go here for undergrad and i've fallen in love over the course of four crazy years. i can vouch for the awesome faculty.
as i haven't gotten anything from ND yet i'm guessing it's not a great result for me, so it goes!
only formal result i've had so far is waitlisting at Arizona. not an ideal result but i guess it means my work is in the ballpark of acceptance? i applied to thirteen programs. thirteen rejections (eventual or immediate) would be hard, but if that's where my life is going i guess i'll make the most of it.
A waitlist from Arizona is an excellent result. They had a ton of apps this year according to folks on Draft. Good luck!
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17 minutes ago, pdh12 said:
Was accepted to notre dame this morning for poetry---really wishing you guys all the best luck.
This was the first program I've heard back from, and I'm in love with it.
Congrats! Super cool program.
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10 hours ago, Cengstro said:
Anyone see this op-ed in the nytimes today.... https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/opinion/how-iowa-republicans-are-threatening-nurses-teachers-and-poets.amp.html?client=safari
I wonder if IWW could/ would survive budget cuts by cutting the size of its cohorts.
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Does anyone know if Syracuse has accepted fiction candidates yet? It's possible they're keeping it under wraps like they tried to do for poetry. Anyone have any hard info?
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26 minutes ago, nooncity said:
(Separately: why won't they let me into Draft???? That blindness hurts almost as much as the not-knowing w/r/t these other eleven schools)
Sometimes it just takes awhile to get approved. It's probably nothing personal. The Draft administrator is busy with grad school, AWP, etc.
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28 minutes ago, pdh12 said:
WHAAAAA the train keeps running us overrrr
In the past IWW acceptances have come out slowly over an extended period of time. Makes sense b/c they accept 25 people per genre. So there's no reason to give up hope yet (unless you're me and your writing sample was wah-wah).
Fall 2017 MFA
in Literary
Posted
@sheherazade I'm in the same boat as you, i.e., one or two programs left who haven't notified. And, honestly, my odds of getting into those programs are nil. JHU was the last school I was hopeful about. So I'm disengaging from the MFA app season as of now. And I'm already starting to have a sense of relief. This whole process has been psychologically onerous. I've had writer's block since January, and normally I never get writer's block. I'm already starting to look forward to writing again. Good luck in 2018!