manandcamel

@aridari I have a large map on my wall marking each place I applied. The whole PNW is a heartbreaker!

Same, poetry. Sigh

@Sleam my only suggestion is Do Not Go Into Debt For MFAs. This is what my letter writers, former profs, current MFA students, and the entire internet chanted while I was applying. YMMV with this advice, of course - but there are many, many successful writers without an MFA. Could you perhaps pursue a writer's conference or residency, or something lower-cost? I don't know anything about specifics, but they would provide attention and help without such hefty debt.

@Sleam !!! That's great. @greatjones congrats, too! That's an accomplishment. Re tips for next year, what helped me was organization. I have a Google Sheets doc with multiple sheets: application data, school data, log ins / credentials, and statuses. Cells are color coded and hyperlinked. This has kept me sane.

@slouching I applied to LSU, mindful that it might be a good ol' faculty, but hopeful. Then I found that tumblr a month ago, and yikes. Did you end up applying? I'd have to have some long talks with the cohort to convince me it's not as bad as it sounds. @tonydoesmovie welcome! I know I lurked a long time until I made an account. What I like most about TGC is that people here understand the burn out, stress, and nerves the application process creates. I don't think friends / family / nonMFA folk get how competitive and crushing it can be. Even if people aren't posting about that here, I know they understand. @pdh12 !!!

Poetry. According to that one acceptance, official notifications are supposed to go out next week. They wanted to set up a time to call him, though. Not sure if that's because he's a special case, or if they want to do so with all of their acceptances. Either way, I'm nervous.

I saw that, and am hoping that they've only started (and not completed) their notifications.

For those who lurk / aren't on Draft, a current MFA candidate created a site on which people can anonymously post their negative impressions and experiences of specific MFA programs. The gist is that the site is a way to access what faculty won't tell you and what students think they can't. https://saywhatmfa.tumblr.com/

Welcome! I don't think anybody know's what's up with NYU (disclaimer - this is based on what I've seen on Draft; I didn't apply). From people who have been accepted and talked to faculty, it sounds like decisions have been finalized. However, people who have called into the admissions office have been told that they're still processing, and notices will go out until mid March.

@momorenae has the school started notifying yet?

@momorenae could it be that you met the qualifications of the grad school, but haven't yet been approved by the crwr department? Could you check your app portal or the log in to see if there is more information, like a status update?

@Hortense thanks for all your support on here. I hope things work out for you! If anybody is withdrawing from this thread but wants critiques for next season, please message me. I was very grateful I could exchange drafts with one of my friends before applying this year. I know an extra set of eyes helps, especially if you've been out of workshop a while or don't have another reader to cycle through your work.

I've done the same mental gymnastics over and again. It's difficult to stop thinking about, and paints a bleak image of MFAs. Sorry I put that on you.

Accepted to Montana for poetry. No funding - the email says there's only five TA-ships available (not sure if this is across the board or just poetry).

Also glad to hear the perspective on Mason. My interview for their TAship is on Friday. The more I look at the TA packet they sent me, the less enthused I am about my acceptance there. The first year is a 20hr / week commitment to tutoring, but the second and third years are both 2 / 2 teaching comp and / or lit. The course requirements for TAs are so pedagogically centered that I'm concerned about my growth as a poet. @Scheherazade I have to disagree about funding. It's not competitive when compared to other programs, and it's especially not competitive regarding the cost of living. I gave up looking at apartments on Craigslist when I saw a literal tiny house (~200sqft.) listed for $950 / mo, utilities not included. A few weeks ago I messaged a CNF guy there, who says he really likes it there, but he dislikes the divide between funded TAs and non funded MFA students. He said it created cliques.

Welcome! Re: Draft, it took me about a week for them to accept my request. Enter at your own peril~~~ Re: Michigan. Check via the Wolverine portal to see whether or not your transcript was received. There should be a date next to it. You should be able to check your application status there, too.

Hey, I hope your family is doing alright. RE above quote, I would personally go unless there's something actively bothering you about the school. I applied for the people and the program, which, IMO, don't necessarily go hand in hand. I'm looking for a community of writers with whom I can give and take, and I think that reciprocation can thrive separately from the features of the program itself.

@badeyebrows take care of yourself. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gives great advice that has always made me feel better when I'm down, not my best, or overwhelmed.

I applied to 13 programs. Accepted at George Mason, waitlisted at Michigan and UMass, and rejected from Syracuse, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Haven't yet heard from UIUC, LSU, Western Michigan, Montana, UVA, Oregon, and Washington. *It seems everyone's been notified at UMass, but my status is still "applied" and I wasn't contacted. I called yesterday (@pdh12 I didn't last!) and had to leave a message. No response today. I'm not sure what's up. Edit: Barbara emailed me back. She says this is the first year they've had waitlists and she doesn't yet know how and what the faculty wants to communicate with me. Hoping Michigan is a good litmus test, but who knows. It can be a crapshoot!

@badeyebrows @pdh12 @MFA17OrBust @Hortense @BLeonard @Scheherazade @slouching Grad cafe limited the likes I could give. Thanks to each of you for your well wishes. I'm hopeful, but wary.

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.

@BLeonard rooting for you!

If anybody else applied to Wisconsin, they've sent all notices.

Current Michigan student on Draft says that one person emails the acceptances and sends them all at once, not in clusters. Since both fiction and poetry acceptances have gone out, I would assume they have notified everyone accepted. She doesn't know about wait lists / rejections.

Just wanted to put a note on this thread that I appreciate you all. Draft can be overwhelming when everyone posts ~everything~ and it unfolds in real time. I like it over here. Thanks for keeping this thread alive.