manandcamel

@pdh12 I WANT TO BELIEVE.

THX. Going to try and wait til next week. I checked the GC results page and saw 2015's rejections staggered over a week or so. Plus, maybe there was a fluke since it's a school holiday, and I'll hear by then...

Hey, all. UMass rejections went out last night / this morning, via email for both poetry and email. I checked Draft and Spire, but my status is still "applied" and I haven't been emailed. I don't want to get my hopes up about being on a wait list when I actually fell through the rejection cracks... when do you think it'd be appropriate* to call and ask about my status? Edit--if it'd be appropriate at all.

In the vein of link-sharing, what do you all think of the MFA as a lifestyle good? IMO the author has some valid ideas about buying a writer's identity, but she's only looking at the MFA from one direction. I think she puts too much stock in writing as commodity, and dismisses the fact that many people earn their MFA through TAships / tuition remission. Maybe it's my disconnect as an outsider looking into her world as a New York Writer, but all that preparation won't make anyone a better or more successful writer--only writing will.

Hmm, I wonder if that means rejections or more acceptances. Someone on Draft visited their table at AWP and said no news isn't necessarily bad, though, as they have a "secret wait list" and take longer to notify fellowship recipients.

I filled out my FAFSA, though I'm also dependent on remission / stipends. Though it might be unnecessary, it was quick (and you can decline to report on your parents' info). I can also update it if more schools accept me. RE the CSS--can you wait until you're notified, then fill it out? Or, could you call Columbia's office of financial aid and ask for their opinion?

I don't think anyone has heard anything yet. From last year's grad cafe results, they notified acceptances / waitlists in the third week of Feb, and rejections rolled out one to two weeks later.

I did! Poetry. One of my letter writers recommended it. I have had a hard time getting to know the program (little info online / on Draft) so it's good to hear you liked the campus. What did you think about Kalamazoo?

POORLY. I work a desk job. Constantly refreshing.

IMO the place embodied Catholicism. South Bend felt very town and gown. The architecture, the paintings inside the buildings, the plaques... at that conference, there was a presentation of a study done by a group of girls from ND's sister school (I think St. Mary of the Woods?) that discussed how St. Mary and ND perceived pre-marital sex. A percentage of people called kissing "hooking up" and believed that was wrong, premarital sex. Idk I just remember a lot of backwards, insular thinking.

*This is about ND as a school, not as an MFA program. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.* I presented a paper at a gender studies conference at ND a few years ago, and my impression was not positive. The professors we networked with described the school as a claustrophobic bubble designed to keep students on campus at all times (no bus system off campus, no cars for fresh undergrads), and I was disappointed (but not surprised) at the reproductive health restrictions for women--for example, a married professor described the difficulty she had getting birth control. I'm sure this is irrelevant for some applicants, and things may have changed since, but I did not apply there for this and other reasons.

From UMass Amherst: "It is strongly suggested that you read and become familiar with the Writing Program's website prior to your telephone interview." UMass is the only school on my list actually stating they will do interviews, so if I get notified, I'll make a cheat sheet with some notes about their program, my TA application, and a quick summary of questions they may ask.

Not really. Funding and waivers aside, I tried to choose my applications based on their culture. Lit mags and journal opportunities were important to me, as well as size and department involvement in the community. I also spent a lot of time checking out faculty. I think there's one or two schools that have a heavy teaching load on my list, which I don't think I'd mind.

Thank you!

I've not been accepted into the group yet and it's nice to get these updates, so thanks for doing the legwork.

Thank you! I am thankful that GMU notified me so quickly--I didn't expect to hear from anyone until mid Feb. Still checking the rest of my applications like mad.

George Mason has started notifying poetry applicants. I received my acceptance letter via email this afternoon.

For both poetry and fiction?

I haven't. I thought for a while about joining, but wasn't sure if it was worth the hype. I'll check it out.

I've been lurking on this thread for a while and decided to join. Glad to know everyone is as anxious as I am. I applied to 13 (!) schools, and this wait is awful. Does anybody know much about Western Michigan's program? I applied at my letter writer's suggestion. It's my lowest-ranked application and safety school (I know there's no such thing with MFAs, really) because there's very little information online about their MFA, funding, style, etcetera.