manandcamel

@manandcamel, thanks. I have an interview for a job I'd really like next week so at this point, either way is fine by me. Kind of! It's a seasonal job, pays well, and i could take winters off to write. I'm also thinking of taking online classes just to keep learning. 
And you? What's your plan? 

@Sleam fiction seems to be the latest round of acceptances. No CNF word yet. Per TGC results, it seems like (take w/ grain of salt) that acceptances go out in a couple of waves, then in late March, rejections are sent. The acceptance doc from last year's Draft has disappeared, so no comparison on there. 

Re: re: rumor has it that UVA poetry's been pushed back to ~20th of March, instead of the standard ~15th. Source: I spend too much time on Draft. 

Would love to hear others insights on this as well. Draft may be a good resource from seasoned folk.
In my opinion, if I were given that decision to make (and I hope we all are given that burden) I would state how thankful and appreciative I am of the opportunity, how nice my points of contact have been to work with, and how lovely the school is, however, at this time, I feel like a school (I would not name them) has presented me with what I feel is the best opportunity for me and that I have chosen to accept their offer of admission. Again, I would endlessly thank them for acceptance and kindness and wish them and their new cohort all the best.

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

@manandcamel, @aridariand @pdh12, thanks. Good ideas. Yep, I'm debt free which takes work for sure. I'll look into the conferences in the West. I might be getting a good job for summer in Oregon so that's homebase for a while I hope. Portland has a good weiters conference. I love that idea of finding work at one of the colleges. Sweet, thanks again. 
 

@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. 

Thanks, this is a great call.  I'm thinking of switching up the type of school I apply to as well, and maybe doing even fewer.  I applied to 6 this year that were all insane to even consider and by the end I was admittedly half-assing it.  I'm amazed at people that applied to 20 schools! 

@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.

Got waitlisted at NYU today.  My first non-rejection.  All but guarantees that if I do get in I won't have funding coming my way, which means I won't go, but it's nice to hear something that isn't a door closing.  
 
Anyone rethinking their strategies for next year?  Any tips? 

McNeese rejection. Damn I'm good...
On another note, I've been in touch with the program director at Ashland Ohio and he's very interested in my application, offering specific network opportunities for my style and goals. So, no funding, low res, but I think he wants me! 

Thanks for sharing! While researching programs to apply to, I discovered that there's also a Tumblr like this for LSU specifically . 

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/

Thanks, it was fun! Great camping and friends...But just got rejection letter today from OSU Corvallis. Bummer. 
Does anyone know about the low res program at OSU Cascades? 

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/

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. 

@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. 

Great point. I finally got into Draft (and learned the suspicious pizza superstition), and did a "math post" on it last night. If 80% accepted students are funded in school A, and A's acceptance rate is 10%, that's 8% chance to be funded. Meanwhile, if school B funds all its accepted students, with an acceptance rate as low as 5%, applying to school B actually has a lower chance of getting fully funded.
That was my point last night. 
Now I have a second thought. Thanks to you. I imagine myself sitting in an MFA classroom, being the only one (or two) student without funding. That's terrible. Also, when hanging out with my fellow writer classmates, they might be talking all over about their stupid undergrad students, how to teach them the ABCs of creative writing as a TA, and complaining about the school's "poor" funding and other forms of financial aids...eventually I'll stop going out with them. 
In programs that fully fund half their students, (NYU for instance), I also can picture the tension between fully funded students and the other... 

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. 

Congrats on the acceptance, @mandandcamel! I hope the funding comes through.

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). 

I know this is outside the GMU topic, but I've been accepted to Draft! 
Latest news: 
University of Houston fiction acceptance
University of San Fransico poetry acceptance
And Rutgers-Newark poetry acceptance
Also, I guess pizza is good luck?? 

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. 

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. 

i've been lurking for awhile (so thanks!) but just wanted to let you all know that I got a VCU fiction acceptance via email  i'm local so hit me up if you're coming here!