samosasandsobaos

Good point!

Thank you so much for getting back to me, @Ecce! You make both ND itself and South Bend sound super rad (and I'm glad, haha, because I'm about 98% positive that their program's the best fit for me).

Yeah, I think I might have to take UW out of the running (for that very reason)... Ah, that's awesome; I'd no idea there was a train from South Bend to Chicago. And I'm glad that people have good things to say about (living in) West Lafayette, too! Yes, I have, but they've all said that they wouldn't have changed a thing about their (different) respective decisions, which has just confused me further, haha. (Though I guess I now know I can't really go horribly wrong anywhere?) I'm not too picky about the types of classes, to be honest. I was a TA for an Intro to Comp class as an undergrad and it was totally fine (though the other options do -- I'll admit -- sound a lot cooler). And just the opposite, actually! I'm kind of leaning towards those two programs right now, but I'm worried that I'm interested in them for the wrong reasons... and I want anyone that picks up on that to call me out for it, lol.

Purdue's faculty's had me all since February, I'm not gonna lie, haha.

Man, I'd love to hear more about your experience at Notre Dame (if you'd be willing to share, that is)! Is there anything (important) you think they could've done / handled better? Is there anything you wish you'd known before attending?

Thank you so much! Haha, really? I am actually leaning towards ND ever-so-slightly at the moment (-- the one thing holding me back is the lack of certainty re: teaching positions). Purdue's faculty is seriously unreal, though. And, yeah, I've reached out to a couple of students, but they all seem 100% content with their (different) respective decisions, which has just confused me further!

1. That's a really good point! 2. ... I hadn't even thought of comparing the amounts in that way. I mean, I figured Seattle'd be more expensive than small-town Indiana, of course, but the difference is more significant than I'd imagined. Hmm. Thank you!

Yeah, I love(d?) the feel of UNLV's program, but the "meh" ranking / standing of the university itself has sort of put a damper on my enthusiasm.

I was accepted earlier this month!

(I'm really hoping that this post doesn't come off as braggy or obnoxious -- I know this is the first-worldiest of first world "problems.") Guys, I applied to twenty schools this year -- some of them let me apply for free, I'm not completely insane, ha -- because, to be perfectly honest, I thought my chances of getting in anywhere were pretty shit. (Not only are MFA acceptance rates terrifying -- I actually applied last year and got five straight rejections lmao. (Though, in hindsight, I shouldn't have applied at all; I was a college senior who couldn't give her portfolio the attention/focus/time it needed. I applied with the exact same personal statement and pieces (and references!) this time -- they were just heavily revised.)) I somehow got into nine (???!!!) of these programs, though, and now ... I'm floundering. I have no idea what to do.* I'm hoping some of you can offer advice/perspectives/thoughts -- I'll take anything, haha. (I took some of the schools out of the running, because I didn't like their location (the UK-based ones), their lack of funding (the NY-based ones, RIP my dreams of living in NYC), or their level of funding (NC State), but I'm still left with --) 1. UNLV: 3 year-program (extra time, yay) offering $15000 a year. Based in Las Vegas (, a happening city, yay)! Teaching opportunities guaranteed (yay). Strong international focus (that I love, as an international student myself + someone that's lived in six countries, travelled to dozens more, etc. etc). Faculty not familiar to me (boo). Not a well-known school** (boo). 2. Notre Dame: 2 year-program offering $15000 a year. Based in South Bend, IN (not a happening place, boo). Teaching opportunities not guaranteed (boo -- I'd love to teach in the future). Connection to faith, spirituality (that I love. I'm not Catholic, but I do believe in God and love the idea of being around other people of faith). Gorgeous campus, university (... which is important to me. I'm shallow, ha). Prestigious school (-- this is something that carries a lot of weight in the region I live in. There may be more job opportunities made available to me if I graduate from ND). 3. Purdue: 3 year-program (extra time, yay) offering $18000 a year. Based in West Lafayette, IN (not a happening place, boo). Teaching opportunities guaranteed (yay). Impressive faculty (Roxane Gay, Kaveh Akbar, whoo). 4. Washington: 2 year-program offering $24000 a year (money money money, whoo)! Based in Seattle (, a happening place, yay)! Teaching opportunities guaranteed (yay). Faculty not familiar to me (boo). Not a well-known school** (boo). Where would you go? Where would you -- decidedly, emphatically -- not go? * I can't visit any of these programs/schools in person as I live in Spain. ** Outside of the US, I mean. (ND and Purdue, in contrast, are relatively well-known/well-thought-of.)

I love this.

How many schools are y'all waiting on? And have you made any decisions yet?

Awesome! Congratulations

Here's to getting rejected from Cornell and Wisc-Mad in one day, haha. Good luck to everyone still waiting on results! It's really not over until it's over. And remember that you always, always have next year, if an MFA is something you're dead set on (-- I didn't get in anywhere the first time I applied (2016), but this time (2017)? I've received several fully funded offers)!

Also... if thegradcafe's results from previous years are any indication... this coming week (19th - 23rd Feb.) is the week that most schools notify successful applicants! Which, fuck!!! (Although, as @Jacqui said, this year has felt a little quiet / slow...)

Ah, man, Cornell's been my #1 for two years now I didn't make the deadline the first time I applied (in 2016; I was still a senior in college then) and it looks like I didn't make it, period, this time lol. (I was a bit overzealous re: applications this time around after being rejected by all five schools in 2016, though, haha, and have around ~15 schools to hear from (in addition to one rejection (UMass Amherst) and four acceptances I'm so fucking stoked about (two UK universities, and NC State and Purdue, both of which're offering (full) tuition waivers and TA-ships!!!)) so I'm mostly OK with it. I guess Cornell and I just aren't meant to be, lol.)

I got into Purdue a couple of days ago, OP -- so, yes, January acceptances are definitely A Real Thing.

@outflare We're in the same boat, I think, haha. I was a little over-ambitious wrt applying to schools as well (esp. considering the fact that I applied to these six top-tier schools with a writing sample that even I knew wasn't stellar). I'm determined to do much better this year -- or 2018 or whenever I apply again -- though. Here's to hoping that the second time's the charm, lol -- for both of us! I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple of places (incl. Brooklyn!), but it isn't looking too good, as most of these have contacted applicants for interviews, etc. Good luck with everything!

@pdh12 I'd take the scholarship, too! Especially if they're willing to pay for your plane ticket / (some of your) living expenses. It'd be a great experience, imo, and it might even impact your poetry (in a great way!) -- by inspiring you to write about stuff you otherwise never would've written about, etc. etc. I've got a massive case of wanderlust and jump at any/every opportunity to travel, though. I'd expect your decision to also sort of hinge on your feelings/thoughts on living in India for a year...

I feel weird signing up for an account on thegradcafe so late in the game, but I figure that -- as this app. season hasn't gone especially well for me (I was rejected by UMD and, as I haven't heard back from U-M yet, I've ... been rejected by U-M, as well. Only 3.5* programs to go!) -- I might as well start prepping for my inevitable participation in the Fall 2018 MFA thread, haha. I spent the last hour going through all fifteen pages of this thread -- and I'm genuinely rooting for all of you lovely people! Fingers crossed that those of you who are still waiting on schools get what you're hoping for. Hope everyone else's OK, too. * One of my letters of recommendation never made it to Hunter College, so they tossed my application, lmao.