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This is all super helpful information. Thank you for sharing!

I've been wondering about this a lot, as someone who's intermittently interested in the Peace Corps but also firmly anti-US imperialism. I know the organization has roots in imperialism/colonialism, but I can't find much info from people who've done it about how much of that (as well as the implicit white saviorism) still remains. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on the matter if you're comfortable discussing!

This may be a bit out of left field, but for adventurous folks without kids, pets, etc. keeping them in one spot, I'd highly recommend looking into Workaway as a potential Plan B. It's basically a site which connects travelers with hosts around the world who are looking for some sort of help in exchange for room and board. It's informal and therefore a bit trickier to navigate than something structured, but it's a really great experience if you're up for a little uncertainty. I did it after getting across-the-board rejections in 2019 and ended up working in an animal sanctuary with one host, pet sitting for another, and even living in a monastery for a while. The whole thing, including transportation, ended up costing less than what I saved by not needing to pay rent for those months. Obviously this is somewhat pandemic-recovery-dependent, of course, but I thought I'd toss it into the ring here since surprisingly few people are aware that it's an option!

Not necessarily! Just because it happened to me doesn't mean it'll happen to you the same way. My point is only that even if you don't get in this year, that doesn't mean you'll never get in.

Unfortunately, funded MFA programs work a little differently than undergraduate admissions. As far as I'm aware, there's not much aid negotiation you can do, even if you have lots of offers. It's kind of a "take it or leave it" type situation. As for the possibility of not getting in anywhere, that's also very real, since fully-funded programs have acceptance rates somewhere in the range of 1-3%. I applied to almost 15 programs my first time and, while I got a couple waitlists, I ultimately didn't get in anywhere at all. It definitely sucks, and requires a lot of mental readjustment in terms of future plans, but it's not the end of the world and it happens to lots of us! I felt like my app was really strong my first time through, but while working on my second attempt (when I actually got an offer), I realized my earlier portfolio wasn't nearly as strong as I'd believed. While you definitely shouldn't take this to mean you won't get any acceptances, it's always a good idea to start thinking about a Plan B just in case. And if you end up striking out this year, don't be dissuaded from trying again next year if this is something you really want to do!

Welcome and congrats on submitting your last app! Having been through the process a couple times now, I can confirm that the wait is indeed an excruciating one which only gets harder as we enter February, since lots of programs (with some exceptions) don't start sending responses until March. (Ohio State tends to be super quick though, so you should hear back from them this month if past experience is any indication!) My advice to others is basically: Don't feel like you need to be accomplishing a whole lot during these couple months. The wait itself can get extremely draining, and just getting through one day after the next is totally fine. So do what you've gotta do to stay afloat, be that writing, Netflix, or long walks on the beach, and don't feel bad if your perceived productivity drops for a while!

I'd probably have something like: 1. U Michigan 2. Syracuse 3. Ohio State But it's hard to really narrow down, since there are a few more realistic options like U Nevada that I'd also put at nearly the same level.

Apologies if this has already come up, but the beach talk got me wondering: Did many of you think about climate/location when deciding where to apply? Or, to put it differently, were there places you didn't apply specifically because of their location, and/or programs you were on the fence about but the location pushed you to a "yes"?

The advice I've heard is to submit FAFSAs now if you plan to. Some program websites mention that certain kinds of aid (usually those provided by the grad school, not the program itself) require your FAFSA info sooner rather than later. And if you don't end up getting into a program, the FAFSA info just won't be used, so there's not really a downside. This is just based on what I've heard from others and read on program sites, though, so if anyone else has more concrete info, I'd put more stock in that than what I have to say!

Hey folks, just wanted to pop in to say whether you're applying this year, next year, or are already in a program, y'all are superstars for doing this during a pandemic, and all the hard work you're putting in is cool as hell. Wishing everyone the best for the new year as we hold our collective breath and wait to hear back from places. I hope trolls like this archiapelo guy don't put too much of a damper on things, because everyone here deserves to be really proud of what they've already accomplished and what they'll continue to accomplish. Cheers.

That makes sense. I've heard people argue back and forth about whether or not to mention the fact that they're transferring in their SoP, with some suggesting it can make other programs suspicious of the applicant's temperament and more likely to reject them. But it seems to me that, if I send a transcript from my current program but omit any mention of it from my SoP, that would come across as more questionable. Any thoughts?

Hey thanks a bunch for your reply, it's really helpful! My cohort is definitely something I've been thinking about, because while there are a couple mediocre "Guy in your MFA" types, the rest are really cool and talented. Obviously COVID makes it harder to get a sense of how well I'll be able to connect with them long-term, but I do plan on prioritizing those connections as the semester progresses, and reevaluating my place here later on based on where that goes. As far as action against the guy--from what I understand, the department's gotten numerous complaints over the years, and the most they've done is stern reprimands about how he can and can't treat his students. Plenty of students wish he would retire, but he's nowhere close to that. The 3rd-years recommended taking notes of every shitty thing he does in class and keeping them together as a "just in case" sort of thing, but the thought of having such an adversarial relationship with half the program sounds absolutely exhausting and depressing. Right now I'm tossing around the idea of applying elsewhere without any expectation of getting an offer and just letting the dice decide my future. My thinking is along the lines of: If this is what I plan to make my life's work, I'd rather not settle if I don't have to.

Hi everyone, I'm facing a dilemma I really wish I weren't, and I need some input. I began a 3-year, fully-funded MFA program this fall (I'd rather not say where, just in case). Just a few weeks in, I have the sinking feeling that it's not a great fit. The problem is a particular professor, one of only two in the program, who is the senior professor with a lot of leverage. Within the program, he's known for being pretty casually racist (which I've seen firsthand now) and is genuinely not good at teaching. He teaches as if we're an Intro to Creative Writing class, and I genuinely can't imagine how he got the position he has today. The 3rd-years share this sentiment, and generally just suggest avoiding the guy when possible. (Yup I should've talked to the other students more deeply beforehand. Lessons learned.) Now, I'm getting an MFA exclusively to study my craft intensely and learn as much as I can in the time allotted. At this program, I feel I'm squandering half of that opportunity by studying under someone who seems to have little teaching to offer. So I'm starting to seriously consider reapplying to other programs, and I'd like to hear thoughts on this from the good folks here. Am I overreacting? Is starting over elsewhere an acceptable course of action? Have you had a similar experience? Thanks in advance for any advice. This sucks lol

Maybe not the number of programs, but I definitely didn't take tier into consideration. Spent a long time figuring out where I wanted to go without thinking about where I had a realistic shot of getting in.

I definitely feel that. Looking at 3 rejections and 6 still pending. Only now do I realize how arrogant I was in choosing only 9 schools and not even thinking about "safety schools" (although no fully funded MFA can really be considered a safety). Ah well, valuable information for next year, I suppose.