feralgrad

For what it's worth, Richmond is a cool city. It's very artsy and liberal, and there's a lot to do considering its small size. Downtown is pretty infested with unwashed undergrads, but I think any small(ish) city with a large university will end up like that. If I don't get in anywhere, I'll probably move there to live with my friend.

Diamond dogs

Can I ask why you consider it a safety? It's less competitive than Iowa or Cornell I'm sure, but probably not by much. Technically I have the money, but if I'm going to school next year I need to be saving up. Plus, I spoke with a current student, and they described the cohort as somewhat cliquish and competitive. They also informed me that you can't work a part-time job while in school, which makes me nervous since the stipend isn't really enough to live on.

Shameless triple-post: I'm debating on whether it's worth the application fee to apply to VCU, given how literary the program is. I wouldn't consider myself Strictly a Horror Writer, but the fact remains that my portfolio is all horror writing, slightly dressed up by my literary training. I always knew it was a long shot, but I figured it was worth trying since my best friend lives in Richmond, and I have a number of creative connections there. Can I get y'all's thoughts?

Very true! There are many paths to success, but none of them involve sitting on your writing like a dragon's hoard. You need to keep sending your work out, keep getting critiques, and yes, rejections. That's the only way you improve: figuring out how other people interact with your pieces, what resonates and what doesn't. You don't even need grad school for that (even if it comes with many benefits).

I appreciated your words. My self esteem is usually alright, but application season makes me so insecure. Honestly, what's helped me this time around is looking at my app materials from last year. In 2018 I sent in a 28 page story that was just scene after scene of people walking around looking at things. My SOPs were bland and unpolished. Reading them, I was shocked by how much I'd improved! Even if I don't get the results I want this year, I can feel good about that.

Update: I'm finally approaching the word count. I got a lot of material out of explaining that I'd use a travel grant to visit the Faroe Islands, haha! Thanks again, you're a life-saver.

Thank you for pointing this out, because I saw this on the website and glossed over it, as I wasn't quite sure what it meant. I'm a huge history buff, and I can definitely fill up 150 words talking about that.

I'm stuck drafting one of my SOPs because it's below the word count. The program website says 750-1000 words, and I'm tapping out at around 550... I don't want to add filler, but I've said everything I want to.

Does anyone want to trade SoPs? I could use another set of eyes on mine, and I can review yours in return.

Thanks! Wishing you luck and sanity while you're waiting to hear back (that's always the worst part, I think). My deadlines are all in January, thank God. My earliest is January 6th, so I'm not panicking yet, but I'm still much closer to the 11th hour than I'd like.

I actually finished something entirely new just last week, so I'm making all the wrong choices. That said, one of my beta readers told me it was the best thing I'd written. For me, it felt necessary to send in an all-new portfolio. The pieces I had last year just aren't representative of what I'm doing now, and they were mediocre at best. Unfortunately I spent several months drafting a story that refused to bear fruit, which is why I'm running up against my deadlines. I still feel that it's been worth the stress, though, because these new pieces are shaping up much better.

Anyone else stuck in Last-Minute Edting Hell? I finished the (supposedly) final draft of this story a month ago, and now I'm in the middle of adding an entirely new scene...

I looked into it, and it seems that they only have the option to do CNF as a dual genre track, meaning you'd also work with either fiction or poetry. My bad, I just heard some good things about their CNF faculty and assumed they offered a concentration in it.

I understand why you're trying to assess your odds (I've asked this question too), but I don't think this is a positive mindset. Given how competitive PhD programs are, they often select for research fit rather than objective "goodness." You can have the best marks and the most stellar writing sample out there, but if you're studying a topic that none of the professors work on, you won't be accepted. In short, there's no ratio to strive for and no way to judge the quality of you app based on that ratio. It's no reflection on your merits as a scholar. The randomness is certainly frustrating, but try to embrace it and let go of the connection between admission offers and your own talent/worth. (Of course, I'm applying to MFA programs, but I've lurked this board a lot, and I'm basing my thoughts on what PhD students are saying.)

I have no experience with this issue, but as someone who's worked in HR, I have thoughts on #3. If your program doesn't usually award stand-alone MAs, you should address it. Academia is a small world, and there's a chance someone on the admissions committee will be familiar with your program and get suspicious. If you choose to address it, I would advise against discussing personal or institutional issues. I assume your complaints would be valid, but it will come off as unprofessional and disagreeable. You want to present yourself as reliable and dedicated, not someone who might drop out over an argument (again, not saying you seem like the type, but you risk looking that way). Instead, you might say that the program wasn't a great fit for your research interests or career goals. You mentioned that you don't think your program is preparing you for the job market, so you could lean on that defense.

I'm currently applying to creative writing MFA programs, and I'm trying to secure a TAship. In August I started tutoring with AmeriCorps, but I had to leave the position recently due to some unexpected financial stuff. Thankfully, my connections at my old job allowed me to return to my higher-paying position. I enjoyed tutoring, and I think I was decent at it, so I want to include it on my CV. However, I'm worried it will look bad that I worked there for such a short time. I've considered saying that I worked at my old/current job the entire time, since I was helping out at the office here and there anyway. Part of me wants to say I'm still tutoring because I just left two weeks ago, but I don't want to be dishonest. What should I do?

I get why you're nervous, but I agree that you shouldn't worry. It's likely that whoever reads your application will gloss over the error, just like you did. One small typo won't sink an otherwise strong application.

Figured I'd kick this off this year. How's your application process going? Where are you applying? This is my second round, and I'm applying to fewer schools this year. I'm applying to Hollins, VCU, and GMU (again). My portfolio is nearly finalized, but my SOP is still in the draft phase for all 3 schools (╥ᆺ╥；)

Sorry for the late reply, but from what I hear VCU has a decent creative nonfiction program, and it's fully-funded. Not sure about healthcare, but Richmond is a great city for queer people!

I'm in the process of my second round MFA applications, and I've started contacting my LoR writers again. Somehow I feel like I'm asking so much by sending a new writing sample and requesting them to update my reference. I'm still doing it, since I need to, but it's making me anxious. I hate asking for favors!

Have you considered asking the clinical professor to back you up? Not sure if that would be appropriate, but I agree that that's unacceptable. You're right: this is a workplace, not a daycare, and a grown man should not be allowed to throw a temper tantrum. Quite frankly, I don't think someone so immature and aggressive belongs in a PhD program...

I'm not sure when it gets busy, but by the time I made my account last year (around January-February, when admissions results were coming in) the forum was pretty active.

Hello again, Grad Cafe. The application process was /so much fun/ last year, I came back for more. This time around, I'm putting much more emphasis on funding. Does anyone have recommendations for programs that have ample (not necessarily full) funding that will welcome a horror/science fiction author? Bonus points for programs in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. Thanks in advance!

Whelp, no full funding for me this year. I've decided to reapply next year, and in the meantime I'm planning to tutor so I'll be more competitive for TA positions. Congrats to everyone who's going to school this year! For those who aren't, hopefully I'll see you on the MFA 2020 forum.