feralgrad

I see you got accepted into the group, but I'll share my experience with Draft from last year. It's very helpful for gathering info, but once I'd applied, being on Draft increased my anxiety. Watching other people get their results made my own waiting process more difficult. Of course you have that dynamic on GC too, but somehow seeing someone's real name/pictures/etc made it feel too "real" -- it's so much easier to start unfairly comparing yourself to a stranger's profile. That said, I got some great tips for preparing for my funding interview. Plus can be a nice place to commiserate. Just be wary of when you're doomscrolling!

Some do, but it's not a universal practice. In my experience, you're most likely to be interviewed if they're considering funding you.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard much. Of course, everything in every workplace is taking longer this year. Since faculty cannot meet in person, what should be 15 minute conversations are taking place over several days via email. I'm sorry to say that you'll likely have a longer wait ?

I think Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. I find her characters so charming and fascinating! It's not a book for everyone (dog fighting figures heavily into the plot), but if you don't mind the dark themes, it's a great read.

That's a great strategy! I'm trying to make myself edit something for publication right now. I've been putting it off cos it's loosely based on some difficult stuff from my personal life, which I haven't felt like revisiting lately. Anyway, good luck with your submissions!!

For everyone playing the waiting game, my biggest recommendations are to keep writing and work on your plan b. Nothing makes it easy, but I found that the anxiety was more manageable when I was working towards other goals (instead of just thinking about my biggest goal). For what it's worth, I also found my application anxiety was much easier the second time around (and part of that was during the pandemic).

Have you tried 4chan? I think you'd fit in better there.

Admittedly, it's pretty bizarre to ask a question and then insult someone for answering it. Like how is that a good use of your time on this planet?

Been close to a decade since I had to bust out this image!

Then you don't understand what this forum is used for. It's used as a community for applicants, not a workshop setting. People do exchange work privately, but the message board is for support and application advice -- not writing advice. If you're looking for that, go somewhere else.

I think it depends on the program; I've heard that some have a reputation for being prescriptive and/or leaning heavily on mid-century literary ideals. However, it seems like there's been a major shift away from that attitude in the MFA world as a whole, as can be seen in the increasing presence of genre fiction in many programs. At any rate, the attitude in my program encourages the writer's autonomy. Professors (and students) focus on "what's working at what's not." They don't make many prescriptive suggestions, and if they do they'll acknowledge that they're prescriptive. The idea is that they can point towards the strengths and weaknesses of your piece, but it's your choice how you sculpt em. Kind of a long answer to a short question, but I hope it helps! tl:dr: some programs might "teach you how to write and read," but the MFA model is trending towards creative autonomy for students.

Spoken like someone who's not in an MFA program. I've personally seen people get their rear ends handed to them in workshop, but in a way that's civil and not ad hominem. The reason the Iowa "bar brawl" days ended is because it was unprofessional and unhelpful.

I've never seen someone who needs attention so badly.

I wouldn't do it. Think of it this way: if you're on an adcom, and you have to read dozens of applications, would you appreciate it? You'd be asking them to read twice as much (and showing you can't follow directions).

Chiming in to say that I put my surname + a page number in the header. I did this because I suspected some members of the adcom would print out writing samples (now that I'm in classes, I can confirm that this is true of some of my professors). I also figured it would look more professional to use manuscript format, which includes a header and word count at the top.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. There's no two ways about it: you're dealing with some forces that are very unfair (both in academia and society as a whole). Maybe the reason you're taking these rejections so personally is because they're forcing you to confront your limits. I think applications/rejections can do that to all of us. My recommendation is to rebuild your sense of agency in other ways. Maybe talk to a career counselor (since you're still in undergrad) and come up with a plan b. Since you're a first-generation student, maybe a career advisor could give you some options you/your family weren't aware of.

I can PM you my SOP from last year if you want an example. But I agree with spacedumpster -- the SOP is just showing that you can play nice with others, and that you've read some books outside of what you were assigned in your gen ed courses.

@YdrlDude, in the nicest way possible, all you're doing is indulging him. Clearly he thinks GC is the place to debate people and show off his """massive intellect.""" If people stop debating him, he'll stop ruining the thread.

Hey, @spacedumpster! Welcome to the thread! Looks like you've got solid list of schools, with some variety in terms of competitiveness. I think that's a good strategy. Good idea to apply early, too! Every school has a different procedure for reading applications (which none of us are privy to), but it never hurts -- and sometimes it helps a lot.

>Comparing applying to MFA programs to being a slave in pharaonic Egypt I change my mind please stay

Honestly, I've dealt with enough users like this (mostly on other sites) to know that it's not worth my energy to debate him. It's kind-hearted of you to extend the olive branch, but the fact of the matter is that he hasn't said anything nice since he got here. Notice that he's luxuriating in responding to your lengthy posts with his own lengthy, condescending posts. Meanwhile he's not saying anything to me, because it's no fun debating someone who won't play along. He's just a troll using 10 dollar words. Also, I'm trying not to derail the thread more than he has.

Fix your attitude problem or leave the thread. This is a space for applicants and current students to support each other -- not for childish, 2edgy arguing.

There's a thread for venting. This is not that thread.

Honestly, I think "optics" also play a role here, for better or worse. If you're a white guy, it might be seen as fetish-y. Personally, I think it's a really cool topic, but my opinion counts for squat ?

I wouldn't force yourself to write anything; it won't lead to your best quality work. If you're excited/passionate about what you're writing, that will come through regardless of subject matter. The reverse is also true: if you're writing something because you "should," the work is likely to feel... tepid. Adcoms aren't looking for perfection, they're looking for passion and potential.