feralgrad

I second @litty. Not to mention that many (if not most) people applying for the first time aren't ready for an MFA program; they're applying right out of undergrad, and/or they're interested in an MFA because it will "force them to write." People like this make up a significant portion of the app pool, and they're very unlikely to have strong portfolios or persuasive SOPs. Well-known programs like IWW and Cornell get inundated with applicants like this, so their acceptance rates are misleading.
That isn't to say these programs aren't shockingly competitive, but it's not as bleak as 1-2% implies.

Hearty congrats to everyone who got accepted this year (+ everyone who made it through app season alive). My MFA journey is officially coming to an end this month :')
It's been an insanely valuable, exciting, and stressful 3 years. I'm happy to field questions from anyone who wants my two cents on MFA life and how to make the most of it.

April 15th is the deadline for funded applicants to respond to funded offers (full or partial), suggested by the Council of Graduate Schools. How stringently that's enforced varies depending on the institution/program.
Occasionally, people who initially accepted funded offers decline them after April 15th -- sometimes well into the summer. So if you're on a waitlist, there's a chance you'll hear later. However, if you haven't heard anything after this week, I would suggest assuming a rejection to preserve your sanity.

April 15th is the deadline for funded applicants to respond to funded offers (full or partial), suggested by the Council of Graduate Schools. How stringently that's enforced varies depending on the institution/program.
Occasionally, people who initially accepted funded offers decline them after April 15th -- sometimes well into the summer. So if you're on a waitlist, there's a chance you'll hear later. However, if you haven't heard anything after this week, I would suggest assuming a rejection to preserve your sanity.

You could be on a waitlist, but based on what I've heard about NYU, if you received an offer it would likely be unfunded. Sorry to say so :(

I do understand this sentiment, and especially since I'm sure that Iowa itself doesn't use this approach exclusively anymore. But there very famously is a workshop approach that was spearheaded and popularized by the Iowa MFA program, and it is often referred to as the Iowa model for that reason. 

I've now received CNF decisions on all of my schools: UPittsburgh, UMinnesota, UIowa, Louisiana State, and UArizona were all rejections...But! I was accepted at Ohio State (my top preference)! I am very excited. To everyone who is waiting on waitlists or a laundry list of rejections, just know that this was my third year of applying to schools and I received nothing but rejections my first two application cycles (not even a waitlist). Don't give up!
Also, if you've had a run of bad luck thus far, consider changing genres and looking at schools that embrace developing your talents outside that concentration. I submitted in fiction my first two years, but my professors convinced me to apply in CNF this year. It's not my favorite genre, but Ohio State has made it very clear that they encourage their students to take courses in whatever areas they like (many of the students are blending forms anyway). Lots of schools encourage this experimentation.
I hope as many of you stick with this ambition as is possible. Keep putting yourselves out there because fielding countless rejections is an inevitable part of the writer's life. I'm glad I wasn't accepted till now: I'm almost 32 and these delays have given me lots of time to hone my craft, gain life experience, develop discipline, and figure out what I really want to do with my education so that I don't waste it. Don't stop believing in yourself just because a handful of folks who read a small sample of your work didn't immediately glean your potential. And good luck!

just got my iowa rejection, slay 💅

I applied to a few programmes last year and got into two that weren't fully funded. So I saved up some money and moved to Mexico city for a few months to spend my time reading and writing and generally having fun. I reapplied to MFAs, added a few unis to my list, got into Iowa. I also proved to myself that I can write every day without going mad or picking up a hard drug addiction, and that I in fact enjoy this lifestyle more than any other

I'm sorry this cycle didn't work out. I had to do two app cycles myself, and it was very difficult when I realized I'd have to wait a year or more for my MFA dream.
For what it's worth, you should feel proud of the work you did applying to programs. MFA apps are so much harder than undergrad apps; I experienced them as much more research-intensive, labor-intensive, and vulnerable. Here's something I've come to appreciate since I started teaching undergrads: Not everyone would be able to make a genuine, well-planned effort for these applications (especially if you did a lot of em). The ambition, patience, and planning required aren't as common as you probably think. And it's way, waaaay less common to care enough about your art to do all that work. (This isn't me complaining about my students btw. I'm just saying that it can be hard to see your virtues in a situation like this.)
In hindsight, my first failed app cycle really helped me grow as a person. The apps were a bigger and more consequential project than anything I'd ever completed, and I consider that a milestone in my journey to becoming a "real" adult. I hope that doesn't sound corny lol -- I really mean it.

I'm sorry this cycle didn't work out. I had to do two app cycles myself, and it was very difficult when I realized I'd have to wait a year or more for my MFA dream.
For what it's worth, you should feel proud of the work you did applying to programs. MFA apps are so much harder than undergrad apps; I experienced them as much more research-intensive, labor-intensive, and vulnerable. Here's something I've come to appreciate since I started teaching undergrads: Not everyone would be able to make a genuine, well-planned effort for these applications (especially if you did a lot of em). The ambition, patience, and planning required aren't as common as you probably think. And it's way, waaaay less common to care enough about your art to do all that work. (This isn't me complaining about my students btw. I'm just saying that it can be hard to see your virtues in a situation like this.)
In hindsight, my first failed app cycle really helped me grow as a person. The apps were a bigger and more consequential project than anything I'd ever completed, and I consider that a milestone in my journey to becoming a "real" adult. I hope that doesn't sound corny lol -- I really mean it.

I'm sorry this cycle didn't work out. I had to do two app cycles myself, and it was very difficult when I realized I'd have to wait a year or more for my MFA dream.
For what it's worth, you should feel proud of the work you did applying to programs. MFA apps are so much harder than undergrad apps; I experienced them as much more research-intensive, labor-intensive, and vulnerable. Here's something I've come to appreciate since I started teaching undergrads: Not everyone would be able to make a genuine, well-planned effort for these applications (especially if you did a lot of em). The ambition, patience, and planning required aren't as common as you probably think. And it's way, waaaay less common to care enough about your art to do all that work. (This isn't me complaining about my students btw. I'm just saying that it can be hard to see your virtues in a situation like this.)
In hindsight, my first failed app cycle really helped me grow as a person. The apps were a bigger and more consequential project than anything I'd ever completed, and I consider that a milestone in my journey to becoming a "real" adult. I hope that doesn't sound corny lol -- I really mean it.

I'm sorry this cycle didn't work out. I had to do two app cycles myself, and it was very difficult when I realized I'd have to wait a year or more for my MFA dream.
For what it's worth, you should feel proud of the work you did applying to programs. MFA apps are so much harder than undergrad apps; I experienced them as much more research-intensive, labor-intensive, and vulnerable. Here's something I've come to appreciate since I started teaching undergrads: Not everyone would be able to make a genuine, well-planned effort for these applications (especially if you did a lot of em). The ambition, patience, and planning required aren't as common as you probably think. And it's way, waaaay less common to care enough about your art to do all that work. (This isn't me complaining about my students btw. I'm just saying that it can be hard to see your virtues in a situation like this.)
In hindsight, my first failed app cycle really helped me grow as a person. The apps were a bigger and more consequential project than anything I'd ever completed, and I consider that a milestone in my journey to becoming a "real" adult. I hope that doesn't sound corny lol -- I really mean it.

Seconding this, and adding that determining "manageable debt" can be very difficult. @mosss (and @emikra since this seems relevant to you) I highly recommend crunching the numbers and putting them into a loan repayment calculator, which would show you how much you could pay on loans each month. Remember to include rent and living expenses in your calculations as well.
That's what I did when I got a partially-funded offer that would've required loans. The results were sobering, to say the least, but I'm glad I had that reality check.

Seconding the "be very cautious of accepting an offer if you have to pay heavily for it".
If you're able to afford the ticket price of a non-funded MFA without strain, then a non-funded MFA can definitely be a good option! I knew someone who did a Columbia MFA, and his family paid the full sticker price for him because they're wealthy, and they could afford to. He graduated debt-free. So, for him, Columbia made sense! And I think he got a lot out of it.
But something I've heard, over and over and in different variations, from scores of published and unpublished writers (and even from someone who teaches at Columbia): do not go into significant debt for an MFA. Manageable debt which you know you can pay off is one thing. But significant debt? That can ruin your life. 
Kelly Link, bless her, crowdsourced a Twitter thread of people's experiences with unfunded MFAs and managing their debt afterward: https://twitter.com/haszombiesinit/status/1157019803179278339
 

In my opinion there's a sweet spot between ~25 and 35, regardless of genre. At my program, the people fresh out of undergrad tend to be less certain of their creative goals, and sometimes they spin their wheels for a year+ trying to figure that out.
My first time applying I was a year out of undergrad, and I'm glad I didn't get in. My writing transformed between my first and second app cycles. If I had gotten in in 2019, I would've completely wasted a year of funding on improvements I could have easily made outside the MFA. Hell, I might have even been a little better off if I'd waited an additional year to explore my craft independently. (I started at 24, for reference.) But no regrets because I'm glad I didn't have to spend Peak Covid working a desk job from home lmao.
Tl;dr: No matter how talented you are, there's no replacement for time and life experience in determining your creative trajectory. If you're fresh out of undergrad and getting rejections, know that it's normal and probably better for you in the long run.
 
 

Your response is completely valid, and I think that person put it too bluntly, however there might be a bit of truth to it. I'm not wanting to discourage you, nor am I trying to talk out my ass since I don't know you, but I joined the workforce immediately after ugrad and it taught me many things I wouldn't have if I immediately went into grad school. I inquired with my professors during ugrad about continuing to grad school and they all told me to take some time to work and gain some distance from academia. It's possible they said that because my writing was really terrible, but they were probably relaying advice from their own lived experience. It's good to have this goal and know what you want, and I'm sure it will happen for you in due time, but there are other things to experience that will also shape you into a more thoughtful writer.
But then again, I'm 30 now and I didn't get accepted, so who knows—really—I might be too old hahaha

I would take what rell says with a grain of salt. It's pretty obviously the same user who kept getting banned from the forum earlier this season for trolling, and who kept remaking accounts each time it happened.
They also visibly seem to enjoy poking people hard in their insecurities and trying to drag them down, while pretending at good faith. Just keep that in mind. Don't let them get to you.

I honestly wouldn't recommend this route unless you like the idea of doing a thesis on literature. (Remember the literary analysis essays you had to do in high school/gen ed? Something like that, but for 100 pages.) Any graduate program is a lot of work, and if you're not excited about it, you could get seriously burnt out. I don't think that having an MA in English inherently makes you more competitive; many fully-funded people in my program don't have English BAs or MAs, and many programs are explicit on their websites about not expecting this experience. Additionally, I could be wrong about this, but from what I've seen, funding seems rarer for English MAs than MFAs.
I think you could expand you're literary experience in other ways that would be less labor-intensive. For example, volunteering as a reader for a literary magazine would look great on an MFA app.

I'll pitch in since I've looked into them. My understanding is that the PhD involves producing some creative work, but most of the program is geared towards academic analysis of creative writing. It does improve your chances for landing a university teaching position, but not as much as a published book does.

I agree with others that it doesn't negatively affect your application. We have all sorts of undergrad majors in my program. However, as @ElleNoelle stated, it does impact your viability for teaching positions.
What I would actually be more worried about is getting accepted with a TAship that involves teaching English 101 if you don't feel well-prepared. Unfortunately, many programs don't provide much training/instruction before they throw you into the classroom. My program does provide a lot of pedagogical instruction, but it doesn't teach you any of the content of English 101 (e.g. paragraph organization, rhetorical principles, etc.). They expect you to know that already. A common complaint among TAs in my program is that they didn't know some of the topics they were expected to teach. Tbh I think that's their fault since we were supplied with the curriculum way ahead of time, but long story short: Make sure to do your research on teaching expectations, and prepare if necessary so you won't be so stressed later.

Two classes in the fall and two classes in the spring (which is a lot, lol)

Cleaned up this thread a bit. We are aware of the trolling problem and are doing the best we can with the tools we have. Please report posts but do not engage; troll feeding will result in a 1 week silence.

I'd push back on the idea of any fully-funded MFA program being a 'safe' school. Perhaps some programs are underrated or undervalued, but it's still difficult to obtain acceptance when a program only accepts 5 or so in each genre per cohort. Not sure how up-to-date it is, but Alabama currently lists 18 students on their site, and their program can be extended to 4 years; so that looks like roughly 4-6 students per genre, (since I don't think they offer CNF.)

So every program is very different. Mine has a 2:2 teaching load, which is heavy (but I knew that going in, and I wanted to teach).
For expected creative output, I'd estimate that I produced 30-50 pages per semester. I'm not a fast writer, though I am consistent -- I haven't gone long more than a week or so without writing at all, though many classmates have had fallow periods. Do keep in mind that grad school doesn't really punish you for slacking, though. I know a couple people who workshopped things they wrote pre-MFA a full year into the program. But that's its own punishment, you know?
Balancing work with writing has been difficult at times, but I've been happy with my output. I think the key for me was a) remembering that writing, not teaching, is my first priority and b) not doing any school/teaching work after 5 or 6 pm. That's left me with enough time to relax, which is really important for keeping my creativity flowing. I've also had to fight my perfectionist tendencies a lot; I worry less about aesthetic details in my lesson powerpoints, for example, so I'm not wasting time on something that not actually important to me or my students. Also: skim. Skim for your life.