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I agree with that almost entirely. I couldn’t really articulate my feelings before, probably because I got in a car accident two days before I had another freak out about applications. I know that they’re looking to make a cohort that will bring out the best in all the candidates, but also have that cohort be filled with talent. I also agree with the fact that writing and the process of selection isn’t meant to be a science. Maybe it’s my science background that’s really skewing my perception. However, I don’t personally think that this process is magic. There are elements that we can’t quantify but people can look at and understand. Such as craft, style, voice, symbolism, word choice, etc. It’s the reverse of how we know dark matter exists due to calculations but we don’t know what it looks like. I’d argue that the selection process is just that, a process, not an exact science that you can firmly grasp in your hands like a rock, but also not magic that slips through your fingers whenever you try and catch it. We know some things about it, it’s not us taking a stab in the dark. Whatever you put in your application (which means sample, plus an SOP, CV, and/or Teaching Statement) is what they’re starting with and ultimately how they choose you. Sorry that this was long. I didn’t mean to come across mean btw. Apologies if that’s how this came off.

So, keep in mind that this isn’t sound logic: Based on a few different acceptance rates of poetry compared to the number of applicants total I came up with 3/4 of all applicants to three different programs (Iowa, Cornell, and somewhere else) are fiction writers (this involves results from gradcafers who put part of the admissions statistics in their results section, and also some outdated statistics online from 2012 so take it with a grain of salt). If I applied the formula (.25 x # of applicants in one year) to all of the schools, I get the approximate number of applicants in poetry who apply per year (give or take 30-150 given how small or large the program is). For fiction, use (.75 x # of applicants in one year) (give or take 90-450). Then I took the number of seats for my genre only (for Cornell they accept 4 fiction, 4 poetry) and divided them by the number of poets that are probably applying and presto chango, I have a number that is something like 0.015 which you times by 100 to get the percent. 0.015 x 100 = 1.5%. God I hate math. But analyzing the heck out of something is what I do when I’m nervous. But doing this research only made me more nervous for no reason. I should restate this for both myself and others, it’s the work that gets you in, not the statistics. The statistics should be something to consider, but don’t rely on them. It’s not totally random. Have faith in your work, and you. You can do it.

Guys I made a mistake. Don’t do what I did and make a list of acceptance rates. I know my professors said I would most likely get in somewhere, but the highest acceptance rate I found on my list is, at most, 10 percent??? I don’t know why I chose to torture myself like this, but I did and it’s awful. Cornell is the farthest away too, my dream school is in the 1 to 2 percent range. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Ah, I liked the encouragement of experimental work too. I also really like the idea of moving far away from home even thought it’s just one state away. Also I never mentioned that I really enjoy one of the teachers there. And yeah, that’s the thing that scares me about Iowa. I would love to move as far from home as possible though.

I’ve put some thought into what I’m going to do and I think I might do something similar. There are much cheaper places to live that I’ll feel better living in than staying home. I’ll keep writing, I’ve tried to stop before but I really can’t, even if I should. Writing is an ingrained habit at this point, if I don’t write I don’t function well. I was gonna apply to VT but I last minute took it off my list due to budget concerns and I had to cut someone off. I feel kind of dumb for saying that Cornell is my top choice, but I think that’s because I know more about it than Iowa (despite my extensive knowledge of Paul Engle from all the Iowa documentaries I watched). Cornell has a library solely dedicated to rare books! I freaking love rare books, it’s kind of a weird passion of mine. My only two worries about it are that it’s gonna be cold, and that I’m definitely not gonna make one of the 4 seats they have open for poetry...

Also, what’s your top choice for applications this round? Genuinely curious.

Hey, question for y’all, what’re your plans if you don’t get in (besides reapplying)? I really don’t know what the fresh heck I’m gonna do.

I really don’t consider anywhere a safety per say, but I find that it’s somewhat safer to apply to some schools with higher acceptance rates. And yeah, I’m not particularly enthused about the living situation either. Also not enthused about Virginia. But if that’s the only school I get into then I can transfer if I don’t like it.

I’m also debating myself, but VCU was supposed to be a backup for me, as stupid as that sounds. I want to make sure all my options are open, and not shut myself into the four programs I applied to that have such low acceptance rates. I’ll apply if I find the money.

Can I take a moment to address all the applicants who have little to no self-esteem? I’m talking about those people whose recommenders, family, and/or friends believe in them more than they believe in themselves. Have some faith (if not in your work, then in your tenacity and strength for choosing to apply). Don’t give up before you’ve tried, self-sabotage is only going to make you feel worse in the long run. Much like I said in my personal statement, even if I don’t get in anywhere, at least I can say I was brave enough to try. Believe me, I’m terrified, but I’ll be way more upset later if I don’t choose to chase my dreams when the opportunity is in front of me. That being said, if you aren’t ready in some vital way (financial, health, etc.) then it’s okay to wait. What I mean by the above statement is: Don’t let your self-esteem bully you out of applying. End rant. I hope someone is helped by this, I know I needed to hear it today as I’m super nervous and upset.

Awesome! I'm glad you're getting to your word count alright. And the Faroe Islands travel grant thing sounds both unique and interesting. I imagine the committee will also think it's interesting. Also you're welcome! It was the least I could do. I don't want any of us to struggle last minute.

Believe me, I glossed over it too. I was definitely so confused for awhile. But once I realized what they meant I was like: Oh, I do so much research/reading for my work, may as well mention it! I'm personally a biology and history buff myself. I have found one of my kind haha.

Well definitely don't add words for the sake of adding words. However, since I think you're writing for GMU, here's how I'd break down what your SOP should address: (Attention all, this is VERY loosely the style that I wrote my SOP. This is specifically geared to answer feralgrad's question. Make sure if you break it down like this that you to tailor it to the university's questions and you're golden) 1: Why do you want to go to GMU? (Mention professors you want to study with and why you like them, also mention things you like about GMU that other universities don't have) 2: How does GMU fit in with your goals, career and academic? (Link this to above, and mention academic and career goals here, there's no going overboard with your goals. Have many if you need to fill space.) 3: Research interests. (This is kind of a trick question, especially for fiction writers- YOU DON'T LIVE IN A VOID. If you don't know what you want to research maybe you should figure that out. Do you have academic interests you'd like to teach? British literature of the 1300's? That's cool. Have biology you want to incorporate into your writing? Also cool.) 4: Highlight information you'd like them to know. (If you're super passionate about, let's say, the staff and your research interests, make sure that's very clear and that you spend time on it. Don't get lazy now. It's the final push y'all, I know we can do it!) That's my rant. This was the type of thing approved by my professor for me, and I love helping people so I'll help anyone who has questions.

Also this is a relic I found a month ago: Draftmemes (on Tumblr). I promise you won't regret looking this up, you might even have a case of the giggles like I did. They have Gradcafe memes and workshop memes too. Enjoy.

Yeah, I haven't written my VCU one yet, but I've written four different ones customized for each different school. I've written for Cornell (reviewed by three teachers), Iowa, WUSTL, and Syracuse. If any of those seem close enough to the VCU one I'll send it to you later.

Thanks for starting this, now I can panic with other people who understand my pain! First time poetry applicant here so I'm casting my net pretty wide: Iowa, Cornell, Syracuse, WUSTL, Oregon State, UNLV, and VCU. I finished Iowa, Cornell, Syracuse, and WUSTL apps on time. I surprised myself. Godspeed everybody.