Brother Panda

Hey all! I'm an MFA student who haunts these forums because I remember what it was like to be waiting to hear back from programs. I have a few things to say to applicants if you're willing to listen. 1) Only apply to funded programs. I know it's old advice, but it's still good advice. Even funded programs that are "lower" tier are still better than the best unfunded program. Consider that Columbia costs around 150k, comparable to medical school, and that even doctors have a hard time paying off their loans. So please don't think you'll be paying it off with writing. Only go to a non-funded school if you have 150k to spend, in which case, do it if you really want to. It will still be the same thing--some workshops, some other classes, some award-winning writers. Every MFA has that stuff. 2) Actually do your homework. Read some work by the authors at these programs. If you like the work, mention that author by name in your statement of purpose. Everyone loves to be complimented, and they will feel good knowing that you have actually done the work of seriously looking into the school. And speaking of SoPs, actually take the time to truly tailor each one to the school. 3) Submit your best (and favorite) work. Take your best and favorite story or two (or poem or essay) and revise and revise and revise until every single word can stand trial and still remain in the story. As Raymond Carver said (quoting another author), you are finished revising when, on one pass, you take a single comma out of the story, and on the next pass, you put it back in. 4) Submit and forget. Once you've submitted, go back to doing things you love. Go to the gym. Hang out with friends. Anything that will be good for your soul and push the dreaded decision letter out of your mind. Good luck everyone! It took me a couple application rounds to get into a program. If you don't get in, just keep living and writing and try again next time.

So I just got an email from the head of my MFA department (it seems by accident) that indicates the school is accepting the same amount of students as it always has--12 students, 6 in prose and 6 in poetry. My school is fully funded, though summer funding that was once guaranteed now hangs in the air a bit. I hope this helps alleviate some fears!

Just thought of this forum after being on it a lot last year. Good luck to everyone here! I'm in a fully-funded MFA right now and it's been a really positive experience. I had applied in 2017 and was rejected (only applied to 3 top tier programs) and applied to 13 in 2020 and was accepted. The most important thing is to keep writing, and also to take care of yourself. It is a very stressful time, and the less time you can worry about things that are out of your control, the better. Make sure your writing sample is tight (think Raymond Carver: edit until you take out a comma and on your next edit you re-insert it; that means you're done). Submit your applications and then forget about them as often as you can. Do things that bring you joy. Stay well everyone--I'm rooting for you!

So there’s one person ahead of me on the waitlist at the school I really want to get into (Miami). I really hope they got into a program they wanted even more and turn down the offer. Good luck to all of you on waitlists!

Yup haha

Same y’all. I’ve been rejected everywhere so far except Miami Ohio, where I was waitlisted. Still waiting on a few schools, but I’m really just hoping I get off that waitlist.

Lol! Came to post the same thing.

Has anyone been accepted for fiction at Miami Ohio?

Definitely “Game” (a more serious one), “The School”, and “The Balloon”!!

My productivity has been a little low as well. I just started doing workshops with my high school creative writing class though, which has been really fun! We also read some cool stuff last week—“Library of Babel” by Borges and “Game” by Barthelme. Fun stuff to keep me motivated!

Congratulations!! Well deserved!!!!

Checked it just now. No word yet. I'm assuming they called those accepted today and will email the rest soon. Today was a bloodbath haha. Stay strong everyone!

I was really lucky to have a professor help me with it.

Yeah they’re super early! Thanks for the condolences, but that rejection I completely expected. My applications got much better after the Dec 1 round.

Rejected at Austin (NWP). It was my first (and worst) application. Half-baked letter of intent, stories I later revised and edited. Congratulations to those accepted!! 0a/1r/1w/11p

I’d assume no more than a few days if past years are any indication to what this year holds. But yes, fingers very much crossed haha.

Thanks @litty!!

Waitlisted at Miami Ohio!

I'm sorry @Ydrl. Keep your head up! I think if poetry decisions are out for Syracuse, fiction is not far behind. Waiting anxiously. Good luck y'all!

@feralgrad congratulations!!! That’s fantastic

So my buddy who went to UCI said he was an RA while he was there, dramatically reducing his cost of living (though obviously at the expense of a little time and freedom). Something to consider.

I totally checked two yesterday, but that was it. I’m thankful I have a job that distracts me. Outside of that, I try to invest heavily in other things, like exercising. At the end of the day, you’re a writer if you write, not if a school offers you a place there. I would just like the waiting to be over so that I can plan the next year of my life with certainty. With that said, of course I would like to get in and hope you lovely people will get in as well. We’ll know soon!

The same thing has happened twice to me! I have a Syracuse number though.

With the applications more or less done, I have been able to get a tiny bit of writing done. My rough draft of the novel has been gathering dust, but I wrote the rough draft of a new short story, which is nice. But the specter of admissions results looms over writing, causing more anxiety in the act of creation than there should be. I am looking forward to the whole thing being over.

@Ydrl I'm applying in fiction. Poetry is awesome, best of luck with your applications! @litty I did not consider Ole Miss. Are you applying there? Yeah the pressure is rough. I've basically abandoned the rough draft of my novel, wrote the rough draft of one short story, wrote one page of another rough draft, and have now thought of writing nothing except SoPs. I'm also a teacher, so I've had a lot of grading to do with this quarter ending. So many essays! So yeah looking forward to the application season to be over.