doe-ish

@pirhiaa20 Couldn't have said it better myself! Best of luck to you, @Dochinka96. Let us know how it goes! We're rooting for you!!!! ?

Maybe try asking questions about their Creative Writing/English department, about how its resources can help you succeed. I don't know anything about their program, but maybe, using what you know about them, you could ask how they've connected students with publishing opportunities in the past, what kinds of opportunities there are for TA-ships (even if you're not actually interested), etc. I'm imagining it's like those questions at the end of a job interview, in the sense that if you express your familiarity with details of the program, and show concern over how those resources can aid your success, you'll demonstrate your ambition and also the fact that you care enough about their program to know its specifics. Sorry if this is poor/obvious advice, but hey I tried! ^^;

Yay!!! Great job, you earned it! ^^

You have a point and I wish I'd been thinking like that from that start. I guess because Iowa's program is considered to be a big deal, I've been feeling like in addition to strong writing, I need to have all this other stuff to make me seem "credible" (whatever that means. I'm not even sure if that's quite the word I'm looking for, but you get it). On another note, it feels great to finally talk to people who are going through the same stuff!

Oh my gosh, stay strong! I can't imagine handling school and magazine feedback at the same time. I'm sure you'll hear something great soon, just keep at it! I really hope you're right, because that would be a total comfort if it were true. I think the worst part of this whole process is just sitting and wondering how I stack up to other people being accepted to the same program. I'm extremely pleased for everyone who's getting positive feedback, because I know they've worked hard and they absolutely deserve to be admitted; I just wish I knew the size of the shoes I need to fill.

Messages on the Iowa page keep disappearing so I feel totally deaf and blind. This is my first year applying to grad schools for poetry and I have been vibrating with fear for the last week. Anyone else scared about their chances? I know mine aren't great, I don't have any published work or anything and I can feel the rejection letter homing in on my mailbox...