Graceful Entropy

To all the peeps out there applying again next year or considering it, this was my second go-round, and I'm glad I didn't get in last year. Everything about my life is more settled, my writing and reading range continue to get honed and grow, and I'm better able to push forward in the path I want. So maybe that will be the same for you. Also Covid. Things prolly still won't be quite close to normal this fall, there will still be anxiety and things not really falling into place well, so you may be dodging it all to have a much more full three years than the rest. Hope everything works out. Cheers

I actually did. Waitlisted. Guess you just have to yell into the void long enough and a small echo will bounce back. Thanks for thinking of me!

Interesting on Draft to see quite a few people complaining about being on waitlists---all the while holding onto ALL of their own multiple acceptances. And they wonder why things aint moving. Like, if you want some movement, be the change you hope to see, yall. Not directed at anyone in particular, just a gripe.

Nawlins, where you at bruhv ?

I would just like to post a friendly reminder that when we quote reply trolls, those quotes remain up even after their deletions by grad cafe moderators. Feel free to choose how you prefer to use this info, but just wanted to post that thought.

Count me in for The (grad)Cafe of Historical Corrections!

Fair enough! Them fancy schools do pay well. Also, there's probably a nice way to express incredulity and then the way I did, so ya know, that's on me

Dude, so many Brown applicants. Like, honestly, why? Yall into Providence that much? Some sort of weird Ivy fetish? I just don't get it. Enlighten me.

I'm probably just in a bad mood because I had to deal w/ two meltdowns at work rn so I might delete later, but.... It's so nice that they can be 'very self-conscious' about how privileged they are. And money doesn't come up w/ rich people, because THAT IS SOMETHING THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. Doodle, I'm sure you are a very nice person, and I wouldn't dare to guess your own personal circumstances, but the one place are describing sounds exactly like the self-perpetuating bullshit of people patting themselves on the back, telling themselves they are the 'good ones' all while, consciously or not, working to maintain the same harmful status quo. My rant and small lunch are now over. Sorry bout the mood. Keep up the great work evryone.

The fact that this is supposed to be a comforting take on how hard it is to pick candidates definitely does not sit well w/ me. 'Only 30 worth considering' Like, fuck off, Johnny Hopkins. I know you and Sloane Kettering used to be blazing that shit up everyday, so don't act like your own don't stink

@aheatherThe one thing I will say about ISU is that it seems like they did one of their writing professors Chloe N. Clark the dirty. She got in trouble (and harassed inside and out) for banning hate speech in her class and papers, so... ya know. Prolly worth researching on your own. As far as Vegas goes, I have some friends who grew up there and it's a pretty family oriented place outside the strip--great public school funding. Also, like, so many good places to eat. And as someone pointed out, because LV gets so many tourists, it is easy as pie to travel from. Don't know much about the actual writing programs, but thought I'd throw my couple cents out for ya

I love Lorde.

Frankly, I think I'm underselling this still. If you feel ANY pressure about app fees while applying to under ten places, please look into fee waivers. Not everyone will grant em (Syracuse! *shakes fist*), but I think a good portion will. Remember, it's not like you're costing them anything, and asking won't hurt. There are people whose literal job is to help on this sort of front.

Marshall, marshall, marshall... a rogue by any other name. On the off chance you aren't, and to direct others who might have similar worries: feel free to search earlier discussions in this thread regarding 'rankings'. I believe @mrvisser had a pretty good response about it all. And while I know I sucked at looking into fee waivers initially, I realized I should just do it this time, and over half of my app fees got waived. Worth acknowledging that if you're having to work extra (like I did first time around) to get enough $$ for app fees, it also probably means that you are eligible for waivers. FAFSA is a good first start; researching and emailing next. Here's big ten's free app sign-up, which would give you access to like 14 great schools: https://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/freeapp/eligibility

I've been mulling your friend's viewpoint and while we need to take care of ourselves, I think we also have to consider our impact on our larger community as well. While the OSU debacle certainly will instill some nervousness (and is clearly a huge fuck-up on their part), I think the difference is that those are technically considered informal offers w/out the contract. Once the contract is out--typically later and by email--any school part of the CSG (basically all of them) must abide by it until the April 15th deadline. So, if you are waiting on another school, by all means, hold on to your other choice(s), but I think if any of us are fortunate enough to be accepted into multiple programs, we should respect them and do our peers a solid by helping them get their own show on the road as soon as we know that school's not going to be the one. All in this together.

Because of the myriad things going on, I'm still expecting most stuff to be delayed till mid-march, but we're getting closer! Almost to that popcorn point--we've heard some pips and pops--and soon enough everything's gonna start cracking. We got this.

What's up w/ the possible Egan (or her fandom?) hating going on? I'm not hep to the bubblings of fancy lit people. Is it cuz people feel like Goon Squad was too much like stunting ? Too overtly MFA-y, like Orange's There There? Intrigued Personally, I think the main gripe/quality about MFA Guy types is that they're dismissive of other genres and works, so I think we all would take care not to fall into that trap while calling them out for it.

I see peeps are getting their acceptances and waitlists, but where are all our rejections? Like, cmon, WUSTL, help a kid out. Gimme that sweet, sweet taste of dismissal!

Welcome, Hawker. I don't know how much help this will be, but I've been working since December on trying to reorient the way I thought about this period of time: namely moving from planning to preparing. It sounds a bit militaristic, but honestly, preparing could be anything that works for you. How would you go about this time if you knew you were in? Maybe it would mean catching up on all the sleep you need, or buying and reading a few MFA-y books like Strunk & White or Saunders's Swim--or just getting back into the rhythm of reading or writing most mornings or evenings. Whatever your goals are. Be kind to yourself, be optimistic and start small. Think that's the best way I, personally, can think about this interminable winter. Spring'll come; be ready for fall.

While I know this won't rival Draft's pizza superstition, mine actually came by phone call... on the day my phone was dead and I had no charger. So the director left a voicemail, but then also emailed me later that afternoon, like, 'Yo, we should chat. Also, most people respond back to these pretty quickly, do I have your right number?' After that I was still in the dark until the phone tag finally hit and she told me over the phone, while I blabbered and said nothing productive. Writers, amiright?

*Throws glass across the room* HUZZAH!

Western Michigan University! I was thoroughly surprised by how quick their response was as I'm pretty sure their deadline was open until mid-Jan. Also, you'll have to be disappointed in a form of continued anonymity that I was not the WMU acceptance in the Draft group. This announcement is here and here alone; I'm rather more fond of yall

Well friends, I did not get the Welches ready quick enough. But in the back of my fridge there has been a single beer, leftover from a six pack given to me four years ago, on the day I quit my good job in insurance with not much more of a plan other than to focus on my life and writing. So upon receiving a FULLY-FUNDED OFFER last night I cracked that bish open and drained the final vestige of that life I once knew. And it was very, very good.

Following another lit mag form rejection letter, I'm thinking that I'm gonna take a version of @JPReinhold's advice and stock up on a bunch of sparkling Welches, except for my rejections. Because even tho it will suck, at least I'll have clarification and can get fancy juice drunk. Small victories!

My personal 'pay-attention-for-results' time is March 15th, so in my head I'm planning not to expect anything till then. Does this work when I get a spam caller from Louisiana mid-day? No, it does not. But for the most part, it really does help me hold back on the anxiety/anticipation quite a bit. The Ides of March, yall: let's HODL ourselves together until all the knives come crashing down then... (This is an optimistic post? I swear I was going to make this optimistic...)