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mrvisser

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Everything posted by mrvisser

  1. mrvisser
    Don't need to worry about housing when I'm living in your head, rent-free.
  2. mrvisser
    Four down, six to go.
  3. mrvisser
    Thanks! Feels nice to get it rolling. I don't know if my recommenders have their letters all done, but they said they were ready for me to start applying at least. Yeah, most schools take recommenders pretty late. I think Minnesota is an exception, and wants letters by end of December or earlier.
  4. mrvisser
    First two apps have been sent off, to UMass Amherst and Minnesota. Yeet.
  5. mrvisser
    You have in the past vented about your years of straight rejections, so they're probably going off that. FYI, you've actually said several things I agree with, and I have certainly done my share of laughing at some of the things said here or on Draft. The problem is more that you don't seem at all interested in good-faith discussion, and so there's no reason to engage with someone who's being a dick for no reason. There's a time and place for being a dick, but it (usually) ain't here. You've implied that because we want a positive atmosphere here that means we're all optimistic and think everyone deserves to go to an MFA, but that isn't true on my end, at least. I've never read the writing of anyone on here, so they could all suck for all I know. But without knowing that, I don't mind lending moral support from afar. Anyways, deaf ears and all that.
  6. mrvisser
    1. Not really sure, to be honest, other than Brown and Michigan probably being #1 and #2, respectively. 2. Yes. 3. I pretty much chose based on location and funding, not on rankings. I'll go to an urban community college if they'll pay me to write for a couple of years and give me an accredited MFA afterward. 4. I don't think I will. I guess you never know, but I think I'd be over it next year. I almost didn't apply this year. 5. Nah. I certainly don't care about the opinions of Drafters, and I don't personally know anyone in one of those programs.
  7. mrvisser
    Ah, okay. My list is: Brown, Michigan, Texas, UMass Amherst, Minnesota, Wisconsin, WashU, Vanderbilt, Colorado State, and University of Washington (my alma mater). Getting rejections across the board is sadly a possibility (as I already knew, but found out this year), but hard to know how you'll stack up until you try! My lease here in Seattle is up in March, so it's going to be annoying timing with applications because I probably know if I should re-up my lease or prepare to move across the country.
  8. mrvisser
    I feel quite a bit better. My SOP last year was shit, to be honest. This time I was able to better articulate what I want for my career, niche influences, and common themes across my writing. I don't know that what I like to write about has change much in terms of topics, but it's become less story-driven and more psychological. I'm applying to 10 programs, which are in my signature below. My list was slightly different last year, but with a little more research I decided upon these 10. I'd prefer to stick around metropolitan areas, which is partly why I settled on this list. What's your list looking like?
  9. mrvisser
    It's still very early, so I wouldn't worry about where the sample is at this stage. Last year I submitted apps earlier than almost everyone and I didn't have my sample ready by this point. This time around I just happened to have spent the spring and summer working on a piece I'm excited about. Applying to poetry doesn't seem like a bad idea. It's not like you'll be pigeon-holed into only writing poetry for life. Poetry is less competitive for apps at least! If you can get your poetry to be really beautiful and keep those narrative elements working, you'll be a strong novelist.
  10. mrvisser
    I haven't touched my sample, honestly. I finished it a few months ago, got good feedback, and decided not to overthink things by obsessing over it. Besides feeling like your poetry sample is stronger, do you have a preference between fiction and poetry? Or do you just want to write both equally?
  11. mrvisser
    They're high at Columbia because the school costs a fortune and offers little to no funding. They have more spots open and fewer people applying to those spots. Columbia makes little sense unless you're a trust-fund kid.
  12. mrvisser
    Thank you. Ain't no thing. I probably won't try again after this year. If it doesn't work out I'll just keep working and living and give the traditional writing route a try. Sorry that UNH isn't working out, and I hope a more preferable pops up this year.
  13. mrvisser
    Good to have you back. I have not changed on my top-10 stance (well, it's more like top-20). I have a good life here in Seattle, and it isn't worth leaving unless I have good funding and can live in a place I enjoy.
  14. mrvisser
    Aight. I think I've actually narrowed down my list this time, to 10 schools. Already starting on applications. Feel like my writing sample is all done, but still finishing up SOP and getting my recommenders in line. Let's fucking go.
  15. mrvisser
    I think you've got a great list there. There are different takes on this, but I personally do't go for less competitive schools. I can't afford to take out loans, and pretty much all of the well-funded schools are going to be very competitive. You'll see people tout lesser-known programs, and some of those programs look really cool, but the funding is just too low to make it worth it. My personal opinion is to stick with the competitive schools and add as many as you can afford to apply to. As far as how competitive you'll be, you've got all the on-paper tangibles down, so it's really just going to come down to that writing sample, as everyone says. Just need the right ADCOM members to see something in you that they want.
  16. mrvisser
    For sure, that makes sense. I finished a short story a month or so ago, after several months of extensive editing, and I feel really good about it, so I don't know that I'll complete anything better between now and application time.
  17. mrvisser
    I think I'm just gonna get it done early this year. I'd like to be done by mid-October so I can just cruise from there.
  18. mrvisser
    It's almost open season on applications. Where's everyone at? How we feeling? Come on, let's get some anxiety rolling in this thread! Marshall, where you at?
  19. mrvisser
    I also had been considering Hollins, but laughed out loud at the stipend. It's nice to offer some funding, but for that you'll have to take out loans, which I am totally unwilling to do for an MFA.
  20. mrvisser
    After getting rejected this year I was finally able to put MFAs out of my mind. I didn't feel at all motivated for this next application cycle, even though I explicitly had the intentions of applying again. Well, now I'm finally sucked back into thinking about it every day.
  21. mrvisser
    Hey, thanks for starting a new thread, Kate! Oof, here we go again...
  22. mrvisser
    Been absent as of late because I felt my turn was over, but now that I've finally gotten my Iowa rejection in the mail, I can officially say that it's rejections across the board this year. On to the next!
  23. mrvisser
    Hello! Don't worry, I still monitor occasionally and from afar.
  24. mrvisser
    They emailed all the acceptances and waitlists. I haven't gotten a rejection yet, but they said they reached out to everybody that's in.
  25. mrvisser
    I've been called the Shakespeare of my generation, so this is correct.
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