eternalwhitenights

In at Standford!  I only applied there so will be attending next fall. Congrats and good luck to everyone. 

By the way, has anyone heard from Notre Dame Fiction?

Well, I just got the rejection from Virginia, too. BUT at the same time I got a phone call from University of Mississippi letting me know that I was officially in (after I had been waitlisted a week ago)! This is the first fully-funded offer I've received and I'm thrilled. Still waiting on a few schools, but for everyone else on waitlists right now, there is still so much shifting around that will happen as other candidates make decisions and give up their spots.

Got in at University of Alabama (Prose) off the waitlist.
This is my first time applying and I felt I got sooooo many things wrong like applying to only two programs and using a style for my SoP that the program's website said specifically not to use. Not to mention how different my writing sample looks now from when I submitted in November, making me feel like I submitted trash.
I can almost say with certainty that I'm going to Alabama cos even though the second program (University of Florida) haven't notified, I don't see any major attraction that can sway me from going to Alabama.
Another L for the "New Yorker test" btw lol

Hey Guys,

Finally got a moment to break away from everything and say I was accepted to the University of Alaska- Fairbanks MFA creative Writing program! I am waitlisted for funding, but I GOT IN!!!!

I really wanted it. Like really really wanted it. 

1 A- Fairbanks
2 pending
1 R- Uni of Wyoming

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!! Woooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I'm SO happy for you, love!!!!! I hope this is a new beginning for you. ❤️❤️❤️ 
Congratulations!!! That's amazing!!!
WOW! Go you!!!! Congrats, love!!
Woohoo!!!!! That's so exciting! I hope you get funding so you can come! ❤️
 
Oh, I'm so happy for you, friend! I've seen your posts over the months, and I hope this is a boon to your confidence and encourages you to keep writing with all your heart. I'm so happy for you!! ❤️ Congrats!

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!! Woooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I'm SO happy for you, love!!!!! I hope this is a new beginning for you. ❤️❤️❤️ 
Congratulations!!! That's amazing!!!
WOW! Go you!!!! Congrats, love!!
Woohoo!!!!! That's so exciting! I hope you get funding so you can come! ❤️
 
Oh, I'm so happy for you, friend! I've seen your posts over the months, and I hope this is a boon to your confidence and encourages you to keep writing with all your heart. I'm so happy for you!! ❤️ Congrats!

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!! Woooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I'm SO happy for you, love!!!!! I hope this is a new beginning for you. ❤️❤️❤️ 
Congratulations!!! That's amazing!!!
WOW! Go you!!!! Congrats, love!!
Woohoo!!!!! That's so exciting! I hope you get funding so you can come! ❤️
 
Oh, I'm so happy for you, friend! I've seen your posts over the months, and I hope this is a boon to your confidence and encourages you to keep writing with all your heart. I'm so happy for you!! ❤️ Congrats!

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!! Woooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I'm SO happy for you, love!!!!! I hope this is a new beginning for you. ❤️❤️❤️ 
Congratulations!!! That's amazing!!!
WOW! Go you!!!! Congrats, love!!
Woohoo!!!!! That's so exciting! I hope you get funding so you can come! ❤️
 
Oh, I'm so happy for you, friend! I've seen your posts over the months, and I hope this is a boon to your confidence and encourages you to keep writing with all your heart. I'm so happy for you!! ❤️ Congrats!

Long time lurker, decided to come out of the shadows. Has anyone had any further word from Iowa? My wife and I will be living in Iowa City starting in June because she was lucky enough to find a teaching job near there. I’ve seen some postings but they seem suspect. I directly contacted Deb West  at IWW and she stated she hadn’t heard anything from the committees as of last Thursday. 
 
I also applied to Ole Miss and Minnesota State’s MFA program, and was accepted to MSUM. I had to decline because of moving to IA, so if anyone was on the waitlist there for poetry, there’s a spot open! I’m 37 and have a disability (early onset Parkinson’s) so my pick of schools is down to proximity rather than choice. I’m unable to work full time anymore, but I figured, hey, if all I do is sit around and write anyway, why not give it a shot? Especially if I’m 7 miles from Dey House, worth a shot. If not I can still hang out at Prairie Lights and write poetry with a cup of coffee. 
 
Oh, and over time I’ve had a chance to observe the person with multiple personalities and accounts. It takes a lot of effort to be that crazy. 

Just got an acceptance from Chapman for Fiction! 

I don't know if this means what I think it means, but...
At 6:05pm today, I received an email from Audrey Gibson, the Office Manager of Alaska Fairbanks, congratulating me on being recommended to admission for the MFA Creative Writing Program.  The College of Liberal Arts, the Graduate School, and the Office of Admissions will submit final review and approval shortly.
The document is titled "Accepted MFA Applicants w Waitlisted TAShip.docx" so I harbor some hope that this is a formality and that I have indeed been selected to join the program.  Hopefully I join the TAShips as well, since I'll need the money.  No word on funding or anything of the sort, but figured I'd share in case anyone has ever received an email like this and can illuminate.
I will contact the Director of Creative Writing shortly as well.
For what it's worth, this was the first of the schools I chose and applied to, and the one I held the most desire to join.  If I am selected, then I will have manifested my destiny in a way I haven't witnessed since my parents won the lottery to come to this country so I could have a better life.
Wish me just a tad more fortune, y'all!  And here's to an answer to all this uncertainty for all of us, no matter what!
 
Thank you for reading my TEDTalk!

I got this too! It seemed kind of spammy, so I was worried about opening it initially, but we have definitely been admitted!! A little bummed about being waitlisted for funding because I'm intl and not going to be able to consider the program if I'm not offered funding, but crazy cool to have an acceptance from UAF. Perhaps we will be in the same cohort come September.

CONGRATS!!! you've worked so hard, amazing to see it come to fruition!

GUYS I GOT INTO IOWA OMFG

just got waitlisted at michener by email! apparently, 900 people applied this application cycle ? i'm feeling very excited/flattered!!!!!!

Oh holy crap. I decided to check my portals following @panglosian's lead and an acceptance from American University for fiction was there waiting for me! I was literally shaking as I clicked "download" on the decision letter, but I kind of knew what was coming because there was a button that said "accept/decline" next to it : P 

Cross posted to Draft but I JUST GOT INTO GEORGE MASON???? FOR POETRY???? WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL???
I'M SO HAPPY I just checked the portal and the decision was there I haven't heard about notifs or anything!!!

Hi everyone! I applied for the first time last year, didn't get in to the one program I applied for (Notre Dame) (thank God--I definitely wasn't ready ?), and I just hit "submit" earlier today on my application to Notre Dame again, round 2 (still the only one I'm applying to)! I feel a lot better about my application this time around, and I just feel much more grounded personally going into this application round than I did last year. Excited to see what's around the riverbend for me (and y'all!).

Just wanted to wish everyone luck, you all will be in my prayers, and great to see familiar faces around again! (@panglosian @mrvisser @Ydrl off the top of my head!)  Hope everyone's doing well/staying mentally sane, and good luck!

Hi everyone! I applied for the first time last year, didn't get in to the one program I applied for (Notre Dame) (thank God--I definitely wasn't ready ?), and I just hit "submit" earlier today on my application to Notre Dame again, round 2 (still the only one I'm applying to)! I feel a lot better about my application this time around, and I just feel much more grounded personally going into this application round than I did last year. Excited to see what's around the riverbend for me (and y'all!).

Just wanted to wish everyone luck, you all will be in my prayers, and great to see familiar faces around again! (@panglosian @mrvisser @Ydrl off the top of my head!)  Hope everyone's doing well/staying mentally sane, and good luck!

Hi everyone! I applied for the first time last year, didn't get in to the one program I applied for (Notre Dame) (thank God--I definitely wasn't ready ?), and I just hit "submit" earlier today on my application to Notre Dame again, round 2 (still the only one I'm applying to)! I feel a lot better about my application this time around, and I just feel much more grounded personally going into this application round than I did last year. Excited to see what's around the riverbend for me (and y'all!).

Just wanted to wish everyone luck, you all will be in my prayers, and great to see familiar faces around again! (@panglosian @mrvisser @Ydrl off the top of my head!)  Hope everyone's doing well/staying mentally sane, and good luck!

@eternalwhitenightsHey, welcome back! Good to see you! Hope that the app goes well

Hi Everyone!
It's so good to see some returning faces, and good luck to everyone in their pursuits this year. I think it would be wise, as someone who did this all before, to offer some things that I didn't realize when I was first applying, and questions I wish I had asked myself before pulling the trigger on some of my applications in 2021. I'm hoping this information can help some people here who are going in on their first round (you are incredibly brave and valued) feel a little better about the situation.
(To preface, I applied last year in fiction and received one partially funded offer. I decided to defer and reapply in poetry, my true love, so a lot of this is from both perspectives.)
1. Realistically, a lot of people get passed up on their first round, and it will not be the end of the world. I cried for two weeks after my last rejection despite my single offer, because it felt like the world was ending. It won't, I absolutely promise! 
2. A lot of people applying in fiction will be seeing an influx of poets celebrating their wins and feel sad. The fact is (and I didn't realize this at all) is that fiction gets double or even closer to triple the applications that poetry does, and far, far more than CNF. Keep reminding yourself that you are applying in different pools, and do not compare based on that. You have just a good a chance as anyone!
3. Speaking of which, this year we are still coming off what I call the "pandemic surge" - an influx of people deciding, during a time of incredible economic collapse, that "Hey! Free money to write and a degree sounds awesome!" It won't be easier than last year because we're 365 days removed. You'll still be fighting for your life out there.
4. If you don't know what you want the MFA for, or why you are choosing the schools you are, I would reconsider your decision before you start sending things out. Last year I wanted to just be in the most prestigious program, and to get qualified to be a professor. That, my friends, is not nearly enough. They will know.
5. Do not undervalue your writing. If you get partial funding and the school offers deferrals for funding reconsideration, do it. If you need to reapply like I did despite an offer, do it. Do NOT settle because you don't think you can stand to go another round.
6. Don't be afraid to email programs throughout this process. Don't go crazy, because they are doing their best, but adcoms aren't known for their expeditious responses. Some schools will even wait for you to get your rejection in the mail. Just tell them to tell you shit straight and eventually they will.
7. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. I didn't and it sent me into a spiral. Now I am employed, have time for writing, and have developed a great support system. Grad school shouldn't be the be all end all.
8. In the same vein, find things to do while you wait. Don't linger too long here or in Draft, you'll just make yourself nuts. Let go and let be. Learn pottery. Knit. Secure that holiday bonus.
9. Consider this a learning opportunity. Do whatever you can, because you will be smarter for it, even if you don't go a second round. As writers, we're waiting long periods of time to be judged as a crux of our career. Learn to navigate it now.
And finally:
10. YOUR WRITING IS GOOD. IT HAS VALUE. ALWAYS.
I hope this helps someone who is feeling nervous and needs a (realistic and encouraging) pep talk! 

I GOT ACCEPTED INTO COLUMBIA WITH A SCHOLARSHIP!!! they just called ? 

That's very kind of you.  For me, at least at this point in my life, it was the right decision to leave, and I definitely don't consider it a net negative at all! It was really eye-opening, and actually really fun, to be swept up in the decision-making flurry of activity, and see people post and freak out and have people understand solidarity-wise about what an emotional rollercoaster this whole process can be. I also learned a lot, and gathered some tips for next year's application, so that in and of itself is a net positive, and I'm glad I was a part of the group, even if simply for that reason alone.
I can only hope that any encouragement or excitement I expressed helped others in some way. That's all I ever wanted to do, and, I'm sure it's a bit cheesy, but I honestly just get so much genuine joy at seeing others succeed. I love encouraging others, and, kind of like you said, you never know when a smile or a kind word could just turn someone's day around, and I think that's a pretty awesome thing to be able to do for others. To me, seeing others succeed was the best part of being in the group, and the silly memes and coping comments people posted, and just reading about people's successes and stories about how they got to where they are today, were what brought me such joy while I was in it. Those were lovely moments, and I'm glad I experienced them.
Also, at the end of the day, I realize that I have no way of knowing all the intricacies of someone's life story, and what experiences they've had up to that point that cause them to react to words or pictures or statements--or whatever--in the way that they do. Their feelings--as mine are--are valid, and I would like to honor them, and my own, as such.
Also, as a white woman, I always try to keep in mind that I do not experience lived, racial, intergenerational trauma daily, so how can I judge or draw snap conclusions about someone's reaction who does experience that everyday, without taking that vital factor into context, and conclude immediately that I didn't cause harm? I try to make damn well sure that I evaluate whatever the conversation or moment happened to be that catalyzed said hypothetical reaction from a person of color, and take time to educate myself and think about the reasons said person could possibly have been hurt by my words, phrasing, etc., because their experiences and hearts matter to me, and I'd like to understand as much as I can. A key part of my privilege is recognizing that I have not experienced so many of the things BIPOC individuals have, so one of the best things I can do is just simply listen to their experiences, believe them, and take the time to place myself in their shoes to imagine what experiencing that all the time must feel like, and then retake a look at the exchange through that lens, so I can just be a better overall human, and hopefully an ally, and even friend.
Also, one of the biggest things I've learned this year in all of the reading, listening, educating, etc. I've immersed myself in, is that BIPOC individuals are so rarely (if ever) given space to just be freaking human in white-oriented or dominated spaces, and I have zero interest in being the white lady that takes over their moment of expressing emotion, or that causes them to not feel safe, when they do express their hearts and emotions fully in a space where 99% of the time their perspective is tone-policed, silenced, tokenized, lashed out at in defensiveness, undermined, denied, downplayed, or just straight up ignored. I can only imagine that would wear on someone, and perhaps cause them to be silent, if that happened to them constantly, and I don't want to be a cause or trigger or perpetuator of that silence. I know I have and will continue to make mistakes along the way, and that being anti-racist, and just simply valuing others in the fullness of the inherently worthy humanity, is a lifelong process, and will require me to continue to daily unpack the conceptions I have of others, challenge my own prejudices, and just try to love the best I can.
I know I got on a bit of a soapbox there, ha...please know that passion wasn't directed at anything you said ?; in essence, I think why all the stuff of the past few days hurt me the way it did, is precisely because amplifying marginalized voices is so important to me, and it's something I care about to the depths of my being. I just really care about people feeling heard, safe, and loved, you know? I'm also conscious that marginalized communities' voices are silenced so often, undervalued, and swept aside, and I never, ever want to be the person that does that.
Okay, I'll stop rambling now, but thank you very much for your kind words, and congrats on making it through my screed in the first place. ? I truly wish nothing but the best for every single person on there, and I'm still very excited to see what both GradCafe-ers and Drafters accomplish!