broccolini

Hey y'all! Remember me from last year! It's Broccolini! I'm here to tell a tale about why you should never give up. Sooo, last year I had interviews with NYU and Northwestern and was then placed on the waitlist for both schools. Eventually, I was released from the waitlist. I was a semifinalist at Hunter and was rejected from both Brooklyn and Brown. I was totally devastated after not getting in anywhere. I had gotten it in my head that my life couldn't start until I got into grad school (which is just some capitalistic bullshit). Plus, how the hell was I going to go through this grueling application process again? How was I going to write another whole ass play? HOW? But I kept pushing through. I see many others have as well. HELL YES. I got a job at a grocery store and wrote a play about that very grocery store and applied again. This year, I switched things up a little. Like some of you, I decided to focus on the schools that had shown some interest in me. I narrowed my list to NYU, Northwestern, and Hunter. I added one new school: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I had visited some friends in the city over the summer and found out about SAIC's MFA in Writing program. I realized I could pursue both playwriting and my other passion, which is comics. I thought why not give it a go! After all the rejection and heartbreak my first round, I can now finally see the silver lining. I'm in at SAIC! It's the perfect program for me and I never would have discovered that if I had gotten in last year. And boy oh boy am I glad I decided to throw SAIC into the mix because...CRICKETS FROM EVERY OTHER SCHOOL. I now know more than ever how much of a crap shoot this whole process really is. I felt my interviews went so well last year. Though I was proud of my first application, it was nothing compared to the work I put into this round. My new play is leaps and bounds better than the one I submitted last year. I slayed that personal statement! I was sure I'd get interviews to NYU and Northwestern again. I thought maybe I'd move up in the ranks with Hunter. But NOPE. No interviews. Nothing. Why do I tell you all this? To show that there are many avenues to pursue playwriting. I was convinced it was MFA IN PLAYWRITING OR THE HIGHWAY. I wanted in at the tip top school. I wanted to be that NYU bad bitch. I thought it was the only possible way to be a playwright. But then I actually found a program that better suited my interests and will allow me to pursue both of my passions. I feel your discouragement. IT SUCKS SO FUCKING BAD TO FEEL SO REJECTED. But please know, just because you didn't get an interview or didn't get in somewhere doesn't mean you aren't talented as hell. It just might mean you haven't found the place for you yet. Keep searching and keep dreaming. Life has a funny way of working itself out.

the NYU email today...interesting ?

@natalinal just emailed...I will keep you updated with the response! hopefully we'll get some more info

I’m kind of tempted to email NU just to ask about their typical waitlist timeline or see if there’s been any movement this year...what do y’all think?

Oh my gosh....that is very very hopeful how funny would it be if we end up being classmates and we can say we met on grad cafe ? maybe 4/20 will bring us some good luck ??

@natalinalnothing! Okay so last year someone got off the waitlist on April 17th so I’ve been obsessively checking my email...I had a feeling it could be this week but I guess there’s no way of knowing. Them saying there’s only a handful of applicants on the waitlist has definitely gotten my hopes up but I’m not sure what to think at this point!! Ahhh

smash that ~~heart~~ if these waitlists are driving you insane ?

@Mel Rose thank you sooo much for this info!! It’s so helpful knowing this. and I totally feel you about how it’s hard to move on just yet...applying to grad school was HARD and it would be so so ideal if we didn’t have to do it again OH BOY. I guess since mid-April is the most common shuffling time, I’ll wait until then to start thinking about my 2022 application....fingers crossed we won’t have to ?

Anyone have any knowledge on general waitlist info for NYU and northwestern? I know NYU said movement on the waitlist typically happens between mid April-mid May but uuuugh I’m just so antsy...like how many students typically get in off the waitlist for these schools? And typically when? I know things change year to year but I would love some stats so I don’t feel totally in the dark ya know ?

@quarantini33 https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=playwriting

hey, I completely empathize with this. I came out of my interviews feeling on top of the world. I literally said to my family, "that went so well, there's no way I won't get in!" and then...well...UGH. It's so easy to feel like shit after not getting the news you were hoping for, or to feel like your interviewers were playing you (trust me, I FEEL THIS). But I think if your interviewer expressed interest in you, it's 10000% genuine. They have absolutely no reason to lie. But yeah, like @jeepersjinkiessaid, there are so many factors that go into this. I felt such a wonderful bond with my NYU interviewer, I like to think she fought for me in the decision room. I bet DHH fought for you as well ❤️ Full disclosure, I went into a deep despair when I didn't get in. I stayed in bed for two straight days and told myself I was a complete loser (hahahaha honestly DON'T DO THIS). It's crazy because, I would never say that to anyone, especially not to you wonderful people who I only know through internet screen names...so why am I beating myself up so bad? We have done something so beautiful and incredible. Sharing writing that we believe in to a group of strangers, leaving ourselves open for rejection and vulnerability, I just think that is so brave of all of us. And I deeply admire this group's efforts and perseverance. I think that the people who make it as artists in this world are the people that never give up. ❤️ (trust me, I still feel sad! And I, myself, am trying to believe in my own words. It's hard and I be strugglin')

@PlayWitch HUGE congratulations to you...must feel incredible to finally have the hard work pay off ❤️❤️

You got this! ❤️ a weird feeling INDEED, but together, a little less weird ❤️

You and I really are on the exact same page, so at least there’s comfort in that. Envisioning my life has been such a huge part of this process, feeling like if I got in somewhere I could finally break free from this living at home monotony (which I’m sure many of us can relate to given the pandemic). I was so hoping for some good news after a total shit year. Glad you found this forum, it’s helped me so much to not be in the dark. It’s been a welcome and needed community