congrats! the funding here is livable (avg. rent is 600 for a 1bd, 1.5k stipend a month) - the res program is very close knit, especially considering we all live in the oxford area. i would call it supportive, engaging, and innovative - we have workshop groups outside of the classroom, and everyone is very conscious of the work each of us are doing. i started in the program pre-pandemic, and it was very communal, but even now, we make time for Zoom meetings and try to keep the same kind of cohort, even digitally. positives: incredibly supportive, cool space if you like being in a rural environment, and very small cohorts. love the friends and colleagues i've made here. i have a faculty member who is really aligned with my interests, so i feel well equipped for my thesis. negatives: very small, not diverse town. faculty is very much aligned with their own work, so not a lot of room to deviate from their interests. (lots of experimental & abstract poetics) - one semester teaching 2 courses, which was stressful. very scarce course list, mostly tailored towards rhet/comp students. overall, i am very happy with my time here considering the circumstances.
I was accepted to 7 out of 8 MFA programs I applied to, and I ended up going here. it was mostly for cohort and faculty as opposed to the structure of the program. i also grew up in ohio, so the environment was something i am used to. i felt well-equipped for teaching, albeit the stress of balancing your own work with the courses you're instructing. this is a lot to say i am happy with my experience, i only wish the circumstances were different!