Jump to content

koechophe

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    225

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    5

 Content Type 

Everything posted by koechophe

  1. koechophe
    Heya folks. I've been a reader for my college's literary magazine over the summer. The vast, vast majority of pieces I read are from MFA graduates or MFA candidates. Being in that seat where I have to say yes or no to incoming pieces has taught me a lot about what the difference between a "yes" piece is and a "no" piece is (and for reference, there have been dozens of "no" pieces and only like 2 "yes" ones... which I think is a lot like MFA applications lol). Here's some advice if you're still working on your writing sample: -Good, solid prose is an entry requirement. I honestly thought literary magazine submissions would be filled with a lot of really mediocre writers, but they aren't. The writers are, for the most part, fabulous, and have very solid prose. You can tell these people know the craft and know the basics and principals. The writing is clean and polished from a prose standpoint. A lot of people feel like that's not important, but from my experience, it's more like it goes without saying that you already know your stuff. -... but good, solid prose isn't enough to get you noticed. This actually sort of threw me, since I always thought the person with the best prose, mechanically speaking, would be the "winner." But as I'm reading, that's not the case, and in fact, one of my "yes" recommendations wasn't actually quite as solid on prose (it was still good, but it wasn't as amazing as some of the other ones I've seen.) Basically, prose seems to be a "you must be this tall to enter" line, not the end-all be-all for good writing. -Your writing needs to feel like it is contributing to the literary conversation. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what made me say "yes" to the few I've said yes to. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether the piece felt like it had something interesting to say. I read a lot of pieces about popular topics which treated those popular topics... pretty much like everyone else does. They were well-written, and they were genuine, but it felt like a lot of them were saying things the same way everyone else has said them. I doubt everyone says yes for the same reasons, but the reasons I find myself saying yes are based mostly on: Does this feel like a new insight? Does it feel like they're approaching the topic from a new angle/perspective? Does the work appropriately embrace complexity and nuance? Is there enough ambiguity in the piece to allow it to be analyzed, while also having enough specificity to feel intentional? The pieces I read which got a yes just went a hair further than the rejected ones. They were just a bit more unique, enough to make me think after reading them. I hope some of this helps. I also highly recommend looking for opportunities to volunteer for a literary magazine. It's been one of the single best experiences for making me look at my writing in a harsher light. Best of luck!
  2. koechophe
    So basically, you're more likely to get notified today, BUT it might not happen. Schools will only notify you of a waitlist rejection "sometime" after they have filled their entire cohort. Unfortunately, not every school prioritizes this, and it may take a few days (or weeks) from when they filled their cohort. There is also a lot of movement even among people on waitlists, and this movement can take time (where they notify next person, next person says no.) So it happens, sometimes, that people can get waitlist offers after April 15. You'll likely get some closure today, hopefully, since a lot of movement does happen today. Hope that helps! Stay strong, it's almost over ?
  3. koechophe
    Happy deadline day, everyone! Hope some of you who are in waitlist-purgatory get some movement today ?
  4. koechophe
    Huge congrats! It really is awesome to have someone tell you how much they believe in your writing. I hope your time at the program is fantastic!
  5. koechophe
    Hey folks, I've officially accepted my spot at McNeese. As much as I wanted to give ODU time to make an offer if they were going to make one (I was waitlisted a few weeks back), I felt ready, so I committed. Good luck to everyone here who is still waiting, and if you come back next year, don't mind the troll =).
  6. koechophe
    Wow, I've actually never heard of that before. A lot of users on draft talk to people while still on waitlists. I guess Hollins did (does?) have a big waitlist, but still seems a bit harsh lol
  7. koechophe
    This is viewed as totally normal and please feel free to do this. The thing is, schools know that people on waitlists can sometimes have to make some REALLY quick decisions (since a lot of movement happens like the week before the deadline). So they are aware that people want to be ready. You are totally welcome to do this, it is not a breach of etiquette whatsoever. So the term "Fully funded" is a specific category: It means that 100% of students accepted receive a tuition remission (for all the tuition) and a stipend of some sort. That is a particular category of schools. That being said, there are a lot of schools who are "partially funded," meaning they fund some or all of their students with offers that remit some or all of their tuition and possibly include stipends too. Sometimes people end up with better funding at "partially funded" universities than fully funded ones. The categorization is a little bit asinine because "fully funded" schools can charge huge amounts in fees and have super expensive costs of living, making them less economic than partially funded ones. I would still be careful with schools that say there are "opportunities" for work that will help you pay for it without being specific. A lot of schools require you to work for them for XXX amount of time (usually a year) before they start remitting tuition (if we're not talking specific, department promises). Also, a lot of times these spots are competative, so it'd suck to end up at a school, think you're going to get funding, and then not. Usually best to make sure you've got a solid, specific funding offer before acting. That's why people find fully funded ones appealing--it's already baked into their acceptance. But "partially funded" places can be a much better option than people give them credit for.
  8. koechophe
    It really does suck. But I will say, the second time was easier for me than the first. The second time, I sort of knew what I was getting into and felt better about my apps, and I also was more ready to accept not getting in. You might take a year off in between (I probably would've been wise to tbh, but no regrets here), but even if you don't, I highly recommend finding some good people to workshop with and just focusing on your writing while you wait. It really helped make my second round a lot easier. I've seen a lot more people get in on a second/third/fourth round than a first one tbh.
  9. koechophe
    Really, genuinely happy for you! Boy, did they make you wait for it lol, but I've really been hoping you'd get a good result. I wish you all the best in your program ? So pleasantly surprised at how many of us on the forum got into programs this year. It's been great to see.
  10. koechophe
    Wow, congrats! Sounds like you've had a stellar season!
  11. koechophe
    Huge congrats! I'm really glad you got some good news after a long, stressful season.
  12. koechophe
    Iowa sends their rejections in the mail, so if you haven't heard back, there's all sorts of things that could've gone wrong there. I would really recommend just emailing the staff for your status. People on Draft have done that and gotten rejections that way. If you were waitlisted, you'd likely know by now via email, unfortunately.
  13. koechophe
    Someone posted on Draft that they're turning down their spot at Hollins (Poetry), so hopefully someone movement on the waitlist today.
  14. koechophe
    He's referring to a specific user on a specific Facebook page called MFA Draft. She's a frequent on that site and she holds the claim that the prestige of your MFA does affect your chances of getting published and into fellowships, all other things being equal. My research into the people who get into fellowships and who get published suggests otherwise. On a per-capita basis for things after graduation, a lot of these schools are very, very level, even schools that aren't "big names" like University of Houston or Boise State University. My conclusion from that is that it has less to do with "which" fully-funded one you go to. Also, the take that some small programs are as hard to get into as Iowa is, on a numerical basis, pretty easily provable. Iowa usually offers around 25 slots for poetry and 25 for fiction. University of Florida, this year, offered 2 for each. Does Iowa get 12X the number of applicants as Florida? Not even remotely. Florida got hundreds this year, whereas Iowa statistics suggest around 1k each year. Sure, you can make the argument that Iowa got higher-quality applicants, but considering it's more well-known, that is actually doubtful. Well-known things tend to get more applicants, period. That was my main point. If a program only accepts an extremely small cohort, it can be just as hard to get into as a well-known one that accepts a comparatively larger cohort. Not to say that getting into Iowa isn't a HUGE accomplishment, it really is. I recommend that anyone applying for an MFA apply to both types of cohorts. Getting in is extremely random. Some forum/draft users get accepted into the "top tier" schools while also being rejected from the other ones. It really does depend on what the program wants.
  15. koechophe
    That's kind of a tricky question, since for a LOT of things you'd do with an MFA, "prestige" isn't that important. If you're looking to be a teacher of some sort, prestige sort of matters, but only in the question of "did you do your MFA somewhere funded with teaching experience?" Any fully funded one will likely do about the same, some a hair more than others, but there's not that much difference, if any. To be frank, the more "prestigious" programs are often not any harder to get into than the little ones that only accept 3-5 writers a year. Since (to my knowledge) both are fully funded, you're going to be checking the "prestige" box with either just fine for teaching. If you're looking to get things published, prestige matters even less. The fact that you have an MFA doesn't even matter that much there tbh, the MFA is just there to make you a better writer and the theory is better writing (as well as contacts, those definitely don't hurt) will help you get published. If you're looking to do something else with your MFA... I'm not sure what else you'd do with one tbh. Maybe some sort of professional gig? In that case, prestige "might" matter, but I doubt there'd be a difference between the two you listed. I think in most cases, prestige is one of the least important factors when picking a school. It's better to research costs/funding, teaching loads, how much you like the area, how the faculty are, how big/small the incoming cohort is, how well you jive with the current cohort, and any other factor that determines how good of an experience it will be.
  16. koechophe
    Yikes. I could get 0 funding from some of the programs I applied to and walk away with much, much less in loans regardless. It's not even like they're somewhere cheap to live, NYC is dang expensive. I hope that people who applied accept the validation and good feelings that come from getting an acceptance... without actually accepting the offer. I hope everyone here knows, you deserve to be treated better than a program who makes you get thousands of dollars in debt to hone your craft.
  17. koechophe
    Heya, I can't tell you if it's a good idea or not. I also don't think you'd be "stupid" for taking an offer you're excited about. That being said, here's a few things you might want to consider. I've met a lot of writers on the forum and on Draft who took multiple cycles to make it into the programs they wanted to be in. I actually think making it in on the first round is more of an exception than the rule, tbh, especially if applying was a last minute decision. If you take time to really workshop your pieces, push your writing out, and grow as both a person and a writer, it is likely that next year, you will end up with better offers than the one you got this year. There's no guarantees here, which sucks, but I can't think of any stories I've heard where someone does worse the second year than they did the first. There are some where the second year isn't any better, but the majority I've seen who post here/draft do better over time. I've also seen a number of writers who end up "settling" for a program with less than ideal funding. The loans aren't great, especially since life happens, expenses we don't expect rear their ugly heads, and people often end up in more debt than they planned for. I was raised by a single mom (who actually got a "get a job" degree, I might add) and she still hasn't been able to pay off her ~18k in loans after more than 30 years, and that amount is now much, much higher. But the bigger issue (in my opinion, some people would say the money issue is bigger) is the kind of experiences you might get. When people settle for a program that has less funding, they often end up finding the quality isn't what they'd hoped for. Yes, you might love the teachers, but from what I've heard and experienced, the quality of your cohort tends to matter even more than the quality of your professors. If your cohort isn't up to giving you quality advice, you might end up not growing as much or being as satisfied with your program. Most people on here, myself included, would advise trying again when you're more prepared, but for all I know, you'll go into the program, love it, and it will be worth it. Either way, here's hoping everything works out for you!
  18. koechophe
    Lest anyone who isn't on Draft actually consider believing him, the whole "diversity" subject, particularly on waitlists, has a number of topics about it. There's a pretty recent discussion about this here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018484244926541/posts/5036084133166512/?__cft__[0]=AZXF5z8LHW771fkTcF3KHNSMZfmjvU9fc1ESetlP932xs7VsqpDYlR9KMXhylDt7k47gEl3jH95AKUiZxYfvlVylVTuQJ1HXEkYxxMLuSQT7iAL1BzEM46VnetAbBgsKNpc&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R Some notable quotes (And these in response to the question, "how are decisions made on unranked waitlists?") "Typically, this is about maintaining a balanced cohort. The parameters may differ for MFAs, but for a fellowship I participated in, they would consider any of these factors: race, age, geographic location, language proficiency (for MFAs, may be genre instead), socio-economic background, sexual orientation, disability, etc. Depending on what they accepted in the application, it could be any of these factors or beyond: professional experience, publications, fit/contrast to campus culture, etc." "I was waitlisted at Syracuse and asked them about that. Basically it has to do with creating a ‘balanced’ cohort. They didn’t say this, but the impression I got was they were going for some degree of diversity, so if a person of color dropped, they planned to replace them with another POC instead of going down a list." "That is my understanding as well, even with initial offers. I did my BA at UMich and had classes with most of the MFA professors at the time. More than one prof shared this with me."
  19. koechophe
    Sorry I came off that way. I in no way was trying to imply people get into these programs without talent. No matter what your ethnic/sexual/social identity is, you have to be a DANG good writer to get in, or even get waitlisted. My main understanding is that there is such a razor-thin separation between people on waitlists in general that anyone who gets in will get in because they're talented, first and foremost. So many people (including the article I posted) talk about how it's splitting hairs to try and pick people. I absolutely believe anyone who makes it on the waitlist has 100% earned their spot. I can believe this, because I've heard of it being a thing in a lot of other fields, but since I have't really heard of it happening specifically (I haven't seen people talking about their experiences with this), I had sort of passively hoped it wasn't an issue in MFAs. Sucks that people can be that way. Thanks for calling that out, it was never my intention to imply that people got in "just" because of places looking for a diverse cohort. Everything I've seen from people who actually get into these programs suggest they are fabulous writers who 100% deserve their seats.
  20. koechophe
    It's something that a lot of people on Draft who have sat on admissions comittees or talked to professors about it have said. You can also find adcoms talk about it in their articles. Here's an example: "Understand that I would, all other things being equal, hope to balance gender, race, class, age, interests, styles, and whatever else might be considered to create a dynamic, rigorous, hardworking, and supportive workshop. You can’t know if my most experimental writer is graduating out, and I hesitate to add another dirty realist to the mix." (Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/education-oronte-churm/guy-who-may-have-read-your-mfa-application-speaks) I've read other articles that say similar things. Like I said before, there are definitely programs that rank their waitlists, but if you look at people who post waitlists, you'll see a lot of them say the waitlists are "Unranked." In a very much, "this isn't 100% how everyone does it," a pretty common sentiment is that they will often pick a candidate who will best uphold the diversity of the program, depending on who says no to their acceptance offer.
  21. koechophe
    This is true for some programs, but a lot of programs don't actually rank their waitlists. From what I've read, a lot of programs really try to build a diverse group of writers (not just ethnicity/sexuality diverse, but diverse as far as writing types, personalities, ages, etc). To that end, a lot of them don't actually rank their waitlist. If someone drops from consideration, they pick someone on the waitlist who will preserve the diversity they were looking for in the incoming class. Not sure if that is encouraging or not, but from what I've read, that's how a lot of programs do it.
  22. koechophe
    Some people on Draft posted about getting a rejection email from them somewhat recently. A few others posted about their graduate portal status updating (so it might be good the check your portal for some closure) but I think most just talked about their rejection letters. It's unfortunately safe to assume that if you haven't heard by now, it's a rejection letter coming in snail mail.
  23. koechophe
    I unfortunately don't know much about programs in NYC, actually because I wasn't keen on living in a big city, and my wife was VERY not keen on living in NYC specifically, so I never considered it. I will say this, though. I've seen a lot of people do better in their second year than their first, and I've also seen a lot of people end up really disappointed because they "settled" for a program. Yes, getting into loans for an MFA is dicey. But something else to consider is how hard it is to get into the program. Fully-funded MFAs are harder to get into, BUT, this means that you're likely going to have a better experience with your cohort. They will likely be really solid writers because of the steep admission requirements, and your professors are also more likely to be serious too. A lot of where I'm coming from is I saw a few people on draft/this forum that ended up "settling" for a school with less than ideal funding, and as far as I could tell, their biggest gripe was that the workshops weren't what they wanted in terms of quality. If it were a matter of getting into a little debt to afford a program that you really adore, I think that's pretty reasonable. People get into debt for much stupider things than an education. But if it's a matter of getting into debt for a program that ends up being disappointing, that's not the best. I wouldn't worry about a college having a good "reputation" unless you want to teach. It's best to worry about how competitive it is to get in, in my opinion. And I don't know, maybe SL is as hard to get into as fully-funded programs, but from what I've been told, there tends to be a steeper requirement for fully funded programs. . I guess my main point is, consider how hard it is to get into the program, and be careful about settling for somewhere just because they said yes. The real value of an MFA is in growth as a writer, and I worry that places which you don't have to stretch to get into might not stretch you once you're a student there.
  24. koechophe
    Just got waitlisted at ODU. I'm not sure if I'd be able to get funding, since they don't fully fund all their students and you have to compete for TAships (as far as I understand it), but it still was nice to get something other than a rejection =).
  25. koechophe
    Congrats on the ones you did get into. 2/4 is a dang good ratio imho. Are you planning on attending either?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

  I accept