Sydup
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Everything posted by Sydup
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Well, I just declined an assistantship with tuition covered and a pay of $14,000. I visited the campus this weekend, at Oklahoma State University, and I sadly did not see myself there. I had to go, in person, to realize that I wasn't supposed to be there. It is heartbreaking to know they believed in me and were ready to invest, but I was not able to match their passion. It just wasn't the program for me, and I know if I accepted the position, I would regret it. I'm currently still on the waitlist for VT, but I hear the fiction category is all filled up. I think it's time just for me to relax and write. I have been rethinking grad school as a whole. I'm a very young applicant and there is much room for improvement on my part. This year gave me a waitlist at my dream school and an acceptance, scholarship and assistantship at my safety school! What a win for this first-gen hillbilly kid. Proud of myself. And proud of all of you for trying. As they say — trying is the siamese twin of success.
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I am worried that it's too close to home for me. Hmmm, it's just not settling right for me as of now. I will have to do more poking. Thank you for this info! I hope the final decisions come out quickly about the waitlist applicants. I feel like my life will be on pause until April 15.
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I also am waitlisted for Virginia Tech and have realized this program seems more in tune for me, at least what I know of it. If I don't get off the waitlist, I am wondering if I should reapply next year? Does anyone know what VT is looking like? Anyone know if any of the fiction writers accepted their positions?
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Does anyone know anything about Oklahoma State University Creative Writing MFA? I was offered full funding there last night, but I am unsure if it is the right path for me. I would love the insight of anyone who has experience or information on the program.
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I had one of my past professors help me this year, but I honestly, I am unsure if it helped at all. I reread mine, and I feel like although I worked on them for months and wrote a unique essay for each school, it was lacking. I had a moment of inspiration and said "You know what, f it" and just wrote it yesterday. I focused this time on something that doesn't read like a resume of past experience, goals, and specific interests in the program, but a life story that pulls from who I really am as a person and a writer. But the truth is — I have no idea what they are looking for.
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Who else just wrote next year's personal statement because me too.
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Waitlisted on Monday at Virginia Tech and yesterday received an email from the department head and a professor inviting me to a Zoom to meet faculty and current students. I am wondering if this is just a badly-timed, generic email which is sent to everyone who is interested in the program, or if this is a step toward getting off the waiting list. (and if I should go into hyperdrive and begin to prepare for an interview-like Zoom meeting). The good news: It wasn't an email sent from Slate (which is where automated, queried emails are sent from to big populations.) I can tell this as I'm a professional for a state university, and my job is sending out, querying, designing, and writing campaigns. When sent via Slate, beside the sender it will always say: ""X email address" via technolutions.net," which is where Slate operates. This particular email did not have that, meaning it must be written specifically for me, or sent to an insanely small population. The bad news: It didn't say my name. It simply said "Hi!" in greeting, which makes me think this was sent to at least a few other people. It was undesigned, plain-text, and casual in writing. No headers and no bottom banners. I guess my question is -- 1. If you were waitlisted at VT, did you receive a similar email? 2. If you were rejected at VT, did you receive a similar email?
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Waitlisted at Virginia Tech for fiction! Pure elation. Someone didn't hate what I wrote!
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@Nightwitch This is an incredible list full of great information! Printing out right now!
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Okay. Serious question here. It's looking like I was only accepted by one program, and I don't think I want to attend due to a deficit of funding. If attended, I would have to pay a portion out of pocket each year, and I am not in the position where I can financially do that. Currently, I have a great job as a copywriter and an excellent WFH schedule that allows me to write my novels at home during work hours. While I am in positive denial of being corporate fodder, I know that I am going to have to face yet another year of office work. Which is actually great. I need another year to save for a cross-country move if I am to be accepted in any of my schools. This will be my third time applying, and I am looking for fully-funded MFAs that accept writing samples of speculative fiction. I am simply not a literary fiction writer. My writing sample that I am preparing for next year will be in the sub-genres of magical realism and fantastical noir. I only want to apply to a maximum of five programs, which means I must make every application count. Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction? I have heard Brown University and University of Arizona. I see only a waste of $50-100 per application if I apply to programs that strictly accept literary fiction samples. Thanks for any and all info!
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That's awesome! Congrats!
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Anyone have updates on Virginia Tech?
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So, does anyone have updates on The University of Arizona? I reached out to the program coordinator on Thursday and asked if I should expect a formal decision notification via email within the month or at all, and radio silence. I know their program was small this year, but I don't understand why they can't just send out the remaining decisions if the cohort is already accepted and those on the waitlist have been notified.
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What is everyone waiting for? I have 1a/0w/3r/4p -- those pending are: Virginia Tech, Brown, Syracuse, and University of Arizona Tucson (which that one is probably a L).
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@MissMosquito I applied to VA Tech and Brown, nothing from them so far. Brown won't send out acceptances likely for another week or two or three. VA Tech, if on schedule like in preceding years, should send out decisions within the week or next.
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@palaver That is very annoying, but I guess I can stop checking the portal in vain. Thank you for the info!
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Has anyone heard from the University of Arizona, Tucson for Creative Writing Fiction? I saw that on Feb. 17, one acceptance for fiction went out. Did anyone else apply and have they heard back? It says in the portal that there are no current next steps, and that they will contact if new actions require attention. Does that translate to: "We are only notifying those who are accepted?"
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On another note, I was accepted to Oklahoma State University (five decisions still pending), does anyone have experience with Oklahoma State?
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@Ray1998 I work for a university as a copywriter for email campaigns that are sent to prospective undergrad students. I think that the email you received may have just been a mass email with the code {{Preferred Name}} in the beginning to make it more personalized. I write emails that go to 50 prospects to 70,000 prospects, and each time we make it personalized with the code. Once your profile is in the system of a university, they can use that profile to help code in specific things— your preferred name, your interest in study. A virtual workshop seems like a mass email, not a specifically targeted one. I don’t mean to spread negativity, only my experience in the admissions process of gathering prospective undergrad students to the university I work for.
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