prufrock_

The thread from last year didn't even break 1 page before mid jan, but this thread is already at 10 pages 😅 The MFA draft group right now is at 1.1k members; last years group currently has 1.7k members (but how many members show up between now and results? I'm guessing a lot, so it will probably hit that 1.7k number again).

It looks like a great program but something to keep in mind is that it's a 2/2 teaching load, i believe for all 4 years. Also, the stipend doesn't cover CoL for the area, so even though it's fully funded, how are you going to pay for rent for 4 years when teaching 2/2 and also doing your own mfa work? lets look at numbers for that stipend: 16,000 total stipend minus 5 ish percent for taxes (it's a tiny bit less if you have no other income) = 15,276 minus 1,660 in fees each semester, 3320 in fees a year (that's correct, they do not cover fees, only tuition) so 15,276 - 3320 = 11,956 minus health insurance that is at least 680 a year (30 percent of 2,239.00 - the yearly cost for ark students). so 11956 - 680 = 11,276 so that 16,000 turns into an nonnegotiable 11,276 a year pretty quick. aka 939 a month - but this also includes summer months, which you'd be free to work outside of the school. As grad student's we're agreeing to live lean. But can you make 939 cover rent / food / bills? seems impossible when the rent there has quadrupled over the last decade. I just don't think the stipend has kept up with inflation and rent enough, especially for 2/2 @ 4 years. anyway, procrastinating is fun. back i go to work. i could be wrong about all this btw!

yay usps found my iowa packet and got it into their hands If last year was also an indicator, we have about a month until mid january when it becomes time to refresh the notifications pages every minute of every day out of anxiety and dread and enjoyment of watching others and ourselves live the dream. Enjoy the next month of relative calm! something i did last year and feel good about not doing this year: once i hit submit, i don't reread anything. knowing what typos or mistakes i made in an sop won't help a thing, and would only cause more anxiety.

i've read cases of this happening and people still getting in! The writing sample is what matters most; a program isn't going to deny you for an arts degree because of a clerical error.

I use this https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/?q=&sort=newest&institution=&program=&degree=MFA&season= - just searching for mfa, so some incorrect results are included. you can play around with serch terms to find what works best for you. Also there's a facebook group called 'draft mfa '25' and there's 'draft mfa 24' etc, going backward, and they maintain a crowd sourced spreadsheet of responses that has quite a bit more data. Based off last year, the programs did stay mostly aligned with their previous time frames.

Yes, I think they will accept that as a post mark. Also if you've already uploaded the script to the portal during the online application, then you have backup proof of beating the deadline. My iowa submission is also late, I'm guessing due to the storms. USPS even took off my ETA on my tracking completely!

Not sure exactly what an impact statement is, but here's my general SOP thoughts (if they're the same thing) that i've also gained from reading a billion 'heres how to write sop' articles: aim for two pages, double spaced, tops. so about 500-600 words total. Less focused about how you came into writing and more about your current and future writing. Autobiography is not your friend, but talking about fiction in an interesting way is -- then you can try to fit yourself into that conversation some way. You're trying to impress someone who is reading 300 sops, so lets be honest, they're gonna be skimming, especially if it's a variation of autobiography they've heard 300 times that month ("I've always loved writing since..."). keep it short, fast, and about what you're offering the program just as much as what you want to take from it.

I wanted to dunk on places like Iowa and Irvine for being so old school and requiring us to physically mail in our samples. LIke, get with the times! But you know what? There is something very satisfying about dropping 40 pages of prose into the mail.

well, i've already submitted! I went the risky route and put into the autobiography part a lot more of the quirky/human aspects of my personality that i otherwise cut from the SOP I submitted to other places. I wouldn't call it padding though, as it probably does give them a better picture of who I am as a writer/person.

I had the same hesitation; from the research i've done, it appears Notre Dame is 'as catholic as you want it to be'. You can attend the university as an atheist and never attend mass, etc. I am applying, despite not being religious, which shows through my work.

UC Irvine's app is really annoying. "give us an sop, an autobiography, and a Personal History Statement." like what???? just let me send in my 500 word sop that's perfect please i'm begging you. now i have to cut it up into 3 different documents and pad them with words that aren't needed and then trust you're gonna read it all??

i looked around but didn't find anything comparable to the US system; ie, offering a fully funded, terminal degree in writing. I think there's one in canada, but nothing in the EU (for American citizens).

No problem, glad you're feeling better! (Also, not sure if you know, but Northwestern Litowitz does require an academic paper, which is uncommon-- so if you don't have one ready to go, it might be better to sub in a different program.)

If your writing sample is in a good place (as in you have 20-30 pages of your best work that you're ready to ship out right now), and you already have 3 people willing and prepared to write letters of recommendation this round, then applying to 18 places is realistic. I'm applying to 17; it seems about 10-15 is the normal range for MFAs, but I didn't get any push back from my recommenders about 17 (this is my second round; i did 12 last round). Is it possible you can apply to a smaller number of your top choices this year, with a plan on applying to more next round if you don't get in?

Less than 30 days for quite a few deadlines now!!! I hope everyone is making good progress on their SOPs!

to address your insecurity: i have a very uncommon academic background as well. But like, in the opposite direction of you: no masters; took 10 years to graduate from a no name school; hardly had a 3.0 gpa. Last round I got cold feet and took a lot of big names off my list, scared I was wasting time. But then I got into the most academic program I applied to. Which proves to me that the application process really is 95% based on the writing sample.

Most programs discourage reaching out to current students if you're just applying. But If you're admitted, you should get a list of current students which you can reach out to and ask any questions before you formally accept an admission. For past alumni, there's a post on the facebook draft page of alumni saying where they went, so you could reach out to them there. For finding out more about a program, I'm applying to places mostly on vibes. Vibes and cost of living.

testing my link theory here, but I found this very helpful https://litreactor.com/columns/statements-of-purpose - big take aways being don't talk too much about yourself, keep it short, talk about writing more than yourself.

I am too! I feel like my writing sample is quite a bit stronger, and my list of schools are more aligned with my goals as a writer. There is of course a strong chance I get into 0 programs this round and curse my past self for declining what I did last round, but, oh well, gotta enjoy the journey! I'm applying to 4 more schools this time round than last year. Gonna try and be a lot better about NOT waiting until the deadline to apply so it's not a mad rush at the end.

Thanks for the heads up on UW Madison, you are right! (I had this on my list!). Alternatively, Northwestern is admitting Fiction this year (but was only admitting poetry last year). Since you are applying to Michener, maybe take a look at the New Writers Project MFA @ ut austin. They require separate applications, but only require one application fee to apply for both.

Keep an eye on the programs teaching load -- if a school is having you teach 2/2 (two classes in fall, two in spring) for funding, then you are not going to have time for a side gig. Not many schools are 2/2, most are 1/1. But also, many funded mfa's have a thing in the student handbook saying 'you agree not to have a side job while we fund you - your focus is our program.'

I'm here! This will be my second round applying in fiction. I got a couple acceptances last year, even one with full funding, but I turned them down to hopefully get into a school that aligns more with my long term goals (and ideally offers funding that isn't poverty levels -- let this be a warning to look at stipend levels compared to cost of living y'all, especially in the post apocalyptic hellscape of 2024 housing). The community here is great, but the draft '25 group on facebook is also a resource everyone should keep an eye on; there is definitely more responses on their spreadsheet.

One of my apps turned into an acceptance with funding! but after trying to do the math, I decided to turn it down. the stipend did not cover the cost of living in the area. Kind of surreal to turn down a funded opportunity, but i told myself i'd only do this if it meant no debt. Going into debt for rent is worse than going into debt for tuition considering interest rates. I'm looking forward to applying next year. I'll only be submitting apps for very well funded schools, and if i don't get in, that's life. I hope to see some of ya'll next year here. And grats to ya'll who wont be here! This has been a fun experience of communal dread and excitement.

university of oregon has finally declined my admissions... for fall 2021

Congratulations!! If you don't mind answering, is this for fiction? I'm also curious if you had spoken with the department much while on the wait list? (i'm waitlisted there but didn't reach out other than an initial thanks, so i wanna increase my chances next year if I'm in the same position again, hah!)