pomelo

Thank you for saying this. We all have a responsibility, as writers especially, to advance justice. True! I think I’m just bracing myself for impact.

Not yet! Just checked my portal for Michener and I was rejected. That makes 1a/0w/4r/5p. I’m assuming 3 soft rejections though (NWP, Iowa, and UMass Amherst.) Still waiting to hear from Brown and Sarah Lawrence. It’s not over til it’s over! Congrats to everyone who’s gotten an acceptance or waitlist notification! I’m so proud of you and I hope you get a chance to celebrate very soon.

Congrats!! Hope you make time to celebrate. This is such an awesome feat. Can I ask, by 900 apps did they mean overall or just fiction?

I applied to 10 and got 5 waivers. UW-Madison and Sarah Lawrence were the most responsive and helpful when it came to offering waivers. I also got waivers from Iowa, Cornell, and Northwestern.

CONGRATS!! That’s huge! I applied for fiction and haven’t heard from them yet but based on Draft + the spreadsheet. I’m assuming a rejection. Bummer. I also applied to New Writers Project though! Fingers crossed for all of us

Just got the Michigan rejection (fiction). “We received over 800 applications this year, and the limited size of our program means that we can admit only 2.5% from this very strong pool.” Bloop!

Very well said, @Rixor. I’m proud of all of us. No one understands this process, and how tough it is, better than the people who are living through it. I’m so thankful for this little community. We are writers!! MFA or not. Rejection stings but we have years of growth and change ahead of us and can re-apply if we choose to. I finally sat down and wrote a paragraph of a new short story today. First thing I’ve written since I started submitting apps. I like where it’s going. Funnily enough, it’s not something I would or could have written 3-6 months ago to include in my writing samples. Anywho. There is a really strong, comprehensive list of MFA resources on Winniebell Zong’s website in case anyone finds it helpful now or in the future: winniebellxzong[dot]com/mfa

Someone in Draft confirmed they got accepted to Iowa for fiction. Dun dun dun!!! I’m out of reactions so congrats @jadedoptimist and @Scribe on those waitlists!!! Woooooo

Thank you so much! And for sure, happy to help. I was looking into the NALCAP (North American Language and Culture Assistants Program) in Spain. If you’re interested I recommend applying ASAP! You won’t hear back until the summer but I read that the earlier you apply, the better your chances of getting a spot in your preferred region. I was also looking into opportunities in Vietnam, where my family is from. There are a couple agencies there including Up2U, Ninja Academy, EMG Education, Apollo English, and VUS. I hope this helps! I was also considering Workaway and WWOOF.

Two people in Draft said they got into Michener for fiction. One of them said they accepted 4 applicants this round for fiction (12 total across the 4 genres). Eep!

I’m so sorry! You don’t deserve that. Have you contacted anyone from the program yet? They may have insights that Northwestern’s Fin Aid office doesn’t. I imagine the program will try their best to help you, since they evidently saw something in your application they liked and they want you to attend their program. If NW doesn’t work out, I sincerely hope one of the waitlists comes through.

I also applied to Michigan and have been checking my email. My guess is if you don’t hear back by the end of today, assume a rejection. Harsh but that seems to be the pattern with these programs. MAYBE there’s a chance they haven’t alerted everyone yet but for now I’m going to assume a rejection. Best of luck to you as you hear back from programs. This process is nothing short of anxiety inducing.

I applied to one program that isn’t fully funded (Sarah Lawrence) because I like the program and wanted to give at least one NYC school a shot (SLC is not in the city proper but I’ve been told that many students live in the city and commute to campus). I didn’t apply to NYU, Columbia, and the New School because they’re not fully funded. I wanted to though. But I graduated from college debt free (need-based scholarship. I was a FGLI student) and I would like to continue being debt free. I applied to one third party scholarship and was rejected but if I’d applied to more than one non-fully funded program, I probably would have looked for more scholarships to keep costs as low as possible. I’d (begrudgingly) pay the 10% of tuition and fees only if I had to and really really wanted to attend the program. And only if the program’s location has a low COL. Everyone’s situation is different. I’ve read that fully funded programs are great but they’re not perfect, students still have to work hard, pinch pennies, and make sacrifices to afford to live.

I wonder about this too. A couple months ago, I had a chat with a former writing workshop instructor. He graduated from UT’s Michener program about a decade ago. He only applied to three programs and got into Michigan and waitlisted at Iowa. Of course, this was a decade ago. But still! Meanwhile, there are writers like T Kira Madden who are immensely talented but only accepted to one program (Sarah Lawrence). Kudos to anyone who’s admitted to multiple programs. I’m sure it happens more frequently than we think but I imagine it’s still rare. I try not to weigh myself against the most competitive applicants. I know I’m not where I want to be as a writer, that’s what the MFA is for!

Morning folks. Who is this mystery person who got into Vandy, UW, and Michener? Lucky duck. According to the website: “NWP typically accepts three poets and three fiction writers into the program each year for a total cohort of eighteen students. MCW accepts an incoming class of twelve students per year distributed across four genres (typically with more fiction writers and poets than screenwriters or playwrights) for an overall cohort of thirty-six students.” So I’m not losing hope yet! I hate that they contacted people over the holiday.

Booo! Surely if they can fund one of the MFA programs, they can fund the other. Both of UT’s MFA programs are fully funded. Ah, but still. Congrats! - Cornell rejection is in. Didn’t think I’d get in anyway so it doesn’t sting as much. Congrats to those who got in or were waitlisted! 1a/2r/0w/7p

Hey, still! That’s an awesome achievement and you should be proud. I thought the Litowitz program was fully funded though. Or are you referring to a different program

Thank you so much! She called me at 1:55pm ET. She let me know that there were close to 350 applications for 6 spots. I didn’t have a good sense of how many calls she’d made before me or would have to make after me. I’m sorry! I wouldn’t count yourself out until you hear from them directly, though. Hang in there. And if not Madison, I hope you receive good news very soon.

Thank you!!! Ahh. So excited to hear about everyone’s offers. I finally feel like I can let out a sigh of relief while I wait to hear from these 8 programs. Fingers crossed for everyone!

Thank you! And congrats to YOU as well! Thank you!! Out of the 10 programs it was within my top 5. I truly would be happy with whatever program takes me but there’s a lot about Madison’s that excited me. Thank you so much! Best of luck, I’m rooting for you!! Thank you!!! Fiction Wishing you luck! I hope everyone hears back soon. My faith was hanging by a string yesterday but this phone call really turned it around

Last night I told my boyfriend I didn’t think the MFA was in the cards this year and I meant it. I started my application for an English teaching program abroad and bookmarked a bunch of job postings. I just got off the phone with Beth Nguyen. Y’all. I got an acceptance to UW Madison. 😭

So glad to be in yalls company and I hope we get to cross paths one day! I’m 26, graduated in ‘20, have worked at the same land protection nonprofit for almost 4 years now. I have a Bachelor’s in Education (major: Human Development and Family Studies, minor: Asian Studies). I have published an essay and a short story in literary journals. I published a children’s book (non traditionally) and I have a small piece in an anthology published by HarperCollins. I have always enjoyed writing but have only recently begun taking it seriously—and myself seriously as a writer. If I go the MFA route, I want to be an educator, writer, editor, really anything this world has to offer writers. If I don’t go the MFA route this cycle, I want to live and work abroad, and I’m looking at jobs, fellowships, and residencies in the environmental, urban planning, and writing fields. We’ll see what happens!

You basically put into words how I’ve been feeling. It’s helpful to know I’m not the only one. I genuinely am so happy for everyone who’s shared their acceptances. I’m not jealous in the way I thought I would be. I want everyone to succeed and I know my turn will come someday. Maybe it’s this cycle, maybe it’s the next one. I do feel the same fire for the MFA - I want this! I know I do! But the burnout is real. I hope you’re doing okay in all of this too.

Good morning. I’m exhausted. This past week I’ve noticed I’ve been checking Gradcafe and Draft way less. Just last week I would check these pages as soon as I woke up, before I went to bed, and periodically throughout the day. Now I’m exhausted. Is it weird to already be jaded by this process? I didn’t expect to come to terms with this so early in, but at this point I feel like if a program accepts me, wonderful. If I get 10 rejections across the board, the most likely outcome, fine. I have a lot to figure out - I’ve already told my job I’m resigning in June and I don’t plan on renewing my lease - but if I have to re-apply next cycle, so be it.

F U UF! I didn’t apply but my god that sucks. Extending my sympathies to those of you who applied.