Chex

Really surprised we haven't heard anything from UIUC fiction. They usually notify pretty early, but I also suspect they're one of the places that ask accepted/waitlisted candidates to hold off on publicising it, so maybe that's what it is.

CONGRATS!!! May this be the first of many more. 🎉🎊

Beautiful and true.

I think there'll be news from either Ohio or UIUC (or both) tomorrow! Manifesting ✨

Can't wait for literally ANYTHING. I'm going stir crazy.

In the devil's hand indeed! 😅😃 Welcome, Ayva. It's good to have you here. And congrats on submitting all of your applications. We have Vandy, Hopkins, WashU, and Pittsburgh in common. These anxieties and emotional ups and downs are normal. Yes, the chances are notoriously low, but you never know, you might be part of the anointed few, so go wild and shoot hard! I don't think marketability is all that important to these programs. Many applicants report getting in without having ever been published before, so don't let that bother you much. As for your fears and extreme spirals, well, that happened to me last year. I applied to 12 programs and got rejected from all but one of them. And can you believe that the only school I got into (NYU) was the one not-automatically-fully-funded program on my list? They offered me a half-tuition waiver but I wasn't going to bite. Cried my eyes out and everything, but I'm here again now. You've done your best and that's a lot to be proud of. Time now for others to decide. Fingers crossed it all works out beautifully. Holding your hands in solidarity (and anxiety).

Submitted the last of my applications today. And that's 8 applications done, or, more accurately, 7.5 (given that the one for Ole Miss is only Phase 1 of 2). Now comes the best and worst part: waiting. Solidarity to everyone still applying. May the new year bring us great news.

"Dear Selection Committee" or "Dear Admission Committee". Broad, no personalisation because that's more work for recommenders and gives room for mix-ups (sending the wrong letter to the wrong program). Mine submitted the same letter to every program.

What a great question! Your answer + all the other answers in this thread are brilliant and insightful. IMHO, this would make a really good approach to John's Hopkins' unique SOP literary critique of your sample/writing in general ). I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Go with your best. 20 pages is a reasonable number.

Hey. Cornell offers a need-based fee waiver to all applicants, including int'l students (though this is moot since the deadline has passed). So does Brown University and Johns Hopkins. Certain nationalities also qualify for an automatic fee waiver from UVA. And there are some programs that do not require a fee in the first round: Ole Miss, Tennessee-Knoxville, Arkansas. Good luck with the rest of your applications! Aww, that's a lot of topsy-turvy. Fingers crossed you find the right place to land.

Congratulations on finishing your apps!! Submitted three of mine this week. Will finish up the rest next week. I have a *lot* of books I plan to read but haven't started yet because my head was full with too many stressors and my e-reader is being repaired. In the interim, I've been reading short stories online and some of my fave fanfic on AO3, lol. But will get back to the book world after next week. Good luck to us all!

No, on Facebook (the MFA Draft group).

The Google Sheet comes later, after applications close and results start trickling in.

Ayyyyyyyy!! 💪🏾

Don't sweat it too much. For many programs, the CV is the least important part of your application and mostly serves to fulfill a formal requirement. I'd say keep it short and sweet, not more than 2 pages. In the education section, you could have a "selected coursework" bulletpoint under your school, mentioning any relevant classes you wish to highlight. But again, this is not necessary; people get in without any previous writing-related education. You also don't need to list everywhere you've worked, just point out the key things. As for publications, I would mention the film reviews. Doesn't matter that they're not poetry; you're not required to be a one-track person. It could also make you seem more layered and interesting. This is how I'd order the CV: Education, Professional Experience, Publications, Workshops/Residencies/Events Attended, Awards & Honours. Feel free to omit any section that doesn't apply to you. As for writing interests, if you wish to list them, that could either go on top or at the bottom of the CV. Eg, Writing Interests: Ecopoetry, Lyric, etc etc.