Chex

I love reading love stories!

I can't imagine why the reply/post option doesn't show up for them, but sometimes this website glitches, especially for new users. Hoping whatever it is gets fixed soon. Hey new users who are unable to post, if you're reading this, I'd say to stick around and check from time to time if anything changes. Would love to hear from y'all eventually! ❤

Some people are deeply invested in being losers, and posting that here was a pathetic call for attention. Best to ignore that person.

Because people put their private information there, sometimes including their legal names, with the idea that it would stay within the closed Facebook Draft group, among members with a common understanding. They did not consent to have that information published on the open internet where anybody can access it without effort for any purpose.

Congratulations! Woohoo!!! 🎉

This is great to hear. It's not often that one hears such glowing reviews of MFA programs - even the most elite ones - from students actually attending them. There's something to be said of the experience itself, beyond external indicators like prestige. How far does the stipend go in NC? Are you able to live on it?

Congrats!!! Congrats, Mystic. It's still a big deal and you should be proud. Whether it turns into an acceptance or not, you're on the right path and more success is coming.

Congrats!!! The list at Ole Miss moves quite a bit, I believe. Lots of first-round acceptees turned down their offer. Still crickets over here, but I've made my peace with it. Rooting for you!

True, but also: - Cornell and Hopkins respectively guarantee 2 and 1 additional years of support (funding + other resources) in consideration for teaching; - Michigan and Wash U have a competitive post-grad year (some of the students in every cohort get it); - Iowa and Wisconsin also have opportunities for a post-grad fellowship/teaching year, though I'm not clear on the details. These possibilities tend to sway candidates. If you knew you could have an additional year of support to keep focusing on your writing after the MFA, you wouldn't overly mind the 2-year tag. Most people don't tend to publish their MFA thesis as is, anyway. They continue working on the manuscript until they're ready to send it out.

Congrats, bagel! Love this for you!

Big F 'em!

Hi! Sorry for responding so late. I'm just going to copy and paste what a poetry vet who ultimately went to Cornell wrote about UIUC on the Draft 2 years ago: "I was admitted by them in 2021. I truly believe, in terms of faculty mentorship, they are almost unparalleled. And if UIUC hasn’t be on your radar yet, check them out! TL;DR: If your main reason for the MFA is mentorship, apply to UIUC! I was accepted by a good number of fully funded programs, including UIUC, in 2021. UIUC was the hardest to turn down and the only program I cried for. There is a lot to love, but since I didn't attend their MFA, I want to share the part I did experience: the recruitment process. When UIUC accepted me during the pandemic, ALL four poetry faculty members: Ángel García, Janice Harrington, Christopher Kempf, and Corey Van Landingham reached out to me with lengthy emails, specific praises for my poems, and enthusiastically chatted about our fit and welcomed questions. We scheduled for individual calls, class visits, and a staff meeting observation at their mag, Ninth Letter. They were the most organized and transparent program I experienced. Always kept in touch, never pushy. When I began getting acceptances elsewhere, Corey offered to share her honest opinion on each programs. She wrote me LONG emails to help me strategize, based on my exact needs, where she'd recommend me to go, like a dedicated mentor, even though it was against her own interest. The kindness, attention, labor, and expertise I received from Corey and others were truly remarkable. And we’ve been corresponding since. During recruitment, one of the profs said, "If you come, I'll bend over backwards to make sure you get everything you need in our program." The poetry faculty there are kind and generous people who genuinely root for you. Especially if you don't yet have mentors in your corner who will support your career for decades, this is a good place to be. I know a person, once a UIUC undergrad and now successful writer, who went to one of the top MFA programs and then THE most prestigious fellowship. And they said they never got elsewhere the attention, time, and quality of mentorship they got at UIUC. Having graduated from one of the 'bigger names' of MFAs, I totally concur. Mentorship can be a rare treasure to find." I've also heard from current students who say similarly wonderful things about the program. They also say that it's a beautiful place to live, the university is rigorous and has great facilities (including one of the largest university libraries in the world), the stipend (over 26k per year) is very liveable in Urbana-Champaign, and the rent is reasonable. Of Indiana, Wash U, UIUC, and Notre Dame, I think Wash U might edge out the rest in prestige, but I don't think it's by much. Indiana has a great reputation but is not as well funded as the others and the teaching responsibilities are higher. Notre Dame also has a very good reputation and, like Wash U, is a private university. I truly believe these programs are all excellent options and am rooting for you, whichever way you go.

Congrats! Michigan sounds like a dream. Wishing you a wonderful time there!

That's so great! Do you mind sharing where you're headed to? I'm just curious, lol, and living vicariously through other people's MFA plans.

I've heard great things about UIUC especially, but you're right, I'd probably choose Rutgers-Camden over it as well. R-C has a great reputation too, and better funding. Dunno about the relative cost of living, though.