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.

Thank you!! 🤗

Well hello again, mes amis! I was randomly looking at last year's thread when it occurred to me to check if a new thread had been made for this year, and voilà! Happy to see some familiar names such as @prufrock_ @pananoprodigy and our newly minted vet, @Scribe. I'm not nearly ready to start applying yet, because honestly I've had a really challenging couple of months but I plan to jump back into the spirit of things soon. Still fiction for me, like last year. I'm looking to apply to 6 to 10 programs. I'm positive it'll include Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Brown, Cornell, and the U of Virginia. I'm also considering Michigan, Iowa, Maryland, and Pittsburgh, among others. Will see how things go. This year, I'm trying to be more chill about the whole thing. I was borderline neurotic last year and I don't think it was good for me. Might not be here very often but I'll drop in from time to time. Wishing everyone a happy application season!

Yes, I'd say most programs are fine with it. Are you in the MFA Draft group on Facebook? Lots of veterans are there and can answer this question (application strategies) from their own personal experience of leaving and getting into another program. You'd probably get more answers on the Draft '24 page since there are over a thousand people there, although it might be more appropriate to ask in the new group, Draft '25, recently created for those who'll be applying this fall. More people will join the new group as the summer and fall progress.

Yes. A good number of people have mentioned leaving one program for another. Some apply while still at the old program. Some drop out, wait a few years, and then reapply. In both cases, they did not finish the original MFA. I know of people who left their old programs and got into Iowa, Michigan, Syracuse, Arizona U, Vanderbilt, UW-Madison, etc. What I hear some MFA programs frown at is *completing* your MFA and then seeking a redo in *the same genre* somewhere else. That's usually hard to justify. Different genres are possible at another school, though not common. For instance, someone finished a poetry MFA at Iowa and is currently at Minnesota for fiction. But also, Brown University doesn't like applications from people who already have or started an MFA elsewhere regardless of genre, unless you include a note explaining the special circumstances that led you to reapply.

Congratulations!! I'll probably take you up on this offer later in the year. Where did you decide to go?

🤞🏾

Sending you hugs and solidarity. It's tough but it feels right. We do this again and we do it better.

Well done and welcome to the Association of Those Not Getting Into Debt for This. I turned down NYU. See you again next year! 🤝

I feel you. I haven't got mine, either, and don't know when to expect it. It's a bummer, for a program that asks you to go through such a complicated application process. Absolutely. I wish Iowa at least sent email notifications first, so people didn't keep waiting and worrying. Their fancy snail mail could then come in later, if they like.

The spirit hit and I just started writing a new SOP for the next app season. In the dead quiet of the night, it feels clearer and more sure of itself than the one before. More able to dally and parry. I went into the 2024 app season with a lot of heart, honesty, and good intentions, but it was not enough. Honesty and raging desire aren't all it takes, I fear. I'm going to try to use the months between now and December to develop and polish new pieces, engage with other writers and the writing world, and find security in my own (he)art. I have my eyes on a few programs and will try to prepare better for them. I also plan to make some changes in my personal life - move to a different place, start a small thing, and save some money. Big, big plans, but wish me luck, y'all. Congratulations to everyone going this year. Save some seats for those of us coming later. Anyone who wants to workshop writing or talk general MFA tips and strategy, hit me up.