Scribe

Regarding UCI fiction. There maybe hope. The cohort is not firm, nor complete. Please understand I cannot really push for information but as I learn anything relevant and firm, I will let you know. I do think a great many rejections have now been decided. Whether they are sending them out, or even have sent them out is unknown to me. Know I'm stressing with you.

I've often wondered about this and don't recall an answer. If there are say 3 funded spots out of a 6 person cohort and one funded person declines the offer, what happens? Does one of the unfunded fight to the death with the other two and then three people move off the waitlist?

No. The worst way to get in is being waitlisted and then the entire cohort dies in a mass tragedy at orientation. and you get no funding. Oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS!

A nice way to remind them about the resolution is to ask if this is possibly a typo. I do recall Hunter being criticized in the past for having an early deadline. They know damned well not all of the results are back. I also want to put out there that at 11 59 on the 13th you can accept and if you get into Michigan, cancel the acceptance. They know what they've done.

You are. It's not your year. Write about it. Irish families don't care about Notre Dame. They care about each other. Between the fights.

I went through something similar last year. My first response was a waitlist and it RUINED me! I don't remember the order if a's and r's and w's after that, but I know I was coming off of waitlists really late in the game and the acceptances didn't start rolling in til about this week last year.

Prestige is perhaps far more subjective than even your writing sample. (This is true for all schools with the exception of Irvine which is objectively prestigious.) now, who decides this? Well, of course a program would want to promote themselves (not Irvine (this is not a joke, more applicants than they need)) but they don’t have much say I the perception of others who can obviously contend something as abstract as prestige. (Irvine notwithstanding as it is indisputably prestigious.) of course people try to compile lists based on all sorts of data, number of applicants, awards held by alumni, publication lists, and alumni success (also subjective). does any of this land you an agent or book deal? With one exception (Irvine) I cannot think of the name of one program of publishing house or editor who has a favorite MFA program. I do know they are out there, I can only recall the one though. here’s the takeaway: can you imagine an agent, publisher, or editor EVER saying, “I don’t like this, but look at that MFA! where do I sign?!” No, of course not - not even Irvine. You know why? Because you’ve never stood in a bookshop and overheard the words, “look at that book! I heard the author went to…”

They aren't the first place to do that and I don't think they realize how it comes off. Last year there were places that sent out all sorts of weird emails; sometimes it was in lieu of a waiting list, other times they just wanted to get you excited and had every intent of accepting OR waitlisting the applicants who received the notice, still other times it was simply meant to be an encouraging notification that they had indeed received your application. I doubt it was ever thought to be unprofessional, but I feel it is that at least. I personally believe when anyone emails you, they must not be upset when you email them back. I'm not saying i would but IF I did, I'd be sure to mention you were representative of several people who were unsure of the intent.

Okay, so I know about the rejections on Draft though I thought it was a total of 9. Now LISTEN UP: I do not know rhaenyra so I will not be commenting on their specific situation. I will state that as of February 19, no rejections from Irvine had gone out. I will also state that it seems people on Draft reported emails of a portal update so I do believe it's possible they were University generated and not Program generated. This is purely speculation. If someone did in fact receive a rejection, I do not wish to give them false hope. Now, this next bit is interesting, but little more. At the close of business on the 19th of February they were "very very close" to 'declaring' their final selections. Also, one year ago today, acceptances went out. It's Saturday. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING; I just want to put this out there. Finally, prestigious as it is, people say no to Irvine. Remember that if you get waitlisted. I am loathe to give anyone false hope but 364 days ago I would have taken any hope I could get. I'm around if I can answer any questions.

Hey guys, I know this is super late but as I explained above, it was beyond my control. Better late than never? The only readers at Irvine are the directors. They read every sample they get. I honestly do not have an answer for this, nor is anyone available to ask at the moment. It's been a minute; did you ever hear back?

Question for the forum because I'm not reading from February 18 until today. Exactly who here has been rejected from UC Irvine?

I am so sorry for not responding sooner but have been locked out of the forum. But no, UCI does not formally interview applicants. Of course any program might reach out for more or specific information from time to time.

just checking in and wanted to let you guys know that Irvine has started reviewing apps.

I have to ask...Cali living? Is it strictly a geographic issue? Distance from some particular? Because it sounds like a cultural or geographic (climate, earthquakes, etc) thing? Just curios. First off, you are a huge nerd. Second, people do this. All the time. There's a program for you. People have often said someone like Faulkner would never get published to day and sent out manuscripts of other celebrated "classic" writers and then claimed the rejections proved something. Ridiculous. People work their way to acceptances, both in educational and professional spaces. Your text will be trusted somewhere. Once it's accepted more broadly, a willingness to trust it developes and then more acceptance (and more rejection). Wild Palms wouldn't get published from a cold submission today. A Rose for Emily would. and once it did, the Sound and the Fury, and then Wild Palms. There's a place for you. Also a big nerd. Don't be concerned about US or any other University's acceptance. They don't read your work. I'm interested in much of this too, but only interested. I didn't even think to mention it in my SOP's because it'd more of an acceptance issue with me. I don't concern my fiction with it. Actually, I don't concern my fiction with anything. But my own understandings influence everything. It's horrible. So, as a word of advice, don't get too stuck about creating escapes from those limits or working within the constraints (except when it's fun or you think you have something of course). What I mean is, don't stress out over fixing the world with your writing. Those limits are where and why we make art, right? To communicate something through the art where the medium is limited. We make something greater than the sum of the words. There's a place for all of you guys. There's more than one person here doing stuff akin to you or at least with the same influences. Then there's our director who his a grammarian who doesn't believe in rules. Figure that one out. (It's as beautiful as you think.) Expand and expound.

It's too late for me and wouldn't have affected my decision, but I would have been very interested, and I'm sure others will be today, in which schools didn't require comp teaching. I would think that's areal short list. Not counting Michener (obviously) I only remember there being one or two that didn't require comp instruction. I would also recommend people consider applying anyway, depending on why they don't want to teach comp. I was terrified. Still terrified. Didn't know how to do it - still don't - and I fucking love it. (And I hate comp). I was checking portals every day before the deadline closed. It was a Dicken's/Breakfast at Tiffany's thing. They will not remember. In fact, the possibility of remembering is stronger regarding the work than the name. And the possibility of remembering either the quality of the past work or any specific deficiency is just about zero. And the possibility of them thinking your improvement is a fluke is exactly equal to the possibility they are reading your work while suffering a TBI. Get some sleep.

GODDAMIT PRU! How could you not come to me first? Don't you know I'm here for you?! Well, the good news is, it probably won't matter. No one is going to read those until you are already on the list and then no one is going to be disqualified based on their essays. Wait?? You let them know who you are as person?? I was very careful to avoid that.

Oh yeah. 20 schools is way to many. I don't know what kind of a whackjob would even think about that many. Welcome. Also, you are the first person I've heard who thought working on apps was a positive fore mental health. As others have said, relax about the competitiveness. Concentrate on fit as best you can. twilight years. 32. Christ. I advise everyone to start the apps early but apply at the last minute. as you work on one app, you'll find things you want to change about your essay. That may not be as true for your sample, but it's still good advice. I didn't want to say anything but one of my recommenders told me not to apply to my own school. Now he said the reason was because I wouldn't want to attend where i already had. Expanding was what it was all about. He was right of course, but I couldn't get over the possibility that he just didn't want me there. If that's so, I expect he wrote me a killer rec. I'd say it can't hurt. One word of advice about Northwestern: they have multiple schools and someone here last year applied to (and I think got in) to the wrong one. They have an unfunded program as well.

NO NO NO! Do not pad! They expect some repetition and say so. and they aren't kidding. Look at this differently. There is an opportunity here to say the things you had to cut from the SOP. Use it!

There was a Google Sheet here last year?!

Here's the thing, they're ALL kind of prestigious. Fully funded programs are competitive - period. they have a huge applicant pool to pick from. Yeah, prestige matters but not much. Some agents have their favorites but just like these programs, it's the writing that matters. Most AdComs aren't going to look at your recommenders until they've decided you're already a candidate. If I send something to an agent they don't think they can sell, they couldn't give a fiddlers fart where i went to school. And ALL of them will be able to connect you to SOMEONE. You just have a little more confidence, and yes a bit more standing when say running in to an agent at a writers' conference. but this is as much because they know you're serious as it is they know a tiny bit of legwork has been done for them regarding potential. Having said all that, if you are still interested in networking, know that some schools kind of frown on it while others are brining you into the game all the time. Oh, one more thing... "Three years is no joke and I'm approaching 30[!]" (exclamation mine) Fuck you. (also mine)

27 schools?! you must be crazy.

Finally someone wants to be an anteater!

This is wrong. JUST WRONG. I got into Columbia and 4 fully funded programs. do NOT let an institution's economic dynamics be any indicator of the credibility, worth, or quality of your writing.

Everyone. Always. I rewrote mine over three dozen times. Then I reworked it for each school. You are not alone.

you know my policy on this, you SHOULD wait until the deadline! fill out all the applications when they open. rewrite every SOP and as you come up with new/better stuff, update your others. proofread your sample for EACH application. finally, submit the aplications as they are due. this way each application will be as polished as possible.