everything bagel lover

Oh my god this put me on high alert. I've already been stressed about just sitting on my NAU offer while I wait for CSU to figure out funding, but this is pushing me to maybe just accept it. I'd hate to lose a great offer waiting for a second one to pan out, even if the second one is my top choice. I feel really guilty even just saying it, but I think I'm gonna be committing to NAU in light of this with one foot ready to pivot if my top choice pans out. What do y'all think? I too hope that this doesn't become a trend as the season goes on, but this feels like very precarious times.

What I keep telling myself is that I will know eventually. Like they (the schools) can't just not tell me anything ever again lol I remember at the beginning of notification season looking ahead at the calendar and feeling like March was a million years away and now it's nearly April. I have really appreciated y'all and this community and being on this journey together ❤️

Congratulations!!!! That’s amazing and I’m so excited for you!

Oh I just saw this on the Draft and idk if you're on there, but someone said that a poetry faculty from Pittsburg said they were pausing graduate admission indefinitely Just wanted to give you and anyone else waiting on Pitt that heads up Pitt is Pittsburg.... yes? False alarm if they are different but I can't imagine what else Pitt would stand for

Omg I'm already out of reactions today lol That's a good roster! That Rutgers-Camden stipend is hard to beat, I'm so happy for you!!! That's a huge win. I'm excited for you and know you'll land at the place that's best for you! ❤️ I've also looked at the cost of living versus stipend and for Camden, NJ, it's really good.

What schools are you waitlisted at? Do you have a current top choice(s)? Yay I'm happy so many people are still here I would recommend that, but I'm just a fan of reaching out and expressing continued interest. I also have mostly done this with CSU, but my contact person has repeatedly expressed that I'm free to reach out as much as I want. I think if anything, it can't hurt if it's just a little nudge every now and then and not a million emails

I don't either! I'm wondering if fiction results went out and just none of the people accepted were on draft of gradcafe. But then waitlists should come out too? And statistically, I feel like 1 person would be in the draft or here. But UNLV has been known to do secret waitlists which is insane to me. Thank you ❤️ I just want to know so I can get ready to move! My lease ends at the end of May so I'm trying to already start apartment hunting in both cities to be ready for whatever. CSU does have affordable graduate housing tho so omg fingers crossed

Good morning, you freaks that are left. The forum has felt a little more quiet since so many decisions have gone out and we all more or less have all the info, and those of us left are either here out of habit/addiction or waitlist nonsense. Anyway, I wish us all a prosperous week of good news and good food. Manifesting CSU GTA news and UNLV admission decision this week. 🕯️ Specifically good news on CSU GTA funding please 🕯️ Both schools had spring break this last week so it could be the week

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Hype!!! It’s in the MFA 25 draft on Facebook, you have to join the group to see it and you can’t share it outside of the Facebook group cause it has peoples legal names and info and stuff

I'm fiction and I got a rejection, but now that I'm looking through the spreadsheet, it doesn't look like there's any poetry rejections so maybe you're on to something. Congratulations on Irvine btw!!

What genre are you? Fiction and poetry notifications have gone out. I'd maybe check your spam or the portal directly. If there's nothing, you should reach out to the director. Or if you're CNF, idk what the call is because there's no data in the draft about CNF at Boulder.

Congratulations on the waitlists! That's quite a few and I've got my fingers crossed for you that one or more pan out! Soft r means that acceptances and waitlists have already gone out for the school, but you haven't heard anything. This usually means that they haven't sent rejections out yet but you're 99.5% sure you're getting one. For example, Wyoming sent out acceptances and waitlists last week and I wasn't a recipient of either, so I'm assuming that the rejection letter will be forthcoming. I'm already counting it as a rejection even though they haven't explicitly told me that it is. Rejections tend to lag behind acceptance and waitlist notifs.

Oh my god i just posted essentially the exact same thing lol Can I ask where you think you're going? What's your current internal ranking system?

What schools are folks still waiting on that aren't soft r's? I know a good amount of people are done receiving news for this season. For me, it's just UNLV. A current student in the draft said they're on spring break this week and then AWP is coming up. Part of me is optimistic because you never know, but the other part of me feels like I'm swinging outside of my league. Edit to add: I'm having a hard time breaking the habit of checking the forum, the draft, and the spreadsheet. I'm in at two great programs and the info on funding from CSU won't come through any of those means unless whoever has the GTA currently wants to pop in and tell me your plans lol I've been manifesting that you get into your top school that you'd prefer over CSU, wherever that is ❤️ But I've been obsessing over these things for months now and it's hard to break even though it's not fruitful in any way. What do I do instead? My work? Write something?

Of course! ❤️ and you're not out til you're out! I'm sorry, I hope you have a good support system irl to be with you during this time. Also congrats on finishing your MA this year! (right?) That's huge!!

It feels so slow today! CSU is on spring break and then the deadline for whoever has the GTA offer will be the week after that (April 1st) and though I'm more calm about it now, I'm still holding on to hope that they'll turn it down and the committee will choose me (33% chance, but I have let them know several times they are my top choice lol) ❤️❤️❤️ Objectively, the stipend at CSU is less pay for more work than NAU and in a more expensive city, so I will be happy with whichever way the dice roll lol @Mystic_Sunshine I've got my fingers crossed for you! They probably are just taking their sweet time and testing everyone's sanity and patience lol or maybe moving through alphabetically, or maybe a printer caught fire in the English department and it's diverted everyone's attention away from notifying people.

Congratulations!! Though i'm waiting on UNLV, it's looking like I'll be finishing up with a 50% win rate as well. I'll second this, places that only offer partial funding are not it unless you're a big baller. I say this with an asterisk, as I applied to a few programs that only fund some applicants, hoping that the pool overall would be smaller and that my teaching credentials can provide me leverage within that pool (it did, I got funded offers at 2/3 and am waitlisted for funding at the 3rd). Knowing the process and the inner workings of applications is seriously half the battle. If you're applying to MFA's, you're likely already a strong writer or on your way to being one. I'm also grateful I didn't get in anywhere my first time. I've grown as a writer and a person outside of an academic setting and have more appreciation for the opportunity than I would have had straight out of undergrad.

I'm so sorry, panano It is a really hard time and especially your cat's passing on top of that. I'm sorry for your loss. My partner has experienced a very similar thing these last few months, unable to find work anywhere. The've got a BA and no criminal record and not even retail will take them and it's really taken a toll on them. The economy is in shambles. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. On a positive note, you do have some waitlists under your belt that could pan out. When I spoke to current students at NAU, both said they were able to make the GTA work by living frugally and with roommates, so I'd recommend reaching out to them if you haven't yet and maybe talking in more depth about how they swing it. None of this is to invalidate your concerns, they're very real and I hope that you can make one of the programs work for you ❤️ The fact that you've been accepted to 2 places and waitlisted at 3 speaks to your talents and skills as a writer! Places want you! I'm sending you love and hope ❤️

HOLY SHITTTTT LETS GO PRUFROCK CONGRULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!! Tbh I really liked the vibe they put forth on the website, I love the look of Roanoke and I have a lot of family in the south so I was drawn towards it. My professor who urged me to try applying for an MFA went there before going to the Iowa writers workshop (idk how he got two mfa’s or if he transferred or what) but I also was more interested in southern gothic literature and so Hollins seemed like a great place for that! It is a small school but I think that can be to a benefit! At this point, it’s been years since I applied so I don’t remember much outside of liking their vibe. I will say, looking back, idk if I could have made the stipend work on my own without some external help, which I didn’t have at the time. I’d highly urge you talk to current students if you haven’t already and some advice my mom gave me: there’s no alternate paths. Where you’re meant to be is where you’ll be and you don’t have to worry about what ifs because they didn’t happen for a reason. It’s always helped me when I spiral down what if paths. what other programs are you currently considering alongside Hollins?

I’m maybe a little late on this but as someone who applied to Top 10 programs my first round and none this time, I wanted to weigh in! It’s also been really insightful reading other peoples responses ❤️ My first cycle I applied to top 10 type programs + Hollins (my only waitlist) This time, my partner wanted to live in a specific part of the country and them wanting to move is actually what spurred me to apply again. I did a mix of just Googling “MFA Colorado” and then reading work from faculty. I read one novel from each school’s fiction department. This was when I was applying only in Colorado and I only threw on the other ones last minute (thank god I did!) I found NAU, Wyoming, and UNLV through Jess’s list in the draft and I’m ngl I did apply to non fully funded ones because I knew they’d be less competitive than somewhere like Michener. I’m so grateful for my acceptances and I think they’re genuinely great programs, I just don’t think my writing is competitive enough to make it through a sea of hundreds of super strong apps. I focused first on program vibes based on handbooks and faculty writing and balanced that with where I could see myself having a chance, whether it’s because they have a larger cohort, aren’t as talked about in online spaces like the draft, and only fund some of the cohort. To future applicants reading this: this isn’t to say you shouldn’t shoot for the stars! But also there are a lot of great programs with less prestige that I feel give you better odds of finding somewhere your work will fit well I submitted one of my weird newer stories to NAU and they really liked it which makes me feels super good about the prospect of going there! edit to clarify: all programs with funded positions are prestigious to a degree and especially ones that do fund ALL accepted people (Wyoming and UNLV) are still mad competitive, as are all funded positions in any MFA program. I just meant that they’re not receiving the amount of apps that Michener or Iowa do.

University of Oregon fiction rejection just dropped in draft Edit to add: @analog_e I'm rooting for you!! 🤎🟤🟫

Hello my silly little forum friends! ❤️ I’ve been just lurking lately as I have nothing of note to add. I’m taking Wyoming as a soft rejection as I think they send snail mail rejections. For CSU funding, still no news or movement and it could be as late as April 1st. I’ve taken to making little infographics for my three top choices (still considering UNLV a possibility and I turned down my Naropa offer)

It does feel awkward! Thankfully, everyone I've reached out to has been super chill and happy to answer questions! It feels weird to ask about money because of the social taboo but I think there's a sort of camaraderie and empathy both ways where everyone is just trying to gather information to make an informed choice.

YAYAYAY omg congratulations! ❤️ I've got my fingers crossed for the both of yall!