Jitterbug98

Is it common for someone to get into a top fully funded program on their second or third round after all rejections (no waitlists) at fully funded schools during their first round? I’m high on the waitlist for a TAship at one school which would functionally make it fully funded for me, so I guess that gives me a little validation that my application wasn’t terrible. But across the fully funded schools I applied to (Cornell, Rutgers, Syracuse, Boston, Iowa, michener, Michigan, Amherst) I got zilch, not even a higher tier rejection. It probably didn’t help that I only applied to the most competitive fully funded programs but if I reapply next year I’ll probably be limiting my applications to the northeast so it will likely be the same deal since the northeast fully funded programs tend to be very very competitive. I don’t want to waste a ton of money on a second round of applications if I’m just not a competitive applicant

I got the form/non-tiered Iowa rejection too, feeling a bit bummed about it considering so many people got the tiered one. After so many rejections, I’m a bit worried that I’ve been fooling myself thinking I have any writing talent at all. But it’s my first round of applications, and looking back my SOPs were terrible, I should have read more professors’ work, and half of my writing sample was written when I was in college 6 years ago 😬

Does anyone have recs for comforting books, tv shows, movies, video games? My mental health is not great right now (I’m sure plenty can relate)— MFA apps are a factor but it’s also just life in general. I’m hanging in there but feel like I could really use something comforting to get lost in and forget about things for a bit

Feeling similarly. This is my first round of applications and my results are looking like they're going to be 12 rejections, 1 waitlist, and 2 acceptances, but the waitlist and acceptances are all for non-fully-funded schools. For one of the acceptances I'm high on the waitlist for funding through a teaching assistantship, so I guess that makes me feel a bit better. And I was accepted early by Emerson which has given me hope that they may give me a good scholarship, but I don't know if that's actually the case and anyway the most they offer is free tuition, no stipend. One of my letters of rec did her MFA in fiction at Syracuse and was very positive about my work and thought I had a good shot-- it seemed genuine at the time but it's possible she was just being nice/supportive. I've always held myself to almost impossibly high standards, like I expect myself to both follow my passion and immediately be extremely successful at it. I know the whole "gifted kid burnout" thing is cliche, but I honestly do relate to it. As a kid/teen I was constantly told that I would do something special with my life and treated like I was a genius. As I've gotten older I've realized that I'm probably not all that gifted or special... I just was an anxious people-pleaser who was good at tests and memorizing things and could string sentences together. If I don't end up in a program next year, I'm probably going to try again, but I think I also need to learn to disconnect more from external validation and enjoy writing for the sake of writing. And remind myself that no amount of validation will make your life perfect or fix all your issues, and that many famous and brilliant writers have significant problems of their own.

I really was holding out hope for Brooklyn College but after seeing a couple interview requests on Draft I'm assuming it's a soft rejection Which means all my remaining schools are now soft rejections, except for Brown, which is such a ridiculous long shot that I'm basically already considering it as a rejection lol.

Yeah I think 2 years is the ideal for me but I'm ok with 1-- especially since Boston is so expensive, I would end up less poor living there on a BU stipend for 1 year than if it was a longer program. I actually already live in Boston which is part of why the program is a top choice for me since I wouldn't have to move. But I already live basically paycheck to paycheck with a full-time salaried job, which raises some real concerns for me about doing it on an MFA stipend, particularly BU's, which isn't very large considering the cost of living.

Same, when I saw a note on the spreadsheet that BU got 630 applications for 8 spots (I'm assuming 8 spots each in fiction and poetry but not sure??) I was like there's no way I'm getting in there lol. But I guess you never know, we can still hope!! Also, I made the mistake of looking back at my writing samples last night and felt like they were not as strong as I initially felt they were-- not a fun feeling. I especially regret including an excerpt from my novel-in-progress in many of my samples, because looking back at it I don't think the excerpt is polished enough or really represents what I want to be writing right now (which is why I may be putting that draft aside and starting something else). I think I should have just stuck with short stories. Oh well, there's always next year!

Wondering when BU fiction will start coming out. It's odd that it's just been scattered poetry rejections so far. I also noticed that a lot of the people from the spreadsheet who got early BU rejections had acceptances or waitlists at other very competitive schools, which is odd too!

In general, is it true that the odds of getting into a funded program for poetry or CNF are a bit better than the odds for fiction due to the number of applicants?

The waiting is brutal!! So far I have 3 rejections (Cornell, Northwestern Litowitz, Michener), 1 soft rejection (UMass Amherst) and 1 acceptance (Emerson). I was excited when I heard from Emerson but I'm wondering if they just accept everybody. Kinda relieved to know that I won't be moving across the country to Chicago or Austin though. The schools I've received rejections from so far are all obviously extremely competitive so I'm trying not to take it too personally, but I wish I knew what the admissions committees' overall responses to my manuscript were... whether I was a solid applicant that just didn't make the cut because there were so many stellar applicants, or if my manuscript really isn't resonating at all. I know some people were saying that their writing has been flourishing during this waiting period, but personally I can barely write a thing. I think that the self-doubt stemming from rejections is making it difficult to feel inspired. I hope that if I don't get in anywhere else this self-doubt-induced writer's block isn't permanent. And that I can find it in myself to keep writing regardless of whether or not I am a "good" writer.

The amount of talent to be accepted at multiple schools that only take a few per genre is CRAZY! Definitely makes me doubt myself and I know a lot of us feel the same way, but it's still so subjective and even the most talented writer is bound to get a couple rejections if they apply to the top 10 most competitive schools. If I don't get in anywhere, I think I need to just tell myself that it means I'm not quite far along enough in finding my voice/style yet, and not that it means that I'm lacking in innate talent.

Yeah I don't think there are really any fully funded "safeties" but the places with less name recognition and a generally less desirable location are going to a bit easier to get into compared to the top places-- maybe places like Wichita State, Bowling Green, West Virginia University. This page rates how competitive admission is for different programs but some of them seem inaccurate to me: 77 Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing in the US I would think that even the least competitive fully funded programs are accepting no more than 10% of applicants but again I'm not sure about that.

Starting to wish I had applied to some of the slightly less impossible to get into fully funded schools in less desirable locations and not just the top of the top schools... I know all fully funded programs are hard to get into but my chances of getting into Brown, Iowa, Syracuse, UMich, or Michener are feeling pretty dismal, and I'm definitely starting to doubt the quality of my writing sample even though I knew going into this that I'd be facing a lot of rejection

Exactly, I have to do what's best for me ultimately or else I know I'd likely end up regretting it. Currently feeling like it's not a decision I'm even going to have to make after rejections from Cornell, Northwestern, and likely UMass Amherst! But who knows, I still have a bunch to hear back from

Is anyone else feeling equally terrified of getting into a top program as they are of not getting in? I applied to 12 programs, mostly in the Northeast where I live but also a few elite programs that are further away from me (Iowa, Michener, Helen Zell). I've already gotten a partially-funded offer in the city that I live in. Part of me wants more than anything to get into one of these further away funded schools, but part of me feels like it would be "easier" if I just don't get in and can accept this lesser offer and not have to move. I big part of this is that my partner of 2 years might not be able to move with me if I move away for grad school, and I've never done long distance before. I applied to some other funded programs (Cornell, Syracuse, Rutgers) that are more like a 5 hour drive from him rather than a plane ride, but even that distance would be challenging I'm sure. But if I do get into a funded program, it would be very difficult for me to justify turning it down so that I can live near him, and if I didn't go I would probably end up being resentful or wondering if I had made a big mistake. It's just a lot to think about and not knowing where I'll be living next year is making me really anxious. I spend a third of my time hoping I'll get into a top funded program, a third of it freaking out about what will happen to my relationship and my friendships if I do, and a third of it telling myself I'm silly for even thinking about it when I probably won't get in.