Jitterbug98

I think it's pretty likely, a lot of people turn down Columbia due to the cost

sure! I found this particular opportunity on Submittable, I submit my writing a decent amount and I think I was looking at this magazine to submit to and saw that they were taking applications for readers. But I also follow some lit mags on Instagram and see them posting that they are taking reader applications there. Actually, I just took a look and saw that the journal I read for is open for prose reader applications right now-- if you message me I'll share the name. I think I had to submit a piece of my creative writing, a short (like 2 page) craft essay about something I'd read recently and why I'd enjoyed it, and a personal statement. Of note, reading roles are almost always volunteer positions, but that also means that people drop out from their reading duties when they get busy pretty frequently so a lot of journals are always in need of more volunteer readers, so if you want to try it the need is definitely there!

unrelated to MFA applications but I'm a nonfiction reader for a literary magazine and today I read a piece submitted by a 98 year old woman who only began submitting her writing at age 94-95 and published a chapbook around the same time. And the piece was great! It warmed my heart

Admissions are so confusing to me, I’ve gotten 3 funded offers and 1 waitlist but I got a flat out rejection from Bennington’s low res program? I read that they accept like 53% of applicants but idk if that’s accurate

I don’t think it will be as big a deal as you’re thinking! You haven’t committed to the school, and if it’s not a fully funded program they really can’t blame you for deciding it’s not feasible to attend.

I'm sorry that you're feeling down, and about your difficult living situation. Unfortunately, Brown is such a wild card for admissions and almost everyone gets rejected. I'm not sure if you're in the facebook group, but if you are you'll see that many people who got into schools like Iowa Writer's Workshop, Johns Hopkins, Michigan etc got rejected from Brown! It means literally nothing about the quality of your sample-- it just means that they got like 1000 applications, and were only able to accept 4 fiction writers. Your sample sounds like important, moving, and meaningful work, and though I obviously haven't read it personally, I bet it was well done. You should try again next year and apply to more schools if you can (a decent number of schools can provide fee waivers if that is a barrier to applying to more places, and I think some schools would give you a fee waiver if you reach out personally even if they don't advertise fee waivers as an option on their website).

Yeah my letter did say this as well, but I doubt they all did. What genre are you? also does anyone know if not having heard from Bennington yet means rejection?

I think it’s really just that Jess and the other mods have already put a TON of work into managing the spreadsheet and moderating the group. Creating drop downs would just be very time consuming for them and it would be easy to accidentally leave out programs since there are people in the group applying to MAs, international or online programs, screenwriting programs, PhDs in addition to the classic full residency MFAs. In terms of adding info like time of notification and last initial, I think that’s stuff that people could add in the “other notes” column if they want to! But honestly, I think we already have access to a ton of information through the draft and gradcafe and sometimes more information isn’t better. If anything it might just cause more anxiety!

Yeah, I think you’re right, thank you. I could be screwing them over a bit, but it would also be screwing myself over to turn down what would be reliable income until I start school. There are plenty of copywriters looking for work right now so they could probably replace me easily when the time comes. Might be an awkward conversation down the line but I have to do what’s best for me for once!

Is anyone else unemployed and struggling to navigate the job search right now? I am very close to a full-time offer for a copywriting job after several months of unemployment. But I doubt I would like the job enough to choose it over attending an MFA in the fall, so I would have to leave after like 5 months. I obviously haven't told the hiring team that. I feel super guilty about the idea of screwing them over, but I also feel like I need to put myself first because I need an income for the next 5 months and my disability prevents me from most service jobs like working as a waitress or barista or in retail. Has anyone had a similar situation?

Yeah we should know soon! I’m thinking it might end up being a waitlist for me, I’m not sure if they reject people they interviewed? Unless I really messed up the interview lol. We’ll see. Good luck!!

YES I also interviewed today and thought that I did poorly because the vibe was off and awkward…good to know you had the same experience maybe they were just tired lol

I really think that aside from the outliers who are not yet writing at MFA level by most standards and the standout applicants who get several offers from top places, it’s often a crapshoot. One thing that proves this for me is that you’ll often see people get waitlisted at a school like Iowa or michigan or Johns Hopkins, only to get rejected the following year. They probably didn’t become worse writers— it just wasn’t their time. Last year, I applied to 15 schools. I did end up with 2 acceptances and 1 waitlist that became an acceptance, but they were all to only partially funded programs. If I hadn’t applied to those partially funded programs it would have been all rejections! This year, I have two fully funded offers, and one interview that could turn into a fully funded offer! I still haven’t gotten into any of the top most prestigious programs, but that’s ok— fully funded is fully funded! Keep trying!!

maybe/probably— since they deferred people last year after they lost funding I’m not getting my hopes up about Camden, I assume half the cohort is already taken up by people who chose to defer

I don’t think Syracuse generally asks people not to share acceptances. personally I think they might just be delayed. If acceptances are out, then at least waitlists must still be coming

Got an interview for Rutgers Newark for fiction! Last year they rejected me so I’m excited since it seems like most interviews at least turn into waitlists

Hard to say for sure but I bet you’re in!

Also for people who do end up applying again, I encourage applying to some of those less known programs, or programs that aren’t entirely fully funded but do fund some people! It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to apply to the most prestigious places, especially your first round, but there are a lot of other great programs out there. Off the top of my head for places that fund some of the cohort: stony brook, temple, university of Kentucky, northern Arizona university, George Mason, NYU (although getting full funding at NYU seems to be just as hard as getting into Michigan/Iowa lol). I’m sure there are plenty of others

I definitely feel you there. My approach is usually to go in with the expectation that I won’t get in, and if I do it’s a really nice surprise! I do think that M.F.A. admissions can be very fickle so there’s always a chance of things changing even if you’ve had only reactions so far. You never know, you could have been super close to making the waitlist for your rejections— most schools don’t really do tiered rejections, so there’s no way of knowing how close we got. I’ve gotten only rejections from all the “top” schools like Iowa, Michigan, and Michener this year and last. Even got the form rejection from Iowa last year when plenty of people got a tiered one as they are one of the only schools that does that. But I got a fully funded offer from a less known program this year— so even though I haven’t had success with the big names, my work is clearly still resonating with someone, and I’m sure yours is too! But I totally understand managing expectations— like after the track record I’ve had so far with the big names, I am very much not getting my hopes up about getting into Brown or Syracuse this year. If I do, it will be a very exciting surprise!

Yeah I got that too! I’m not really sure if it means anything but it made me nervous lol

I don’t think they’re lying— as someone else said there would be no point on an anonymous forum except just to mess with people’s heads I guess. I think there are always going to be a handful of people who get several acceptances from top places, last year I remember there being some as well. My guess is its a combination of a lot of talent, work that’s either stylistically and thematically “trendy” or very unique, a good personal narrative/SOP and a little bit of luck. Not to discredit their accomplishment, but the application pool for nonfiction writers is also a lot smaller, which makes the odds of a very strong applicant standing out and getting many acceptances a bit higher probably. When I see a fiction applicant get accepted to 3+ places with a 1% acceptance rate I always think about how crazy it is that multiple schools looked at 100 applications and picked out the same one in 100 to accept. Anyway, Miffy if you’re out there you should feel good that your results are so impressive that people are doubting their validity!

It definitely happens! Last year I remember people getting into Iowa, Michigan, and UVA off waitlists off the top of my head. Probably other top schools too, those are just the ones I remember. I mean, if you look at the draft spreadsheet, there are at least a few people who have gotten offers at multiple elite fully funded schools. They can only take one of those offers, so spots at the schools they turn down will open up! Since JHU and Vanderbilt both have smallish cohorts it does maybe lower the chances of getting in off the waitlist compared to a larger cohort, but it can still happen. Sometimes even if they don’t give you your rank on the waitlist upfront they’ll give it you if you ask (unless it says unranked in the email or they tell you not to ask, then definitely don’t do that.) And if one of those schools is your top choice, I’ve been told it can be in your favor to let them know especially if the waitlist isn’t ranked. Good luck— whatever happens, those waitlists are definitely something to be proud of

Is it likely that Cornell waitlists are out and just haven’t been posted in the draft? Not sure how big their waitlist usually is.

It’s not over till it’s over, but if you do end up with all rejections it doesn’t mean you’re not a talented writer. The programs you applied to are all highly competitive, like hundreds of applications for a handful of spots competitive. Lots of good people get turned down. The other thing I’d say is that an MFA for a lot of people unfortunately isn’t a path to a lucrative career anyway, so it may be important to think about what else besides writing you could enjoy or just tolerate doing. For me, I’m considering eventually getting my MSW and being a therapist-writer combo. Some people use their writing skills to become copywriters or work in communications or fundraising. Lots of companies need strong writers, even with AI. Or pursue a career that you think could give you experiences that would fuel your writing. Your career doesn’t have to be your absolute passion, you can do your passion on the side and maybe one day with some perseverance and luck it can become financially lucrative. In the meantime it can be emotionally/ spiritually lucrative. If you really love to write you will keep writing. To me it sounds like you have things going for you: you’re employed, you’re still very young, and you have a passion and the drive to pursue that passion. Not everyone can say that!

I'm wondering when Cornell and Syracuse fiction will come out. Feels like it should be any day now