commandercowboy

I have a question for everyone... how important is prestige? At this point, I've been admitted to a couple programs... most are on the smaller side and aren't super well-known (at least from my perspective), but I just got accepted off the waitlist at one of the smaller programs that would offer full funding + stipend and a lot of financial security because it's in a much smaller, less expensive area. However, I've been accepted to a program that (again, from my perspective) has a pretty hefty "label" BUT... the catch is that I would def have to take out loans to pay the rent/afford cost of living in the city it's in. I was offered a full tuition fellowship there for the entire duration of the program, but they don't give stipends to anyone so... no stipend. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place (that I'm very lucky to be stuck in, I'll say!), but I would love advice. Extra context: I'm in poetry, and I want to be a professor in the future.

Poetry waitlists for NC State / WVU / NMU anybody?

I am LOSINGGG my mind😭 have listened to nothing but Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheel today & drank a Cheerwine to manifest. (NC is my home state… miss it like crazy NCSU pleaaaase call me)

I applied for poetry! I really like WVU, i love the Appalachian mountains. I’ve been crossing all my fingers!!! Best of luck all. ❤️❤️

Me toooooo big time. Refreshing the spreadsheet constantly💔

Perhaps related to the current conversation… does anyone ever get discouraged around MFA stuff because keeping the company of (some) other writers, uh, bothers them? I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I feel like I definitely don’t fit in in the sort of high-brow, high-pretension, high-pessimism -verse. Don’t get me wrong, I love academia and highly theoretical conversations, but I’d hate losing the inherent fun in my work. Writing is my number one passion and I love reading other people’s writing. And I want to teach. That’s why I want my MFA, at least. Being around other writers makes me feel bad sometimes.

Vanderbilt is my top choice as a poetry applicant... I'm living in delusion that it takes them over an hour to notify three people... hahaha.

Seeing an update to the spreadsheet about IU Bloomington acceptance in poetry... firstly, congratulations stranger!! Secondly... feeling sad as this was one of my top choice programs (poetry applicant)... anyone know the likelihood that they'll... continue notifying over the weekend? Or into next week? Wondering if I should give up on that dream lol, but no updates to my portal!

Just out of curiosity, did anyone else apply to the University of Utah PhD in English/Creative Writing? I applied in poetry, and just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat... (and also has any idea when decisions may bubble up, since there isn't a huge history of that program on the draft...)

Hi! I hope everyone is fairing well. I was wondering if anyone had any input on the University of New Hampshire's MFA program? It seems like a program I would love and is in a great location for me, but I haven't seen a ton of people talking about it! If anyone knows anything or has any input, I would love to know. Thanks!

I would love to pin down a Discord server too!

Hi everyone I hope your applications are going well... for anyone applying to the Litowitz program at Northwestern, the "sample of your writing on a literary topic" part of the application is vexing me. I don't have anything ready that really fits the bill... all of my literary critique papers are right at the 3 pages mark and not cited. Should I write something new just for this? I do have a ton of scholarly papers that aren't necessarily literary that *would* meet the page count so... not sure. What are others doing?

I think you've sold me on NC State... I'm applying for poetry, so I'd love to hear more about what poetry life is like at NCSU, but I love Meg Day's work. One of my most selfish wants in an MFA program is about location... I'm from NC and I miss the nature there like none other after doing undergrad in the midwest. I'm from a more rural part of the state, but I would love to hear about what life is like in Raleigh for a grad student! If you have anything to say about the poetry or the environment of it all, I'm all ears

I am! That sounds awesome---we should definitely do that! Send me a DM whenever you want and we can chat

Applying to MFA programs (& maybe a couple B.A. --> PhD programs??) as a current senior in undergrad at UofM (B.A. Creative Writing & Lit.) Hoping to land in a full residency, fully funded (though... don't we all) program for poetry. Building my list & hitting Google docs to get writing!! Would love to hear where folks are applying and if there are any good programs I'm overlooking... most afraid of the essays so would love to hear thoughts on SOPs & personal statements.