Walter Hartwell White

What was your cycle like? A/W/R?

That is only applicable to the current English masters as they didn’t even make the program until recently for the MFA

No I live in Virginia so I myself asked if I can go visit since it’s not that far and they said I could. I think it doesn’t mean anything for my specific ranking that they said yes. They just didn’t offer me it initially but when I said I wanted to come down to see it and said they don’t have to meet with me but I’ll be here on X date they went for it and arranged some meetings with me and I sat in on a workshop. You could always ask if you can come visit if you live close / if you want to commit the time going for only a possibility. There’s still a chance for both of us. From what it sounds, two spots haven’t said they’re coming or not yet for poetry but fiction is full. (Unless someone backs out I guess.) Sorry for the double post I didn’t realize u replied to me so I had to make it a double post lol. I was also told I was high up on it. I think they keep a short waitlist anyway.

That’s so unfortunate. Yeah they told me yesterday when I visited for poetry that fiction is all full and there’s two possible spots for poetry. I still have some hope for now.

Visiting VCU as a waitlisted candidate today… hoping it goes well!

I do feel this, especially since I’m supposed to tell the school I got into for the English MS around the same time of April 15th if I’m going or not. But id hate to commit to them, and then get into the MFA program I desire! I have two waitlists currently and decided to apply to Missouri state university’s brand new MFA program that’s fully funded but I don’t think id hear back before 4/15 either on that since they’re just starting it now for this year! I don’t want a rushed decision. I’ve been doing my best to ask questions and I’m going to visit VCU soon since it’s the closer waitlist to me so far and was told I was high on it. I could see that one converting maybe. But I wish I could know sooner rather than later! I hope some tell them no March 30th like they want them to if they can so I can know before 4/15… but that’s hopeful thinking for sure! I’m hoping I don’t have the last day scramble but we’ll see… I wonder what the deadline to decide would become if we do get told 4/15 for our waitlists though. I imagine it’s still much quicker than having to decide for a regular acceptance, but id hope we would be given a week or two at least? Who knows.

Interested in doing this! Do you have any idea when we’d hear back with such a late deadline? I have decisions to make by 4/15 for my ms acceptance.

Anything that’s best for you is fair honestly! But the way I’d do it if you’re interested in accepting your new top choice right now, is that you email your waitlist saying sorry you’re accepting this offer instead of the waitlisted offers before they can kinda tell you you’re off it, so you don’t burn any bridges or feel like it. They can’t be mad if you already told them no. I think a fair medium between the two though if you still want to think about it is April 1st. That way, they can maybe move people off the waitlists and you will probably hear from the three other universities you’re waiting on by then.

So it seems like others for poetry on the draft are finally getting responses besides me with waitlists and rejections coming in for UTK. It does still make me a little confused though, like why it was only my waitlist released sooner and in a portal update when people got an email today? But they did get back to me today when I reached out earlier in the week expressing my interest to stay on the waitlist and my questions, so I am in fact waitlisted, but wondering why that happened! That was partly why. I emailed to make sure it wasn’t a mistake and express interest in staying on it. It was weird though. Especially only to me? Maybe it don’t matter and I’m looking too deep into it lol. But it was interesting that happened!

lol I get it I hope people can reject or accept soon for VCU for poetry. That or UTK. But I get it, a lot of people are still waiting and need time to make the right decision. Even if I got off the waitlist myself today at VCU I think I’d like to go visit first if I can (same for UTK I just expect to move off that one less since I was told I was high on the waitlist at VCU specifically.) I’m hoping I can know in early April but we will see. Best of luck to you!

Bit confused about my UTK waitlist. It seems like for fiction, people got a detailed email about what funding they’d get if they moved off and a more personal one and for me with poetry I just got a portal update. Do they do it that differently for genres? I’m also confused because I’m the only update for poetry right now on the spreadsheet lol. I thought a lot more people applied to UTK.

I got a UTK waitlist just now and a VCU waitlist. Fingers crossed for reals. Makes me feel like I have a chance just wonder if I should have applied to different schools lol. like what if my sample hit more at a school I never even applied to type deal?

I feel like that’s a different scenario for sure! If you have a pool of money your dad left you, it’s okay to pay then. I think it’s just not the usual scenario. For most people, they definitely should not pay. But if you have a trust fund—go ahead and pay! Hope you get in somewhere! Glad you have a fund, that’s honestly a great thing your dad did. I’m sorry for your loss though.

Maybe it’s not a large one to begin with? No idea

I got waitlisted at VCU! Apparently high up it / a finalist. Aaaaaaa. Questioning if I should have too much hope or not but it feels like validation regardless. I know some people get rejected and no waitlists at all. It makes me feel like I don’t suck like the 3 rejections made me feel like.

Anyone else apply to Rutgers-Camden and get the email about how decisions should be in a few weeks and also encouraged you to look into the MA program or is it just me? I’m feeling like it’s a generic email but it seems oddly specific.

I did for poetry! It seemed like a good program with the stuff you can do alongside class.

Me toooo! It’s one of my favorite options as well. Let me know if you hear anything.

I can go on a rant about this. I mean, in some ways I think dual enrollment is great. However, when you go through a depressive episode at 16 years old and fail classes it’s not supposed to haunt you since it’s supposed to be just high school. However, dual enrolled makes it not just high school! It haunts you going to grad school! Ugh. There should be a rule anything dual enrolled or even AP shouldn’t really have to stay on a students record permanently if it went bad. Like I have a 3.96 gpa at my actual university I hate that I have to worry about if they’ll care about my community college gpa from when I was 16. Years. Old. edit: that’s why I feel like they need to be more careful in a way about dual enrollment. I don’t feel like the consequences of me messing up were as heavily stated as they could be besides a bad grade.

It feels like in general the poets are…missing for many schools? I’m an applicant for poetry. I know they said there was an unusual lack of poets in the group this year, which could either be less poets applying in general or less would even know about the Facebook group. But even still, there’s still some poets in the group. I feel like poetry updates have just been missing though. It gives me anxiety because if I knew one poet got in and I didn’t get a call yet I could at least start accepting I got rejected or something but then there’s nothing. Same thing happened with no pitt interview indicated for poetry.

This does make me feel lucky my mom has been more of a “pessimist” in the sense of “you might not get into anywhere.” She still believes in me and thinks I have good credentials but seeing like 8-10 people max for most of these programs has her saying to me things like “well I don’t know…” which keeps me grounded lol.

Really? That’s interesting. Mine wanted other majors to show that 1. Anyone can write and be good at it so kinda encouraging and 2. Have a different perspective on writing. Like it’s good to have other subjects help tutor writing because expectations are way different. However it still mostly had majority English majors or Professional Writing working there just because who wanted to apply likely did these. But yeah, I don’t know they probably get thousands of applications who did exactly what I did to a tee, but not as many who do what you did. They might find that refreshing to see what you can bring that’s unique. I could have applied to more external lit mags but I do take pride in my university publications for sure. I was also editor-in-chief for 2 years. But I’m sure several here did something like that if their college had a lit mag so is it as unique as your science stuff? Not really.

I have no idea since this is my first cycle and everything and I’m following a pretty typical path (2 BAs in English & English: Professional Writing, worked at the writing center, did the college lit mag, did some articles, did academic English conferences, all what English majors are meant to do usually) so take my opinion with a grain of salt. But, it is possible to do a career change like this and still get in. Just like it’s possible for it to not happen if they feel like you don’t have enough former English education. one of my professors (not the same as the talent comment one) had a business degree in undergrad and then got an mfa. But he go an English MA first. If you don’t get in now, that’s something you could consider doing so you can gain those higher level English skills and have recommendations from an English department if you don’t have them naturally yet or even if you do. it might be something that hurts you at UTK since they have that specific requirement, but maybe they’ll find the career change a strength / interesting and want to take you on at a different school you applied to. Some schools really don’t care about your major at all.

I guess it’s meant to be encouraging, like you can do your dreams or something. But… gives me a complex now if I do end up teaching. Like I’m supposed to be “more” because “I don’t have to.” Also I don’t think I’m THAT good anyway to be egotistic enough about no teaching.

No idea really. I don’t think I agree lol. But he told me that freshman year when I was asking him about how best to become a professor. Like he said “I had to be a professor, you don’t. You’re too talented.” But what that really means, idk I think teachers need some talent themselves.