slothgirl

So I think I biffed the negotiating thing. I asked if they could consider me for funding if anyone turns theirs down but now I'm thinking I should have been more blunt. I write a mix but I would say my fiction is mostly realist with hints of speculative. Some could call it contemporary weird. I honestly thing Sarah Lawrence would probably be more encouraging to my writing but the resources at Columbia are hard to ignore. Ugh thank you.

Thank you! This is helpful

Hi Everyone! Sorry in advance for treating this forum like my personal pro/con list but if anyone can help me out I would LOVE advice. No one I know is in this field or anything like it so GradCafe is my source of truth sadly lmao. I'm deciding between Sarah Lawrence and Columbia. I didn't get into NYU, and I had to pick a New York school. Regardless I am very excited about both of these acceptances! (And yes I know, they aren't "top tier") Neither will cause me to take out loans as I'm paying with my deceased parent's assets but Columbia is double the cost of Sarah Lawrence so I would have to pull from my savings as well if I picked Columbia. My goals for the MFA is to have two years to focus on my writing, work on becoming a novelist (isn't that everyone's dream lol), and possibly pivot into being a literary agent or go into publishing. Does anyone have thoughts? I feel like I should pick Sarah Lawrence just based on cost but does that change knowing I won't actually be taking out loans?

got it that makes sense!! For more context and probably TMI my dad passed away and I found out he left me an education fund I could utilize. I have to be in NYC and want to get my MFA but am getting a little bogged down with all the "Don't pay for an MFA" sentiments

Hi everyone! We hear it all the time: don’t pay for an MFA program. I know a big reason for this because there’s sometimes a hierarchy for those who did receive full funding. However, does this still hold true in a private program where no one has received a large funding package like Sarah Lawrence? I need to be near New York but really want to do my MFA and am interested in Sarah Lawrence’s speculative fiction program… any thoughts/words of encouragement (or discouragement) are so appreciated❤️

just got the call I got in!

the one I had was very straight forward: What do you write about, why do you want to get your MFA and why here, what do you struggle with when you write

you too! I'll let you know if I hear anything ❤️

did anyone apply/hear back from Pratt? I had an interview but haven't heard anything since