Solin

AHHHHH never give up and never settle!!! I got into my top program this week. So much gratitude and joy!!!!!! Thank you all for the camaraderie this cycle. Sending you all good wishes for your MFA journeys <3!

hi hi! Does anyone know if the U Mass Amherst cohort (poetry) is full, or if we can expect anymore waitlist movement? Ty in advance ❤️

I know the cohort is full, but do we know if there was any movement this year on the JHU poetry cohort? or did all accepted take their spot. Congrats to those who got in!

Hi hi! Just curious about how Letters of Continued Interest work? Is it something the program will ask for if you've been waitlisted, or is it a good idea to draft one and send it to any program you've been waitlisted to demonstrate a strong interest in the program? TY sending good luck wishes your way!!

I feel so awful having to decline an offer of admission. I had expressed that this school had been my top choice––and it was––but now after having considered it, I think my thinking has changed. The program only gave me a week to decide, and while I was pretty set on it at the beginning, my personal/financial circumstances have changed since the date I submitted my app. I'm rethinking the decision entirely. I would be moving across the country without a support system, guaranteed access to healthcare, or sufficient financial aid to live in a very expensive city. The program would only fully fund the second year if I get in state residency, but not the first year. I really wish they had given me longer than a week to consider the offer, i would have more time to plan out this commitment. As it stands, I can't confidently rush into a yes when so much in my personal life is at stake. The situation is making me feel like maybe I'm not willing to try hard enough to reach for my goals, and I'm scared of burning bridges with the faculty for saying it's my top choice and then turning down the offer, but no matter how I put it, the decision to go would not be viable for me. I just kind of felt like shouting this into the void for a sec, the deadline to accept/decline is tomorrow for me and I'm currently drafting up a very difficult email to send...

has anyone ever heard of someone withdrawing from a program before the semester starts if they get into their top choice off a waitlist? Is this something that can be done, or does it vary from institution to institution. I've tried searching it up but only find vague info and the possibility of losing a security deposit (which is fine by me as long as full tuition isn't owed).

Do we think NYU and Iowa Waitlists/rejections are coming out this week 0.0

Buh ToT this was much needed and you're so right!!! and yes, by the "digging myself into my own hole" I meant that I should have applied only to fully funded programs and concentrated my efforts there instead of just casting a wide net. I definitely am prepared to apply for another cycle if it means avoiding loans and more financial instability. I appreciate you sharing your experience and best of luck to you too!

Are there any Indigenous/Native writers in the chat? Sometimes it feels like we're a fraction of a fraction in these spaces and it's nice to feel community–– even if only digitally. Sending love to y'all ❤️

Yes, definitely agree on the not going into debt part! Thank you Ojo534

Has anyone hear of success stories in negotiating funding and how to go about it tactfully? I'm really struggling with whether or not I should negotiate my funding from Columbia and how much more *realistically* I should ask for. I've seen other people online claim that they've negotiated full tuition funding. On the other side of that coin, I've seen people talk about how Columbia offered them more to get them to sign on, only to not follow through. I haven't accepted the offer because of finances, but if there is something in my power that I can do rn to maybe get more funding, I'm willing to try just to say I really gave it my all. My professor warned me about how expensive Columbia is and how one of their colleagues is still paying off debt. Unfortunately, I'm stubborn and lacking fully developed pre-frontal cortex. I did not make very smart decisions this cycle and kinda dug myself into my own hole. If anyone can share any beacons of hope, or a very blunt (but needed) reality check, I'd much appreciate it atm. ❤️

Hey y'all, did anyone else apply to Oxford's Mst in creative writing? I saw a waitlist in the draft but haven't seen any other updates. The person that reported the waitlist also got an interview like a week after the application deadline... and I hate to be that person but part of me is skeptical that it's a real waitlist ToT. Is there anyone else that's gotten news. It's one of the last programs I need to hear back from so I'm wondering if I should just consider it a rejection

You're so right greenleaf, thank you! Best of luck to you and your MFA journey!

Same 😕 I'm preparing to reapply next year. I was really hoping to get into somewhere––and I did––but the funding is just not enough. I wish past me was more realistic about how much the programs I applied to cost, but c'est la vie. I guess on some level I kinda just thought it would work itself out (I would get a job and apply to scholarships etc), especially if I tried my best on my applications (very naive and unprepared I know I know). But now I'm realizing I don't want to have to work during my MFA just to be able to sustain myself and have access to health insurance :(. It's such a tough decision to turn down my offers, but at least I know what the process is like and how I can move forward for next cycle. The only thing worrying me is getting my recommenders to submit for me again. I feel a bit embarrassed asking them one more time. Is anyone else in a similar boat? The uncertain future is so scary.

Based on the spreadsheet, it looks like acceptances in fiction have been sent out for NYU and iowa. I dont see Brown fiction on spreadsheet so I can't say for sure if they have/have not been sent out.