Creative Writing MFA applicants forum 2019

[TB822]

On 2/12/2019 at 7:19 AM, K8* said:

Just sent in a request to ANGST. I didn't even look at Draft, seemed like a horror. I only applied to four schools, all within NYC (NYU, New School, Hunter, and Brooklyn College). Haven't heard anything yet. I think NYU is starting acceptances soon, but don't know. This is my first tentative toe in the water as far as grad school-- I've been out of undergrad for a few years. I'd always intended to go for playwriting, but fiction keeps forcibly dragging me back into its sticky clutches. So here I am. Best of luck to everyone !

Hey there. Just out of curiousity, since you have been out of school for a while, did you have trouble getting letters of recommendation from your old professors? I’m asking because if I don’t get in this round, I will probably take a year off to “hone my craft.”

Edited February 28, 2019 by TB717

[wheeeeeeeeee]

10 hours ago, TB822 said:

Hey there. Just out of curiousity, since you have been out of school for a while, did you have trouble getting letters of recommendation from your old professors? I’m asking because if I don’t get in this round, I will probably take a year off to “hone my craft.”

I’ve been out of undergrad for almost ten years. I just had my work colleagues write recommendations for me. Didn’t sweat too much on this portion of my apps.

[vesperis]

I read a few posts that said Iowa has been making "calls", do they not send an email? And has anyone actually gotten a call? I haven't heard a peep, but am living out of the country and don't entirely trust my phone. 

I applied in Poetry to 12 schools, still waiting to hear from most. Have gotten a rejection from Colorado State University.

I have been accepted to 

CalArts

The New School

Portland State

and have an interview scheduled with Bard

[Conure]

If it helps: last year, I got rejected from Iowa and didn't get my rejection letter in the mail until mid-March or so. 

[wheeeeeeeeee]

George Mason just sent out their acceptances via email. Not sure if this applies to all decisions.

 

Wasn’t expecting any weekend notifications, but here we are.

[TB822]

Has anyone heard back from UC Riverside or UC Irvine?

[wheeeeeeeeee]

Something to help alleviate the tension of waiting: https://draftmemes.tumblr.com/

[Conure]

This one hurt real good.

[Ckoh]

Hi! I am currently at an MFA program in Creative Writing at Roosevelt University in Chicago. I like the program and I like that even though I'm in fiction I can workshop in nonfiction too. I possibly can go to The New School in New York for MFA in Nonfiction, but I wouldn't be able to transfer or work in nonfiction for workshop only literature classes. It's less credits at The New School and I would like to move to New York, but I am nervous about leaving my program. Anyone know about the program at The New School? I've read some not so great reviews, but they were old. I'd love to know more! 

[samden]

Just received a rejection letter from Iowa, for anyone who's interested. 

[Conure]

So I just got my first waitlist, and honestly, it's kind of way more frustrating than an outright rejection, haha. I think I already have an idea of where I'm ending up, but not having answers makes me so anxious.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Conure

[mjm7668]

Well I've been rejected almost everywhere...still waiting on Brown and NYU (though they've already sent out acceptances so...). HOWEVER, I did get waitlisted for Michener which is completely wild. Does anyone know how the waitlist works-- I'm a poetry applicant, so does a poetry admit have to decline in order for me to get accepted? Or is the waitlist rated regardless of genre and the next person gets admitted regardless of the genre the declinee (shouts out to english majors making up words) applied in? Thanks for any info!

[Conure]

1 hour ago, mjm7668 said:

Well I've been rejected almost everywhere...still waiting on Brown and NYU (though they've already sent out acceptances so...). HOWEVER, I did get waitlisted for Michener which is completely wild. Does anyone know how the waitlist works-- I'm a poetry applicant, so does a poetry admit have to decline in order for me to get accepted? Or is the waitlist rated regardless of genre and the next person gets admitted regardless of the genre the declinee (shouts out to english majors making up words) applied in? Thanks for any info!

I'm still waiting on Brown too, of course anticipating a rejection haha. I am pretty much set on the program that has already accepted me, so that's okay.

 

It's quite impressive to be waitlisted at Michener, so congrats!  But yeah, I imagine you would see movement in the waitlist, and thus potentially be given a place in the cohort, if another poet turns down their offer. I am not sure how their waitlist is ranked or if it is ranked at all--each program handles that differently. But since I imagine they have a certain number of poets and fiction writers in mind per class, you really only have to worry about the poetry waitlist and not the entire waitlist. Good luck!

[OrchidBlossom]

I am also waiting on Brown and NYU. When would it be appropriate to reach out for a status update? I've already been accepted to a few programs, including one abroad and I need to start the visa process soon if I decide to accept that program, but I want to wait on all my responses before I decide. 

 

Or should I just keep waiting on bated breath? 

[feralgrad]

Found out yesterday that I got waitlisted for funding at one of three places that accepted me. The others (American and GMU) haven't told me anything about funding. Trying to get comfortable with the possibility of turning them down and trying again next year...

Meanwhile, VCU hasn't told me anything, and I see a couple people got wait list notifications today.

I feel so close to success, yet so far...

[feralgrad]

1 hour ago, OrchidBlossom said:

I am also waiting on Brown and NYU. When would it be appropriate to reach out for a status update? I've already been accepted to a few programs, including one abroad and I need to start the visa process soon if I decide to accept that program, but I want to wait on all my responses before I decide. 

 

Or should I just keep waiting on bated breath? 

I see nothing wrong with sending a quick, polite email. You could say that you're really excited about their programs, but you need to start preparing for next year. Some schools are cagey about the wait list, but others will tell you your position and the likelihood of getting admission. It seems worth a shot.

[Chamonix]

Has anyone ever emailed a grad program to ask them when they expect to send out results? I've emailed the admissions office and they told me that I'm still in the game and that I should perhaps contact the program director? I don't know, though. Not sure about the etiquette. I am sort of in a time pickle (I need to send in my reply to a few programs I got into, one of them fully funded), yet I'm still waiting on my favorite program to say yea or nay, and I just don't know what to do. 

Edited March 13, 2019 by Chamonix

[K8*]

On 2/28/2019 at 2:26 AM, TB822 said:

Hey there. Just out of curiousity, since you have been out of school for a while, did you have trouble getting letters of recommendation from your old professors? I’m asking because if I don’t get in this round, I will probably take a year off to “hone my craft.”

Sorry for the delayed response! I didn't realize grad cafe had signed me out so I wasn't getting notifications. As to your question: yes and no. I had one professor never respond which was both very surprising and kind of typical for her, but otherwise I received extremely positive and fairly quick responses from other professors I reached out to. I have, to some extent, kept up with some of my old professors (we're friends on Facebook etc), so I don't know if that makes a difference, but I also think they understand how this works and are pretty willing to help out. 

Hope that helps! 
 

[K8*]

23 hours ago, OrchidBlossom said:

I am also waiting on Brown and NYU. When would it be appropriate to reach out for a status update? I've already been accepted to a few programs, including one abroad and I need to start the visa process soon if I decide to accept that program, but I want to wait on all my responses before I decide. 

 

Or should I just keep waiting on bated breath? 

Someone on the results board said they heard waitlist and rejections for NYU will go out end of March, if that helps. But if you need to start the visa process, I think it would be very appropriate to call. That said, I've seen people be left on the NYU waitlist until summer, so that's an entirely other issue. 

[samden]

Has anyone heard anything from the UC Irvine fiction program? I saw on draft that one person has received an acceptance call a few days ago. I haven't heard anything since. Thanks! 

[feralgrad]

On 3/12/2019 at 9:53 PM, Chamonix said:

Has anyone ever emailed a grad program to ask them when they expect to send out results? I've emailed the admissions office and they told me that I'm still in the game and that I should perhaps contact the program director? I don't know, though. Not sure about the etiquette. I am sort of in a time pickle (I need to send in my reply to a few programs I got into, one of them fully funded), yet I'm still waiting on my favorite program to say yea or nay, and I just don't know what to do. 

Politely tell them what you told us: that you're excited about the program, but you're weighing other offers. That said, it seems like most acceptances have already come out. While your chances aren't zero, I would be planning to go somewhere else.

[OrchidBlossom]

On 3/12/2019 at 9:53 PM, Chamonix said:

Has anyone ever emailed a grad program to ask them when they expect to send out results? I've emailed the admissions office and they told me that I'm still in the game and that I should perhaps contact the program director? I don't know, though. Not sure about the etiquette. I am sort of in a time pickle (I need to send in my reply to a few programs I got into, one of them fully funded), yet I'm still waiting on my favorite program to say yea or nay, and I just don't know what to do. 

Have a similar issue: emailed BU (per my above predicament) and was basically told I'm still in the game but not given an answer. Am hopeful that it'll at least expedite the review process? Just gonna refresh my email 1 to 15 times per minute. 

[feralgrad]

Has anyone heard from GMU regarding fellowships? I emailed the program director and he said they'd send out decisions "by April 8th, hopefully sooner." That seems awfully late, and I'm wondering if they've already sent out a first round of offers.

[Harissa]

I got into VCU and know they have finished with poetry acceptances and waitlists. I also got into BU and NYU. The former seems to be accepting a couple people at a time for poetry (they accepted me and someone else a month ago), the latter has already sent out all poetry acceptances. I am dyiiingggg waiting for Iowa poetry. Does anyone know if not hearing back by now means a rejection for poetry?

[TB822]

Did anyone hère apply to Cal State Long Beach? Still waiting on them and need to make a decision on another program that’s out of state