Creative Writing MFA applicants forum 2019

[erich]

On 3/8/2019 at 8:35 PM, samden said:

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

I'm away from my home and wondered if the Application portal for uni Iowa would be updated? Or if anyone had any insight into how the onlie notification fuctions. At present mine still says 'Admission Decision: In Progress'. I'm wondering whether the application portal will be updated or not, or if anyone has an alternate notification, like 'Admission Decision: Finalised' etc. 

Edited March 17, 2019 by erich

[cruxclaire]

Anyone have any intel on whether UNLV and Boston have informed all accepted/waitlisted poetry applicants? I'm assuming rejection from both at this point.

[TB822]

Erich yo I should sign up for informed delivery from usps. It shows you scanned pics of the mail you’ve gotten. Also, perhaps consider emailing the program? 

[mfafiction2019]

I was accepted to UNLV for fiction last Friday via email. Don't know about poetry, but I saw on Draft that a couple of people got acceptance calls for CNF from UNLV. 

[jewhitta]

On 3/13/2019 at 5:38 PM, samden said:

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! 

I'm still waiting on Irvine too. I'm not in draft so I don't know about the one you saw, but I haven't seen acceptances posted anywhere else. Website says they'll notify by March 25, but it seems pretty unlikely that they would still be making offers this late :(

[samden]

4 hours ago, jewhitta said:

I'm still waiting on Irvine too. I'm not in draft so I don't know about the one you saw, but I haven't seen acceptances posted anywhere else. Website says they'll notify by March 25, but it seems pretty unlikely that they would still be making offers this late

I'm on Draft... lol So far only one person said that she was accepted early March. Two people have gotten rejections with handwritten notes that arrived this past week. Other than that no word yet. I agree with you that I doubt they would be making offers this late! Seems so odd that they wouldn't just send us outright rejections already!!!!   

[Eyal Cohen]

Hey, all. 

 

I recently got accepted into Columbia University's writing program, as well as The New School's writing program. I'm also on the waitlist to NYU's writing program (all three for nonfiction). I was wondering if anyone knows any alumni of the programs, or knows much about the programs, and could maybe help me make my decision. 

 

I'm sure everyone is occupied with their own process, but I would love to know more about the programs/areas/faculty/support, if anyone can help.

 

Thanks in advance!

[mjm7668]

I'm in pain here y'all. I'm trying to figure out what I'm gonna do for the next year, waiting to see if I make it off the waitlist and into Michener for poetry. I don't think there's a chance of me getting in but I don't understand why everyone wouldn't have accepted by now if they were notified a month and a half ago...so maybe someone is waiting to get in somewhere else off a waitlist just like I am waiting to get into Michener. I suppose I'll have to wait till April 15th... If anyone knows anyone who got accepted into Michener for poetry and might turn down let me know, this is killing me.

[feralgrad]

1 hour ago, mjm7668 said:

I'm in pain here y'all. I'm trying to figure out what I'm gonna do for the next year, waiting to see if I make it off the waitlist and into Michener for poetry. I don't think there's a chance of me getting in but I don't understand why everyone wouldn't have accepted by now if they were notified a month and a half ago...so maybe someone is waiting to get in somewhere else off a waitlist just like I am waiting to get into Michener. I suppose I'll have to wait till April 15th... If anyone knows anyone who got accepted into Michener for poetry and might turn down let me know, this is killing me.

Since people who apply to Michener usually apply to other top programs, I bet many accepted applicants are weighing multiple attractive offers. Do you know your place on the waitlist? If you're high up there's a good chance you'll end up getting admitted.

[mjm7668]

15 minutes ago, feralgrad said:

Since people who apply to Michener usually apply to other top programs, I bet many accepted applicants are weighing multiple attractive offers. Do you know your place on the waitlist? If you're high up there's a good chance you'll end up getting admitted.

I'm not sure about the waitlist, they couldn't tell me any information on it; but I feel like I am high up at least because the director of the program in his email (which I know wasn't a form email because he misspelled my name haha) said that he really admired my work and would love to have me there. I just really hope someone declines, this program is truly the dream and if not I'll have to do god knows what to do for the next year until I reapply places. Do you think it's a bad idea for me just to call back and just let them know I'm still interested? 

[feralgrad]

14 minutes ago, mjm7668 said:

I'm not sure about the waitlist, they couldn't tell me any information on it; but I feel like I am high up at least because the director of the program in his email (which I know wasn't a form email because he misspelled my name haha) said that he really admired my work and would love to have me there. I just really hope someone declines, this program is truly the dream and if not I'll have to do god knows what to do for the next year until I reapply places. Do you think it's a bad idea for me just to call back and just let them know I'm still interested? 

If you didn't respond to the diretor's email, then yes, I would reiterate your interest. If you already have, I don't think it's necessary. If they were cagey about the waitlist before, then it's probably a matter of departmental policy; calling again won't hurt your chances, but it's unlikely to get you more info.

That said, I agree that the program director's email is a good sign. I know people here treat waitlists as rejections, but I see them as proof the program /does/ want you. You may have to wait til after the 15th, but I wouldn't give up hope yet.

And I feel you. I have a lot of dread about the possibility of taking a year off and reapplying (I'm waiting on funding info from one program, and if they don't give me full funding I can't go to school this year). What's helped me in the meantime is working on/sending out my manuscripts. Taking a year off from school doesn't mean taking a year off from writing. You've obviously got talent, and if worse comes to worst you can continue building your portfolio and potentially getting some publications on your CV.

[thatstheend]

Hi all! Been lurking for a few weeks...I only applied to two schools on my first attempt applying to creative writing MFA programs and settled on Brooklyn College and Hunter College. I'm waitlisted at Brooklyn, but have not heard a peep from Hunter. Has anyone else?

 

Thanks! Looking forward to all of us being out of limbo

[hajrijek]

On 3/28/2019 at 5:22 PM, thatstheend said:

Hi all! Been lurking for a few weeks...I only applied to two schools on my first attempt applying to creative writing MFA programs and settled on Brooklyn College and Hunter College. I'm waitlisted at Brooklyn, but have not heard a peep from Hunter. Has anyone else?

 

Thanks! Looking forward to all of us being out of limbo

Hello! I also have not heard a word from Hunter and have been obsessively checking my emails. I see on the website that people who are shortlisted are usually contacted the last week of March (this past week), and those who are longlisted are contacted in the first week of April. But in other places, I have also read that they sometimes delay notification depending on the applicant pool. The wait has put me in an excruciating amount of mental pain. 

[thatstheend]

8 hours ago, hajrijek said:

Hello! I also have not heard a word from Hunter and have been obsessively checking my emails. I see on the website that people who are shortlisted are usually contacted the last week of March (this past week), and those who are longlisted are contacted in the first week of April. But in other places, I have also read that they sometimes delay notification depending on the applicant pool. The wait has put me in an excruciating amount of mental pain. 

Re: Hunter -- I just joined the draft on FB to see if anyone there has heard either and it would appear not. I keep checking the portal to see if the status has changed from submitted to rejected, but that hasn't turned up anything either. I just keep reminding myself that by this time next month we'll (probably) know everything! 

[narrativity itself]

I saw that someone was saying that Boise State was holding all their notifications till April 15.  Can anyone confirm this?

 

Thanks!

[feralgrad]

Finally got my rejection from VCU via snail mail. A bit disappointed, but I've been expecting it (and I only applied for the funding to begin with).

Good luck to those still waiting to hear back!

Edited April 1, 2019 by feralgrad

[hajrijek]

Just received an offer yesterday from Queens College! I am over the moon. 

Has anybody heard back from Boston or UC Riverside? What about Hunter College? I'm still waiting for these other schools before I make a decision.

I'm expecting no from the first two, but maybe there's a teensy glimmer of hope for Hunter? Is there still really no word yet? 

 

[mjm7668]

9 hours ago, hajrijek said:

Just received an offer yesterday from Queens College! I am over the moon. 

Has anybody heard back from Boston or UC Riverside? What about Hunter College? I'm still waiting for these other schools before I make a decision.

I'm expecting no from the first two, but maybe there's a teensy glimmer of hope for Hunter? Is there still really no word yet? 

 

My friend has heard back from riverside for poetry, and was waitlisted. 

Congrats on Queens College!

[thatstheend]

16 hours ago, hajrijek said:

Just received an offer yesterday from Queens College! I am over the moon. 

Has anybody heard back from Boston or UC Riverside? What about Hunter College? I'm still waiting for these other schools before I make a decision.

I'm expecting no from the first two, but maybe there's a teensy glimmer of hope for Hunter? Is there still really no word yet? 

 

Congrats on Queens College!

Two people have posted in the MFA Draft '19 group on facebook that they know of people who have either been accepted or waitlisted at Hunter. Not sure why we haven't been rejected yet if this is the case, but you're in good (?) company! 

 

 

[blueroses]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone on here has any additional insight into WWU and/or EWU MFA programs? Considering both. Please feel free to message me too! 

[hajrijek]

Thank you for the kind words and the updates @thatstheend & @mjm7668! 

[QuayQuay]

University of San Francisco or Portland State? Anyone hear anything about these programs? Insights much appreciated.

[mjm7668]

14 hours ago, QuayQuay said:

University of San Francisco or Portland State? Anyone hear anything about these programs? Insights much appreciated.

I can't tell you much about Portland State, but I can say this-- I would kill for an oppurtunity to work with D.A. Powell or Ari Banias at University of San Francisco! Jennifer Cheng & Micah Ballard too. They're all incredibly talented & I know from reading many interviews of Powell that he's a passionate and innovative teacher. 

If I don't get into Michener off the waitlist I'm about to move to Berkeley & and work on writing for another year before reapplying. The whole Bay Area--SF, Oakland, and Berkeley-- just has such a great writing community that I think that would be another benefit of U of SF. 

Good luck choosing!

Edited April 5, 2019 by mjm7668

[QuayQuay]

2 hours ago, mjm7668 said:

I can't tell you much about Portland State, but I can say this-- I would kill for an oppurtunity to work with D.A. Powell or Ari Banias at University of San Francisco! Jennifer Cheng & Micah Ballard too. They're all incredibly talented & I know from reading many interviews of Powell that he's a passionate and innovative teacher. 

If I don't get into Michener off the waitlist I'm about to move to Berkeley & and work on writing for another year before reapplying. The whole Bay Area--SF, Oakland, and Berkeley-- just has such a great writing community that I think that would be another benefit of U of SF. 

Good luck choosing!

Thank you so much! I agree that the professors and area are phenomenal (albeit expensive), obviously there are pluses and minuses of each program that I'm weighing. This is really helpful, I appreciate it ❤️ 

[mjm7668]

Well, only a week until April 15th. Good luck to all my other waitlisted people!