Any Columbia fiction MFA alumni? Did you like the program?

[emss]

I'm heavily debating accepting an offer at Columbia -- it was my first choice despite the cost because I like the faculty and NYC, and I really like how often/successfully alumni seem to publish. Every day, though, it seems like someone else has something awful to say about the program. Mostly, I just want to know if it's worth it, or if I should apply again/take a chance on the two waitlists I have at Helen Zell & NYU. Are there any grads of the Columbia program who feel it was worth it/not worth it? Why? I don't love the idea of reapplying, and honestly, I don't love the idea of going to Helen Zell even if I do get moved up. But I don't want to go $100k in debt for a bad program, either. 

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by emss

[feralgrad]

While I'm not a Columbia graduate, I would seriously advise against taking on 100k in debt. Even if you manage to publish (by no means a guarantee in this market), that will take decades to pay off. I don't want to sound preachy, and I'm sure you've heard this, but I think for many students that amount of debt is hard to conceptualize. It wasn't until I used the FAFSA loan repayment calculator that I decided it wasn't worth it to go 50k into debt for a program I really liked. It was going to take me about $200 a month to pay it off in ten years -- a serious financial commitment for a degree that is unlikely to increase my earning power. Moreover, I live in an expensive East Coast city, so if I ended up working in a coffee shop that debt would be a nearly unmanageable burden. I've decided I will only take fully-funded offers, even though I may end up reapplying next year as a result. Your circumstances are probably different from mine, but these are all factors to consider.

Some questions to think about, if you haven't already: Do you feel confident you could fully enjoy/succeed in the program with that much financial stress? How will you feel if your degree didn't lead to a writing career? It's common for people to end up working non-literary jobs due to the pressure of debt. In my research, I've found that the people who most regret getting an MFA are those who took out loans and ended up forced to take an office/retail job to repay them.

Lastly, I've heard that Columbia's incredibly competitive/limited funding creates tension in the cohort between funded and unfunded students. I imagine it's uncomfortable to share a creative space with someone who's not paying for the degree, while you're on the hook for six figures.

Again, I hope that's not preachy. I just wanted to weigh in because I faced a similar decision this year.

[emss]

1 hour ago, feralgrad said:

While I'm not a Columbia graduate, I would seriously advise against taking on 100k in debt. Even if you manage to publish (by no means a guarantee in this market), that will take decades to pay off. I don't want to sound preachy, and I'm sure you've heard this, but I think for many students that amount of debt is hard to conceptualize. It wasn't until I used the FAFSA loan repayment calculator that I decided it wasn't worth it to go 50k into debt for a program I really liked. It was going to take me about $200 a month to pay it off in ten years -- a serious financial commitment for a degree that is unlikely to increase my earning power. Moreover, I live in an expensive East Coast city, so if I ended up working in a coffee shop that debt would be a nearly unmanageable burden. I've decided I will only take fully-funded offers, even though I may end up reapplying next year as a result. Your circumstances are probably different from mine, but these are all factors to consider.

Some questions to think about, if you haven't already: Do you feel confident you could fully enjoy/succeed in the program with that much financial stress? How will you feel if your degree didn't lead to a writing career? It's common for people to end up working non-literary jobs due to the pressure of debt. In my research, I've found that the people who most regret getting an MFA are those who took out loans and ended up forced to take an office/retail job to repay them.

Lastly, I've heard that Columbia's incredibly competitive/limited funding creates tension in the cohort between funded and unfunded students. I imagine it's uncomfortable to share a creative space with someone who's not paying for the degree, while you're on the hook for six figures.

Again, I hope that's not preachy. I just wanted to weigh in because I faced a similar decision this year.

Not preachy! Honestly, it's comforting to hear someone else is kind of in the same boat, even though the boat sucks and also is sinking! I hope your re-apps turn out well if that's the route you go. 

That FAFSA repayment calculator is brutal. I think I needed a dose of reality here, so thank you. I don't mind competition in a cohort, so I think I might hold off and learn more about the competitive tuition remission assistantships. I have some teaching experience, so if I can swing that, no way am I going through apps again. 

tl;dr you're right: even NYC, Paris Review, Beatty, Lipsyte, and the 1/100000 chance I'm the next Emma Cline aren't worth debt until I'm literally 45. 

[feralgrad]

11 minutes ago, emss said:

Not preachy! Honestly, it's comforting to hear someone else is kind of in the same boat, even though the boat sucks and also is sinking! I hope your re-apps turn out well if that's the route you go. 

That FAFSA repayment calculator is brutal. I think I needed a dose of reality here, so thank you. I don't mind competition in a cohort, so I think I might hold off and learn more about the competitive tuition remission assistantships. I have some teaching experience, so if I can swing that, no way am I going through apps again. 

tl;dr you're right: even NYC, Paris Review, Beatty, Lipsyte, and the 1/100000 chance I'm the next Emma Cline aren't worth debt until I'm literally 45. 

I'm glad my thoughts were helpful! I know it's hard to resist the idea of 2-3 years dedicated to creativity, while decades of debt feels so nebulous. 

I hope your waitlists come through as well. If not, you can feel proud that you impressed some very competitive programs. Whatever happens, this isn't the end of the road for either of us. We can continue to write and send out manuscripts. We can also find a creative community on our own (especially with the help of the Internet). The MFA is one path to success, but it's not the best way for everyone.

[clvlndrx]

I made the very difficult decision last year not to attend Columbia because the debt for a writing degree was unfathomable. I know people who did the program and are struggling with their debt. My recommenders advised against going. One professor called it a degree mill. I waited a year, took a class through Sackett Street, reapplied. I'm much happier with an offer from NYU.

Edited April 1, 2019 by clvlndrx

[feralgrad]

2 hours ago, clvlndrx said:

One professor called it a degree mill.

I've heard similar things about Columbia. They don't post their acceptance rate as far as I know, but I've heard it's high since many accepted students choose not to attend due to cost. I'd wager the programs you got waitlisted at are more competitive than Columbia -- which should still be encouraging, since the difference between a waitlist and an acceptance is usually fit, not applicant quality.