2020 Applicants Forum

[doe-ish]

Messages on the Iowa page keep disappearing so I feel totally deaf and blind. This is my first year applying to grad schools for poetry and I have been vibrating with fear for the last week. Anyone else scared about their chances? I know mine aren't great, I don't have any published work or anything and I can feel the rejection letter homing in on my mailbox... 

[Elirallo13]

why do i feel a michigan email coming in at exactly 5 pm

[Ydrl]

17 minutes ago, doe-ish said:

Messages on the Iowa page keep disappearing so I feel totally deaf and blind. This is my first year applying to grad schools for poetry and I have been vibrating with fear for the last week. Anyone else scared about their chances? I know mine aren't great, I don't have any published work or anything and I can feel the rejection letter homing in on my mailbox... 

Same here, I’ve been terrified of not getting in anywhere. A lot of people really had faith in me that I’d get in somewhere and so far it was faith misplaced. I also don’t have any publications, and I, somehow, timed my submissions so that I’m getting rejected by schools AND magazines at the same time.

I have a theory on the Iowa poetry acceptance though: Maybe it was an international person getting into the international program they have there. That would explain why we haven’t seen other acceptances for poetry.

[rbr542]

1 minute ago, Elirallo13 said:

why do i feel a michigan email coming in at exactly 5 pm

Think so? ....i was just about to wind down, stop waiting and hit the gym.

[WhoknewMFAweresointense]

2 hours ago, anarchisttiger said:

I feel so unbelievably naive in all this. I decided on a whim last June to apply, fully expecting to get accepted everywhere I applied. I mean, why not? I'm a good writer, have always been told I'm a good writer, and had a bit of success self-publishing a writing zine. As time wore on I realized how ignorant I was to have such lofty beliefs, but I still figured one or two acceptances. Now I'm expecting none. I simply didn't know what I was getting into -- much like your username suggests. I will probably try again next year though I'm not sure why I feel compelled to do so.

I understand 100% what you mean. And for a degree that was virtually nonexistent 20+ years ago it's kinda crazy how popular it has become and how small the offerings are.

[WhoknewMFAweresointense]

2 hours ago, Seraphina16 said:

I'm with you guys. This is my second round, but I think I've been even more anxious than my first. I've already had slightly better results (one waitlist so far, as opposed to all R's) but I feel like this is my last chance. I don't think I can handle another round.

Also, has anyone else had amplified "sunday scaries" since notification season started? I'm so terrified of Mondays now--I can just feel all the waves of notifications getting closer.

Sunday scariest. Very apt. I like it. Lol

[Elirallo13]

3 minutes ago, rbr542 said:

Think so? ....i was just about to wind down, stop waiting and hit the gym.

I'm not sure if they do things the same way for graduates, but when I was accepted for undergrad it was very much on the portal/emailed at 5 PM promptly.

[catkin]

@Ydrl I also submitted to poetry magazines around the same time as applications, and am also getting rejections just as app decisions are coming out. It’s a funny kind of bleakness. Oh well. 
 

This group is very helpful for insider knowledge, but I think it’s ultimately harmful to my mental wellbeing. I’m going to try and ignore my phone the rest of the day. Best of luck all. 

[rbr542]

5 minutes ago, Elirallo13 said:

I'm not sure if they do things the same way for graduates, but when I was accepted for undergrad it was very much on the portal/emailed at 5 PM promptly.

I believe the results came out very early in the morning last year, based on notes on the results board. I hope you are right though ! 

[WinterofmyDiscontent]

The next rejection I'm bracing for is Hopkins (The Writing Seminars). I'm still waiting to get into Draft. Anyone know anything about the Fiction decisions? I saw a couple rejections posted for Poetry back at the end of January. Haven't seen anything from Hopkins since. 

I'm dying. I feel all you people who have been told a million times by your friends and family that you're *sure* to get in to a program, when seriously it's the longest of long shots. 

[doe-ish]

15 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

Same here, I’ve been terrified of not getting in anywhere. A lot of people really had faith in me that I’d get in somewhere and so far it was faith misplaced. I also don’t have any publications, and I, somehow, timed my submissions so that I’m getting rejected by schools AND magazines at the same time.

I have a theory on the Iowa poetry acceptance though: Maybe it was an international person getting into the international program they have there. That would explain why we haven’t seen other acceptances for poetry.

Oh my gosh, stay strong! I can't imagine handling school and magazine feedback at the same time. I'm sure you'll hear something great soon, just keep at it!

I really hope you're right, because that would be a total comfort if it were true. I think the worst part of this whole process is just sitting and wondering how I stack up to other people being accepted to the same program. I'm extremely pleased for everyone who's getting positive feedback, because I know they've worked hard and they absolutely deserve to be admitted; I just wish I knew the size of the shoes I need to fill. 

[anarchisttiger]

1 minute ago, doe-ish said:

Oh my gosh, stay strong! I can't imagine handling school and magazine feedback at the same time. I'm sure you'll hear something great soon, just keep at it!

I really hope you're right, because that would be a total comfort if it were true. I think the worst part of this whole process is just sitting and wondering how I stack up to other people being accepted to the same program. I'm extremely pleased for everyone who's getting positive feedback, because I know they've worked hard and they absolutely deserve to be admitted; I just wish I knew the size of the shoes I need to fill. 

But that's just it! It's not about filling shoes of any size. It's about how your writing complements the cohort, and how all of it ties together. That is totally random and up to chance.

[doe-ish]

1 minute ago, anarchisttiger said:

But that's just it! It's not about filling shoes of any size. It's about how your writing complements the cohort, and how all of it ties together. That is totally random and up to chance.

You have a point and I wish I'd been thinking like that from that start. I guess because Iowa's program is considered to be a big deal, I've been feeling like in addition to strong writing, I need to have all this other stuff to make me seem "credible" (whatever that means. I'm not even sure if that's quite the word I'm looking for, but you get it). 

On another note, it feels great to finally talk to people who are going through the same stuff!

[SarahBuya]

I was accepted by Emerson and School of the Art Institute of Chicago today.

 

[rbr542]

Just now, SarahBuya said:

I was accepted by Emerson and School of the Art Institute of Chicago today.

 

That's wonderful, congratulations!!! ?

[SarahBuya]

Just now, rbr542 said:

That's wonderful, congratulations!!! ?

Thank you!

I definitely won't be attending SAIC. It's $106,000 for the program. 

[rbr542]

15 minutes ago, anarchisttiger said:

But that's just it! It's not about filling shoes of any size. It's about how your writing complements the cohort, and how all of it ties together. That is totally random and up to chance.

I feel like the 'how writing complements cohort' part is used as a tie breaker when there are multiple, equally qualified candidates, which is why you apply more than one place. But, still, i'd say how you stack up against fellow applicants is the primary filtering mechanism when you have 1000+ apps to get through in 2 months.....just my thoughts....

[rbr542]

1 minute ago, SarahBuya said:

Thank you!

I definitely won't be attending SAIC. It's $106,000 for the program. 

Damn! I love Chi-Town but srsly, 100 grand is a terribly high sum.

[SarahBuya]

4 minutes ago, rbr542 said:

Damn! I love Chi-Town but srsly, 100 grand is a terribly high sum.

Right?! It's insane.

[anarchisttiger]

9 minutes ago, rbr542 said:

I feel like the 'how writing complements cohort' part is used as a tie breaker when there are multiple, equally qualified candidates, which is why you apply more than one place. But, still, i'd say how you stack up against fellow applicants is the primary filtering mechanism when you have 1000+ apps to get through in 2 months.....just my thoughts....

I wonder what the preliminary filtering process is like.

[rbr542]

Just now, anarchisttiger said:

I wonder what the preliminary filtering process is like.

I'm guessing that they read the first story in each app and continue only if it interests them? similar to litmags? dunno, that part is shrouded in mystery.

[ReluctantGradCafePerson]

Been lurking on this topic for some time. Today is the day I officially feel that I've lost my mind, so here I am...posting just ffs. I need to know the results so I can enjoy my week. I am an older applicant and applied only to one program due to location/having a family to take care of -- CNF at NYU. I feel like I've found my people here. 

[Yesgirlstoo]

I got in at Iowa! I got a phone call from John D’Agata about half hour ago. Wowww! Full funded for 3 years!

[MFAhopeful57]

3 minutes ago, Yesgirlstoo said:

I got in at Iowa! I got a phone call from John D’Agata about half hour ago. Wowww! Full funded for 3 years!

Congrats!

[jen20]

4 minutes ago, Yesgirlstoo said:

I got in at Iowa! I got a phone call from John D’Agata about half hour ago. Wowww! Full funded for 3 years!

congrats,..great news...is it for poetry