2021 Applicants Forum

[qwer2]

Why are there two separate mfa forums? People like Mr Visser say they are checking 100 times a day, and that doubles their work. It can't be for anonymity. A bunch of people just outed their names on the other forum. 

[FairleyAlfy]

23 minutes ago, dreamx said:

Hey everyone! I figured I'd make an account to give myself something to do while waiting in limbo lol. Good luck everyone

Welcome! It's an excellent place to wait. What are you applying for? I wish you the best of luck!

[M-Lin]

19 minutes ago, qwer2 said:

Why are there two separate mfa forums? People like Mr Visser say they are checking 100 times a day, and that doubles their work. It can't be for anonymity. A bunch of people just outed their names on the other forum. 

Where is the other mfa forum? Also for creative writing? 

[dreamx]

2 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Welcome! It's an excellent place to wait. What are you applying for? I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you so much! Everyone here seems so kind and welcoming ? I applied to 5 different MFA programs for fiction (Michener, UVA, USF, UO, and Portland State) so I'm praying I get into one of them haha. I was originally on the clinical psych path but had a career crisis and decided to go for what I really wanted instead. Best of luck to you too!!

[M-Lin]

Everyday I make through the day to 6-7PM and then have a freakout - check every application portal! Of course nothing is there. 

I've never workshopped my short stories before (my writing and workshop experiences were mainly in screenwriting), so I signed up for Sackett Street's fiction workshop (starting Feb 15). Looking forward to that! Hopefully it will keep me productive and occupied. Has anyone here taken classes there before? 

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by M-Lin

[mrvisser]

21 minutes ago, qwer2 said:

Why are there two separate mfa forums? People like Mr Visser say they are checking 100 times a day, and that doubles their work. It can't be for anonymity. A bunch of people just outed their names on the other forum. 

Different kinds of conversation, and some people do value anonymity. Also, that number is hyperbole; I usually don't check this site more than 97 times in a given day.

[mrvisser]

5 minutes ago, M-Lin said:

Where is the other mfa forum? Also for creative writing? 

The Draft group on Facebook.

[qwer2]

11 minutes ago, M-Lin said:

Where is the other mfa forum? Also for creative writing? 

Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460423647532209

But the moderator there has to approve you, and people have posted on this forum that she can take weeks. I am not a fan of the moderator. She just posted to market her personal "one on one" lessons on how to apply to MFA programs. The forum has a rule against advertising commercial services and fund me's. 

[M-Lin]

10 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

The Draft group on Facebook.

Got it. Was totally confused! 

2 minutes ago, qwer2 said:

Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460423647532209

But the moderator there has to approve you, and people have posted on this forum that she can take weeks. I am not a fan of the moderator. She just posted to market her personal "one on one" lessons on how to apply to MFA programs. The forum has a rule against advertising commercial services and fund me's. 

Oooh I thought you meant on grad cafe, lol. 

I quit Draft. The stress there doesn't work for me (it's probably just me being too stressed and can't handle it.)

 

[mrvisser]

2 minutes ago, M-Lin said:

I quit Draft. The stress there doesn't work for me (it's probably just me being too stressed and can't handle it.)

 

I think that's definitely fair. For me I haven't yet reached the point of being stressed checking these sites; they've been more for looking at when I'm not doing anything. That being said, once people start mentioning my schools the blood pressure will rise a bit.

[funfettuccine]

21 minutes ago, M-Lin said:

Everyday I make through the day to 6-7PM and then have a freakout - check every application portal! Of course nothing is there. 

I've never workshopped my short stories before (my writing and workshop experiences were mainly in screenwriting), so I signed up for Sackett Street's fiction workshop (starting Feb 15). Looking forward to that! Hopefully it will keep me productive and occupied. Has anyone here taken classes there before? 

 

I am but a lurker here but have taken several classes at Sackett Street and enjoyed them all. Who's your instructor?

[FairleyAlfy]

41 minutes ago, dreamx said:

Thank you so much! Everyone here seems so kind and welcoming ? I applied to 5 different MFA programs for fiction (Michener, UVA, USF, UO, and Portland State) so I'm praying I get into one of them haha. I was originally on the clinical psych path but had a career crisis and decided to go for what I really wanted instead. Best of luck to you too!!

Yes! We have some super kind and supportive people here aside from a persistent troll that keeps making accounts only to be banned from the forum again....anyway, aside from that haha, it's a swell place to commiserate. I've heard good things about all those programs! I hope they get back to you soon!

[M-Lin]

1 hour ago, funfettuccine said:

I am but a lurker here but have taken several classes at Sackett Street and enjoyed them all. Who's your instructor?

Hi lurker fettuccine! I would love some insight on the instructor actually, because it's a writer I've not read. I was planning to check her out a little more before I officially sign up and pay. Her name is Courtney Mauk. If you have any knowledge of her or recommend any other instructor, please feel free to DM me, so we don't have to mention too many names here. That would totally destroy your lurker status! 

[Ydrl]

OMFG my mailed transcript for one of my colleges finally got processed at New Hampshire! My old college only does mail or fax (why?) and I was so stressed. I had a dream about it getting updated 2 weeks ago and was so disappointed that it wasn’t real. I’m grinning like an idiot for basically no reason.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Ydrl

[cosmictones]

12 hours ago, M-Lin said:

I quit Draft. The stress there doesn't work for me (it's probably just me being too stressed and can't handle it.)

 

I've reached peak bitchyness from constantly checking Draft and app statuses, Ohio State rejection, and nothing from Illinois or Boise. Last night my wife was like "are you going to be like this forever?" Damn I hope not.

[pattycat]

3 minutes ago, cosmictones said:

I've reached peak bitchyness from constantly checking Draft and app statuses, Ohio State rejection, and nothing from Illinois or Boise. Last night my wife was like "are you going to be like this forever?" Damn I hope not.

Same! My husband is ready to ban me from all digital devices. 

[jka0124]

14 hours ago, dreamx said:

Thank you so much! Everyone here seems so kind and welcoming ? I applied to 5 different MFA programs for fiction (Michener, UVA, USF, UO, and Portland State) so I'm praying I get into one of them haha. I was originally on the clinical psych path but had a career crisis and decided to go for what I really wanted instead. Best of luck to you too!!

Welcome! Good luck with your apps. Curious though: by USF, do you mean Florida or San Francisco? 

[Ophelias pansies]

Content Warning: This is gonna be a semi negative rant! I don't want to put bad energy in here but I feel like I'm singing the same tune to friends and family who don't really "get" this process like you guys do. 

I feel like my life revolves around hearing back from programs. I thought that the initial anxiety would be over by now but every time that I get an email it feels like the world is going to end. I know in my heart it's silly to think but I can't help but feel like if I don't get in I'm delusional for thinking that I actually had a chance in the first place. The imposter syndrome is hitting me really hard right now. My super intelligent friend who has gotten into competitive programs in another field helped me with applications and vice versa. She tells me that I need to calm down because the application is strong and there's nothing else that I can do. She's not a liar and she's nixed pages of my application before telling me that I've got a solid portfolio. She wouldn't lie. I know that. But, I have this awful feeling that everyone in my life is lying to me and that they secretly pity my misplaced hopefulness. It's silly but  I wish that I could physically follow my application and be a fly on the wall and hear why I wasn't chosen or why I will be chosen. I thought that physically preparing for my results would be the hardest part and waiting would be a welcome break. But, it's not the case at all. Is anyone else plagued with imposter syndrome? How are you dealing with it? 

[dreamx]

22 minutes ago, jka0124 said:

Welcome! Good luck with your apps. Curious though: by USF, do you mean Florida or San Francisco? 

Thank you, same to you!! And whoops, I meant University of San Fransisco. I forgot that South Florida had the same abbreviation aha 

[babypoet2k]

11 minutes ago, Ophelias pansies said:

Content Warning: This is gonna be a semi negative rant! I don't want to put bad energy in here but I feel like I'm singing the same tune to friends and family who don't really "get" this process like you guys do. 

I feel like my life revolves around hearing back from programs. I thought that the initial anxiety would be over by now but every time that I get an email it feels like the world is going to end. I know in my heart it's silly to think but I can't help but feel like if I don't get in I'm delusional for thinking that I actually had a chance in the first place. The imposter syndrome is hitting me really hard right now. My super intelligent friend who has gotten into competitive programs in another field helped me with applications and vice versa. She tells me that I need to calm down because the application is strong and there's nothing else that I can do. She's not a liar and she's nixed pages of my application before telling me that I've got a solid portfolio. She wouldn't lie. I know that. But, I have this awful feeling that everyone in my life is lying to me and that they secretly pity my misplaced hopefulness. It's silly but  I wish that I could physically follow my application and be a fly on the wall and hear why I wasn't chosen or why I will be chosen. I thought that physically preparing for my results would be the hardest part and waiting would be a welcome break. But, it's not the case at all. Is anyone else plagued with imposter syndrome? How are you dealing with it? 

ohhhh big time! i've honestly felt like ad comms are just going to laugh at my sample and at how silly i was for applying. but then i find some peace in the fact that this is something that has brought me so much joy, and even if the world is lying to me and i actually really suckand dont stand a chance, it still makes me happy. PLUS we're all allowed to suck at things. thats human

 honestly i've been finding ways to keep my hands occupied. that means basically anything that doesnt need me to sit in one place. its like physically running away from even the thought of this process. it's probably not going to work long term but i just need it to work until i hear back. 

 i could not tell you how you can deal with imposter syndrome except to show your work to strangers. i put it up on instagram and people whose work i really admired also liked mine. its easier to believe that you're good at what you do when strangers who have no agenda and nothing you can give them in return enjoy your work. but also do something tangible that you can see and hold in your hands instead of just writing on a screen. it helps, i promise.

 also i feel like if im about to get all rejections, it would be so much easier to deal if i got them all at once, like RIGHT NOW. why make us wait four months to tell us. but the world is the way it is so we must, must, must remember to breathe. it sucks rn but it'll be over so soon. 4 months may feel like a lifetime but its such a smol time. u got this!

❤️

 

[pattycat]

Just now, Ophelias pansies said:

Content Warning: This is gonna be a semi negative rant! I don't want to put bad energy in here but I feel like I'm singing the same tune to friends and family who don't really "get" this process like you guys do. 

I feel like my life revolves around hearing back from programs. I thought that the initial anxiety would be over by now but every time that I get an email it feels like the world is going to end. I know in my heart it's silly to think but I can't help but feel like if I don't get in I'm delusional for thinking that I actually had a chance in the first place. The imposter syndrome is hitting me really hard right now. My super intelligent friend who has gotten into competitive programs in another field helped me with applications and vice versa. She tells me that I need to calm down because the application is strong and there's nothing else that I can do. She's not a liar and she's nixed pages of my application before telling me that I've got a solid portfolio. She wouldn't lie. I know that. But, I have this awful feeling that everyone in my life is lying to me and that they secretly pity my misplaced hopefulness. It's silly but  I wish that I could physically follow my application and be a fly on the wall and hear why I wasn't chosen or why I will be chosen. I thought that physically preparing for my results would be the hardest part and waiting would be a welcome break. But, it's not the case at all. Is anyone else plagued with imposter syndrome? How are you dealing with it? 

I am going through this as well. I was feeling pretty great--well, anxious, but great--but then a few days ago I made the mistake of reading though the first piece in my writing sample. I could see a lot of its (quite sizable) flaws, and I now I feel certain that I'm destined for a full slate of rejections. I had a little pity party for myself that day (there were dirty martinis and carryout sushi involved) and then I started on a backup plan. I made a list of the schools I want to apply to next round and I made a list of goals to accomplish before next app season. I also started a new story, which I'm having to handwrite away from a computer and phone so that I stop checking my email the entire time. My husband and I have also decided that if I don't get in anywhere, we're still going to move somewhere different for a year (we're thinking Colorado Springs maybe?). I'm also trying really hard to read a ton by forcing myself to get through a chapter or short story before I'm allowed to check my email or gradcafe again. I'm also trying to find healthier ways to deal with the anxiety than just stress-clicking refresh--although admittedly I've been doing that all morning. I'm trying to exercise more, go on walks, listen to podcasts, watch movies (just rewatched Booksmart ? ), play Mario Kart with my kid. Basically I'm just doing anything I can to get through this and I'm being okay with not being okay. I'm giving myself some slack. So what if I don't get the laundry done this week (last week I literally paid someone to do it) and so what if I haven't started my novel yet and so what if I can't squeeze out more than a paragraph today. This is a really shitty time and people outside of this bubble don't really understand, but that's why we're here--so that we can at least have a sense that we're not alone in this.

[A Small Raven]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

OMFG my mailed transcript for one of my colleges finally got processed at New Hampshire! My old college only does mail or fax (why?) and I was so stressed. I had a dream about it getting updated 2 weeks ago and was so disappointed that it wasn’t real. I’m grinning like an idiot for basically no reason.

This is just a post where I'm going to rave about UNH. I did my undergrad there and absolutely loved it. The faculty really does care about their students, and I give total credit to one of the poetry teachers there, who inspired me to fall in love with poetry (before taking her class, I couldn't STAND poetry), and is basically the whole reason I want to be a professor.  I actually had her write a rec letter for my PhD applications this year. 

While I did my graduate studies elsewhere, I do know the UNH english department pretty well, so feel free to message me if you have any questions! 

[WolfMan]

I'm anxious because I'm proud of my writing sample and it makes me suspicious that there must be something wrong with it that I can't see. When I was in high school, whenever I thought I got an A on a test I would end up getting a B and whenever I thought I flat-out failed a test I'd end up getting an A. 

 

Weird paradox: feeling insecurity makes me feel secure. When I don't feel insecure, I feel even more insecure...if that makes any sense. 

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, Ophelias pansies said:

Content Warning: This is gonna be a semi negative rant! I don't want to put bad energy in here but I feel like I'm singing the same tune to friends and family who don't really "get" this process like you guys do. 

I feel like my life revolves around hearing back from programs. I thought that the initial anxiety would be over by now but every time that I get an email it feels like the world is going to end. I know in my heart it's silly to think but I can't help but feel like if I don't get in I'm delusional for thinking that I actually had a chance in the first place. The imposter syndrome is hitting me really hard right now. My super intelligent friend who has gotten into competitive programs in another field helped me with applications and vice versa. She tells me that I need to calm down because the application is strong and there's nothing else that I can do. She's not a liar and she's nixed pages of my application before telling me that I've got a solid portfolio. She wouldn't lie. I know that. But, I have this awful feeling that everyone in my life is lying to me and that they secretly pity my misplaced hopefulness. It's silly but  I wish that I could physically follow my application and be a fly on the wall and hear why I wasn't chosen or why I will be chosen. I thought that physically preparing for my results would be the hardest part and waiting would be a welcome break. But, it's not the case at all. Is anyone else plagued with imposter syndrome? How are you dealing with it? 

Honestly, this happened to me last year. I was constantly checking gradcafe every five minutes, I wasn’t concentrating on school, I was looking at my email waiting and waiting for something that never came.

When I got rejected from everywhere I attempted to...well...Anyway, I know the prospect of not getting in on the first try is scary, but I feel like I learned more from trying again and recovering from my disaster application season.

This probably won’t ease anyone’s anxiety (‘cause the majority of you are first time applicants if I’m correct), but take it from me. If all goes wrong this year, there is another year coming.

[qwer2]

2 hours ago, cosmictones said:

I've reached peak bitchyness from constantly checking Draft and app statuses, Ohio State rejection, and nothing from Illinois or Boise. Last night my wife was like "are you going to be like this forever?" Damn I hope not.

Cameron Diaz has a line in some movie. She looks at her boobs and says they are soggier than they ever were. Then she says "the worst they ever were and the best they will ever be again." The theme is life only gets worse. I know a lot of non-tenure track writing faculty who say life is a lot harder after the mfa stage than before. First, a community becomes less firm. It becomes hard to find someone to comment on your writing. Second, the odds of getting published are worse than the odds of getting in to Iowa. The odds of getting a tenure track job is even worse than the odds of getting published. Non-tenure track university teachers make about $60K/year, and those jobs are hard to get to. You've chosen a rough life life. Artists don't live easy.