2021 Applicants Forum

[spacedumpster]

4 hours ago, mrvisser said:

I think—for me, at least—it's really easy in hindsight to ask why one didn't apply to other schools, especially once acceptances roll in. I see how excited people are and I think, I could have gotten in and I should have tried! Like, why did I end up not applying to Indiana and choosing to apply to Ole Miss? I'm happy about applying to Ole Miss, but at this point I can't remember how I narrowed it into my list of seven. Which is why I'm also going down the 20-something applications route for next year if this year doesn't work out. 

Agh, unrelated tangent: I'm currently staying a few days at the Oregon Coast (in an isolated, COVID-safe manner), and I thought it would be a nice way to distract myself from MFA stuff, and at times it is, but I walk around and look at Victorian houses and oceanside cliffs and it all just brings me back to writing. Goddammit.  

You didn't miss out on anything by not applying to Indiana. Trust me. 

Where about are you on the coast? If it's bringing you back to writing, go look at that big dumb rock from The Goonies, get some taffy, and write a dang masterpiece!

Interesting observation that I should definitely work into my writing-- every beach town I've been to has a particularly weird uniformity and, like, sterility at the surface. Great Lakes, Northeast, West Coast, doesn't matter. There's something spooky there.

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by spacedumpster

[pattycat]

18 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Ah, shit, looks like a Florida State acceptance went out. I know there are a lot of people here who applied to Florida schools.

Welp.

[Greithe]

59 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

The person who got in said FSU this year received twice as many applicants as normal.

Oh dear. Sleepless night ahead for me! Pattycat, I hope they're not finished the phone calls yet. Who knows?

With so many schools reporting earlier than they did last year, I had dared to hope the opposite was true - that the competition would be less fierce this year somehow, with fewer applicants. My head knew better, but my heart was a fool.

[mrvisser]

1 hour ago, spacedumpster said:

Where about are you on the coast? If it's bringing you back to writing, go look at that big dumb rock from The Goonies, get some taffy, and write a dang masterpiece!

Interesting observation that I should definitely work into my writing-- every beach town I've been to has a particularly weird uniformity and, like, sterility at the surface. Great Lakes, Northeast, West Coast, doesn't matter. There's something spooky there.

 

In Astoria, so actually the Goonies town, but Haystack Rock is down south quite a ways. I came here a bit growing up, but it's been a while. Lovely place, really. The Airbnb I'm in is a beautiful old Victorian house, so it's been great for reading Joyce and working on the novel.

And yes, my brother has always referred to "beach people." Astoria is different, but most of Oregon's coastal towns have something a little off about them.

[Yellow62]

2 hours ago, mrvisser said:

The person who got in said FSU this year received twice as many applicants as normal.

I expect this to be about the situation for most programs. Buckle up, everyone, and good luck. We're all in it together. 

[BrandonM]

2 hours ago, spacedumpster said:

You didn't miss out on anything by not applying to Indiana. Trust me. 

Where about are you on the coast? If it's bringing you back to writing, go look at that big dumb rock from The Goonies, get some taffy, and write a dang masterpiece!

Interesting observation that I should definitely work into my writing-- every beach town I've been to has a particularly weird uniformity and, like, sterility at the surface. Great Lakes, Northeast, West Coast, doesn't matter. There's something spooky there.

 

Hi @spacedumpster! I applied to Indiana this round and I am wondering what you know/have heard about the program? Have people had bad experiences there? Just curious.

[spacedumpster]

13 minutes ago, BrandonM said:

Hi @spacedumpster! I applied to Indiana this round and I am wondering what you know/have heard about the program? Have people had bad experiences there? Just curious.

Haha, nah I don't know anything about the program--just a longtime denizen of the void of corn and soy who loves to trash the motherland. I'm sure it's a fine school! There's a professor of photography in their fine art department of whom I'm particularly fond, in fact. I'm just ready to GTFO out of Ohio. ?

Edited February 4, 2021 by spacedumpster

[pattycat]

2 hours ago, Greithe said:

Oh dear. Sleepless night ahead for me! Pattycat, I hope they're not finished the phone calls yet. Who knows?

It's possible. Historically, though, they've done all fiction acceptances in the same day. ?

I already feel out to be honest. All my programs are such long shots.

 

[Starbuck420]

5 hours ago, mrvisser said:

The person who got in said FSU this year received twice as many applicants as normal.

makes sense, I guess, and this is certainly what we've all been told to expect this year, but it's interesting to me because Illinois (the only other school to release this info yet, afaik) reported many fewer applications than usual. ofc, the sample size is currently 2 so it's possible Illinois is just an anomaly, but it's also possible that the ruined economy is wreaking havoc with the numbers, rather than increasing the number of applications all across the board. but, again, too early to tell

Edited February 4, 2021 by Starbuck420
edit: confusing typo

[CayceCamus]

1 hour ago, pattycat said:

It's possible. Historically, though, they've done all fiction acceptances in the same day. ?

I already feel out to be honest. All my programs are such long shots.

 

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

[sylviaplate]

To anybody that applied to Houston or WashU - did you receive login info for a school-specific application portal? Looking through my emails / submission verifications, all I have for these schools are the applyweb portal links.

[mrvisser]

1 hour ago, sylviaplate said:

To anybody that applied to Houston or WashU - did you receive login info for a school-specific application portal? Looking through my emails / submission verifications, all I have for these schools are the applyweb portal links.

I applied to WashU and I think I only have the applyweb portal.

[gustav3]

10 hours ago, eternalwhitenights said:

You did great. You've got this. You're going to be okay, promise. ❤️

 

3 hours ago, CayceCamus said:

We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

eternalwhitenights, consider a more fact/evidence based attempt to reassure. CayceCamus's post is a little more fact based. Everyone knows Shakespeare's poem on this:

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130)

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
     And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
     As any she belied with false compare.

[eternalwhitenights]

2 minutes ago, gustav3 said:

 

eternalwhitenights, consider a more fact/evidence based attempt to reassure. CayceCamus's post is a little more fact based. Everyone knows Shakespeare's poem on this:

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130)

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
     And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
     As any she belied with false compare.

Umm....huh? Lol. 

[jujubee]

3 hours ago, sylviaplate said:

To anybody that applied to Houston or WashU - did you receive login info for a school-specific application portal? Looking through my emails / submission verifications, all I have for these schools are the applyweb portal links.

Houston applicant here. I only have Applyweb, too.

Sucks to be officially rejected by Berkeley and have an implied rejection by FSU (PhD Poetry). Still, the others are right @pattycat, it's too early to tell. As long as you don't have that rejection letter, don't lose hope. It's a wild season but as a writer, you know anything's possible! 

Meanwhile, let me do some day drinking to ease the pain haha

Edited February 4, 2021 by jujubee

[pattycat]

9 hours ago, Starbuck420 said:

makes sense, I guess, and this is certainly what we've all been told to expect this year, but it's interesting to me because Illinois (the only other school to release this info yet, afaik) reported many fewer applications than usual. ofc, the sample size is currently 2 so it's possible Illinois is just an anomaly, but it's also possible that the ruined economy is wreaking havoc with the numbers, rather than increasing the number of applications all across the board. but, again, too early to tell

I also wonder if it's because FSU's app fee is only $30 and it had a late deadline. Makes it an easy add-on for someone already applying other places.

[pattycat]

9 hours ago, CayceCamus said:

Don't put yourself down! We have heard of a few alleged acceptances, but those in no way correlate to every school rejecting you, not even close! We are so early in the season and universities are sluggish places. We still got acceptances, wait lists, and then maybe some rejections ahead. Nothing is set in stone yet! ☺️

Thanks for the encouragement! Just preparing myself. But I know...it's not over till the parking lot's empty.

[pattycat]

5 hours ago, jujubee said:

Sucks to be officially rejected by Berkeley and have an implied rejection by FSU (PhD Poetry). Still, the others are right @pattycat, it's too early to tell. As long as you don't have that rejection letter, don't lose hope. It's a wild season but as a writer, you know anything's possible! 

So sorry about the rejections! And you're right, it's too early to tell. Who knows what could happen. 

5 hours ago, jujubee said:

Meanwhile, let me do some day drinking to ease the pain haha

I'm strictly a night drinker, but I'm right there with you!

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, pattycat said:

 

I'm strictly a night drinker, but I'm right there with you!

I would either day or night drink but I’m on too many meds that’ll kill me if I do so hard pass. I’ll drink some Welches though. Who wants some grape juice?

[Botanica]

10 hours ago, sylviaplate said:

To anybody that applied to Houston or WashU - did you receive login info for a school-specific application portal? Looking through my emails / submission verifications, all I have for these schools are the applyweb portal links.

Hi! I applied to WashU as well and only have the applyweb link. 

[Ophelias pansies]

Anyone who applied to Helen Zell (Michigan,Ann Arbor) the "How to Apply" page updated and said that decisions will be made in early March! Hope this eases some February nerves! 

[tippybug]

13 hours ago, pattycat said:

It's possible. Historically, though, they've done all fiction acceptances in the same day. ?

I already feel out to be honest. All my programs are such long shots.

 

My fingers are crossed for you!! Keep your head up. I hope you hear lots of acceptances soon ❤️

[tippybug]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

I would either day or night drink but I’m on too many meds that’ll kill me if I do so hard pass. I’ll drink some Welches though. Who wants some grape juice?

What about smoking a fat doink? That's whats been keeping me going hehehe....

[pattycat]

1 minute ago, tippybug said:

My fingers are crossed for you!! Keep your head up. I hope you hear lots of acceptances soon ❤️

Me too! And thank you!

 

[pattycat]

14 hours ago, spacedumpster said:

Haha, nah I don't know anything about the program--just a longtime denizen of the void of corn and soy who loves to trash the motherland. I'm sure it's a fine school!

Ha! I grew up in Indiana and most of my writing is set there. And yes, it is full of mostly corn, soybeans, and despair. 

I lived in Bloomington for three years, though, and it is actually quite a lovely town. There's a Burmese restaurant there that I always stop at when I'm in the area and IU campus is gorgeous.

Edited February 4, 2021 by pattycat
typo