2021 Applicants Forum

[Yellow62]

6 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

I hope we hear news on Monday. I’ll be out with my friends for a good portion of the day, but I’ll definitely be using Starbucks WiFi to check the websites.

I feel this. Two weeks ago felt like a burst of movement regarding notifications, and then last week felt like a relative lull. Especially considering I'm still waiting to hear from 6 schools, I need another notification adrenaline rush. I'm peak stir-crazy rn. 

[woweezowee]

1 hour ago, Queen Gertrude II said:

Here is why I would never do a low res program. John Hopkins has an MFA and a Low Res MFA. 

*Johns Hopkins

[anna23]

hey everyone! hope you're all hanging in there. I'm still waiting to hear back from 3 schools and like a couple other people on here, I've only heard back from 1 so far! wishing everyone luck and hope everyone is ready for the week ahead! ?

[panglosian]

On 3/6/2021 at 2:44 PM, kraftyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy said:

I am zooming with them on Thursday - also happy to ask, if you haven't by then!

you guys are so wonderful omg, and feel free to shatter my heart if you get bad news I can take it XD

(at this point i'm expecting rejection but I'm willing to hold out <3)

[cecsav]

2 hours ago, Yellow62 said:

I feel this. Two weeks ago felt like a burst of movement regarding notifications, and then last week felt like a relative lull. Especially considering I'm still waiting to hear from 6 schools, I need another notification adrenaline rush. I'm peak stir-crazy rn. 

AWP was this past week though, and I'm sure most programs/faculty were involved in some way, as presenters, panelists, or attendees (or some combination of the above). They may have taken the week off from notifying so they could focus on AWP. 

[panglosian]

Heads up from Draft, someone was notified of a "mystery waitlist" earlier by email for fiction, said they were asked to keep it under wraps because it was a personal email and not official but they were given their answer. They said this specific school would be notifying in a few days, and that they only had 2-3 funded spots this year.

My money's on Brown, Place your bets!

[nottheamazonalexa]

37 minutes ago, panglosian said:

 

My money's on Brown, Place your bets!

Mississippi maybe? 

[koechophe]

Well anyway, here's hoping for next week guys. Stay strong!

 

... or if you're not strong, stay sane!

 

... or if that's too much to ask, at least don't make any horrible life decisions while you wait ? 

[Ash...]

On 3/7/2021 at 3:15 AM, koechophe said:

I'll take this as genuine; my offer was likewise. 

I think, in a lot of ways, this is fundamentally misunderstanding the English language. Everything in text adds some form of tone, connotation, and intention. To say that any bit of text is objectively wrong, particularly when dealing with word choice, is failing to fully identify a rhetorical situation. 

For example, you cite "foundational" as being objectively unnecessary and fluff oriented; however, this still pulls on various connotations. We generally associate the word "foundation" with being sturdy and being a necessary base for things to actually function. From a Christian standpoint, this word draws connections to the scriptures where Christ discusses either building His church "upon this rock" or the ones where He claims that if you are built upon His "rock", the winds and waves will not prevail against you. 

And this is where you have to be careful as a critic. There is almost nothing you can refer to as "objectively" being bad in writing. Certainly, you can help to streamline someone's prose, but much of your criticism seems based largely on your own personal reactions rather than any sort of established basis for critique. 

Essentially, every word we use creates a specific feeling/image for specific audiences. To truly criticize the quality of a writer's work, one must first identify what feelings they are creating and then show how they are inconsistent, inappropriate, or unnecessary to their audience.   

Essentially: When you begin to treat things as "universally wrong," you ignore much of the complexity that goes into crafting language effectively. I've never encountered a rule in writing without an exception which is both necessary and brilliant to the text. 

We also run into an error of mindset for you as a critic: you "attacked" the errors. Criticism is not a cudgel used to beat others over the head. When we attack literature, in any way, shape, or form, we lose our objectivity. In this sense, a rhetorical critic must be able to look at how the words are actually functioning and, if they identify problems, point out said problems based on function, not feeling. 

In its purest form, criticism is, by nature, both deconstructive and reconstructive; it shows not only how things may be pulled apart, but also how they may be put back together again in a way that is more consistent with the goals of the text. 

Thanks! All of the schools I've applied to provide funding, so at this point, I'm just praying I'll get into any of them. Top pick is probably University of Houston, for nothing other than the fact that both me and my fiancé have a good feeling about their program.

And a lot of why this is rough is because I've worked hard at this; I've spent the last 3 years sending pieces off for publication (5 literary magazines and counting have published me ? ), I've done a lot to keep up my GPA, I did an internship as a content writer, I've held down jobs as a transcriber, a copy editor/ content editor, and now, currently, a tutor (and training supervisor), I've been the manager of a writing workshop on my campus for more than a year...  

I truly think that the more you pour yourself into something, the more stressful it can become. But at the end of the day, if everyone says no, none of it will be wasted effort. 

Seriously, good for you! And that is a good mentality to have coming off of the rejection. The application cycle can definitely be a bump in the road, but it never has to be the end of it. 

 

For all those interested in some good Christian fiction I recommend Ted Dekker. I grew up very religious (though I’m not anymore), but Dekker was one of the few authors I enjoyed reading and still enjoy reading. His books aren’t necessarily “Christian Literature,” but many times they have an undertone or act as a metaphor. He’s very modern and very weird, which makes it all the more experimental. I continue to read him even as my faith has shifted. Having read almost every notable Christian author, I’d say Dekker is the only modern author that doesn’t hide behind cliches, is still inventive, and has true genuineness in his references. I also enjoy Frank Paretti. Warning both are along the thriller/horror side but Dekker also has dark fantasy. 

[jujubee]

So it's been a while because our semester has started and been busy with teaching, but wanted to share that I've been accepted to two programs! One for the same school last year, only with full funding and teaching assistantship, and the other USM (no word on funding). I've seen PhD acceptances to FSU, UT Dallas, and Houston, so those are most probably rejections at this point. Waiting on UNLV (I've seen an MFA acceptance but not PhD), Georgia State, Ohio University, and Louisiana Lafayette. I am close to accepting my funded offer but need closure for the other schools. Has anyone heard from the programs above or seen any movement on Draft? I'm applying for poetry btw.

Here's hoping we all hear back this week. The days have been incredibly slow yet frantic, and I can't wait to move on and stop stress-eating ? 

Meanwhile, here's some good juju!! ?

Edited March 8, 2021 by jujubee
missed a period

[Red____Comet]

Hello nice people! My friend just told me about this forum, very cool and helpful :) 

I've been accepted to Mississippi for fiction with full funding/teaching job thing, Sarah Lawrence with symbolic funding but not nearly enough for me to afford it... apart from that,I've applied to NYU and the New School and heard nothing from either. I am a fiction writer, by the way. good luck to everyone here :) 

[Boomer not Ok]

Late last night a lit mag emailed me that one of my flash stories they had nominated was accepted into “Best Small Fictions” for 2021. Now I’m wondering whether I should let programs I haven’t heard back from know. Is this bad etiquette? 

[MSbiograd]

Is anyone else scrambling to add applications into the mix that have rolling admissions? ? The longer it takes to hear back the more I want to add more applications into the mix!

Still waiting on BU, NYU, Brandeis, Fordham, Drexel....but adding some more.

If anyone knows some decent Masters Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Medical Bioscience programs that are rolling applications LMK. 

[Downtozero]

2 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Late last night a lit mag emailed me that one of my flash stories they had nominated was accepted into “Best Small Fictions” for 2021. Now I’m wondering whether I should let programs I haven’t heard back from know. Is this bad etiquette? 

Yeah, it's not likely to help you now. But congratulations!

10 hours ago, panglosian said:

Heads up from Draft, someone was notified of a "mystery waitlist" earlier by email for fiction, said they were asked to keep it under wraps because it was a personal email and not official but they were given their answer. They said this specific school would be notifying in a few days, and that they only had 2-3 funded spots this year.

My money's on Brown, Place your bets!

I know we all want to believe Brown hasn't notified acceptances yet, but it's a small program and there's a poetry acceptance on Draft, a fiction acceptance on the results page, and a bit of creeping I did on Twitter turned up one more acceptance that I *think* is a fiction writer. Think we're waiting on waitlists/rejections tho I'd be happy to be wrong.

[Bug128]

1 hour ago, Red____Comet said:

Hello nice people! My friend just told me about this forum, very cool and helpful

I've been accepted to Mississippi for fiction with full funding/teaching job thing, Sarah Lawrence with symbolic funding but not nearly enough for me to afford it... apart from that,I've applied to NYU and the New School and heard nothing from either. I am a fiction writer, by the way. good luck to everyone here

Congratulations, Red_Comet! I'm wondering. Do you have any idea, perhaps, if all the acceptances/if any waitlists have gone out! I know me, as well as some other GradCafe goers, are in Miss. Phase II purgatory—and we are eagerly awaiting even slightest bit of info!  

[Red____Comet]

12 minutes ago, Bug128 said:

Congratulations, Red_Comet! I'm wondering. Do you have any idea, perhaps, if all the acceptances/if any waitlists have gone out! I know me, as well as some other GradCafe goers, are in Miss. Phase II purgatory—and we are eagerly awaiting even slightest bit of info!  

Hey there! Thanks for the congratulations. I wish I could be more helpful but at the moment I have no idea... I haven't been in touch with anyone else admitted/ have no clue who or how many people they have admitted yet. They also weirdly haven't given me a deadline to decline or accept by... I'm sorry not to be more helpful! If I hear anything, I'll make sure to post it. 

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, MSbiograd said:

Is anyone else scrambling to add applications into the mix that have rolling admissions? ? The longer it takes to hear back the more I want to add more applications into the mix!

Still waiting on BU, NYU, Brandeis, Fordham, Drexel....but adding some more.

If anyone knows some decent Masters Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Medical Bioscience programs that are rolling applications LMK. 

Hi friend! You’re on the creative writing forum, but the link below should help you find your way.

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/29-biology/

Biology and all its variations kick ass (I miss my genetic engineering days). I hope you get in somewhere awesome!

[panglosian]

1 hour ago, Downtozero said:

Yeah, it's not likely to help you now. But congratulations!

I know we all want to believe Brown hasn't notified acceptances yet, but it's a small program and there's a poetry acceptance on Draft, a fiction acceptance on the results page, and a bit of creeping I did on Twitter turned up one more acceptance that I *think* is a fiction writer. Think we're waiting on waitlists/rejections tho I'd be happy to be wrong.

Yeah I mean he did say he got a waitlist so. Wasn’t saying acceptance. But it seems he may be talking about UW by the clues he gave, or another western school. Still holding out on Brown but acceptances are probably out.

[Downtozero]

Just now, panglosian said:

Yeah I mean he did say he got a waitlist so. Wasn’t saying acceptance. But it seems he may be talking about UW by the clues he gave, or another western school. Still holding out on Brown but acceptances are probably out.

I took his post to mean that this particular school hadn't notified anyone yet. But yeah sounds like UW probably. Crossing fingers for our Brown miracles to come thru!

[nottheamazonalexa]

1 hour ago, Red____Comet said:

Hello nice people! My friend just told me about this forum, very cool and helpful

I've been accepted to Mississippi for fiction with full funding/teaching job thing, Sarah Lawrence with symbolic funding but not nearly enough for me to afford it... apart from that,I've applied to NYU and the New School and heard nothing from either. I am a fiction writer, by the way. good luck to everyone here

Congrats!!! Mississippi is a great program!!!! 

1 hour ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Late last night a lit mag emailed me that one of my flash stories they had nominated was accepted into “Best Small Fictions” for 2021. Now I’m wondering whether I should let programs I haven’t heard back from know. Is this bad etiquette? 

People have asked similar things in draft and the consensus has been no. I personally asked my profs/recommenders if they thought I should let the committees know about publication news I had received and they said it would probably come across as pestering and that the schools only care about their own evaluations of your work so publication news/other accolades will not help. I'd say don't stress and CONGRATS!!! 

[Downtozero]

26 minutes ago, nottheamazonalexa said:

People have asked similar things in draft and the consensus has been no. I personally asked my profs/recommenders if they thought I should let the committees know about publication news I had received and they said it would probably come across as pestering and that the schools only care about their own evaluations of your work so publication news/other accolades will not help. I'd say don't stress and CONGRATS!!! 

Ya, to me also it's not really much different than being like, "hey I know its March but I just wrote this new story and I like it much more than the one I sent you, plz look". Like, they have a deadline for all application materials, if they started taking new info into account in March they'd have to extend that same courtesy to every applicant and then the admissions process would just go on forever. And like you said, I don't think pubs matter all that much to adcoms anyway. 

[nottheamazonalexa]

kind of related but random question regarding publications: if my work was accepted for an upcoming issue and at the time of acceptance they said it would be coming out at the end of february but the old issue is still up....is there an etiquette on asking about when the work will be published or will be lit mag gods be angry if I question them and decide to like no longer use my work lol 

[Boomer not Ok]

51 minutes ago, Downtozero said:

Ya, to me also it's not really much different than being like, "hey I know its March but I just wrote this new story and I like it much more than the one I sent you, plz look". Like, they have a deadline for all application materials, if they started taking new info into account in March they'd have to extend that same courtesy to every applicant and then the admissions process would just go on forever. And like you said, I don't think pubs matter all that much to adcoms anyway. 

 

51 minutes ago, Downtozero said:

Ya, to me also it's not really much different than being like, "hey I know its March but I just wrote this new story and I like it much more than the one I sent you, plz look". Like, they have a deadline for all application materials, if they started taking new info into account in March they'd have to extend that same courtesy to every applicant and then the admissions process would just go on forever. And like you said, I don't think pubs matter all that much to adcoms anyway. 

I should have been more clear. This story was part of my app portfolio, which at the time I submitted my apps had been nominated by the lit mag. I get how it can look pesky and possibly backfire to reach out and say, “Hey, btw the piece I submitted now got finalized in some “best of” anthology.” I also get that adcoms don’t really care too much about pub credits and do their own evaluating. Still, I wonder if I’m a waitlist contender somewhere whether this development could help move me up the list...

Edited March 8, 2021 by Boomer not Ok

[Boomer not Ok]

18 minutes ago, nottheamazonalexa said:

kind of related but random question regarding publications: if my work was accepted for an upcoming issue and at the time of acceptance they said it would be coming out at the end of february but the old issue is still up....is there an etiquette on asking about when the work will be published or will be lit mag gods be angry if I question them and decide to like no longer use my work lol 

I think it’s perfectly fine to query something like this. It shows you care. 

[nottheamazonalexa]

Just now, Boomer not Ok said:

 

I should have been more clear. This story was part of my app portfolio, which at the time I submitted my apps had been nominated by the lit mag. I get how it can look pesky and possibly backfire to reach out and say, “Hey, btw the piece I submitted now got finalized in some “best of” anthology. I also get that adcoms don’t really care too much about pub credits and do their own evaluating. Still, I wonder if I’m a waitlist contender somewhere whether this development could help move me up the list...

The publication I'm referencing having asked my recommenders about whether or not to notify the schools that it was being published was in my app also. Answer was still no -- but I feel your pain.