2021 Applicants Forum

[dogeared]

Hi friends! LONG POST INCOMING. I hope it is helpful.

Some weeks back I mentioned that my institution has one final-year student in each genre join the admissions committee and review incoming apps. I got to review incoming fiction applications. I'm very grateful for the behind-the-scenes view I got of the admissions process. This week we finally had our meeting to finalize our list of offers (it was a 3-hour meeting). I wanted to offer some advice and share some observations for anyone applying again next cycle. 

As a note, of course no advice will be universal. Every department and every writer is different. There is no surefire way to guarantee admission to a program. These are just things I've realized as an MFA student/adcom member and wished I knew before applying. 

• Your writing sample is the most important thing. I think people have been told this already, but I want to emphasis this point. Your CV is not as important. Of course, it might not hurt to have a flourishing CV, but having more publications and experience in literature/writing won't mean much if your writing sample doesn't stand out from the bunch. The CV was the last thing we looked at in applications.

 

• Perfect and polished work isn't always the best. It sounds a bit weird -- I know. Of course, you should send what you are confident in. But ultimately, you are meant to grow stronger as a writer in an MFA program. If your writing sample doesn't show that you would benefit from graduate school, then some profs in admissions question what they would even be able to teach you. Think about whether you would benefit from workshop and formal education. The most excited manuscripts to read (which we all agreed on unanimously) were the ones that did something interesting and were kind of rough around the edges. This might not be the case for institutions that value something different than ours, but it is important to us that writers can really grow and get something out of our program. We weren't as excited about people who sent by-the-books "perfect" stories. The writing was great, but it was hard to picture these applicants in a workshop. This is difficult because we always want to submit the best work possible to programs. But to the admissions committees, this sample is all they can use to determine if you would benefit from graduate school. This is something I didn't think about until I was behind the scenes. I noticed myself much less interested in pieces that were perfect. Everyone on the committee was excited about the possibilities for growth they saw in a manuscript and for the successful risk takers that tried something interesting that surprised them. (Again, though, every program and committee will be different)

 

• The mindset behind reviewing MFA apps is very different from the mindset behind reviewing litmag submissions. Luckily, I have years of experience reading for litmags. In that scenario, you want to find the polished, well-written, balanced stories that don't need as much work. The ones that are ready for publication. The mindset is different when reviewing writing samples for MFA apps. We generally were interested in innovative forms/perspectives/styles that would greatly benefit from years of workshop and formal education. 

 

• You do not need an MFA from a highly-ranked program. You do not need the shortest program possible. Look at funding and program fit before anything else!  Really think about why you want an MFA. Hopefully you want it because you want to become a stronger writer and work with a community of other writers. Maybe there is a faculty member at the institution you're applying to that you really admire and want to work with. Maybe you want it to pursue a teaching career in creative writing. These are all great reasons to me. But if you just want the MFA to have the MFA, chances are you will make the wrong choices when it comes to which programs to apply to. You might get accepted to these places and not feel fulfilled. When I was first applying to MFAs in 2017, I was really interested in the big-name schools that would make me feel accomplished and important on paper. And I was really interested in the shortest programs possible. I think big-name schools are still worth applying to, of course, if you genuinely believe you could thrive and grow in that school's environment then I definitely think you should apply. And I always encourage "aiming high" because why not? But make sure the faculty and culture of that place fit with your goals. And I genuinely can say that most people I know who have MFAs agree on longer, fully-funded programs being the better choice over 1-year ones. After all, you are there to learn and work on a manuscript. If you can get paid for years to really dig into your work, I would take that. 1-year programs might be stressful and overbearing, and you might finish feeling like you were able to grow or absorb any actual information. Having the time and space to experiment and question everything is really valuable. But everyone is different! Maybe you thrive under pressure or you have other commitments and life situations that make shorter programs more ideal. That totally makes sense. No matter what though, please please please look for FUNDING. If you only aim for the most popular programs, your chances for funding are lower. There is a larger applicant pool. That is a fact. Try adding some lesser-known schools with great faculties. They often have a bunch of funding for you and a smaller applicant pool. After all, if your reasoning for getting an MFA is to learn and grow as a writer, then the name of the school shouldn't be what is most important to you. I stand by this fully. And again, I still think its great to try for more famous programs...don't say no for them.

AGAIN: This advice may vary by writer, by program, by admissions committee. Nothing is black-and-white. I just found these things to be really important to consider. 

This is a lot of writing lol. I'm sorry for the wall of text. I'm happy to DM anyone who wants to talk more. I am graduating with my MFA (fiction) in May, and I've been accepted into a PhD program for English Lit and Creative Writing for the Fall. I am happy to answer any questions! Good luck!

[shakyboots]

Just got accepted into Emerson!!

*for Creative Writing.

Edited March 16, 2021 by shakyboots

[M-Lin]

11 minutes ago, dogeared said:

Hi friends! LONG POST INCOMING. I hope it is helpful.

Some weeks back I mentioned that my institution has one final-year student in each genre join the admissions committee and review incoming apps. I got to review incoming fiction applications. I'm very grateful for the behind-the-scenes view I got of the admissions process. This week we finally had our meeting to finalize our list of offers (it was a 3-hour meeting). I wanted to offer some advice and share some observations for anyone applying again next cycle. 

As a note, of course no advice will be universal. Every department and every writer is different. There is no surefire way to guarantee admission to a program. These are just things I've realized as an MFA student/adcom member and wished I knew before applying. 

• Your writing sample is the most important thing. I think people have been told this already, but I want to emphasis this point. Your CV is not as important. Of course, it might not hurt to have a flourishing CV, but having more publications and experience in literature/writing won't mean much if your writing sample doesn't stand out from the bunch. The CV was the last thing we looked at in applications.

 

• Perfect and polished work isn't always the best. It sounds a bit weird -- I know. Of course, you should send what you are confident in. But ultimately, you are meant to grow stronger as a writer in an MFA program. If your writing sample doesn't show that you would benefit from graduate school, then some profs in admissions question what they would even be able to teach you. Think about whether you would benefit from workshop and formal education. The most excited manuscripts to read (which we all agreed on unanimously) were the ones that did something interesting and were kind of rough around the edges. This might not be the case for institutions that value something different than ours, but it is important to us that writers can really grow and get something out of our program. We weren't as excited about people who sent by-the-books "perfect" stories. The writing was great, but it was hard to picture these applicants in a workshop. This is difficult because we always want to submit the best work possible to programs. But to the admissions committees, this sample is all they can use to determine if you would benefit from graduate school. This is something I didn't think about until I was behind the scenes. I noticed myself much less interested in pieces that were perfect. Everyone on the committee was excited about the possibilities for growth they saw in a manuscript and for the successful risk takers that tried something interesting that surprised them. (Again, though, every program and committee will be different)

 

• The mindset behind reviewing MFA apps is very different from the mindset behind reviewing litmag submissions. Luckily, I have years of experience reading for litmags. In that scenario, you want to find the polished, well-written, balanced stories that don't need as much work. The ones that are ready for publication. The mindset is different when reviewing writing samples for MFA apps. We generally were interested in innovative forms/perspectives/styles that would greatly benefit from years of workshop and formal education. 

 

• You do not need an MFA from a highly-ranked program. You do not need the shortest program possible. Look at funding and program fit before anything else!  Really think about why you want an MFA. Hopefully you want it because you want to become a stronger writer and work with a community of other writers. Maybe there is a faculty member at the institution you're applying to that you really admire and want to work with. Maybe you want it to pursue a teaching career in creative writing. These are all great reasons to me. But if you just want the MFA to have the MFA, chances are you will make the wrong choices when it comes to which programs to apply to. You might get accepted to these places and not feel fulfilled. When I was first applying to MFAs in 2017, I was really interested in the big-name schools that would make me feel accomplished and important on paper. And I was really interested in the shortest programs possible. I think big-name schools are still worth applying to, of course, if you genuinely believe you could thrive and grow in that school's environment then I definitely think you should apply. And I always encourage "aiming high" because why not? But make sure the faculty and culture of that place fit with your goals. And I genuinely can say that most people I know who have MFAs agree on longer, fully-funded programs being the better choice over 1-year ones. After all, you are there to learn and work on a manuscript. If you can get paid for years to really dig into your work, I would take that. 1-year programs might be stressful and overbearing, and you might finish feeling like you were able to grow or absorb any actual information. Having the time and space to experiment and question everything is really valuable. But everyone is different! Maybe you thrive under pressure or you have other commitments and life situations that make shorter programs more ideal. That totally makes sense. No matter what though, please please please look for FUNDING. If you only aim for the most popular programs, your chances for funding are lower. There is a larger applicant pool. That is a fact. Try adding some lesser-known schools with great faculties. They often have a bunch of funding for you and a smaller applicant pool. After all, if your reasoning for getting an MFA is to learn and grow as a writer, then the name of the school shouldn't be what is most important to you. I stand by this fully. And again, I still think its great to try for more famous programs...don't say no for them.

AGAIN: This advice may vary by writer, by program, by admissions committee. Nothing is black-and-white. I just found these things to be really important to consider. 

This is a lot of writing lol. I'm sorry for the wall of text. I'm happy to DM anyone who wants to talk more. I am graduating with my MFA (fiction) in May, and I've been accepted into a PhD program for English Lit and Creative Writing for the Fall. I am happy to answer any questions! Good luck!

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this advice here! I feel like this should be published somewhere so someone can read this when they google "advice for MFA application". 

Fortunately I don't think I'll need to apply for a second round, but I'm wondering why you decided to pursue a PhD beyond your MFA. I guess I'm already thinking ahead... do you mind elaborating on that a little bit? Thanks! 

Edited March 16, 2021 by M-Lin

[lilacbread]

13 minutes ago, dogeared said:

Hi friends! LONG POST INCOMING. I hope it is helpful.

Some weeks back I mentioned that my institution has one final-year student in each genre join the admissions committee and review incoming apps. I got to review incoming fiction applications. I'm very grateful for the behind-the-scenes view I got of the admissions process. This week we finally had our meeting to finalize our list of offers (it was a 3-hour meeting). I wanted to offer some advice and share some observations for anyone applying again next cycle. 

As a note, of course no advice will be universal. Every department and every writer is different. There is no surefire way to guarantee admission to a program. These are just things I've realized as an MFA student/adcom member and wished I knew before applying. 

• Your writing sample is the most important thing. I think people have been told this already, but I want to emphasis this point. Your CV is not as important. Of course, it might not hurt to have a flourishing CV, but having more publications and experience in literature/writing won't mean much if your writing sample doesn't stand out from the bunch. The CV was the last thing we looked at in applications.

 

• Perfect and polished work isn't always the best. It sounds a bit weird -- I know. Of course, you should send what you are confident in. But ultimately, you are meant to grow stronger as a writer in an MFA program. If your writing sample doesn't show that you would benefit from graduate school, then some profs in admissions question what they would even be able to teach you. Think about whether you would benefit from workshop and formal education. The most excited manuscripts to read (which we all agreed on unanimously) were the ones that did something interesting and were kind of rough around the edges. This might not be the case for institutions that value something different than ours, but it is important to us that writers can really grow and get something out of our program. We weren't as excited about people who sent by-the-books "perfect" stories. The writing was great, but it was hard to picture these applicants in a workshop. This is difficult because we always want to submit the best work possible to programs. But to the admissions committees, this sample is all they can use to determine if you would benefit from graduate school. This is something I didn't think about until I was behind the scenes. I noticed myself much less interested in pieces that were perfect. Everyone on the committee was excited about the possibilities for growth they saw in a manuscript and for the successful risk takers that tried something interesting that surprised them. (Again, though, every program and committee will be different)

 

• The mindset behind reviewing MFA apps is very different from the mindset behind reviewing litmag submissions. Luckily, I have years of experience reading for litmags. In that scenario, you want to find the polished, well-written, balanced stories that don't need as much work. The ones that are ready for publication. The mindset is different when reviewing writing samples for MFA apps. We generally were interested in innovative forms/perspectives/styles that would greatly benefit from years of workshop and formal education. 

 

• You do not need an MFA from a highly-ranked program. You do not need the shortest program possible. Look at funding and program fit before anything else!  Really think about why you want an MFA. Hopefully you want it because you want to become a stronger writer and work with a community of other writers. Maybe there is a faculty member at the institution you're applying to that you really admire and want to work with. Maybe you want it to pursue a teaching career in creative writing. These are all great reasons to me. But if you just want the MFA to have the MFA, chances are you will make the wrong choices when it comes to which programs to apply to. You might get accepted to these places and not feel fulfilled. When I was first applying to MFAs in 2017, I was really interested in the big-name schools that would make me feel accomplished and important on paper. And I was really interested in the shortest programs possible. I think big-name schools are still worth applying to, of course, if you genuinely believe you could thrive and grow in that school's environment then I definitely think you should apply. And I always encourage "aiming high" because why not? But make sure the faculty and culture of that place fit with your goals. And I genuinely can say that most people I know who have MFAs agree on longer, fully-funded programs being the better choice over 1-year ones. After all, you are there to learn and work on a manuscript. If you can get paid for years to really dig into your work, I would take that. 1-year programs might be stressful and overbearing, and you might finish feeling like you were able to grow or absorb any actual information. Having the time and space to experiment and question everything is really valuable. But everyone is different! Maybe you thrive under pressure or you have other commitments and life situations that make shorter programs more ideal. That totally makes sense. No matter what though, please please please look for FUNDING. If you only aim for the most popular programs, your chances for funding are lower. There is a larger applicant pool. That is a fact. Try adding some lesser-known schools with great faculties. They often have a bunch of funding for you and a smaller applicant pool. After all, if your reasoning for getting an MFA is to learn and grow as a writer, then the name of the school shouldn't be what is most important to you. I stand by this fully. And again, I still think its great to try for more famous programs...don't say no for them.

AGAIN: This advice may vary by writer, by program, by admissions committee. Nothing is black-and-white. I just found these things to be really important to consider. 

This is a lot of writing lol. I'm sorry for the wall of text. I'm happy to DM anyone who wants to talk more. I am graduating with my MFA (fiction) in May, and I've been accepted into a PhD program for English Lit and Creative Writing for the Fall. I am happy to answer any questions! Good luck!

This is really insightful, thank you! I'm definitely curious about "perfect" or by-the-book stories looked like. Did they follow traditional themes, turns, styles, plot devices, etc.?

[Boomer not Ok]

1 hour ago, lav said:

It looks to me that they wait listed almost everyone, and rejected almost no one. Can someone explain to me the advantages of NYU over a state/city school that charges $9,000 instead of $24,000 per year. Do you think you will learn more because of better teachers? Are you willing to pay a lot to be in New York and don't like City College's MFA?

Could be any number of reasons: Location. Size of faculty and/or particular teachers on that faculty. Additional opportunity to use the resources of the institution the state or city school may not have, access to lit mags, etc. Where some one decides to go and how they spend their money seems to me to be their biz, although IMO going into massive for an MFA is probs a bad idea, bc very few people, even very talented writers (especially poets), can make a living off their work. They end up teaching or going into publishing or figuring out it was med school all along they really wanted.  But then, again, I think most folk know going into a "writing" life has its other rewards, if not pecuniary. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Boomer not Ok

[Boomer not Ok]

17 minutes ago, shakyboots said:

Just got accepted into Emerson!!

*for Creative Writing.

Congrats. I also just got the letter. I did not see anything relating to funding. Did you get a funding offer? 

[shakyboots]

6 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Congrats. I also just got the letter. I did not see anything relating to funding. Did you get a funding offer? 

No mention of funding anywhere. Might require contact.

[shakyboots]

What's the community opinion about Emerson?

[Jjayy]

Anyone else accepted to, and planning on attending, Maryland? Would love to talk and get to know you prior to arriving on campus in the fall  

[lav]

19 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Could be any number of reasons: Location. Size of faculty and/or particular teachers on that faculty. Additional opportunity to use the resources of the institution the state or city school may not have, access to lit mags, etc. Where some one decides to go and how they spend their money seems to me to be their biz, although IMO going into massive for an MFA is probs a bad idea, 

I just can't imagine how those reasons can justify $24K/year, when there are cheaper options and when MFA's don't earn much. 

6 minutes ago, shakyboots said:

What's the community opinion about Emerson?

It is expensive and in that sense similar to NYU/Columbia, while easier to get into. 

[dogeared]

56 minutes ago, M-Lin said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this advice here! I feel like this should be published somewhere so someone can read this when they google "advice for MFA application". 

Fortunately I don't think I'll need to apply for a second round, but I'm wondering why you decided to pursue a PhD beyond your MFA. I guess I'm already thinking ahead... do you mind elaborating on that a little bit? Thanks! 

Maybe I'll make a Google Doc haha! 

Congrats on not needing to apply again.  And yeah, a PhD in Creative Writing definitely isn't necessary at all. If you want to teach creative writing, an MFA and a published book are usually enough. I decided to do a PhD because I wanted more formal education in literature rather than just creative writing. My MFA did have lit classes for sure, but not enough for me to get experience teaching literature. I did get to teach undergrad creative writing, but I also want to publish academically and teach literature. I applied for a mix of English Lit and Creative Writing PhDs. The one I'm going to is kind of a mix of both, which is perfect for me. Besides, getting funded to write a novel isn't a bad choice to me considering the current landscape of things -- getting hired to teach at universities is always a bit rough, but especially now. A PhD will give me more time to write, some sort of income, and more teaching experience. 

[woweezowee]

2 hours ago, shakyboots said:

That is my thinking. Funny how they also won't provide the size or our place on it.

Also, to your second message: normally 40-60 per P&W, but someone posted here they are only accepting like 25-30 this year, right? I think I read that. Anyone remember?

Hi, I was accepted to NYU for fiction. IIRC they accepted 16 in fiction this year. Not sure about other genres or the waitlist (other than what is generally known - they are known to call people off of it later in the year than most). 

Good luck, everyone!

Edited March 16, 2021 by woweezowee
Clarity & accuracy

[Ydrl]

@Jjayy Are you fiction or poetry? I'm on the waitlist for poetry and I want to go so so bad.

[Cristie]

Just now, dogeared said:

Maybe I'll make a Google Doc haha! 

Congrats on not needing to apply again.  And yeah, a PhD in Creative Writing definitely isn't necessary at all. If you want to teach creative writing, an MFA and a published book are usually enough. I decided to do a PhD because I wanted more formal education in literature rather than just creative writing. My MFA did have lit classes for sure, but not enough for me to get experience teaching literature. I did get to teach undergrad creative writing, but I also want to publish academically and teach literature. I applied for a mix of English Lit and Creative Writing PhDs. The one I'm going to is kind of a mix of both, which is perfect for me. Besides, getting funded to write a novel isn't a bad choice to me considering the current landscape of things -- getting hired to teach at universities is always a bit rough, but especially now. A PhD will give me more time to write, some sort of income, and more teaching experience. 

I have a few questions. But first, thanks for that long post. Can you say what program you are with? I'm curious because it sounds appealing and I'm pretty new here. I couldn't find where you go. Also, in that secret room and process...did they ever discuss rejection letters? There has been much discussion over the coldness of rejection letters and I'm just curious if that was ever even discussed behind the scenes. 

Many thanks, 

Cristie 

[dogeared]

56 minutes ago, lilacbread said:

This is really insightful, thank you! I'm definitely curious about "perfect" or by-the-book stories looked like. Did they follow traditional themes, turns, styles, plot devices, etc.?

Hi! Yes, great question I can definitely elaborate on. Definitely followed traditional themes, styles, and plot devices. Sometimes we could predict what was going to happen or what choice the author was going to make. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't exciting? I had trouble picturing these people in workshop. Or sometimes the plot/concept was interesting, but it was executed in ways that weren't testing the writer's limits?? If that makes sense. It seemed like these writers had already found and polished a style and tone that wouldn't really benefit from going to graduate school -- they could definitely start their writing career successfully while grad school would be life-changing for other applicants. 

This also reflects the personal taste of the committee, which differs everywhere! These were just my specific observations in my institution. Different programs work better for specific styles and aesthetics, which is definitely something that everyone can benefit from considering when creating their list. 

[Jjayy]

Just now, Ydrl said:

@Jjayy Are you fiction or poetry? I'm on the waitlist for poetry and I want to go so so bad.

Fiction. 

I'm rooting for you!

[SofiTheCatGuardian]

I'm not sure what to think about receiving no mail/emails from Iowa Writers Workshop yet and I just can't deal...

[dogeared]

3 minutes ago, Cristie said:

I have a few questions. But first, thanks for that long post. Can you say what program you are with? I'm curious because it sounds appealing and I'm pretty new here. I couldn't find where you go. Also, in that secret room and process...did they ever discuss rejection letters? There has been much discussion over the coldness of rejection letters and I'm just curious if that was ever even discussed behind the scenes. 

Many thanks, 

Cristie 

Hi Cristie! 

I'm not comfortable talking about my program specifically until after April 15. I don't know who is here or lurking that may have applied and I don't want any weird conflict of interest or anything lolol. I may be being too cautious but oh well. I'll definitely talk to you about it after April 15!

Regarding rejection letters, I didn't ask about this. I can definitely ask and get back to you, but I'm pretty sure this differs depending on the head of the program. They have a bunch of people to reject, and are reviewing applications while teaching and writing their own novels and participating in committees -- personalized rejections must be impossible to do for hundreds of applicants. They probably just need to get straight to the point. It sucks, but I tried not to take them personally when I received them. I will definitely ask, though!

[Cristie]

Just now, dogeared said:

Hi Cristie! 

I'm not comfortable talking about my program specifically until after April 15. I don't know who is here or lurking that may have applied and I don't want any weird conflict of interest or anything lolol. I may be being too cautious but oh well. I'll definitely talk to you about it after April 15!

Regarding rejection letters, I didn't ask about this. I can definitely ask and get back to you, but I'm pretty sure this differs depending on the head of the program. They have a bunch of people to reject, and are reviewing applications while teaching and writing their own novels and participating in committees -- personalized rejections must be impossible to do for hundreds of applicants. They probably just need to get straight to the point. It sucks, but I tried not to take them personally when I received them. I will definitely ask, though!

No problem, I'll check back after. And thanks, I just figured if THEY don't put any thought into it then maybe I should take them that way and not as personally as I did. Rejection sucks but some have been way nicer than others-like please apply again, we could only take 5 this time v. your application was not accepted (period, scribbled name). Maybe it just depends on the program (like everything else). Again, thanks for your input, very helpful. Oh..one more...do they read the WHOLE submission or just the first two pages. We've debated that too. Someone needs to do a documentary on this process covering multiple schools...if that is out there someone let me know. 

[Boomer not Ok]

54 minutes ago, lav said:

I just can't imagine how those reasons can justify $24K/year, when there are cheaper options and when MFA's don't earn much. 

 

Not sure where you're getting 24k from? Is that the NYU rate? I think CU is north of 70k.

[omgalexx]

1 hour ago, shakyboots said:

No mention of funding anywhere. Might require contact.

I got into Emerson also for creative non fiction and did have a separate funding letter in my portal. I didn’t get much though. 
 

[M-Lin]

 

44 minutes ago, dogeared said:

Maybe I'll make a Google Doc haha! 

Congrats on not needing to apply again.  And yeah, a PhD in Creative Writing definitely isn't necessary at all. If you want to teach creative writing, an MFA and a published book are usually enough. I decided to do a PhD because I wanted more formal education in literature rather than just creative writing. My MFA did have lit classes for sure, but not enough for me to get experience teaching literature. I did get to teach undergrad creative writing, but I also want to publish academically and teach literature. I applied for a mix of English Lit and Creative Writing PhDs. The one I'm going to is kind of a mix of both, which is perfect for me. Besides, getting funded to write a novel isn't a bad choice to me considering the current landscape of things -- getting hired to teach at universities is always a bit rough, but especially now. A PhD will give me more time to write, some sort of income, and more teaching experience. 

Thank you for elaborating! Definitely something to consider in two years depending on where I will be. Good luck with your PhD! 

[goodcynara]

2 hours ago, dogeared said:

Hi friends! LONG POST INCOMING. I hope it is helpful.

Some weeks back I mentioned that my institution has one final-year student in each genre join the admissions committee and review incoming apps. I got to review incoming fiction applications. I'm very grateful for the behind-the-scenes view I got of the admissions process. This week we finally had our meeting to finalize our list of offers (it was a 3-hour meeting). I wanted to offer some advice and share some observations for anyone applying again next cycle. 

As a note, of course no advice will be universal. Every department and every writer is different. There is no surefire way to guarantee admission to a program. These are just things I've realized as an MFA student/adcom member and wished I knew before applying. 

• Your writing sample is the most important thing. I think people have been told this already, but I want to emphasis this point. Your CV is not as important. Of course, it might not hurt to have a flourishing CV, but having more publications and experience in literature/writing won't mean much if your writing sample doesn't stand out from the bunch. The CV was the last thing we looked at in applications.

 

• Perfect and polished work isn't always the best. It sounds a bit weird -- I know. Of course, you should send what you are confident in. But ultimately, you are meant to grow stronger as a writer in an MFA program. If your writing sample doesn't show that you would benefit from graduate school, then some profs in admissions question what they would even be able to teach you. Think about whether you would benefit from workshop and formal education. The most excited manuscripts to read (which we all agreed on unanimously) were the ones that did something interesting and were kind of rough around the edges. This might not be the case for institutions that value something different than ours, but it is important to us that writers can really grow and get something out of our program. We weren't as excited about people who sent by-the-books "perfect" stories. The writing was great, but it was hard to picture these applicants in a workshop. This is difficult because we always want to submit the best work possible to programs. But to the admissions committees, this sample is all they can use to determine if you would benefit from graduate school. This is something I didn't think about until I was behind the scenes. I noticed myself much less interested in pieces that were perfect. Everyone on the committee was excited about the possibilities for growth they saw in a manuscript and for the successful risk takers that tried something interesting that surprised them. (Again, though, every program and committee will be different)

 

• The mindset behind reviewing MFA apps is very different from the mindset behind reviewing litmag submissions. Luckily, I have years of experience reading for litmags. In that scenario, you want to find the polished, well-written, balanced stories that don't need as much work. The ones that are ready for publication. The mindset is different when reviewing writing samples for MFA apps. We generally were interested in innovative forms/perspectives/styles that would greatly benefit from years of workshop and formal education. 

 

• You do not need an MFA from a highly-ranked program. You do not need the shortest program possible. Look at funding and program fit before anything else!  Really think about why you want an MFA. Hopefully you want it because you want to become a stronger writer and work with a community of other writers. Maybe there is a faculty member at the institution you're applying to that you really admire and want to work with. Maybe you want it to pursue a teaching career in creative writing. These are all great reasons to me. But if you just want the MFA to have the MFA, chances are you will make the wrong choices when it comes to which programs to apply to. You might get accepted to these places and not feel fulfilled. When I was first applying to MFAs in 2017, I was really interested in the big-name schools that would make me feel accomplished and important on paper. And I was really interested in the shortest programs possible. I think big-name schools are still worth applying to, of course, if you genuinely believe you could thrive and grow in that school's environment then I definitely think you should apply. And I always encourage "aiming high" because why not? But make sure the faculty and culture of that place fit with your goals. And I genuinely can say that most people I know who have MFAs agree on longer, fully-funded programs being the better choice over 1-year ones. After all, you are there to learn and work on a manuscript. If you can get paid for years to really dig into your work, I would take that. 1-year programs might be stressful and overbearing, and you might finish feeling like you were able to grow or absorb any actual information. Having the time and space to experiment and question everything is really valuable. But everyone is different! Maybe you thrive under pressure or you have other commitments and life situations that make shorter programs more ideal. That totally makes sense. No matter what though, please please please look for FUNDING. If you only aim for the most popular programs, your chances for funding are lower. There is a larger applicant pool. That is a fact. Try adding some lesser-known schools with great faculties. They often have a bunch of funding for you and a smaller applicant pool. After all, if your reasoning for getting an MFA is to learn and grow as a writer, then the name of the school shouldn't be what is most important to you. I stand by this fully. And again, I still think its great to try for more famous programs...don't say no for them.

AGAIN: This advice may vary by writer, by program, by admissions committee. Nothing is black-and-white. I just found these things to be really important to consider. 

This is a lot of writing lol. I'm sorry for the wall of text. I'm happy to DM anyone who wants to talk more. I am graduating with my MFA (fiction) in May, and I've been accepted into a PhD program for English Lit and Creative Writing for the Fall. I am happy to answer any questions! Good luck!

Incredibly generous. Thank you for taking the time to post this!

[dogeared]

5 minutes ago, Cristie said:

No problem, I'll check back after. And thanks, I just figured if THEY don't put any thought into it then maybe I should take them that way and not as personally as I did. Rejection sucks but some have been way nicer than others-like please apply again, we could only take 5 this time v. your application was not accepted (period, scribbled name). Maybe it just depends on the program (like everything else). Again, thanks for your input, very helpful. Oh..one more...do they read the WHOLE submission or just the first two pages. We've debated that too. Someone needs to do a documentary on this process covering multiple schools...if that is out there someone let me know. 

I will say that I didn't get to read every single application myself. I'm finishing my thesis right now so that would have been too much to put on me anyway. Fiction gets a lot of applications compared to poetry and nonfiction. I got to read about 35 that they picked out of the whole bunch as a sort of longlist for the 4 slots we have open. We all read every single page of every 30-page sample in that longlist and discussed them. I asked them how they narrow it down, and they said they look for something in the sample that sticks out, even if its just a really magical paragraph. I'm assuming this means they read more than just the first two pages. If they do cut it down, I'm assuming they would at least read the first five pages lol? I know it sounds harsh, but someone could pick up your book at the bookstore and tell within the first few pages if it works for them or not. I will add this to the list of things I ask in an email I'll send to them tonight. If you have any more, please let me know! I will be sure to get a direct answer from them, but I am pretty doubtful that they can read the entire 30 pages of every single application. I could be wrong though!

These professors have lots of experience and can definitely spot things quickly, but they are also human and might miss out on something amazing just due to the sheer amount of applications. That is a heartbreaking possibility I definitely thought about. One of the professors said a particular story "grew on them" as it went on, so they weren't in love with it within the first few pages but something made them want to keep reading. This is the reality of being a writer. When you send stories out for publication, they don't read every single page of every single submission. If they aren't interested by a certain page, then they might assume a reader of the journal wouldn't be either. It's rough to think about lolol. This is why I always put my most interesting stories at the beginning of my samples.

[Ash...]

2 hours ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Congrats. I also just got the letter. I did not see anything relating to funding. Did you get a funding offer? 

Hi! I got an acceptance and a scholarship. If you are chosen for funding then it comes up as an extra letter in the admissions portal. Congrats on getting in!

Edited March 17, 2021 by Ash...