2021 Applicants Forum

[Ash...]

1 hour ago, woweezowee said:

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!

When did you hear from NYU? Also CONGRATS 

[Ash...]

3 hours 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?

I saw a good amount of people get rejected yesterday on Draft. 

[lenagator1997]

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to say I will be attending University of New Hampshire's MFA Creative Writing program in the fall! If any of you are as well I would love to say hi!

[koechophe]

3 hours ago, dogeared said:

I did get to teach undergrad creative writing, but I also want to publish academically and teach literature.

It's been great reading about your story, because this is literally what I want to do with my life too. I want to teach creative writing and literature and publish both academically and creatively. Congrats on making it this far!

Also, thanks for your advice. Everything I read online said to submit my most polished piece, so that's what I did. I submitted one I considered strong and that has gotten good reviews/gotten published. Looking back, I'm wishing I would've picked a more controversial piece (I do have those). One that pushes boundaries more, and one that some people have read and absolutely hated, others have loved. 

I have to say, I do find issues the idea that they wouldn't pick people because those people seemed very polished already. It puts a bad taste in my mouth, since it sort of feels like punishing people for their abilities. I don't put myself in this camp of people who are polished enough for this to be an issue, honestly, but something about the idea just feels... off to me. 

[Boomer not Ok]

1 hour ago, koechophe said:

 I don't put myself in this camp of people who are polished enough for this to be an issue, honestly, but something about the idea just feels... off to me. 

I agree. I do think there is some subjective factor here you cannot control though. I think the poster did indicate their program was looking for "roughness" and "unpolished gems", whereas other programs may be looking for more polish, less experimental stuff. Who knows? Maybe some adcoms like prose stripped of adjectives and adverbs, whereas others appreciate lush, rambling, paragraph long sentences rich in simile and metaphor. It would be good to know before applying what style of writing the program likes, but they don't really tell you. 

[dogeared]

3 hours ago, koechophe said:

It's been great reading about your story, because this is literally what I want to do with my life too. I want to teach creative writing and literature and publish both academically and creatively. Congrats on making it this far!

Also, thanks for your advice. Everything I read online said to submit my most polished piece, so that's what I did. I submitted one I considered strong and that has gotten good reviews/gotten published. Looking back, I'm wishing I would've picked a more controversial piece (I do have those). One that pushes boundaries more, and one that some people have read and absolutely hated, others have loved. 

I have to say, I do find issues the idea that they wouldn't pick people because those people seemed very polished already. It puts a bad taste in my mouth, since it sort of feels like punishing people for their abilities. I don't put myself in this camp of people who are polished enough for this to be an issue, honestly, but something about the idea just feels... off to me. 

I understand completely tbh! Like I said, this was just what my program was like. No advice is universal. I don't think it is "punishment." Professors simply want to admit people who can actually benefit from the program. If you have already po9lished your style completely, an MFA might not be the next best step for your career. There is nothing wrong with this. Every path is different. All of this is subjective, like it or not. It just depends on the committee. 

[dogeared]

2 hours ago, Boomer not Ok said:

I agree. I do think there is some subjective factor here you cannot control though. I think the poster did indicate their program was looking for "roughness" and "unpolished gems", whereas other programs may be looking for more polish, less experimental stuff. Who knows? Maybe some adcoms like prose stripped of adjectives and adverbs, whereas others appreciate lush, rambling, paragraph long sentences rich in simile and metaphor. It would be good to know before applying what style of writing the program likes, but they don't really tell you. 

Yup exactly! Every department is different. You can get more of a feel for the style of the program by looking at alumni work.

[crustbox3000]

On 3/15/2021 at 5:55 PM, iai said:

Got the rejection for NYU (fiction) /:

*Updates if anyone is interested: The New School replied my email saying decisions go out mid-March (I’m guess the REST of the decisions... but when I checked the website again it said late March.. maybe they changed it?)

University if Guelph (if anyone is applying to Canadian schools): Decisions at the end of March

Sorry about NYU ❤ But hopefully the other programs pull through!

 

Im also waiting around for Guelph and had no idea when to expect results. Good to know that we're almost there

[iai]

7 minutes ago, crustbox3000 said:

Sorry about NYU ❤ But hopefully the other programs pull through!

 

Im also waiting around for Guelph and had no idea when to expect results. Good to know that we're almost there

Fingers crossed we both get some good news soon! ???? The delays this year are really something for some of these schools though /: 

[SpaceJunk]

15 hours ago, Jjayy said:

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  

I'm on the waitlist there for fiction. Hoping it works out!

[corgeel14]

The New School is literally INSANE ppl lmao. No one can convince me otherwise. Not them changing their response timeline on the website. They ALSO emailed me saying Mid-March last week. And I knew that meant either they had to release this week or they were just lying and going to push again seeing as we're well past "mid March". Ugh. And still ofc if I get good news my tone will do a complete 180 and I'll pretend I always worshipped the ground they walk on lol 

[Boomer not Ok]

5 minutes ago, corgeel14 said:

The New School is literally INSANE ppl lmao. No one can convince me otherwise. Not them changing their response timeline on the website. They ALSO emailed me saying Mid-March last week. And I knew that meant either they had to release this week or they were just lying and going to push again seeing as we're well past "mid March". Ugh. And still ofc if I get good news my tone will do a complete 180 and I'll pretend I always worshipped the ground they walk on lol 

I think New School and CU which have large incoming classes are in semi-chaos bc of COVID deferrals. I sense it may be harder than usual this year to get in to these programs. Last year would have been the time to apply. 

[CrankyGinger]

22 hours ago, omgalexx said:

I'm also accepted to Sarah Lawrence! How are you feeling about the program? Did you go to their admitted students zoom yesterday?

I went to it and honestly it got me really excited about possibly going there. The program is all about craft and community, so it doesn't have that cut throat competition approach. It was a lot of fun and inspiring, at least for me. I'm having a zoom chat with Paige next week to discuss more about it one on one. 

[Nervis]

28 minutes ago, corgeel14 said:

The New School is literally INSANE ppl lmao. No one can convince me otherwise. Not them changing their response timeline on the website. They ALSO emailed me saying Mid-March last week. And I knew that meant either they had to release this week or they were just lying and going to push again seeing as we're well past "mid March". Ugh. And still ofc if I get good news my tone will do a complete 180 and I'll pretend I always worshipped the ground they walk on lol 

And to add something fun to this: I checked my application portal for The New School this morning and I have no status update/decision link, no emails from them, but when I click on my application I do have a thing that says Forms: Required: Reply to Offer of Admission, which leads me to a place where I can accept or decline the offer of admission to the school, which I have not received??

Edited March 17, 2021 by Nervis

[CrankyGinger]

22 hours ago, goodcynara said:

Do it for sure. Paige said that more funding can definitely open up circa the April 15 deadline. 

Yeah, I'm gonna talk to her about that too! 

[FairleyAlfy]

23 hours ago, Ydrl said:

I haven't heard from Florida, but I emailed them three weeks ago about a timeframe and no one got back to me.

Good news and bad. I emailed Michael Hofmann about my program status, and William Logan got back with me and said Michael Hofmann just went on sabbatical, and said that he is sorry to say that I have not been admitted to the program, and he encouraged me to apply again next year when they have more funding to accept more applicants. He was super nice, and I think they are sending out all rejections on Thursday. 

Good news is that if Michael Hofmann is on sabbatical, I don't feel too down about not getting accepted since he was the reason I applied. 

Now it's down to BU and my waitlists...no anxiety at all lol

[goodcynara]

18 minutes ago, CrankyGinger said:

I went to it and honestly it got me really excited about possibly going there. The program is all about craft and community, so it doesn't have that cut throat competition approach. It was a lot of fun and inspiring, at least for me. I'm having a zoom chat with Paige next week to discuss more about it one on one. 

DUDE. I learned in my meeting with Paige yesterday that two of their faculty members are veteran drummers from a couple of super cool bands: The Lemonheads and Semisonic! Damn SLC, you are winning my heart.

[CrankyGinger]

17 hours ago, Boomer not Ok said:

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

CU is $61K, I think. Insane price tag. And a terrible student to teacher ratio. Part of why SLC has become my favorite right now. 

[turtlesfordays]

@SpaceJunkI’m on the waitlist for Maryland too! The infernal treadmill as I’ve begun to call it. @Ydrland I were wondering if all waitlisted people got the same email. What did yours say?

[koechophe]

I just got a semi-official rejection from my one Rhet/Comp application for WSU. I emailed the director, and he let me know that initial offers have already gone out, then asked if I'd accepted a different offer so he could remove me from consideration. From the tone of the email, I gathered that I wasn't high enough on their "wait list" for me to have any real possibility of getting in. 

So my only 3 schools with nothing are University of Utah, University of Las Vegas Nevada, and Oklahoma State. I've heard from other posters that Utah is probably out, and the other two sent out their initial offers ages ago, so I'm guessing it's probably a no from them too.

It does sting. I feel like in other years, I might've had a pretty decent shot at making it into some of these schools. This is the lovely year I had to graduate into, and if it weren't for the pandemic, I might've been able to keep to my plan and keep studying. But maybe not--as far as I'm aware, I never even made it to a wait list.

I know the users on here have said it's not necessarily being "good" at writing that gets you in, it's just being what they want, but since my goal is to eventually teach, I need an MFA (or an MA) as a stepping stone to a PHD.

So the best I can do is keep working on my writing and try to make it better, then reapply? I can't control what the admissions people want, and to a pretty large degree, I can't ever really know that. What I can control is my own output, and so even though people are saying it's not about being "good," what else can I do with my own output but attempt to make it better? 

I have to believe that, at the end of the day, my path to graduate school lies in improving my abilities as a writer. 

Anyway, sorry for the wall of text, and thanks for the support from everyone. Unless a miracle happens, I'll stick around and go through this whole schtick again in one year. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by koechophe

[oubukibun]

Improve the writing for your self.

There's no way to ever know if one can cater to an individual, a group, or even an entire school (and why would one want to if it were possible?).

BUT, if we collectively continue to work on our writing so it continues to evolve as we do, and continues to reflect who we are and what our desires, aspirations, and goals are in that moment, chances are its chances of standing out from the pack will improve.

There's no guarantees: it's the proverbial needle meeting the haystack.  So, what I'll be doing is placing more needles in said stack, in the hopes that they'll prick their fingers at least once.

I applied to 4 schools this year as a beta test, and I'm waiting to hear from BU.  No idea what, if anything, will come of it, but I know if things don't work out, next year I will be doubling my application count to at LEAST remain assured that I have covered more bases than not.

I hope my imagery passes muster, haha.  Do not despair, unless it is on a page somewhere.

 

Happy St. Patty's everyone!!

Edited March 17, 2021 by oubukibun

[Greel]

5 minutes ago, koechophe said:

 

It does sting. I feel like in other years, I might've had a pretty decent shot at making it into some of these schools. This is the lovely year I had to graduate into, and if it weren't for the pandemic, I might've been able to keep to my plan and keep studying. But maybe not--as far as I'm aware, I never even made it to a wait list.

 

Hey Koechophe! First of all-- I think you're correct that this year has been absolutely a shit show in terms of the massive amount of applications schools have received. That sucks!!! Like I wonder if schools I got rejected from would have had a different outcome during another year as well.

Secondly, this is my first app cycle and I probably am not really qualified to offer advice but I graduated in 2018 and was super set on applying to MFAs right out of college. One of the cw professors I was very close with encouraged me to wait. Not because my writing was bad or she thought I would be rejected but because the time in an MFA is such a gift and its a hard thing to really understand going from undergrad straight into it. She was basically like go out and live a little, write a bit, and apply again when it feels so urgent that you can't wait another year. I think my writing matured because I did. A bit of it was trying to write every day but a lot of it was reading books I discovered, seeing movies, dating and breaking up, working terrible and great jobs... etc. You've got so much life left to live, and I know it feels really shitty right now. But if you apply again next year, I think your application will be stronger just by the fact that you'll have a slightly different perspective that only time gives, you know?  Also, I joined a writers group in my city after I graduated and found it a really great experience. I think honestly, you must have had a really great app to be on WLs in the first place!! I'm rambling, and hope I'm not offering too much unsolicited advice. But I really do think you've got a lot to be proud of this cycle, and a lot of good things coming your way this year.

[SMSM1229]

Can someone explain what Draft is and post a link to it? Thanks!

[oubukibun]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460423647532209/discussion/preview

Think that's the link.  'Tis naught but a Facebook group.  Be aware it can take a bit to be invited in.

[koechophe]

25 minutes ago, oubukibun said:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460423647532209/discussion/preview

Think that's the link.  'Tis naught but a Facebook group.  Be aware it can take a bit to be invited in.

You're not wrong. My request to join has been pending for, oh, three weeks now? So I wouldn't put much hope into actually getting in this late in the game.