2021 Applicants Forum

[cecsav]

17 minutes ago, Cristie said:

I have a zoom meeting tomorrow with one of the programs I'm considering. I have some questions written out to ask but thought I'd hit you guys up so I don't not ask something I should. What are the most important things to ask that aren't funding-related? I'd appreciate some suggestions.

Did you receive a funding offer from UMKC? They emailed me about a TAship today, but I will still be turning them down for ASU

[AmWriting]

Anyone heard news from Miami University (of Ohio) lately? I saw just a few who’d heard about poetry early in the year, but otherwise, nothing...

[turtlesfordays]

37 minutes ago, Cristie said:

I have a zoom meeting tomorrow with one of the programs I'm considering. I have some questions written out to ask but thought I'd hit you guys up so I don't not ask something I should. What are the most important things to ask that aren't funding-related? I'd appreciate some suggestions.

You might ask about diversity, community (are students competitive with each other or more collaborative), and whether most students are able to manage the workload. And maybe consider asking about teaching responsibilities if that is relevant.

[Blackhole]

can you ask a faculty member who called you about your writing and if they can share anything that they feel about about your sample? is it a proper question?

[porta]

50 minutes ago, Blackhole said:

can you ask a faculty member who called you about your writing and if they can share anything that they feel about about your sample? is it a proper question?

Which school? 

[Blackhole]

Just now, porta said:

Which school? 

Columbia

[porta]

14 hours ago, koechophe said:

I haven't "failed" as a writer. 

What is your definition of failed? 

[porta]

Just now, Blackhole said:

Columbia

There is no reason not to ask. It won't stop you from getting in next year or have any other ramification. But he probably won't answer. The cohort is 70. They admit many more. This all assumes you weren't one of their chosen ones, for whom they waived all tuition. He would have to pull up your work to even remember you. 

[Blackhole]

12 minutes ago, porta said:

There is no reason not to ask. It won't stop you from getting in next year or have any other ramification. But he probably won't answer. The cohort is 70. They admit many more. This all assumes you weren't one of their chosen ones, for whom they waived all tuition. He would have to pull up your work to even remember you. 

that makes sense. I don't I am their chosen one. They gave like a pittance in the same of a scholarship but then, Columbia never said they would give finding so can't really fault them on that. the cohort, the professor said, is 50 with many deferrals this time. I am very curious to know why certain professors call certain people of they haven't even read the samples properly and they don't remember you. 

[Blackhole]

5 minutes ago, Blackhole said:

that makes sense. I don't I am their chosen one. They gave like a pittance in the same of a scholarship but then, Columbia never said they would give finding so can't really fault them on that. the cohort, the professor said, is 50 with many deferrals this time. I am very curious to know why certain professors call certain people of they haven't even read the samples properly and they don't remember you. 

I don't know*

[porta]

18 minutes ago, Blackhole said:

that makes sense. I don't I am their chosen one. They gave like a pittance in the same of a scholarship but then, Columbia never said they would give finding so can't really fault them on that. the cohort, the professor said, is 50 with many deferrals this time. I am very curious to know why certain professors call certain people of they haven't even read the samples properly and they don't remember you. 

You've read this on Draft already. If they gave a "pittance," you weren't one of their chosen ones. They thought you better than the ones rejected and worse than the chosen ones.

They read your sample. They read a lot of samples. They just won't remember it. The signal for how good they thought the sample is the funding. They know most people turn them down if they ask for tuition. They know most anyone would rather go to one of the 60 funded programs than pay for them.  You said your sample had typos. It was up against samples that were not done at the last minute.

[Blackhole]

2 minutes ago, porta said:

You've read this on Draft already. If they gave a "pittance," you weren't one of their chosen ones. They thought you better than the ones rejected and worse than the chosen ones.

They read your sample. They read a lot of samples. They just won't remember it. The signal for how good they thought the sample is the funding. They know most people turn them down if they ask for tuition. They know most anyone would rather go to one of the 60 funded programs than pay for them.  You said your sample had typos. It was up against samples that were not done at the last minute.

totally makes sense. that's why I'm not excited about this. also, on another note, I feel it is up to who reads your sample finally. there isn't any GPA type thing here. it is all very subjective. 

[porta]

1 minute ago, Blackhole said:

totally makes sense. that's why I'm not excited about this. also, on another note, I feel it is up to who reads your sample finally. there isn't any GPA type thing here. it is all very subjective. 

You are late in this game. There is basic undisputed knowledge you don't have. You should probably browse through old posts on Draft. Put more weight on what the veterans posts because a lot of newbies invent theories and push it for data. The conventional wisdom is that it is almost all writing sample. Now and then, you get a professor saying low grades did disqualify someone. I've only seen that claim for schools ranked below about 20, and not much of it. I don't think it could disqualify you since you graduated long ago. 

Everyone wants to believe that their last minute job inspired a professor to pick them as the 1% who get in. Don't give in to that temptation. Presume you aren't special. Read some of Cady's posts on Draft where she says the hard truth. Unfunded Columbia is not hard to get into. Rutgers Newark and unfunded Brooklyn College are much harder to get in to, and are both near Manhattan. See the phone call as more of a sales call. He made plenty of calls. Ask yourself why Columbia wanted to charge you knowing that would lead you to say no. 

[Blackhole]

2 hours ago, porta said:

You are late in this game. There is basic undisputed knowledge you don't have. You should probably browse through old posts on Draft. Put more weight on what the veterans posts because a lot of newbies invent theories and push it for data. The conventional wisdom is that it is almost all writing sample. Now and then, you get a professor saying low grades did disqualify someone. I've only seen that claim for schools ranked below about 20, and not much of it. I don't think it could disqualify you since you graduated long ago. 

Everyone wants to believe that their last minute job inspired a professor to pick them as the 1% who get in. Don't give in to that temptation. Presume you aren't special. Read some of Cady's posts on Draft where she says the hard truth. Unfunded Columbia is not hard to get into. Rutgers Newark and unfunded Brooklyn College are much harder to get in to, and are both near Manhattan. See the phone call as more of a sales call. He made plenty of calls. Ask yourself why Columbia wanted to charge you knowing that would lead you to say no. 

I didn't mean it that way. it is all about the writing sample. that I know. I didn't hear anyone say they disqualified anyone for low grades. What I meant was that nobody should be discouraged or made to feel bad about getting anywhere. writing and reading are very subjective things. that's all. I know Columbia has high tuition and it has low selectivity and all of that stuff and maybe my sample was a bit better than all those who got rejected.... I get all of that.

What I don't get is the bias against it in terms of trashing everything. I might not go there because of several reasons but I would never say stuff to make others feel. We all know deep down in our hearts we aren't special. I have read Cady's posts. I never said I am tempted to believe I am that 1 percent. of course not. I realised my sample wasn't good very early on. 

I just find it very unfair when people talk about respect and temptation and all of those things to those who got in there. Maybe they are just sharing a bit of news that they got in somewhere. Someone asks a question here about asking a professor at some place about things and they don't get to hear they are not that one percent. All I asked was if I can ask a question when the professor calls. That's all. 

Also, I don't know why the professor made the sales call and why Columbia wanted to charge me, etc. I don't know why the fact that maybe someone got somewhere and everyone seems to be telling them they are just not good enough and so on and so forth. I am not special. And Columbia is not hard to get into. But those two are not the only truths here. 

[porta]

11 minutes ago, Blackhole said:

What I don't get is the bias against it in terms of trashing everything.

We all know deep down in our hearts we aren't special. 

Also, I don't know why the professor made the sales call and why Columbia wanted to charge me, etc.

Since you don't get the bias, I'll tell it. It isn't bias, and it isn't "everything," just the lies, particularly the lies with long term debt at stake. This is the standard debate between coddling and truth. If you can’t process it any other way, see it as a troll opportunity without need to lie, and with doing public good. Any way you take it, if you pay for Columbia, assuming your name isn’t Rockefeller, you are a fool.

This is why Cady and to a lesser extent the less courageous Jess tell everyone not to pay. On this issue, we intersect.

You aren't ready to write if you believe "We all know deep down in our hearts we aren't special." That is probably the biggest lie I've heard this year, and I don't believe you believe it. 

"I don't know why the professor made the sales call and why Columbia wanted to charge me.": More reality. They want to charge you because they didn't think your last minute submission was top 1%. Now you know. 

[Blackhole]

1 minute ago, porta said:

Since you don't get the bias, I'll tell it. It isn't bias, and it isn't "everything," just the lies, particularly the lies with long term debt at stake. This is the standard debate between coddling and truth. If you can’t process it any other way, see it as a troll opportunity without need to lie, and with doing public good. Any way you take it, if you pay for Columbia, assuming your name isn’t Rockefeller, you are a fool.

This is why Cady and to a lesser extent the less courageous Jess tell everyone not to pay. On this issue, we intersect.

You aren't ready to write if you believe "We all know deep down in our hearts we aren't special." That is probably the biggest lie I've heard this year, and I don't believe you believe it. 

"I don't know why the professor made the sales call and why Columbia wanted to charge me.": More reality. They want to charge you because they didn't think your last minute submission was top 1%. Now you know. 

thank you. no, I won't call this trolling. and you can call me whatever you feel like. I know the biases and I am not judging people without knowing them. And not calling them "fools" and "not ready to write" because I guess the forums are there for support and to be kind to each other. 

that's all. thanks again.

[porta]

5 minutes ago, Blackhole said:

 the forums are there for support and to be kind to each other. 

Kindness and support come in many forms, both long and short term. 

[Boomer not Ok]

1 hour ago, porta said:

Since you don't get the bias, I'll tell it. It isn't bias, and it isn't "everything," just the lies, particularly the lies with long term debt at stake. This is the standard debate between coddling and truth. If you can’t process it any other way, see it as a troll opportunity without need to lie, and with doing public good. Any way you take it, if you pay for Columbia, assuming your name isn’t Rockefeller, you are a fool.

This is why Cady and to a lesser extent the less courageous Jess tell everyone not to pay. On this issue, we intersect.

You aren't ready to write if you believe "We all know deep down in our hearts we aren't special." That is probably the biggest lie I've heard this year, and I don't believe you believe it. 

"I don't know why the professor made the sales call and why Columbia wanted to charge me.": More reality. They want to charge you because they didn't think your last minute submission was top 1%. Now you know. 

 

1 hour ago, Blackhole said:

 

I just find it very unfair when people talk about respect and temptation and all of those things to those who got in there. Maybe they are just sharing a bit of news that they got in somewhere. Someone asks a question here about asking a professor at some place about things and they don't get to hear they are not that one percent. All I asked was if I can ask a question when the professor calls. That's all. 

 

Of course you should be able to ask about your sample if you get called by a rep from the program. If the person is not familiar with your sample and is just calling you to inform you about the adcom's decision and tell you more about the program, then they should say "they'll get back to you about your question." If they don't offer to do that, then it may not be a good sign about the program. Also, I truly don't get this obsession over CU and NYU. It seems from this thread plenty of people got rejected or waitlisted from CU and/or NYU but got into fully-funded or other very competitive programs. Be proud of your acceptance at CU.  

[porta]

19 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

I truly don't get this obsession over CU and NYU. It seems from this thread plenty of people got rejected or waitlisted from CU and/or NYU but got into fully-funded or other very competitive programs. Be proud of your acceptance at CU.  

Well, people know it is no great honor to get into The New School or Emerson. People don't know that about Columbia/NYU because 10 years ago, when there were few fully funded programs, it was a great honor. 

It is false that "plenty of people" get into a fully funded program, but not Columbia/NYU. The number is not zero, but low. It can't be zero owing to subjectivity. Every year, there is at least one guy who gets into Iowa and rejected from every other school.  If I applied and got into Columbia, I would not be proud, especially if like Blackhole, my submission was last minute and included typos. That says it all. 

[NLake]

12 hours ago, AmWriting said:

Anyone heard news from Miami University (of Ohio) lately? I saw just a few who’d heard about poetry early in the year, but otherwise, nothing...

Are you on the waitlist? I’m turning my offer down so you may see some movement! 

[AmWriting]

5 minutes ago, NLake said:

Are you on the waitlist? I’m turning my offer down so you may see some movement! 

I must be, because I haven't heard anything from them at all. 

[NLake]

Just now, AmWriting said:

I must be, because I haven't heard anything from them at all. 

I hope you hear something soon! Good luck to you! 

[Boomer not Ok]

1 hour ago, porta said:

Well, people know it is no great honor to get into The New School or Emerson. People don't know that about Columbia/NYU because 10 years ago, when there were few fully funded programs, it was a great honor. 

It is false that "plenty of people" get into a fully funded program, but not Columbia/NYU. The number is not zero, but low. It can't be zero owing to subjectivity. Every year, there is at least one guy who gets into Iowa and rejected from every other school.  If I applied and got into Columbia, I would not be proud, especially if like Blackhole, my submission was last minute and included typos. That says it all. 

This is my first rodeo. I don’t have access to Draft. I don’t know who Jess and Cady are. I don’t know who actually reads the MFA apps. I doubt the faculty do in programs where there are almost 1000 apps to review. I’ve just seen folk here been rejected from NYU and CU and get int fully funded or what are “deemed” more “selective” programs. That said, folk may want to go to NYU or CU for all sorts of reasons. For internationals the name alone may help them back home       with jobs etc. 

[porta]

16 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

For internationals the name alone may help them back home       with jobs etc. 

That might be true. Jess from Draft posted that she is "ivy league" without mentioning she did not go to Columbia College, but rather the open admission Columbia School of General Studies. Her webpages make the general claim of "Columbia University" without mentioning she did not go to Columbia College. 

Overseas, you could probably tell people you have an MA in Creative Writing from John Hopkins, and leave out that it is low res and open admissions and something different than the MFA. 

[woweezowee]

...

Edited April 1, 2021 by woweezowee