2021 Applicants Forum

[Bdelly]

2 hours ago, oubukibun said:

Well, BU told someone they'd have results out by the end of the first week of April (if I'm remembering correctly?), and yet here I am, haha, with zero news.

It's okay, BU, truly.  Just mass-send those emails.

It continually boggles my mind why non-personal rejection emails are staggered or delayed once all acceptances have been sent out.  I just don't see the purpose of that, and since waitlists also go out (not sure if BU even sends out waitlist notices) around the same time as acceptances, one would think the process wouldn't need to be dragged out so much.

If the pool of accepted and waitlisted folk is always small, then just do away with the rejections via those same mass-emails everyone who's not in receives?

Anyway, no idea.  Um, godspeed everyone!  And remember to go Plus Ultra!

Hey. Same boat waiting for that BU response. I feel on a whole other level. 

[Boomer not Ok]

19 minutes ago, Bdelly said:

Hey. Same boat waiting for that BU response. I feel on a whole other level. 

I can’t speak for poetry, but on fiction I think it’s wrapped up at BU. There seems to have been an initial wave of rejections last week but a poster here indicated who’d gotten in for fiction they were just waiting to hear back from one other fiction acceptance. Which reminds me, if you accept going to a program, I guess ethically you must release your waitlist spots at other programs. But I wonder how many people really do this? What if you don’t give up your waitlists but you commit to one place and then get a better offer on April 15 at another program, can you rescind your acceptance? Do the schools talk to each other? Would you be blacklisted? Just wondering...

Edited April 2, 2021 by Boomer not Ok

[Bdelly]

2 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

I can’t speak for poetry, but on fiction I think it’s wrapped up at BU. There seems to have been an initial wave of rejections last week but a poster here indicated who’d gotten in for fiction they were just waiting to hear back from one other fiction acceptance. Which reminds me, if you accept going to a program, I guess ethically you must release your waitlist spots at other programs. But I wonder how many people really do this? What if don’t give up your waitlists but you commit to one place and then get a better offer on April 15 at another program, can you rescind your acceptance? Do the schools talk to each other? Would you be blacklisted? Just wondering...

Yeah, it's poetry. Waitlisted at two of my other schools and rejected by one. It's all going to be ok.  

[Boomer not Ok]

Just now, Bdelly said:

Yeah, it's poetry. Waitlisted at two of my other schools and rejected by one. It's all going to be ok.  

You may be ok then. I’m waiting on fiction from them but know at this point it’s gotta to be a ‘no.’ Hope it comes through for you. 

[DeepSyntax]

54 minutes ago, SMSM1229 said:

For those who applied to Columbia and were either waitlisted or accepted, can you tell me a bit about what you wrote for the response to a piece of literature published in the last 10 years? I'm a bit nervous that I botched that essay. I'm definitely not saying that is the only reason I was rejected, but I definitely would like to try to figure out where I may have gone wrong outside of my writing sample. Thank you so much for any info!

Hi, I think I saw your post on draft. I'll respond here. In spite of the unkillable troll on this board, I find the people on draft weirdly more aggressive when it comes to Columbia.

In the info session, I think the Columbia admin said something like they wanted the essay to be "deeply nonacademic" and they wanted to know "what makes you the most excited" about the book while seeing you "address the text in a voice that feels authentic to you." I tried to look at it like coming up with a creative metaphor for a book you really like. I also tried to choose a book that feels significant but still speaks to my particular reading niche: a short, somewhat surreal book published in translation that had won a major prize in its country of origin. I write literary fiction, and it felt like the book I chose for my response piece was a bit different than the pieces I submitted.

They did mention that the sample and the response essay were the most important components of the submission, so it's good that you are thinking about it!

 

For the other troll victims on this board thinking about Columbia, I kind of think the "chosen one" stuff they espouse is B.S. By and large Columbia is very stingy with funding, so even the "top candidates" are getting what amounts to small discounts. Columbia is an academic brand, and if it weren't perceived to be worth the money they wouldn't get away with charging so much. If you live in Ohio and work at Starbucks it looks like a ton of money. If you live in New York (or another major urban center) and work in media, it doesn't seem quite as crazy. At the end of the day, your employer, agent or publisher won't care if your program was funded or not. It's about the work you do and who you know. It's ironic to see people sit around on these internet boards all day trying to tear down other posters for considering Columbia and preying on insecurities about money, talent etc. Just seems like the ultimate sour grapes. I mean it in the nicest possible way when I say: Get a life!

[SMSM1229]

Just now, DeepSyntax said:

Hi, I think I saw your post on draft. I'll respond here. In spite of the unkillable troll on this board, I find the people on draft weirdly more aggressive when it comes to Columbia.

In the info session, I think the Columbia admin said something like they wanted the essay to be "deeply nonacademic" and they wanted to know "what makes you the most excited" about the book while seeing you "address the text in a voice that feels authentic to you." I tried to look at it like coming up with a creative metaphor for a book you really like. I also tried to choose a book that feels significant but still speaks to my particular reading niche: a short, somewhat surreal book published in translation that had won a major prize in its country of origin. I write literary fiction, and it felt like the book I chose for my response piece was a bit different than the pieces I submitted.

They did mention that the sample and the response essay were the most important components of the submission, so it's good that you are thinking about it!

 

For the other troll victims on this board thinking about Columbia, I kind of think the "chosen one" stuff they espouse is B.S. By and large Columbia is very stingy with funding, so even the "top candidates" are getting what amounts to small discounts. Columbia is an academic brand, and if it weren't perceived to be worth the money they wouldn't get away with charging so much. If you live in Ohio and work at Starbucks it looks like a ton of money. If you live in New York (or another major urban center) and work in media, it doesn't seem quite as crazy. At the end of the day, your employer, agent or publisher won't care if your program was funded or not. It's about the work you do and who you know. It's ironic to see people sit around on these internet boards all day trying to tear down other posters for considering Columbia and preying on insecurities about money, talent etc. Just seems like the ultimate sour grapes. I mean it in the nicest possible way when I say: Get a life!

Thank you SO much this is all incredibly helpful and encouraging info ❤️  

[Blackhole]

1 hour ago, DeepSyntax said:

Hi, I think I saw your post on draft. I'll respond here. In spite of the unkillable troll on this board, I find the people on draft weirdly more aggressive when it comes to Columbia.

In the info session, I think the Columbia admin said something like they wanted the essay to be "deeply nonacademic" and they wanted to know "what makes you the most excited" about the book while seeing you "address the text in a voice that feels authentic to you." I tried to look at it like coming up with a creative metaphor for a book you really like. I also tried to choose a book that feels significant but still speaks to my particular reading niche: a short, somewhat surreal book published in translation that had won a major prize in its country of origin. I write literary fiction, and it felt like the book I chose for my response piece was a bit different than the pieces I submitted.

They did mention that the sample and the response essay were the most important components of the submission, so it's good that you are thinking about it!

 

For the other troll victims on this board thinking about Columbia, I kind of think the "chosen one" stuff they espouse is B.S. By and large Columbia is very stingy with funding, so even the "top candidates" are getting what amounts to small discounts. Columbia is an academic brand, and if it weren't perceived to be worth the money they wouldn't get away with charging so much. If you live in Ohio and work at Starbucks it looks like a ton of money. If you live in New York (or another major urban center) and work in media, it doesn't seem quite as crazy. At the end of the day, your employer, agent or publisher won't care if your program was funded or not. It's about the work you do and who you know. It's ironic to see people sit around on these internet boards all day trying to tear down other posters for considering Columbia and preying on insecurities about money, talent etc. Just seems like the ultimate sour grapes. I mean it in the nicest possible way when I say: Get a life!

thank you for writing this.

[Ydrl]

This isn't good news for anyone, but it's comforting to know the troll is going to be stuck on Gradcafe forever, like purgatory. They will never leave because the forum seems to be their main writing outlet instead of, y'know, writing stories.

[Boomer not Ok]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

This isn't good news for anyone, but it's comforting to know the troll is going to be stuck on Gradcafe forever, like purgatory. They will never leave because the forum seems to be their main writing outlet instead of, y'know, writing stories.

In a weird way, carefully gleaned excerpts of all the exchanges between the troll and posters on this thread could make for an interesting MFA submission portfolio. There's drama and conflict here, a lot of posturing and "delusion killing" veiled as "public service" but really a sad combo of schadenfreude and sour-grapes. It's a bit like a 'performance piece' blurring the line between fiction and reality. Maybe, I'll use this for my second round...a kind of author-less metafiction dialogue/pastiche.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Boomer not Ok

[Ydrl]

1 minute ago, Boomer not Ok said:

In a weird way, carefully gleaned excerpts of all the exchanges between the troll and posters on this thread could make for an interesting MFA submission portfolio. There's drama and conflict here, a lot posturing and "delusion killing" veiled as "public service" but really a sad combo of schadenfreude and sour-grapes. It's a bit like a 'performance piece' blurring the line between fiction and reality. Maybe, I'll use this for my second round...a kind of author-less metafiction dialogue/pastiche.

Somehow you got there when all I could think of was purgatory. Yeah, there's a reason I don't have a knack for telling stories.

[Starbuck420]

12 hours ago, DeepSyntax said:

I'll respond here. In spite of the unkillable troll on this board, I find the people on draft weirdly more aggressive when it comes to Columbia.

This is so true lmao

Some of the criticism of Columbia seems like it's genuinely in good faith, but a lot of it seems to be about boosting the self esteem of a small group of recent grads (of funded programs) more than anything else

In general, I think it's nice when grads share their knowledge in that group. But sometimes it's clear that the advice they're giving is more about making themselves feel good, and less about, like, sharing useful knowledge or bringing anyone into the loop on a particular issue or anything like that, which is part of why I left in the end. That and I need to spend less time on these forums lol

Edited April 2, 2021 by Starbuck420

[Blackhole]

1 hour ago, Starbuck420 said:

This is so true lmao

Some of the criticism of Columbia seems like it's genuinely in good faith, but a lot of it seems to be about boosting the self esteem of a small group of recent grads (of funded programs) more than anything else

In general, I think it's nice when grads share their knowledge in that group. But sometimes it's clear that the advice they're giving is more about making themselves feel good, and less about, like, sharing useful knowledge or bringing anyone into the loop on a particular issue or anything like that, which is part of why I left in the end. That and I need to spend less time on these forums lol

this is true...

[rbb_ergo]

waiting & wanting is terrible... finally caved & reactivated my FB & hoping i get accepted into the Draft MFA '21 group soon *fingers crossed*

anyone seen/heard news from U New Mexico yet? ?

[cecsav]

3 hours ago, rbb_ergo said:

waiting & wanting is terrible... finally caved & reactivated my FB & hoping i get accepted into the Draft MFA '21 group soon *fingers crossed*

anyone seen/heard news from U New Mexico yet? ?

Nope. No communication from UNM. 

[dr. t]

13 hours ago, Ydrl said:

This isn't good news for anyone, but it's comforting to know the troll is going to be stuck on Gradcafe forever, like purgatory. They will never leave because the forum seems to be their main writing outlet instead of, y'know, writing stories.

Just think of it as a performance art piece.

Also, if you don't quote or reply but just report, I can delete the posts without messing up the thread for future readers.

[Ydrl]

...

Edited April 3, 2021 by Ydrl

[McHockey]

Hi friends. Anyone who applied to PhD programs in creative writing hear anything from University of Louisiana, Ole Miss, or Ohio University? I applied in poetry. Wild that it’s this late and I’m waiting on 3 places so I wanted to check in. Happy April!

[Cristie]

4 hours ago, McHockey said:

Hi friends. Anyone who applied to PhD programs in creative writing hear anything from University of Louisiana, Ole Miss, or Ohio University? I applied in poetry. Wild that it’s this late and I’m waiting on 3 places so I wanted to check in. Happy April!

Have you checked the survey thing (I'm not sure what it's called but I obsess over it) you can type in those programs and search. Hope that helps.

https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=Creative+Writing&t=t&o=&pp=25

[Salaam O]

hi friends! I'm not sure if anyone would have an answer to this, but I contacted SIUC since I hadn't heard from them at all inquiring about when I'll likely hear from them, and I received this email back. I didn't mention anything about a waitlist, and I hadn't gotten anything regarding a waitlist before. I was confused as to why it was the only thing he seemed to talk about in response to my email. Err, help decipher it? Does he just mean he'll be in contact about my results in general in the next coming week, or am I maybe on the waitlist orrr? I didn't wanna sound too bothersome and was unsure whether or not to follow up, which I may end up doing, or maybe just wait till next week to see what happens. 

[teasel]

4 hours ago, Salaam O said:

hi friends! I'm not sure if anyone would have an answer to this, but I contacted SIUC since I hadn't heard from them at all inquiring about when I'll likely hear from them, and I received this email back. I didn't mention anything about a waitlist, and I hadn't gotten anything regarding a waitlist before. I was confused as to why it was the only thing he seemed to talk about in response to my email. Err, help decipher it? Does he just mean he'll be in contact about my results in general in the next coming week, or am I maybe on the waitlist orrr? I didn't wanna sound too bothersome and was unsure whether or not to follow up, which I may end up doing, or maybe just wait till next week to see what happens. 

 

Hmm.. I could see how this could be easy to read into but I think he's politely telling you that if you didn't receive an email that you are not on the first tranche of the wait list. You might still be on it, but they are actively figuring that out. I'm pretty sure he's just telling you to wait it out until the end of next week before inquiring about your status again.  Sorry, I know that's not the answer you want!! 

*also adding that I didn't apply to SIUC. Hope someone else might have more insight for you! Hang in there

Edited April 4, 2021 by teasel
edit to add

[Blackhole]

13 hours ago, McHockey said:

Hi friends. Anyone who applied to PhD programs in creative writing hear anything from University of Louisiana, Ole Miss, or Ohio University? I applied in poetry. Wild that it’s this late and I’m waiting on 3 places so I wanted to check in. Happy April!

rejection form Ohio University 

[jujubee]

19 hours ago, McHockey said:

Hi friends. Anyone who applied to PhD programs in creative writing hear anything from University of Louisiana, Ole Miss, or Ohio University? I applied in poetry. Wild that it’s this late and I’m waiting on 3 places so I wanted to check in. Happy April!

Hi. I messaged the DGS in Ohio three weeks ago and found out I was rejected.

I got in to UL Lafayette with a fellowship. They emailed me last week. 

Hope that helps! Fingers crossed for you

[McHockey]

1 hour ago, jujubee said:

Hi. I messaged the DGS in Ohio three weeks ago and found out I was rejected.

I got in to UL Lafayette with a fellowship. They emailed me last week. 

Hope that helps! Fingers crossed for you

That’s very helpful, thank you. And congrats on your acceptance! 

[Saina92]

Hey everyone,

Any news from the university of Victoria?

[Ydrl]

Easter isn't my holiday but it might be yours. Have a good day regardless.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Ydrl