2021 Applicants Forum

[Ydrl]

Fun fact, it’s too late, but Iowa has application advice videos for poets and fiction writers. They were posted three months ago on YouTube. Idk if anyone watched them, but they’re there.

[CayceCamus]

20 hours ago, Ydrl said:

Fun fact, it’s too late, but Iowa has application advice videos for poets and fiction writers. They were posted three months ago on YouTube. Idk if anyone watched them, but they’re there.

I watched all of these! I found them to be really great, if not a little encouraging. A lot of it is the generic 'we just like your writing' sort of advice, but even still, worth a watch pre or post application. It gives a feel of the environment and community there. And makes Iowa all the more alluring ?

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, CayceCamus said:

I watched all of these! I found them to be really great, if not a little encouraging. A lot of it is the generic 'we just like your writing' sort of advice, but even still, worth a watch pre or post application. It gives a feel of the environment and community there. And makes Iowa all the more alluring ?

Honestly, even though I didn’t apply to Iowa this time, I still watch the City of Literature documentary on YouTube. Iowa will always enchant me, but it’s not what I’m looking for.

[pattycat]

23 hours ago, Ydrl said:

Fun fact, it’s too late, but Iowa has application advice videos for poets and fiction writers. They were posted three months ago on YouTube. Idk if anyone watched them, but they’re there.

I watched those right before I applied there. Super interesting. I had no idea that visiting professors had so much say in who gets accepted. Seems like a great way to keep their program from growing stale. Iowa has been criticized in the past for only accepting a certain type of writer (Carver-esque), which I've heard is no longer true.

[mrvisser]

Anybody apply to Illinois? I didn't, but I saw in the results that someone got waitlisted a couple of days ago.

[Ydrl]

44 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Anybody apply to Illinois? I didn't, but I saw in the results that someone got waitlisted a couple of days ago.

I imagine that listing is the time honored tradition of faking a post to scare the shit out of everyone. Or if someone really got waitlisted this early then reveal yourself, you magnificent writer.

[FairleyAlfy]

What's weird is that we usually see acceptances before waitlists so I'm thinking it's not real, but who knows, it has been a weird year thus far. 

[FairleyAlfy]

Also, does anyone else feel like January is an accumulation of months rather than a single month....? 

[mrvisser]

24 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Also, does anyone else feel like January is an accumulation of months rather than a single month....? 

I'm just considering it a continuation of 2020, and hopefully 2021 will begin in earnest.

[orangeslice]

1 hour ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Also, does anyone else feel like January is an accumulation of months rather than a single month....? 

Feels like I've been living this month a whole year already lol. It's been a looonnnnggg two weeks. I hope some of these schools start notifying soon or I'm going to lose my mind. ?

[spacedumpster]

3 hours ago, orangeslice said:

Feels like I've been living this month a whole year already lol. It's been a looonnnnggg two weeks. I hope some of these schools start notifying soon or I'm going to lose my mind. ?

Just so long as you find it again.

[KZK]

Eek! So far I've seen the following results on the board for FA21: 

• Lancaster University - Acceptance (Dec 2020)
• University of Tennessee - Move to Round Two (Dec 2020)
• Kingston University - Acceptance (Dec 2020)
• Western Colorado University - Acceptance (Jan 2021)
•  University of Illinois - Wait List (Jan 2021) 
• UMass Amherst - Interview (Jan 2021)

Congrats to those accepted and wait listed and good luck to those moving to round two and interviewing! 

[mrvisser]

If those results are true, that's some quick turnaround. Illinois has the same deadline as Michener (Dec. 1, although I'm sure Michener has many more applicants) and UMass has the same Dec. 15 deadline as most schools. 

[KZK]

10 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

If those results are true, that's some quick turnaround. Illinois has the same deadline as Michener (Dec. 1, although I'm sure Michener has many more applicants) and UMass has the same Dec. 15 deadline as most schools. 

It looks like UMass typically sends out acceptances in early February so an interview for TAship/funding may be on par with that timeline (but who knows!). I applied to UMass and haven't heard anything - not losing hope yet, but it was definitely a long shot so *shrug.*

[Michelle Zeller]

 

On 1/11/2021 at 7:20 PM, fishfish24 said:

I was waitlisted at Michener, Minnesota, and Madison-Wisconsin and got into one program which then had to make covid funding cuts, so.... round two!! This year I'm waiting to hear back from:

Can you post something you wrote?

I first figured I would be accepted to all 15 schools I applied to. But then I read here that most applications are rejected. 

Now, I have no idea if my writing is so bad that it stands no chance at Michener. I want to see something you wrote to try to get some sense whether my writing is in that league.  

Also, is there any website to see past writing samples accepted? 

[pattycat]

FYI all - someone in Draft just got accepted from University of Illinois Champaign for poetry.

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, pattycat said:

FYI all - someone in Draft just got accepted from University of Illinois Champaign for poetry.

If more people come forward, then I’ll be somewhat less skeptical, but for now I’m still dubious.

[hl2767]

3 hours ago, Ydrl said:

If more people come forward, then I’ll be somewhat less skeptical, but for now I’m still dubious.

This is my first comment! I'm a fiction applicant and have been lurking for a week or so. I don't know that I'll be checking in too often (magnifies the nerves! lol). But I just wanted to chime in and say I have a friend who just got accepted to Illinois! He's a poet. 

[cheech12]

Also a long-time lurker, first-time poster and applicant.  Hoping Illinois is still contacting, since that was one of my top programs.  It seems like they hired three new poets this year, maybe a program on the rise.  Congrats to those who got in!

[Greithe]

30 minutes ago, hl2767 said:

.... But I just wanted to chime in and say I have a friend who just got accepted to Illinois! He's a poet. 

A poet in MFA Draft '21 on Facebook posted news of an acceptance from Illinois's Poetry program today too - and I loved one of the comments where someone said "It has begun" - yes, it's all suddenly feeling very real. Ugh! My kids laugh now every time I say, "WHY did I DO this to myself?" ? Good luck everyone!

[mrvisser]

I'm ready for the storm! Bring it on.

[Ydrl]

13 hours ago, hl2767 said:

This is my first comment! I'm a fiction applicant and have been lurking for a week or so. I don't know that I'll be checking in too often (magnifies the nerves! lol). But I just wanted to chime in and say I have a friend who just got accepted to Illinois! He's a poet. 

Wow! Tell him I said congratulations, that’s amazing. Maybe decisions will come faster this year than we thought.

[FairleyAlfy]

[Ydrl]

Anyone else compulsively check their portals today? I didn’t get any emails, but I just want results to be there now that some people got acceptances.

[FairleyAlfy]

56 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

Anyone else compulsively check their portals today? I didn’t get any emails, but I just want results to be there now that some people got acceptances.

I'll probably start doing that when I start hearing that the colleges I applied for are notifying people. lol But I understand, the anxiety is real...