2021 Applicants Forum

[Ydrl]

2 hours ago, TroyMcClure said:

My Maryland app says the same as yours (Under Program Review). I'm curious, why is 'under graduate school review' bad?

That’s what Maryland does to everyone who got rejected. Think of it as a soft no. In the old rejections on gradcafe there’s a lot of people confirming this. Also that’s what UNLV does, at least, last year they did.

[Ydrl]

14 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Somebody else on Draft got into George Mason and said they sent an SOP with the wrong school name.

Wow. I kept triple checking to make sure I didn’t do that and they didn’t even care.

[jka0124]

Not to be THAT person, but schools do read the SOPs. Little mistakes like the wrong name won’t throw you out of the running if the rest is good. For one, no admission committee thinks they’re the only school you’re applying to. Two, they’re human. We’re human. Mistakes happen. 

As for the person who wrote the SOP the same day as the deadline and got in, I bet it was a good SOP. Some people are just really good at writing those kinds of things. 

[feralgrad]

Seconding @jka0124. I'd also add that people who got in with first draft SOPs probably (definitely) had outstanding portfolios. I think most of us are/were more anal about them than necessary, but they still matter -- especially when chosing between applicants of similar quality.

Edited February 8, 2021 by feralgrad

[Starbuck420]

14 minutes ago, feralgrad said:

they still matter

sure, not saying they don't matter, just pointing out that they are probably not worth obsessing over to the point that they are usually obsessed over 

[purgatoryparadise]

9 hours ago, jka0124 said:

As for the person who wrote the SOP the same day as the deadline and got in, I bet it was a good SOP. Some people are just really good at writing those kinds of things. 

Also keep in mind that the person in question was already in a Writing MFA and wanted to transfer to a new one, so she might have had her old (successful) one to work off of? Just a guess. Either way, she got it done so good for her.

[jka0124]

1 hour ago, truffleshuffle said:

Also keep in mind that the person in question was already in a Writing MFA and wanted to transfer to a new one, so she might have had her old (successful) one to work off of? Just a guess. Either way, she got it done so good for her.

Ah, that definitely factors in. Even if they didn’t re-use an old SOP completely, it’s much easier to tap into the lingo and what programs are looking for when you’re in one. I suppose it’s also less stressful to write one when you’ve got a solid backup plan (staying in the program you’re already in).

[FairleyAlfy]

14 hours ago, Ydrl said:

That’s what Maryland does to everyone who got rejected. Think of it as a soft no. In the old rejections on gradcafe there’s a lot of people confirming this. Also that’s what UNLV does, at least, last year they did.

My application just says "application complete (active)" It said that from the beginning though. It hasn't changed. What does that mean?! haha 

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, FairleyAlfy said:

My application just says "application complete (active)" It said that from the beginning though. It hasn't changed. What does that mean?! haha 

I’m not sure. They might not be reviewing yours quite yet. It might go in waves???

[panglosian]

5 hours ago, truffleshuffle said:

Also keep in mind that the person in question was already in a Writing MFA and wanted to transfer to a new one, so she might have had her old (successful) one to work off of? Just a guess. Either way, she got it done so good for her.

I spoke to her in the comments of the Draft post, she said that she did have an interview and that based on her conversation in the phone call she got the impression that they were spreading out interviews and acceptances. However the same night another girl also got an acceptance for fiction so I don't know, and there is already a poetry acceptance floating out there

[Nervis]

Hi all, 

New here. I'm wondering about interviews for Brooklyn College. I'm sure I'm jumping the gun even anticipating this, but I see that some people are accepted outright and some are scheduled for an interview (and typically after that they don't update their grad cafe status for accepted or declined). Are the interviews for people that they're on the fence about since it seems they don't require them for everyone? Do many people make it past the interview round or is that a major "weeding out" event? Sorry if this is at all redundant. I searched the forums and haven't seen this specific question answered. Thank you for any insight! 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Nervis

[FairleyAlfy]

47 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

I’m not sure. They might not be reviewing yours quite yet. It might go in waves???

Yikes...I submitted it so long ago...why am I not being reviewed? ? Anxiety is real right now. When did your status change?

[mrvisser]

Someone posted an acceptance to Rutgers-Camden on Draft. They didn't specify which genre. That's a school I really wish I'd applied to, but it's on my list for next year.

[panglosian]

4 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Someone posted an acceptance to Rutgers-Camden on Draft. They didn't specify which genre. That's a school I really wish I'd applied to, but it's on my list for next year.

I just saw, and now I'm sweating. I'm a Camden County native, I'm really hoping to hear soon. They don't offer very much information on cohort/class size, but I know they only took seven students from BOTH genres combined last year.

[Ophelias pansies]

7 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Someone posted an acceptance to Rutgers-Camden on Draft. They didn't specify which genre. That's a school I really wish I'd applied to, but it's on my list for next year.

Thanks for letting us know! I applied to Rutgers Camden and it's nice to have a bit of a warning before everything comes rolling in!

[teasel]

Just received my first notification--I'm on the wait-list for University of Oregon! There's so much I love about this program. Hoping that this means there is more good news to come. I'm glad my first notification isn't a rejection, because I've been a nervous wreck tbh 

[Ophelias pansies]

Just now, teasel said:

Just received my first notification--I'm on the wait-list for University of Oregon! There's so much I love about this program.

Congrats! I'm crossing my fingers for movement on the list for you!

[mrvisser]

Just now, teasel said:

Just received my first notification--I'm on the wait-list for University of Oregon! There's so much I love about this program. Hoping that this means there is more good news to come. I'm glad my first notification isn't a rejection, because I've been a nervous wreck tbh 

Congrats! Eugene is a great place.

[Ydrl]

43 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Yikes...I submitted it so long ago...why am I not being reviewed? ? Anxiety is real right now. When did your status change?

When did you submit? I finished mine on 12/8. Maybe they’re doing it alphabetically? My status changed yesterday or Saturday, I think.

[spacedumpster]

HOO-WHEE, these relentless journal rejections sure are making me nervous about the quality of my writing sample. Hang in there, everybody. (mostly talking to myself)

[panglosian]

Thought you would all find this funny considering I'm waiting for a call from UMass AND Rutgers today, my phone rang from an NJ number and I had to compose myself for a moment before I picked up. It was a "your car's extended warranty" call.

Let me skip to the end credits, please. 

[spacedumpster]

3 minutes ago, panglosian said:

Thought you would all find this funny considering I'm waiting for a call from UMass AND Rutgers today, my phone rang from an NJ number and I had to compose myself for a moment before I picked up. It was a "your car's extended warranty" call.

Let me skip to the end credits, please. 

Oh for the love of... What are the odds??

[panglosian]

Just now, spacedumpster said:

Oh for the love of... What are the odds??

I'm from Camden County too so it was a Camden number ://///// XD

[Yellow62]

Seeing more UMass notifs going out. I can't even imagine receiving a call from Ocean Vuong. Probably a good thing it likely isn't going to happen to me, because I'd spend the rest of my life bragging about it. 

[mrvisser]

26 minutes ago, panglosian said:

Thought you would all find this funny considering I'm waiting for a call from UMass AND Rutgers today, my phone rang from an NJ number and I had to compose myself for a moment before I picked up. It was a "your car's extended warranty" call.

Let me skip to the end credits, please. 

I had a missed call and a voicemail from a Texas number last week, and it was some bullshit about my social security number had been compromised and I needed to call right away.