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2021 Applicants Forum


teasel

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Thanks, and I hope things work out for you. Yeah, I think I really blew it with the flash, because I included 3 pieces in my apps. Since I'm out of the running at UMass and probably Rutgers, this means my shot at some of the "higher tiers" I applied to is zero. Maybe a partial funded program will come through, but it's looking I'll have to revisit this process possibly next year, and then maybe go easy on the flash.

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14 minutes ago, DeepSyntax said:

Here's a question: when you receive an email that says something like "An update has been posted to your application, please check the portal" does that pretty much always mean a rejection, or do they actually notify people that they've been accepted that way too? Has anyone received an email like that and logged on to find that they'd been accepted?

Just want to set my expectations accordingly if it always means rejection/waitlist.

I don't think it's common, but I have seen people mention they were accepted with an email to check their portal.

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36 minutes ago, Nervis said:

I began my portfolio with a flash piece (then two longer pieces) and included my publishing credits so I will be a good case study! One of my publishing credits is actually forthcoming in the lit mag that is based out of a grad program that I applied to, so that will be interestiiiiiinnnngggg. I hate this. 

For whatever it's worth, I also included a CNF flash piece in a few of my applications, mostly to show a bit of range. We'll see if that's helpful or hurtful. 

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20 minutes ago, DeepSyntax said:

Here's a question: when you receive an email that says something like "An update has been posted to your application, please check the portal" does that pretty much always mean a rejection, or do they actually notify people that they've been accepted that way too? Has anyone received an email like that and logged on to find that they'd been accepted?

Just want to set my expectations accordingly if it always means rejection/waitlist.

It might not be as common, but it can definitely be an acceptance. That’s how I was notified of an acceptance from Miami (OH). When I went to check the update I had to select an embedded link and there was a “Congratulations!” letter from the graduate college. I got an acceptance letter via email from the actual CW program the following day. I think it sometimes just depends on the timing, and who is getting to what tasks when. I’m sure it’s also heavily dependent on the school. But I say all this to say, don’t give up hope if you see a portal update email! It just might be good news :)

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Just now, mrvisser said:

Heads up: Someone in Draft just got an acceptance call from Arizona State. Director Sally Ball called and said she would be calling the other accepted students today.

Thanks for the update! Do you know if it was for a specific genre, or if they’re calling all accepted applicants regardless of genre?

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28 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Heads up: Someone in Draft just got an acceptance call from Arizona State. Director Sally Ball called and said she would be calling the other accepted students today.

I received an acceptance for poetry (my first!). She said they are accepting 5 applicants in each genre, and all applicants would be called today. She also told me to expect follow up calls from Natalie Diaz and Solmaz Sharif! 

I am dying!

Edited by cecsav
Typo
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4 minutes ago, cecsav said:

I received an acceptance for poetry (my first!). She said they are accepting 5 applicants in each genre, and all applicants would be called today. She also told me to expect follow up calls from Natalie Diaz and Solmaz Shari! 

I am dying!

Congrats! That's so exciting!

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57 minutes ago, Boomer not Ok said:

Thanks, and I hope things work out for you. Yeah, I think I really blew it with the flash, because I included 3 pieces in my apps. Since I'm out of the running at UMass and probably Rutgers, this means my shot at some of the "higher tiers" I applied to is zero. Maybe a partial funded program will come through, but it's looking I'll have to revisit this process possibly next year, and then maybe go easy on the flash.

I just wanted to chime in and say that I absolutely don't think that is the case! I was accepted to UMass for fiction earlier this week (still reeling) and had included a flash piece.  When I was admitted the person I spoke to quoted a sentence from my flash piece as something that they liked--so, if anything, the flash I included was super important in my portfolio.  I'm sure the same is true for you! 

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14 minutes ago, cecsav said:

I received an acceptance for poetry (my first!). She said they are accepting 5 applicants in each genre, and all applicants would be called today. She also told me to expect follow up calls from Natalie Diaz and Solmaz Sharif! 

I am dying!

Congratulations! That’s so exciting! 
 

Do you mind my asking how long ago you got your call? I want to gage how long I should hold my breath. Haha. 

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13 minutes ago, NLake said:

Congratulations! That’s so exciting! 
 

Do you mind my asking how long ago you got your call? I want to gage how long I should hold my breath. Haha. 

About an hour ago. It was 12:15pm my time. 

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Re: Flash fiction - I honestly don't think there's a hard and fast rule for anything. I was waitlisted for fiction at a fully-funded program this week having submitted one 21 page short story and a 9 page excerpt of another 22-page story. After seeing on Draft that excerpts were bad form, I didn't include excerpts for any other schools (rejected so far at 2 of those)... but turns out it probably didn't really matter.  If I reapply next year, I'm just going to focus on submitting my strongest work in any form!

Edited by dillydally17
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2 hours ago, Nervis said:

I began my portfolio with a flash piece (then two longer pieces) and included my publishing credits so I will be a good case study! One of my publishing credits is actually forthcoming in the lit mag that is based out of a grad program that I applied to, so that will be interestiiiiiinnnngggg. I hate this. 

interesting that you bring this up as it's something i've been thinking about, too - one of the schools at the top of my list published an essay of mine last spring. that has to work in my favor, right? or do you think they even remember? i didn't explicitly mention that they'd chosen my work before, and now I'm thinking that was a missed opportunity. 

 

really i just need to hear *anything* - i'm losing it. making really elaborate snacks and watching way too much bad tv while in purgatory. 

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2 hours ago, DeepSyntax said:

Here's a question: when you receive an email that says something like "An update has been posted to your application, please check the portal" does that pretty much always mean a rejection, or do they actually notify people that they've been accepted that way too? Has anyone received an email like that and logged on to find that they'd been accepted?

Just want to set my expectations accordingly if it always means rejection/waitlist.

 

Edited by qrrcl
Did not realize this was a literary only forum... new to GradCafe!
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8 minutes ago, bettedavisthighs said:

interesting that you bring this up as it's something i've been thinking about, too - one of the schools at the top of my list published an essay of mine last spring. that has to work in my favor, right? or do you think they even remember? i didn't explicitly mention that they'd chosen my work before, and now I'm thinking that was a missed opportunity. 

 

really i just need to hear *anything* - i'm losing it. making really elaborate snacks and watching way too much bad tv while in purgatory. 

I think it would have been fine to mention it, just so they know that their program has "endorsed" your work before. I had to fill out resumes with publishing creds for all my schools. Did you have to do that? I def mentioned it in mine and in my SOP, but at the same time, since it's a grad journal, even though it's nationally recognized the students are the ones who are ostensibly choosing most of the work and the faculty editors and advisors are probably more peripheral than anything. Since it's the faculty who are reviewing the applications, I think that it's kind of a toss-up whether or not they would even know or care that much? I wouldn't sweat it, really. If you have quality work in your sample, that's going to speak for itself, and something like this probably wouldn't nudge you too far one way or the other. At least that's what I'm telling myself. 

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5 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Fuck. Someone at Vanderbilt just got an acceptance call for fiction. I really want to go there. 

Uh, either this person is not very vigilant or this is a lie. “

  • Call from Lorraine Lopez. 3 total fiction and poetry acceptances each this year. Holy CRAP 1a/0w/1r/12p”
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5 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

Uh, either this person is not very vigilant or this is a lie. “

  • Call from Lorraine Lopez. 3 total fiction and poetry acceptances each this year. Holy CRAP 1a/0w/1r/12p”

That post matches the one on Draft. 

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