2021 Applicants Forum

[Ydrl]

3 hours ago, largeheartedboy said:

New Yorker here, just finished my undergrad degree in creative writing after a long time away from school.

Applied to NYU, Columbia, The New School, Hunter, and CCNY for their nonfiction tracks. Just finished the applications, waiting on recommendation letters. Fingers crossed.

Nice to meet you! And congrats on your degree.

Did you power through all those apps already? That’s incredible, I wish I’d done that back in October/November instead of sitting here in December hunched over my laptop like a goblin.

[mrvisser]

Hello! I'm a little late, but figured I'd throw myself into the group here!

I'm 28, and applied to six programs:

-Iowa 

-Texas (Michener)

-Vanderbilt

-Washington University in St. Louis

-University of Washington

-Ole Miss

I finished all of my applications about a week ago, and now that we're in that awful period of waiting, I need some support from other people going through the same thing. I know the programs I applied to are all selective and difficult to get into. I also know that my writing is good, but that it could be better, and I have no idea what the average quality of an admitted student is, so I have no idea where I stand in comparison. Anyways, I look forward to sharing my anxiety with you all.

[Ydrl]

On 12/7/2020 at 11:23 PM, mrvisser said:

Hello! I'm a little late, but figured I'd throw myself into the group here!

I'm 28, and applied to six programs:

-Iowa 

-Texas (Michener)

-Vanderbilt

-Washington University in St. Louis

-University of Washington

-Ole Miss

I finished all of my applications about a week ago, and now that we're in that awful period of waiting, I need some support from other people going through the same thing. I know the programs I applied to are all selective and difficult to get into. I also know that my writing is good, but that it could be better, and I have no idea what the average quality of an admitted student is, so I have no idea where I stand in comparison. Anyways, I look forward to sharing my anxiety with you all.

Welcome to the thread! And wow! You got those schools sorted out immediately, that’s awesome. And the wait is maddening, especially when you send everything out early. Is this your first year/round of applications? I’m a rather impatient person, so I’m probably gonna freak myself out. But at least we can be anxious as a group.

[Ydrl]

Question for everybody: how old are you? There was a thread for this last year but not this one I think. Nobody needs to answer, but I’m interested in getting to know all of you. We’re in this together, so we may as well take a break from freaking out to talk to support each other.

I’m 24 for reference.

[pattycat]

18 hours ago, Ydrl said:

@pattycat thank you for sticking up for me. If you hadn’t called him out, he would just continue treating me like I don’t have feelings.

Of course. Being a writer is HARD. It's one of the most self-exposing things you can do--full of rejection and lonely struggling. We gotta be there for each other when we can.

[pattycat]

8 hours ago, mrvisser said:

Hello! I'm a little late, but figured I'd throw myself into the group here!

Welcome! Great job finishing those apps! I'm one of those who obsessively polishes each sample/sop until the last possible moment. I really should just let it go and be done with them already.

28 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

Question for everybody: how old are you?

I'm 37 ?  with a husband and a kiddo. I just closed my business of 12 years, so I finally have some time to dedicate to writing.

[Ydrl]

2 minutes ago, pattycat said:

Of course. Being a writer is HARD. It's one of the most self-exposing things you can do--full of rejection and lonely struggling. We gotta be there for each other when we can.

Absolutely, that’s a key part of a productive writing workshop. It’s not about competition (for me at least), it’s about becoming the best writer you can be with the support of other people who also want to get better themselves. 

Just now, pattycat said:

I'm 37 ?  with a husband and a kiddo. I just closed my business of 12 years, so I finally have some time to dedicate to writing.

Sorry if that was too much to ask. And finding time to read and write must have been really hard when running a business and taking care of a child. I applaud you for balancing those responsibilities, you’re amazing!

[mrvisser]

8 hours ago, Ydrl said:

Welcome to the thread! And wow! You got those schools sorted out immediately, that’s awesome. And the wait is maddening, especially when you send everything out early. Is this your first year/round of applications? I’m a rather impatient person, so I’m probably gonna freak myself out. But at least we can be anxious as a group.

Yep, first time applying! I started doing the research back when COVID hit, so by the time I started working on the applications in August I had narrowed down my choices. If I don't get in this time around, I figure I'll double my number of applications for next year and try again. There probably won't be a third attempt. The one good thing about losing my job to COVID is it gave me a lot of time to work on stories and statements of purpose, and I try not to overthink things too much (it usually just makes my submissions worse), so once I got my recommenders lined up I just went ahead and knocked out the applications.

[mrvisser]

4 hours ago, pattycat said:

Welcome! Great job finishing those apps! I'm one of those who obsessively polishes each sample/sop until the last possible moment. I really should just let it go and be done with them already.

Yeah, I tried not to stress too much about it. I know a lot of the admissions committees say they don't care about polish and just want to see a strong voice come through in the writing samples, something that shows potential and skill and individuality. With the SOPs I just tried to be honest and straightforward about who I am and what my goals are, and once I had something that sounded coherent enough, I tried not to worry about going over it again and again. Which is easier said than done, of course.

[Ydrl]

2 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Yep, first time applying! I started doing the research back when COVID hit, so by the time I started working on the applications in August I had narrowed down my choices. If I don't get in this time around, I figure I'll double my number of applications for next year and try again. There probably won't be a third attempt. The one good thing about losing my job to COVID is it gave me a lot of time to work on stories and statements of purpose, and I try not to overthink things too much (it usually just makes my submissions worse), so once I got my recommenders lined up I just went ahead and knocked out the applications.

That’s awesome. I attempted to have ten to twelve applications this round and I’m glad to at least have finalized my list with eight schools as opposed to six haha... And I’m glad your recommenders are organized and punctual. There’s one recommender of mine who waited until Nov. 29 to submit everything at once.

[pattycat]

5 hours ago, Ydrl said:

And finding time to read and write must have been really hard when running a business and taking care of a child. I applaud you for balancing those responsibilities, you’re amazing!

Thank you for saying that.  I've realized that once you want something enough, it becomes much easier to make the time for it. I get up at 5am each morning so that I can get a few hours of writing in before my son gets up. I'm not a morning person, so it was difficult at first. But now it's my favorite time of day.

[pattycat]

33 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Yeah, I tried not to stress too much about it. I know a lot of the admissions committees say they don't care about polish and just want to see a strong voice come through in the writing samples, something that shows potential and skill and individuality. With the SOPs I just tried to be honest and straightforward about who I am and what my goals are, and once I had something that sounded coherent enough, I tried not to worry about going over it again and again. Which is easier said than done, of course.

That's a good point. I at least haven't spent as much time polishing my sop since I know they won't even look at it if my sample is garbage. ?

[FairleyAlfy]

On 12/7/2020 at 2:39 AM, Ydrl said:

@FairleyAlfy

I should clarify about the last sentence I wrote. I would turn to your recommenders for this kind of dilemma. Typically the first draft of a poem is pretty rocky, and time isn’t slowing down. I’ve been working on one poem for months now, but based on my professor’s reactions and notes, it’s still not ready yet. I hope you can contact at least one of your recommenders and ask them ask for advice.

In the meantime, I’d like to recommend a poetry book that was powerfully sad without being interrupted by fluctuating happiness to give the readers a break. Ghost in a Red Hat by Rosanna Warren (Robert Penn Warren’s daughter) has an eerie tranquility to it and no one would say that her poetry needs more humor or that she needs to lighten up. The book has a theme of death and dying. However, when a few teachers and I went to dinner with her, she was really excited about the town my college was in.

Just because someone’s writing might be depressing, it doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way, or that it defines them as a person. Don’t sugar coat yourself to make your work more palatable to the masses. Do whatever comes naturally to you.

 

Thank you for the advice! I let a few professors and former classmates read my portfolio, and it was all pretty positive. The critiques they gave were easily fixed. My former professor (who's now a director of a low-residency MFA program) said that the depressing aspects of my poems fit in with the theme of southern gothic that is present in my portfolio and to not add humor to it. Super helpful advice so I'm feeling better about my submission. I'll have to read that poetry book! I've been reading so much new poetry lately with being quarantined and sick. California just went into shutdown mode where I live so not a whole lot to do besides remote work, filling out applications, and reading. I hope everyone is doing well!

[FairleyAlfy]

On 11/29/2020 at 7:46 AM, Ydrl said:

@FairleyAlfy What schools are you applying to?

Also thanks for the tips, I appreciate that.

Haha Where to begin? I have a pretty lengthy list. Since I served as an AmeriCorps member, many of the universities I'm interested in waived the application fee for me so I thought I would apply to as many as I could afford. 

So far, I have completed applications for the following:

1. Cornell 

2. U Virginia

3. Purdue

4. Notre Dame

5. OSU

6.  U Mississippi (Ole Miss)

7. Vanderbilt

The rest of the universities that I have on my list are:

1. BU

2. NC State

3. Florida State University

4. U Florida

5. U Maryland

6. Hollins

7. Bowling Green U

I've got a mix of colleges. I mainly look at faculty I would like to work with, funding, and teaching load. If anyone has any information about these universities, good or bad, please let me know. I applied from reading the work of the faculty, and what they put on the website. 

[largeheartedboy]

On 12/7/2020 at 4:30 PM, Ydrl said:

Nice to meet you! And congrats on your degree.

Did you power through all those apps already?

I did! I dedicated my free time over a couple of weeks to writing the individual statements of purpose and the other essays that were necessary.

[Ydrl]

1 hour ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Thank you for the advice! I let a few professors and former classmates read my portfolio, and it was all pretty positive. The critiques they gave were easily fixed. My former professor (who's now a director of a low-residency MFA program) said that the depressing aspects of my poems fit in with the theme of southern gothic that is present in my portfolio and to not add humor to it. Super helpful advice so I'm feeling better about my submission. I'll have to read that poetry book! I've been reading so much new poetry lately with being quarantined and sick. California just went into shutdown mode where I live so not a whole lot to do besides remote work, filling out applications, and reading. I hope everyone is doing well!

I’m glad your former professor found your style to be serious and coherent without adding unnecessary humor. As I said earlier, your writing is enough without all the bells and whistles. Also right now is a great time for the voracious reader. I moved (to a neighboring suburb) despite all of this, and the one thing I knew I had to bring with me was seven different books so I could prepare for the worst if my state goes into a lockdown.

[landscape]

Hi, I'm preparing to submit and curious if anyone has advice on how to order the poetry writing sample.  

I know I should start with the best one-page poem, but I'm torn between two choices: a shorter poem that feels strong and concise, or a personal favorite that's longer and less conventional but more representative of my work. 

I think the first option would also make a great final poem, but I don't know if I should stick something good at the end.

Thanks!

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by landscape

[taylorjunebug]

40 minutes ago, landscape said:

Hi, I'm preparing to submit and curious if anyone has advice on how to order the poetry writing sample.  

I know I should start with the best one-page poem, but I'm torn between two choices: a shorter poem that feels strong and concise, or a personal favorite that's longer and less conventional but more representative of my work. 

I think the first option would also make a great final poem, but I don't know if I should stick something good at the end.

Thanks!

 

Hi there! I watched a video recently uploaded by the professors who choose for Iowa and both said they'd recommend "hitting" them upfront with strong work (according to them, they meant work that has 'energy' -- take that as you will). They said that doing so would intrigue them enough to continue, and that you shouldn't put one of your best poems last. It's probably different for other readers/universities, though! 

[Ydrl]

12 hours ago, FairleyAlfy said:

I've got a mix of colleges. I mainly look at faculty I would like to work with, funding, and teaching load. If anyone has any information about these universities, good or bad, please let me know. I applied from reading the work of the faculty, and what they put on the website. 

That’s pretty much the same thing I did. I made a spreadsheet of everything I needed to know, except the teaching load...We’ll see if that comes back to haunt me later.

U Maryland is one of the top three in my mind. Just finished and paid my application around 12AM this morning.

I’m curious, do you have a preference for a two or three year program? I went for mostly three year programs because I need the extra time, readership, and support to get where I want to go.

[Ydrl]

18 hours ago, pattycat said:

Thank you for saying that.  I've realized that once you want something enough, it becomes much easier to make the time for it. I get up at 5am each morning so that I can get a few hours of writing in before my son gets up. I'm not a morning person, so it was difficult at first. But now it's my favorite time of day.

That reminds me of my high school writing schedule. Wake up, 2am to 4am writing fiction, go back to bed for an hour, then get ready for my day. My mother used to yell at me for it, but those were some of the best days. I didn’t keep the habit or my fiction writing, because trying to squeeze a poem out of me every day is gonna break me.

Anywhere from 10pm to 5am is my window of creating. It’s not like I can be easily distracted by sleeping friends, or walking in the middle of the night by myself. I totally get why you like it.

[Ydrl]

17 hours ago, FairleyAlfy said:

Thank you for the advice! I let a few professors and former classmates read my portfolio, and it was all pretty positive. The critiques they gave were easily fixed. My former professor (who's now a director of a low-residency MFA program) said that the depressing aspects of my poems fit in with the theme of southern gothic that is present in my portfolio and to not add humor to it. Super helpful advice so I'm feeling better about my submission. I'll have to read that poetry book! I've been reading so much new poetry lately with being quarantined and sick. California just went into shutdown mode where I live so not a whole lot to do besides remote work, filling out applications, and reading. I hope everyone is doing well!

If I had to pick a single poem that demonstrates how sharp Ms. Warren’s imagery is, it would be “Mediterranean”. It’s up on poetry foundation’s website if you want to give it a quick read.

I’m glad your sample didn’t require much tweaking. Knowing that you don’t have to fix anything major must feel great. And the theme of southern gothic is really interesting from what I’ve seen, but I’m not well acquainted with it.

The only way I can explain the theme of my writing sample is by calling it: Eclectic Love.

[FairleyAlfy]

6 hours ago, Ydrl said:

That’s pretty much the same thing I did. I made a spreadsheet of everything I needed to know, except the teaching load...We’ll see if that comes back to haunt me later.

U Maryland is one of the top three in my mind. Just finished and paid my application around 12AM this morning.

I’m curious, do you have a preference for a two or three year program? I went for mostly three year programs because I need the extra time, readership, and support to get where I want to go.

I mean when it comes down to it, the teaching load is not a huge factor, but I've heard of students being overworked and stressed out because of the large teaching load and course load. Most programs though are two courses a semester max. 

I don't have a preference. I realize that BU is only one year, and I'm not a huge fan of that. I imagine trying to complete all the requirements for an MFA in one year is going to be super stressful, but I admire the faculty, and I love Boston. If it ends up being the only place that accepts me, I'll go, but if I have a couple of options (unlikely haha), then I'll probably choose a two or three year program over BU. 

To answer the age question, I'm 25. I completed my undergrad a couple of years ago.

[FairleyAlfy]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

If I had to pick a single poem that demonstrates how sharp Ms. Warren’s imagery is, it would be “Mediterranean”. It’s up on poetry foundation’s website if you want to give it a quick read.

I’m glad your sample didn’t require much tweaking. Knowing that you don’t have to fix anything major must feel great. And the theme of southern gothic is really interesting from what I’ve seen, but I’m not well acquainted with it.

The only way I can explain the theme of my writing sample is by calling it: Eclectic Love.

I just read it! Beautiful poem, I'm going to have to get one of her books now. I just read Louise Gluck's The Wild Iris. I'm obsessed with her work now. Highly recommend the read! She's also great with imagery. 

I didn't notice a theme until my professor pointed it out. I'm from Mississippi and born into a super religious (sometimes cultish) family. I haven't been able to write about my upbringing until I moved to California, and what came out was southern gothic haha. 

I would be curious to hear where everyone is from if you guys don't mind sharing. 

[Ydrl]

28 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

I don't have a preference. I realize that BU is only one year, and I'm not a huge fan of that. I imagine trying to complete all the requirements for an MFA in one year is going to be super stressful, but I admire the faculty, and I love Boston. If it ends up being the only place that accepts me, I'll go, but if I have a couple of options (unlikely haha), then I'll probably choose a two or three year program over BU. 

To answer the age question, I'm 25. I completed my undergrad a couple of years ago.

Boston is cool, but a 1 year program has gotta be hella stressful.

And may we all have multiple options this year.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Ydrl

[pattycat]

36 minutes ago, FairleyAlfy said:

 

I would be curious to hear where everyone is from if you guys don't mind sharing. 

I’m originally from Indiana—also from an extremely conservative family that I am now writing about. But now I’m in the far north suburbs of Chicago.