2021 Applicants Forum

[Greel]

7 minutes ago, dumblond said:

I actually heard from them last night that I'm on the CNF waitlist! Fingers crossed for both of us : ) 

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Greel

[dumblond]

1 minute ago, Greel said:

I'm on CNF waitlist as well! :')

Congrats!! 

[pulley]

Longtime lurker first time poster...

Oodles of gratitude to this crew for the awesome guidance & community y'all have built through this process!

Wanted to share a waitlist notification for Florida Atlantic U (poetry), received earlier today via email. Short but nice note, mentioned they should be following up "within the month" which seemed like oddly specific guidance... should I temper expectations or is that a strong "likely" signal!?

So far this cycle have been admitted to Nevada - Reno and Northern Arizona (both for poetry); funding still tbd for both.

Would be truly thrilled with any above programs, funding permitting.

Other schools this cycle: rejected from OSU, UMass Amherst, Vandy, UWisconsin so far.

A few more in the pipeline (UNLV, JHU, Eastern Washington, Cleveland State/NEOMFA...)

Hoping it's good news all 'round on this thread as we continue through the gauntlet!

 

[JPReinhold]

58 minutes ago, Graceful Entropy said:

I've been mulling your friend's viewpoint and while we need to take care of ourselves, I think we also have to consider our impact on our larger community as well.

While the OSU debacle certainly will instill some nervousness (and is clearly a huge fuck-up on their part), I think the difference is that those are technically considered informal offers w/out the contract. Once the contract is out--typically later and by email--any school part of the CSG (basically all of them) must abide by it until the April 15th deadline.

So, if you are waiting on another school, by all means, hold on to your other choice(s), but I think if any of us are fortunate enough to be accepted into multiple programs, we should respect them and do our peers a solid by helping them get their own show on the road as soon as we know that school's not going to be the one.

All in this together.

Yes - I don’t plan on holding on to 5 acceptances or something wild. I plan on holding my top 2 or 3 and while I wait for the dust to settle. I have real reasons and interest in the programs I’m holding onto - not just for funsies. I think there’s a good balance to be had here between strategy and courtesy.

[SunFlower_]

Hello Everyone! Has anyone else noticed an entry in the New & Prospective Student Center for their portal for the University of Michigan? Specifically for the "View Financial Aid Documents Status" and "View Financial Aid Award Notices?" I was looking, and I saw there was an entry for Aid Year 2022. I can't see the entry, and I also haven't received a decision. I'm not sure if this is a positive sign, or I'm just looking too much into this.

Edited February 23, 2021 by SunFlower_

[eternalwhitenights]

3 hours ago, Salaam O said:

Omg I just found this BLOG HELLO! I can freak out with people that's so nice ;-; Anyway, hi, here's my personal update:

Waitlisted: IU Bloomington (Fiction)

Rejected: Michigan in Ann Arbor (Fiction)

Waiting: Purdue, Southern Illinois, Notre Dame (Fiction)

Hiiiii! I'm waiting on Notre Dame, too (it's the only program I applied to)! I think literally the best thing ever, ever, ever would be to get in, and then to get in with friends from here! 

Also, a major, 8 bjillion times over, congratulations to all who have been waitlisted, accepted, rejected, and are still waiting. When I was praying today, I was thinking about how, no matter what, I'm still a writer. No matter, what, I am still going to make it. No matter what, I, and all of us, are going to be okay, and if we get rejected, we're going to double down on our craft, and keep writing, keep growing, keep learning, and keep loving, and we're all going to make it, whatever that ends up looking like overall.

I believe in you guys, and I believe in myself! All of us are "success stories" because we have the courage to put our hearts on paper in the first place. In other words, no matter the outcomes, let's ROCK this, y'all!!!!! ❤️

[mrvisser]

Any Wyoming applicants? There are some decisions on Draft. I almost applied there, but decided last-minute that I can't live in Laramie, despite its natural beauty.

[orangeslice]

4 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Any Wyoming applicants? There are some decisions on Draft. I almost applied there, but decided last-minute that I can't live in Laramie, despite its natural beauty.

I applied but haven’t heard anything. So far on draft I’ve only seen waitlists so here’s to hoping!

[mrvisser]

2 minutes ago, orangeslice said:

I applied but haven’t heard anything. So far on draft I’ve only seen waitlists so here’s to hoping!

Some schools (can't remember which off the top of my head) have sent out waitlists before acceptances, so here's hoping you're in!

[feralgrad]

5 hours ago, Graceful Entropy said:

While the OSU debacle certainly will instill some nervousness (and is clearly a huge fuck-up on their part), I think the difference is that those are technically considered informal offers w/out the contract.

I think the challenge here is that

a) It's not uncommon for official funding contracts to go out in the summer (I got mine right before the start of the semester)

b) Some contracts give students no recourse if funding dries up (On that note, read your contracts carefully)

Moreover, holding multiple offers til the 15th makes the process more difficult for others, but it doesn't take away opportunities. I don't think there's a clear-cut right thing to do, but I would encourage people to protect themselves. As wonderful as these programs and their faculty may be, they're at the mercy of a university system that runs as a business -- with all the unfairness and heartless choices that entails.

[feralgrad]

3 hours ago, SunFlower_ said:

Hello Everyone! Has anyone else noticed an entry in the New & Prospective Student Center for their portal for the University of Michigan? Specifically for the "View Financial Aid Documents Status" and "View Financial Aid Award Notices?"

[...]

Sorry to say that they probably just processed your FAFSA. I'm guessing this is coming from the university's financial aid office, which is many administrative steps removed from the MFA program.

[spacedumpster]

7 hours ago, JPReinhold said:

Yes - I don’t plan on holding on to 5 acceptances or something wild. I plan on holding my top 2 or 3 and while I wait for the dust to settle. I have real reasons and interest in the programs I’m holding onto - not just for funsies. I think there’s a good balance to be had here between strategy and courtesy.

Not sure how applicable this is to writing programs, but I know at least in fine arts, having a couple of offers on the table, and making your prospective schools aware of this can help you advocate for a better funding offer. 

[sinclair]

I've been rejected almost everywhere already and am picking my schools for next year. There is only so much I can spend on application fees, and I need to make choices. Which should I choose between: Rutgers Newark or Columbia. Also which between: Hunter and Syracuse? 

[mrvisser]

1 hour ago, sinclair said:

I've been rejected almost everywhere already and am picking my schools for next year. There is only so much I can spend on application fees, and I need to make choices. Which should I choose between: Rutgers Newark or Columbia. Also which between: Hunter and Syracuse? 

Syracuse is on my list for next year. As much as I'd love to go to school in NYC, the funding at Syracuse is good, the program has a great, longstanding reputation, and it's a cheap-ass city to live in.

[sinclair]

14 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

 Syracuse is good, the program has a great, longstanding reputation.

Isn't Hunter considered to be higher ranked and harder to get into? I heard Hunter is considered to be in the top 5, and Syracuse is in the league below that. 

[mrvisser]

14 minutes ago, sinclair said:

Isn't Hunter considered to be higher ranked and harder to get into? I heard Hunter is considered to be in the top 5, and Syracuse is in the league below that. 

Poets & Writers stopped ranking programs, but the last time they did their rankings Syracuse was #6 and Hunter was #28.

And even if Hunter was better-ranked, they don't fully fund people out of state, so that automatically rules them out for me.

Edited February 24, 2021 by mrvisser

[sinclair]

8 minutes ago, mrvisser said:

Poets & Writers stopped ranking programs, but the last time they did their rankings Syracuse was #6 and Hunter was #28.

And even if Hunter was better-ranked, they don't fully fund people out of state, so that automatically rules them out for me.

Poets and Writers last ranked 9 years ago. I was told that since then Hunter shot up ranks. Their faculty are all prize winners.  They had a student who won the National Book Award soon after graduating. What I can't understand is how Hunter could basically shoot up to #5 when they charge $8K tuition to out of state students and don't give a stipend. All the other top 50 schools don't charge anyone tuition and give stipends. It must cost more to run a school in New York, and students must be willing to accept the financial loss for that privilege. But Rutgers Newark is not so far away, and it gives a stipend like all fully funded schools.  

[eternalwhitenights]

28 minutes ago, sinclair said:

Poets and Writers last ranked 9 years ago. I was told that since then Hunter shot up ranks. Their faculty are all prize winners.  They had a student who won the National Book Award soon after graduating. What I can't understand is how Hunter could basically shoot up to #5 when they charge $8K tuition to out of state students and don't give a stipend. All the other top 50 schools don't charge anyone tuition and give stipends. It must cost more to run a school in New York, and students must be willing to accept the financial loss for that privilege. But Rutgers Newark is not so far away, and it gives a stipend like all fully funded schools.  

Marshall, you sly thing, you. Hello again!

[WhackAMole]

y'all are treating rankings like waaaaaaay more of an exact science than it is.  To choose a school based on being ranked 8th vs ranked 24th would be absurd.  Those are essentially the same ranking.

[eternalwhitenights]

4 minutes ago, WhackAMole said:

y'all are treating rankings like waaaaaaay more of an exact science than it is.  To choose a school based on being ranked 8th vs ranked 24th would be absurd.  Those are essentially the same ranking.

He's a troll. Don't pay him any mind. ?

[sinclair]

5 minutes ago, WhackAMole said:

y'all are treating rankings like waaaaaaay more of an exact science than it is.  To choose a school based on being ranked 8th vs ranked 24th would be absurd.  Those are essentially the same ranking.

Are you saying there is no generally held belief that Hunter is tougher to get into than Syracuse? Also, what is Marshall? 

[WhackAMole]

1 minute ago, eternalwhitenights said:

He's a troll. Don't pay him any mind. ?

unminded and ignored. thanks

[sinclair]

1 minute ago, WhackAMole said:

unminded and ignored. thanks

What are you guys talking about? I still think the consensus is that Hunter is better than Syracuse. Yes, it is not an exact science, but there is a basic consensus such as that Iowa is at or near the top. 

[largeheartedboy]

CNF University of New Hampshire acceptance on Draft.

[Graceful Entropy]

Marshall, marshall, marshall... a rogue by any other name.

On the off chance you aren't, and to direct others who might have similar worries: feel free to search earlier discussions in this thread regarding 'rankings'. I believe @mrvisser had a pretty good response about it all.

And while I know I sucked at looking into fee waivers initially, I realized I should just do it this time, and over half of my app fees got waived. Worth acknowledging that if you're having to work extra (like I did first time around) to get enough $$ for app fees, it also probably means that you are eligible for waivers.

FAFSA is a good first start; researching and emailing next.
Here's big ten's free app sign-up, which would give you access to like 14 great schools:
https://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/freeapp/eligibility