2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Ydrl]

19 minutes ago, MissMosquito said:

What results page are you referring to?

https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/

[MissMosquito]

11 minutes ago, Ydrl said:

https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/

Thanks. I'm still learning how to navigate this site. Also, I notice a number of people have a section below every one of their posts like an email signature with their stats:

Applying to:

Accepted: 

Waitlisted:

Rejected: 

Withdrawn:

How do I add these stats so they're automatically included at the bottom of my posts?

[Ydrl]

22 minutes ago, MissMosquito said:

Thanks. I'm still learning how to navigate this site. Also, I notice a number of people have a section below every one of their posts like an email signature with their stats:

Applying to:

Accepted: 

Waitlisted:

Rejected: 

Withdrawn:

How do I add these stats so they're automatically included at the bottom of my posts?

Profile, settings, account settings, signature.

[Ydrl]

There's an acceptance for Miami (OH) up. Whoever that poet is, congrats!

[Sunocation]

I just received my first response from Ohio State for creative nonfiction. I've been waitlisted!! I am so, SO excited, and REALLY hoping I'll be moving back to Columbus this summer (I'm moving from overseas so basically anywhere is fair game). I can't believe it. I know it's not a full acceptance but the fact that I'm still in the running for osu is nuts to me.

I know it's a long shot, but does anyone know the chances of being bumped up from waitlist to shortlist for a creative nonfiction program? Any anecdotal accounts?

[hot_toddy]

On 1/18/2022 at 5:06 PM, SteveHolt said:

Also congrats! I applied to Mississippi for fiction. So in some distant, unlikely universe we'll be cohort buds

 

Have you heard back from Ole Miss yet as a fiction applicant? Sorry I'm paranoid about this one I would like at the very least to achieve some level of success, even if I ultimately get rejected lol. 

[SteveHolt]

7 minutes ago, hot_toddy said:

Have you heard back from Ole Miss yet as a fiction applicant? Sorry I'm paranoid about this one I would like at the very least to achieve some level of success, even if I ultimately get rejected lol. 

No, poetry responses have come out, but I have not received nor have I heard of anyone else receiving fiction responses for phase 2.

[MissMosquito]

20 minutes ago, hot_toddy said:

Have you heard back from Ole Miss yet as a fiction applicant? Sorry I'm paranoid about this one I would like at the very least to achieve some level of success, even if I ultimately get rejected lol. 

When they sent me my email on Tuesday (for poetry) 1/18, I was told not to post any news on social media--I hope this doesn't count as social media per se--and that they haven't even ranked fiction applications yet. Hope this insider info helps. : )

[Ydrl]

I know that none of my colleges are probably going to notify accepted people until maybe FSU next week, but now that Ohio state's kicked off the season (and my school is back in session on Tuesday) a moderate amount of anxiety has taken hold.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Ydrl

[Yellow62]

3 hours ago, Ydrl said:

I know that none of my colleges are probably going to notify accepted people until maybe FSU next week, but now that Ohio state's kicked off the season (and my school is back in session on Tuesday) a moderate amount of anxiety has taken hold.

Feel ya on this. I was doing a good job not thinking about acceptances up until OSU started notifying folks. Trying not to let the knowledge I might not hear from some of my schools for another two months get to me lol. 

[MDP]

7 minutes ago, Yellow62 said:

Feel ya on this. I was doing a good job not thinking about acceptances up until OSU started notifying folks. Trying not to let the knowledge I might not hear from some of my schools for another two months get to me lol. 

Right there with y'all. It's all I can think about, ugh.

[koechophe]

6 minutes ago, Yellow62 said:

Trying not to let the knowledge I might not hear from some of my schools for another two months get to me lol. 

My personal goal is to not check Draft/Results here that often so that I don't think about it as much.

Some days I do better than others.

[koechophe]

In case anyone's curious, I put together a list of when my schools usually notify people--so that I can theoretically 

University of Maryland ~March 8
John Hopkins University Lots of variation, late feb-early march
Brown University ~March 1-8
University of Michigan Lots of variation, as early as Feb.
Virginia Tech Late Feb/Early march
BSU ~Feb 28
Arizona State ~Feb 15
University of Wisconsin - Madison ~Feb 18
University of Florida Late feb/early march
University of Idaho ~Feb 28

[MDP]

Guys I'm seriously driving myself CRAZY. I feel like I'm hoping way too hard for something that in all honesty has very little chance of panning out well. I wish I could just fast-forward past results season a la Click and be done. I want my letdown to be as swift as it is devastating, ha.

[xenawins]

14 hours ago, koechophe said:

In case anyone's curious, I put together a list of when my schools usually notify people--so that I can theoretically 

University of Maryland ~March 8
John Hopkins University Lots of variation, late feb-early march
Brown University ~March 1-8
University of Michigan Lots of variation, as early as Feb.
Virginia Tech Late Feb/Early march
BSU ~Feb 28
Arizona State ~Feb 15
University of Wisconsin - Madison ~Feb 18
University of Florida Late feb/early march
University of Idaho ~Feb 28

I feel like there was an awesome compilation of notification timelines that got posted somewhere, either here or in the Draft but I can't find it anywhere now! Waiting sucks and this is a great reference so I can calm my tits about everything (as you said, theoretically). But I've been distracting myself with the massive revision/rewrite I'm doing on my novel so that definitely helps.

[koechophe]

7 minutes ago, xenawins said:

But I've been distracting myself with the massive revision/rewrite I'm doing on my novel so that definitely helps.

I've actually been in the storyboarding stage of writing a new novel. I don't usually storyboard on paper (I'm not a discovery writer, I'm just usually good at storyboarding the entire thing in my brain) but this one is getting too complicated for me to keep track of without some notes. 

[koechophe]

1 hour ago, MDP said:

Guys I'm seriously driving myself CRAZY. I feel like I'm hoping way too hard for something that in all honesty has very little chance of panning out well. I wish I could just fast-forward past results season a la Click and be done. I want my letdown to be as swift as it is devastating, ha.

I know from experience (particularly last year, I think this year hasn't been as bad) that there's nothing anyone can say that will make that feeling go away.

I recommend being nice to yourself. This is a hard thing, and a hard wait. Don't beat yourself up for feeling that, if you need to go curl up in a ball on the couch for a while, don't feel bad about it. It's okay to expect less of yourself in times like this when you've got less to give. The thing that usually feeds the nervousness the most is self-criticism. 

It's rough, hang in there, and if you feel like you're not handling it super well, join the club =). Just don't get too down on yourself for what you feel. 

[MDP]

On 1/24/2022 at 1:19 PM, xenawins said:

I feel like there was an awesome compilation of notification timelines that got posted somewhere, either here or in the Draft but I can't find it anywhere now!

I compiled one a couple pages back, not sure if this was the one you were thinking of  

 

Made a list of all of last year's earliest reported acceptances that went out between Jan. - Feb. 2021 (according to GradCafe -- I don't do Draft):
 

1/15
U. of Illinois

1/20
Ohio State University

1/28
Miami University (Ohio)

1/30
Vermont College of Fine Arts

1/31
University of Oregon

2/1
Western Michigan University

2/2
George Mason University, Boise State University

2/3
Indiana University Bloomington, Florida State University, UC Davis

2/4
George Mason University, Bowling Green State University

2/5
Chatham University

2/6
University of Nevada Reno, University of Idaho, University of Minnesota

2/7
U Mass Amherst

2/8
SUNY Stony Brook, Rutgers University

2/9
NC State

2/10
WashU in St. Louis

2/12
Oklahoma State University, Arizona State University, Vanderbilt University, UMass Boston, UC San Diego

2/13
Northern Arizona University

2/15
University of Tennessee, Southern Illinois University

2/16
University of British Columbia, University of Alabama, University of South Florida

2/18
Writer's Foundry at St. Joseph's

2/19
NYU, University of Missouri - Kansas City, University of Central Florida

2/21
University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Montana, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota

2/22
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Temple University, University of New Mexico

2/23
Cornell, Cal Arts, VA Tech

2/24
University of New Hampshire, Lindenwood University, Chatham University, Minnesota State University, UWashington - Seattle

2/25
VA Tech, Hollins, George Mason, Syracuse, Northern Michigan University - Marquette, University of Houston, Northern Arizona University

2/26
Notre Dame, U Mass Boston, Iowa State University, UNC Greensboro, West VA University, Oregon State, Iowa Writer's Workshop, Cornell,

2/27
University of Mississippi, Michener

2/28
SAIC, UT Austin, UNLV

On 1/24/2022 at 1:35 PM, koechophe said:

It's rough, hang in there, and if you feel like you're not handling it super well, join the club =). Just don't get too down on yourself for what you feel. 

Thank you for this, actually helps to know other people are in the same boat. Gahhh

[Ogilvie]

10 hours ago, Artel said:

And I see all these posts about angst waiting for decisions. It is pain without profit. It is me last year. Just take the New Yorker test. 80% of people here won't pass it. That is conventional wisdom among Adcoms. These 80% can know their MFA decisions now.

You know there are unconventional/ avant-garde programs, don't you? I doubt these programs have such a boring aesthetic as The New Yorker.

But I think you might be partially right about the commercial programs at least . . . Iowa, Michigan, Michener, etc. They do promote a conformist aesthetic.

[Ogilvie]

26 minutes ago, Artel said:

@Ogilvie

Well, the New Yorker test isn’t perfect. It is possible to write an Experimental story that would get into Brown and would stand out against New Yorker stories. But if you could pull that off, you are advanced, and you will already know you aren’t in the 80% of students who get ruled out after one page.

 But ok, 45 fully funded MFAs. How may of them are experimental ?

I guess any magical realism story will also fail the New Yorker test. Still, the vast majority of people could validly use the test.

That's fair. I counted 7 fully-funded programs that one could call "innovative." Maybe there are a few more, idk. Definitely a minority of programs.

[Ogilvie]

1 hour ago, Artel said:

@Ogilvie, what are the 7? I didn't realize there were so many, though maybe you are broadly labeling schools experimental.

Prefer not to say for my own selfish reasons. You probably are familiar with them anyway, whether or not you consider them innovative.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Ogilvie

[Ydrl]

Congrats to the person who got into U Baltimore! Whoever you are!

[littleblackneko]

Does anyone know if UIUC has released fiction acceptances yet? I'm a little wired waiting for the decision, even though I'm doubtful ill get in. 

[holloway]

1 hour ago, littleblackneko said:

Does anyone know if UIUC has released fiction acceptances yet? I'm a little wired waiting for the decision, even though I'm doubtful ill get in. 

I've been seeing a lot of fiction waitlists from UIUC on Draft today. 

[panglosian]

Hey, anyone hear about interviews from UMass? I know some people were hearing mid-Jan ahead of decisions, some were hearing after acceptances.