2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Ray1998]

Hello! I'm a fresh dental bachelors graduate and have applied to MFA programs in the US as an international student. I got an email from Southern Illinois asking me to join a virtual workshop, “Life at SIU Carbondale”. It starts with my name and everything and feels like a targeted email. Can this means something positive? I've had friends tell me such emails are emails sent out to accapeted students before they send out acceptances? 

[Sydup]

@Ray1998 I work for a university as a copywriter for email campaigns that are sent to prospective undergrad students. I think that the email you received may have just been a mass email with the code {{Preferred Name}} in the beginning to make it more personalized. I write emails that go to 50 prospects to 70,000 prospects, and each time we make it personalized with the code. Once your profile is in the system of a university, they can use that profile to help code in specific things— your preferred name, your interest in study. A virtual workshop seems like a mass email, not a specifically targeted one. 
 

I don’t mean to spread negativity, only my experience in the admissions process of gathering prospective undergrad students to the university I work for. 

[Sydup]

On another note, I was accepted to Oklahoma State University (five decisions still pending), does anyone have experience with Oklahoma State? 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Sydup
Forgot a word

[MDP]

16 hours ago, gagne said:

What genre(s) are you applying for MFAs in and what drew you to apply to MFAs this season?

I'm applying for fiction! Applied once before when I was still a senior in college and didn't know what I was doing. I've taken a different angle with my writing and I just felt ready to try again. I sat out last cycle and if I don't get in anywhere this round, I'll likely sit out for another year before I even think about reapplying. This is a really taxing process and I'm not eager to jump back in, to be honest.

Part of me wonders whether the MFA is even the best path for me. I adore workshopping and working with others, and I admire the network available to MFA students. But I dislike the competition and egoism (my own included) which seem to flourish in these environments. I also think MFAs encourage homogeneity. I have a friend at one of the top programs -- won't say which -- and she said that her workshops have stifled the qualities that made her writing authentic. She's had a hard time getting back to her natural voice (which is what got her in the door to begin with!)

Ironically (?) I tend to write the most, the best, when I'm working a dead-end day job. My current job is a great fit for me in early sobriety, and while I don't want to remain here forever, it provides me with a steady stream of content in the meantime.

Tldr; if I don't get in this time I probably will pivot to graduate programs in a separate field, move cities, or head in a new direction with my career. I'd like getting some more life experience that isn't yoked to the field of writing/literature. Vonnegut on searching for literary talent (since there's a Vonnegut quote for everything):

"Send them to the chemistry departments, send them to the zoology departments, send them to the anthropology departments and the astronomy departments and physics departments, and all the medical and law schools. That’s where the writers are most likely to be . . . it can be tremendously refreshing if a creator of literature has something on his mind other than the history of literature so far. Literature should not disappear up its own asshole, so to speak."

Edited February 22, 2022 by MDP
word

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

1 hour ago, Sydup said:

@Ray1998 I work for a university as a copywriter for email campaigns that are sent to prospective undergrad students. I think that the email you received may have just been a mass email with the code {{Preferred Name}} in the beginning to make it more personalized. I write emails that go to 50 prospects to 70,000 prospects, and each time we make it personalized with the code. Once your profile is in the system of a university, they can use that profile to help code in specific things— your preferred name, your interest in study. A virtual workshop seems like a mass email, not a specifically targeted one. 
 

I don’t mean to spread negativity, only my experience in the admissions process of gathering prospective undergrad students to the university I work for. 

Thanks, that’s great information. And though I didnt have a question put forth to you, I think that that’s good to know. 

[Kado]

Hi everyone—I'm a long time lurker and finally made an account. Thanks for posting about the Michigan rejections last week... has anyone seen any Michigan acceptances? I haven't heard anything from them! Not that my hopes are high. I just expected my rejection by now lol

[palaver]

19 minutes ago, Kado said:

Hi everyone—I'm a long time lurker and finally made an account. Thanks for posting about the Michigan rejections last week... has anyone seen any Michigan acceptances? I haven't heard anything from them! Not that my hopes are high. I just expected my rejection by now lol

Hi Kado! from draft I believe that michigan acceptances, waitlists, and rejections have come out for both poetry and fiction. That's a bit unusual that you haven't heard anything, hopefully this means they're still mulling on your application? (or, have you checked your spam?)

Edited February 22, 2022 by palaver

[gagne]

Has anyone heard from Pittsburgh about admissions decisions ? Past decisions seem to have come out between the 15th and 20th of February.

[charlotte808]

hello all

I hope this application season is treating you well! I have an interview this week with UNCG for the poetry program. I’m very excited and nervous! I saw some others say that they applied there, so I thought I would share. perhaps some of us will be future classmates (although I’m still waiting to hear back from 5 schools).

hang in there everyone! 

[retrotyping]

9 minutes ago, gagne said:

Has anyone heard from Pittsburgh about admissions decisions ? Past decisions seem to have come out between the 15th and 20th of February.

They notified with interview requests a couple weeks ago in both poetry and fiction (according to the results page.) I believe both sets of interviews were done last week but not sure about poetry. So far, haven’t heard anything back following the interview.

[Kado]

23 minutes ago, palaver said:

Hi Kado! from draft I believe that michigan acceptances, waitlists, and rejections have come out for both poetry and fiction. That's a bit unusual that you haven't heard anything, hopefully this means they're still mulling on your application? (or, have you checked your spam?)

Thanks for the reply! I called them last week (had to leave a vm), but no call back. I'll email them to finally be put out of my misery. Good luck to you and everybody who applied this year!

[MDP]

Hey@Kado! I would check your Spam, my rejection went to my "Promotions" tab in my Gmail for some reason.

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

22 minutes ago, charlotte808 said:

hello all

I hope this application season is treating you well! I have an interview this week with UNCG for the poetry program. I’m very excited and nervous! I saw some others say that they applied there, so I thought I would share. perhaps some of us will be future classmates (although I’m still waiting to hear back from 5 schools).

hang in there everyone! 

That’s awesome news. Congratulations. 

I applied there for fiction so hopefully that means news for fiction is forthcoming. 

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

27 minutes ago, charlotte808 said:

hello all

I hope this application season is treating you well! I have an interview this week with UNCG for the poetry program. I’m very excited and nervous! I saw some others say that they applied there, so I thought I would share. perhaps some of us will be future classmates (although I’m still waiting to hear back from 5 schools).

hang in there everyone! 

Also, good luck on the interview.

Were you informed via phonecall or email? 

[charlotte808]

5 minutes ago, CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI said:

Also, good luck on the interview.

Were you informed via phonecall or email? 

Via email! Hope you hear soon as well! Also thank you ? 

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

1 minute ago, charlotte808 said:

Via email! Hope you hear soon as well! Also thank you ? 

Great! Thank you. And you’re welcome ?

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

Does anyone know if poetry applicants usually hear back first? Or do acceptances/waitlists go out all at once? 

[gagne]

56 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

They notified with interview requests a couple weeks ago in both poetry and fiction (according to the results page.) I believe both sets of interviews were done last week but not sure about poetry. So far, haven’t heard anything back following the interview.

When I didn’t even get an interview notification ? but it’s okay, would rather get this rejection over with ?

[MissMosquito]

1 hour ago, Kado said:

Hi everyone—I'm a long time lurker and finally made an account. Thanks for posting about the Michigan rejections last week... has anyone seen any Michigan acceptances? I haven't heard anything from them! Not that my hopes are high. I just expected my rejection by now lol

Hi Kado,

I got my hopes up with this issue, too. Then it occurred to me that  most schools notify those they accept first before sending out waitlists or rejections. So I checked my junk/social folder on my gmail, and there the UM rejection emails was! I’d check there. Sorry ahead of time if it turns out to be a rejection like mine.

[smrgblrg]

2 hours ago, retrotyping said:

They notified with interview requests a couple weeks ago in both poetry and fiction (according to the results page.) I believe both sets of interviews were done last week but not sure about poetry. So far, haven’t heard anything back following the interview.

CNF too, based on Draft. If we didn't get interviewed should we assume we aren't waitlisted, either? Or is it possible that non-interviewed people are also waitlisted?

[Kado]

@MDP @MissMosquito Thanks for the help! Michigan emailed me directly to let me know I've been rejected. Not sure where the original email is, but I'm sure you're right about it being buried somewhere. I'm about to Marie Kondo my gmail 

[palaver]

8 minutes ago, smrgblrg said:

CNF too, based on Draft. If we didn't get interviewed should we assume we aren't waitlisted, either? Or is it possible that non-interviewed people are also waitlisted?

From what i've extrapolated from previous years of draft, it looks like each genre has its own process. For poetry, it looks like they interview more than they accept / waitlist (someone a previous yr got a straight reject after interviewing). For CNF (at least from what i've seen), it looks like the people they interview are either accepted or waitlisted. I don't think they waitlist anyone they don't interview. Of course, none of this has been confirmed, though I myself think it's pretty accurate lol.

edit: there's not enough data for me to make any claims on the fiction process.

Edited February 22, 2022 by palaver

[MDP]

First NYU accept posted to Results  (not mine just want people to freak out with me lol)

Edited February 22, 2022 by MDP

[Rm714]

2 minutes ago, MDP said:

First NYU accept posted to Results  (not mine just want people to freak out with me lol)

I saw that! I wonder what genre it was for. Based on past years' data, it looks like they do not send out all of their acceptances on the same day. 

[MDP]

1 minute ago, Rm714 said:

I saw that! I wonder what genre it was for. Based on past years' data, it looks like they do not send out all of their acceptances on the same day. 

I know, I wish they had specified genre! Yeah, looks like they spread over a few days. Though it appears the fully funded offers/stipends all get notified first.