2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[opuhala]

Hi!! this is my second year applying to grad school & subsequently lurking on grad cafe for months, but my first time actually posting. i got waitlisted for University of Arizona’s MFA in poetry for the second time, and i’m now not so patiently waiting & stressing to hear back. has anyone who also got waitlisted heard back yet? 

[lazerkabamo]

Any word from Notre Dame? 

[koechophe]

14 minutes ago, opuhala said:

Hi!! this is my second year applying to grad school & subsequently lurking on grad cafe for months, but my first time actually posting. i got waitlisted for University of Arizona’s MFA in poetry for the second time, and i’m now not so patiently waiting & stressing to hear back. has anyone who also got waitlisted heard back yet? 

Heya, first off, kudos to you for managing 2 cycles of waitlists. That's brutal. 

So from draft, I've learned the following:

-The waitlist (likely) isn't ranked

-There are 9 people total on the waitlist

-There are 7 slots for the program

-Between Draft and GradCafe, no one has accepted a slot on the waitlist yet, but this could happen at any time, since they open slots up based on if someone else rejects their slot. 

Getting into the top 16 of what must've been hundreds of applicants is a huge accomplishment! Not much consolation, I'm sure, but really, good job. 

[opuhala]

2 minutes ago, koechophe said:

Heya, first off, kudos to you for managing 2 cycles of waitlists. That's brutal. 

So from draft, I've learned the following:

-The waitlist (likely) isn't ranked

-There are 9 people total on the waitlist

-There are 7 slots for the program

-Between Draft and GradCafe, no one has accepted a slot on the waitlist yet, but this could happen at any time, since they open slots up based on if someone else rejects their slot. 

Getting into the top 16 of what must've been hundreds of applicants is a huge accomplishment! Not much consolation, I'm sure, but really, good job. 

Thank you so much!! It’s definitely something I regard with a lot of mixed feelings, but overall I’m still super proud to have made it this far. & Thank you for the updates! It’s super helpful to know how many people are on the waitlist. The only thing I’ve heard since getting waitlisted was “We’re very interested in your work and we note with appreciation that you also applied to our program in 2020.” So, fingers crossed! 

[Nightwitch]

10 minutes ago, lazerkabamo said:

Any word from Notre Dame? 

 I emailed them just a few minutes ago. If they reply, I'll let you know what they say!

[Nightwitch]

Unfortunately we are experiencing technical difficulties with the release of decisions regarding the Stegner Fellowship and are actively working to resolve the issue.

We will send a message when your decision letter is ready for you to view.

Thank you for your patience.

Stanford Creative Writing Program

[Ydrl]

Officially declined my FSU offer, hopefully this makes someone's day somewhere out there.

[Nightwitch]

Rejection from Brown's in - expected, so doesn't really make a difference tbh

[koep]

@Ydrl, do we really need another announcement that you turned down Florida? Of course, you’re just trying to help, but that makes three posts in a row where you rub in that you’re going to Iowa, while the rest of us are going to crappier places or no place at all.

[Thunderroad12]

7 minutes ago, koep said:

@Ydrl, do we really need another announcement that you turned down Florida? Of course, you’re just trying to help, but that makes three posts in a row where you rub in that you’re going to Iowa, while the rest of us are going to crappier places or no place at all.

Really? I’m hoping this whining comes from a place of jealousy rather than an ongoing character flaw on your part. I’ve been rejected by 10 schools this cycle. It sucks. It hurts. But I’m so happy that I can see someone else get into one of the top places in the world, which seems nearly impossible. That makes it seem not quite as impossible for me next cycle. Take that jealous energy and use it to better yourself and maybe you will get into Iowa next cycle. Trying to knock someone else down doesn’t make you taller. Be better. 

[JustPup]

Rejected from Brown today. Sad, but I actually read work from someone I know who was accepted (a piece included in their admission) and I'll be honest, that talent is SUPERIOR to anything I have written ever. It was the right choice to reject me this year. Maybe I can apply next year or another year and transfer if I was lucky enough to get in. Anyone have any knowledge on transferring during an MFA?

Accepted- UAF
Rejected- Wyoming, Brown
Pending- JHU

[Sydup]

Okay. Serious question here. 

It's looking like I was only accepted by one program, and I don't think I want to attend due to a deficit of funding. If attended, I would have to pay a portion out of pocket each year, and I am not in the position where I can financially do that. Currently, I have a great job as a copywriter and an excellent WFH schedule that allows me to write my novels at home during work hours. While I am in positive denial of being corporate fodder, I know that I am going to have to face yet another year of office work.

Which is actually great. I need another year to save for a cross-country move if I am to be accepted in any of my schools. 

This will be my third time applying, and I am looking for fully-funded MFAs that accept writing samples of speculative fiction. I am simply not a literary fiction writer. My writing sample that I am preparing for next year will be in the sub-genres of magical realism and fantastical noir. I only want to apply to a maximum of five programs, which means I must make every application count. 

Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction? I have heard Brown University and University of Arizona. I see only a waste of $50-100 per application if I apply to programs that strictly accept literary fiction samples. 

Thanks for any and all info!

[Nightwitch]

16 minutes ago, Sydup said:

 

This will be my third time applying, and I am looking for fully-funded MFAs that accept writing samples of speculative fiction. I am simply not a literary fiction writer. My writing sample that I am preparing for next year will be in the sub-genres of magical realism and fantastical noir. I only want to apply to a maximum of five programs, which means I must make every application count. 

Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction?

I spoke to a current student of Iowa State before I applied there - and she told me she primarily writes fantasy. So that could realistically be an option. I believe someone shared a list of programs that are open to speculative fiction - I guess you can look for that in the posts - but here's another one that might help : https://thewaronloneliness.com/2012/04/04/which-schools-should-you-apply-to/

[koechophe]

20 minutes ago, Sydup said:

Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction? I have heard Brown University and University of Arizona. I see only a waste of $50-100 per application if I apply to programs that strictly accept literary fiction samples. 

This article might be helpful:

https://stephgrossman.com/2019/06/21/mfa-programs-that-are-chill-with-speculative-fiction/

Also, definitely recommend you apply to McNeese. You might decide not to go since they don't offer a ton of funding (still better than a lot of the "fully funded" schools that charge like 3k a semester in fees ><) but from talking with the advisor, he's very open to genre stuff, AND that program doesn't cost any money to apply to. You literally just submit a SOP and writing sample, and that's it. No hoops whatsoever. 

(BTW, I am planning on taking my offer from them.)

[koechophe]

55 minutes ago, JustPup said:

Rejected from Brown today. Sad, but I actually read work from someone I know who was accepted (a piece included in their admission) and I'll be honest, that talent is SUPERIOR to anything I have written ever.

That is a great deal of self-awareness to know, but you might also be selling yourself a bit short =). Sometimes it can be hard to see our own strengths in our writing.

Either way, huge congrats on the UAF acceptance! Are you planning on going there?

56 minutes ago, JustPup said:

Maybe I can apply next year or another year and transfer if I was lucky enough to get in. Anyone have any knowledge on transferring during an MFA?

As far as I'm aware, people don't really transfer in MFAs. They can apply to a new school and get in, but then they just restart (as far as I understand, could be totally off here.)

@Ydrl is switching schools, so they might be able to tell you more. 

[Sydup]

@Nightwitch This is an incredible list full of great information! Printing out right now! 

[maz]

For anyone still waiting on BU -- I emailed them this morning to ask about the timeline (just given the fact that they've sent out some rejections already), and I got an OOO email saying the administrator is on vacation until next week. I don't expect to hear back before end of March/early April anyway, but seeing that some results had gone out made me antsy. 

[Pastelsharks]

6 minutes ago, Elwolf said:

For anyone still waiting on BU -- I emailed them this morning to ask about the timeline (just given the fact that they've sent out some rejections already), and I got an OOO email saying the administrator is on vacation until next week. I don't expect to hear back before end of March/early April anyway, but seeing that some results had gone out made me antsy. 

Thanks for posting this!! I was wondering why everything suddenly stopped regarding them 

It’s nice to think I can at least relax on that particular school decision…. until next week lol

[maz]

2 minutes ago, Pastelsharks said:

Thanks for posting this!! I was wondering why everything suddenly stopped regarding them 

It’s nice to think I can at least relax on that particular school decision…. until next week lol

Haha I know, it's nice to at least know not to expect anything this week.

[gagne]

Poetry is still not updated for Brown for me. Must just be fiction hearing back.

[JustPup]

Hey! 
So Alaska was my first choice and where I really wanted to go. Brown would have been best because I have a child and I needed to care for him as a single parent up there. My husband and I are together, but he couldn't come with me. So I would be doing the program on my own. Having funding would have ensured a life for him.
Alaska is a program I feel comfortable with. A landscape I feel connection to. I feel like I would do well there, but the only thing Brown really had going for me was RI.

As for the work, the work I read was more concise. It gave a very clear image and feeling through the piece, but the moment the work covered was shorter than mine maybe 20 min in theirs and like 8 years in mine). I liked the premise of mine and I do think I had some pretty exceptional lines, but the work as a whole needed more revision overall. But I wrote the work and workshopped it and submitted it in 10 months. It was a tough work as well- definitely not an easy work to write. I think another year of revisions would have put it much better standing, but I needed to apply for this year as the GRE scores were not being required and I couldn't afford to take it. So it was a plus to apply this year.
So am I sad? In the sense that everyone wants to be good enough for something exceptional. Am I destroyed? Absolutely not. The universe just confirmed that I was supposed to be in AK. 
 

[MDP]

1 hour ago, JustPup said:

I actually read work from someone I know who was accepted (a piece included in their admission) and I'll be honest, that talent is SUPERIOR to anything I have written ever.

I would love to read it if you have a link to the publication!! How cool. And your attitude about everything is great, I admire that. Congrats on Alaska, it sounds like that will be a perfect fit.  

Still waiting on UNM, my (sort of) final hope, lol. I'm not really holding out though. Already kind of making plans to move to Charlottesville at the end of 2022/early 2023. They sent me an email yesterday and almost gave me a heart attack but it was just about a missing transcript, ha. They mentioned that they'll be notifying everyone by April 15th (?! seems pretty late, given the 15th is FINAL decision date, but what do I know.) I saw that they notify for fiction sometimes as late as April 8th, so who knows.

[JustPup]

3 minutes ago, MDP said:

I would love to read it if you have a link to the publication!! How cool. And your attitude about everything is great, I admire that. Congrats on Alaska, it sounds like that will be a perfect fit.  

I'm afraid I can't share the link:( 
I don't have permission. 
But trust me when I say it was well written:) They definitely deserved the place at Brown. But I think the acceptance rate there was under .7% or something. It was wild this year. I definitely don't take any sting from it. A waitlist for them would have been nice though:)
 

[sb2798]

1 hour ago, Sydup said:

Okay. Serious question here. 

It's looking like I was only accepted by one program, and I don't think I want to attend due to a deficit of funding. If attended, I would have to pay a portion out of pocket each year, and I am not in the position where I can financially do that. Currently, I have a great job as a copywriter and an excellent WFH schedule that allows me to write my novels at home during work hours. While I am in positive denial of being corporate fodder, I know that I am going to have to face yet another year of office work.

Which is actually great. I need another year to save for a cross-country move if I am to be accepted in any of my schools. 

This will be my third time applying, and I am looking for fully-funded MFAs that accept writing samples of speculative fiction. I am simply not a literary fiction writer. My writing sample that I am preparing for next year will be in the sub-genres of magical realism and fantastical noir. I only want to apply to a maximum of five programs, which means I must make every application count. 

Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction? I have heard Brown University and University of Arizona. I see only a waste of $50-100 per application if I apply to programs that strictly accept literary fiction samples. 

Thanks for any and all info!

off the top of my head, Iowa State and Northern Michigan!

[poem for her]

1 hour ago, Sydup said:

Okay. Serious question here. 

It's looking like I was only accepted by one program, and I don't think I want to attend due to a deficit of funding. If attended, I would have to pay a portion out of pocket each year, and I am not in the position where I can financially do that. Currently, I have a great job as a copywriter and an excellent WFH schedule that allows me to write my novels at home during work hours. While I am in positive denial of being corporate fodder, I know that I am going to have to face yet another year of office work.

Which is actually great. I need another year to save for a cross-country move if I am to be accepted in any of my schools. 

This will be my third time applying, and I am looking for fully-funded MFAs that accept writing samples of speculative fiction. I am simply not a literary fiction writer. My writing sample that I am preparing for next year will be in the sub-genres of magical realism and fantastical noir. I only want to apply to a maximum of five programs, which means I must make every application count. 

Does anyone know which schools accept speculative fiction? I have heard Brown University and University of Arizona. I see only a waste of $50-100 per application if I apply to programs that strictly accept literary fiction samples. 

Thanks for any and all info!

hi! i write speculative fiction as well (literary-leaning magical realism) and i was accepted to northwestern's (fully funded) litowitz program. i've also been lucky enough to talk to current students within the program, so i've heard from their mouths that their fiction writers tend to be unconventional/speculative-adjacent in terms of traditional literary fiction (juan martinez, one of the professors, writers horror). i would just say, if you do end up applying here, don't skimp on the critical components of the application packet, as it's a dual degree and carries a reputation for being rigorous. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by poem for her