2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[retrotyping]

16 hours ago, smrgblrg said:

Congratulations! Me too! This is my first positive result and I’m so surprised and thrilled! Do you know if the waitlist is normally big? The email said it’s not ranked supposedly. Wishing you all the best!

The Hollins waitlist looks big — maybe >15 people between here and draft. It’s also not separated by genre as far as I know, so they don’t have a quota of 3 fiction, 3CNF, 3 poetry for example. So it’s really hard to know who’s getting bumped of the waitlist as it probably matters the kind of writer that turned down their spot. It seems like a pretty holistic admissions process from their FAQ page. Also, I was under the impression everyone admitted also got tuition remission and a stipend, and you could apply to the teaching fellowship after you’re admitted. Maybe I’m wrong on this? I saw the other recent waitlist post mentioning they were concerned about funding, but I don’t think it’s unlikely in the event you get moved up from the waitlist. Good luck to you! 

[koechophe]

7 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

Also, I was under the impression everyone admitted also got tuition remission and a stipend, and you could apply to the teaching fellowship after you’re admitted.

From what I understand from their website, everyone who gets in gets a tuition remission, not everyone gets a stipend.

The stipend also isn't the best (7.000) but it's an extremely low load, so they say most people do part-time work on the side, which is totally reasonable. 

 

[Thunderroad12]

Just FYI for anyone applied to the fiction track for Johns Hopkins:

They have contacted all waitlisted and accepted applicants and if you’re not in that group, then you’re on the rejected list. Formal notifications tho that effect will be going out soon. I don’t know about other tracks for certain, but I got the sense that was the case for them too. This is directly from James Arthur (Director of Graduate Studies). 

Full disclosure—I didn’t get in or get waitlisted. I’m just an impatient pain in the ass who wrote an email yesterday and got that response this morning. Sincere empathy to those who share my pain. Jealous congratulations to those who got good news. 

[koechophe]

13 minutes ago, Thunderroad12 said:

Full disclosure—I didn’t get in or get waitlisted. I’m just an impatient pain in the ass who wrote an email yesterday and got that response this morning.

I was definitely that person once or twice last year--though admittedly, it was because (I think it was in two different cases) I saw the other rejections go out and was confused why I hadn't gotten mine yet lol. Weird how I got to this point where I just wanted my rejections so that I could move on with life. 

[nicolette7766]

Has someone been accepted for fiction at Notre Dame? I saw someone post an acceptance for it yesterday on the results page but the genre wasn’t specified. 

[eternalwhitenights]

12 minutes ago, nicolette7766 said:

Has someone been accepted for fiction at Notre Dame? I saw someone post an acceptance for it yesterday on the results page but the genre wasn’t specified. 

I just commented and asked that very question! ? I'll let you know!

[koechophe]

31 minutes ago, nicolette7766 said:

Has someone been accepted for fiction at Notre Dame? I saw someone post an acceptance for it yesterday on the results page but the genre wasn’t specified. 

So since a poetry acceptance went out in Feb, it's likely this was a fiction one (or CNF, I guess, if they also do that).

Or maybe they actually just notified one poetry, and then another poetry 20 days later. Idk, it wouldn't be the weirdest admissions thing I've heard of. 

[nicolette7766]

8 minutes ago, koechophe said:

So since a poetry acceptance went out in Feb, it's likely this was a fiction one (or CNF, I guess, if they also do that).

Or maybe they actually just notified one poetry, and then another poetry 20 days later. Idk, it wouldn't be the weirdest admissions thing I've heard of. 

Yeah that’s what I was assuming.

Congrats to whoever got accepted!!

[nsb92]

Has anyone heard from Sarah Lawrence yet? Everyone on Draft seems to think it could be any second now. On the edge of my seat . . . 

[lazerkabamo]

2 minutes ago, nsb92 said:

Has anyone heard from Sarah Lawrence yet? Everyone on Draft seems to think it could be any second now. On the edge of my seat . . . 

I haven't heard yet. I hope it's soon... maybe if I check my email one more time.

[fireflystasis]

I'm going to George Mason this fall for fiction! The faculty sounds enthusiastic about my work, and it's by all accounts a great program. It'll be my first time in the US, so super stoked.

[RosA-R]

19 minutes ago, nsb92 said:

Has anyone heard from Sarah Lawrence yet? Everyone on Draft seems to think it could be any second now. On the edge of my seat . . . 

Hi, I think you're talking about the post I made on there! The reason we thought that it would be soon is because last year they announced on March 2nd, and the year before that on February 26th (according to dates submitted here). On top of that, when I went through forums on here for the last two years, it seems that those who got acceptance phone calls got them after 5:00 p.m. Someone in the comments also pointed out that Sarah Lawrence goes on spring break tomorrow, so if we don't hear today we most likely won't hear until one week after. Of course this is all speculation just to keep us occupied, lol! Best of luck, I'm waiting right here with you all!!

[MDP]

8 minutes ago, RosA-R said:

Of course this is all speculation just to keep us occupied, lol! Best of luck, I'm waiting right here with you all!!

Hahaha the speculation is so real. Gotta occupy the waiting time somehow. Has anyone on Draft posted anything about UNM?

[retrotyping]

13 minutes ago, MDP said:

Hahaha the speculation is so real. Gotta occupy the waiting time somehow. Has anyone on Draft posted anything about UNM?

University of New Mexico? If yes, there was another person who’d asked this morning if anyone had heard anything. It sounded like they are late to notify this year compared to last. 

[MDP]

4 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

University of New Mexico? If yes, there was another person who’d asked this morning if anyone had heard anything. It sounded like they are late to notify this year compared to last. 

Yes that's the one! It does seem like they're late this year. Maybe they had more applicants than usual. (Sweating...)

[palaver]

1 minute ago, MDP said:

Yes that's the one! It does seem like they're late this year. Maybe they had more applicants than usual. (Sweating...)

One person on Draft was waitlisted at UNM about a week or so ago! I believe they were in fiction.

[Nightwitch]

2 minutes ago, MDP said:

Yes that's the one! It does seem like they're late this year. Maybe they had more applicants than usual. (Sweating...)

I hope you get in! 

[MDP]

15 minutes ago, palaver said:

One person on Draft was waitlisted at UNM about a week or so ago! I believe they were in fiction.

Ah maybe they already have notified then!

Thanks @Nightwitch 

Edited March 11, 2022 by MDP

[palaver]

What a choice to make! Both of these schools have amazing reputations, and your colleagues will likely be lovely at both institutions. At Cornell your class size will be much smaller (4 vs 9)--i've heard arguments both toward and against large and small cohorts. With large cohorts, there's more diversity of opinions, you're more likely to find people that you jive with but you may have less individual attention. With small programs you'll have more attention from faculty, but it might have an "echo chamber" effect because your cohort is just the same people over and over again. Which of these is more important to you?

Location: Cornell's quite isolated and very beautiful, I've heard Ann Arbor is quite quaint and mid-sized (admittedly, i've never actually visited either--if you can visit both places, that might be extremely helpful for making your decision). Both seem very much to be college towns. Can you imagine yourself being happier in one of these places? It sounds like you're leaning a bit more toward Cornell--if teaching and having more time to work is important to you, that may be the way to go. What is your gut saying?

Either way, you really can't go wrong. Good luck with your decision, excited to see where you end up!

Edited March 11, 2022 by palaver

[longtimelistener]

24 minutes ago, MDP said:

Ah maybe they already have notified then!

Thanks @Nightwitch 

Hi! I've been lurking for a while but wanted to respond with what I know   I was waitlisted in fiction on 2/28. They didn't give any info about a ranking or anything else, so not sure if they're sending notifs in batches. Good luck!

[MDP]

1 minute ago, longtimelistener said:

Hi! I've been lurking for a while but wanted to respond with what I know   I was waitlisted in fiction on 2/28. They didn't give any info about a ranking or anything else, so not sure if they're sending notifs in batches. Good luck!

Thank you for the info!!! Now I can brace myself more haha

[Thunderroad12]

Continuing my notifications stemming from my own impatient neuroses—I just heard from NC State that they haven’t sent out all admissions notifications yet. They plan to notify all applicants by early April (!). This is per Shervon Cassim, the Assistant Director for their MFA program. I applied for the fiction track, so I’m uncertain if this applies to all tracks, but the email I just received implies that to be the case. 
 

…

……

………
 

I’d like to find whoever said no news is good news and kick him right in the dick. But I’m fine. 

[nsb92]

1 hour ago, RosA-R said:

Hi, I think you're talking about the post I made on there! The reason we thought that it would be soon is because last year they announced on March 2nd, and the year before that on February 26th (according to dates submitted here). On top of that, when I went through forums on here for the last two years, it seems that those who got acceptance phone calls got them after 5:00 p.m. Someone in the comments also pointed out that Sarah Lawrence goes on spring break tomorrow, so if we don't hear today we most likely won't hear until one week after. Of course this is all speculation just to keep us occupied, lol! Best of luck, I'm waiting right here with you all!!

Wow you are a fount of information, thank you so much. I really hope it's today, I don't want another Weekend of Anxiety ?

[retrotyping]

29 minutes ago, Thunderroad12 said:

Continuing my notifications stemming from my own impatient neuroses—I just heard from NC State that they haven’t sent out all admissions notifications yet. They plan to notify all applicants by early April (!). This is per Shervon Cassim, the Assistant Director for their MFA program. I applied for the fiction track, so I’m uncertain if this applies to all tracks, but the email I just received implies that to be the case. 
 

…

……

………
 

I’d like to find whoever said no news is good news and kick him right in the dick. But I’m fine. 

Any chance you applied to UNCG, VA tech, or WVU and can subject them to your impatient neuroses?? Lol 

[Thunderroad12]

3 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

Any chance you applied to UNCG, VA tech, or WVU and can subject them to your impatient neuroses?? Lol 

Sorry, Notre Dame is the only other one I’m waiting on and they haven’t responded to my begging yet. 

Cowards!!! But I kid, I kid. Unless they don’t like weakness . . .