2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[retrotyping]

Waitlist check! 
 

syracuse - poetry 

UTK - poetry (coming soon) 

Portland state - fiction 

Northwestern - prose and poetry (I don’t think this is Litowitz, p sure they have a separate MFA) 

Texas state - fiction 

Columbia - fiction

the New School - fiction

columbia - CNF

Pratt Institute - CNF 

maybe I’m crazy, but it does seem like things are moving much more in poetry while fiction is sorta lagging behind?? Anyone else notice/can confirm this? Just looking for some rationality in this agonizing waiting game lol 

Edited April 8, 2022 by retrotyping
Additional schools added

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

1 hour ago, retrotyping said:

Waitlist check! 
 

syracuse - poetry 

UTK - poetry (coming soon) 

Portland state - fiction 

Northwestern - prose and poetry (I don’t think this is Litowitz, p sure they have a separate MFA) 

Texas state - fiction 

Columbia - fiction

the New School - fiction

columbia - CNF

Pratt Institute - CNF 

maybe I’m crazy, but it does seem like things are moving much more in poetry while fiction is sorta lagging behind?? Anyone else notice/can confirm this? Just looking for some rationality in this agonizing waiting game lol 

Got any info on U of SC? The wait has indeed been excruciating. 

[retrotyping]

On 4/8/2022 at 2:36 PM, CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI said:

Got any info on U of SC? The wait has indeed been excruciating. 

Nah, nothing recent. I’m including everything I see in the posts

[poem for her]

3 hours ago, retrotyping said:

Waitlist check! 
 

syracuse - poetry 

UTK - poetry (coming soon) 

Portland state - fiction 

Northwestern - prose and poetry (I don’t think this is Litowitz, p sure they have a separate MFA) 

Texas state - fiction 

Columbia - fiction

the New School - fiction

columbia - CNF

Pratt Institute - CNF 

maybe I’m crazy, but it does seem like things are moving much more in poetry while fiction is sorta lagging behind?? Anyone else notice/can confirm this? Just looking for some rationality in this agonizing waiting game lol 

where did you see northwestern waitlist movement? i’m on draft and haven’t seen anything

[retrotyping]

17 minutes ago, poem for her said:

where did you see northwestern waitlist movement? i’m on draft and haven’t seen anything

Someone who committed elsewhere was also accepted there! Again, I don’t think it’s the litowitz program I think they have another MFA program?? Not totally familiar with NW. 

[poem for her]

1 hour ago, retrotyping said:

Someone who committed elsewhere was also accepted there! Again, I don’t think it’s the litowitz program I think they have another MFA program?? Not totally familiar with NW. 

oh, just saw!! and you’re right. that’s the nw mfa program that applicants have to pay to attend. 

[retrotyping]

Should be some movement at Arkansas for fiction! Waitlists at NWP, Michigan, and Vanderbilt (all for fiction) should be shrinking as well.

 

(Sorry for the thousands of posts… can you tell I had nothing to do today other than stare at draft and will some waitlist movement??)

[oubukibun]

Don't apologize at all, dude, as an information surplus is exactly what most of us need/want right before the April 15th deadline.  You're very kind to do this for everyone without access to Draft.

 

Cheers to ya!

[koechophe]

On 4/7/2022 at 1:17 PM, oubukibun said:

I got in touch once more with Dr. Brightwell at UAF and in a stroke of serendipitous good timing she informed they were in the process of preparing a TAship offer for me!!  AND I also received an email informing me I'm eligible for a Creative Writing scholarship!  No one's ever "prepared" anything for me, I've always had to do the damn thing every damn time, so I'm a little beside myself that I get to enjoy and take this in.

 

Huge congrats! It really is awesome to have someone tell you how much they believe in your writing. I hope your time at the program is fantastic!

[fier]

15 hours ago, retrotyping said:

(Sorry for the thousands of posts… can you tell I had nothing to do today other than stare at draft and will some waitlist movement??)

Don't be sorry at all! It's extraordinarily appreciated!

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

On 4/8/2022 at 5:03 PM, retrotyping said:

Nah, nothing recent. I’m including everything I see in the posts

So are we sure that those two people have turned down their spots officially? Because it’s been about a week now and U of SC hasnt gotten back to any one. @Roalddahli and @retrotyping

I know y’all are waiting too. And the wait is insane! haha…

[Roalddahli]

They haven't reached out to me, nope. Quite annoying!

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

9 minutes ago, Roalddahli said:

They haven't reached out to me, nope. Quite annoying!

Dang…so you are sure, though that those two people officially turned their spots down. Because if not, that’s probably why. If they have, then I dont know what’s going on. 

[nicolette7766]

1 hour ago, CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI said:

Dang…so you are sure, though that those two people officially turned their spots down. Because if not, that’s probably why. If they have, then I dont know what’s going on. 

It’s possible they admitted more people than they were supposed to, and that’s why there’s been no waitlist movement yet.

But hopefully you guys hear back soon!

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

34 minutes ago, nicolette7766 said:

It’s possible they admitted more people than they were supposed to, and that’s why there’s been no waitlist movement yet.

But hopefully you guys hear back soon!

Yeah, hopefully so! 

If they admitted more than they were supposed to that’d be crazy. But that is a possibillity, I suppose. Because if everyone accepted their initial positions they’d be in trouble. 

[nicolette7766]

12 minutes ago, CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI said:

Yeah, hopefully so! 

If they admitted more than they were supposed to that’d be crazy. But that is a possibillity, I suppose. Because if everyone accepted their initial positions they’d be in trouble. 

I’m not sure when you last reached out to them, but I think today would be a good day to message the director. Maybe ask if there’s a decent chance of you getting accepted off the waitlist or if you should move on? I like to think most programs would be straight forward so late in the game. 

[1moreX]

Hello those on fiction waitlists.

I accepted the MFA in fiction at Florida State (FSU). Fully funded, $16,250 stipend, very cordial students and grads, very warm welcome.

I declined these schools in fiction within the last week and you should see movement:

• Brooklyn - heart-breaking to say no; excellent 2-year program, incredible teachers, tuition offset and other funding available, just not promoted. You can teach an undergrad comp course each semester for almost $7,000 a course. There is additional money, too. If you are wavering about Brooklyn, I'd say take it.
• Sarah Lawrence
• Florida international University (FIU)
• Queens College
• George Mason - definitely the last on the list

Thank you all for helping me understand this gauntlet of a process and for sharing your feelings on this forum. I learned so much from you.

Oh yes - I wanted to add. There was discussion here about whether people over 40 years old get funding offers -- more or less or age doesn't matter. I'm decades over 40 and had 2 full-funding offers and one full tuition offset plus more.

Edited April 12, 2022 by 1moreX
additional info

[Rm714]

After a LOT of consideration, I've decided to attend Columbia University this upcoming fall semester. I am very grateful to have gotten a significant scholarship from them, though yes, it's still expensive. Overall, NYC is the best place for me personally and for my partner's work. The faculty at Columbia is a huge draw for me, as is the structure of the program itself.

Declined my offers from American University, The New School, California College of the Arts, Chapman University, and Emerson College.

Thank you so much to everyone here for the support throughout the season!

[fier]

25 minutes ago, 1moreX said:

Hello those on fiction waitlists.

I accepted the MFA in fiction at Florida State (FSU). Fully funded, $16,250 stipend, very cordial students and grads, very warm welcome.

Congrats to you, and thanks so much for sharing!

[evergreen13]

Accepted a CNF spot at NYU this week! And declined a spot at Columbia with a $35K scholarship - hopefully someone else can get access to that!

[retrotyping]

Took myself off the South Carolina waitlist, so I’m out of everyone’s way. The director also responded to my email almost immediately, so if you’re waiting and want some insight from them, they’re feeling extra communicative today. Good luck, everyone.

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

40 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

Took myself off the South Carolina waitlist, so I’m out of everyone’s way. The director also responded to my email almost immediately, so if you’re waiting and want some insight from them, they’re feeling extra communicative today. Good luck, everyone.

Wow, thanks for the candidness and the heads up and the continued engagement on here. I wish you the best of luck! 

Did South Carolina mention anything about getting back?

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

Have you heard anything back yet? @Roalddahli

[retrotyping]

4 minutes ago, CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI said:

Wow, thanks for the candidness and the heads up and the continued engagement on here. I wish you the best of luck! 

Did South Carolina mention anything about getting back?

Of course! I’m not sure what you mean? They did not mention anything regarding waitlist movement or open spots in the cohort. I truly don’t know where they stand with their admissions right now. If I were you, considering the 15th is tomorrow, I’d email them today and ask for some insight on the likelihood of getting off the waitlist and request that they send you an update end of day tomorrow. Like other schools, I’m sure they’re in a holding pattern; everyone is waiting and it will likely move all at once tomorrow. I’ve heard from another program I’m waitlisted at that if someone turns down their spot tomorrow, they might not be able to offer me until next week. It seems like this is due to some internal approval that has to happen with GTA offers and the unfortunate fact that the 15th falls on a Friday. You might prepare yourself for another week of waiting. One other thing, because I think I saw you were waitlisted at Hollins, a few others on draft also on their waitlist received an email earlier this week essentially saying “hold on” and that they’d likely be getting an offer end of week or next. It sounds like if you’re at the top of their waitlist, they will have notified you by now. I’ll probably be headed there in the fall so do let me know if you’re in! Best of luck! 

[CHRISTOPHER QUANG BUI]

4 minutes ago, retrotyping said:

Of course! I’m not sure what you mean? They did not mention anything regarding waitlist movement or open spots in the cohort. I truly don’t know where they stand with their admissions right now. If I were you, considering the 15th is tomorrow, I’d email them today and ask for some insight on the likelihood of getting off the waitlist and request that they send you an update end of day tomorrow. Like other schools, I’m sure they’re in a holding pattern; everyone is waiting and it will likely move all at once tomorrow. I’ve heard from another program I’m waitlisted at that if someone turns down their spot tomorrow, they might not be able to offer me until next week. It seems like this is due to some internal approval that has to happen with GTA offers and the unfortunate fact that the 15th falls on a Friday. You might prepare yourself for another week of waiting. One other thing, because I think I saw you were waitlisted at Hollins, a few others on draft also on their waitlist received an email earlier this week essentially saying “hold on” and that they’d likely be getting an offer end of week or next. It sounds like if you’re at the top of their waitlist, they will have notified you by now. I’ll probably be headed there in the fall so do let me know if you’re in! Best of luck! 

Thank you for all the info! Yeah, I’m on the waitlist at Hollins as well and did in fact receive an email from them. I appreciate all the correspondence. I’ll keep you updated as to what happens at Hollins and elsewhere. 

Best of luck to you as well!