2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[MissMosquito]

41 minutes ago, xenawins said:

Yeah, the NW is awesome - but as I get older and the longer I've been here...the longer the dreary winters seem to get. Olympia is quite rainy though, not all regions are the same. None of my applied locations are where I might set up for a long haul, but having never been to several of them I'm open to possibilities. Most of my criteria centered around whether there were opportunities for cross-genre work, any speculative/sci-fi/eco emphasis, diversity, faculty, cost of living, and teaching opportunities.

I've applied at (not in any order):

- University of Michigan

- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

- Arizona State

- University of Kansas

- Cornell

- Syracuse

- University of Alabama

- University of Tennessee

I also struggled with feeling like I was asking a lot of my recommenders, even though they're all very supportive. It also helped me cap my enthusiasm and get more focused on which programs I applied to. Still feeling some regret at not having applied to a couple, but ah well, maybe next year if I decide to apply again.

Living in Austin, TX for 35 years, it's the sun and heat that get me. I know that in general sunny weather and all that Vitamin D support mental health, but our summers are brutal. The sun can be so bright that it's blinding and I can feel my skin burning in a matter of minutes. I'm yearning for 4 distinct seasons! In Austin, it's hot about 80% of the time. Like today, it's in the 70s. Don't get me wrong; it's beautiful. I have the windows open, wearing a cami and running shorts, sitting on my bed, enjoying the breeze as I type away. I'm surprised you didn't apply to Brown. I was impressed by all they had to say about encouraging cross-genre work in their program. I also wanted the opportunity to explore other genres and revisit my playwriting. That and I only applied to programs that had at least two female identifying permanent faculty members.

 

As an aside, how do you include your list of applied programs, acceptances, deferrals, rejections, etc. at the bottom of all your posts?

Edited January 18, 2022 by MissMosquito
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[MissMosquito]

So, I took a break from posting on here to check my email, and guess what I found in my inbox--an invitation to advance to Stage II of my application for poetry to University of Mississippi! I know this is not an acceptance letter, but it's encouraging to know they responded positively to my writing sample and SOP, especially it being the first application I submitted.

 

Well guys, I guess I have one more application to complete. : )

Edited January 18, 2022 by MissMosquito
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[SteveHolt]

20 minutes ago, MissMosquito said:

Thanks for the confirmation. I love the outdoors. I grew up as a tomboy, playing in the creek near my house, a heavily wooded area that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but still just a 10 minute drive from UT campus. It was a perfect place to grow up. May I ask, what about Eugene drove kids to leave as adults? The only thing pushing me out of Austin is all the Cali/NY transplants driving the cost of living up and up.

I think most college towns are pretty similar in that if you have an academically focused family (like I did, and many do as children of UO faculty) then it's pretty much standard that the child will look somewhere else for undergrad because UO isn't very prestigious in that regard. And those places are usually all over, quite far away. I went to NYC for school and I've stayed here since, and don't know anyone that's moved back to the Eug after graduation.

I think it's also because Eugene has such a progressive, hippy/outdoorsman culture. We grew up with people like Ken Kesey and Phil Knight and loggers and like even Christopher McCandless as our local heros. So there's a sense of eccentrism and adventure that's important to the culture there, so I know a some people who left to travel the world or become full time rock climbers. 

I haven't lived there for over five years so I can't really say how that culture is changing. I think real-estate prices have been rising steadily for a while as it becomes a 'cooler' town; people moving from Portland for a smaller but similar taste of Oregon weirdness. It definitely is somewhat undiverse, only small Latino and other non-white communities, and that probably is not changing considering the Portland-Eugene migration. But overall it's a good place for instilling a hippy-progressive-academic sensibility in kids, and I have a lot of nostalgia for it. 

 

20 minutes ago, MissMosquito said:

I just received an invitation to advance to Stage II of my application for poetry to University of Mississippi! 

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

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by SteveHolt

[MissMosquito]

56 minutes ago, SteveHolt said:

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

Haha--at this point in January, it is still a mere thought in an unlikely universe. Let me know if/(when!) you move onto Stage II. Here's hoping that universe becomes more likely in the coming months. : )

[mrvisser]

3 hours ago, SteveHolt said:

Can confirm; I grew up in Eugene. Other than being a little college-towney, it is a very nice place to start a family (especially if you like outdoor sports). I was happy to grow up there, although it is the type of place that kids are driven to leave as adults, as me and my brother and most people I know did. 

As a Husky alum, I'm legally obligated to say "fuck the Ducks" as emphatically as possible. I hate the Ducks as much as I can hate about anything.

Now with that out of the way, Eugene is a lovely town and is home to some of my favorite breweries. I always love making the trip down there.

[koechophe]

I got an email from ASU earlier today saying, basically, that some of my application materials (CV and SoP) were missing and to please email them.

And I was like, "How on earth did I miss something?" And you know, thinking, "well, that's a great way to impress the department." (And it was an actual faculty member from the department that emailed me.) So I apologized and sent them off.

Then in the response, he basically said that it was a system glitch on their end (that had apparently happened to a lot of people, by the looks of it) and apologized for the inconvenience lol. 

I'll take the win that my first interaction with a grad school this cycle WASN'T either a rejection or a stupid mistake on my end ? 

[MDP]

To anyone else applying to Hollins: I sent an email making sure they had received my final rec, and they told me that their admissions process is projected to wrap up late Feb./early March. I didn't actually ask them about this, but good info nonetheless! The woman who emailed me called it "quite a lengthy process."

[MDP]

Also...is anyone else now starting to panic about not having applied to enough schools/not having applied to a wide enough range...nothing to do now. My only solace is that I know I did better this round than last. 

[koechophe]

21 minutes ago, MDP said:

Also...is anyone else now starting to panic about not having applied to enough schools/not having applied to a wide enough range

I console myself with the fact that applying for the schools can actually be dang expensive. 

I think my 10 schools came out to about $800. Even 2-3 more could've put me over $1,000 lol. 

[xenawins]

Interesting note in the world of "shit happens" in applying to schools... I received a message from ASU saying there was someone else using my social security number??? I'm flabbergasted, though they said it could be a simple mistype in someone's application, so I had to send a special encrypted email through ASU with actual pictures of my social security card. And yes, I double checked to make sure I wasn't yeeting my information into some phish void. Have never encountered this before but it does make me a bit nervous that maybe my info is being used by someone else. Hahahahahha or maybe *I* was the one who mistyped it! Fun things to mull over as I agonize in wait-and-see purgatory.

Edited January 19, 2022 by xenawins
wrong words

[xenawins]

1 hour ago, MDP said:

Also...is anyone else now starting to panic about not having applied to enough schools/not having applied to a wide enough range...nothing to do now. My only solace is that I know I did better this round than last. 

At some point, you have to call it good. I also have some regrets about some schools that I've found interesting after the fact. Brown and VTech among them. But yes, it's ridiculously expensive and time consuming! We can only do the best we can with what we've got at the time. Maybe these "missed" ones can be a seeded opportunity for next round if needed. Hang in there!

[xenawins]

13 hours ago, Artel said:

This year everything is different. I am barely aware that decisions start pouring in mostly in March. I don't give a shit whether I get in. I think I can learn a lot on my own, and I am not looking forward to having to move for two years, especially to a piss ant city like Iowa City. Do you know how much work it is to move for just two years, especially to a farm city. Just about all the best schools are in crappy cities. NYC doesn't have the best schools, except for Hunters, which gives no stipend.

I'm curious why you're applying then? Seems like a lot of work to do for something you're good without. Also, I have a lot of compassion for this mindset. It was the exact mindset I had when I applied to UMontana years ago. I didn't get in, because on some level, I was scared to put my best self forward and irritated at the gatekeeping mentality of having my work judged. (not saying any of that is applicable to what you're feeling, just sharing my own experience) I've worked through that and am a much better writer now (I think). I do hear you though - if I don't get in, I'll keep writing. I have two published books (small press and indie) but I would love to teach and gain more experience/opportunity to dive deeper into my craft, especially through a literary lens. Those are my motivations now and though rejection will sting, I also know my love of writing continues on with or without a MFA.

[Rm714]

21 hours ago, MissMosquito said:

Congratulations! Lucky your first acceptance came so early. Having your first correspondence from programs as an acceptance will certainly soften the blow if there are any subsequent rejections. Of course, it will be all the sweeter if there are more acceptances to come. Was St. Andrews your top choice, or are you holding out for another program?

Thank you so much! It's a real relief that an acceptance has come so early. Honestly, I'm shocked because the deadline was the 15th, and they accepted me on the 18th, after a weekend. They must've read it instantly and just..! Whew!

That being said, it's not my first choice. It's the only school I applied to that isn't in North America, and I would prefer to stay on this continent, hah. So yes, I'm holding out for other decisions. Unfortunately, they've set the deadline for my response to their offer as March 15th, which is pretty early..let's hope I hear back from my top choices before then!

Edited January 19, 2022 by Rm714
wording

[MissMosquito]

31 minutes ago, Rm714 said:

Unfortunately, they've set the deadline for my response to their offer as March 15th, which is pretty early..let's hope I hear back from my top choices before then!

Oof! Yes, fingers crossed for you! I was actually wondering about this exact predicament. If a program offers you acceptance, will they allow you to wait until you've heard back from all prospective programs before deciding? I wonder if St. Andrews would make an exception if it turns out you have not yet heard back from all the programs by March 15th. It can't hurt to ask, right?

[Rm714]

1 hour ago, MissMosquito said:

Oof! Yes, fingers crossed for you! I was actually wondering about this exact predicament. If a program offers you acceptance, will they allow you to wait until you've heard back from all prospective programs before deciding? I wonder if St. Andrews would make an exception if it turns out you have not yet heard back from all the programs by March 15th. It can't hurt to ask, right?

Indeed so - if that deadline begins to approach and I haven't heard back from all of the programs to which I applied, I'm definitely going to ask for some kind of extension.

[Yellow62]

3 hours ago, xenawins said:

I'm curious why you're applying then? Seems like a lot of work to do for something you're good without. Also, I have a lot of compassion for this mindset. It was the exact mindset I had when I applied to UMontana years ago. I didn't get in, because on some level, I was scared to put my best self forward and irritated at the gatekeeping mentality of having my work judged. (not saying any of that is applicable to what you're feeling, just sharing my own experience) I've worked through that and am a much better writer now (I think). I do hear you though - if I don't get in, I'll keep writing. I have two published books (small press and indie) but I would love to teach and gain more experience/opportunity to dive deeper into my craft, especially through a literary lens. Those are my motivations now and though rejection will sting, I also know my love of writing continues on with or without a MFA.

Hello, just letting you know that that was the troll posting under a new account again. Your kindness and empathy will be wasted on them, unfortunately. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Yellow62

[koechophe]

4 hours ago, xenawins said:

Interesting note in the world of "shit happens" in applying to schools... I received a message from ASU saying there was someone else using my social security number???

Wow, that's something I've never heard of before. 

I mean, if we're looking on the positive side, I can at least say, "Hey, this means they're looking at applications!"

[xenawins]

2 hours ago, koechophe said:

Wow, that's something I've never heard of before. 

I mean, if we're looking on the positive side, I can at least say, "Hey, this means they're looking at applications!"

Eh, it was just the graduate school responding...not the program. But HEY ANY CORRESPONDENCE IS GOOD RIGHT? AMIRITE? ...please? ....won't someone love meeeeee? *paws pathetically from the sad place under my desk*

[koechophe]

4 hours ago, xenawins said:

Eh, it was just the graduate school responding...not the program.

Oh. My correspondence was from someone in the program, so I assumed (since it happened on the same day) yours was too.

But I guess... I can verify they are in fact looking at applications? Since they said what happened with mine is the system uploaded blank slides where the SoP and CV should've been, that's not something they should've known unless they were actually looking at apps.

So they're looking at apps!

4 hours ago, xenawins said:

But HEY ANY CORRESPONDENCE IS GOOD RIGHT? AMIRITE? ...please? ....won't someone love meeeeee? *paws pathetically from the sad place under my desk*

I feel this. I was like "Hey, if they're looking at my SoP and CV that means I didn't get thrown in the trash bin of applicants whose writing sucks... right? Maybe? Pretty please?"

[panglosian]

Ohio State rejection just came through but I’m honestly not upset lmao

[Rm714]

12 hours ago, koechophe said:

I feel this. I was like "Hey, if they're looking at my SoP and CV that means I didn't get thrown in the trash bin of applicants whose writing sucks... right? Maybe? Pretty please?"

Actually, I'm inclined to say you are right about this! One of the first questions I asked here on GradCafe was regarding whether adcoms read writing samples first, and if they decide to proceed with the rest of your application, they will look at your other materials. So, this may indeed be a glimmer of hope!

[Ydrl]

Sheesh, the rejections for ohio state on the results page are full of salt. I wonder if that's how this year is gonna go.

[koechophe]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

Sheesh, the rejections for ohio state on the results page are full of salt. I wonder if that's how this year is gonna go.

Not gonna lie, I lol'd at one of them. And then I seriously wondered how many applicants people reject just because they don't like (what they can see of) someone's attitude.

If I were on a board, that could easily be what helps me decide between multiple strong candidates. As someone who's spent a lot of time teaching, I definitely would want people in my program with at least a smidgen of humility. People who think they know everything are super hard to teach. 

 

 

[Rm714]

33 minutes ago, koechophe said:

Not gonna lie, I lol'd at one of them. And then I seriously wondered how many applicants people reject just because they don't like (what they can see of) someone's attitude.

If I were on a board, that could easily be what helps me decide between multiple strong candidates. As someone who's spent a lot of time teaching, I definitely would want people in my program with at least a smidgen of humility. People who think they know everything are super hard to teach. 

 

 

I think an applicant's attitude is a huge factor in their decision-making. I attended a virtual open house yesterday for a university I won't name, and one of the attendees told the faculty that she disliked reading and also never felt the need to edit her work because she always got As and Bs on the first or second draft. I could immediately see the shock on their faces. She was using a guest account and they asked her for her name again..I can't see her getting in @___@;; 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Rm714
wording

[MissMosquito]

4 hours ago, Ydrl said:

Sheesh, the rejections for ohio state on the results page are full of salt. I wonder if that's how this year is gonna go.

What results page are you referring to?