2022 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[1moreX]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:37 AM, RosA-R said:

No, I'm CNF and Brooklyn only does fiction and playwriting. I only applied to Sarah Lawrence, Hunter, and CCNY. I already live in Brooklyn and I didn't want to apply to any programs outside of here, but I am happy to know there is someone here hopeful to be in the city!

To everyone: I applied only to local schools, even if they weren't fully funded, because I figured I already live here with my family and work, so I would be able to handle it. However, I see a lot of people are applying to programs, fully funded or not, all over the country. For my own knowledge in the event I need to apply again, what sort of planning did you all do to justify moving and living costs (car, housing, adjusting to lower wages in the case of some schools), even for a fully funded program? 

Just got the phone call - accepted at Brooklyn. Have you heard anything from the other NY schools? I haven't heard a peep. I expect they're coming really soon.

[Ydrl]

3 hours ago, 1moreX said:

Thanks for letting us know. That's helpful. Were you accepted at FSU in poetry? I'm waitlisted there in fiction.

Yes I'm poetry

[koechophe]

22 minutes ago, 1moreX said:

Just got the phone call - accepted at Brooklyn.

Hey, congrats! Are you excited about the offer?

 

[RosA-R]

21 minutes ago, 1moreX said:

Just got the phone call - accepted at Brooklyn. Have you heard anything from the other NY schools? I haven't heard a peep. I expect they're coming really soon.

Congrats!!!!!!!! No, nothing as far as I know! I was so nervous thinking decisions would go out last week! I didn't expect it to take so long, especially for Sarah Lawrence.

[1moreX]

1 minute ago, koechophe said:

Hey, congrats! Are you excited about the offer?

 

Thank you. Yes, very excited. I like the way Brooklyn handled me -- quick note that I was a finalist, immediate zoom interview, openness and honesty, so receptive to my writing and my personal case. My other acceptance so far (which shall remain nameless) was the opposite, kind of cool.

[1moreX]

8 minutes ago, RosA-R said:

Congrats!!!!!!!! No, nothing as far as I know! I was so nervous thinking decisions would go out last week! I didn't expect it to take so long, especially for Sarah Lawrence.

Thank you. Fingers crossed for you RosA-R.

[koep]

@somemoretrees , you might misunderstand the New Yorker test and why it is so useful. The purpose of the test is really to see if your writing sample abides by the rules that don’t change, the rules that were followed since writing was invented. They are things like preferring concrete images to abstractions. Don’t explain too much. Dialogue is not for exposition; narrate for exposition. Few adverbs. You can open a long craft book and get a list. These rules are called craft. You call them recycled formulas. MFA schools do not want you to be inventive by breaching them.

Unimportant writing conventions do change a little. The average sentence length has changed. If you took a writing from the 1800s, it will stick out against New Yorker articles today because the sentences will be longer. (This is why you use New Yorker stories from this decade.)

It is pretty meaningless to talk about these permanent rules in the abstract sense. Consider the stories @koechopheposts here. He says a lot of things like “Hundreds of different memories try to surface, and with the comb continually brushing my hair, it’s hard to shove them back down. Every single strand of hair stores different memories, different bits of knowledge and emotion. And I really don’t want to have him cut them in half.” Compare it with the stories of the girl who just got into Brown; she says things like “I painted a white porcelain bathtub overflowing with water, the faucet still running. I painted an aloe vera plant in the desert, a piece of itself broken off and lying in the sand. I painted a knife inside an orange, the blade completely hidden, its blue handle sticking out like a nose.” The Brown writing explains a lot less. It passes the New Yorker test. 

[koechophe]

5 hours ago, somemoretrees said:

This "New Yorker test" thing is such a misguided way of viewing your writing

Let's call it what it is, it's the troll's way of trying to make themselves feel better than everyone else.

They posted earlier this year about how their writing would pass the New Yorker test, and that means they were in the 80% and didn't need to be worried about whether they got in or not (and look how well that worked...)

They also posted, without ever having read Ydrl's stuff, that it likely wouldn't pass the New Yorker test, and the troll said the same about MrVisser, again without reading any material. This shows the troll's true colors: It's not about trying to help people figure things out, it's all a statement of "I'm better than you."

There's no need to treat this like an intellectual argument--it's all about feeding a delicate ego. 

[koep]

@koechophe writes "They posted earlier this year about how ... they ...  didn't need to be worried about whether they got in or not (and look how well that worked...)" 

I can't deny that. 

 

@koechophe writes "They also posted, without ever having read Ydrl's stuff, that it likely wouldn't pass the New Yorker test, and the troll said the same about MrVisser, again without reading any material."

That I don't remember, but I was surprised when they got in. I mean they were rejected a lot of times. Anyone would have been surprised. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by koep

[sb2798]

who hurt you?

[nicolette7766]

Has anyone on here had an interview for a spot in a MFA program? I just had one for the first time and I am still anxious haha. I was curious to hear about other people’s experiences. 

[sassydragon]

16 minutes ago, nicolette7766 said:

Has anyone on here had an interview for a spot in a MFA program? I just had one for the first time and I am still anxious haha. I was curious to hear about other people’s experiences. 

Omg, me too. I feel like we interviewed for the same place. I don't have a great feeling about my interview? Felt like I was too anxious and my anxiety was clear in the way I responded. I'm interested in hearing others' thoughts too.

[nicolette7766]

2 minutes ago, sassydragon said:

Omg, me too. I feel like we interviewed for the same place. I don't have a great feeling about my interview? Felt like I was too anxious and my anxiety was clear in the way I responded. I'm interested in hearing others' thoughts too.

Haha yes same! I was super awkward at some parts lmao They were really nice though and I liked them a lot.

I will say though I am very nervous because they only admit a very few amount of people. Hopefully we both get in! Fingers crossed for the both of us 

[sassydragon]

@nicolette7766 (forgot to quote, so I'm just tagging) Yess! I had the same feeling. I felt like my interview was quite short too, but maybe that was enough? They do seem very nice and I hope we both get in. (If it's the same place) they did mention they'll either accept or waitlist, so that's nice!

Edited March 10, 2022 by sassydragon

[nicolette7766]

4 minutes ago, sassydragon said:

@nicolette7766 (forgot to quote, so I'm just tagging) Yess! I had the same feeling. I felt like my interview was quite short too, but maybe that was enough? They do seem very nice and I hope we both get in. (If it's the same place) they did mention they'll either accept or waitlist, so that's nice!

Miami, right? And yeah, my interview felt short but then I looked at the time and realized it’d been a half hour (which I guess is still kinda short but I was expecting fifteen minutes) ? I was definitely relieved to hear I’d either be accepted or waitlisted. Because I think some programs can still reject you even if you make it to the interview stage? Not sure. Either way, it’d be awesome to be in the same cohort!

[sassydragon]

Just now, nicolette7766 said:

Miami, right? And yeah, my interview felt short but then I looked at the time and realized it’d been a half hour (which I guess is still kinda short but I was expecting fifteen minutes) ? I was definitely relieved to hear I’d either be accepted or waitlisted. Because I think some programs can still reject you even if you make it to the interview stage? Not sure. Either way, it’d be awesome to be in the same cohort!

Yep, Miami haha. Same same. I am so glad it won't be a rejection. Rooting for us and hoping we'd be in the same cohort!

[chuey]

50 minutes ago, nicolette7766 said:

Has anyone on here had an interview for a spot in a MFA program? I just had one for the first time and I am still anxious haha. I was curious to hear about other people’s experiences. 

I did! I definitely had prepared for more writing/teaching practice questions rather than just generic job interview questions, and was very thrown off when I got faaar more of the latter than I expected. I think the beginning of my interview went terribly but the second half went much better? I got good news from the program eventually so I guess it wasn't as bad as I imagined haha

[Guest]

WAITLISTED AT HOLLINS!!!!!!!

[Rm714]

1 minute ago, MDP said:

WAITLISTED AT HOLLINS!!!!!!!

I ACTUALLY YELLED "YES!!!!" OUT LOUD! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU @MDP! LITERALLY PRAYING TO THE WAITLIST GODS FOR YOU!

[koechophe]

15 minutes ago, MDP said:

WAITLISTED AT HOLLINS!!!!!!!

That's so great! I'm really glad to hear you finally got some good news. Here's hoping it goes through!

[VillaTheKilla]

29 minutes ago, MDP said:

WAITLISTED AT HOLLINS!!!!!!!

Congrats!!!

[retrotyping]

35 minutes ago, MDP said:

WAITLISTED AT HOLLINS!!!!!!!

Congratulations! I literally came straight here to see if you got good news lol, I know you were excited about this one! I’m waitlisted for fiction too — maybe we’ll be cohort members! 

[eternalwhitenights]

18 hours ago, 1moreX said:

Just got the phone call - accepted at Brooklyn. Have you heard anything from the other NY schools? I haven't heard a peep. I expect they're coming really soon.

 

18 hours ago, 1moreX said:

Thank you. Yes, very excited. I like the way Brooklyn handled me -- quick note that I was a finalist, immediate zoom interview, openness and honesty, so receptive to my writing and my personal case. My other acceptance so far (which shall remain nameless) was the opposite, kind of cool.

I might regret this, but my troll spidey senses are going off full throttle. Dear troll, is that you? Nice try if so.

@MDP congratulations, love!!!!! Woooohoooooo!!!!!!!! That's amazing!!

[panglosian]

I got waitlisted at Hollins!! Now I have to put my apartment shopping on hold smh XD

[eternalwhitenights]

4 minutes ago, panglosian said:

I got waitlisted at Hollins!! Now I have to put my apartment shopping on hold smh XD

Woooooo!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!