2023 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Leeannitha]

Happy December 15 to all who celebrate ? 

[Veneralia]

!!! Anyone else receive notification that they have moved to Round 2 for University of Tennessee Knoxville? I'm really excited about this. I know that it is in no way a guarantee of admission and that many applicants may be moving to Round 2, but it is a celebratory moment nonetheless!

[Leeannitha]

40 minutes ago, Veneralia said:

!!! Anyone else receive notification that they have moved to Round 2 for University of Tennessee Knoxville? I'm really excited about this. I know that it is in no way a guarantee of admission and that many applicants may be moving to Round 2, but it is a celebratory moment nonetheless!

Congrats!!! Are you on the MFA Draft ‘23 group on Facebook? Other people are talking about also getting into phase 2. It might be worthwhile to reach out to them. Also I think this might mean you have a shot of at least being waitlisted??? Not completely positive, though. 
Also you are very lucky to be getting results back so soon lol

[feralgrad]

Hey everyone! Haven't been here in a while, but I decided to pop back in since I know the forum gets busier this time of year. I'm a fiction writer graduating in spring 2023 (*sweats*). I've had a really great experience in my program. The community has been very supportive, and I feel well-positioned to find a good job outside of graduation. I don't think any MFA experience can be "perfect," but I'm really happy with the mentoring, connections, and personal growth I've gained. (Also I'm leaving school with zero debt, and you should too!!)

Gradcafe was super helpful during my application/decision process, so I'm happy to answer any questions!

Edited December 18, 2022 by feralgrad

[mosss]

On 12/16/2022 at 7:07 PM, Veneralia said:

!!! Anyone else receive notification that they have moved to Round 2 for University of Tennessee Knoxville? I'm really excited about this. I know that it is in no way a guarantee of admission and that many applicants may be moving to Round 2, but it is a celebratory moment nonetheless!

congrats!! i moved on to round two as well (fiction). i think you should be excited! i am as well:) moving on to round two means they think your app has to chops to compete in the final stage. also, someone from the fb group mentioned UT is accepting 3 poets and 2 fiction writers this year, if that info is useful to you! best of luck:)

[clil09]

On 12/16/2022 at 6:07 PM, Veneralia said:

!!! Anyone else receive notification that they have moved to Round 2 for University of Tennessee Knoxville? I'm really excited about this. I know that it is in no way a guarantee of admission and that many applicants may be moving to Round 2, but it is a celebratory moment nonetheless!

I'm on to the second round, too. Fiction. Sending all my stuff in before Jan. 15. Here's to wishing for both of us...sounds like slim pickings. 

[clil09]

On 12/18/2022 at 3:25 PM, mosss said:

congrats!! i moved on to round two as well (fiction). i think you should be excited! i am as well:) moving on to round two means they think your app has to chops to compete in the final stage. also, someone from the fb group mentioned UT is accepting 3 poets and 2 fiction writers this year, if that info is useful to you! best of luck:)

I'm on to the second round, too. Fiction. Sending all my stuff in before Jan. 15. Here's to wishing for both of us...sounds like slim pickings. 

[Ydrl]

On 12/18/2022 at 12:08 PM, feralgrad said:

Gradcafe was super helpful during my application/decision process, so I'm happy to answer any questions!

Honestly same here.

I'm also here with super unsolicited but hopefully helpful advice straight from after my first semester at Iowa. Take care of your health. I almost kicked the bucket due to a chronic health condition, and while I was recovering I almost kicked the bucket again from a genetic health condition I didn't know I had until I met doctors here that actually wanted to do their jobs.

Also, the school health insurance saved my life. Look up if your funding package will come with health insurance for either free or a significant discount.

Lastly, I still have the super comprehensive spreadsheet with my lightly outdated info from the 2022 season. Dm me if you want it.

[Leeannitha]

On 12/24/2022 at 9:20 PM, Ydrl said:

Honestly same here.

I'm also here with super unsolicited but hopefully helpful advice straight from after my first semester at Iowa. Take care of your health. I almost kicked the bucket due to a chronic health condition, and while I was recovering I almost kicked the bucket again from a genetic health condition I didn't know I had until I met doctors here that actually wanted to do their jobs.

Also, the school health insurance saved my life. Look up if your funding package will come with health insurance for either free or a significant discount.

Lastly, I still have the super comprehensive spreadsheet with my lightly outdated info from the 2022 season. Dm me if you want it.

Glad to hear you are ok now! That sounds very scary. 

[belizaparker]

to everyone who moved on to phase 2 at utk, i'm assuming you received an email from them about it? i've been checking all my inboxes obsessively since i submitted my application and haven't received anything, so i imagine i didn't make it through. congrats for everyone who did, though! i saw that they're being super selective this year, so i wish you all the best of luck!

Edited January 2, 2023 by belizaparker

[maz]

hey everyone! this is my second year applying. i've submitted three apps and have one more to go. last year i had such a hard time waiting to hear back! what are folks doing to deal with the waiting game?

[CupidAndPsyche]

On 1/5/2023 at 12:46 AM, denner said:

ive with the first round, and most people who make it through the first round will get rejected. 

 

 

 

 

 

And how exactly do you know this?

[Leeannitha]

On 1/4/2023 at 12:28 AM, maz said:

hey everyone! this is my second year applying. i've submitted three apps and have one more to go. last year i had such a hard time waiting to hear back! what are folks doing to deal with the waiting game?

I have been playing video games and trying to write poems that are just for me. Knowing I am not going to share them or have to refine them for submissions is extremely freeing and is generating a lot of ideas. I think it is a really good thing to do since application season was so much about trying to imagine what adcoms would think of my writing. And then IF I did get in anywhere, I would have the pressure of writing for workshops. I’m trying to see this waiting time as a great opportunity to experiment and lean into my interests. 
 

also @CupidAndPsyche this forum has had a troll the past couple of years called Marshall. Not sure if this is him but he loves telling people they have no hope of getting in anywhere. He also makes a lot of claims about how this process works without any proof. I thought maybe he wouldn’t come back this year but perhaps he did. 

[mosss]

On 1/4/2023 at 12:28 AM, maz said:

hey everyone! this is my second year applying. i've submitted three apps and have one more to go. last year i had such a hard time waiting to hear back! what are folks doing to deal with the waiting game?

Besides reading (I've been making my way through Ann Patchett's work after reading The Dutch House), I recently picked up a new hobby making little animal figurines with oven-bake polymer clay. I've found it soothing to be creative in an outlet that doesn't remind me of MFAs, since it keeps my brain occupied and gives me that "I made something!" serotonin boost. If I start feeling overwhelmed, I distract myself with a game/movie night with friends who support me and know what's going on:)

I applaud you for applying again after trying last year--this is my third year applying myself, so I understand the anxiety of waiting to apply, applying, and then waiting to hear back! A lot of my professors told me that it generally takes 2-5 years to get into a good, fully-funded program, and that most of the accepted applicants are generally older, so don't kick yourself if you don't get in this year either (with that said, a good friend of mine got in straight out of her undergrad, so it really is just subjective!). Best of luck:)

[dustygarnet]

Hello! I just created my account and am new to this whole thing. I was just curious if it is common practice that if you are accepted that you receive a phone call over an email. I am a senior with a busy schedule this year and am nervous about missing a phone call for possible acceptance. For reference I am applying for poetry at NYU, WUSTL, Iowa, Helen Zell, Brown, Cornell, ASU, and John Hopkins. 

[mosss]

7 hours ago, dustygarnet said:

I was just curious if it is common practice that if you are accepted that you receive a phone call over an email. I am a senior with a busy schedule this year and am nervous about missing a phone call for possible acceptance.

Phone calls are more common, but they'll likely email you as well. Also, they're not going to move on to the next person if they can't reach you immediately. A lot of schools let you check the status of your app online, as well, so if you miss a call and the email goes to spam (worst case senerio), you can always check there:)

[treaux]

Long-time lurker who just submitted my last application of the season... Rewarding myself by finally making a post and basking in the forum solidarity! 

I'm feeling pretty anxious, to be honest. I knew paying tuition for an MFA was going to be unconscionable for me in the long run so I only applied to fully funded programs. And I had a strong preference for rural/non-urban locations (generally I prefer environments where the sheep outnumber the people) which cut the list down a lot more — no heavy-hitters like WUSTL, Vandy, Hopkins... Basically every school on my list has a rounding error for an acceptance rate — which I knew was going to be the case — but now that the wait has started I'm feeling the urge to panic apply to a bunch more programs just so to increase the chances I get in somewhere. I feel like I'm oscillating between telling myself that the most likely outcome by far is that I don't get into any programs, and I should manage my expectations and just be pleasantly surprised if I do happen to get in anywhere and little bouts of manic confidence ("of course I'll get in somewhere! My recommenders think I'm amazing!)

The other issue is that I don't have a good back-up plan for my next year if I don't get into any programs, but I'm feeling super stagnant creatively, personally, and professionally, so I know I need to make a change and it will just be so much easier if that change comes in the form and structure of grad school. 

So that's my little intro ramble. If anyone wants to share where they applied/what their top choices are I love reading that kind of stuff. Or if anyone wants to talk about books, I just finished Patricia Lockwood's Why Is No One Talking About This and was actually a bit underwhelmed.   

[mosss]

21 hours ago, treaux said:

Long-time lurker who just submitted my last application of the season... Rewarding myself by finally making a post and basking in the forum solidarity!

Totally understand the stress of waiting! Personally, I don't think panic applying will help unless you're sure you'll want to attend if accepted. Personally, it would kill me to get into a program only to reject it later bc it wasn't a good fit for me.

If you really want to apply to another program, maybe look into Georgia State College and University (I applied there this year). Their app is due Feb 1st, and Milledgeville has a somewhat rural population (~16,000)--the fee is also fairly cheap compared to other schools ($35, I think).

This is my third year applying. I know what it feels like to stake everything on these schools decisions. My advice? Sit down, and write out 3 scenarios: best, worst, and most realistic (this is a therapy technique, btw). Now, make contingency plans for all. Worst case scenario, you don't get into anywhere and you fall into a bit of a depression. What job can you take that would give you personal fulfillment? If you can't work somewhere fulfilling, what volunteer opportunities are available in your community? I worked in foster care for the first year after I was rejected from 12 schools, and it helped me feel like I had purpose/that I was putting good into the world. Libraries usually have notice boards with groups you can join as well, if you need more face-to-face interactions. You can also see a need within your community and make strides to fill it--organizing a clothing swap, work with a community center to do an outreach program in your town, etc! Personal fulfillment can also mean advancing your writing skills on your own. Find a community of writers online to swap stories with (or start a writing club at your local library!). Learn about writing through books, lectures, or other sources (create your own MFA, basically--and this is all good stuff to include in your SOP for reapplying the next year to show the adcoms that you're serious about writing).

I also felt stagnant after two years of rejections. I wish I could tell you that you'll get in, but I don't know you, or your writing (and even if I did, MFA selection is an incredibly objective process). If you really want it, you just have to keep trying (and ignore the trolls, those who try to pull you down in order to make themselves feel tall). Best of luck--and if you ever need a workshop buddy let me know!

[lanadelreystan]

Has anyone else been waitlisted at Illinois?

[clil09]

Anyone heard from Ole Miss or Arkansas round two? Tennessee post round two? Becoming a bit despondent in this era of limbo. Hope y’all are holding up.

[RotateThis]

1 hour ago, honeymoon said:

I've been lurking here for far too long... this topic seems less active than in years past, so I thought I'd contribute and be the change I want to see in the forum ? I applied to 9 places, all in poetry, mostly fully funded state schools. I also happen to be a senior in college (which I know they don't like) so this is of course my first round... just setting my sights high and seeing how I fare. My schools are iowa, michigan, iowa state, idaho, wisconsin, oregon state, south carolina, new mexico, and colorado state, so if anyone sees anything from any of these places or just generally wants to chat I'd love to talk. My undergrad is ~known~ for being an iowa pipeline (any guesses?) so pressures are high from my professors who wrote recommendations and helped in the process. This whole mess is wild and stressful, but so excited and nervous to see decisions from everyone! Best of luck to all of you, please reach out if you want to talk! 

I'm in the same boat!  Long time lurker and first-time contributor.  Also a senior in College and applying for fiction at a bunch of schools including Colorado!  Best of luck to you in all this, I definitely empathize with the nervous excitement.

[lanadelreystan]

5 hours ago, honeymoon said:

I've been lurking here for far too long... this topic seems less active than in years past, so I thought I'd contribute and be the change I want to see in the forum ? I applied to 9 places, all in poetry, mostly fully funded state schools. I also happen to be a senior in college (which I know they don't like) so this is of course my first round... just setting my sights high and seeing how I fare. My schools are iowa, michigan, iowa state, idaho, wisconsin, oregon state, south carolina, new mexico, and colorado state, so if anyone sees anything from any of these places or just generally wants to chat I'd love to talk. My undergrad is ~known~ for being an iowa pipeline (any guesses?) so pressures are high from my professors who wrote recommendations and helped in the process. This whole mess is wild and stressful, but so excited and nervous to see decisions from everyone! Best of luck to all of you, please reach out if you want to talk! 

Don't sell yourself so short; plenty of applicants get accepted straight out of undergrad! I was one of them ❤️ Didn't end up going, though. Is Iowa your top choice? And is your username a reference to the Lana song? Love that album!

[Leeannitha]

15 hours ago, honeymoon said:My undergrad is ~known~ for being an iowa pipeline (any guesses?)

Just wanted to add that I transferred to Iowa halfway through undergrad and it didn’t do anything for me for getting into the MFA lol ? 

Last year or the year before I commented on a forum topic about applying right out of undergrad and was a little discouraging because that’s what I had been told by my recommenders when I got rejected. But now I am thinking they were probably just trying to make me feel better. 
 People definitely get in straight out of undergrad. I think for me personally the sample was not aligned with my goals stated in the SOP and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted. Waiting a couple years before reapplying really helped me (and I switched from fiction to poetry). But there is no reason why you shouldn’t get in if they like your writing enough! This goes for anyone still in undergrad. It definitely does happen. 
good luck to everyone! 

[jjooeeyy]

On 1/20/2023 at 8:30 PM, honeymoon said:

I've been lurking here for far too long... this topic seems less active than in years past, so I thought I'd contribute and be the change I want to see in the forum ? I applied to 9 places, all in poetry, mostly fully funded state schools. I also happen to be a senior in college (which I know they don't like) so this is of course my first round... just setting my sights high and seeing how I fare. My schools are iowa, michigan, iowa state, idaho, wisconsin, oregon state, south carolina, new mexico, and colorado state, so if anyone sees anything from any of these places or just generally wants to chat I'd love to talk. My undergrad is ~known~ for being an iowa pipeline (any guesses?) so pressures are high from my professors who wrote recommendations and helped in the process. This whole mess is wild and stressful, but so excited and nervous to see decisions from everyone! Best of luck to all of you, please reach out if you want to talk! 

I'm applying to a few of these as well! (Iowa, Michigan, Idaho, South Carolina, to be exact.) I've been out of undergrad for quite some time now, and I am feeling just a tiny bit desperate to leave my office job... I'll try to remember to follow up if I get into any of these in case we end up in the same cohort!

[flowerpot]

On 1/20/2023 at 7:36 PM, clil09 said:

Anyone heard from Ole Miss or Arkansas round two? Tennessee post round two? Becoming a bit despondent in this era of limbo. Hope y’all are holding up.

I applied to Arkansas as well. Haven't heard anything.