2023 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[DW444]

Does anyone have any information about how long it usually takes for a program to notify admitted students? If people were called yesterday for poetry by the University of Washington, and they only accept 8 people, should I expect that I didn’t get in?

And how about for a larger cohort like Iowa? How long does it take for all their acceptances to be notified? 
 

I’m losing my miiiiind! Good luck everyone!

[dagreenkat]

  On 2/24/2023 at 6:21 PM, DW444 said:

Does anyone have any information about how long it usually takes for a program to notify admitted students? If people were called yesterday for poetry by the University of Washington, and they only accept 8 people, should I expect that I didn’t get in?

And how about for a larger cohort like Iowa? How long does it take for all their acceptances to be notified? 
 

I’m losing my miiiiind! Good luck everyone!

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Sadly, you just don’t know until it’s over. I thought the silence UofSC has given me was a surefire rejection until the waitlist came in. I think most programs tend to notify all accepted within a week or so, Iowa I think is the most spread out. Otherwise, the waiting game continues. 

 

I’m desperate for fiction notices from BU and Michigan myself; i’ve mostly seen poetry going out

Edited February 24, 2023 by dagreenkat
spelling

[CBeuley]

Oof - rejection from Boston. That makes 2 with Northwestern. 16 pending. Feeling so nervous. Really holding out hope that I get into Virginia Tech, seeing as I got that "final round" notice last week. At least it's news though -- hearing radio silence from so many programs has been stressful. 

[dagreenkat]

  On 2/24/2023 at 7:32 PM, CBeuley said:

Oof - rejection from Boston. That makes 2 with Northwestern. 16 pending. Feeling so nervous. Really holding out hope that I get into Virginia Tech, seeing as I got that "final round" notice last week. At least it's news though -- hearing radio silence from so many programs has been stressful. 

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What genre? Manifesting the best news for you on Tech! Surprised you have so many pending still; they’ll start flooding in soon.

[CBeuley]

  On 2/24/2023 at 7:42 PM, dagreenkat said:

What genre? Manifesting the best news for you on Tech! Surprised you have so many pending still; they’ll start flooding in soon.

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Fiction! 

[CBeuley]

  On 2/24/2023 at 7:42 PM, CBeuley said:

Fiction! 

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And I'm assuming probable rejections from Hopkins and NC State since people have heard from them, but my other 14 programs no one has heard from -- just crazy that I happened to apply to so many programs that notify later in the game - ugh 

[flameazalea]

  On 2/21/2023 at 5:13 PM, c_eddy said:

Anyone else here apply to WVU for poetry? If so, hear anything yet?

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sorry for the very very late response-- i applied for WVU poetry as well and have not heard from them. Heard in Draft that it's likely we won't hear from them for another few weeks or so.

[LB349]

  On 2/24/2023 at 5:58 PM, treaux said:

Just want to say that this is amazing!! I have not done a good job of staying productive slash functional slash remotely creative in these times of great anxiety so I have massive respect for those who have managed to stay focused on writing  

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Thanks! I think it’s the only way for me to prove to myself that my success doesn’t depend on MFA programs. I actually realized that I started this novel when I was waiting for notifications last year…. So maybe I should keep applying and getting rejected to keep up the need to prove myself lol

[alligator mississippiensis]

Just got my rejection from Vanderbilt for fiction 😕

[jackofsht]

  On 2/24/2023 at 11:24 PM, alligator mississippiensis said:

Just got my rejection from Vanderbilt for fiction 😕

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same < / 3 made an account to report, ive been lurking for weeks n feel like i ought to share my own news now LOL

[crosie]

  On 2/24/2023 at 11:29 PM, jackofsht said:

same < / 3 made an account to report, ive been lurking for weeks n feel like i ought to share my own news now LOL

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Sameee. Pretty nice form rejection though 

[Leeannitha]

I have not gotten a result for any of my schools.🙃🙃🙃🙃 Not one. 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃I think I must be 🙃🙃🙃🙃the worst writer alive. Or my applications just went into the ether and never got read 🙃🙃🙃🙃

 

[dagreenkat]

  On 2/24/2023 at 7:42 PM, CBeuley said:

Fiction! 

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And still nothing from BU for me! I wonder if that means something good... honestly even if I'm just in a later round of rejection that's enough for me 😭 Still manifesting the rest for you

  On 2/25/2023 at 1:08 AM, Leeannitha said:

I have not gotten a result for any of my schools.🙃🙃🙃🙃 Not one. 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃I think I must be 🙃🙃🙃🙃the worst writer alive. Or my applications just went into the ether and never got read 🙃🙃🙃🙃

 

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And you! How many schools are you waiting on? That's insane you haven't heard at all.

[somewhereelse]

Noticed people getting acceptance calls today from Oregon state - congrats if you’re one of those!! I happened to miss a call with a 208 area code (am currently living outside the US) and was wondering if it might be related… very possibly a big stretch but if anyone has insight it’d be so appreciated <3!

[belizaparker]

  On 2/24/2023 at 11:24 PM, alligator mississippiensis said:

Just got my rejection from Vanderbilt for fiction 😕

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same 😕

that's 5/8 for me, all rejections. i applied last cycle and had very similar results so i'm hoping my last three schools will have better news for me

[treaux]

Ugh, Oregon State was probably my top choice. There's a faculty member there I would've died to work with. So this one stings. I am le sad. 

[dagreenkat]

  On 2/25/2023 at 2:04 AM, somewhereelse said:

Noticed people getting acceptance calls today from Oregon state - congrats if you’re one of those!! I happened to miss a call with a 208 area code (am currently living outside the US) and was wondering if it might be related… very possibly a big stretch but if anyone has insight it’d be so appreciated <3!

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208 is an Idaho area code that spills into Oregon a little. We often keep our numbers when we move so any US number could be news depending on where the caller is intially from. That said, I do get a lot of spam from random US numbers, so it could just be that. I’m crossing my fingers for you!

[alligator mississippiensis]

  On 2/25/2023 at 2:09 AM, belizaparker said:

same 😕

that's 5/8 for me, all rejections. i applied last cycle and had very similar results so i'm hoping my last three schools will have better news for me

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  On 2/25/2023 at 1:08 AM, Leeannitha said:

I have not gotten a result for any of my schools.🙃🙃🙃🙃 Not one. 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃I think I must be 🙃🙃🙃🙃the worst writer alive. Or my applications just went into the ether and never got read 🙃🙃🙃🙃

 

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I am also waiting on a bunch of schools (10!) and the limbo state of not knowing is stressing me out hardcore 

[mosss]

  On 2/24/2023 at 11:24 PM, alligator mississippiensis said:

Just got my rejection from Vanderbilt for fiction 😕

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I also got my vandy rejection...it's nice to officially check it off my list, lol

[Leeannitha]

  On 2/25/2023 at 1:27 AM, dagreenkat said:

 And you! How many schools are you waiting on? That's insane you haven't heard at all.

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7. I feel like it is a really bad sign since others have heard from some of them. I kind of feel like a total fraud for even hoping and spending all that time and money preparing for this…the fact that I haven’t gotten news at all just seems so much worse than people actually acknowledging the application even for rejection. 

[jjooeeyy]

  On 2/25/2023 at 4:04 AM, Leeannitha said:

7. I feel like it is a really bad sign since others have heard from some of them. I kind of feel like a total fraud for even hoping and spending all that time and money preparing for this…the fact that I haven’t gotten news at all just seems so much worse than people actually acknowledging the application even for rejection. 

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i didn't get news from south carolina for over a month after they sent out initial acceptances and then i was notified that i was waitlisted. yeah, it's not a good sign overall, but truly anything could happen

edit: i also know someone who ended up getting waitlisted at 4 schools and had to decide where they were going to go on april 14th. there are a lot of last min decisions that get made and many things shift! it's not over til it's over

Edited February 25, 2023 by jjooeeyy

[dagreenkat]

  On 2/25/2023 at 4:09 AM, jjooeeyy said:

i didn't get news from south carolina for over a month after they sent out initial acceptances and then i was notified that i was waitlisted. yeah, it's not a good sign overall, but truly anything could happen

edit: i also know someone who ended up getting waitlisted at 4 schools and had to decide where they were going to go on april 14th. there are a lot of last min decisions that get made and many things shift! it's not over til it's over

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Same exact experience here in South Carolina. I’ve chosen to believe any time I don’t hear and others have that good news may still come — or that I’ve at least passed a “round” of rejection 

[flameazalea]

got the much-anticipated Vanderbilt Poetry rejection this evening while at a play! Looks like people are finally starting to get responses from Oregon State, but I haven't heard anything from them quite yet. It's just Oregon and West Virginia now... 🤞🥲

so far: 0a/0wl/2r/2p and a plan B offered to advance from my current position as an outdoor guide into a supervisory position.

[LB349]

Let’s all remember that a lot of these places have incredibly low acceptance rates.. Harvard Law School has an acceptance rate of 7-10%, Harvard undergrad has 3-4% — nearly all fully funded (or even partially funded) programs that I know of are more selective than that. Less than 1%, in the cases of the programs that have like 5 seats (Vandy, Cornell, etc.) 

So rejection is definitely not a totally negative referendum on your writing! It ‘is’ however a reality check, reminding us that our cultural environment does not allow for the support of that many full-time studying/working creative writers. So we do have to dig in if we want to be one of those, and continue to improve via workshops and other community collaborations while we can. 
 

i know someone who applied to MFAs three times without any success, then got into Michener on the fourth try. I know a novelist who runs a selective workshop program who finally was able to publish their first novel a couple of decades into their writing career. So, these things are possible. But they take work and time. 
 

signed - someone on their third application cycle who is also definitely feeling the lows right now lol

[OldGirl]

Echoing what others have said--don't feel too hard on yourself!! I applied to ten schools and also haven't heard anything from a single one yet, which seems to indicate at least a few rejections. Our worth as writers (and certainly as people) isn't defined by this process!