2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[mudpuddle1]

Did anyone else apply to the University of Kentucky? 

 

[ghostinthegraveyard]

1 hour ago, pananoprodigy said:

Y'all I'm so checked out at work, I used to confine application stuff to my phone but at this point I'm just openly scrolling gradcafe on my work computer lol

Me reading this as I openly scroll GradCafe on my work computer 💀

[treenie]

1 hour ago, seeleimraum said:

Has anyone heard from University of Oregon for poetry? All I see on draft is fiction. 

I was wondering the same thing, hopefully soon!

[BarryDairy]

Reached a new level of the waiting process: I'm now getting targeted ads on TV for Iowa lol if only those could translate into an acceptance.

Edited February 20 by BarryDairy

[pananoprodigy]

Who else is suffering in the Haven't Heard Anything From Anywhere club? I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure I need SOMETHING to happen!!!!

Edited February 20 by pananoprodigy

[mr. specific]

1 hour ago, jadedoptimist said:

I just called Northwestern Financial Aid and it was the most robotic, horrible experience. She just kept repeating where on the website I could apply for a loan. I am so discouraged right now I'm crying. I know it might seem insensitive, since I have some promising waitlists, but I'm really struggling with the idea that I have to decline my only acceptance so far because of a mistake I made in the application process. I really thought NW was funded. Any advice to move on?

@jadedoptimist If you got waitlisted at Hopkins and Vanderbilt you are good enough to get into any one of the fully funded programs in the country. That's just a fact. You might have to wait a year or you might still get a spot. Forgive yourself with NW and yes try to move on from that.

[goldentulip]

curiosity: have we found out why indiana has no reported acceptances, only waitlist and rejections? is it like a thing where, as people drop out of the waitlist, they’ll then send out acceptances? have i missed something?

[jadedoptimist]

3 minutes ago, mr. specific said:

@jadedoptimist If you got waitlisted at Hopkins and Vanderbilt you are good enough to get into any one of the fully funded programs in the country. That's just a fact. You might have to wait a year or you might still get a spot. Forgive yourself with NW and yes try to move on from that.

Thank you mr specific! You were ultra specific in saying that I am good enough for fully funded, and I needed to hear that:) you're right. I'm declining my spot at NW and holding out for a JHU or Vandy spot, or a fully funded acceptance (crosses self). thanks for the support @mr. specific @pomelo@pananoprodigy. you guys have been invaluable and you would all make great grad school classmates!!

[triciadawn]

On 2/15/2024 at 1:21 PM, pomelo said:

Last night I told my boyfriend I didn’t think the MFA was in the cards this year and I meant it. I started my application for an English teaching program abroad and bookmarked a bunch of job postings. 
 

I just got off the phone with Beth Nguyen. Y’all. I got an acceptance to UW Madison. 😭

Congrats! UW-M is so lucky to have you!!! 

Out of curiosity: what were the english abroad programs you were looking into? This may be my fate. 😂

[Hjanep]

Someone on draft got into Iowa for fiction (not me)

[bluespruce]

There's an Iowa acceptance on Draft for fiction!!!

[jadedoptimist]

10 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

Someone on draft got into Iowa for fiction (not me)

 

10 minutes ago, bluespruce said:

There's an Iowa acceptance on Draft for fiction!!!

CAN THIS DAY END ALREADY

[Scribe]

9 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

Someone on draft got into Iowa for fiction (not me)

yeah, from someone who

9 minutes ago, bluespruce said:

There's an Iowa acceptance on Draft for fiction!!!

was called by "Samantha Cheng".

[Hjanep]

2 minutes ago, Scribe said:

yeah, from someone who

was called by "Samantha Cheng".

Lol 

[pomelo]

18 minutes ago, triciadawn said:

Congrats! UW-M is so lucky to have you!!! 

Out of curiosity: what were the english abroad programs you were looking into? This may be my fate. 😂

Thank you so much! And for sure, happy to help. 

I was looking into the NALCAP (North American Language and Culture Assistants Program) in Spain. If you’re interested I recommend applying ASAP! You won’t hear back until the summer but I read that the earlier you apply, the better your chances of getting a spot in your preferred region. I was also looking into opportunities in Vietnam, where my family is from. There are a couple agencies there including Up2U, Ninja Academy, EMG Education, Apollo English, and VUS. I hope this helps! I was also considering Workaway and WWOOF.

Edited February 20 by pomelo

[airlinefood_enjoyer]

1 hour ago, jadedoptimist said:

I just called Northwestern Financial Aid and it was the most robotic, horrible experience. She just kept repeating where on the website I could apply for a loan. I am so discouraged right now I'm crying. I know it might seem insensitive, since I have some promising waitlists, but I'm really struggling with the idea that I have to decline my only acceptance so far because of a mistake I made in the application process. I really thought NW was funded. Any advice to move on?

Hey! I'm sorry you had that interaction with NU financial aid. I went there for my undergrad and while I had a generally positive experience, their bloated admin network/bureaucracy can be a headache to deal with. It's also a little insane and confusing that they have a fully funded MA + MFA and an unfunded MFA so I wouldn't beat yourself up about making that (very understandable) mistake. Grad school apps are hard and messy and I feel like so many of us have regrets about where/how we applied. (I didn't apply to UW Madison literally just because I misread their website and thought they weren't reading in my genre this year. LOL.)

Plus as others have said-- you have a waitlist from JHU and Vandy. You've definitely got something really good going on in your writing sample and you have every reason to stay hopeful, especially with 7 apps still pending. I also think it's alright to feel sad/annoyed/frustrated for a bit. Cry it out, go for a walk, get takeout from your favorite restaurant. Tomorrow's a new day.

[pananoprodigy]

How many does Iowa typically take per year in each genre?

[iamreallyabigskeletonirl]

1 minute ago, pananoprodigy said:

How many does Iowa typically take per year in each genre?

usually 25 in each genre but they get hundreds of submissions 

[3feetofsnow]

Sort of glad to have missed all the insanity around Michigan sending stuff out lol, even if it means another official unofficial rejection on my list 😔 still 4 more to go for me tho, and I’m trying to stay positive! If nothing else, either of my Ws could still turn into As eventually. If I don’t get in anywhere, I want to apply again next year, but the whole reason I’m applying is that at this point it’s hard for me to see the weaknesses in my own work, so I don’t want to make the same mistakes and have to go through the same thing all over again…

[Scribe]

don't laugh at me, anyone think we don't hear from NWP until the cohort is final for Michener?

[Scribe]

10 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

How many does Iowa typically take per year in each genre?

12 per genre.

The most applications i've ever heard of them getting was 1056. Michener gets that many from time to time, but not always. Iowa usually gets between 650 and 800. 

 

[seeleimraum]

1 hour ago, jadedoptimist said:

Thank you mr specific! You were ultra specific in saying that I am good enough for fully funded, and I needed to hear that:) you're right. I'm declining my spot at NW and holding out for a JHU or Vandy spot, or a fully funded acceptance (crosses self). thanks for the support @mr. specific @pomelo@pananoprodigy. you guys have been invaluable and you would all make great grad school classmates!!

@jadedoptimist , I would not decline ANY offers until you've received all your application decisions. As feasible or not as they may seem, it doesn't serve you well to make decisions without all the information possible available to you. It's even advisable to wait out admissions offers because sometimes (perhaps rarely, but it does happen) they may come back and offer you more $ as their waitlist dwindles or more funding comes in later in spring.

Edited February 20 by seeleimraum
tagged OP

[Scribe]

okay, fess up. who's the wiseacre who got accepted to University of Vienna  for an MFA in Weiner Schnitzel Studies?

[jadedoptimist]

25 minutes ago, seeleimraum said:

@jadedoptimist , I would not decline ANY offers until you've received all your application decisions. As feasible or not as they may seem, it doesn't serve you well to make decisions without all the information possible available to you. It's even advisable to wait out admissions offers because sometimes (perhaps rarely, but it does happen) they may come back and offer you more $ as their waitlist dwindles or more funding comes in later in spring.

I would love to wait it out, but they've given me a response deadline of Feb. 25, lol. Should I try to get them to extend it or something ?

[triciadawn]

Ole Miss just moved someone on to round 2 AFTER that rejection email went out. Yikes!