2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[jadedoptimist]

5 minutes ago, messindistress said:

Just got the VTech rejection.

We are sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you admission to Virginia Tech at this time. The main reason for this decision is: NonCompetitive.

Jesus.

MINE SAID THAT TOO I WAS LOLING

[Hjanep]

2 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

hiii longtime lurker here. finally making an account to see if anyone would help shed some light on a couple programs I'm looking at. 

i applied mostly to nyc schools and received acceptances in fiction from Hunter, Brooklyn, and Columbia and I'm waitlisted at nyu and rutgers-newark. Columbia gave me a scholarship that covers full tuition, which I'm stoked about (still not sure though if it will be the same amount the second year...). Hunter gave me 2 weeks to decide (way before the April 15 general deadline which is stressful). I'm really excited about hunter's faculty, but I'm not sure if i want a small or big program. I sort of wrote Columbia off as impossible because i assumed they didn't give anyone money (it seems like a lot of people on here have reported some kind of scholarship from them, congrats all!) So now Hunter and Brooklyn would technically be more expensive than Columbia for me (as a non NY resident my first year). 

They both have opportunities for teaching which is important to me. For context, I work a full time job and plan to reduce it to part time while I'm in any of these programs (I realize this may be tough with Columbia's 60 credit curriculum). 

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any intel on any of these programs or sense of what I should do. And I hope this doesn't come across as flaunting my acceptances, I really just don't know what to do and you all are so knowledgeable and kind.

 

 

 

 

Ho boy this is fully me in the peanut gallery but while you’re soliciting opinions I’m happy to share mine. For context: I live in NYC and the only school I applied to in the city is NYU and I’m currently on the waitlist. At this point, idk if I would even go if I got in because it would mean half funding, etc but let’s see if I get in and then I’ll make the call. If I were you, I would 100% take the fully funded Columbia offer. They have some amazing alumni (Nunez, Cline, etc), and faculty. I only didn’t apply because I figured the odds of getting the full funding were SO low and I live in Park Slope and couldn’t move closer within the city because childcare limitations. Huge congrats on your acceptances and keep us posted!

[sciencebasedlifter]

6 minutes ago, nataliezimm said:

Congratulations on your acceptances! I’m just wondering when you heard from Hunter/if you know whether they’re done with fiction? I hadn’t heard anything about results from them until now and I’ve been wondering about them. 

thank you! I interviewed with them last week. I don't know much beyond that, but I think they've probably interviewed all the candidates they're considering (at least in fiction!). I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news if this is the case

[nataliezimm]

4 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

thank you! I interviewed with them last week. I don't know much beyond that, but I think they've probably interviewed all the candidates they're considering (at least in fiction!). I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news if this is the case

Thank you for letting me know!

[writernity]

4 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

thank you! I interviewed with them last week. I don't know much beyond that, but I think they've probably interviewed all the candidates they're considering (at least in fiction!). I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news if this is the case

Oh no, that's a bit crushing 😭 I just got my Brown rejection but was still holding out hope for Hunter since there's been no mention of it here or draft. Congrats, though!

[Scribe]

27 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

hiii longtime lurker here. finally making an account to see if anyone would help shed some light on a couple programs I'm looking at. 

i applied mostly to nyc schools and received acceptances in fiction from Hunter, Brooklyn, and Columbia and I'm waitlisted at nyu and rutgers-newark. Columbia gave me a scholarship that covers full tuition, which I'm stoked about (still not sure though if it will be the same amount the second year...). Hunter gave me 2 weeks to decide (way before the April 15 general deadline which is stressful). I'm really excited about hunter's faculty, but I'm not sure if i want a small or big program. I sort of wrote Columbia off as impossible because i assumed they didn't give anyone money (it seems like a lot of people on here have reported some kind of scholarship from them, congrats all!) So now Hunter and Brooklyn would technically be more expensive than Columbia for me (as a non NY resident my first year). 

They both have opportunities for teaching which is important to me. For context, I work a full time job and plan to reduce it to part time while I'm in any of these programs (I realize this may be tough with Columbia's 60 credit curriculum). 

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any intel on any of these programs or sense of what I should do. And I hope this doesn't come across as flaunting my acceptances, I really just don't know what to do and you all are so knowledgeable and kind.

hunter?! thought you'd slip that by me huh?

when did they inform you?

[disregard the question. you've answered it]

also, flaunt, you earned it. i hate you. but you earned it. now then, nyc is expensive. hunter would be cheaper if columbia cant give you bucks the second year. see if you can get a sense of their confidence in that. some schools say that as sort of a fine print disclaimer but will tell you something like they have a high degree of confidence or they have always been able to offer it. 

Mathis! damn. good for you. my reservation about columbia is the size of the program, but that's me. i would absolutely talk to current and recent MFA students about it. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11 by Scribe

[ssuunn]

24 minutes ago, messindistress said:

Just got the VTech rejection.

We are sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you admission to Virginia Tech at this time. The main reason for this decision is: NonCompetitive.

Jesus.

I forgot to warn people about this! It said the same last year lmao. Is anybody going to tell them they look fucking terrible? Or should we just let them... keep doing that... maybe it's for the best.

[sciencebasedlifter]

7 minutes ago, writernity said:

Oh no, that's a bit crushing 😭 I just got my Brown rejection but was still holding out hope for Hunter since there's been no mention of it here or draft. Congrats, though!

im sorry! i should have been more sensitive with the brown results coming out today

[sylviaplathtears]

26 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

hiii longtime lurker here. finally making an account to see if anyone would help shed some light on a couple programs I'm looking at. 

i applied mostly to nyc schools and received acceptances in fiction from Hunter, Brooklyn, and Columbia and I'm waitlisted at nyu and rutgers-newark. Columbia gave me a scholarship that covers full tuition, which I'm stoked about (still not sure though if it will be the same amount the second year...). Hunter gave me 2 weeks to decide (way before the April 15 general deadline which is stressful). I'm really excited about hunter's faculty, but I'm not sure if i want a small or big program. I sort of wrote Columbia off as impossible because i assumed they didn't give anyone money (it seems like a lot of people on here have reported some kind of scholarship from them, congrats all!) So now Hunter and Brooklyn would technically be more expensive than Columbia for me (as a non NY resident my first year). 

They both have opportunities for teaching which is important to me. For context, I work a full time job and plan to reduce it to part time while I'm in any of these programs (I realize this may be tough with Columbia's 60 credit curriculum). 

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any intel on any of these programs or sense of what I should do. And I hope this doesn't come across as flaunting my acceptances, I really just don't know what to do and you all are so knowledgeable and kind.

 

 

 

 

I would take Columbia's offer. They have amazing alums and professors. I live in NYC and it feels extremely expensive to live here even with a full time job and rent on the cheaper end. Also it makes you feel better I know several Columbia grad students with full time and part time jobs.

Edited March 11 by sylviaplathtears

[sciencebasedlifter]

15 minutes ago, sylviaplathtears said:

I would take Columbia's offer. They have amazing alums and professors. I live in NYC and it feels extremely expensive to live here even with a full time job and rent on the cheaper end. Also it makes you feel better I know several Columbia grad students with full time and part time jobs.

that is great to know about columbia grad students having jobs while in their programs. I definitely won't be able to survive in nyc without one even with full tuition remission 

[writernity]

35 minutes ago, sciencebasedlifter said:

im sorry! i should have been more sensitive with the brown results coming out today

Nothing to apologize or be sensitive about haha, you're all good! It's not your responsibility to know what programs everyone else is applying to or when those programs are releasing stuff or mind all of our feelings. Celebrate your success, we're happy for you!!! 🎉🎉

I'm just a bit emotional because that seems to be the end of my run aside from some maybe waitlist possibilities, and while I do have 3 acceptances, they're all to less competitive non-fully-funded schools I'm not sure will be the best fit and I'm now entering crisis mode of "Do I try again next year or just go with what I got"

[dingledodie]

5 hours ago, ssuunn said:

Is anyone else in limbo with Oregon State? I probably wouldn't attend, but it looks like everyone else was waitlisted/rejected for poetry by 2/27...

I got my OSU rejection on 3/4 for fiction, if that helps at all. Hopefully no news is good news for you 🤞🤞🤞

[Scribe]

UVA has also given me the shaft. 

nevermind. they'd already given me the shaft. 

all this shafting is getting hard to keep track of. 

 

Edited March 11 by Scribe

[Scribe]

Abort. 

Edited March 11 by Scribe

[jadedoptimist]

pretty sure I just got waitlisted at Iowa 🤩

[infiniteplane]

1 hour ago, writernity said:

Nothing to apologize or be sensitive about haha, you're all good! It's not your responsibility to know what programs everyone else is applying to or when those programs are releasing stuff or mind all of our feelings. Celebrate your success, we're happy for you!!! 🎉🎉

I'm just a bit emotional because that seems to be the end of my run aside from some maybe waitlist possibilities, and while I do have 3 acceptances, they're all to less competitive non-fully-funded schools I'm not sure will be the best fit and I'm now entering crisis mode of "Do I try again next year or just go with what I got"

hi just wanted to say that i'm in a similar boat and ik exactly how you feel. i don't want to seem ungrateful or that i'm undermining my accomplishments but i am feeling a bit disappointed because the programs are unfunded and not that competitive. ppl have been so excited for me when i tell them i got into columbia but in my head i'm like..its not as hard as you probably think 😭

[minivercheevy_]

9 minutes ago, jadedoptimist said:

pretty sure I just got waitlisted at Iowa 🤩

Congrats! Why do you say "pretty sure?" Was it a vaguely-worded email? 

[jadedoptimist]

Just now, minivercheevy_ said:

Congrats! Why do you say "pretty sure?" Was it a vaguely-worded email? 

Yes, it was "your application remains under consideration." That was it

[AngusWanderer]

Just now, jadedoptimist said:

Yes, it was "your application remains under consideration." That was it

I was just about to post about this and ask what this means. 

That's it. I'm done with Iowa. It just feels wrong to get waitlisted twice in a roll. 

[rachy1997]

2 hours ago, messindistress said:

Just got the VTech rejection.

We are sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you admission to Virginia Tech at this time. The main reason for this decision is: NonCompetitive.

Jesus.

I got the same this afternoon. OOF

[minivercheevy_]

Welp. Looks like that just about ends my cycle. Is anyone thinking about attending UMass? For poetry specifically? I think that'll be where I decide on going regardless of my waitlists. Gizzi is a god. 

[itsbeensnowing]

People on draft, has there been anything from Hollins or Southern Illinois University? I think SIU is the only one I've applied to that hasn't sent any acceptances out yet. Hollins has an apparent acceptance on the results page here, but they didn't state the genre.

[writernity]

1 hour ago, infiniteplane said:

hi just wanted to say that i'm in a similar boat and ik exactly how you feel. i don't want to seem ungrateful or that i'm undermining my accomplishments but i am feeling a bit disappointed because the programs are unfunded and not that competitive. ppl have been so excited for me when i tell them i got into columbia but in my head i'm like..its not as hard as you probably think 😭

Columbia IS competitive, especially if you've got any funding offers! Like NYU, they accept a larger cohort, but they also get a very large amount of applicants and the amount they accept is around 20% at most, much less with funding. Sure, less competitive than some schools that only accept 6 students (and way too expensive without a massive funding offer) but still an achievement. It doesn't seem like I'm getting a Columbia acceptance at all (though I guess we don't know for sure if they're done yet).

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, infiniteplane said:

hi just wanted to say that i'm in a similar boat and ik exactly how you feel. i don't want to seem ungrateful or that i'm undermining my accomplishments but i am feeling a bit disappointed because the programs are unfunded and not that competitive. ppl have been so excited for me when i tell them i got into columbia but in my head i'm like..its not as hard as you probably think 😭

 

25 minutes ago, writernity said:

Columbia IS competitive, especially if you've got any funding offers! Like NYU, they accept a larger cohort, but they also get a very large amount of applicants and the amount they accept is around 20% at most, much less with funding. Sure, less competitive than some schools that only accept 6 students (and way too expensive without a massive funding offer) but still an achievement. It doesn't seem like I'm getting a Columbia acceptance at all (though I guess we don't know for sure if they're done yet).

Columbia does accept a large cohort but they also have one of the largest applicant pools. they accept less than 3%.

[OctopusCactus]

On the topic of feeling ambivalent about "not that competitive" program acceptances:

I feel this. These prospective grad student forums have been a really mixed bag for me in that regard. I've certainly learned a lot I didn't know about how this process works and I value that, but as a first-gen student (for college and now for grad school) it kind of blows my mind to read some of the bashing of programs as "not that competitive" if they take more than a teeny handful of students a year.  I know it's all relative, but just the amount of credentials and recommendations and work required to even APPLY to pretty much any MFA program weeds out tons of people.  

This was my first time applying to any grad program and I went into it feeling like "if I get in anywhere it will be an achievement".  I'm coming out of it with multiple acceptances, all with at least partial funding, with all this self-doubt because I've learned here that the programs I've gotten into aren't the MOST competitive ones. 

Trying to re-ground myself in what my offline world tells me: that I put a ton of work into my writing, that I have potential, and that it's been recognized.