2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[prufrock_]

53 minutes ago, itsbeensnowing said:

Hollins

There has been 1 acceptance for poetry and 1 for nonfiction, both submitted on friday. It's possible acceptances are still rolling. Good luck! I thought for a while about applying there, it looks great.

 

Nothing for SIU.

[minivercheevy_]

14 minutes ago, OctopusCactus said:

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.

I understand how you're feeling. This was my first year applying, and the whole time I couldn't help but feel like I was behind in this game from the get-go. Comparison is poison in these sorts of processes.

I felt my heart sink when I realized just how many people who post acceptances went to extremely prestigious colleges for their undergrad---almost every single known acceptance for Iowa, at least for poetry, went to someone from an Ivy. But it really only takes one school to believe in your work in order for you to be successful. There's no such thing as a "bad" program. If you like what a program has to offer you then it's right for you. 

Plus, tons of writers never even went to get an MFA. Getting into a program just gives that precious time to write. Be yourself and write for yourself. Rooting for you. 

[mr. specific]

Iowa poetry is definitely not done yet. Acceptances still to come.

[AngusWanderer]

9 minutes ago, mr. specific said:

Iowa poetry is definitely not done yet. Acceptances still to come.

Earlier this morning, I received an email titled "IWW Update" from Willis, breaking it up from last year's "From IWW". It says, "Your application is still under consideration," which is also different from last year's "You are on the waitlist." I wonder what could it possibly mean. 

 

[goldentulip]

2 hours ago, OctopusCactus said:

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.

can empathize so much with this as a fellow first-gen student!! i’ve had the privilege of being guided by and studying under poets who have had wonderful things happen to them in their careers (guggenheim and macarthur fellowships, an inaugural poet) and i was given a lot of really great guidance and reality checks with my expectations. but one of the biggest things they emphasized was that whether i got in or not, i was still a poet, a writer, and someone still worthy of these labels even if no school within the application cycle saw it. they shared countless stories of friends, students, and fellow writers who it didn’t work out for at the beginning, but despite initial rejections, made it out the other end better than they could’ve imagined. i like to doom-spiral in my head a lot, and my past year’s applying just validated those thoughts. but, i’ve come to a place where even if my single waitlist doesn’t pan out (i’ll definitely be a little devastated) but i’ll know that if anything, i had the privilege to even apply and dream about one day be writing for a living. 

[rachy1997]

14 hours ago, itsbeensnowing said:

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.

I have intel that 10 acceptances have been sent from Hollins but that there are applications that remain under consideration. There's hope for us yet!

[LB349]

18 hours 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.

 

 

 

 

The Columbia faculty is fantastic -- I also applied even though it looks like I didn't get in this year. It would be hard to turn down a tuition free offer from them. I do think NYU is maybe better in terms of faculty and prestige, but since waitlist admits seem to get less funding, might be hard to accept in lieu of the others. 

Congratulations!

[rlion]

9 minutes ago, rachy1997 said:

I have intel that 10 acceptances have been sent from Hollins but that there are applications that remain under consideration. There's hope for us yet!

Thank you for the update! Fingers crossed 

[untemperedoddity]

I also received the "still under consideration" email from Iowa! Can we all talk more about this? Why would they not straight up tell us that we're waitlisted? Is it possible they're still not done making their final choices? 

Edited March 12 by untemperedoddity

[littlealien]

Hi all! Has anyone heard from Northern Michigan University? I see a poetry acceptance in the draft spreadsheet ( I applied for CNF ) but nothing else. 

[nothingnothing]

14 hours ago, minivercheevy_ said:

I understand how you're feeling. This was my first year applying, and the whole time I couldn't help but feel like I was behind in this game from the get-go. Comparison is poison in these sorts of processes.

I felt my heart sink when I realized just how many people who post acceptances went to extremely prestigious colleges for their undergrad---almost every single known acceptance for Iowa, at least for poetry, went to someone from an Ivy. But it really only takes one school to believe in your work in order for you to be successful. There's no such thing as a "bad" program. If you like what a program has to offer you then it's right for you. 

Plus, tons of writers never even went to get an MFA. Getting into a program just gives that precious time to write. Be yourself and write for yourself. Rooting for you. 

"I realized just how many people who post acceptances went to extremely prestigious colleges for their undergrad---almost every single known acceptance for Iowa, at least for poetry, went to someone from an Ivy."

this alone should be a reason not to even want to attend such a program.

[Chex]

4 minutes ago, untemperedoddity said:

I also recieved the "still under consideration" email from Iowa! Can we all talk more about this? Why would they not straight up tell us that we're waitlisted? Is it possible they're still not done making their final choices? 

When did you receive the email? 

I have a problem with Iowa's general communication style. From having to snail mail your manuscript to their snail mailing rejections to applicants. It's such an obtuse, unnecessary, and inconvenient thing to do in this day and age. They've known for weeks now that they're not admitting some people. No emails, no portal updates, nothing. But we have to wait for their snail mails to travel around the world and get to us in our various little corners. And what if someone's mail gets lost or otherwise impossible to deliver? 

[Hjanep]

Got my Iowa rejection (fiction). Including that my manuscript was well-received by readers and encouragement to apply again. Real talk: is this in every rejection letter?

[ssuunn]

Just now, Hjanep said:

Got my Iowa rejection (fiction). Including that my manuscript was well-received by readers and encouragement to apply again. Real talk: is this in every rejection letter?

No! They definitely don't write that unless it made it to a later (or maybe the final) round of deliberation. 

[untemperedoddity]

10 minutes ago, Chex said:

When did you receive the email? 

I have a problem with Iowa's general communication style. From having to snail mail your manuscript to their snail mailing rejections to applicants. It's such an obtuse, unnecessary, and inconvenient thing to do in this day and age. They've known for weeks now that they're not admitting some people. No emails, no portal updates, nothing. But we have to wait for their snail mails to travel around the world and get to us in our various little corners. And what if someone's mail gets lost or otherwise impossible to deliver? 

Got the email from Elizabeth Willis last night!

[lychees]

27 minutes ago, littlealien said:

Hi all! Has anyone heard from Northern Michigan University? I see a poetry acceptance in the draft spreadsheet ( I applied for CNF ) but nothing else. 

Hi! I received an acceptance from NMU on March 4 (also a CNF applicant) but I don't know anything else about their timeline for sending out the rest of their decisions. Wish I could be of more help

[electricstardust]

on my way to an open house and my parents just told me i got my iowa poetry rejection in the mail:,) no personalized note or anything haha

[Tuxedocat]

1 hour ago, untemperedoddity said:

Got the email from Elizabeth Willis last night!

Wait I’m so confused 😳 I thought people were getting an automated email via some portal update saying their apps were still under consideration. If the email came from Elizabeth Willis herself, why wouldn’t it be personalized and/or explicitly say one was waitlisted?

[Edgar A.]

1 hour ago, littlealien said:

Hi all! Has anyone heard from Northern Michigan University? I see a poetry acceptance in the draft spreadsheet ( I applied for CNF ) but nothing else. 

I didn’t apply there, but I’m an undergraduate English student at NMU and I work on the literary journal with mfa students and faculty. I believe they’re almost done; we just had our spring break so I’d expect in the next week or two! 

[prufrock_]

Maybe a long shot but does anyone have info on Louisiana state university? Anyone else apply and still waiting to hear back? Looks like they're on spring break this week; I was expecting a response before that based on the last few years of data.

edit: their website says mid march, so i'm guessing next week should have results.

Edited March 12 by prufrock_

[trenchywrench]

6 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

Maybe a long shot but does anyone have info on Louisiana state university? Anyone else apply and still waiting to hear back? Looks like they're on spring break this week; I was expecting a response before that based on the last few years of data.

i applied to LSU as well—if i got in, i’m not sure i’d go even if it were my only option (i’m at 0a/1w/3r/3p) because it’s a 24 hour drive from my loved ones *and* a 3-year program (i have stepkids. i have my fiancée’s permission to go as far away as i want to…but she and i will have to talk about the spread this year when my cycle is over). i’m understanding as i go here that there is a slim chance i may have to make the hard decision to turn down the only offer in pursuit of a 2-year for the 2025 cycle. but that doesn’t change the fact that i applied.

my spreadsheet is up-to-date. according to it—and all the data on it comes from the universities, so no second-hand stuff—LSU should start notifying mid-March at the earliest. so, yes; this week. best of luck!

[jadedoptimist]

19 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

Wait I’m so confused 😳 I thought people were getting an automated email via some portal update saying their apps were still under consideration. If the email came from Elizabeth Willis herself, why wouldn’t it be personalized and/or explicitly say one was waitlisted?

I DOn'T KNoWWWWWWWW

[darr1]

Bernie is once again asking for Arizona to do its thing

[OctopusCactus]

14 hours ago, goldentulip said:

can empathize so much with this as a fellow first-gen student!! i’ve had the privilege of being guided by and studying under poets who have had wonderful things happen to them in their careers (guggenheim and macarthur fellowships, an inaugural poet) and i was given a lot of really great guidance and reality checks with my expectations. but one of the biggest things they emphasized was that whether i got in or not, i was still a poet, a writer, and someone still worthy of these labels even if no school within the application cycle saw it. they shared countless stories of friends, students, and fellow writers who it didn’t work out for at the beginning, but despite initial rejections, made it out the other end better than they could’ve imagined. i like to doom-spiral in my head a lot, and my past year’s applying just validated those thoughts. but, i’ve come to a place where even if my single waitlist doesn’t pan out (i’ll definitely be a little devastated) but i’ll know that if anything, i had the privilege to even apply and dream about one day be writing for a living. 

Proud of you! Not just the privilege to apply and dream: you were also brave enough to dream something that might have felt pretty unattainable and you're doing the work to get there. 

[OctopusCactus]

16 hours ago, minivercheevy_ said:

I understand how you're feeling. This was my first year applying, and the whole time I couldn't help but feel like I was behind in this game from the get-go. Comparison is poison in these sorts of processes.

I felt my heart sink when I realized just how many people who post acceptances went to extremely prestigious colleges for their undergrad---almost every single known acceptance for Iowa, at least for poetry, went to someone from an Ivy. But it really only takes one school to believe in your work in order for you to be successful. There's no such thing as a "bad" program. If you like what a program has to offer you then it's right for you. 

Plus, tons of writers never even went to get an MFA. Getting into a program just gives that precious time to write. Be yourself and write for yourself. Rooting for you. 

Very much had that "behind from the get-go" feeling myself. But hey, we made it this far and we'll go farther still. Rooting for you too.