2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Jane Wyman]

Curious about FSU waitlist ... I'm waitlisted there. Also if anybody has insight into that program?

[Scribe]

official rejection from UNM. 

'Bout time. 

[Hjanep]

1 hour ago, Scribe said:

It's official:

1. waitlists are moving

2. there is rampant substance abuse among MFA program selection committees.

I'm accepted at NWP.

 

Congratulations!! Have you made a decision between NWP and UCI?

[jka0124]

2 hours ago, Scribe said:

It's official:

1. waitlists are moving

2. there is rampant substance abuse among MFA program selection committees.

I'm accepted at NWP.

 

Woot!!! 

[Jackedup]

On 3/23/2024 at 9:54 AM, trenchywrench said:

i'm a fellow NYU prospect with the same problem, albeit to a different degree. i'm from the waitlist. so my odds of getting sufficient funding to attend are substantially lower than yours, as what'll happen is that some accepted NYU applicants with the larger scholarship/stipend packages will probably decline their offers and then those packages will go to people with lower offers who asked for more funding. but it'll move in a linear fashion, as a trickle-down. you got the 50% scholarship out of the gate, which means you're lower on their list of accepted students, but

1. you still got in, and

2. there's no way of finding out exactly where you are on NYU's priority list of half-scholarship acceptances, or who they might choose to fund better to balance out the cohort when someone they wanted a lot declines their offer to go to Brown or Iowa or something. so,

you could very well be at the top of them. in which case getting a better package around that April 15th deadline is actually rather likely. you could also be in the middle, or at the very very bottom of that section of the potential cohort, or anywhere in between.

which is sort of a crappy answer, i know. just know your odds are much higher than zero. they are also better than mine. i already think it's pretty likely i may be going to a different program this year. but i'll still apply for transfer next year, just in case. i'm unwilling to put myself into debt for the amount of half the NYU M.F.A., no matter how prestigious it is.

Thank so much! 

Alright, I guess I'll reach out to them and request more funding. I was reluctant to do this initially because I had no other offers to earn leverage with, but I suppose it's better to speak up regardless. 

I'm hoping the best for us both! 

[cowboifairy]

Anyone have advice for how to reach out to schools to request a timeline for acceptance/confirmation of rejection? I still have a few schools lingering that I'm growing increasingly worried I won't hear from by April 15th, and I would love to reach out for a timeline if that's not looked down upon. Any tips appreciated ❤️ (And if any fiction people have heard from UNLV, Houston, or Oregon for rejections would love to know!)

[sylviaplathtears]

1 hour ago, cowboifairy said:

Anyone have advice for how to reach out to schools to request a timeline for acceptance/confirmation of rejection? I still have a few schools lingering that I'm growing increasingly worried I won't hear from by April 15th, and I would love to reach out for a timeline if that's not looked down upon. Any tips appreciated ❤️ (And if any fiction people have heard from UNLV, Houston, or Oregon for rejections would love to know!)

I emailed a school asking for a status on my application given the April 15th deadline and received a very quick response with a rejection! (Hunter btw!)

Edited March 25 by sylviaplathtears

[Scribe]

U Miami says thanks but no thanks

[Scribe]

35 minutes ago, sylviaplathtears said:

I emailed a school asking for a status on my application given the April 15th deadline and received a very quick response with a rejection! (Hunter btw!)

Jesus. What is so hard about a little courtesy. #justhitsend

[prufrock_]

58 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Jesus. What is so hard about a little courtesy. #justhitsend

yeah i was willing to give a lot of schools the benefit of the doubt. But university of Oregon sent out acceptances/waitlists in january and still have yet to send out fiction rejections. Like, I know i'm rejected, but what about the people who aren't in draft or here and think they still have a chance?

[decayingballads21]

will schools notify about waitlist movement even if they’re currently on spring break?

one of my schools told me they’d notify me of any changes immediately even on a weekend/ this week is their spring break I’m just wondering if schools would also be notifying of waitlist movement also during breaks or no 

[ssuunn]

7 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

will schools notify about waitlist movement even if they’re currently on spring break?

one of my schools told me they’d notify me of any changes immediately even on a weekend/ this week is their spring break I’m just wondering if schools would also be notifying of waitlist movement also during breaks or no 

I got an acceptance during a school's spring break. It's impossible to know though; just depends on their faculty, who may be traveling or otherwise busy during the break.

[Scribe]

19 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

will schools notify about waitlist movement even if they’re currently on spring break?

one of my schools told me they’d notify me of any changes immediately even on a weekend/ this week is their spring break I’m just wondering if schools would also be notifying of waitlist movement also during breaks or no 

I’m guessing yes. I was accepted off a waitlist yesterday, a Sunday the director called from out of town (although in mine!) and asked if I declined, to please let them know so they could move on to the next person on the list. I don’t think it would be as likely but spring break falls close to the April 15 deadline so no one can afford a week long delay. I’m betting weekends, vacations, holidays are all compromised right now. 

[GoldenTree]

Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone has heard about acceptances from Greensboro? No one's mentioned it and there's been no results posted on the gradcafe. Still though, the silence alongside the date is making me think people probably heard back by now. And I could just be unaware of it. 

Edited March 25 by GoldenTree

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, GoldenTree said:

Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone has heard about acceptances from Greensboro? No one's mentioned it and there's been no results posted on the gradcafe. Still though, the silence alongside the date is making me think people probably heard back by now. And I could just be unaware of it. 

there is a fiction acceptance on draft dated 3/13. 

oh, and an interview for poetry way back on feb 1. 

Edited March 26 by Scribe

[cowboifairy]

Waitlist movement is real! Just received an updated offer from Boulder with funding, so will likely be rejecting UNM Fiction once I do the math if anyone is on that waitlist and needing some good news!

[jbs]

5 hours ago, GoldenTree said:

Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone has heard about acceptances from Greensboro? No one's mentioned it and there's been no results posted on the gradcafe. Still though, the silence alongside the date is making me think people probably heard back by now. And I could just be unaware of it. 

A good friends was accepted a couple of weeks ago. No idea about waitlists though!

[Scribe]

6 hours ago, cowboifairy said:

Waitlist movement is real! Just received an updated offer from Boulder with funding, so will likely be rejecting UNM Fiction once I do the math if anyone is on that waitlist and needing some good news!

Yay. Super congratulations. 

[triciadawn]

On 3/20/2024 at 12:05 PM, Sumire11 said:

Hey people

Does anyone have any intel on the waitlist movement at Arkansas for fiction? Also, does anyone have any intel on acceptaces for fiction at Arkansas? Couldn’t find anything regarding this either here or draft. 

Kinda stressed with D-Day approaching lmao. 

 

I haven’t seen any acceptances either. I’m most likely turning down Columbia, so I hope Arkansas pulls through. 

[prufrock_]

Got denied from LSU just now. The denial letter basically just said 'denied' and then mentioned the grad school and the programs GPA requirements, which I found odd considering I met/exceeded them. Anyone else get the same denial letter?

[lemmmein]

Edited because I'm nervous about oversharing, sorry!

Edited March 26 by lemmmein

[ssuunn]

29 minutes ago, lemmmein said:

Editing your quote out per the above hahah.

I declined my Houston offer (in poetry) yesterday, but from the phone calls I had, it seemed like funding was a bit in flux, as their English department was asked to restructure their writing courses (AKA the ones grad students teach). Initially, I was told they were admitting 3 in poetry MFA, 3 in fiction MFA, 3 in poetry PhD, and 3 in fiction PhD. I wouldn't be surprised if they figured out a way to fund additional students, since that was the low-end of their normal cohort size.

That being said, if you have to reneg on an offer, it is what it is. People do it.

Edited March 26 by ssuunn

[rachy1997]

On 3/18/2024 at 3:12 PM, rlion said:

For people applying to Hollins, do you know if the second wave of acceptances has gone out? Or any rejections or waitlists or anything… 

hi! I'm sorry i kind of disappeared. I got waitlisted on the 20th. 

[Scribe]

.

Edited March 27 by Scribe
It was insensitive

[pananoprodigy]

28 minutes ago, Scribe said:

.

@Scribe for the record didn't think it was insensitive at all. These decisions are so tough and this is a safe space to vent!