2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Rixor]

Finally got my USF rejection email from John Lennon (holy shit!?). He said that they filled their cohort. At least, for fiction. 

[duto]

2 hours ago, Rixor said:

Finally got my USF rejection email from John Lennon (holy shit!?). He said that they filled their cohort. At least, for fiction. 

Same. That's about all she wrote except for the enduring silence from UCR.

[Scribe]

2 hours ago, Rixor said:

Finally got my USF rejection email from John Lennon (holy shit!?). He said that they filled their cohort. At least, for fiction. 

 

39 minutes ago, duto said:

Same. That's about all she wrote except for the enduring silence from UCR.

I'm glad they filled their cohort. 

And now for UCR. I know it's stupid, but i feel like this leg of the journey isn't over until I get it. maybe it's because I kept telling everyone to hang in until the end. That or I lived with so much anxiety for so long I don't know how to live without it. 

[RobbieWrites]

Is anyone holding onto a Columbia Fiction acceptance that they have no intention of attending? If so, I know someone (Me) who is eagerly trying to get off the waitlist and attend this fall <333 Hope everyone is getting into their dream schools!

[LivingUnderABigRock]

On 4/22/2024 at 9:18 PM, RobbieWrites said:

Is anyone holding onto a Columbia Fiction acceptance that they have no intention of attending? If so, I know someone (Me) who is eagerly trying to get off the waitlist and attend this fall <333 Hope everyone is getting into their dream schools!

I'm not sure how their waitlist works but I'll very likely be declining my spot as the financials just don't make sense for me, hopefully it means you'll get moved up! Congrats by the way!

[prufrock_]

One of my apps turned into an acceptance with funding! but after trying to do the math, I decided to turn it down. the stipend did not cover the cost of living in the area. Kind of surreal to turn down a funded opportunity, but i told myself i'd only do this if it meant no debt. Going into debt for rent is worse than going into debt for tuition considering interest rates.

I'm looking forward to applying next year. I'll only be submitting apps for very well funded schools, and if i don't get in, that's life. I hope to see some of ya'll next year here. And grats to ya'll who wont be here! This has been a fun experience of communal dread and excitement.

[Chex]

1 hour ago, prufrock_ said:

One of my apps turned into an acceptance with funding! but after trying to do the math, I decided to turn it down. the stipend did not cover the cost of living in the area. Kind of surreal to turn down a funded opportunity, but i told myself i'd only do this if it meant no debt. Going into debt for rent is worse than going into debt for tuition considering interest rates.

I'm looking forward to applying next year. I'll only be submitting apps for very well funded schools, and if i don't get in, that's life. I hope to see some of ya'll next year here. And grats to ya'll who wont be here! This has been a fun experience of communal dread and excitement.

Well done and welcome to the Association of Those Not Getting Into Debt for This. I turned down NYU. See you again next year! 🤝

[Hjanep]

1 hour ago, Chex said:

Well done and welcome to the Association of Those Not Getting Into Debt for This. I turned down NYU. See you again next year! 🤝

I think I’m right there with you. Just got off the NYU waitlist and saving money for another 1.5 years even at the job I hate sounds better than giving them a penny 

[Scribe]

7 hours ago, prufrock_ said:

One of my apps turned into an acceptance with funding! but after trying to do the math, I decided to turn it down. the stipend did not cover the cost of living in the area. Kind of surreal to turn down a funded opportunity, but i told myself i'd only do this if it meant no debt. Going into debt for rent is worse than going into debt for tuition considering interest rates.

I'm looking forward to applying next year. I'll only be submitting apps for very well funded schools, and if i don't get in, that's life. I hope to see some of ya'll next year here. And grats to ya'll who wont be here! This has been a fun experience of communal dread and excitement.

so I didn't know exactly how much (or little) funding many schools offered until I was accepted. occasionally someone on draft would post the offer and now that there's a separate sheet just for acceptances I'm learning a lot more. Look into teaching loads. some schools give funding but with heavier teaching loads, like 2:2. if they do, i don't know how much time is left to write. but if they don't!!! - there's time for a side gig. I don't want it but i will probably have to at some point. consider everything. if you're in class 3-4 hours a week, teaching and grading paper for another 20 (they can't possibly think they're going to get that out of me) studying and writing for classwork another 6, and workshopping and writing another X? (I suddenly have a new question for the group), then there might be a few hours a week available to tutor some high school snot or drive an uber or some other make-your-own hours thing. 

do not count out a great program solely because you might have to do part time or summers. 

there were women on draft openly discussing sex work. There's always a way. 
 

[Scribe]

3 hours ago, Hjanep said:

I think I’m right there with you. Just got off the NYU waitlist and saving money for another 1.5 years even at the job I hate sounds better than giving them a penny 

yup. 

[Chex]

8 hours ago, Hjanep said:

I think I’m right there with you. Just got off the NYU waitlist and saving money for another 1.5 years even at the job I hate sounds better than giving them a penny 

Sending you hugs and solidarity. It's tough but it feels right. We do this again and we do it better. 

[Hjanep]

6 hours ago, Chex said:

Sending you hugs and solidarity. It's tough but it feels right. We do this again and we do it better. 

Maybe we’ll land in the same fully funded place next year 🤞🏼

[Chex]

59 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

Maybe we’ll land in the same fully funded place next year 🤞🏼

🤞🏾 

[trenchywrench]

for those of you refusing to go into debt, I turned down both the offers i wound up getting.

one was for 50% tuition remission and no living stipend. super expensive area, super expensive tuition, and mandatory summers that i would have to pay for as well. the other was 100% tuition remission with a competitive teaching assistantship in a medium-priced area; however, that one also came with no stipend and i am unwilling to sacrifice the time i would be spending with my stepchildren to work 32-hour weekends and return to my program stressed and unfocused.

i decided to defer my 100% offer in case my circumstances change for next year. but i will also be working this year as i apply for the 2025 cycle and i already have a first-choice school in mind. good luck, everyone! i hope we all make it.

Edited April 25, 2024 by trenchywrench

[Scribe]

20 rejections. 
6 acceptances. 
 

and that’s the game baby. 

[picklesaa]

Have any waitlisters heard from NC State? The letter they sent in the beginning of March said "all waitlist positions will be resolved by May 1". I've reached out to them but it's been crickets... does anyone have any insights??

[mr. specific]

Following up with gratitude and final stats.

6 accepts, 3 waitlists, 8 rejects. It's been an thrilling, humiliating, and encouraging process. Would love to help others w their sample or statement stuff in the future. Lotsa love. 

[Chex]

7 hours ago, mr. specific said:

Following up with gratitude and final stats.

6 accepts, 3 waitlists, 8 rejects. It's been an thrilling, humiliating, and encouraging process. Would love to help others w their sample or statement stuff in the future. Lotsa love. 

Congratulations!! I'll probably take you up on this offer later in the year.  

Where did you decide to go? 

[Rixor]

I'll also follow up!

2 accepts, 3 waitlists, 5 rejections. Very excited to be going to one of my initial acceptances! 

It's been a distressing process--lots of worry, lots of waiting, lots of uncertainty, and--of course--lots of money spent on application fees. Writing was my minor in undergrad (my major was biology) and the English director at my school said it 'wasn't really possible' for someone to go to MFA school with a non-English-related major. Very glad he was wrong! 

When I started this process, I was clueless and read the previous year's thread obsessively in trying to figure out what to do. I'm a first-gen student so I didn't have anybody in person to reach out to. So, advice for newcomers who might see this in the future doing the same: join the Facebook Draft group. It'll be called something like, "MFA Draft ‘25" and I really wish I would've joined sooner because it certainly seems to be the 'hub' for info regarding MFA CW applications.

And feel free to message me if you need any help or have any questions. I'm certainly not an expert or anything, but I'll share my SOP and stuff if asked. I probably won't use this site much anymore but I'll probably be on draft, or, my Discord is the same as my username here. 

 

[picklesaa]

I reached out on Draft already and figured I'd reach out here as well just in case --

I recently accepted Emerson's offer and I would love to connect with anyone else who has also committed! I'd be down just to chat and get to know the cohort, or if any female-identifying folks are interested in a roommate situation, I would love to talk more! Feel free to message me

[itsbeensnowing]

Shout-out to Southern Illinois University for taking until today, May 17th, to reject me (I had already taken it as a presumed rejection but like... how?)

[Chex]

3 hours ago, Jane Wyman said:

Curious if anyone here has heard about someone dropping out of a program and getting into another one? If you get buyer's remorse re: your program, is it possible to get into a more competitive one later, or have you kind of made your bed?

Yes. A good number of people have mentioned leaving one program for another. Some apply while still at the old program. Some drop out, wait a few years, and then reapply. In both cases, they did not finish the original MFA. I know of people who left their old programs and got into Iowa, Michigan, Syracuse, Arizona U, Vanderbilt, UW-Madison, etc.

What I hear some MFA programs frown at is *completing* your MFA and then seeking a redo in *the same genre* somewhere else. That's usually hard to justify. Different genres are possible at another school, though not common. For instance, someone finished a poetry MFA at Iowa and is currently at Minnesota for fiction. But also, Brown University doesn't like applications from people who already have or started an MFA elsewhere regardless of genre, unless you include a note explaining the special circumstances that led you to reapply.

Edited June 17, 2024 by Chex

[Jane Wyman]

2 hours ago, Chex said:

Yes. A good number of people have mentioned leaving one program for another. Some apply while still at the old program. Some drop out, wait a few years, and then reapply. In both cases, they did not finish the original MFA. I know of people who left their old programs and got into Iowa, Michigan, Syracuse, Arizona U, Vanderbilt, UW-Madison, etc.

What I hear some MFA programs frown at is *completing* your MFA and then seeking a redo in *the same genre* somewhere else. That's usually hard to justify. Different genres are possible at another school, though not common. For instance, someone finished a poetry MFA at Iowa and is currently at Minnesota for fiction. But also, Brown University doesn't like applications from people who already have or started an MFA elsewhere regardless of genre, unless you include a note explaining the special circumstances that led you to reapply.

Wow, thank you, that's great to know. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

So, other than Brown, most programs are not that skeptical of people who didn't finish a program elsewhere? Where should I look to find out application strategies related to this?

[Chex]

3 hours ago, Jane Wyman said:

Wow, thank you, that's great to know. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

So, other than Brown, most programs are not that skeptical of people who didn't finish a program elsewhere? Where should I look to find out application strategies related to this?

Yes, I'd say most programs are fine with it.

Are you in the MFA Draft group on Facebook? Lots of veterans are there and can answer this question (application strategies) from their own personal experience of leaving and getting into another program. You'd probably get more answers on the Draft '24 page since there are over a thousand people there, although it might be more appropriate to ask in the new group, Draft '25, recently created for those who'll be applying this fall. More people will join the new group as the summer and fall progress.

Edited June 17, 2024 by Chex

[Jane Wyman]

Thanks so much!