2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[rachy1997]

Good morning all! This is my first cycle applying, and I could only do 2 schools. I have a question about etiquette and how these things go:

I've seen that people will sometimes reach out to the program they haven't heard back from. Is this advisable, or is it better to remain patient? What are the pros and cons of emailing and asking about the status of your application? On the one hand, I could see where admissions would want the person who is banging their door down. On the other hand, I could see them getting annoyed. I could also see where it wouldn't matter either way. What do you think?

0a/0w/1r/1p (1st cycle)

[electricstardust]

do we think uwashington poetry is a soft rejection/waitlist if we haven’t heard by now? it’s the last school i’m waiting on!

[pomelo]

19 hours ago, potentialyeti said:

Question: Have there been updates on Michener & the University of Oregon? I'm at 10/12 rejections right now and those are my two still in review. It seems late for Michener -- I've been applying for several years now and have always gotten declined in late Feb. Should I hope???

I would reach out to Michener directly. It seems strange that they haven’t contacted you yet. My rejection (fiction) came in 2 weeks ago. 
 

I’m seeing people finally hear from UMass Amherst and Iowa (fiction). I still haven’t. Put me out of my misery already!!

[big_al15]

1 hour ago, electricstardust said:

do we think uwashington poetry is a soft rejection/waitlist if we haven’t heard by now? it’s the last school i’m waiting on!

I did see last week in this form that, apparently, UWash Seattle is taking a bit longer than they normally do. I think they got a much larger, competitive pool of applicants than they normally receive. Someone said we could hear as early as this week, but the latest we could hear by is April 1st. For ALL of our sanities, I hope that does not become the case, but hope this helps!

[taliaj]

2 hours ago, rachy1997 said:

Good morning all! This is my first cycle applying, and I could only do 2 schools. I have a question about etiquette and how these things go:

I've seen that people will sometimes reach out to the program they haven't heard back from. Is this advisable, or is it better to remain patient? What are the pros and cons of emailing and asking about the status of your application? On the one hand, I could see where admissions would want the person who is banging their door down. On the other hand, I could see them getting annoyed. I could also see where it wouldn't matter either way. What do you think?

0a/0w/1r/1p (1st cycle)

Hey! I totally feel you, I could only do 1 school and the waiting is killing me! What schools are you waiting to hear from? I was in a similar boat with BSU and so I finally bit the bullet and reached out. I think both sides of your point are valid, and I think it just all depends on the school. But I don't think asking will hurt your chances in any way (at least, for my sake, I hope not!) Good luck!

[girlgenius]

the irony of applying to 13 schools and being accepted into the only one that doesn't require an app fee $$$ honestly shout out to U of SC for that though (and something to consider if you're applying next year)! we love accessibility, but damn if only I'd known haha

[rachy1997]

37 minutes ago, taliaj said:

Hey! I totally feel you, I could only do 1 school and the waiting is killing me! What schools are you waiting to hear from? I was in a similar boat with BSU and so I finally bit the bullet and reached out. I think both sides of your point are valid, and I think it just all depends on the school. But I don't think asking will hurt your chances in any way (at least, for my sake, I hope not!) Good luck!

Hollins. I live in Roanoke and Hollins is my top and only school. I know they already have acceptances, but waitlists haven't gone out yet. I really just want to know :,)

[decayingballads21]

I just found out I was accepted to Northern Michigan University; for nonfiction. On a waitlist for funding though— which sounds scary. I thought it was fully funded for all students, why would I be on a waitlist 😭😭

 

all these budget cuts and program changes have been stressing me out, I feel like it’s made the odds even harder this year! So I’m trying to be optimistic about this acceptance, but it’s kinda hard to when I’m assuming I can’t go. 

 

Edited March 14, 2024 by decayingballads21

[rlion]

48 minutes ago, rachy1997 said:

Hollins. I live in Roanoke and Hollins is my top and only school. I know they already have acceptances, but waitlists haven't gone out yet. I really just want to know :,)

I gave in and sent an email asking about it. Hopefully we get some information soon 🩵 fingers still crossed for us! 

[rachy1997]

2 minutes ago, rlion said:

I gave in and sent an email asking about it. Hopefully we get some information soon 🩵 fingers still crossed for us! 

when did you send your email? 

[aurqcyei]

3 hours ago, rachy1997 said:

Good morning all! This is my first cycle applying, and I could only do 2 schools. I have a question about etiquette and how these things go:

I've seen that people will sometimes reach out to the program they haven't heard back from. Is this advisable, or is it better to remain patient? What are the pros and cons of emailing and asking about the status of your application? On the one hand, I could see where admissions would want the person who is banging their door down. On the other hand, I could see them getting annoyed. I could also see where it wouldn't matter either way. What do you think?

0a/0w/1r/1p (1st cycle)

IMO, I don't think it matters either way. I figured at this point, all my Ps are soft Rs anyway, but I just wanted closure. I framed it as I'm trying to make a decision on my offers and, as I love the program, I'm willing to wait on them, but I'd rather know so I can make a decision for my situation. 

[rlion]

7 minutes ago, rachy1997 said:

when did you send your email? 

Like 5 minutes ago lol. But the graduate admissions person said she doesn’t have an exact answer. First round acceptances went out and the rest should be out very soon sooooo maybe before the weekend?? Maybe there’s still hope????

[rachy1997]

2 minutes ago, rlion said:

Like 5 minutes ago lol. But the graduate admissions person said she doesn’t have an exact answer. First round acceptances went out and the rest should be out very soon sooooo maybe before the weekend?? Maybe there’s still hope????

I'm losin it :,) actually crossing my fingers we both get in and we can celebrate LOL

[darr1]

Anyone know anything about Nevada Las Vegas? The waiting hurts

[picklesaa]

I know from Draft that UW Seattle acceptances have already been sent --- when do we think waitlists and rejections will go out???

Edited March 14, 2024 by picklesaa

[Rixor]

17 minutes ago, darr1 said:

Anyone know anything about Nevada Las Vegas? The waiting hurts

I've heard they only notify SUPER late. Like, April, May, June. No clue how true that is but it sucks if it is.

[decayingballads21]

On 3/13/2024 at 9:39 AM, parttimepoet said:

Hi all! I've also been... lurking for a while here. It's been great to see this community coming together, and I'm so happy for those who got into programs that fit them!

I'm a creative non-fiction writer and work mostly with lyric essays, and am graduating with my BA this May. I'm an international applicant and applied to 7 schools. I got acceptances at SLC and Columbia (woo-hoo!), both partial funding (woo...hoo....). I also am on the waitlist for NYU but I'm pretty skeptical of getting off it. 

I wanted to ask this group more about SLC and Columbia to get a better sense of things. First off, I know the hard rule is to not go for an MFA without full funding, but ... I don't know. I was supposed to get a BFA for undergrad, was accepted and didn't go; applied to transfer to the same school for a BFA in my sophomore year, was accepted and didn't go again. All in all, I don't necessarily regret those choices because I love my college but I definitely also feel like I gave up something big not just once, but twice (even if those were the right choices for me at the times). All in all, though, this means that my urge to ignore the advice about funding is extra strong :'D 

I know someone asked about Columbia earlier regarding how competitive it is and whether that still meant it was an equally intensive program (or something along those lines). I think I have a similar concern, especially because I personally know profs and have also heard of profs who are anti-Columbia. Other than exorbitant fees and the general evil things that huge education institutes like them are up to, what specifically is it about their reputation re: writing that turn people off? (And if there are any Columbia stans out here, I'd love to hear that side too! Feeling super conflicted at the moment.)

As for SLC, my impression of it is that it's a program that encourages genre experimentation and hybridity, and that's what appealed to me. I'd prefer that over an extremely literary focus, but I was wondering if my sensing is wrong? Just curious!

Finally, how have you guys been formatting your replies to acceptances? Especially to negotiate for more funding? I seriously struggle with email communication and would love advice or even a template.

Thank you!!!

@parttimepoet popping in here to say, I also write lyric essays and I would love to connect with u and chat about all things essay/lyric/ hybrid writing!!! (Pls!)

congrats to you for these acceptances! They’re both great programs but I agree with your skepticism towards Columbia. Go with your gut!! I think SLC seems more up your alley with hybrid forms and cross genre experimentation, but you should definitely feel them both out! I’m rooting for u either way!
🫶🏻 
 

[littlealien]

3 hours ago, decayingballads21 said:

I just found out I was accepted to Northern Michigan University; for nonfiction. On a waitlist for funding though— which sounds scary. I thought it was fully funded for all students, why would I be on a waitlist 😭😭

 

all these budget cuts and program changes have been stressing me out, I feel like it’s made the odds even harder this year! So I’m trying to be optimistic about this acceptance, but it’s kinda hard to when I’m assuming I can’t go. 

 

I'm in the same spot with NMU! Got the email this morning - not sure what to think!

[Sumire11]

Hey all,

With the applications seasons inching towards the finish line, I want to congratulate all of you who have had acceptances. I genuinely love how for some of you, your lives are going to change in a matter of months, admire how you have made it happen, even though there is a dash envy there, somewhere. 

As for myself, I'm in the waitlist purgatory for Fiction at Arkansas. What I want to ask is this, how long does it take before once can resonably be expected to hear back about their status? And if there is total radio silence, how many weeks should one let pass before they can reasonably think that the program has been filled up? For Arkansas, this has been especially difficult since there are only waitlists reported in the spreadsheet, so I can't reasonably estimate how many offers were made and how many are likely to be accepted. Also, a silly question (as if this entire post hasn't been a string of silly question, a blind attempt to find some sort of life raft to hold on to) we always hear about this waitlist stampede when people start accepting offers and due to the interconnectivity of the lists, seismic shifts take place that can actually turn waitlists into acceptances. What I want to ask is this, when do yiu think something like this is likely to happen, and what do you think is the probability of something like this happening this year (IE: with the interconnectivity in acceptances, entire valleys open up and those of us in limbo can rise to paradise?)

 

Thank you so much for your help. Sorry for such an extra post.

[itsbeensnowing]

12 minutes ago, Sumire11 said:

Hey all,

With the applications seasons inching towards the finish line, I want to congratulate all of you who have had acceptances. I genuinely love how for some of you, your lives are going to change in a matter of months, admire how you have made it happen, even though there is a dash envy there, somewhere. 

As for myself, I'm in the waitlist purgatory for Fiction at Arkansas. What I want to ask is this, how long does it take before once can resonably be expected to hear back about their status? And if there is total radio silence, how many weeks should one let pass before they can reasonably think that the program has been filled up? For Arkansas, this has been especially difficult since there are only waitlists reported in the spreadsheet, so I can't reasonably estimate how many offers were made and how many are likely to be accepted. Also, a silly question (as if this entire post hasn't been a string of silly question, a blind attempt to find some sort of life raft to hold on to) we always hear about this waitlist stampede when people start accepting offers and due to the interconnectivity of the lists, seismic shifts take place that can actually turn waitlists into acceptances. What I want to ask is this, when do yiu think something like this is likely to happen, and what do you think is the probability of something like this happening this year (IE: with the interconnectivity in acceptances, entire valleys open up and those of us in limbo can rise to paradise?)

 

Thank you so much for your help. Sorry for such an extra post.

The semi-answer to all of your questions is that people do tend to wait until the last minute to accept or decline their offers of admission, meaning the most waitlist movement is going to be happening around the April 15 deadline and in the immediate afterwards. The ripple effect is pretty much inevitable. When someone gets accepted off a waitlist, they either decline the offer, opening the slot up for another person, or they accept it and decline their other offers, opening those up for other people. So a lot can happen in a short period of time.

It's even not unheard of for someone to get off the waitlist in May or June if someone falls through or if they have to go through a large portion of the waitlist before finding someone who accepts. So, it's not over until it's over. I think by mid-April it'd be worth reaching out to the school to ask if they've filled all their slots if they haven't already volunteered that information.

I'm waitlisted for admission at one school and waitlisted for funding at another, so I'm trying to keep myself sane through this purgatory more than anything.

[Sumire11]

4 minutes ago, itsbeensnowing said:

The semi-answer to all of your questions is that people do tend to wait until the last minute to accept or decline their offers of admission, meaning the most waitlist movement is going to be happening around the April 15 deadline and in the immediate afterwards. The ripple effect is pretty much inevitable. When someone gets accepted off a waitlist, they either decline the offer, opening the slot up for another person, or they accept it and decline their other offers, opening those up for other people. So a lot can happen in a short period of time.

It's even not unheard of for someone to get off the waitlist in May or June if someone falls through or if they have to go through a large portion of the waitlist before finding someone who accepts. So, it's not over until it's over. I think by mid-April it'd be worth reaching out to the school to ask if they've filled all their slots if they haven't already volunteered that information.

I'm waitlisted for admission at one school and waitlisted for funding at another, so I'm trying to keep myself sane through this purgatory more than anything.

Yeah, that's what I've been hearing about the previous years. It's hard to hold on to hope though. The only thing running through my head is that given the pedigree of the program, they're are people who would jump at the opportunity, which just ends up being transformed into this voice that keeps telling me all the spots are or will be filled, and all of this was a bust. 

Edited March 14, 2024 by Sumire11

[taliaj]

Long shot--anyone heard back from BSU yet? I was told likely this week but it's Thursday so 😕

[prufrock_]

39 minutes ago, Sumire11 said:

he only thing running through my head is that given the pedigree of the program, they're are people who would jump at the opportunity, which just ends up being transformed into this voice that keeps telling me all the spots are or will be filled, and all of this was a bust. 

I'm also on the waitlist for fiction at arkansas, and i've gone the copium route of thinking 'it's a 4 year program with a heavy teaching load and a small stipend -- it's very likely someone who got accepted will go somewhere else instead.'

 

may us both get in off the waitlist!

[Scribe]

8 hours ago, electricstardust said:

do we think uwashington poetry is a soft rejection/waitlist if we haven’t heard by now? it’s the last school i’m waiting on!

I was waitlisted for fiction today, if that helps. no mention of a stipend offer for the anointed. 

[Sumire11]

9 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I'm also on the waitlist for fiction at arkansas, and i've gone the copium route of thinking 'it's a 4 year program with a heavy teaching load and a small stipend -- it's very likely someone who got accepted will go somewhere else instead.'

 

may us both get in off the waitlist!

Hopefully we'll see each other there man.