2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[DayOld711Pizza]

I haven't heard from UCI just yet but I'm seeing it as a soft rejection. 

I received a letter from Iowa with the standard "your manuscript was well-received" etc etc. It excited me very much last year when I received the same message verbatim but this year...eh. Just means I've become stagnant in my writing.

Time to keep practicing to get different results next application season  It'll be my fourth time applying, but every time I've been rejected I've learned something new about myself, and I don't believe I'll ever get anywhere with my writing until I've come to know who I truly am. 

Also, to those who are struggling this application round, I recommend the essay "On Self-Respect" by Joan Didion. It's a hell of a read.

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, DayOld711Pizza said:

I haven't heard from UCI just yet but I'm seeing it as a soft rejection. 

I received a letter from Iowa with the standard "your manuscript was well-received" etc etc. It excited me very much last year when I received the same message verbatim but this year...eh. Just means I've become stagnant in my writing.

Time to keep practicing to get different results next application season  It'll be my fourth time applying, but every time I've been rejected I've learned something new about myself, and I don't believe I'll ever get anywhere with my writing until I've come to know who I truly am. 

Also, to those who are struggling this application round, I recommend the essay "On Self-Respect" by Joan Didion. It's a hell of a read.

So, I won't say it's definitely a rejection, but I know two people are accepted from out of state and half the cohort must be from in state and the fiction cohort was five this year. I do not know if there are more in state acceptees on the poetry side or not. 

hope this helps. 

[trenchywrench]

17 hours ago, Fronkophone said:

My application changed to “under grad school review” as well, so I at best I am assuming the decisions are about to come out. I am not sure how it works with them but I too am anxiously waiting to hear what they say.

if you find out before me, would you be willing to let me know what the outcome is? i was hoping we’d find out today, but business hours went wooosh and i’ve seen UMD’s Grad School take 14+ days in some cases…i’m guessing this cycle of decisions might come out as late as the end of March. UMD is my last real chance to get out of waitlist limbo considering i’m only otherwise waiting on Rutgers (Camden) and they seem to have already done everything but rejections. so i acknowledge i’m being a weeny bit neurotic about the affair

[decayingballads21]

is there any likelihood of waitlist movement in the next few weeks, or is that all gonna only happen in April?

[sunnysequoia]

12 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

is there any likelihood of waitlist movement in the next few weeks, or is that all gonna only happen in April?

There's already been 2 reports (1 nonfiction, 1 fiction) on the Draft spreadsheet of people getting accepted off waitlists! So I think hopefully we'll see more movement very soon!  

[Scribe]

1 minute ago, sunnysequoia said:

There's already been 2 reports (1 nonfiction, 1 fiction) on the Draft spreadsheet of people getting accepted off waitlists! So I think hopefully we'll see more movement very soon!  

This. and there's more coming. 

[trenchywrench]

1 hour ago, decayingballads21 said:

is there any likelihood of waitlist movement in the next few weeks, or is that all gonna only happen in April?

some people already know where they want to go, got into their first choice school, and will probably decline other offers in a timely manner accordingly. so it’s certainly possible for waitlists to move in our favor before April. but i believe we’ll see the heaviest movement in late April/early May! especially given some people (like myself) may have to turn down offers from a waitlist (if we get them) due to insufficient funding. some waitlists are open up until the first day of classes at a program as well, so a few of us may even be contacted in the summertime.

Edited March 15 by trenchywrench

[Scribe]

10 minutes ago, trenchywrench said:

some people already know where they want to go, got into their first choice school, and will probably decline other offers in a timely manner accordingly. so it’s certainly possible for waitlists to move in our favor before April. but i believe we’ll see the heaviest movement in late April/early May! especially given some people (like myself) may have to turn down offers from a waitlist )if we get them) due to insufficient funding. some waitlists are open up until the first day of classes at a program as well, so a few of us may even be contacted in the summertime.

I'm not sure about the heaviest movement. I mean, I'm projecting here but i want to pull the trigger as soon as possible. (I'm actually having trouble declining an offer) What affects the speed of waitlist movement the most is the drag of acceptance and rejection. It's a month out from D-day and I'm still waiting on 7 official notifications. Of course there's plenty of overlap too. I'm on 5 waitlists, but I'm only waiting on one really. By the end of next week I alone wil be responsible for a one point movement at two schools at least. That doesn't count my waitlists because if i'm last, i may not move them at all. 
But yes, this will easily continue into May which will make housing an issue for many. then there's the separate waitlists for funding - which is just fucking cruel. that fucks shit up for a lot of people. 

[prufrock_]

i was offered my first acceptance -- but without funding, and I thought the program was fully funded. I emailed back 'pretty please', we'll see what happens, but i doubt they just say 'since you asked nicely, here's like $100k', but it'll be a tense weekend while I wait.

[trenchywrench]

53 minutes ago, Scribe said:

I'm not sure about the heaviest movement. I mean, I'm projecting here but i want to pull the trigger as soon as possible. (I'm actually having trouble declining an offer) What affects the speed of waitlist movement the most is the drag of acceptance and rejection. It's a month out from D-day and I'm still waiting on 7 official notifications. Of course there's plenty of overlap too. I'm on 5 waitlists, but I'm only waiting on one really. By the end of next week I alone wil be responsible for a one point movement at two schools at least. That doesn't count my waitlists because if i'm last, i may not move them at all. 
But yes, this will easily continue into May which will make housing an issue for many. then there's the separate waitlists for funding - which is just fucking cruel. that fucks shit up for a lot of people. 

as someone who lives paycheck-to-paycheck, i think the lack of funding’s going to be what shoots me in the foot this year. which is especially ironic because, knowing my circumstances, i only applied to funded schools. but i’m already making a list for next year just in case and i feel so much better informed for having gone through all this. plus, our art is always growing, even if slowly. i hope this cycle’s been okay for you. it sounds like we’re both in limbo.

[ssuunn]

My limbo with Oregon State was actually a late waitlist! Woah! Will be turning it down though. Best of luck to those on it! 

[trenchywrench]

2 hours ago, sunnysequoia said:

There's already been 2 reports (1 nonfiction, 1 fiction) on the Draft spreadsheet of people getting accepted off waitlists! So I think hopefully we'll see more movement very soon!  

hi, there!

you obviously don’t owe anyone who’s not on Draft the updates because i’m the one who refuses to get Facebook, but would you mind sharing which schools this happened with?

thanks so much!

[nothingnothing]

what is the actual accuracy of the spreadsheet? seriously. are we all predicating our thinking based on the belief that folks are telling the truth? ive never had facebook so im unsure how it works. is there something im missing?

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, trenchywrench said:

as someone who lives paycheck-to-paycheck, i think the lack of funding’s going to be what shoots me in the foot this year. which is especially ironic because, knowing my circumstances, i only applied to funded schools. but i’m already making a list for next year just in case and i feel so much better informed for having gone through all this. plus, our art is always growing, even if slowly. i hope this cycle’s been okay for you. it sounds like we’re both in limbo.

Honestly, I’m not really in limbo. I know where I’m going and it’s a good package. I’ll be going BACK to living paycheck to paycheck. No matter what I’m almost certainly going to have to pick up the occasional side gig, unless we hit the lottery or my wife suddenly gets a huge pay bump. But I figure it’s that way for everyone. Well, almost everyone. Very few schools offer livable money. I’ll be okay and so will you. Consider how much time the teaching load takes and gives. Don’t forget about summers. This is doable. 

[sunnysequoia]

46 minutes ago, trenchywrench said:

hi, there!

you obviously don’t owe anyone who’s not on Draft the updates because i’m the one who refuses to get Facebook, but would you mind sharing which schools this happened with?

thanks so much!

Haha no problem I can share! It was UC Davis for fiction and Rutgers Camden for nonfiction.

Also, you're not missing much on FB LOL. I'm basically on there for groups and local events. The platform is pretty dead for people in my age range (I'm 27). 

40 minutes ago, nothingnothing said:

what is the actual accuracy of the spreadsheet? seriously. are we all predicating our thinking based on the belief that folks are telling the truth? ive never had facebook so im unsure how it works. is there something im missing?

The two people who got accepted off waitlists both had previously reported being waitlisted for their respective schools. 

Edited March 16 by sunnysequoia

[trenchywrench]

1 hour ago, sunnysequoia said:

Haha no problem I can share! It was UC Davis for fiction and Rutgers Camden for nonfiction.

Also, you're not missing much on FB LOL. I'm basically on there for groups and local events. The platform is pretty dead for people in my age range (I'm 27). 

The two people who got accepted off waitlists both had previously reported being waitlisted for their respective schools. 

i feel this; i turned 24 literally just this week and i don’t know what people my age are doing on Facebook at all. i’m generally skeptical of social media. but, then again, i have gotten on here 😂 thanks so much for the update!

Edited March 16 by trenchywrench

[trenchywrench]

thank you for your words!

congratulations on your success—and i admire your realism. it takes a lot of courage for we who are uncertain to take a leap when we’re worried things may be just barely manageable at times. and your wife is an outstanding one for supporting you in this. i know can’t thank my fiancée enough for holding my hand through the insanity of this cycle. and i know she’s willing to do it for the next one, if that’s what it takes for me. best of luck!

59 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Honestly, I’m not really in limbo. I know where I’m going and it’s a good package. I’ll be going BACK to living paycheck to paycheck. No matter what I’m almost certainly going to have to pick up the occasional side gig, unless we hit the lottery or my wife suddenly gets a huge pay bump. But I figure it’s that way for everyone. Well, almost everyone. Very few schools offer livable money. I’ll be okay and so will you. Consider how much time the teaching load takes and gives. Don’t forget about summers. This is doable. 

 

[sunnysequoia]

1 hour ago, trenchywrench said:

i feel this; i turned 24 literally just this week and i don’t know what people my age are doing on Facebook at all. i’m generally skeptical of social media. but, then again, i have gotten on here 😂 thanks so much for the update!

You're welcome! And happy late birthday, fellow Pisces!  I turned 27 in late February haha

[trenchywrench]

never mind @Fronkophone! i thought i’d update you since i found out. i got my automated UMD rejection at 3am today. standard rejection letter. i applied for fiction across the board.

i’m still technically waiting to hear back from Rutgers (Camden) and LSU, but i would turn down an offer from LSU if i got one as it’s a 24 hour drive from my fiancée and her kids and requires a 3-year residency—so i would rather wait a year and apply to closer 2-year programs as i’d be graduating at the same time anyway. 

i know Rutgers (Camden) is so finished with their acceptances and waitlists that they’ve started accepting candidates from the waitlist, so i’m going to mark this the end of my cycle. 

i got a total of 1 waitlist from NYU. i’m still looking into funding options in the event i get off the list, but the odds of anything being enough are very low given i would get 50% tuition remission and no stipend. i’m already making my list for next year and have put two “safety schools” (one low-residency with the possibility of a merit-based assistantship and one lesser-known program with full funding and a very small stipend) on it just in case things pan out this way again.

for reference, the schools i applied to ranged between 0.5% and 5.7% in their CWMFA acceptance rates. i applied with science fiction, and i did so more underprepared than i’d thought i was despite starting the process early.

i learned a lot from this year’s cycle. of course i have that awful sinking feeling that i might just not be “good” enough, and that’s why this didn’t work out for me this year. but i know i’ll be in a different place next year—i already am in a different place than i was when i applied in December.

for those of you who didn’t get into a program or didn’t get funding this year or are holding onto hope that a waitlist will work out, i feel you and i hope you don’t give up ❤️

[cowboifairy]

Hey all! Hope everyone is wrapping up the season okay. I just wanted to ask if anyone had heard from fiction for University of Houston or University of Nevada, Las Vegas? Trying to figure out how close to over my season is...

[jka0124]

On 3/15/2024 at 8:38 PM, nothingnothing said:

what is the actual accuracy of the spreadsheet? seriously. are we all predicating our thinking based on the belief that folks are telling the truth? ive never had facebook so im unsure how it works. is there something im missing?

Only people on draft have access and those people are on FB with their real names. Could someone lie? Sure. Would they? Nah. It doesn’t really do much. It’s a lot easier to troll on here (which is why there have been trolls lol). 

 

On 3/15/2024 at 5:54 PM, trenchywrench said:

some people already know where they want to go, got into their first choice school, and will probably decline other offers in a timely manner accordingly. so it’s certainly possible for waitlists to move in our favor before April. but i believe we’ll see the heaviest movement in late April/early May! especially given some people (like myself) may have to turn down offers from a waitlist (if we get them) due to insufficient funding. some waitlists are open up until the first day of classes at a program as well, so a few of us may even be contacted in the summertime.

The heaviest movement comes the first two weeks of April. There’s barely any movement by the time May rolls around. It’s April 1-18 that stresses me out a bit  (and this is my 9th year doing this shit 😂). 

[Gradapp2024]

This application cycle has been nuts. Couple of highlights - lowlights. Florida doesn’t let MFA applicants know they aren’t accepting until they post results - then refund money. Arizona finally posts results (less than 1% and NO fiction student admits). No refunds forthcoming but there should be. And there seemed to be a lot of trolls with results as well. Finally, MFA Draft on FB is also lowkey a dumpster fire as well, where “vets” or whatever nickname they gave themselves only allow their voice, not others who have information THEY don’t agree with. It’s a small world after all. So how has YOUR cycle gone? 

[trenchywrench]

4 hours ago, Gradapp2024 said:

This application cycle has been nuts. Couple of highlights - lowlights. Florida doesn’t let MFA applicants know they aren’t accepting until they post results - then refund money. Arizona finally posts results (less than 1% and NO fiction student admits). No refunds forthcoming but there should be. And there seemed to be a lot of trolls with results as well. Finally, MFA Draft on FB is also lowkey a dumpster fire as well, where “vets” or whatever nickname they gave themselves only allow their voice, not others who have information THEY don’t agree with. It’s a small world after all. So how has YOUR cycle gone? 

i don’t have Facebook but my fiancée does and she was also a part of the 2024 cycle. her circumstances are extremely different from mine as she’s entitled money from a legal resolution to attend whatever MFA program she wants, regardless of the cost, so she will be starting at a low-residency of her choice this summer. i told her about Draft and hadn’t realized she joined it until she started showing me some of the comments people replied with on her posts. i was astonished by the arrogance—one individual essentially admitted to thinking they were entitled to admission to one of the top programs in the country just because one of their recommenders worked at that same school and in that same department. fucking wild.

Edited March 17 by trenchywrench

[jka0124]

6 hours ago, Gradapp2024 said:

This application cycle has been nuts. Couple of highlights - lowlights. Florida doesn’t let MFA applicants know they aren’t accepting until they post results - then refund money. Arizona finally posts results (less than 1% and NO fiction student admits). No refunds forthcoming but there should be. And there seemed to be a lot of trolls with results as well. Finally, MFA Draft on FB is also lowkey a dumpster fire as well, where “vets” or whatever nickname they gave themselves only allow their voice, not others who have information THEY don’t agree with. It’s a small world after all. So how has YOUR cycle gone? 

No, the issue is that people who are applying and new to the group were giving bad advice. The MFA app process is pretty unique (for better or worse). If you (general “you”) haven’t had a successful season or been in draft for 2+ years, you may be unknowingly spreading misinformation, especially since there isn’t a way to designate in the comments who’s a vet. It has nothing to do with opinion and people are free to post and comment.

As for draft, there are always people entitled af. And there are always people who are not ready to apply to programs and do anyway. This particular year has been an anxious, uninformed bunch. I say that with love. But I think we’re seeing some real post-pandemic…I don’t even know if “jitters” is the right word. But we as a nation haven’t really addressed most of us are traumatized so I’m not really surprised to see it manifest in places like these. I see it in my students too. 

[nothingnothing]

10 hours ago, jka0124 said:

No, the issue is that people who are applying and new to the group were giving bad advice. The MFA app process is pretty unique (for better or worse). If you (general “you”) haven’t had a successful season or been in draft for 2+ years, you may be unknowingly spreading misinformation, especially since there isn’t a way to designate in the comments who’s a vet. It has nothing to do with opinion and people are free to post and comment.

As for draft, there are always people entitled af. And there are always people who are not ready to apply to programs and do anyway. This particular year has been an anxious, uninformed bunch. I say that with love. But I think we’re seeing some real post-pandemic…I don’t even know if “jitters” is the right word. But we as a nation haven’t really addressed most of us are traumatized so I’m not really surprised to see it manifest in places like these. I see it in my students too. 

post-pandemic? or experiencing the feed of genocide without having an outlet within the academy to speak on said genocide?