2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[seeleimraum]

3 hours ago, ssuunn said:

Just when we were talking about applicants who are 30+ applying to programs... I just got into Oregon for poetry!

Congrats, ssuunn! So happy for you. I am a poetry applicant, too, and Oregon is a top choice for me - could you share any insights you may have as to how many applicants they got, if they're done accepting people yet, etc? Wishing you all good things! 

[ssuunn]

Just now, seeleimraum said:

Congrats, ssuunn! So happy for you. I am a poetry applicant, too, and Oregon is a top choice for me - could you share any insights you may have as to how many applicants they got, if they're done accepting people yet, etc? Wishing you all good things! 

I should know more on Thursday when I have my phone call. But I do know there are 5 seats for poetry. 

[seeleimraum]

4 minutes ago, ssuunn said:

I should know more on Thursday when I have my phone call. But I do know there are 5 seats for poetry. 

Cool, thanks! Maybe you can update here after your call? Just want to manage my expectations. Congrats again!

[Scribe]

Just curious, no reason at all to ask. In fact, asking for a friend. The friend, if i didn't mention it, is just curious.

did anyone here get into the NWP for fiction or does anyone here know anyone who was accepted for fiction?

Because I've heard, my friend I mean, my friend has heard that the fiction program over there is horrible.

if you got in or know someone who has, do not go!

Edited February 28 by Scribe

[Rixor]

35 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Just curious, no reason at all to ask. In fact, asking for a friend. The friend, if i didn't mention it, is just curious.

did anyone here get into the NWP for fiction or does anyone here know anyone who was accepted for fiction?

Because I've heard, my friend I mean, my friend has heard that the fiction program over there is horrible.

if you got in or know someone who has, do not go!

What's horrible about it? 

[prufrock_]

1 minute ago, Rixor said:

What's horrible about it? 

I think scribe is just trying to say they got waitlisted. (acceptances and waitlists for NWP just went out today).

[writernity]

AHHH I GOT ACCEPTED AT STONY BROOK!!! SORT OF! POSSIBLY! It's a "you've been recommended for acceptance contingent on final review by graduate admissions office" email and I am not sure what that means, especially since there's no portal updates and others have been reporting their acceptances to SB were "check portal" emails with funding offers attached. Is it a sign that I'm missing something (non-crucial) on my app? Is it a good sign that I'm being considered for a big funding package that needs more consideration? Are they just working through the alphabet and I got the mass email that came halfway through the manual portal updates?? Anyone have any insights? 😅

Edited February 28 by writernity

[Scribe]

13 minutes ago, Rixor said:

What's horrible about it? 

The funding package requires you weave counterfeit alpaca rugs for export and the classrooms smell like rusted feet. 

11 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I think scribe is just trying to say they got waitlisted. (acceptances and waitlists for NWP just went out today).

Ricockulous. That would be unethical. 

[prufrock_]

Just checked the portal for NWP and i'm rejected. Dang, that was my number two school. The rejections outweigh the pending now. Gonna have to start thinking about what my life looks like w/ no acceptances. Blah.

[Ryan Peed]

5 minutes ago, Scribe said:

7 minutes ago, Scribe said:

The funding package requires you weave counterfeit alpaca rugs for export and the classrooms smell like rusted feet. 

Ricockulous. That would be unethical. 

 

RUSTED FEET?? Ewwwww.... (I got rejected and I'm trying to cope)

[lemmmein]

9 minutes ago, Scribe said:

The funding package requires you weave counterfeit alpaca rugs for export and the classrooms smell like rusted feet. 

Ricockulous. That would be unethical. 

Haha, someone in draft said they're in for fiction and probably can't go!

[Scribe]

11 minutes ago, writernity said:

AHHH I GOT ACCEPTED AT STONY BROOK!!! SORT OF! POSSIBLY! It's a "you've been recommended for acceptance contingent on final review by graduate admissions office" email and I am not sure what that means, especially since there's no portal updates and others have been reporting their acceptances to SB were "check portal" emails with funding offers attached. Is it a sign that I'm missing something (non-crucial) on my app? Is it a good sign that I'm being considered for a big funding package that needs more consideration? Are they just working through the alphabet and I got the mass email that came halfway through the manual portal updates?? Anyone have any insights? 😅

congratulations!!

guess who else!

as for your questions, i dunno. someone got an offer for 25% tuition and a $6500 stipend. 

[Scribe]

11 minutes ago, Ryan Peed said:

RUSTED FEET?? Ewwwww.... (I got rejected and I'm trying to cope)

I'm sorry. I really don't mean to make anyone feel bad by posting. but to me, this actually feels like an acceptance. 

If it makes you feel better i applied to Syracuse once.

they rejected me twice. I shit you not. who gets rejected twice?

[Rixor]

3 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I think scribe is just trying to say they got waitlisted. (acceptances and waitlists for NWP just went out today).

Oh, haha! That's funny! Scribe's humor--I have trouble detecting the irony sometimes. 

Congrats on the waitlist, Scribe! I hope someone drops. 

[BlueJayBird]

30 minutes ago, writernity said:

AHHH I GOT ACCEPTED AT STONY BROOK!!! SORT OF! POSSIBLY! It's a "you've been recommended for acceptance contingent on final review by graduate admissions office" email and I am not sure what that means, especially since there's no portal updates and others have been reporting their acceptances to SB were "check portal" emails with funding offers attached. Is it a sign that I'm missing something (non-crucial) on my app? Is it a good sign that I'm being considered for a big funding package that needs more consideration? Are they just working through the alphabet and I got the mass email that came halfway through the manual portal updates?? Anyone have any insights? 😅

Congratulations!!!! My understanding is that this means the department likes you and wants you and is telling the more broad graduate admissions office (which has the higher authority) to let you in. The admissions office just has to make sure their t's are crossed and their i's are dotted! They may require you to send your official transcripts directly to them (if you, like me, didn't do that in the initial application process and just uploaded a scan). They just have to double check that everything is legit. As long as everything about your test scores, transcripts, etc. is legit, you should be good to go!

I also saw one article saying that at this stage one of the more common reasons to be rejected by the admissions office is a low TOEFL score. Or, if you have a lower-than-standard-requirement GRE score or GPA, the department might have to write a special petition on your behalf to the admissions office. Not sure if that's applicable here, but an interesting tidbit!

[writernity]

5 minutes ago, BlueJayBird said:

Congratulations!!!! My understanding is that this means the department likes you and wants you and is telling the more broad graduate admissions office (which has the higher authority) to let you in. The admissions office just has to make sure their t's are crossed and their i's are dotted! They may require you to send your official transcripts directly to them (if you, like me, didn't do that in the initial application process and just uploaded a scan). They just have to double check that everything is legit. As long as everything about your test scores, transcripts, etc. is legit, you should be good to go!

I also saw one article saying that at this stage one of the more common reasons to be rejected by the admissions office is a low TOEFL score. Or, if you have a lower-than-standard-requirement GRE score or GPA, the department might have to write a special petition on your behalf to the admissions office. Not sure if that's applicable here, but an interesting tidbit!

Thank you, good to know!! I should be fine with GPA and didn't submit anything for TOEFL or GRE or anything, I will likely have to send the official transcript though. My only concern now is when funding offers will be finalized in this process lol

[Scribe]

42 minutes ago, lemmmein said:

Haha, someone in draft said they're in for fiction and probably can't go!

Do NOT fuck with me. are you serious? where? who? I don't see that on the sheet. 

18 minutes ago, BlueJayBird said:

Congratulations!!!! My understanding is that this means the department likes you and wants you and is telling the more broad graduate admissions office (which has the higher authority) to let you in. The admissions office just has to make sure their t's are crossed and their i's are dotted! They may require you to send your official transcripts directly to them (if you, like me, didn't do that in the initial application process and just uploaded a scan). They just have to double check that everything is legit. As long as everything about your test scores, transcripts, etc. is legit, you should be good to go!

I also saw one article saying that at this stage one of the more common reasons to be rejected by the admissions office is a low TOEFL score. Or, if you have a lower-than-standard-requirement GRE score or GPA, the department might have to write a special petition on your behalf to the admissions office. Not sure if that's applicable here, but an interesting tidbit!

 

10 minutes ago, writernity said:

Thank you, good to know!! I should be fine with GPA and didn't submit anything for TOEFL or GRE or anything, I will likely have to send the official transcript though. My only concern now is when funding offers will be finalized in this process lol

Check your portal. I just found out I'm missing not one, but TWO recs. If there's anything missing from your application it may be highlighted there. I see that someone offered funding said they received an email to check the portal. it makes it seem as though that is where they found their offer. that's why i checked even after receiving the email. 

man, this is a lot. 

[lemmmein]

12 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Do NOT fuck with me. are you serious? where? who? I don't see that on the sheet. 

 

I wouldn't do that!! Not trying to be cryptic, but it was a comment on someone else's post about getting on the waitlist lol.

[writernity]

14 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Check your portal. I just found out I'm missing not one, but TWO recs. If there's anything missing from your application it may be highlighted there. I see that someone offered funding said they received an email to check the portal. it makes it seem as though that is where they found their offer. that's why i checked even after receiving the email. 

man, this is a lot. 

I did check my portal, there's no changes on it and everything is marked as received. I definitely didn't send an official-official transcript though, so I expect they'll probably request that soon?

[Scribe]

4 minutes ago, lemmmein said:

I wouldn't do that!! Not trying to be cryptic, but it was a comment on someone else's post about getting on the waitlist lol.

just found it! along with two others on the waitlist.

now all i need is to find out where they live...

*twirls moustache*

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

@writernity

"I did check my portal, there's no changes on it and everything is marked as received. I definitely didn't send an official-official transcript though, so I expect they'll probably request that soon?"

maybe. did you send an unofficial or none at all?

Edited February 28 by Scribe

[writernity]

22 minutes ago, Scribe said:

maybe. did you send an unofficial or none at all?

I did send an unofficial one and it's marked as received!

[jka0124]

Regarding waitlists: 

If you know you absolutely aren’t going to attend a school, by all means, cut them loose. But if you’re conflicted or weighing your options or want to make sure a program honors their deal, etc, take your time. There’s nothing wrong with waiting until April. 
 

Generally—not always but generally—waitlists have a domino affect. People are waiting to see if they get off waitlists into their top choices before they make their decision. Once Iowa, Michigan, Michener, and a few other schools finalize their cohorts, everything else falls into place. And because the turnaround can be really quick, I recommend you do some research about potential programs now just in case you find yourself making a decision on April 16th. 
 

In short, April can be wild. Godspeed, waitlisters. 

[lychees]

Hi everyone — in need of some advice. I was asked to formally respond to an acceptance by March 15, and while I'm absolutely thrilled at the acceptance, I'm stressed about the rest of my decisions, as I don't know which ones will be out by then. I'd ideally like to know what doors will be open or closed by that date, as I would feel awful accepting an offer without knowing my other admissions decisions. Coincidentally, I'll also be traveling internationally on March 15, so I'd like to have at least one extra day nevertheless.

Does anyone have experience with requesting an extension on a deadline to respond to an offer of admission? Is there a particular way I should go about it? This landscape is entirely foreign to me, and I'm not sure what to write or request specifically. 

[electricstardust]

38 minutes ago, lychees said:

Hi everyone — in need of some advice. I was asked to formally respond to an acceptance by March 15, and while I'm absolutely thrilled at the acceptance, I'm stressed about the rest of my decisions, as I don't know which ones will be out by then. I'd ideally like to know what doors will be open or closed by that date, as I would feel awful accepting an offer without knowing my other admissions decisions. Coincidentally, I'll also be traveling internationally on March 15, so I'd like to have at least one extra day nevertheless.

Does anyone have experience with requesting an extension on a deadline to respond to an offer of admission? Is there a particular way I should go about it? This landscape is entirely foreign to me, and I'm not sure what to write or request specifically. 

look up the council of grad schools april 15 resolution and see if the school is listed. if they are, then i believe they have to give you until april 15

[Chex]

Congratulations, everyone, on your acceptances and waitlists. Big congratulations to you, @Scribe! I believe that person who got into NWP fiction and doesn't want to go also got into many other programs. That's point 1 for you. Another person on the waitlist got into Michigan and will probably go there. That's point 2 for you. So it's between you and the one or two? other people on the waitlist. I am rooting super big that you get in. Hoping someone else who's accepted also drops off, to make things easier.