2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[RobbieWrites]

Just to clarify NYU is having accepted students visit next week?

[AngusWanderer]

12 minutes ago, RobbieWrites said:

Just to clarify NYU is having accepted students visit next week?

Yes. one of the two sessions. 

[Anna Fey]

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🕯 ❤️ NYU 🕯

  🕯 fiction 🕯

    🕯 summoning 🕯

        🕯 circle 🕯

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[ssuunn]

Rejected from South Carolina.... where I was waitlisted last year... Very weird!

[saramsarang]

42 minutes ago, ssuunn said:

Rejected from South Carolina.... where I was waitlisted last year... Very weird!

This has happened to quite a few people, they get rejected from the place they were waitlisted in the last year even though their application is stronger. It is weird, but I think it's another testament to how subjective the whole MFA process is and all you can do is your best and hope the odds are in your favour. I'm sure you already know at this point because many people have mentioned all of what I'm about to say before. But it has more to do with the cohort they're putting together this year, the themes the cohort writes about and the ways the compliment each other but don't repeat each other, and the fact that you're competing with a different pool of people from last year also weighs in! Just like you've reworked your application for this year's cycle, South Carolina has a new vision for this year's cycle. So my point is, don't overthink it! Sending you hugs ~

Edited March 7, 2024 by saramsarang

[ssuunn]

22 minutes ago, saramsarang said:

This has happened to quite a few people, they get rejected from the place they were waitlisted in the last year even though their application is stronger. It is weird, but I think it's another testament to how subjective the whole MFA process is and all you can do is your best and hope the odds are in your favour. I'm sure you already know at this point because many people have mentioned all of what I'm about to say before. But it has more to do with the cohort they're putting together this year, the themes the cohort writes about and the ways the compliment each other but don't repeat each other, and the fact that you're competing with a different pool of people from last year also weighs in! Just like you've reworked your application for this year's cycle, South Carolina has a new vision for this year's cycle. So my point is, don't overthink it! Sending you hugs ~

Thanks! I'm fine since I'm in a good spot this cycle, it's just a little perplexing regardless!

[smeef420]

hi y'all, how do we know brown is notifying for fiction today? just wondering

 

[justasmidge]

About to leave for Italy in a few hours - Sarah Lawrence and Columbia, it would be nice to get some good news before airplane mode goes on!

Also, for those of you who are local to NYC, I asked TNS if I could meet with a faculty member to discuss the program and see if it's a fit and they have been really accommodating. They're going to set me up with a faculty member and a student after Spring Break, which I thought was really nice of them. I think it's worth asking for

[dasiena]

27 minutes ago, smeef420 said:

hi y'all, how do we know brown is notifying for fiction today? just wondering

 

i don't think we know? but sorry if you got that from my post about brown fiction notifying tomorrow (today). i was just internet summoning it. lolol 

[papercut]

I can't remember who was waitlisted for UBC but I just turned down my offer. I hope it works out for you!

[dasiena]

23 minutes ago, justasmidge said:

About to leave for Italy in a few hours - Sarah Lawrence and Columbia, it would be nice to get some good news before airplane mode goes on!

Also, for those of you who are local to NYC, I asked TNS if I could meet with a faculty member to discuss the program and see if it's a fit and they have been really accommodating. They're going to set me up with a faculty member and a student after Spring Break, which I thought was really nice of them. I think it's worth asking for

I live in Italy.  Just know that it might be a new and tiny torture to have most of this mfa stuff silent for the first good half of the day, then slowly begin to trickle out around 3/4 p.m. On the other hand, you'll wake up in the morning with a good couple inches added to the google sheet.

You would think that quiet mornings with no news might be peaceful, and to that I would say: for you I hope they are. ❤️ 

Safe travels! 

Edited March 7, 2024 by dasiena
grmmrz

[Karmazinov]

I see on the Draft spreadsheet someone has been waitlisted for Rutgers-Camden.

Do you think those who hadn't heard anything yet, could infer from this that they've been rejected?

[smeef420]

20 minutes ago, dasiena said:

i don't think we know? but sorry if you got that from my post about brown fiction notifying tomorrow (today). i was just internet summoning it. lolol 

hehe all good! just wondering how anxious I should be today 

[justasmidge]

15 minutes ago, dasiena said:

I live in Italy.  Just know that it might be a new and tiny torture to have most of this mfa stuff silent for the first good half of the day, then slowly begin to trickle out around 3/4 p.m. On the other hand, you'll wake up in the morning with a good couple inches added to the google sheet.

You would think that quiet mornings with no news might be peaceful, and to that I would say: for you I hope they are. ❤️ 

Safe travels! 

Oh, that's awesome!!! My father is from Sicily but grew up around Milan after an earthquake devastated his hometown of Partanna. We are going to Milan first and then we will be flying down to Sicily

Thank you so much for the tips - I was wondering how the waiting game was going to sort out with being 6 hours ahead The best of luck to you

[smeef420]

o gawd looks like sarah lawrence is notifying EEEE

[pomelo]

Just got the email from Sarah Lawrence to check my status page. 
 

I’m in for fiction!

[maonvlang]

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🕯     ❤️NYU/Brown         🕯
  🕯            fiction              🕯
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[smeef420]

IVE BEEN WAITLISTED !!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH - update was in portal fyi I didn't get an email 

[itsbeensnowing]

30 minutes ago, Karmazinov said:

I see on the Draft spreadsheet someone has been waitlisted for Rutgers-Camden.

Do you think those who hadn't heard anything yet, could infer from this that they've been rejected?

Is that for fiction?

Rutgers-Camden takes forever to get rejections out (mine didn't come until April 18th last year), so yeah I think an assumed rejection is the best we'll get for a while. Maybe give it a few days before losing all hope, though.

[Rixor]

Congrats to those of you in/waitlisted for Sarah Lawrence!!!

[jadedoptimist]

6 minutes ago, pomelo said:

Just got the email from Sarah Lawrence to check my status page. 
 

I’m in for fiction!

 

3 minutes ago, smeef420 said:

IVE BEEN WAITLISTED !!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH - update was in portal fyi I didn't get an email 

Congrats guys!!! 😋😋😋😋

[smeef420]

11 minutes ago, pomelo said:

Just got the email from Sarah Lawrence to check my status page. 
 

I’m in for fiction!

congrats pomelo!!!!!! ❤️

[justasmidge]

In at SLC but without funding. I'm going to email with my other offers and see if that moves the needle. If it doesn't, I will decline. The acceptance letter was personalized, which was a nice touch though, so brownie points to them for that.

[trenchywrench]

hi!

saur late here. posting because i want advice from the other doers and have-doners.

i got my rejections from Syracuse and JHU, as well as the famous UVA soft rejection that i see has been a topic of discussion here. i am waiting on NYU (the full-residency--not the Paris), Rutgers (Camden), and Maryland. i understand there have been sentiments here about giving up on NYU and Rutgers.

because of this, and because i intend to move out of the state in which i'm currently living to be closer to family in case i don't get in anywhere (which i'm assuming so that i may plan accordingly), i am starting research on applying for the 2025 cycle already.

so i wanted to ask you guys. i am looking for programs that offer teaching assistantships because i want to teach undergraduate students for a living. while i only applied to fully-funded programs this year due to cost concerns, i am a disabled veteran and i just learned that i can probably get two years of a program paid for if i want to attend one that'll cost me.

more importantly, i am a chiefly a speculative writer and am wondering if anyone knows of programs with admissions committees that don't laugh science-fictioners out the door. 

based on the research i have done, many speculative programs don't have what i need as they tend to be low-residency/expensive/lacking the teaching opportunities i'll need to begin a professorial career. do i have to be a poser and pretend i only want to write what we call "literary" fiction?

of course, i plan to research on my own, because
1. this is obviously very important to me, being the most major step i can take now toward what i want to do with my existence, and;

2. what half-sane person wouldn't?

but i feel as if multiple people here--because we've all researched programs and will continue to, extensively--may be able to chime in.

if anyone would like to help, then what's the word?

also, it's nice to meet you lovely people. let's hold hands in anxious solidarity?

Edited March 7, 2024 by trenchywrench

[rachy1997]

Hi friends-- first time poster here. I have a question! 

 

If I see a school has one reported acceptance and one waitlist, is it safe to assume that's a soft rejection for me? The acceptance and waitlist went out in early/mid February. That being said, nobody else has reported anything. Thanks for any insight you might be able to provide. I'm freakin' out.