2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[curfew]

May never come back to this again, but let's get this started early--

A thread for everyone + anyone to discuss application processes, schools, books, general grievances related to MFA writing season!

I'm in my last year of undergrad, applying to Brown, Cornell, Iowa, Michigan, Michener, NYU, Rutgers-C, Syracuse, Vanderbilt + Virginia, for fiction. Eager to hear where others are applying to, and how applications are coming along:D

[prufrock_]

I'm here! This will be my second round applying in fiction. I got a couple acceptances last year, even one with full funding, but I turned them down to hopefully get into a school that aligns more with my long term goals (and ideally offers funding that isn't poverty levels -- let this be a warning to look at stipend levels compared to cost of living y'all, especially in the post apocalyptic hellscape of 2024 housing).

The community here is great, but the draft '25 group on facebook is also a resource everyone should keep an eye on; there is definitely more responses on their spreadsheet.

[Miyano]

On 5/25/2024 at 2:32 AM, prufrock_ said:

I'm here! This will be my second round applying in fiction. I got a couple acceptances last year, even one with full funding, but I turned them down to hopefully get into a school that aligns more with my long term goals (and ideally offers funding that isn't poverty levels -- let this be a warning to look at stipend levels compared to cost of living y'all, especially in the post apocalyptic hellscape of 2024 housing).

The community here is great, but the draft '25 group on facebook is also a resource everyone should keep an eye on; there is definitely more responses on their spreadsheet.

Thanks for the reminder. I compared the rents in the cities where the universities I want to apply to are located and was surprised.

[HotGirlMidsommar]

Hello! First time applying for MFA programs. I've been out of undergrad for 8 years and already have an Masters degree, so going to be interesting to see how this goes. 

 

I'm applying for fiction and haven't completely narrowed down my list, but rn I'm seriously looking at applying to (in no particular order): UArizona, Brown, Michigan, UT-Austin, Columbia, NYU, WUSTL, UMass Amherst, Sarah Lawrence, Northwestern, UVA, Iowa, UCSD, Minnesota, Irvine and Boston. But from browsing last year's thread it seems like I might want to apply to all of them! 

[taliaj]

Hey all! Glad this forum is up so early as it feeds into my neuroses, haha! I'm starting early this year since it's my first time really applying to MFAs; last year I only applied to Boise State. This year I'll likely be applying to Cornell University, University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, Boise State University, Vanderbilt University, University of Iowa, Colorado State University, University of Colorado - Boulder, and University of Notre Dame. I'm thinking of adding two more in order to make it an even 10, but haven't figured all that out yet. I'll be applying for fiction. Would love to chat with fellow applicants and go crazy together as we wait through this application season!

[Scribe]

Just popping to say Hi. Best of luck to everyone this year. For at least the next few weeks I'll be lurking. I promise to not try and break any posting records this year. 

[curfew]

19 hours ago, taliaj said:

I'm thinking of adding two more in order to make it an even 10, but haven't figured all that out yet.

Loving the lists from everyone so far!:D And I also feel that 10 is like a Goldilocks number--enough seats and variety without bloating the application process-

[therosewriter]

Is anyone looking at applying to the University of Oxford's (England) Mst in Creative Writing? 

[samlyn]

Hi all! I'm hoping to apply to a few MFA (Fiction track) programs for the first time this year, just to see. For this round I am only planning to apply to schools in New York - my partner and I have moved around a lot recently and I'm going to need a few years before I consider uprooting my life for the Midwest again. Right now my list is Hunter, Brooklyn College, and NYU. I might also apply to the New School, but I don't think they have the teaching opportunities I'm looking for, and I'm still trying to figure out if Columbia offers anyone enough funding to avoid 20 years of debt hell.

Looking forward to this journey with all you cool people - good luck everyone!

[curfew]

On 7/12/2024 at 9:23 AM, samlyn said:

Right now my list is Hunter, Brooklyn College, and NYU. I might also apply to the New School,

Hello @samlyn!

The northeast is probably where I'm trying to be, too, if I'm being honest. Have you thought about upstate NY programs, like Stony Brook (which also has a Manhattan extension) or Syracuse?

Columbia's faculty is godtier and its acceptance rate is higher than any other elite programs, which I feel like has something to do with its huge class size and lack of funding. Also, their ambiguity on funding really bothers me; I ultimately put it off my list in favor of places that are (or have a clear chance to be, at least) fully funded w/ stipend.

[taliaj]

5 hours ago, curfew said:

I ultimately put it off my list in favor of places that are (or have a clear chance to be, at least) fully funded w/ stipend.

I'm only applying to fully funded programs also! I definitely couldn't afford it without some sort of funding. The top choices I have at the moment are UMinn, Boise State, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern. I'm leaning a bit more towards Northwestern due to the MA + MFA aspect, but I would be very, VERY happy at any one of these four. There are a few others on my list but these are my top ones. Would love to hear about others' choices, and how everyone is getting along before application season kicks fully into gear!

[samlyn]

19 hours ago, curfew said:

Hello @samlyn!

The northeast is probably where I'm trying to be, too, if I'm being honest. Have you thought about upstate NY programs, like Stony Brook (which also has a Manhattan extension) or Syracuse?

Columbia's faculty is godtier and its acceptance rate is higher than any other elite programs, which I feel like has something to do with its huge class size and lack of funding. Also, their ambiguity on funding really bothers me; I ultimately put it off my list in favor of places that are (or have a clear chance to be, at least) fully funded w/ stipend.

Thank you for reminding me Stony Brook has a writing program! My sister briefly attended there for undergrad and liked it a lot, though she ended up transferring for unrelated reasons   Their main campus is a bit far from me, but the Manhattan extension would be doable. I am really interested in teaching opportunities (tutored writing in undergrad and loved it), so I'm a bit wary that those opportunities may only be available on their Long Island campus, but I still think it's worth applying. They are not fully funded but offer funding to a few students a year I think.

I'm actually originally from Upstate and have a lot of love for the region. Tbh Syracuse would be top of list if it were feasible for me to move again, if for no other reason than for the potential to work with George Saunders. Maybe I'll consider it if I reapply in a few years, but right now I can't ask my partner to uproot her personal and professional life again. Lots of good options up that direction though - Cornell also comes to mind, which I see is on your list!

[HotGirlMidsommar]

On 7/13/2024 at 11:27 PM, curfew said:

Columbia's faculty is godtier and its acceptance rate is higher than any other elite programs, which I feel like has something to do with its huge class size and lack of funding. Also, their ambiguity on funding really bothers me; I ultimately put it off my list in favor of places that are (or have a clear chance to be, at least) fully funded w/ stipend.

Seriously. Has anyone ever heard of anyone who got funding at Columbia? Some people I really like came out of there, but who can do 200 - 300K in loans for an MFA?

[Scribe]

On 7/12/2024 at 10:23 AM, samlyn said:

Hi all! I'm hoping to apply to a few MFA (Fiction track) programs for the first time this year, just to see. For this round I am only planning to apply to schools in New York - my partner and I have moved around a lot recently and I'm going to need a few years before I consider uprooting my life for the Midwest again. Right now my list is Hunter, Brooklyn College, and NYU. I might also apply to the New School, but I don't think they have the teaching opportunities I'm looking for, and I'm still trying to figure out if Columbia offers anyone enough funding to avoid 20 years of debt hell.

Looking forward to this journey with all you cool people - good luck everyone!

It sounds like you're interested in the city only. if that's true, you should still look into Rutgers. I applied there and live in Queens. It's not a crazy commute and the funding is delicious. 

If it's just an East Coast thing, Syracuse and Cornell are supergood and also superfunded.  

Columbia on very rare occasions does give free rides, but I'm not even sure it's a yearly thing. regardless, it's a very exclusive, prestigious, competitive 90,000 dollar a year racket.

I'm firmly of the belief one should not go into debt for this. 

[Scribe]

On 7/13/2024 at 10:53 PM, taliaj said:

I'm only applying to fully funded programs also! I definitely couldn't afford it without some sort of funding. The top choices I have at the moment are UMinn, Boise State, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern. I'm leaning a bit more towards Northwestern due to the MA + MFA aspect, but I would be very, VERY happy at any one of these four. There are a few others on my list but these are my top ones. Would love to hear about others' choices, and how everyone is getting along before application season kicks fully into gear!

a quick warning about northwester. someone here last year applied and got in , but it was to an unfunded program. apparently they have two and one is unfunded. 

As far as your alternatives, what are your parameters? what boxes does a program need to tick for you?

[samlyn]

On 7/27/2024 at 7:46 PM, Scribe said:

It sounds like you're interested in the city only. if that's true, you should still look into Rutgers. I applied there and live in Queens. It's not a crazy commute and the funding is delicious. 

If it's just an East Coast thing, Syracuse and Cornell are supergood and also superfunded.  

Columbia on very rare occasions does give free rides, but I'm not even sure it's a yearly thing. regardless, it's a very exclusive, prestigious, competitive 90,000 dollar a year racket.

I'm firmly of the belief one should not go into debt for this. 

Yep, I'm really only looking in the city or within commuting distance. Thanks for the tip on Rutgers! I had heard of the Rutgers-Camden program and didn't realize the Newark campus also granted MFAs. I will definitely look into it.

Good to know also about Columbia. Even in the extraordinary event I were to get funding, I don't know how I would feel about attending a program where many of my classmates are going into $100,000+ debt. Feels...icky, and also like it might attract a certain type of student. My perspective on funding/debt is that if my writing isn't good enough to get me funded¹, I'm probably not ready to be in a program. In that case, I'll keep working and apply again some other year.

1 - At least partially funded to the extent I don't need to take on debt - I pretty much expect to work during the program and could afford to pay a small amount of tuition from savings.

[prufrock_]

4 hours ago, samlyn said:

1 - At least partially funded to the extent I don't need to take on debt - I pretty much expect to work during the program and could afford to pay a small amount of tuition from savings.

 

Keep an eye on the programs teaching load -- if a school is having you teach 2/2 (two classes in fall, two in spring) for funding, then you are not going to have time for a side gig. Not many schools are 2/2, most are 1/1.

 

But also, many funded mfa's have a thing in the student handbook saying 'you agree not to have a side job while we fund you - your focus is our program.'

[cloudycoffee]

Hi there! I'm throwing my hat in the ring at a handful of places this year (mainly for poetry). I have my BA and MA in English (just graduated) but neither program valued writing in any real way (and the MA program actively denigrated anything labeled 'creative writing'). 

I'm not depending on getting an acceptance, though it would be seriously amazing if I got one. I know it will benefit me in the end just to have focused on producing more work for the sample! 

[sgrad]

hello! same boat as a few of you. first round applying, already have an ma and it's been 8 years since i finished that. i am largely wanting to do an mfa for the teaching preparation. still narrowing down where i am applying. nice to meet you all, good luck!!

also if anyone can provide any direction on which fully-funded mfas have the most focus/preparation on teaching/pedagogy, i would appreciate it!

[zaira]

Hey, all! It's also my first time applying. Trying to get my head around the process. 

I'm applying for fiction/prose to: Iowa, Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Boston, and UT Michener. I would have added UW Madison to my list, but I don't think they're accepting fiction applications this year (just poetry). Curious to see how it goes! I'm coming into the process with zero expectations. 

I do have one question for the group. SOPs are meant to have personality, right? They shouldn't read bone dry? 

Wishing everyone lots of luck with their applications! 

[zaira]

On 7/30/2024 at 11:41 AM, sgrad said:

also if anyone can provide any direction on which fully-funded mfas have the most focus/preparation on teaching/pedagogy, i would appreciate it!

I am still so, so green to MFAs, but I hear Syracuse focuses heavily on pedagogy. I know they require applicants to submit a separate Teaching Statement in addition to an SOP, so I assume they're looking for students interested in teaching. Other folks might know more. 

[sgrad]

1 hour ago, zaira said:

I am still so, so green to MFAs, but I hear Syracuse focuses heavily on pedagogy. I know they require applicants to submit a separate Teaching Statement in addition to an SOP, so I assume they're looking for students interested in teaching. Other folks might know more. 

thanks! i hadn't looked at Syracuse before but this looks like a great program!

[sgrad]

im curious what everyone's dream MFA program is? and what draws you to an MFA in general? have you always wanted to be a writer? or did you go down a different path and are just now discovering a love of writing?

[zaira]

14 hours ago, sgrad said:

im curious what everyone's dream MFA program is? and what draws you to an MFA in general? have you always wanted to be a writer? or did you go down a different path and are just now discovering a love of writing?

My dream program is Iowa. I spent a couple weeks workshopping there over the summer and fell in love with the writing community. I'm aware it's a long shot, but I'm going for it! I mainly want to get an MFA because I miss being a student. I did my undergrad almost ten years ago. I'm at a point in my career where I have some life and writing experience under my belt and would like to take it to the next level. 

How about you? 

[sgrad]

4 minutes ago, zaira said:

My dream program is Iowa. I spent a couple weeks workshopping there over the summer and fell in love with the writing community. I'm aware it's a long shot, but I'm going for it! I mainly want to get an MFA because I miss being a student. I did my undergrad almost ten years ago. I'm at a point in my career where I have some life and writing experience under my belt and would like to take it to the next level. 

How about you? 

that is awesome! definitely go for iowa! i think it is so important to chase what we are in love with. i was listening to the MFA writers podcast episode on IWW and they interviewed Steven Duong who read an incredible story, and everything he was saying about the program sounded amazing. im from canada and kinda new to the world of MFAs (we only have 3 here in the whole country) so it is so interesting to learn about the history and personality of them. what was the summer workshop like? a couple weeks sounds so intense. were you in workshops almost every day?

 

im in a similar position. i have life and writing experience but i dont have a lot of teaching experience. im drawn to MFAs because i miss workshops/the structure/the writing community and time to write, but also because i want more practical teaching experience. my top choices are UC san diego, vanderbilt and michener, all for slightly different reasons. i was just reading a lot about michener yesterday and i love that their teaching opportunities are more community-centric than academic. but i would be over the moon to get into any of those