Mystic_Sunshine Posted January 13 Posted January 13 16 minutes ago, runlolarun said: Hi everyone! I've been spending my weekend reading threads from past years. I feel like I know some of these people now... I kind of miss them, weirdly. I also read past threads. It is weird to read someone's entire journey. but one day this will be the past thread hi future strangers.
runlolarun Posted January 13 Posted January 13 1 minute ago, Mystic_Sunshine said: I also read past threads. It is weird to read someone's entire journey. but one day this will be the past thread hi future strangers. I know... I think I partly posted just because I want to be part of this old-school-feeling site and part of an old thread that future people comb through. curfew, Jim VK and programedlove333 3
Mystic_Sunshine Posted January 13 Posted January 13 11 minutes ago, runlolarun said: I know... I think I partly posted just because I want to be part of this old-school-feeling site and part of an old thread that future people comb through. Yeah I kind of prefer it here to facebook draft. Something interesting about just having an anonymous forum where we all suffer together lol. programedlove333, Jim VK, Prosaic Ioniser and 2 others 4 1
bibsy Posted January 13 Posted January 13 On 1/11/2025 at 1:58 PM, backtooskewl said: Dearest amazing MFA applicants of gradcafe. Me again, with some more questions. So, TLDR - In October, as I was gaining steam on my grad app, I was furloughed from my day job AND got covid AND was in a bike accident. I am just now getting back to the application and here's what I've got left to do: - Pick out schools, other than my most nearby top school, which someone convinced me is a good move. - Write A CV - Get two recc letters. The initial request emails have been sent out, but haven't even received responses back yet. I realize now I haven't given these professors I haven't seen for a dozen years much time. - Revise my writing samples. The goodish news is having been a writer for so long means I have a ton of writing to pull from, it's just not formatted/edited into what a program that would only take literary fiction might take. Related question: Is putting a genre fiction sample in an app that only does or has a more lit fiction lean a big no no? I worked mainly in games and comics, so genre fiction influences just about everything I've written, and I honestly have a hard time telling what is or isn't lit fiction enough. - Statement of purpose not started! I very much want a fully funded/TA/not worry about money acceptance. Is submitting so much closer to the deadline going to hurt my chances significantly? If I decide I need to delay applying when is the next time to apply to grad programs, and how does this sorta start/stop thing affect my applying in the future? What if I only get an offer from one and say no because of the odd timing of it all?| Good news: Have a gig again, so there's time to finish things to some degree, as long as yours truly can stay focused. oh, so cool to see someone else here with a background in games and comics! i also applied totally last minute this cycle and am letting the chips fall where they may. i have the samples i have, and if they're too genre-influenced for a program, welp, so be it. best of luck with the apps! it's 3 am and i'm actively procrastinating on my final two (houston and UC riverside) programedlove333, Jim VK and zaira 1 2
donuthead36 Posted January 13 Posted January 13 50 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said: The spam calls are starting to give me anxiety. Me. Too. Also, anytime my phone buzzes for anything. I really shouldn't be stressing like this since it's so early. But I've also heard that UIUC should start notifying people soon, so I'm on edge about that. Looking forward to the next few months of this feeling! 🙃
rhaenyra Posted January 13 Posted January 13 I told myself I wouldn't be on GradCafe and none of my schools tend to get back to people before February anyway so now I'm just pushing the pain button over and over
Mystic_Sunshine Posted January 13 Posted January 13 12 minutes ago, donuthead36 said: Me. Too. Also, anytime my phone buzzes for anything. I really shouldn't be stressing like this since it's so early. But I've also heard that UIUC should start notifying people soon, so I'm on edge about that. Looking forward to the next few months of this feeling! 🙃 Yeah! most of my schools won't notify until Feb
Mystic_Sunshine Posted January 13 Posted January 13 1 hour ago, rhaenyra said: I told myself I wouldn't be on GradCafe and none of my schools tend to get back to people before February anyway so now I'm just pushing the pain button over and over I can't stay away. I'm an addict. Chex and Jim VK 1 1
Jane Wyman Posted January 13 Posted January 13 3 hours ago, rhaenyra said: I told myself I wouldn't be on GradCafe and none of my schools tend to get back to people before February anyway so now I'm just pushing the pain button over and over Yeaaaaaah, I too am pressing that Pavlovian button. I know I must stop! curfew 1
prufrock_ Posted January 13 Posted January 13 yeah the waiting process is tough, but it's also the only thing that has motivated me to unsubscribe my email from everything that's not important to my life any longer. my poor heart can't take an email notification just for it to be junk! curfew 1
programedlove333 Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Last of my apps have been submitted…feeling strangely at peace even if I do check draft every other hour! February feels so long from now, and I can’t believe that is the earliest I will get any word back. Best of luck everyone!! 🙂 runlolarun, pananoprodigy, Chex and 2 others 5
curfew Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 44 minutes ago, programedlove333 said: Last of my apps have been submitted…feeling strangely at peace even if I do check draft every other hour! February feels so long from now, and I can’t believe that is the earliest I will get any word back. Best of luck everyone!! 🙂 Congratulations on getting them all out!!
bibsy Posted January 14 Posted January 14 update: submitted my uc riverside app last night! (does anyone know if there's any benefit to submitting the optional statement of pedagogy? i did not because it was causing me unnecessary dread and i just wanted to get the materials locked in before i travel tomorrow - but curious if it's even worthwhile.) now just university of houston to go. home stretch!
runlolarun Posted January 14 Posted January 14 7 hours ago, rhaenyra said: I told myself I wouldn't be on GradCafe and none of my schools tend to get back to people before February anyway so now I'm just pushing the pain button over and over Lol, me too. I only applied to two schools and one seems to get back to people early and the other very late, so I feel like I'll just have a large wasteland of time when I'm living on gradcafe.
everything bagel lover Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Made an account because I'm too full of anticipation to just lurk anymore. Hi! This is my second round of apps, I first applied for 2022 straight out of undergrad and got all rejections and one waitlist. My SOP was kind of trash looking back on it and I've fine tuned my writing sample, though I still used pieces I workshopped in college. Few of my pieces feel like they're as polished as those because they haven't been workshopped, though I revised them substantially. Anyway, hi all. All the schools I applied to (only 5 this cycle, I want to live in a specific part of the country and really did my research this time) typically get back to people Feb-March yet I have the draft sheet open on my work computer all day and both the forum and the Draft open as well. On the bright side, I too want to join what will become a past thread for someone else to anxiously scroll through in the future as they anticipate responses from schools. :) prufrock_, zaira, curfew and 3 others 6
Jane Wyman Posted January 14 Posted January 14 I'll go ahead and make an intro post, too. This is my second time applying (I'm hoping to switch out of my current program, where I'm a first-year). Feeling jittery and desperate for news, but I know it's not healthy to dwell in that energy through March. I wish I knew for certain that I'd get a waitlist or acceptance this round. zaira, curfew and prufrock_ 3
Mystic_Sunshine Posted January 14 Posted January 14 2 hours ago, glitterpens said: Made an account because I'm too full of anticipation to just lurk anymore. Hi! This is my second round of apps, I first applied for 2022 straight out of undergrad and got all rejections and one waitlist. My SOP was kind of trash looking back on it and I've fine tuned my writing sample, though I still used pieces I workshopped in college. Few of my pieces feel like they're as polished as those because they haven't been workshopped, though I revised them substantially. Anyway, hi all. All the schools I applied to (only 5 this cycle, I want to live in a specific part of the country and really did my research this time) typically get back to people Feb-March yet I have the draft sheet open on my work computer all day and both the forum and the Draft open as well. On the bright side, I too want to join what will become a past thread for someone else to anxiously scroll through in the future as they anticipate responses from schools. Glad to have you here! everything bagel lover 1
runlolarun Posted Tuesday at 06:02 PM Posted Tuesday at 06:02 PM 1 hour ago, Jane Wyman said: I'll go ahead and make an intro post, too. This is my second time applying (I'm hoping to switch out of my current program, where I'm a first-year). Feeling jittery and desperate for news, but I know it's not healthy to dwell in that energy through March. I wish I knew for certain that I'd get a waitlist or acceptance this round. I've seen a few people move programs in past threads. What do you not like about your current one/ what are you looking for in a different one?
Jane Wyman Posted Tuesday at 06:05 PM Posted Tuesday at 06:05 PM 2 minutes ago, runlolarun said: I've seen a few people move programs in past threads. What do you not like about your current one/ what are you looking for in a different one? Ah, I talked about this earlier in this year's thread. Basically, I think I want more of a studio program. I love reading, but the academic/lit seminar component of my program is cutting into my writing time drastically. I also have a 2/2 load, which is harder to balance than I thought it would be.
runlolarun Posted Tuesday at 06:12 PM Posted Tuesday at 06:12 PM 4 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said: Ah, I talked about this earlier in this year's thread. Basically, I think I want more of a studio program. I love reading, but the academic/lit seminar component of my program is cutting into my writing time drastically. I also have a 2/2 load, which is harder to balance than I thought it would be. Sorry, I've read so many posts that I can't keep anything straight! I'm proactively (perhaps full of delusion) thinking of/ imagining getting into a program and then wanting to move. Just because there seem to be so many unknowns. Jane Wyman 1
Jane Wyman Posted Tuesday at 11:50 PM Posted Tuesday at 11:50 PM 5 hours ago, runlolarun said: Sorry, I've read so many posts that I can't keep anything straight! I'm proactively (perhaps full of delusion) thinking of/ imagining getting into a program and then wanting to move. Just because there seem to be so many unknowns. I recommend visiting if you can! And also talking to grad students who the program DOES NOT hand-select for you, but rather people you find through here or the Draft Facebook group. prufrock_, Leeannitha and runlolarun 3
spewilicious Posted Wednesday at 01:12 AM Posted Wednesday at 01:12 AM Well friends, I finally submitted my last application. 14 out of 14 schools, in before deadlines! It was really rough if I'm being honest. My dad passed away at the end of November, so I ended up having a lot to do in addition to the holidays. But I did it! So here's hoping I get an offer somewhere, along with all you lovely creatives! Good luck! prufrock_, Mystic_Sunshine, curfew and 5 others 8
curfew Posted Wednesday at 01:39 AM Author Posted Wednesday at 01:39 AM 24 minutes ago, spewilicious said: Well friends, I finally submitted my last application. 14 out of 14 schools, in before deadlines! It was really rough if I'm being honest. My dad passed away at the end of November, so I ended up having a lot to do in addition to the holidays. But I did it! So here's hoping I get an offer somewhere, along with all you lovely creatives! Good luck! I'm very sorry for your loss, and can only admire your strength in seeing out all of your submissions. Best of luck to you-- zaira, Chex, spewilicious and 1 other 4
Mystic_Sunshine Posted Wednesday at 03:12 AM Posted Wednesday at 03:12 AM 1 hour ago, spewilicious said: Well friends, I finally submitted my last application. 14 out of 14 schools, in before deadlines! It was really rough if I'm being honest. My dad passed away at the end of November, so I ended up having a lot to do in addition to the holidays. But I did it! So here's hoping I get an offer somewhere, along with all you lovely creatives! Good luck! I'm so sorry for your loss. Wishing you the very best of luck on your applications! spewilicious and zaira 2
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