2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[pananoprodigy]

Just had a cute lil manic episode and impulse-applied to three more programs (Notre Dame, Boise State, and Northern Michigan). Please send thoughts and prayers to my poor recommenders. 

[saintjdog]

Hi all, my first time posting! I received some pretty bad personal news and I want to impulse apply to more programs about it (I've already applied to 11 schools, but I need something to do with my brain and my hands!). What programs' deadlines haven't passed yet? I've already applied to Brooklyn College and New School (due today), and Hunter College (due Feb 1st). I'm a fiction applicant. TIA!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

2 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Just had a cute lil manic episode and impulse-applied to three more programs (Notre Dame, Boise State, and Northern Michigan). Please send thoughts and prayers to my poor recommenders. 

I would have manic episodes but I promised my letter writers no more places.

[everything bagel lover]

2 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Just had a cute lil manic episode and impulse-applied to three more programs (Notre Dame, Boise State, and Northern Michigan). Please send thoughts and prayers to my poor recommenders. 

You're inspired me to throw one last application out but then the application fee hit and oof :,( doesn't hurt to hedge my bets I guess lol

[Mystic_Sunshine]

Do ya'll think Ohio state will stilll notify this week?

[programedlove333]

45 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

Do ya'll think Ohio state will stilll notify this week?

Yeah, I think so or early next week but hoping they give u a phone call soon 🙏🙏

[Mystic_Sunshine]

36 minutes ago, programedlove333 said:

Yeah, I think so or early next week but hoping they give u a phone call soon 🙏🙏

Thanks! I appreciate it! Manifesting good things. 

[runlolarun]

I also rapidly applied to another school with a 15 Jan deadline (Univ of Idaho) to keep the demons away, lol. I'd love to get into one program, of course, but two would be nice so I could at least have a point of comparison and make a more informed choice.

Other Jan 15 deadlines-- UNLV, Boise.... maybe Irvine or Riverside?

[prufrock_]

I'm glad the letter of recommendation system acts as a kind of limiter, otherwise i'd be right there with yall impulse applying to even more! Most of us are already applying to more programs than what's considered normal, but maybe what's considered 'normal' is rising each round since each round has more applicants.

[Chex]

I think there'll be news from either Ohio or UIUC (or both) tomorrow! Manifesting ✨

[runlolarun]

22 hours ago, Jane Wyman said:

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. 

I think I became a little concerned because I was reading some publications by current students at a certain school, and I did not really... resonate with any of it? It made me feel kind of bad/sad.

 

Then I looked at a professor's work at Michigan and was like, oh my god, this is exactly the kind of writing I want to do. But maybe it would be strange to be taught by someone who writes in the style/voice that you do? Maybe I would start to emulate her too closely? Just overthinking....

[pananoprodigy]

4 hours ago, saintjdog said:

Hi all, my first time posting! I received some pretty bad personal news and I want to impulse apply to more programs about it (I've already applied to 11 schools, but I need something to do with my brain and my hands!). What programs' deadlines haven't passed yet? I've already applied to Brooklyn College and New School (due today), and Hunter College (due Feb 1st). I'm a fiction applicant. TIA!

From what I can see for fully funded programs that are still open:

University of Wyoming (Jan 20), Virginia Tech (Jan 21), San Diego State (Feb 1), Georgia College & State U (Feb 1), North Carolina State (Feb 1), Southern Illinois (Feb 1), Western Kentucky (Feb 1), Wichita State (Feb 1)

 

[PsychPoet]

Hi everyone:

I can't believe I'm back at the Grad Cafe! Ugh/Haha! Last time I was here was when I was applying PhDs in Clinical Psych in 2009 for the 2010 app cycle. That was successful and I've had my doc and and been in the field since 2014. 

And now I'm ready to begin a phase I always knew would come - my writing. 

All my apps are now in, and so the exhaustion is real and the nervous waiting begins. 

I applied to Iowa, Brown, Syracuse, NYU, Columbia,Hunter, BU, Emerson, and Bennington. 

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and to wish everyone all the best of luck! Please let us know when and what you hear and I'll do the same. 

[Jane Wyman]

5 hours ago, runlolarun said:

I think I became a little concerned because I was reading some publications by current students at a certain school, and I did not really... resonate with any of it? It made me feel kind of bad/sad.

 

Then I looked at a professor's work at Michigan and was like, oh my god, this is exactly the kind of writing I want to do. But maybe it would be strange to be taught by someone who writes in the style/voice that you do? Maybe I would start to emulate her too closely? Just overthinking....

Bad/sad in what way? Like, you thought their work wasn't great?

I think profs matter more than the cohort, but the cohort is meaningful, too.

[zaira]

10 hours ago, runlolarun said:

I think I became a little concerned because I was reading some publications by current students at a certain school, and I did not really... resonate with any of it? It made me feel kind of bad/sad.

 

Then I looked at a professor's work at Michigan and was like, oh my god, this is exactly the kind of writing I want to do. But maybe it would be strange to be taught by someone who writes in the style/voice that you do? Maybe I would start to emulate her too closely? Just overthinking....

I will say, sometimes the best teacher ends up being the one you least expect. A professor may be producing work that resonates with you, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll give you excellent feedback on your own pieces or explain concepts to you in a way that makes sense. Writing and teaching are totally separate skills. 

Likewise with a cohort. Some of my best readers, the people I have learned the most from over the years, are peers whose work is completely different from mine. Being unable to connect with someone's work doesn't matter if they offer you excellent feedback week after week. And of course it's just as important to give them excellent feedback in turn, even if you don't personally connect with what they're doing. Gotta take each piece as it comes, figure out what the writer is trying to accomplish, and what they can do to achieve it in the text. 

[Jim VK]

14 hours ago, PsychPoet said:

Hi everyone:

I can't believe I'm back at the Grad Cafe! Ugh/Haha! Last time I was here was when I was applying PhDs in Clinical Psych in 2009 for the 2010 app cycle. That was successful and I've had my doc and and been in the field since 2014. 

And now I'm ready to begin a phase I always knew would come - my writing. 

All my apps are now in, and so the exhaustion is real and the nervous waiting begins. 

I applied to Iowa, Brown, Syracuse, NYU, Columbia,Hunter, BU, Emerson, and Bennington. 

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and to wish everyone all the best of luck! Please let us know when and what you hear and I'll do the same. 

Welcome back! Good luck!

[pananoprodigy]

5 hours ago, zaira said:

I will say, sometimes the best teacher ends up being the one you least expect. A professor may be producing work that resonates with you, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll give you excellent feedback on your own pieces or explain concepts to you in a way that makes sense. Writing and teaching are totally separate skills. 
 

Literally could not agree more. Thinking of one of my former professors in my screenwriting mfa who was a super famous Oscar winning writer whose work I LOVED....and also one of the worst teachers I've ever had lol. And my absolute favorite professor ever whose biggest credit was a co-write on a hallmark movie, who taught me pretty much everything I know

[prufrock_]

16 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

From what I can see for fully funded programs that are still open:

University of Wyoming (Jan 20), Virginia Tech (Jan 21), San Diego State (Feb 1), Georgia College & State U (Feb 1), North Carolina State (Feb 1), Southern Illinois (Feb 1), Western Kentucky (Feb 1), Wichita State (Feb 1)

 

good list! I'll add Rutgers-Camden (January 24).

Also note Western Kentucky isn't fully funded (I was admitted last year with no funding and declined; I tried to find out how their funding works but never got a response. I'm not sure if it's 5 funded per cohort or 5 total in the whole program, nor if it's competitive each year).

 

edit: also it's been so quiet!

Edited Thursday at 03:50 PM by prufrock_

[pananoprodigy]

9 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

edit: also it's been so quiet!

So quiet!!! Where is Ohio Thee State!!! 

[runlolarun]

7 hours ago, zaira said:

I will say, sometimes the best teacher ends up being the one you least expect. A professor may be producing work that resonates with you, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll give you excellent feedback on your own pieces or explain concepts to you in a way that makes sense. Writing and teaching are totally separate skills. 

Likewise with a cohort. Some of my best readers, the people I have learned the most from over the years, are peers whose work is completely different from mine. Being unable to connect with someone's work doesn't matter if they offer you excellent feedback week after week. And of course it's just as important to give them excellent feedback in turn, even if you don't personally connect with what they're doing. Gotta take each piece as it comes, figure out what the writer is trying to accomplish, and what they can do to achieve it in the text. 

Totally agree! My brain is just finding ways to question everything. I think it is partly because I am 31 and recently started a nice safe desk job that I both like and don't like. Part of me is just uncertain about leaving my current life. I don't know what to prioritize or what my "needs" really are.

 

 

[decayingballads21]

Does anyone know when Ohio state should be notifying? Last year was the 16th right?

[Mystic_Sunshine]

32 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

Does anyone know when Ohio state should be notifying? Last year was the 16th right?

If it isn't today or Friday then it will probably be Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday next weeks since Monday is holiday. 

They seem to always notify before the 25th. 

 

[zaira]

1 hour ago, runlolarun said:

Totally agree! My brain is just finding ways to question everything. I think it is partly because I am 31 and recently started a nice safe desk job that I both like and don't like. Part of me is just uncertain about leaving my current life. I don't know what to prioritize or what my "needs" really are.

 

 

For real, this process has also turned me into an overthinking mess. I feel you!!

[programedlove333]

Has anyone here applied to South Carolina in the past? I just checked draft and saw the two results reported were mid-late January which made me even more anxious because I thought i was free from having to actually confront my results until Feb

[PsychPoet]

12 hours ago, Jim VK said:

Welcome back! Good luck!

Thanks, Jim! Appreciate you.