2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Mystic_Sunshine]

12 minutes ago, Catpaw said:

I'm wondering if I'm naive for assuming that if an MFA program calls and I don't pick up, they'll leave a message... Obviously I've never actually gotten a call of acceptance, so I don't know how it works! Do we know if they avoid leaving voicemails?

I just get so many spam calls each day that I'm like, absolutely not. If I get into a program, they can just leave me a voicemail to let me know! (I guess my hatred for spam calls outweighs my desire to get accepted into a program...)

I think they will leave a voicemail. 

They always email too though!! So, not picking up is fine. 

[zaira]

1 hour ago, Catpaw said:

I'm wondering if I'm naive for assuming that if an MFA program calls and I don't pick up, they'll leave a message... Obviously I've never actually gotten a call of acceptance, so I don't know how it works! Do we know if they avoid leaving voicemails?

I just get so many spam calls each day that I'm like, absolutely not. If I get into a program, they can just leave me a voicemail to let me know! (I guess my hatred for spam calls outweighs my desire to get accepted into a program...)

If they've accepted you, they'll find a way to get in touch. People who miss their calls either get voicemails, emails, or portal updates shortly after. No need to pick up spam calls! 

[Mr. Scribblo]

hi guys, 

has anyone got any follow-up emails from pittsburgh? like links to their portal or just an email saying they've received your application? 

i've also applied to unlv through gradcas (i think that's the only way to apply to these programs) and i've got plenty of follow-up emails from unlv but none from pittsburgh. it just shows 'complete' in gradcas. should i be worried or am i overthinking?

[everything bagel lover]

3 hours ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

I'm thinking this week will be pretty silent. 

What about y'all?

 

It  feels so slow, I'm ready to suffer!! Bring on the onslaught! I'm sure there's something to be said for enjoying this transient period, but I'm ready to know and plan accordingly. I keep checking program websites as if they hold some unfound secret for me to find.

[pananoprodigy]

31 minutes ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

hi guys, 

has anyone got any follow-up emails from pittsburgh? like links to their portal or just an email saying they've received your application? 

i've also applied to unlv through gradcas (i think that's the only way to apply to these programs) and i've got plenty of follow-up emails from unlv but none from pittsburgh. it just shows 'complete' in gradcas. should i be worried or am i overthinking?

I've gotten nada from them as well, altho my app status also says complete

[snottlebie]

1 minute ago, pananoprodigy said:

I've gotten nada from them as well, altho my app status also says complete

Since submitting I’ve also received no communications from them - seems normal

[Mr. Scribblo]

yeah... thanks for letting me know guys.

i hope we hear from them for interviews soon.

[pananoprodigy]

Just whining for a sec but it's such a bummer to me that the UK/ireland schools don't have any funding whatsoever. I want to LEAVEEEE

[Mr. Scribblo]

well, in my country, i don't think we even have creative writing programs.

and only us unis offer funding, right? i don't think aus or new zealand do either. maybe canada?

[Mr. Scribblo]

also, do you guys know which unis conduct interviews? i know pitt and notre dame do for sure. 
saw entries for brown and uni of miami last year. 
i also saw in last year's thread that uva might conduct interviews too.

[snottlebie]

50 minutes ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

also, do you guys know which unis conduct interviews? i know pitt and notre dame do for sure. 
saw entries for brown and uni of miami last year. 
i also saw in last year's thread that uva might conduct interviews too.

Virginia Tech sometimes does. Amherst does.

[Mr. Scribblo]

6 hours ago, snottlebie said:

Virginia Tech sometimes does. Amherst does.

ah, yes, i forgot about vt. 
and i haven't applied to amherst

[Catpaw]

10 hours ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

also, do you guys know which unis conduct interviews? i know pitt and notre dame do for sure. 
saw entries for brown and uni of miami last year. 
i also saw in last year's thread that uva might conduct interviews too.

Confirming that UVA started conducting interviews after the 2021/2022 application season. They didn't used to interview before then.

Hunter also interviews for both acceptances and waitlist, and my sense is that one's position on the waitlist can move around based on how they feel after the interview.

[Chex]

Reaching critical levels of BORED out of my mind, might start shredding paper soon. Can't wait for the floodgates to open in February. Hoping everyone is keeping safe and sane. 

[programedlove333]

2 minutes ago, Chex said:

Reaching critical levels of BORED out of my mind, might start shredding paper soon. Can't wait for the floodgates to open in February. Hoping everyone is keeping safe and sane. 

Feel this soooo much. I need the chaos!! Unrelated but has anyone here watched the TV adaptation of Severance? I am thinking of watching it to distract myself

[zaira]

54 minutes ago, programedlove333 said:

Feel this soooo much. I need the chaos!! Unrelated but has anyone here watched the TV adaptation of Severance? I am thinking of watching it to distract myself

I haven't seen any of the second season yet but the first season is mindblowingly good. Highly recommend, perfect distraction, though if you're anything like me you'll binge it in a couple days and need more. 

[curfew]

1 hour ago, Chex said:

Reaching critical levels of BORED out of my mind, might start shredding paper soon. Can't wait for the floodgates to open in February. Hoping everyone is keeping safe and sane. 

My twin had his application season for law school last year, and he told me that the waiting period is going to be the slowest life ever felt, but I wasn't expecting THIS slow. I feel like the sad Pablo Escobar meme.

[rhaenyra]

1 hour ago, programedlove333 said:

Feel this soooo much. I need the chaos!! Unrelated but has anyone here watched the TV adaptation of Severance? I am thinking of watching it to distract myself

I just rewatched the first season and am eagerly awaiting S2E2. I love the writing so much, and it's a goldmine of a concept.

[Mystic_Sunshine]

3 hours ago, programedlove333 said:

Feel this soooo much. I need the chaos!! Unrelated but has anyone here watched the TV adaptation of Severance? I am thinking of watching it to distract myself

It's so good! Only one episode is out for the first season but it was a 10/10 watch.

[roomservice]

Fellow poetry applicants make yourself known!

[donuthead36]

I know this topic has been brought up already, but it's been a few days and I'm curious what people are thinking. Last year, fiction acceptances/waitlists for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were notified 1/15 and 1/16. The year before that, there were earlier reports. Do y'all think they've notified for acceptances/waitlists and it just so happens that none of the accepted/waitlisted people are on Draft or care to log it on the spreadsheet? Or do you think they're just taking their time? I know this is an impossible question to answer with confidence unless you yourself have received an acceptance/waitlist from there. I'm just kinda surprised there have been zero reports for fiction since they're usually one of the first to notify.

I have also considered the possibility that they're telling their acceptances/waitlists not to post it anywhere, but I find this unlikely because there is a poetry waitlist reported. However, I suppose I can't completely rule it out.

[Mystic_Sunshine]

8 minutes ago, donuthead36 said:

I know this topic has been brought up already, but it's been a few days and I'm curious what people are thinking. Last year, fiction acceptances/waitlists for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were notified 1/15 and 1/16. The year before that, there were earlier reports. Do y'all think they've notified for acceptances/waitlists and it just so happens that none of the accepted/waitlisted people are on Draft or care to log it on the spreadsheet? Or do you think they're just taking their time? I know this is an impossible question to answer with confidence unless you yourself have received an acceptance/waitlist from there. I'm just kinda surprised there have been zero reports for fiction since they're usually one of the first to notify.

I have also considered the possibility that they're telling their acceptances/waitlists not to post it anywhere, but I find this unlikely because there is a poetry waitlist reported. However, I suppose I can't completely rule it out.

It's possible. Idk weirdly enough not a single person posted Ohio state acceptances which I thought would never happen. 

They notified on 1/31 of rejections. So I assume it takes a while for them to put rejections in. But we will probably have news next week. 

But Ohio state did have waitlists. Soo I would think there would be one or the other on draft?

[donuthead36]

5 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

It's possible. Idk weirdly enough not a single person posted Ohio state acceptances which I thought would never happen. 

They notified on 1/31 of rejections. So I assume it takes a while for them to put rejections in. But we will probably have news next week. 

But Ohio state did have waitlists. Soo I would think there would be one or the other on draft?

Yeah. I guess I just need to be patient lol. Responses will come eventually. This is my second year applying and I'm finding the waiting process to be more anxiety inducing this time around. Idk why that is. 

[Mystic_Sunshine]

Just now, donuthead36 said:

Yeah. I guess I just need to be patient lol. Responses will come eventually. This is my second year applying and I'm finding the waiting process to be more anxiety inducing this time around. Idk why that is. 

I don't blame you. I check everything all the time and it's super difficult to not to want it all to be over with asap. 

[snottlebie]

29 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

It's possible. Idk weirdly enough not a single person posted Ohio state acceptances which I thought would never happen. 

They notified on 1/31 of rejections. So I assume it takes a while for them to put rejections in. But we will probably have news next week. 

But Ohio state did have waitlists. Soo I would think there would be one or the other on draft?

Yeah it’s a weird year. Only posts showing Ohio waitlists, and rejections via portal, no acceptances (of a ~12 person cohort) posted in any forum. Since rejections and waitlists already went out, we have to assume acceptances did too. And there’s no reason not to share, anonymous or not, once all results are posted. So perhaps there’s a larger swath of applicants who aren’t online or posting to draft than we thought. (Or something real weird is going on. I didn’t even apply to Ohio, but since there’s been no movement at all, we’ve got a lot of (too much) time to think.)
 

UIUC is also a little weird, but the reason could just be they’re running later than prior years (in the past 5 years their latest acceptances have been 1/22, so not terribly far off). Perhaps they had a larger number of applicants, or, for some less exciting, more banal reason. Their cohort is smaller, but no mention of fiction waitlists either. 
 

Mostly this just means there’s been no happy news for anyone (mostly in fiction) except for Ohio waitlists). Still early though!

Edited January 24 by snottlebie