2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[zaira]

1 hour ago, prufrock_ said:

Fiction wait lists are out for UIUC, so I'd assume all acceptances are out as well.

I picked up a wait list spot, which feels nice as my first result! of course it's so subjective i could still get 16 rejections lol, but it gives me a glimmer of hope for this round.

Adding to the chorus of congrats!!! Fantastic start. Hoping for plenty more good news for you over the next few weeks! 

[HalBear]

20 hours ago, zaira said:

Massive congrats to the folks who got FSU, UIUC, and Emerson acceptances!! 

Do we know if FSU has sent out poetry or fiction acceptances? 

[Tuxedocat]

10 minutes ago, HalBear said:

Do we know if FSU has sent out poetry or fiction acceptances? 

Draft has a few fiction acceptances from FSU! Haven’t seen any poetry though.

 

And congrats to all the waitlists and acceptances so far!

Edited Tuesday at 07:10 PM by Tuxedocat

[HalBear]

3 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

Draft has a few fiction acceptances from FSU! Haven’t seen any poetry though.

 

And congrats to all the waitlists and acceptances so far!

Thank you for the quick reply! Anxiously waiting as poetry applicant here.

 

SO EXCITED FOR ALL WAITLISTS AND ACCEPTANCES!!

[bibsy]

can't remember if we had any other playwrights in this crew (i know they have a thread of their own, and i've posted there as well) - but just received an interview request for ut austin's playwriting program! 

[Hjanep]

2 minutes ago, bibsy said:

can't remember if we had any other playwrights in this crew (i know they have a thread of their own, and i've posted there as well) - but just received an interview request for ut austin's playwriting program! 

Amazing!! Do we know if they do interviews for all verticals or just playwriting?

[bibsy]

4 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

Amazing!! Do we know if they do interviews for all verticals or just playwriting?

probably just playwriting. interviews are much more standard within theatre programs. i think all three playwriting programs to which i've applied have an interview component. also, i didn't apply to michener so idk about their process (someone on draft asked). but from the spreadsheet ut austin sent me, it looks like they're only speaking with 9 candidates, which feels promising! keeping my fingers crossed!

[DJ Lambchop]

Saw on draft two acceptances to University of Minnesota today via email. To anyone who applied, I also applied and haven't heard anything yet.

[Hank Moody]

Yeah I applied to Minnesota too and haven't heard back. Based on last year's data though, they seem to send their waitlists much later so maybe there's still hope for that. It seems like such nice program. 

[roomservice]

9 hours ago, programedlove333 said:

Yeah, same. South Carolina may get back this week, but I don’t think they will just because their app deadline was the 15th of January… I know Wash U Stl also gets back some time around early Feb. I really just want to get one result back, whether it be rejection or acceptance, just so I can feel like: Ok! its really happening! Hopefully some of my other schools surprise me and notify early

When do we think WashU results would be? Can't find much info

[crossingmyfingers1212]

Is anyone else really scared of not getting in anywhere? I applied to 17, and I'm dreading the thought of facing 17 rejections. Trying to stay positive though!!!

[pananoprodigy]

1 minute ago, crossingmyfingers1212 said:

Is anyone else really scared of not getting in anywhere? I applied to 17, and I'm dreading the thought of facing 17 rejections. Trying to stay positive though!!!

Last year I didn’t get in anywhere and I ended up getting a residency that turned out to be the literal BEST experience of my whole life - and I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I’d been in school. All that to say, I really think things happen when they’re meant to. If we don’t get in anywhere this year it just means something else is coming for us.  

[KennyK]

3 hours ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Saw on draft two acceptances to University of Minnesota today via email. To anyone who applied, I also applied and haven't heard anything yet.

Was it for UOM Twin Cities?

[programedlove333]

1 hour ago, roomservice said:

When do we think WashU results would be? Can't find much info

early-mid feb is what ive seen! 

[DJ Lambchop]

1 hour ago, crossingmyfingers1212 said:

Is anyone else really scared of not getting in anywhere? I applied to 17, and I'm dreading the thought of facing 17 rejections. Trying to stay positive though!!!

Applied to nine programs. Would be surprised if I get waitlisted at even one of them. I feel like I’m playing the lottery. 

[Jitterbug98]

Does anyone know why Emerson has accepted applicants so early this year according to Draft? In past years I haven’t seen any results from them until March 

[PsychPoet]

38 minutes ago, Jitterbug98 said:

Does anyone know why Emerson has accepted applicants so early this year according to Draft? In past years I haven’t seen any results from them until March 

Very odd especially since even their priority deadline hasn't passed. Smacks of desperation to me, frankly. 

Edited Wednesday at 03:49 AM by PsychPoet

[exvat]

2 hours ago, crossingmyfingers1212 said:

Is anyone else really scared of not getting in anywhere? I applied to 17, and I'm dreading the thought of facing 17 rejections. Trying to stay positive though!!!

Not scared, but not particularly excited to figure out life in lieu of beginning an MFA. Would either get a job or leave the cat with family and spend some time in a monastery.

[Jitterbug98]

9 minutes ago, PsychPoet said:

Very odd especially since even their priority deadline hasn't passed. Smacks of desperation to me, frankly. 

As in you think they’re fake acceptances?

[PsychPoet]

10 minutes ago, Jitterbug98 said:

As in you think they’re fake acceptances?

No, I absolutely believe them. Saw a screenshot of an email on Reddit. I just think if you have both a priority deadline and a regular deadline, accepting people before you even see the full applicant pool suggests to me that they're more concerned with filling all their available slots, than getting the best applicants. 

Having sat on admissions committees at both Harvard Med and a generic SW Directional State type school I can tell you the latter had similar tactics and that, well, Harvard Med didn't. And to triangulate that data further I'd say Emerson isn't exactly Iowa. 

I thought all my apps were in, but was thinking of applying to Emerson as the ultimate safety just because I'm already in Boston, but having seen these come through I may not bother even though I have all their essays done and ready to go. 

I absolutely do not want to start an MFA thinking it's not a good enough program. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:09 AM by PsychPoet

[Jitterbug98]

15 minutes ago, PsychPoet said:

No, I absolutely believe them. Saw a screenshot of an email on Reddit. I just think if you have both a priority deadline and a regular deadline, accepting people before you even see the full applicant pool suggests to me that they're more concerned with filling all their available slots, than getting the best applicants. 

Having sat on admissions committees at both Harvard Med and a generic SW Directional State type school I can tell you the latter had similar tactics and that, well, Harvard Med didn't. And to triangulate that data further I'd say Emerson isn't exactly Iowa. 

I thought all my apps were in, but was thinking of applying to Emerson as the ultimate safety just because I'm already in Boston, but having seen these come through I may not bother even though I have all their essays done and ready to go. 

I absolutely do not want to start an MFA thinking it's not a good enough program. 

Ah, gotcha. Yeah I know they’re not nearly as selective as a fully funded program and their funding isn’t great overall but it still seems like a solid program— just wish the cost of living in Boston wasn’t so high. If it was a cheaper city it might be doable with full tuition remission. 

[PsychPoet]

2 minutes ago, Jitterbug98 said:

Ah, gotcha. Yeah I know they’re not nearly as selective as a fully funded program and their funding isn’t great overall but it still seems like a solid program— just wish the cost of living in Boston wasn’t so high. If it was a cheaper city it might be doable with full tuition remission. 

Ah, don't let that discourage you! The advantage Boston has over most expensive cities is the sheer number of college students here. There are 64 colleges here (not in state, just the Boston area itself). So many students that many parts of the city feel almost empty when schools aren't in session. 

While the media and others tend to hype the price, that's for standard housing types. But if you're willing to bounce around to sublets (which are as thick as mosquitos under a sodium light in the summer) or have roommates in a huge old house you can easily rent for $750/mo or less. I did some combination of those all through my unfunded MA and my doc which was funded, but I worked (TA/RA) so much I should have just lived in one of the classrooms. Haha/ugh. 

I get where you're coming from though. I'm heavily invested in wanting to get into one of the NYC schools (Columbia, NYU, Hunter) and am absolutely tripped out at the thought of moving back to that monster as a student. 

Lived there after undergrad, and man can housing be daunting there. I'm sure I'll make it work (if I get funded), but the anxiety is real. But wow do I love that city. 

[AyvaM]

On 1/27/2025 at 3:20 PM, cooliejulie86 said:

I think there are two, no? One came in on the 9th

The one on the 9th was a liar. People were chatting about it a few pages back 🌻🌻

[AyvaM]

Has anyone screamed yet today? I think we should scream. A little. For health.

[Mystic_Sunshine]

17 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

Has anyone screamed yet today? I think we should scream. A little. For health.

cried not screamed but its all good.