2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[programedlove333]

54 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

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

The way i was about to come here and ask if anyone else was going crazy today

[seezeegee]

15 hours ago, PsychPoet said:

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

Most of the college wanted the new president to resign. This academic year also had the lowest enrollment for undergrad (although I'm assuming grad mirrors it) after a steady rise for the past few years, because of the events of last Spring.

[DJ Lambchop]

Guys I just realized I did not write my home address down on the Iowa manuscript cover when I sent it in back in December 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️. I know it’s on the Iowa portal somewhere but as they are all gung ho about that physical manuscript, I’m worried this will affect how I receive my notification. 

[prufrock_]

48 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Guys I just realized I did not write my home address down on the Iowa manuscript cover when I sent it in back in December 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️. I know it’s on the Iowa portal somewhere but as they are all gung ho about that physical manuscript, I’m worried this will affect how I receive my notification. 

I wouldn't worry about it; acceptance is done via phone call, but the rejection is over snail mail. So if they're looking for your address and notice it's missing on the form, it's probably not going to change their decision by that point. Then yeah, I think they'd pull the digital form and mail it that way!

[PsychPoet]

1 hour ago, seezeegee said:

Most of the college wanted the new president to resign. This academic year also had the lowest enrollment for undergrad (although I'm assuming grad mirrors it) after a steady rise for the past few years, because of the events of last Spring.

Ugh, yeah. My office isn't far from Emerson and I had to walk past all that craziness every day. Are you at Emerson now? I'm mostly WFH/or over in Longwood now so hardly ever there, has that all died down at this point? I know they shut down the stuff in the City Place alley, but just the vibe internally? I'm not so interested in trying to write in an environment of constant strife. 

Gives me some small measure of pause RE: Columbia as well. 

[PsychPoet]

58 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I wouldn't worry about it; acceptance is done via phone call, but the rejection is over snail mail. So if they're looking for your address and notice it's missing on the form, it's probably not going to change their decision by that point. Then yeah, I think they'd pull the digital form and mail it that way!

Is that true? They call for acceptances? I was under the understanding all notifications with them came via snail mail. 

Speaking of Iowa I almost had a heart attack yesterday. Saw an email from Iowa, and even though I know they absolutely don't email, and it's way too early, but seeing it still made my heart jump anyway. 

Was just them letting me know they'd received my FAFSA info. 

[prufrock_]

3 minutes ago, PsychPoet said:

Is that true? They call for acceptances? I was under the understanding all notifications with them came via snail mail. 

Speaking of Iowa I almost had a heart attack yesterday. Saw an email from Iowa, and even though I know they absolutely don't email, and it's way too early, but seeing it still made my heart jump anyway. 

Was just them letting me know they'd received my FAFSA info. 

yes, based on the last 4 years of draft data, Iowa gives a phone call for acceptances. They start around mid to late feb.

[seezeegee]

55 minutes ago, PsychPoet said:

Ugh, yeah. My office isn't far from Emerson and I had to walk past all that craziness every day. Are you at Emerson now? I'm mostly WFH/or over in Longwood now so hardly ever there, has that all died down at this point? I know they shut down the stuff in the City Place alley, but just the vibe internally? I'm not so interested in trying to write in an environment of constant strife. 

Gives me some small measure of pause RE: Columbia as well. 

Not at Emerson. I'm on the kids' side, actually—the retaliation is why many wanted the president to resign. I think we're all writing amidst constant strife anyway, considering the state of the world. I'm sure many of us will be in grad student/TA unions as well, once we get acceptances. Fighting for a school to be a better place seems to be the best thing we can do.

Edited Wednesday at 10:00 PM by seezeegee
typo

[programedlove333]

Pitt interview for fiction reported on draft! 

[Cejapi_128]

Hi all—

Just wanted to drop in and report a request for an interview received today from Pitt (fiction). (It’s the only place I applied so unfortunately can’t provide any additional intel!)

I knew that Pitt did interviews but if anyone has any insight into what that means in terms of odds I’d appreciate it. Just not sure whether to prepare myself for a likely rejection or a likely acceptance or if there’s no way of knowing…

Good luck out there.

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:42 PM by Cejapi_128

[Cejapi_128]

59 minutes ago, Cejapi_128 said:

Hi all—

Just wanted to drop in and report a request for an interview received today from Pitt (fiction). (It’s the only place I applied so unfortunately can’t provide any additional intel!)

I knew that Pitt did interviews but if anyone has any insight into what that means in terms of odds I’d appreciate it. Just not sure whether to prepare myself for a likely rejection or a likely acceptance or if there’s no way of knowing…

Good luck out there.

 

To answer my own question seems like it generally indicates either acceptance or waitlist (at least according to posts from previous years)? But I’m trying not to get my hopes up!

[cooliejulie86]

Congratulations and fingers crossed for official acceptance soon!

[bibsy]

49 minutes ago, Cejapi_128 said:

To answer my own question seems like it generally indicates either acceptance or waitlist (at least according to posts from previous years)? But I’m trying not to get my hopes up!

an interview request is always a good thing!! they don't interview candidates they are not interested in. if they're speaking with you, they're already interested in your work. now, they want to assemble a compatible cohort, make sure your goals are aligned with the resources the program offers, etc. congrats on advancing in the process!!

[Scribe]

just checking in and wanted to let you guys know that Irvine has started reviewing apps. 

[cooliejulie86]

Thanks, Scribe! Does that mean you've been recruited as a reader? 

[PsychPoet]

8 hours ago, prufrock_ said:

yes, based on the last 4 years of draft data, Iowa gives a phone call for acceptances. They start around mid to late feb.

Wow, good to know! Love that they've been starting earlier than I expected. Thanks!

[everything bagel lover]

I know that checking the forums and the draft every 5 minutes won't change the immutable timelines of the admissions committees but i can't stop myself :,(

[prufrock_]

31 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

I know that checking the forums and the draft every 5 minutes won't change the immutable timelines of the admissions committees but i can't stop myself :,(

me, knowing minnesota has sent out all acceptances, yet still manually refreshing gmail just in case they forgot little ol' me

[Catpaw]

12 hours ago, Scribe said:

just checking in and wanted to let you guys know that Irvine has started reviewing apps. 

If we applied to Irvine and opted to include the self-addressed postcard with our manuscript (aka, the postcard that gets mailed back to you as proof-of-receipt), do you know if we should we have received that postcard by now? Or do those postcards get mailed only as each individual app gets reviewed?

I've been uncertain if I should reach out to the department and confirm whether my application packet actually made it to Irvine, or if I'd be inquiring too soon... Just not sure what the appropriate process is.

[programedlove333]

1 hour ago, everything bagel lover said:

I know that checking the forums and the draft every 5 minutes won't change the immutable timelines of the admissions committees but i can't stop myself :,(

i was on the draft at 7 am this morning. the waiting is going to kill meeeee

[decayingballads21]

53 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

me, knowing minnesota has sent out all acceptances, yet still manually refreshing gmail just in case they forgot little ol' me

Has Minnesota actually sent out ALL acceptances? There’s only 4 posts in the draft spreadsheet. Don’t they admit 9 each year? 

[saintjdog]

do we think pittsburgh has already sent out all interview invites (fiction specifically)?

[prufrock_]

Just now, decayingballads21 said:

Has Minnesota actually sent out ALL acceptances? There’s only 4 posts in the draft spreadsheet. Don’t they admit 9 each year? 

i suppose we don't know 100% -- they could still be rolling out.

But the way I see it: not every acceptance is gonna show up on the list. Some people don't know about it or some don't report every movement, so it'll never be a full data set.  Since over half of the available spots are reported as accepted, it's very likely all have gone out.

waitlists for minnesota should go out in a single wave in a week or two, if patterns of the last few years stay true.

[decayingballads21]

1 minute ago, prufrock_ said:

i suppose we don't know 100% -- they could still be rolling out.

But the way I see it: not every acceptance is gonna show up on the list. Some people don't know about it or some don't report every movement, so it'll never be a full data set.  Since over half of the available spots are reported as accepted, it's very likely all have gone out.

waitlists for minnesota should go out in a single wave in a week or two, if patterns of the last few years stay true.

Yeah I don’t think they’re done. Only 4 reported on draft this week. Likely they did 3 calls a day and have 3 left to do.

[AyvaM]

22 minutes ago, saintjdog said:

do we think pittsburgh has already sent out all interview invites (fiction specifically)?

I just came here to wonder about that, because checking Draft notifications from last year I just noticed that ALL the Interview requests people posted were for Fiction and Nonfiction and there were no Interview Requests listed for Poetry - simply acceptances and rejections for all three genres at the end of February. I'm trying to figure out if I should be freaking out for not having got a request because i applied for poetry but maybe they don't even interview the poets????

Edited Thursday at 05:21 PM by AyvaM
Typo