2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[everything bagel lover]

According to draft sheet from 2024, this day last year, UWY sent out its first fiction rejection, and JHU sent out their first poetry acceptances. I'm on high alert and I know logically that this means nothing for this year's timeline.

I've been guilty of some magical thinking lately and trying to statistics my way into optimism about incoming results (I don't actually understand statistics).

[prufrock_]

Expecting UWY results soon seems a bit too optimistic imo, their deadline was just a couple of weeks ago.

 

I'd guess that rejection from last year was an outlier from someone who maybe didn't even finish their app or something.

Edited February 5 by prufrock_

[HalBear]

I am working my 9 to 5 refreshing the draft sheet every 10 minutes... dreaming of an escape from this corporate world and yearning being able to write poetry for years! so anxious for acceptances!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

[everything bagel lover]

14 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

Expecting UWY results soon seems a bit too optimistic imo, their deadline was just a couple of weeks ago.

 

I'd guess that rejection from last year was an outlier from someone who maybe didn't even finish their app or something.

You're a beacon of logic, Prufrock :,(

Are any of your schools early Feb notifiers?

[prufrock_]

14 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

You're a beacon of logic, Prufrock :,(

Are any of your schools early Feb notifiers?

Sorry! It's a character flaw of mine! This week I'll join your optimism and hope for a JHU fiction result.

Next week I'll be hoping for:  Cornell and a Minnesota waitlist. After that, the flood gates open and who knows!

It looks like most of yours are pretty late notifiers, though naropa might be a wild card.

[everything bagel lover]

1 minute ago, prufrock_ said:

Sorry! It's a character flaw of mine! This week I'll join your optimism and hope for a JHU fiction result.

Next week I'll be hoping for:  Cornell and a Minnesota waitlist. After that, the flood gates open and who knows!

It looks like most of yours are pretty late notifiers, though naropa might be a wild card.

No I'm endeared by it lol and also you're correct, I'm just feeling impatient. Naropa said they don't start reviewing apps until Feb 1st, so I imagine it'll be a while there as well. It's also just exciting to see other people get results! My partner is like "why are you telling me about schools you didn't apply to?"

I hope you get some good news either this week or next!! Yeah, it looks like starting last week of Feb it'll be a flurry of notifs which is exciting and stressful. 

[suitcase 1234]

hi everyone  maybe dumb questions because it's relatively unpredictable, but I'm curious if anyone has any insight on when the New York schools tend to release their fiction decisions? thinking the new school, hunter, and nyu in particular. 

[Hjanep]

3 minutes ago, suitcase 1234 said:

hi everyone  maybe dumb questions because it's relatively unpredictable, but I'm curious if anyone has any insight on when the New York schools tend to release their fiction decisions? thinking the new school, hunter, and nyu in particular. 

I only have NYU related info. Last year they admitted people 2/26 (some people got calls and then there was a big wave of emails that went out over the following days). Then I got a waitlist decision 3/7. Rejections rolled out 3/20. I got in off the waitlist 4/24 and had until 5/9 to decide if I wanted the spot. Hope this helps!

[programedlove333]

13 minutes ago, suitcase 1234 said:

hi everyone  maybe dumb questions because it's relatively unpredictable, but I'm curious if anyone has any insight on when the New York schools tend to release their fiction decisions? thinking the new school, hunter, and nyu in particular. 

I think New School releases decisions early march!

[suitcase 1234]

21 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

I only have NYU related info. Last year they admitted people 2/26 (some people got calls and then there was a big wave of emails that went out over the following days). Then I got a waitlist decision 3/7. Rejections rolled out 3/20. I got in off the waitlist 4/24 and had until 5/9 to decide if I wanted the spot. Hope this helps!

thank you so much! knowing it could be this month is awesome but also feels so far away lol

[prufrock_]

A Syracuse poetry rejection just hit. 🤔not sure what to make of this???

[hopeful poet 2025]

Hey, wanted to pop in & say that I just received a poetry rejection from Syracuse. (It is the one on Draft). Not the best news, but trying to stay upbeat, since it was the first I have heard from my schools. Relieved to just get the first bandaid ripped off. 

Also have applied to: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona, Hunter, Stonybrook, UMass Boston, University of Kentucky, Texas State, Rutgers-C, and Rutgers-Newark. 🤞

[everything bagel lover]

Syracuse poetry waitlist just dropped on draft, cohort is 6 waitlist is 20 👀

Edited February 5 by everything bagel lover
typos lol

[strawberrymatcha]

hi everyone! anyone else waiting to hear back from oregon state or northwestern? it’s interesting (and slightly ominous) that there’s only one line on the spreadsheet for each of those schools

[Chex]

25 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

A Syracuse poetry rejection just hit. 🤔not sure what to make of this???

I can see a poetry waitlist now, too. I believe it's safe to assume that decisions for poetry have gone out. If patterns from previous years hold, then fiction applicants can expect to hear back in about two or three weeks. 

7 minutes ago, hopeful poet 2025 said:

Hey, wanted to pop in & say that I just received a poetry rejection from Syracuse. (It is the one on Draft). Not the best news, but trying to stay upbeat, since it was the first I have heard from my schools. Relieved to just get the first bandaid ripped off. 

Also have applied to: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona, Hunter, Stonybrook, UMass Boston, University of Kentucky, Texas State, Rutgers-C, and Rutgers-Newark. 🤞

Thanks for letting us know! Wishing you good luck with the rest of your applications. 

[nauseated]

When can we expect results for JHU fiction? hoping and praying for an acceptance/waitlist though I'm trying to be realistic about it, but would like to know when to expect nonetheless. The other programs I applied to are Brown and UT Austin (both NWP and Michener) - kind of regret directly dipping my feet into the really selective ones but this was my first round so hopefully will tweak as I learn. Good luck and congrats to everyone receiving/expecting results!

[rrrooossseee]

hey all, been lurking for a bit but i just created an account after hearing back from one of my schools, syracuse, with a poetry rejection (sorry to read about yours as well, hopeful poet).

still waiting on university of michigan, iowa, and concordia (in montreal, where i'm located). i only applied to four, which makes the rejection a little unnerving, but i'm trying to stay positive. i also really appreciated this section in my rejection letter, which might help if you're dealing with a rejection, too.

"This is a complicated judgment which depends a great deal on the abilities and opinions of those instructors here who must be able to feel that they could clearly serve the development of your writing.  Their consensus not to recommend admission to the program should in no way be interpreted as a discouragement of your writing."

anyways, thought i'd just say hi and check in. good luck everyone ❤️ 

[HalBear]

4 hours ago, HalBear said:

I am working my 9 to 5 refreshing the draft sheet every 10 minutes... dreaming of an escape from this corporate world and yearning being able to write poetry for years! so anxious for acceptances!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

Haha as I sit here.. Rejected from FSU!

All is well.

0A/0W/1R/3P

[Tuxedocat]

12 minutes ago, hopeful poet 2025 said:

Hey, wanted to pop in & say that I just received a poetry rejection from Syracuse. (It is the one on Draft). Not the best news, but trying to stay upbeat, since it was the first I have heard from my schools. Relieved to just get the first bandaid ripped off. 

Also have applied to: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona, Hunter, Stonybrook, UMass Boston, University of Kentucky, Texas State, Rutgers-C, and Rutgers-Newark. 🤞

Did you apply to Rutgers-C for multi-genre instead of poetry? I wanted to apply but they said the only poet faculty member is on sabbatical so they wouldn’t accept applicants of only poetry. 

[Tinky C. Clown]

5 minutes ago, strawberrymatcha said:

hi everyone! anyone else waiting to hear back from oregon state or northwestern? it’s interesting (and slightly ominous) that there’s only one line on the spreadsheet for each of those schools

yeah waiting on oregon state for fiction. it's possible that other accepted ppl aren't on draft

[Chex]

9 minutes ago, nauseated said:

When can we expect results for JHU fiction? hoping and praying for an acceptance/waitlist though I'm trying to be realistic about it, but would like to know when to expect nonetheless. The other programs I applied to are Brown and UT Austin (both NWP and Michener) - kind of regret directly dipping my feet into the really selective ones but this was my first round so hopefully will tweak as I learn. Good luck and congrats to everyone receiving/expecting results!

Any time between now and the next two weeks is typical. Next week seems like a ripe time, though. Best of luck! 

[Gander]

10 minutes ago, HalBear said:

Haha as I sit here.. Rejected from FSU!

All is well.

0A/0W/1R/3P

Same here. First response of the season 😞 Expected it, though.

0A/0W/1R/18P

[Sumire11]

Hey all,

Based on two boise stare interview requests for poetry that went out a while, has there been any movement regarding fiction?

[HalBear]

6 minutes ago, Gander said:

Same here. First response of the season 😞 Expected it, though.

0A/0W/1R/18P

We're in this together. Don't let this get you down! 

"We're all just walking each other home." - Ram Dass

I hope you find your home!

Edited February 5 by HalBear

[epr]

7 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

yeah waiting on oregon state for fiction. it's possible that other accepted ppl aren't on draft

This is my 3rd time applying for things and my best advice is if folks are reporting acceptances, even if it’s only one, best to assume you’re rejected. Better to get a pleasant surprise of a phone call or waitlist email then stress out refreshing your application online. Rejections tend to come 1-2weeks after acceptances. 
 

The one weird semi-exception to this I remember from last year is Boston University—sometimes they do their rejections in waves, so rejections can pop up on the spreadsheet weeks before acceptances. Until you see an acceptance from them on Draft, assume you’re still in the running.