2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[misssalem]

6 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Damn, grapefruit if you're here...I'll have what you're having. Huge congrats! 🫢

Same here, grapefruit! Congratulations!

[lurkingwriter3]

Did anyone else's UNLV app update to "Under Departmental Review"?

[Prosaic Ioniser]

This is fully a rant so feel free to ignore but damn, having basically received two soft rejections but still no official response makes me feel terrible... And unrelated to MFAs but putting me into a deep state of despair in combination with that fact is that I'm also in between jobs and just received a rejection from a job that would have lasted until summer so, in theory, perfect timing (and also thought the interview had gone well). On top of that I'm slightly sleep deprived because of my neighbours which is the worst reason to not be able to sleep. 

Anyone have any great coping strategies for these terrible waiting periods? I try to keep busy and distract myself but it's getting harder...

Seeing other people receive responses does make me feel better, and I guess there's always a second chance but tbh I'm unsure whether I'll be willing/able to spend that much money on applications any time soon. Last thing as an international; why can there not be any fully funded MFAs outside of the US 🫠

[Mr. Scribblo]

22 minutes ago, lurkingwriter3 said:

Did anyone else's UNLV app update to "Under Departmental Review"?

yup!

[DJ Lambchop]

This has felt like the longest month in the history of months. 

[zaira]

2 hours ago, Prosaic Ioniser said:

Anyone have any great coping strategies for these terrible waiting periods? I try to keep busy and distract myself but it's getting harder...

I think I might have mentioned it yesterday, but I recommend not trying to keep busy or distract yourself, at least for a day or two. We're all working through complicated feelings right now. Anticipation, depression, acceptance, hope, despair, anger, guilt. Piling distractions on top of these is like putting a coat of paint over a fly on the wall. Take a day or even this entire weekend to feel what you need to feel, get your hands fully in the muck. I swear it works! 

[DJ Lambchop]

3 hours ago, Prosaic Ioniser said:

Anyone have any great coping strategies for these terrible waiting periods? I try to keep busy and distract myself but it's getting harder…

I tend to feel better when I read my favorite writers. Kind of reminds me why I’m here. Bonus if your favorite writers did not get an MFA! 

[Prosaic Ioniser]

50 minutes ago, zaira said:

I think I might have mentioned it yesterday, but I recommend not trying to keep busy or distract yourself, at least for a day or two. We're all working through complicated feelings right now. Anticipation, depression, acceptance, hope, despair, anger, guilt. Piling distractions on top of these is like putting a coat of paint over a fly on the wall. Take a day or even this entire weekend to feel what you need to feel, get your hands fully in the muck. I swear it works! 

Thank you. Genuinely just reading this made me relax my shoulders a little bit and felt like it gave me "permission" to just feel what I feel. It's very reasonable advice, I guess it just goes against my instincts - but I will try!

9 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

I tend to feel better when I read my favorite writers. Kind of reminds me why I’m here. Bonus if your favorite writers did not get an MFA! 

That is a lovely tip! 

[Mr. Scribblo]

okay ole miss, pls come out. pls!!!!

[Gander]

Saw that there actually was a ASU acceptance posted today. Congrats to them! I hope that's not the end for that, but, who knows at this point...

[Mystic_Sunshine]

2 hours ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

okay ole miss, pls come out. pls!!!!

This one is making me so anxious. I think knowing an exact date they finish reading is maybe worse lol. 

[putonash]

20 hours ago, roomservice said:

looks like Michener (I'm assuming) interview went out for screenwriting, anyone know if they throw out interviews for poetry (or other disciplines) at around the same time?

was this posted somewhere or mentioned in a different thread?

[Dingdong99]

Got accepted into ASU last night! Yippee!!! 

[rocinante78]

Hey everyone, looks like the chat has really drummed up posts since I last saw this. All the best everyone and congrats to all those who got in!
And whoever's waiting, fingers crossed?
Got a rejection email from Cornell. Burns. But trying not to think about it. I have 3 more unis I'm waiting on. 
Virginia portal seems to have updated. And it says: Application Status: Awaiting Decision
Does that mean they read it and they haven't decided? Does it say the same for anyone else applying to UVA's MFA Fiction?

[crossingmyfingers1212]

4 minutes ago, rocinante78 said:

Hey everyone, looks like the chat has really drummed up posts since I last saw this. All the best everyone and congrats to all those who got in!
And whoever's waiting, fingers crossed?
Got a rejection email from Cornell. Burns. But trying not to think about it. I have 3 more unis I'm waiting on. 
Virginia portal seems to have updated. And it says: Application Status: Awaiting Decision
Does that mean they read it and they haven't decided? Does it say the same for anyone else applying to UVA's MFA Fiction?

mine also says that!

[zaira]

4 minutes ago, rocinante78 said:

Virginia portal seems to have updated. And it says: Application Status: Awaiting Decision
Does that mean they read it and they haven't decided? Does it say the same for anyone else applying to UVA's MFA Fiction?

Fwiw, I just checked mine and it says the same. No clue what it means other than "hang tight and see." 

[Catpaw]

Yes, and mine too. 

It probably means they've processed (or at least in some way accessed) our submissions. Though, my sense is UVA notifies later in February (closer to early March, I thought) so we still might not hear for a while? I don't remember their typical timing.

[prufrock_]

3 minutes ago, rocinante78 said:

Hey everyone, looks like the chat has really drummed up posts since I last saw this. All the best everyone and congrats to all those who got in!
And whoever's waiting, fingers crossed?
Got a rejection email from Cornell. Burns. But trying not to think about it. I have 3 more unis I'm waiting on. 
Virginia portal seems to have updated. And it says: Application Status: Awaiting Decision
Does that mean they read it and they haven't decided? Does it say the same for anyone else applying to UVA's MFA Fiction?

My UVA also says Awaiting Decision. I wouldn't read too much into it. Portal updates aren't the best source of information imo (like, my lone waitlist so far still says Awaiting Decision in the portal). Until it says accepted or declined, it could mean anything.

[friendned]

16 minutes ago, rocinante78 said:

Hey everyone, looks like the chat has really drummed up posts since I last saw this. All the best everyone and congrats to all those who got in!
And whoever's waiting, fingers crossed?
Got a rejection email from Cornell. Burns. But trying not to think about it. I have 3 more unis I'm waiting on. 
Virginia portal seems to have updated. And it says: Application Status: Awaiting Decision
Does that mean they read it and they haven't decided? Does it say the same for anyone else applying to UVA's MFA Fiction?

It's said that on my portal for the last few weeks at the very least - wouldn't read too much into it. 

[KennyK]

Hoping Notre Dame emails me and asks to schedule an interview. I haven’t heard anything back from any of the schools I applied but I’m very grateful for everyone posting on here and keeping us all updated! It helped me already get over the (soft) rejections from JH and Minnesota. If today is another quiet day then I hope we all have a great weekend!

[Hank Moody]

33 minutes ago, friendned said:

It's said that on my portal for the last few weeks at the very least - wouldn't read too much into it. 

Yeah it changed to awaiting decision like a day or two after I submitted. Probably just means the file was forwarded to the adcom.

[misssalem]

1 hour ago, Dingdong99 said:

Got accepted into ASU last night! Yippee!!! 

Congratulations!!!! Wooppp!!! 

[decayingballads21]

7 hours ago, lurkingwriter3 said:

Did anyone else's UNLV app update to "Under Departmental Review"?

Mine has been saying this since January 17

[everything bagel lover]

Another very quiet day so far. Happy Valentine's day y'all! Also congrats @Dingdong99!!! ❤️ 

[essentialflowers]

I got a notification from Syracuse but it was only to say my letter of rec was approved. My heart nearly beat out of my chest and I'm STILL not recovered.