2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[curfew]

11 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Happy birthday!! I'm sorry about Syracuse tho :,( I hope you can yell about it with loved ones today ❤️ 

Thank you so much!! It’s all okay—we ball. I  appreciate you for saying this:)

[suitcase 1234]

does anyone think we'll hear from hunter, nyu, or Columbia this week? 

[Hjanep]

6 minutes ago, suitcase 1234 said:

does anyone think we'll hear from hunter, nyu, or Columbia this week? 

My guess is nyu will be next week. Idk about the other two

[rhaenyra]

Update on my UC San Diego situation! I got waitlisted in fiction, which means I've achieved my main goal for my first (hopefully last) round of applications! 🥳 I'm shaking I'm so happy and I haven't even gotten in lol. I knew if anyone liked my piece it was gonna be a slightly weirdo school

[zaira]

4 minutes ago, rhaenyra said:

Update on my UC San Diego situation! I got waitlisted in fiction, which means I've achieved my main goal for my first (hopefully last) round of applications! 🥳 I'm shaking I'm so happy and I haven't even gotten in lol. I knew if anyone liked my piece it was gonna be a slightly weirdo school

Hell yes! So rewarding to feel seen. A waitlist is a major accomplishment, congrats! ❤️ 

[everything bagel lover]

7 minutes ago, rhaenyra said:

Update on my UC San Diego situation! I got waitlisted in fiction, which means I've achieved my main goal for my first (hopefully last) round of applications! 🥳 I'm shaking I'm so happy and I haven't even gotten in lol. I knew if anyone liked my piece it was gonna be a slightly weirdo school

Yay omg congrats!!!!

[exvat]

Reflecting on "fit" for a program, it occured to me that there may not be many programs "for" me. Lotta red/orange flags (none legal) to American culture and universities, which can't exactly be ignored on a CV, in my personal statement, or poems. My readers and recommenders get me, but they know me—ya know? Pretty much the only "green" flag I can find in my overarching story is that I've survived and am doing great these days; but yowza is my past kinda extra, to the degree that I'm worried there isn't a cohort "for" me.

Anyone else feel similarly? Or resonate and can report from the other side of program acceptance?

[Jane Wyman]

"Anyone else feel similarly? Or resonate and can report from the other side of program acceptance?" 

Yep, in this boat. I did get into a fully funded program last year, but I'm trying to transfer out of it, as aspects of the experience have been disappointing. The program director at my current school said, "You are lucky we're willing to take a chance on you, given your age," which until recently, I saw as a yellow/red flag signaling he's a little bit sexist and ageist. Now I'm worried he was telling the truth. 

 

[eternalwhitenights]

2 hours ago, Lady Gladys said:

That sounds great! If I may offer some advice if you don't receive an acceptance this year: take some undergrad fiction writing classes. You are in a uniquely favorable position -- some of the professors in the grad program also teach undergrad classes. You will get to know the professors and know what they are looking for. You would also start to gain from their knowledge of the craft, which is exactly what you would want from the MFA program.

Good luck!!

Yes, this is very much one of the paths I'm considering for class taking if I don't get in this year. Aside from getting to know some of the professors, I would so very much love to be back in a collegiate workshop setting; creative writing classes were some of my favorites in undergrad, and they were so generative and useful for me as an artist, both then and now.

How's your season going? Are you in a program currently, applying this cycle, etc.? Best of luck in all of it regardless!

[Blueruins]

7 minutes ago, exvat said:

Reflecting on "fit" for a program, it occured to me that there may not be many programs "for" me. Lotta red/orange flags (none legal) to American culture and universities, which can't exactly be ignored on a CV, in my personal statement, or poems. My readers and recommenders get me, but they know me—ya know? Pretty much the only "green" flag I can find in my overarching story is that I've survived and am doing great these days; but yowza is my past kinda extra, to the degree that I'm worried there isn't a cohort "for" me.

Anyone else feel similarly? Or resonate and can report from the other side of program acceptance?

hi idk if this is relevant but in my sop i wrote about my friend who got expelled from columbia’s mfa creative writing program last spring for protesting and speaking for Palestine and he told me his writing and thinking will never stop. I was the TA for Arab cinema class at that time and I also wrote about my relevant family history in China in my story which is highly political and I kinda regretted doing it. I definitely didn’t FIT into American narratives and am a red flag. But i view this application cycle as part of my personal growth. im glad i did it

[Lady Gladys]

7 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

"Anyone else feel similarly? Or resonate and can report from the other side of program acceptance?" 

Yep, in this boat. I did get into a fully funded program last year, but I'm trying to transfer out of it, as aspects of the experience have been disappointing. The program director at my current school said, "You are lucky we're willing to take a chance on you, given your age," which until recently, I saw as a yellow/red flag signaling he's a little bit sexist and ageist. Now I'm worried he was telling the truth. 

 

I am an older student finishing up a masters with a creative writing concentration (nonfiction) at a well-known university. My thesis advisor suggested I apply to MFA programs once I graduate. When I objected that no one would want someone my age, she disagreed. Your current program director is an idiot. Ignore him.

[zaira]

15 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

"Anyone else feel similarly? Or resonate and can report from the other side of program acceptance?" 

Yep, in this boat. I did get into a fully funded program last year, but I'm trying to transfer out of it, as aspects of the experience have been disappointing. The program director at my current school said, "You are lucky we're willing to take a chance on you, given your age," which until recently, I saw as a yellow/red flag signaling he's a little bit sexist and ageist. Now I'm worried he was telling the truth. 

 

This is incredibly rude of that director--downright unprofessional. I can see why you transferred out. 

[Jane Wyman]

Thank you both! That helps to hear.

[DJ Lambchop]

5 minutes ago, zaira said:

This is incredibly rude of that director--downright unprofessional. I can see why you transferred out. 

Not just rude, it's borderline illegal.

[Tinky C. Clown]

tomorrow is 2/20… on 2/20/24 last year, the first iowa and michigan results went out and i remember it being the first day it really dawned on me that i was going to be reapplying. this year im going into the february 20-somethings knowing i have a little bit better odds at my moonshot schools and that i have options if it doesn’t work out. it gets better, you guys, and second rounds are so much easier than first rounds 

[Catpaw]

1 hour ago, suitcase 1234 said:

does anyone think we'll hear from hunter, nyu, or Columbia this week? 

1 hour ago, Hjanep said:

My guess is nyu will be next week. Idk about the other two

Adding that Hunter is most likely to be next week as well at the earliest. I wasn't attending to the cycle last year, but two years ago they called to notify about interviews on 2/25.

[exvat]

1 hour ago, Blueruins said:

hi idk if this is relevant but in my sop i wrote about my friend who got expelled from columbia’s mfa creative writing program last spring for protesting and speaking for Palestine and he told me his writing and thinking will never stop. I was the TA for Arab cinema class at that time and I also wrote about my relevant family history in China in my story which is highly political and I kinda regretted doing it. I definitely didn’t FIT into American narratives and am a red flag. But i view this application cycle as part of my personal growth. im glad i did it

Thank you so much for sharing, and absolute best of luck to you—and your friend. It's been hard learning how morally and ethically untethered universities have become, especially around what should have been a slam dunk "right side of history" humanitarian issue. If I'm honest, it gives me pause about Columbia specifically.

[inkidacat]

still haven't heard back from anything regarding syrcause for me (I'm a fiction applicant). does this mean it's probably a rejection? anyone else in the same boat? and there's nothing on my portal as well :(( 

Edited Wednesday at 06:43 PM by inkidacat

[DJ Lambchop]

25 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

still haven't heard back from anything regarding syrcause for me (I'm a fiction applicant). does this mean it's probably a rejection? anyone else in the same boat? and there's nothing on my portal as well :(( 

Are you fiction or poetry? It seems like most of the fiction rejections have gone out unless they are doing them in waves. but I don’t think ive seen any waitlists or acceptances yet for fiction so maybe they’re doing those second. 

[inkidacat]

 

6 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Are you fiction or poetry? It seems like most of the fiction rejections have gone out unless they are doing them in waves. but I don’t think ive seen any waitlists or acceptances yet for fiction so maybe they’re doing those second. 

I'm applying for fiction,,, the silence is eating me away lol 

[DJ Lambchop]

8 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

 

I'm applying for fiction,,, the silence is eating me away lol 

In that case, I’m praying for some good news for you 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Hjanep]

12 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

 

I'm applying for fiction,,, the silence is eating me away lol 

Samesies

[inkidacat]

also, my facebook account got hacked, n i lost all of my info from the facebook draft group T_T...and for some reason,  facebook isn't letting me make a new account. I know there was a discord group made as well, and i was wondering if anyone had the invite link? 

Edited Wednesday at 07:33 PM by inkidacat

[pananoprodigy]

It's quiet today....TOO quiet....

[DJ Lambchop]

9 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

It's quiet today....TOO quiet....

Yeah, like when shrek walks into Duloc. “It’s quiet… too quiet.” And then he finds Lord Farquaad in an arena sending a bunch of men out for his quest, saying, “some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.” 
(the admissions committee is farquaad)