2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Hjanep]

I’m assuming soft R from JHU and Iowa, waiting on Montana, NYU, UCI, Brown, UVA, UVic BC, Stegner (lol) all for fiction

[pananoprodigy]

34 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

What places are people still waiting on? 

I've got 8 left (I still have some soft rejections). 

Waiting on Wyoming, U of Oregon, Brown, Rutgers Camden, Trinity College Dublin, Northern Michigan, and Boise State! With three sexy soft rejections from Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Notre Dame. 🤠

edit: four* soft rejections -- take that Iowa, I can forget you too!

Edited February 24 by pananoprodigy

[everything bagel lover]

13 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

I got into Columbia for poetry this morning! 40k scholarship per year!

3a/3r/0w/11p

Holy shit congratulations!!! You're on fire!!!!

[vilum]

17 minutes ago, exvat said:

Hoping the best for you, but wanna reaffirm the HUGE win in the Vandy waitlist! #10 is rough, but pulling for you 🙏🤞 Nashville is awesome.

thank you so much! you are so kind and praying for you to get in your top choice!

[KennyK]

Did all of Notre Dame’s fiction interviews go out? Or do we think they could still be reaching out to applicants? @Tinky C. Clown @eternalwhitenights

Edited February 24 by KennyK
Bleh

[Cosmicinkwell]

My dream is to end up in a cohort with some of you and being like "hey, you're *username*". Would be so funny.

[pananoprodigy]

30 minutes ago, vilum said:

I'm currently waitlisted at vanderbilt (no way that's gonna happen) and pending on NYU and Brown. Should've applied to more schools but I got so overwhelmed with the process so... for next year lol

Congrats!!!! Vandy waitlist is a huge accomplishment!!

And congrats @Tuxedocat on Columbia!!!! Love to see it!!!!

[everything bagel lover]

5 minutes ago, KennyK said:

Did all of Notre Dame’s fiction interviews go out? Or do we think they could still be reaching out to applicants? @Tinky C. Clown @eternalwhitenights

Only one fiction notification is on the draft, unsure about the implications of that but worth noting

 

5 minutes ago, Cosmicinkwell said:

My dream is to end up in a cohort with some of you and being like "hey, you're *username*". Would be so funny.

Wyoming, Naropa, CSU, CU Boulder, and CU Denver do a 5x5 reading series where the programs and cohorts get together and do readings, so maybe we could even meet that way! It also would just be so fun to be in a cohort with some of y'all lol I'll make sure to casually mention how much I love everything bagels and then you'll know

[Eloise2897]

43 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

What places are people still waiting on? 

I've got 8 left (I still have some soft rejections). 

CSU, UVA, Syracuse (still!), Northern Michigan, Georgia College. Assuming Notre Dame and WVU are waitlists or soft rejections at this point. 

[Tuxedocat]

34 minutes ago, vilum said:

I'm currently waitlisted at vanderbilt (no way that's gonna happen) and pending on NYU and Brown. Should've applied to more schools but I got so overwhelmed with the process so... for next year lol

It’s not over! Last year, someone waitlisted at Vanderbilt got into Brown. And NYU has more spots than Brown or Vanderbilt if I recall correctly. Don’t give up yet!!!

[Cosmicinkwell]

Someone else with my portal message reported on Draft (group not spreadsheet)... wondering if it just means rejection and everyone's portal is being updated to say that slowly.

[vilum]

1 minute ago, Tuxedocat said:

It’s not over! Last year, someone waitlisted at Vanderbilt got into Brown. And NYU has more spots than Brown or Vanderbilt if I recall correctly. Don’t give up yet!!!

I really hope you're right, and congratulations on your acceptances! You rock!

[CLCH]

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

Edited February 24 by CLCH

[pananoprodigy]

Just now, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probable this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

CONGRATS! That's awesome!!

[everything bagel lover]

Just now, Cosmicinkwell said:

Someone else with my portal message reported on Draft (group not spreadsheet)... wondering if it just means rejection and everyone's portal is being updated to say that slowly.

According to the draft spreadsheet last year, rejections and waitlists came out at the same time via email for everyone

 

3 minutes ago, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

THATS HUGE OMG CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

33 minutes ago, epr said:

UMD is usually the 2nd week of March and one of the last schools to release. I would guess another 2 weeks for them. UVA is usually first or second weekend in March. 

Thank you! Guess I need to get comfy with the fact Imma be in continued limbo for another couple weeks. 

[momeraths]

6 minutes ago, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

Congratulations!!!

 

But also OMG now to spend the whole week staring at my phone

[Cosmicinkwell]

4 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

According to the draft spreadsheet last year, rejections and waitlists came out at the same time via email for everyone.

Oh lordy. F e a r.

[MaxMyDog]

On 2/22/2025 at 6:51 PM, nikolairostov said:

I just checked my voicemail (I called back a minute after I saw the missed call without listening) and she said she was going home and that she’d call back on Monday morning. So I think I was probably the last call for the weekend.

Also said I have until the end of March to decide.

Huge congratulations! Did you speak to Sam this morning? Do you have the sense that all IWW fictions have gone out? Thank you 

[Tuxedocat]

10 minutes ago, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

Out of reactions for today already but congratulations!!! Such fantastic news!!

[KennyK]

would notre dame send out fiction interviews in waves or all at once? And is generally sent via email or phone call?

 

just wanna know if i should consider it a soft rejection or not.

[Cosmicinkwell]

1 minute ago, KennyK said:

would notre dame send out fiction interviews in waves or all at once? And is generally sent via email or phone call?

 

just wanna know if i should consider it a soft rejection or not.

My gut is that they've all been sent out at once, given that the one reported incident said the email was very generic with zero personal details, which to me implies that they were sent en masse.

[MaxMyDog]

17 minutes ago, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

Huge congratulations! And thank you so much for this note that keeps that tiny flame flickering!

[AyvaM]

26 minutes ago, CLCH said:

I got into Iowa for fiction over the weekend.

Hi everyone! I have not posted at all but I've read everyone's posts. I got an acceptance call from Iowa over the weekend and wanted to let you guys know what Sam Chang said she's going to be making calls for probably this whole week. So if you haven't heard anything, it's still possible! 

 

also, for those of you getting discouraged, I reapplied. It's so random and crazy. Last year I was waitlisted at five programs and this year I was rejected from all five of those same programs. I thought, Jesus, I guess I got worse in the last year. And right when I was feeling down, I got the phone call.

Keep goiiiiiiinnnnngggggg!!!!

Out of reacts but congratulations!! Thanks for the steady reminder that even when things look funky, they're working out in ways we can't always predict. I am "trusting" the "process" or "whatever" 🌻

[AyvaM]

1 hour ago, Tuxedocat said:

I got into Columbia for poetry this morning! 40k scholarship per year!

3a/3r/0w/11p

Tuxedocat, you are absolutely crushing it!! Gonna start a hype train in my apartment! [read: pick up my nontuxedocat and go choo-choo over and over until she meows to be put back down]

Proud for you! 🌻🌻🌻