2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[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! 🌻🌻🌻 

[roomservice]

2 hours ago, roomservice said:

I called Vanderbilt decisions when they came out so I'm gonna try again.... WashU and NYU let's go

I have a gift..... wrong NY school BUT I JUST GOT INTO COLUMBIA FOR POETRY!!!!!!!

[everything bagel lover]

Just now, roomservice said:

I have a gift..... wrong NY school BUT I JUST GOT INTO COLUMBIA FOR POETRY!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD LETS GOOOOOOO CONGRATS!!!!

[exvat]

2 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

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! 🌻🌻🌻 

Haha I do "helicopter cat" where I just pick her up and fly her around while making rotor sounds. When she's done napping, I'll see if I can book her a flight in solidarity with Tuxedocat's wins

[exvat]

11 minutes ago, roomservice said:

I have a gift..... wrong NY school BUT I JUST GOT INTO COLUMBIA FOR POETRY!!!!!!!

Congrats!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[eternalwhitenights]

1 hour 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

From past years, I'm pretty sure they send out the emails for interviews all at once. That being said, I've never made it that far (this is my 5th year in a row applying), so I don't know totally. I see there are two notifications so far for interviews on the Draft spreadsheet, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. ❤️

Solidarity to y'all who haven't received one yet--I'm in the same boat as well. I guess we'll just have to keep pushing through. Hope some of us at least get good news soon!

Also, I don't have time to do all of the reacts of congratulations, but to all the Iowa and Columbia and every other acceptances/waitlists--go, go, go!!! Massive, massive congratulations, and I hope all of your writing dreams come true. ❤️ God bless you guys!

[Tinky C. Clown]

1 hour 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

i wouldn’t count on it. two reported now so i think it’s over 

[bibsy]

i love reading y'all's good news!! congrats to everyone with acceptances!!

over on my end, following my interview, i'm holding down a waitlist from UT Austin for playwriting. the head of their program was very kind and offered to schedule a call with me to discuss their process and encourage me to reapply if this year doesn't pan out. otherwise, it looks like iowa playwriting interviewed WAY early this year, so i'm counting that a soft reject. yale is still on the table, and boy oh boy are my fingers desperately crossed.

no luck so far on fiction, but if nothing comes of those apps, it's okay! i did not go into this process prepared - it was a last-minute decision following a sudden layoff - and if this isn't my year, i'll take the time to actually workshop samples and shore up a stronger application. rejects/soft rejects so far from uc davis, csu, and ucsd. still waiting on uc irvine (i'm one of those fiction applicants who's still in limbo!), uc riverside, and university of houston.

good luck and god speed, friends!!

[eternalwhitenights]

3 hours ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

notre dame fiction interviews have gone out

Congrats, did you get one? Do you know if the email mentioned that was all of them that are going out or if they were doing it in stages or anything? Hoping the best for you [and all of us] regardless. ❤️ 

[Cosmicinkwell]

Just now, eternalwhitenights said:

Congrats, did you get one? Do you know if the email mentioned that was all of them that are going out or if they were doing it in stages or anything? Hoping the best for you [and all of us] regardless. ❤️ 

There's 1 fiction and 1 nonfiction interview in the Draft. The emails are described as generic and non personalized.

[DiLo]

Hi guys,

I've been a lurker for a while, this is my first time applying and it's straight from undergrad (like I literally haven't presented my final thesis or graduated). I know it's a long shot and I've heard things about how slim the chances of getting into MFA programs straight from undergrad are, but I just wanted to try  you know. So far I've had two rejections and 3 pending, 1 of which is probably a soft rejection but I'm still in denial over and WashU is one of the other two😭. 

Anyways, just wanted to say how much you guys have helped with all my self doubts and anxiety. You guys are amazing and I hope all your dreams come true. Congratulations to all that have gotten into programs and fingers crossed for the rest of us. As an overachiever that very rarely gets rejected, I'm not as anxious about the prospect of applying again. 

[decayingballads21]

had to reschedule an acceptance call since I missed it on Friday; and I have it this afternoon. I have phone anxiety so I’m hoping someone can help me out here. Should I be asking lots of questions or is it more so just to express interest and gratitude for being accepted?! What kinda of questions are appropriate for an initial acceptance call? I don’t want to be overbearing. 

[Gander]

Hey everyone,

Congrats all around on the A's and W's, so happy for those reaching towards their dream.

I'm at 9 R's. I'd consider Pitt, NC State, Iowa, and U of Arizona soft rejections. As far as I know, at least, that leaves possibility for UVA, Brown, UNCG, USC, UFL, and NMU. I'd consider my best shot to be NMU, but who really knows.

I've already started gathering info for next year's possibilities, and thinking about the ways I could improve, just in case. I'm looking into more speculative fiction-leaning ones that I should've switched out for some goliath, more literary ones this year.

Also, just as a quick note, I saw someone mention WVU. I've lived near WVU for most of my life; I don't know anything about their program, but it seems great. Morgantown is a nice, lively, country-esque, pretty big (big by my standards, lol) college town with a lot to do. WVU has a bit of a reputation as a wild party school, but some of that's faded over the years, and I'm sure the program has no stock in that lol. I've known lots of very intelligent, awesome people, including close family members, to go to WVU and thrive.

[Tuxedocat]

33 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

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! 🌻🌻🌻 

Thank you so much! Out of reactions so I’m replying instead! My cats have no clue what’s going on but they have been so happy for all the extra pets they’ve been getting🥳🐈‍⬛

[Hjanep]

13 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

had to reschedule an acceptance call since I missed it on Friday; and I have it this afternoon. I have phone anxiety so I’m hoping someone can help me out here. Should I be asking lots of questions or is it more so just to express interest and gratitude for being accepted?! What kinda of questions are appropriate for an initial acceptance call? I don’t want to be overbearing. 

If you’re on draft, I think Jess posted a good pdf you can only see on a desktop of what to ask. GL!!

[Tuxedocat]

18 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

had to reschedule an acceptance call since I missed it on Friday; and I have it this afternoon. I have phone anxiety so I’m hoping someone can help me out here. Should I be asking lots of questions or is it more so just to express interest and gratitude for being accepted?! What kinda of questions are appropriate for an initial acceptance call? I don’t want to be overbearing. 

Seconding what @Hjanep said above! The pdf is called Grad Program Acceptance Questions (search it in the group)

 

 

54 minutes ago, exvat said:

Haha I do "helicopter cat" where I just pick her up and fly her around while making rotor sounds. When she's done napping, I'll see if I can book her a flight in solidarity with Tuxedocat's wins

Loving all the cat content here😍!! 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Edited 21 hours ago by Tuxedocat

[kpoetrottenapplecore]

2 hours ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

What places are people still waiting on? 

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

i'm still waiting to hear back from the University of Kentucky, but i ran into one of my old professors last week who is part of the program & she said they will be meeting in the next week or two to make decisions. The other places i'm still waiting on are University of South Carolina, University of Arizona, and UNCG. Got a rejection from the UT Austin Michener center.

Also idk if any of y'all are into tarot or believe in it but i asked the cards about my chances for these places and they weren't even able to give me a solid yes or no did get the Lovers card though for two of the schools, so chances can't be that bad.

two things i've learned from my first time applying to grad school.....patience is a virtue i really don't have & i strongly wish i could tell the future.

Edited 21 hours ago by kpoetrottenapplecore

[bibsy]

16 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

had to reschedule an acceptance call since I missed it on Friday; and I have it this afternoon. I have phone anxiety so I’m hoping someone can help me out here. Should I be asking lots of questions or is it more so just to express interest and gratitude for being accepted?! What kinda of questions are appropriate for an initial acceptance call? I don’t want to be overbearing. 

fwiw, if it's an acceptance call, i think you can use it as a chance to celebrate, especially if phone calls aren't your forte. with job offers, for instance, i always express my gratitude and then offer the disclaimer, "i'll have to review the details of the offer over email, as i process information better through writing. when i formulate questions, i'll reach out that way."

[decayingballads21]

2 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

Seconding what @Hjanep said above! The pdf is called Grad Program Acceptance Questions (search it in the group)

 

 

Loving all the cat content here😍!! 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

I’ve seen that post! I just didn’t know if that was standard to he asking all those sorts of questions on an initial acceptance call. Thought they were meant to be brief and sort of a vibe check as well? Anyone have any experiences they can share of acceptance calls?