2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[MegHe]

39 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Good morning, you freaks ❤️ It feels like we're a third, if not half of the way through notification season. How are y'all feeling? 

I got so overwhelmed with stress yesterday I cried but then I felt better, so if you need to cry it out, cry it out. 

Yesterday, I didn't focus on a single thing, almost cried when someone asked a totally innocent question about the grad school process, and just kept turning the dryer back on so my clothes wouldn't judge me for not folding them. Today I dragged myself out of bed for an early morning yoga class and I feel much better. 

[Mr. Scribblo]

can we assume that all south carolina acceptances have gone out? has anyone here heard from them?

[Tinky C. Clown]

okay university of oregon… come on… you can do it

[Jane Wyman]

Which schools might release decisions this week? Iowa, Hunter, U of Oregon, NWP?

(I know this is encouraging baseless speculation and that I should be engaging in fruitful labor, but ... I'm curious!)

[everything bagel lover]

14 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

Which schools might release decisions this week? Iowa, Hunter, U of Oregon, NWP?

(I know this is encouraging baseless speculation and that I should be engaging in fruitful labor, but ... I'm curious!)

I love baseless speculation! I think Wyoming could maybeeee come out this week, NWP, Iowa, NC State, UNLV could jumpscare us at any moment, and U of Oregon. 

Edit: Although, I feel that we're entering wild west territory since March will bring the onslaught of notifications. Wyoming says that they aim to have everything out by March 15th.

Edited 5 hours ago by everything bagel lover
edit to add more

[KennyK]

@everything bagel lover do you think we could hear from UC Riverside this week?

 

also atp I have nothing to lose I really think the thing that gave my package a huge disadvantage is because I write horror. 

[exvat]

Alright, NYU/Columbia, let's make a deal. You're my last programs. Call me this week, regardless of decision. Gimme my life path. Acceptance? LET'S GO. Rejection? I'll thank you for the freedom ✨

[everything bagel lover]

4 minutes ago, KennyK said:

@everything bagel lover do you think we could hear from UC Riverside this week?

 

also atp I have nothing to lose I really think the thing that gave my package a huge disadvantage is because I write horror. 

Based on data from last year, I think it's likely! Last year, they sent out acceptances and waitlists on 2/28

[KennyK]

1 minute ago, everything bagel lover said:

Based on data from last year, I think it's likely! Last year, they sent out acceptances and waitlists on 2/28

If you see anything on draft posted about Riverside can you please let me know? I don’t have fb

[Mystic_Sunshine]

18 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

I love baseless speculation! I think Wyoming could maybeeee come out this week, NWP, Iowa, NC State, UNLV could jumpscare us at any moment, and U of Oregon. 

Edit: Although, I feel that we're entering wild west territory since March will bring the onslaught of notifications. Wyoming says that they aim to have everything out by March 15th.

That UNLV jump scare is gonna hurt me so bad. 

[kpoetrottenapplecore]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

can we assume that all south carolina acceptances have gone out? has anyone here heard from them?

not sure if all acceptances have gone out for south carolina but i got accepted into their poetry program yesterday ! 

[Mr. Scribblo]

Just now, kpoetrottenapplecore said:

not sure if all acceptances have gone out for south carolina but i got accepted into their poetry program yesterday ! 

congrats!!! and thanks for responding

[everything bagel lover]

1 minute ago, KennyK said:

If you see anything on draft posted about Riverside can you please let me know? I don’t have fb

Will do!

 

1 minute ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

That UNLV jump scare is gonna hurt me so bad. 

Omg me too, everytime I see something from Nevada, my heart stops. 

[Mystic_Sunshine]

1 minute ago, everything bagel lover said:

Will do!

 

Omg me too, everytime I see something from Nevada, my heart stops. 

Honestly, after receiving so many rejections, I don't think I'm going to get in but it would be a dream. 

[AyvaM]

19 hours ago, HalBear said:

Y'all this waiting is starting to be painful.

But the wise words of Billy Joel are helping me through.. "You can't be everything you wanna be before your time." 

 

 

ugh okay but what if it's so romantic on the borderline tonight?

[pananoprodigy]

3 hours ago, everything bagel lover said:

Good morning, you freaks ❤️ It feels like we're a third, if not half of the way through notification season. How are y'all feeling? 

I got so overwhelmed with stress yesterday I cried but then I felt better, so if you need to cry it out, cry it out. 

Morning y'all! Another day in the trenches. My focus is BAAAD, I have an end of Feb deadline that I've just been straight up ignoring, and I've been letting movement fall by the wayside and feeling physically achey and bloated. BUT just like @MegHe I forced myself to go to the gym and do yoga yesterday and I instantly felt better. Gonna try do do the same today! How are you hanging in there, bagel?

Wishing everyone a tolerable Tuesday🧙‍♀️

Edited 4 hours ago by pananoprodigy

[Eloise2897]

18 hours ago, inthesameboat said:

@Eloise2897 have you considered reaching out to admissions? I'm also going crazy waiting for my fiction response but not sure if emailing is a bad look... I might reach out if I haven't heard anything by mid-March.

Good question. It took 9 days after acceptances rolled out for me to get my waitlist from Minnesota, so Syracuse is still within that range. I think mid-March would be a reasonable time to reach out.

[pananoprodigy]

Can anyone speak to the main differences between Oregon State and U of Oregon's programs? I applied to both but I can't really tell which one I should be manifesting harder lol

[nauseated]

3 hours ago, Lady Gladys said:

Hi nauseated! Is that MALS with Creative Writing concentration at Dartmouth?

nooo, though I did consider applying to that one. the one I applied to was their Comparative Literature track - whish is this hazy half-dream of mine lest the MFA never works out. Got a rejection from there a day after the Michener one so I was like lol double whammy! but we move. I did seriously consider applying to the MALS one except I was quite financially drained due to the apps already 

[suitcase 1234]

super late ask since I sent in applications forever ago, but I only applied to 2 schools and haven't heard back from either yet so I'm busy rethinking everything lol. I applied for fiction but for my 9-5, I'm a journalist. I didn't really edit my resume for the application other than make sure all my fiction pubs were listed too, but my resume is definitely more catered to my editorial work for the publication I work at and other freelancing gigs. how much do you guys think the resume/CV matters?? lol I'm wondering if all my journo clips are just clutter on the page and if I should've spent some time making a creative writing-specific res

Edited 3 hours ago by suitcase 1234

[Mystic_Sunshine]

18 minutes ago, suitcase 1234 said:

super late ask since I sent in applications forever ago, but I only applied to 2 schools and haven't heard back from either yet so I'm busy rethinking everything lol. I applied for fiction but for my 9-5, I'm a journalist. I didn't really edit my resume for the application other than make sure all my fiction pubs were listed too, but my resume is definitely more catered to my editorial work for the publication I work at and other freelancing gigs. how much do you guys think the resume/CV matters?? lol I'm wondering if all my journo clips are just clutter on the page and if I should've spent some time making a creative writing-specific res

Not at all honestly. 

I think the CV is one of the most minor considerations of the application and it really will just come down to your sample + fit. fit being are you right for the type of cohort they are developing. 

[pananoprodigy]

19 minutes ago, suitcase 1234 said:

super late ask since I sent in applications forever ago, but I only applied to 2 schools and haven't heard back from either yet so I'm busy rethinking everything lol. I applied for fiction but for my 9-5, I'm a journalist. I didn't really edit my resume for the application other than make sure all my fiction pubs were listed too, but my resume is definitely more catered to my editorial work for the publication I work at and other freelancing gigs. how much do you guys think the resume/CV matters?? lol I'm wondering if all my journo clips are just clutter on the page and if I should've spent some time making a creative writing-specific res

I'm certainly not the CV queen or anything but I feel like there's no way your journalism stuff would be looked at as clutter! It's so relevant to creative writing, and even if it wasn't I think there's a strong case to be made for including whatever specific experiences have made you you in your apps. As long as you didn't exclude your creative writing stuff I feel like this is totally fine

[Mystic_Sunshine]

4 hours ago, everything bagel lover said:

Good morning, you freaks ❤️ It feels like we're a third, if not half of the way through notification season. How are y'all feeling? 

I got so overwhelmed with stress yesterday I cried but then I felt better, so if you need to cry it out, cry it out. 

I also just wanted to say hope you are feeling better. 

I too have cried a lot and that is okay!

[suitcase 1234]

18 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

I'm certainly not the CV queen or anything but I feel like there's no way your journalism stuff would be looked at as clutter! It's so relevant to creative writing, and even if it wasn't I think there's a strong case to be made for including whatever specific experiences have made you you in your apps. As long as you didn't exclude your creative writing stuff I feel like this is totally fine

thank you! this makes me feel better  

[Mr Good Man]

Does everyone have USC ID and VIP ID in their Uni of South Carolina application portal checklist? 

I have both but haven't received any news from them yet despite people reporting their acceptances and waitlists in Draft spreadsheet.