2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[vilum]

3 hours ago, exvat said:

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 ✨

same. the anxiety is really getting to me. at this point i just want to know 😔 still nothing on draft? 

[Mr. Scribblo]

14 minutes ago, Mr Good Man said:

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. 

yes, i have both those ids. and i haven't received any news from them yet. it seems all poetry acceptances and waitlists have gone out. and maybe fiction too. but there is just one fiction acceptance in draft, so i'm hoping there is still a chance. but...

[Cosmicinkwell]

17 hours ago, everything bagel lover said:

Sorry friend still other programs on the horizon tho!

I think CU Boulder is the last program I have to hear from where I'm like "I really want this." But based on the data, I think I'll be applying again next year.

Moving to Colorado this Summer regardless.

[DakotaSt]

2 hours 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 don't think it will matter much at all, if they love your writing that is pretty much all that will matter at the end of the day. If this helps, I applied this year straight out of undergrad with basically nothing on my CV...like seriously nothing, and have been accepted to three fully funded programs. Your talent will be what shines through!! Wishing you luck!!

[suitcase 1234]

4 minutes ago, DakotaSt said:

I don't think it will matter much at all, if they love your writing that is pretty much all that will matter at the end of the day. If this helps, I applied this year straight out of undergrad with basically nothing on my CV...like seriously nothing, and have been accepted to three fully funded programs. Your talent will be what shines through!! Wishing you luck!!

 

good to hear & congratulations!!! so happy for you!! can I ask where you've been accepted?

[everything bagel lover]

YALL I GOT A TASHIP AT NAU LETS GOOOOO

[MegHe]

3 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

YALL I GOT A TASHIP AT NAU LETS GOOOOO

OMG CONGRATS!!!!

[pananoprodigy]

4 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

YALL I GOT A TASHIP AT NAU LETS GOOOOO

YESSSSSS LETS FUCKING GO!!! I just got mine too!!!!

[exvat]

1 hour ago, vilum said:

same. the anxiety is really getting to me. at this point i just want to know 😔 still nothing on draft? 

I haven't heard anything on here today about new acceptances, and I don't have a Facebook account to access Draft.

"Waiting... Waiting... Waiting..." 🧘‍♂️

[everything bagel lover]

25 minutes ago, MegHe said:

OMG CONGRATS!!!!

23 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

YESSSSSS LETS FUCKING GO!!! I just got mine too!!!!

Thank you oh my god!!!! And congrats pananoprodigy!!!! Oh my god I'm gonna pass out I'm so excited

[OctopusCactus]

On 2/24/2025 at 12:27 PM, 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. 

The acceptance call is the program is trying to win YOU over.  Don't stress!  Your work is done.  They want you to choose their program.  It is truly an opportunity to ask any questions you actually have about the program that would factor into whether you accept their offer or not.  If you don't really have questions you could just say thanks and express interest.  The faculty members who called me were really nice and were patient with my questions.  They do these calls every year, they know they're a big moment for us and that a lot of us get flustered.  

[Chex]

48 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

YALL I GOT A TASHIP AT NAU LETS GOOOOO

 

42 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

YESSSSSS LETS FUCKING GO!!! I just got mine too!!!!

CONGRATS TO YOU BOTH!!!!!!! 🎉 🎉 

40 minutes ago, exvat said:

I haven't heard anything on here today about new acceptances, and I don't have a Facebook account to access Draft.

"Waiting... Waiting... Waiting..." 🧘‍♂️

Not much news there. Mostly Oregon State waitlists and updates from South Carolina and a few other programs we've heard from before. 

I'm frankly amazed at how slow things have been this year. By this time last year, NYU had sent out the first batch of acceptances with fellowship funding. The next set (regular acceptances without fellowship or full tuition waiver) went out on 26/2. They haven't even started at all this year. And it's crickets from programs like WashU. I'm beginning to think there might be a serious issue with funding. But no way to know except to wait it out. Oh, well. 

[momeraths]

Frankly amazed that JH even bothered to send me a rejection, seeing as it turns out that one of my recommenders didn't submit a letter 🙃

Ah well. Danielle Evans, I will continue to admire your work from afar.

[currahcane]

Hey! I just recieved an interview request from Notre Dame for Nonfiction, I am wondering if anyone has interviewed with them/another program and has any advice? Really nervous & excited!

[tomat0tomat0]

just saw the second wave of JHU rejections on the draft spreadsheet but i still got nothing! radio silence. what the hell???!!! 

Edited 2 hours ago by tomat0tomat0
edit: anybody else ????!!

[prufrock_]

2 minutes ago, tomat0tomat0 said:

just saw the second wave of JHU rejections on the draft spreadsheet but i still got nothing! radio silence. what the hell???!!! 

yup, nothing for me as well yet. I'm still assuming it's nothing but a rejection.

[Hjanep]

7 minutes ago, tomat0tomat0 said:

just saw the second wave of JHU rejections on the draft spreadsheet but i still got nothing! radio silence. what the hell???!!! 

Samesies

[strawberrymatcha]

no JHU rejection here either😔 here’s to more waiting…

[sgrad]

i cant get into my fb. does anyone know if there is any response for NC state for poetry yet?

[writeordie]

5 minutes ago, sgrad said:

i cant get into my fb. does anyone know if there is any response for NC state for poetry yet?

Not yet, just fiction. Good luck!!

[Eloise2897]

4 minutes ago, sgrad said:

i cant get into my fb. does anyone know if there is any response for NC state for poetry yet?

all I see at the moment are fiction acceptances!

[DakotaSt]

2 hours ago, suitcase 1234 said:

 

good to hear & congratulations!!! so happy for you!! can I ask where you've been accepted?

Thank you! I sent 10 applications and have been accepted into Uni of Idaho, Oregon State and WVU so far. 

[Eloise2897]

I'd like to know people's thoughts on whether or not to take a chance on a new program. 

I got accepted at Texas Tech with almost full tuition remission (I think I would owe ~$1400 per semester) and a TA appointment with a $15,500 stipend. 

Pros: The funding is pretty nice compared to other programs, at least from what I’ve seen. Cost of living in Lubbock seems to be reasonable. The faculty have been incredibly kind, responsive, and seem excited to work with me. Three of them reached out separately to congratulate me and say what they liked about my work. Some of their writing interests also seem to align very well with my own. I know that TTU is a respected university and that they have an established English department, including an MA program that I’ve heard good things about. 

Cons: Obviously, it’s a new program, so it doesn’t have the associated prestige. And although it's much more than just a tech school, I do worry that it having 'Tech' in the name makes it seem like it's not an artsy school--will someone look at my resume someday and wonder why on earth I'd go there for an MFA? It’s also very, very far from home for me (I live in far northern Michigan), which makes the risk feel, well, riskier. 

So far, my only other acceptance is unfunded, so I won’t be taking that offer. I’m waitlisted at my top choice and still waiting on the rest. So there’s a lot of room for things to change. Maybe a super obvious decision will fall into my lap. But until then, I figured I might as well start contemplating my next moves rather than sit here going nuts with anxiety.
 

[gardener0320]

Hi everyone! I don’t have a facebook— could someone let me know if Rutgers Newark has sent out their acceptances already for fiction? Thanks so much and good luck to all!

[Jane Wyman]

4 minutes ago, Eloise2897 said:

I'd like to know people's thoughts on whether or not to take a chance on a new program. 

I got accepted at Texas Tech with almost full tuition remission (I think I would owe ~$1400 per semester) and a TA appointment with a $15,500 stipend. 

Pros: The funding is pretty nice compared to other programs, at least from what I’ve seen. Cost of living in Lubbock seems to be reasonable. The faculty have been incredibly kind, responsive, and seem excited to work with me. Three of them reached out separately to congratulate me and say what they liked about my work. Some of their writing interests also seem to align very well with my own. I know that TTU is a respected university and that they have an established English department, including an MA program that I’ve heard good things about. 

Cons: Obviously, it’s a new program, so it doesn’t have the associated prestige. And although it's much more than just a tech school, I do worry that it having 'Tech' in the name makes it seem like it's not an artsy school--will someone look at my resume someday and wonder why on earth I'd go there for an MFA? It’s also very, very far from home for me (I live in far northern Michigan), which makes the risk feel, well, riskier. 

So far, my only other acceptance is unfunded, so I won’t be taking that offer. I’m waitlisted at my top choice and still waiting on the rest. So there’s a lot of room for things to change. Maybe a super obvious decision will fall into my lap. But until then, I figured I might as well start contemplating my next moves rather than sit here going nuts with anxiety.
 

Can you visit or get put in touch with other students?