2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Cosmicinkwell]

I need Colorado, Virginia, WashU, and Brown to drop asap so I can accept it and move on and start to work on  stronger applications.

[everything bagel lover]

1 minute ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'm an Iowa waitlist! Just got the email, am losing my shit.

HOLY SHIT CONGRATS!!!!!

[exvat]

7 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'm an Iowa waitlist! Just got the email, am losing my shit.

YES!!! Huge congrats and best of luck!!!

[Chex]

15 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'm an Iowa waitlist! Just got the email, am losing my shit.

OMGGG, Jane! I'm rooting so hard for you to make it in, CONGRATS!!! 

[seezeegee]

19 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'm an Iowa waitlist! Just got the email, am losing my shit.

Congratulations!!!!!!! It's NEVER over  Need you to get off that waitlist ASAP

[momeraths]

I also got the Iowa waitlist email!! Screaming, crying, etc etc

[Jane Wyman]

UMass Amherst, UMich, Vandy, Michener, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell all gave me form rejections, and I thought the rest of app season would go like this. So, if you've gotten nos across the board so far, don't give up hope.

[exvat]

7 minutes ago, momeraths said:

I also got the Iowa waitlist email!! Screaming, crying, etc etc

Congratulations!!! 🎉 🙏

[momeraths]

8 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

UMass Amherst, UMich, Vandy, Michener, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell all gave me form rejections, and I thought the rest of app season would go like this. So, if you've gotten nos across the board so far, don't give up hope.

HUGE congrats, Jane. We got this 💪

[saintjdog]

A question that's unrelated to admissions/applications, as a palate cleanser! I'm a fiction writer, but I'm really interested in creative nonfiction, mostly because I have no idea what it is. For the CNF writers: how did you discover your genre? What are your favorite pieces of CNF writing?

[snottlebie]

2 minutes ago, momeraths said:

HUGE congrats, Jane. We got this 💪

Congrats all! I’m also on the waitlist! Curious if you all crossposted to Draft Spreadsheet or not (trying to gauge how big this waitlist is)

Edited February 27 by snottlebie

[luckylike56]

Congrats to all the Iowa acceptances and waitlists! I haven't seen any poetry on the draft for Iowa yet, should we assume they haven't gone out yet?

[everything bagel lover]

10 minutes ago, snottlebie said:

Congrats all! I’m also on the waitlist! Curious if you all crossposted to Draft Spreadsheet or not (trying to gauge how big this waitlist is)

 

23 minutes ago, momeraths said:

I also got the Iowa waitlist email!! Screaming, crying, etc etc

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That’s so exciting!!

[DJ Lambchop]

Should the rest of us consider Iowa a soft rejection? Sometimes I look at all the acceptances and waitlists and wonder what am I even doing here

[exvat]

3 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Should the rest of us consider Iowa a soft rejection? Sometimes I look at all the acceptances and waitlists and wonder what am I even doing here

"What am I even doing here" — yup, pretty much sums up my second MFA app cycle.

And, coincidentally, my life! 😂

[Lady Gladys]

1 hour ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'm an Iowa waitlist! Just got the email, am losing my shit.

This makes me so happy! I have been quietly rooting for you, Jane, since you told us about your horrible program director. Fingers crossed you make it off the waitlist!!!

[brokenjewelrybox]

waitlisted at syracuse.........

[prufrock_]

42 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Should the rest of us consider Iowa a soft rejection? Sometimes I look at all the acceptances and waitlists and wonder what am I even doing here

I've had quite a few moments like this, especially the last few weeks. I'm sitting on 11 rejections this round (and I am counting Iowa as a soft rejection) and it's my second round. I think the whole process has inspired me to write my best stories, and I don't regret the time / energy / MONEY of doing it all. but it's so hard to pretend that every rejection doesn't come with its own grieving process.

i know the programs would never do this for many good reasons, but i really wish we had an option of getting 'brutal truth rejections' instead of these lovely rejection emails. I imagine there are three levels of rejection. I want to get a rejection that tells me which level I was, like:

1 'we received 900 applications. we read half your first story, got bored, and threw out the packet. we didn't even read your sop, let alone your second story. this isn't for you.'

vs

2 'you made it through the first round of readers, but got cut in the second. you got close, but not close enough. be 10% better and you'll have a shot next round'

vs

3 'you made it though all the rounds of readers. But, after reading your sop and looking at transcripts, we decided you wouldn't fit in here due to xyz (things probably not even in your control).' 

 

Again, i know it wont happen, and not everyone has thick skin and would want to know. But i'd rather know if i'm being delusional with applications and that first situation is happening to all my apps, or if i'm actually close.

Edited February 27 by prufrock_

[Jane Wyman]

11 minutes ago, Lady Gladys said:

This makes me so happy! I have been quietly rooting for you, Jane, since you told us about your horrible program director. Fingers crossed you make it off the waitlist!!!

Thank you so much! That warms my heart. 

[Hjanep]

42 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Should the rest of us consider Iowa a soft rejection? Sometimes I look at all the acceptances and waitlists and wonder what am I even doing here

Same

[brokenjewelrybox]

Rn I'm at 0a / 3w / 5r / 8p, but most of those pendings have been soft rejections. I'm not discouraged exactly—I know being waitlisted is good news—but I'm still starting to worry that I won't be in a cohort in the fall. On the one hand, that gives me the opportunity to reapply with more focus than I did this time. But ahhhhhh the stress!!!!!!!!!! How are you guys coping with it hahaha. I feel like I'm going to break down.

Edit: I'm also worried that one of the stories I applied with was "too dark." Do you guys have any works that you would workshop were you to get in, but would never put in the application?

Edited February 27 by brokenjewelrybox

[DJ Lambchop]

5 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

i know the programs would never do this for many good reasons, but i really wish we had an option of getting 'brutal truth rejections' instead of these lovely rejection emails. I imagine there are three levels of rejection. I want to get a rejection that tells me which level I was, like:

I wish I could know too. I tried to get an honest opinion from an MFA alum on whether he thought I had a chance and he just didn't say anything which makes me feel as though he was trying not to hurt my feelings. I'd rather just know that I suck!!

But it is nice to know that I'm not the only one out there on the second round, receiving a (likely) full sweep of rejections.

But I'd say the fact that you've had one waitlist is a really good sign. I was hoping for a waitlist just to get a little validation, a little nudge to tell me I'm going down the right path. 

[Hjanep]

12 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I've had quite a few moments like this, especially the last few weeks. I'm sitting on 11 rejections this round (and I am counting Iowa as a soft rejection) and it's my second round. I think the whole process has inspired me to write my best stories, and I don't regret the time / energy / MONEY of doing it all. but it's so hard to pretend that every rejection doesn't come with its own grieving process.

i know the programs would never do this for many good reasons, but i really wish we had an option of getting 'brutal truth rejections' instead of these lovely rejection emails. I imagine there are three levels of rejection. I want to get a rejection that tells me which level I was, like:

1 'we received 900 applications. we read half your first story, got bored, and threw out the packet. we didn't even read your sop, let alone your second story. this isn't for you.'

vs

2 'you made it through the first round of readers, but got cut in the second. you got close, but not close enough. be 10% better and you'll have a shot next round'

vs

3 'you made it though all the rounds of readers. But, after reading your sop and looking at transcripts, we decided you wouldn't fit in here due to xyz (things probably not even in your control).' 

 

Again, i know it wont happen, and not everyone has thick skin and would want to know. But i'd rather know if i'm being delusional with applications and that first situation is happening to all my apps, or if i'm actually close.

 

1 minute ago, DJ Lambchop said:

I wish I could know too. I tried to get an honest opinion from an MFA alum on whether he thought I had a chance and he just didn't say anything which makes me feel as though he was trying not to hurt my feelings. I'd rather just know that I suck!!

But it is nice to know that I'm not the only one out there on the second round, receiving a (likely) full sweep of rejections.

But I'd say the fact that you've had one waitlist is a really good sign. I was hoping for a waitlist just to get a little validation, a little nudge to tell me I'm going down the right path. 

Yeah I’m also on round 2 and am wondering if I’m just delusional / would ever actually get there

[gordonandwafflesandmrblik]

Is anybody who was waitlisted/accepted at Iowa willing to share what their manuscript was about? As a public service to help us rejects’ self esteem so we can tell ourselves that we just “didn’t fit into the cohort they were developing this year” lol! Huuuuge congratulations to you all!! What an insane achievement- I would frame the waitlist letter! 

[DJ Lambchop]

12 minutes ago, brokenjewelrybox said:

Rn I'm at 0a / 3w / 5r / 8p, but most of those pendings have been soft rejections. I'm not discouraged exactly—I know being waitlisted is good news—but I'm still starting to worry that I won't be in a cohort in the fall. On the one hand, that gives me the opportunity to reapply with more focus than I did this time. But ahhhhhh the stress!!!!!!!!!! How are you guys coping with it hahaha. I feel like I'm going to break down.

Edit: I'm also worried that one of the stories I applied with was "too dark." Do you guys have any works that you would workshop were you to get in, but would never put in the application?

Ugh I feel this.

I'm not coping very well in all honesty. Every day has been a struggle and very little has brought me happiness or motivation recently. It feels especially worse when people try to say something like "you don't need any validation to be a writer." But like...... at some point, yeah, you do, otherwise your writing will always remain private. I actually want to workshop it with people and publish at some point, not just keep a google drive full of dusty stories. 

I'd say though, that since you've had waitlists, you are definitely on the right track and should absolutely apply again if you don't get in anywhere. Be sure to email the schools you've been waitlisted at and tell them how excited you would be to attend.

I also had a story I really wanted to submit but also felt it was too dark or bold and might turn off some admins. I want to get more advice on this for my third round of applying. 

Edited February 27 by DJ Lambchop