2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[fakepoet]

2 hours ago, OctopusCactus said:

He posted on his substack this week that he's been kicked out of NYU.

finally some good fucking news

[Tinky C. Clown]

33 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

According to Poets&Writers, their total incoming class size is 6-10. But I have no idea how large this year’s cohort is. 

for each genre? hmm. thank you!

[Tuxedocat]

13 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

for each genre? hmm. thank you!

No no—total. I’m so sorry I tried to word my prior reply in a way that made that clear but failed😭

So it is probably 3-5 per genre

[rafikiman]

What is going on with Iowa WW rejection letters? Seems nobody has received  official word yet 😩😩😩 I was hoping to get mine in the mail this week to finally put a nail in that coffin. 

[Tinky C. Clown]

14 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

No no—total. I’m so sorry I tried to word my prior reply in a way that made that clear but failed😭

So it is probably 3-5 per genre

good to know! thanks!

[smallchange]

I feel like people have discussed this already so sorry if I'm repeating, but does anyone have any idea how many funded programs rely on federal funding? I had sort of a fuzzy idea that most of the funding comes from endowments/private sources but I don't know how accurate that is. Any insights appreciated!

[womanonline]

somebody asked earlier if the university of tennessee poetry acceptance on gradcafe results was a fluke, but it’s also been reported on draft as well now. going crazy waiting to hear back from them. crossing my fingers for tomorrow

[prufrock_]

On 3/5/2025 at 4:08 PM, everything bagel lover said:

You're in?? How's the funding looking? Congratulations!(?)

I did get in! but in that saddest way: no funding -- BUT! they are very nice and i'm on a waitlist for funding, so we will see how things shake out.

I'm not sure if this breaks your streak, and i'm sorry if it does; I have no further intel on if more offers are going out, or their total cohort size.

 

[everything bagel lover]

1 minute ago, prufrock_ said:

I did get in! but in that saddest way: no funding -- BUT! they are very nice and i'm on a waitlist for funding, so we will see how things shake out.

I'm not sure if this breaks your streak, and i'm sorry if it does; I have no further intel on if more offers are going out, or their total cohort size.

 

Oh my god congratulations!!! I hope that you get in with funding!!!! Damn these acceptances with waitlisted fundings but I’m rooting for you! Do you know where you are on the funding waitlist? I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!! ❤️ 

omg no need to apologize, my reluctance in the congrats is because of the funding concern you expressed and then referred back to 

[prufrock_]

16 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Oh my god congratulations!!! I hope that you get in with funding!!!! Damn these acceptances with waitlisted fundings but I’m rooting for you! Do you know where you are on the funding waitlist? I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!! ❤️ 

omg no need to apologize, my reluctance in the congrats is because of the funding concern you expressed and then referred back to 

Thank you!! i hope so too. based on their website, i'm guessing they admit about 7 people a year between all genres and fund 5. so, maybe only two people on the funding waitlist? complete guesswork though.

if i end up there and you end up in naropa (or 🕯️wyoming 🕯️), i'll walk around that 5x5 reading and ask people their bagel preferences, which, really, should be a standard conversation opener anyway.

[everything bagel lover]

Just now, prufrock_ said:

Thank you!! i hope so too. based on their website, i'm guessing they admit about 7 people a year between all genres and fund 5. so, maybe only two people on the funding waitlist? complete guesswork though.

if i end up there and you end up in naropa (or 🕯️wyoming 🕯️), i'll walk around that 5x5 reading and ask people their bagel preferences, which, really, should be a standard conversation opener anyway.

Oh my god that’s so sweet 😭 my fingers are crossed for funding at CSU which ALSO does the 5x5 and if I’m at one of those schools, I’ll walk around asking people which sad balding man they like best lol

I’d encourage you to ask about your standing for funding and if there’s any info in the meantime! Eek I’m so excited for you! 

[Tinky C. Clown]

42 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I did get in! but in that saddest way: no funding -- BUT! they are very nice and i'm on a waitlist for funding, so we will see how things shake out.

I'm not sure if this breaks your streak, and i'm sorry if it does; I have no further intel on if more offers are going out, or their total cohort size.

 

if i’m waitlisted for boulder, does this mean that i would probably not get funding? i thought everyone ended up with funding 

[prufrock_]

8 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

if i’m waitlisted for boulder, does this mean that i would probably not get funding? i thought everyone ended up with funding 

I am not sure, i'm sorry. Their website says they fund about 70% of the cohort. The rumor was that it had full funding, and maybe that was true before, but it does not seem to be the case for this year.

[Tinky C. Clown]

10 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I am not sure, i'm sorry. Their website says they fund about 70% of the cohort. The rumor was that it had full funding, and maybe that was true before, but it does not seem to be the case for this year.

ah okay. thank you! i'm really hoping to get off the waitlist

 

[Scribe]

4 hours ago, prufrock_ said:

I did get in! but in that saddest way: no funding -- BUT! they are very nice and i'm on a waitlist for funding, so we will see how things shake out.

I'm not sure if this breaks your streak, and i'm sorry if it does; I have no further intel on if more offers are going out, or their total cohort size.

 

No. The worst way to get in is being waitlisted and then the entire cohort dies in a mass tragedy at orientation. 
and you get no funding. 

Oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS!

[Scribe]

3 hours ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

if i’m waitlisted for boulder, does this mean that i would probably not get funding? i thought everyone ended up with funding 

 

3 hours ago, prufrock_ said:

I am not sure, i'm sorry. Their website says they fund about 70% of the cohort. The rumor was that it had full funding, and maybe that was true before, but it does not seem to be the case for this year.

I've often wondered about this and don't recall an answer. If there are say 3 funded spots out of a 6 person cohort and one funded person declines the offer, what happens? Does one of the unfunded fight to the death with the other two and then three people move off the waitlist?

 

[tiramisu22]

4 hours ago, womanonline said:

somebody asked earlier if the university of tennessee poetry acceptance on gradcafe results was a fluke, but it’s also been reported on draft as well now. going crazy waiting to hear back from them. crossing my fingers for tomorrow

@womanonline have the fiction results for UTK come out?

[fakepoet]

Is it normal for there to be such a long gap between Iowa dropping fiction and poetry results? Getting kind of antsy about potential funding issues, especially considering yesterday's announcement about the International Writers' Program, but hopefully I'm just being conspiratorial

[zaira]

29 minutes ago, fakepoet said:

Is it normal for there to be such a long gap between Iowa dropping fiction and poetry results? Getting kind of antsy about potential funding issues, especially considering yesterday's announcement about the International Writers' Program, but hopefully I'm just being conspiratorial

It seems to be pretty standard. I wouldn't worry! I'm sure we'll hear from poetry soon, maybe today, this weekend, or early next week. 

[ksiezniczka.monisia]

5 hours ago, Scribe said:

No. The worst way to get in is being waitlisted and then the entire cohort dies in a mass tragedy at orientation. 
and you get no funding. 

Oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS!

I wanted to say that you get in, with funding, but then you die in a mass tragedy at orientation, but no, I think yours's sadder

[kpoetrottenapplecore]

Has anyone heard from UNCG yet for poetry?

[Tinky C. Clown]

did many people apply to seattle? they’re the last super strong possibility i have yet to hear back from 

[janetdamnit]

11 hours ago, womanonline said:

somebody asked earlier if the university of tennessee poetry acceptance on gradcafe results was a fluke, but it’s also been reported on draft as well now. going crazy waiting to hear back from them. crossing my fingers for tomorrow

Maybe I'm just missing it, but on gradcafe results I'm only seeing a rejection. The acceptance on draft stopped me in my tracks, so I feel ya. Sending positive energy out into the universe for us!!!!

[everything bagel lover]

So in my heart I'm waiting for Wyoming and UNLV, but my partner is begging me to please not make us move to Wyoming and isn't a big fan of Las Vegas. NAU's program is really lovely but their lit classes are moving online next year and that really bums me out, as my undergrad was focused more on literary criticism and I'd love to do more but am not a fan of online classes. Discussion posts haunt me.

UNLV feels out of my reach tbh, and I'm just really rooting for CSU to fund me. I've told them they're my top choice and if they give me the GTA I'm there no questions asked. I'm grateful to have a funded offer no matter what, but my heart still holds on to CSU.

Edit: Also, I wanna reach out to faculty to ask questions about the program to express my continued interest but I've read the handbook and everything on the website over and over and over and I have zero questions, they've all been answered.

Edited March 7 by everything bagel lover
edit to ramble more lol

[exvat]

12 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

So in my heart I'm waiting for Wyoming and UNLV, but my partner is begging me to please not make us move to Wyoming and isn't a big fan of Las Vegas. NAU's program is really lovely but their lit classes are moving online next year and that really bums me out, as my undergrad was focused more on literary criticism and I'd love to do more but am not a fan of online classes. Discussion posts haunt me.

UNLV feels out of my reach tbh, and I'm just really rooting for CSU to fund me. I've told them they're my top choice and if they give me the GTA I'm there no questions asked. I'm grateful to have a funded offer no matter what, but my heart still holds on to CSU.

Edit: Also, I wanna reach out to faculty to ask questions about the program to express my continued interest but I've read the handbook and everything on the website over and over and over and I have zero questions, they've all been answered.

CSU funding come oooonnnn 🤞🤞 And I totally feel you on the location/move/partner stuff. My longest relationship's [inevitable] end was catalyzed by their moving to Texas for a fully funded MFA. I had a location-specific career on the West Coast, which I would have considered leaving... But not for Texas. And I even liked the city itself.

Fingers crossed for you!