2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[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!

[Nauna]

1 hour ago, kpoetrottenapplecore said:

Has anyone heard from UNCG yet for poetry?

I've been waiting too. Someone reported an interview request on 2/28. 

[seezeegee]

NYU fiction waitlist reported today on the GradCafe results page, indicating that acceptances are over and waitlists are out. Waiting on rejections now!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

 

1 hour 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.

Just wanted to say I'm sorry! I understand the whole moving thing. It's possible I will be dragging my partner to a part of the U.S they don't want to live in. Unless, this whole thing doesn't work out for me lol and then we are going to try to be nomadic for a few months.

Does UNLV feel out of reach because of how many applicants they get? I also applied there so I'm trying to tell myself that it isn't likely to happen even though it was one of the programs I was most excited about. I think if I don't land anywhere this year though I'm going to reapply in nonfiction at UNLV. 

I'm really really hoping that CSU gives you that funding. I don't think you need to feel like you need to keep reaching out right now because it is likely that they are just waiting on people who are also waiting. Though, I get why you want to.

[zgirl]

I got a call from the University of Houston yesterday (with full funding). I also found out they are taking 4 MFA in poetry and 3 PhD Students—the same numbers for fiction. I'm waiting for the SLC and U of H funding package, but the University of Houston is my top choice. Thank you for all the advice and encouragement, and good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back.

[Tuxedocat]

Another day, another Brown (Playwriting) jump scare on draft 😭. I saw Brown, thought WOAH and then scrolled to the right, saw playwriting and went …oh

 

[Tinky C. Clown]

10 minutes ago, zgirl said:

I got a call from the University of Houston yesterday (with full funding). I also found out they are taking 4 MFA in poetry and 3 PhD Students—the same numbers for fiction. I'm waiting for the SLC and U of H funding package, but the University of Houston is my top choice. Thank you for all the advice and encouragement, and good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back.

do you know if they’ve started calling for fiction 

[VOID DARLING]

20 minutes ago, Tuxedocat said:

Another day, another Brown (Playwriting) jump scare on draft 😭. I saw Brown, thought WOAH and then scrolled to the right, saw playwriting and went …oh

 

does anybody know when the poetry notifs will drop? 🥺 literally my last decision and the wait is driving me crazy!

[everything bagel lover]

2 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

 

Just wanted to say I'm sorry! I understand the whole moving thing. It's possible I will be dragging my partner to a part of the U.S they don't want to live in. Unless, this whole thing doesn't work out for me lol and then we are going to try to be nomadic for a few months.

Does UNLV feel out of reach because of how many applicants they get? I also applied there so I'm trying to tell myself that it isn't likely to happen even though it was one of the programs I was most excited about. I think if I don't land anywhere this year though I'm going to reapply in nonfiction at UNLV. 

I'm really really hoping that CSU gives you that funding. I don't think you need to feel like you need to keep reaching out right now because it is likely that they are just waiting on people who are also waiting. Though, I get why you want to.

That's okay, thank you I appreciate it. I'm grateful to have both an MFA to drag them to and a partner, but it does come with its own set of complications lol I hope that you end up somewhere you love and that your partner can find joy in it too!

Yeah, I think of the ones I applied to, UNLV is the most competitive. Not that it's impossible for either of us to get in, but I'm tempering my expectations. Are you a fiction or nonfiction applicant this year?

Thank you I appreciate it ❤️ They didn't sign the April 15th resolution so the person who has the funding offer now has until next week to respond which makes me sad for them because that's stressful, but a little relieved that I will know sooner.