2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[smallchange]

16 minutes ago, Scribe said:

 

 

 

Here's the facts:
Irvine has offered five students a place at the table for fiction.
3 of those students have accepted the offers. 
Two are weighing the offer and the information they are using to decide includes the same information you kids are waiting for. 
Official rejections were scheduled to go out via email today and tomorrow and if what I'm reading here (I haven't looked at Draft today) is accurate, that has begun. 
A very few people will receive phone calls in the next two (maybe three?) days. This might have already happened. these are the waitlisters. Why so few? Historically people accept. They really are kind here and don't want to give too many people false hope. 

One other thing. If you do not receive an email or a phone call, you might be getting a snail mail rejection. My suspicion is that anyone who gets one of these would actually get the email too, but one can never tell how the bureaucracy operates.  

Keep the cafe posted on who gets what!

Ah okay I’m bummed but thanks for the info!

[Scribe]

Just now, glowingbrightly said:

thanks for all this! any insight into how many poetry candidates have accepted thus far? 

I honestly don't know and I'm a dope for not asking. I was hanging with the poets last night but was pretty into talking to the potential fiction recruits. 

[glowingbrightly]

6 minutes ago, Scribe said:

I honestly don't know and I'm a dope for not asking. I was hanging with the poets last night but was pretty into talking to the potential fiction recruits. 

you are clearly not a dope at all! I’m just dying to get off the waitlist after getting the call a month ago and would trade vital organs for any info at this point

[smallchange]

This seems unlikely but does anyone have any idea how large the Davis waitlist is? I was waitlisted for fiction.

[Hjanep]

7 minutes ago, smallchange said:

This seems unlikely but does anyone have any idea how large the Davis waitlist is? I was waitlisted for fiction.

I don’t know but the person I know who was admitted there was also admitted at 3 other programs so if we’re guessing what’s going to happen I would guess movement. They’re going to visit in a couple weeks so I imagine after that is when you would see final decisions 

[smallchange]

3 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

I don’t know but the person I know who was admitted there was also admitted at 3 other programs so if we’re guessing what’s going to happen I would guess movement. They’re going to visit in a couple weeks so I imagine after that is when you would see final decisions 

I saw that and it brought me some hope haha. Are you also waitlisted?

[Jane Wyman]

My turn for copium ... do we think that Hunter and WashU are utterly done waitlisting, accepting, etc?

[Hjanep]

6 minutes ago, smallchange said:

I saw that and it brought me some hope haha. Are you also waitlisted?

I’m not I actually went there for undergrad (and LOVED it) and decided not to apply because I want a completely new experience. But cannot say enough good things about Davis. 

[thelovelyunkown]

I'm currently working on a series of poems that combine sculpture and writing. I am debating if I should include one in my writing sample for next round. Does anyone have insight into how MFA programs perceive poetry presented through visual art (other than Brown)? 

[smallchange]

15 minutes ago, Hjanep said:

I’m not I actually went there for undergrad (and LOVED it) and decided not to apply because I want a completely new experience. But cannot say enough good things about Davis. 

Oh sick! I grew up there (partially) and same. Most underrated city in California! I also thought a lot about applying bc I kind of wanted to move somewhere new but I’m in LA now and it would be great to not be too far from my girlfriend. Plus I think it would be a pretty different experience living there as an adult. Fingers crossed tho.

Edited March 14 by smallchange
Typo

[honeytreasures]

45 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

My turn for copium ... do we think that Hunter and WashU are utterly done waitlisting, accepting, etc?

I feel like WashU is? I have no insight really so take what I say with a grain of salt, but unless they’re so behind their schedule last year I’d guess they’re done. I had a friend get waitlisted there early Feb last year.

[Hjanep]

UCI fiction waitlist just hit draft

[smallchange]

33 minutes ago, honeytreasures said:

I feel like WashU is? I have no insight really so take what I say with a grain of salt, but unless they’re so behind their schedule last year I’d guess they’re done. I had a friend get waitlisted there early Feb last year.

I checked Hunter’s website earlier because their whole process is confusing to me and it said they accept people through April…though I’d assume that’s only if the initial offers don’t accept.

[Scribe]

3 minutes ago, smallchange said:

Ah okay I’m bummed but thanks for the info!

I really am sorry for bumming you. I really like being able to help but it sucks letting people down. I honestly believe having the info is better than the anxiety. 
Keep writing. 

[gradschoolpspspsps]

Hello all, when I tell you I am so glad I did not discover this website until this Monday, I have been obsessively checking this forum like all day every day since. I was a regular person casually wondering if I'd get an email back before this. Now I check my email two times an hour. I am a college and career counselor, and today my seniors waiting for their undergrad acceptances were telling me I was stressing them out!

But, you all seem very lovely so it's worth it. I am not on Facebook so I don't know how valuable any of this information is, but I applied to a truly absurd number of schools because I work for Americorps and I wanted to take advantage of the ones that were free. The one I saw people asking about is University of Mississippi; they reached out to me on Monday to tell me they were missing my third recommender and to please send it as soon as possible.

I very sincerely apologize for being the one guy holding that entire response time hostage, lol. I've been waitlisted at UTK, Miami University, and ASU. I hope any of that is helpful to someone! Also-

8 hours ago, GingerBB said:

And now, I have some info on Boston University — in case anyone’s interested!

So I got accepted on Saturday, for Fiction. 

I went to BU for undergrad, and I just wanted to say your post made me smile so hard! It was taking cw classes taught by BU MFA students that really made me decide that I loved writing too much to pick a reasonable major. Every professor I had was amazing, taught me different things, and was just so fun to take a workshop with. Several of my recommenders are on the decision team this year, and if they thought you were good you must be amazing! Have so much fun with Leslie Epstein, man once told me I was talented but he was dismayed at the way I was using it lol. BU's program is great and Boston is a fantastic city. When you teach EN305 know you're inspiring the next wave of applicants. 

[P i e r r o t]

1 hour ago, Hjanep said:

UCI fiction waitlist just hit draft

It me!

May as well introduce myself, since I've been lurking for ages and following all of your individual trajectories from the sidelines. I feel I know you all! Hard to overstate how much of an anxious comfort this site has been, especially as this is my second cycle applying and has been **rends garments** a little stressful.

Re: UC Irvine, going to chat with the program director soon, hopefully Friday, and will report back with any relevant intel. Seems all but impossible that anyone would turn down UCI (??), so the waitlist is definitely feeling like a mixed blessing.

Serious fist bump to @Scribe for keeping us informed.

Edited March 14 by P i e r r o t

[smallchange]

1 minute ago, P i e r r o t said:

It me!

May as well introduce myself, since I've been lurking for ages and following all of your individual trajectories from the sidelines. I feel I know you all! Hard to overstate how much of an anxious comfort this site has been, especially as this is my second cycle applying and has been **rends garments** a little stressful.

Re: UC Irvine, going to chat with the program director soon, hopefully Friday, and will report back with any relevant intel. Seems all but impossible that anyone would turn down UCI, so the waitlist is definitely feeling like a mixed blessing. Serious fist bump to @Scribe for keeping us informed.

Congrats! Love hearing on here about peoples’ successful second rounds. Best of luck!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

15 minutes ago, gradschoolpspspsps said:

Hello all, when I tell you I am so glad I did not discover this website until this Monday, I have been obsessively checking this forum like all day every day since. I was a regular person casually wondering if I'd get an email back before this. Now I check my email two times an hour. I am a college and career counselor, and today my seniors waiting for their undergrad acceptances were telling me I was stressing them out!

But, you all seem very lovely so it's worth it. I am not on Facebook so I don't know how valuable any of this information is, but I applied to a truly absurd number of schools because I work for Americorps and I wanted to take advantage of the ones that were free. The one I saw people asking about is University of Mississippi; they reached out to me on Monday to tell me they were missing my third recommender and to please send it as soon as possible.

I very sincerely apologize for being the one guy holding that entire response time hostage, lol. I've been waitlisted at UTK, Miami University, and ASU. I hope any of that is helpful to someone! Also-

I went to BU for undergrad, and I just wanted to say your post made me smile so hard! It was taking cw classes taught by BU MFA students that really made me decide that I loved writing too much to pick a reasonable major. Every professor I had was amazing, taught me different things, and was just so fun to take a workshop with. Several of my recommenders are on the decision team this year, and if they thought you were good you must be amazing! Have so much fun with Leslie Epstein, man once told me I was talented but he was dismayed at the way I was using it lol. BU's program is great and Boston is a fantastic city. When you teach EN305 know you're inspiring the next wave of applicants. 

Welcome to the group! Are you a fiction or poetry applicant?

[P i e r r o t]

8 minutes ago, smallchange said:

Congrats! Love hearing on here about peoples’ successful second rounds. Best of luck!

Ditto—congrats on Davis! We're in that boat together. They have me more or less in the dark re: status/movement/process/waitlist size. Let us know if you hear any new deets. Fingers crossed they make lots of room!

[gradschoolpspspsps]

3 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

Welcome to the group! Are you a fiction or poetry applicant?

Oh duh, I'm fiction

[Hjanep]

20 minutes ago, P i e r r o t said:

It me!

May as well introduce myself, since I've been lurking for ages and following all of your individual trajectories from the sidelines. I feel I know you all! Hard to overstate how much of an anxious comfort this site has been, especially as this is my second cycle applying and has been **rends garments** a little stressful.

Re: UC Irvine, going to chat with the program director soon, hopefully Friday, and will report back with any relevant intel. Seems all but impossible that anyone would turn down UCI, so the waitlist is definitely feeling like a mixed blessing. Serious fist bump to @Scribe for keeping us informed.

Out of reactions but congrats!! Keep us posted

[Mystic_Sunshine]

5 minutes ago, gradschoolpspspsps said:

Oh duh, I'm fiction

Oh cool! I'm one of the people waiting on Mississippi (also fiction) so thanks for saying they reached out! 

[abross]

Hi everyone! I just discovered this thread. Has anyone heard anything from The New School's Creative Writing MFA? thanks in advance

[gradschoolpspspsps]

3 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

Oh cool! I'm one of the people waiting on Mississippi (also fiction) so thanks for saying they reached out! 

For sure, it was the director of the program who reached out, and she even responded back after and said thanks. It was very nice and personal. That interaction and how nice the phase 2 response was kinda made them my top choice, despite how hard I was trying not to have one. 

I promise my third recommendation is in now! 

[Mystic_Sunshine]

5 minutes ago, gradschoolpspspsps said:

For sure, it was the director of the program who reached out, and she even responded back after and said thanks. It was very nice and personal. That interaction and how nice the phase 2 response was kinda made them my top choice, despite how hard I was trying not to have one. 

I promise my third recommendation is in now! 

Oh nice! Hopefully them reaching out means they are ready to send out decisions soon. I know someone else on here said 2 weeks but I'm hoping that maybe we get lucky and hear back next week. Hoping for good news for us both

Based on your waitlist you'll potentially have some great options! UTK has a super nice stipend. Knoxville is amazing and I can't stress enough how much I love the surrounding towns. Knoxville is also cool because it's near other cities that aren't bad either. I've spent a lot of time around there and still do. I also really like Phoenix.