2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Chex]

2 minutes ago, gradschoolpspspsps said:

No worries! I have no idea what that sheet looks like but it sounds busier than I thought, so I appreciate any insider info. 

Just checked and can confirm that one was for Oregon State (poetry), and the other was for Bowling Green State (not sure of the genre but possibly fiction, based on the comments). 

21 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

I am so sorry, Panano. So so sorry for your loss and the general feeling of overwhelm. I can relate to the crushing bruise of relentless Ls. It does a number on the heart. Not much I can say now but I pray your hurt eases and that your resounding good news is very very close. Sending you all the hugs 🫂🫂🫂

1 minute ago, Ekpe said:

Got in at Ole Miss 🥺🥺

Congrats! 

[shadygrove]

I'm calling it for myself. Taking Brown as a rejection at this point since it sounds like acceptance calls have gone out? I only applied to four schools, all of them Top 10, so I'm taking it as a lesson to save up (if I can) to apply to some more options for my second round, even if I can still only do a fully funded program. I knew it was a long shot with how competitive places are, but I still thought I'd have a bit of a chance... I was pretty confident in my writing sample. Bummer! Here's to a year ahead of trying to get into some workshops, residencies, or publications. 

For all my fellow forlorns who didn't get in this round, I hope y'all are holding in there okay! I'm trying to let this be a galvanizing call to work super hard on my craft over the next year. Sending y'all love and sending much love and congratulations to everyone going into a program in the fall!!

[Tuxedocat]

35 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you a virtual hug ❤️

Your post reminds me a bit of me last year. My contract job ended and had no openings on the team so I was left with nothing. I lived on unemployment for a bit while doing grad school apps until mine ran out (I’m not American so it’s a different system). Applied for countless jobs, sometimes even making it past the interview stage, and never heard back. I had to go back to freelancing and was forced to accept a project just to make ends meet that took over my life and all my time for months and underpaid me. The stress from the project and their late or missing payments was ruining me. In the end, I would have made more money working minimum wage. I felt like I was drowning. And then a friend died. Everything compounded. I saw grad school as my only escape so getting 1 waitlist that eventually became a rejection devastated me.
 

I did have a family and a partner that were able to support me through the worst of times. It made me feel guilty for needing to rely on others, but I was deeply privileged to have their help.
 

You aren’t asking for advice, so I won’t really offer much. But do some hard thinking about what you want your life to be. If you want to go to NAU, and you know the stipend isn’t enough, really think about if you can afford loans. Maybe you need to pick up some minimum wage jobs or serving or something over the summer to just stockpile as much money as possible before classes start. Maybe see if there are any scholarships you can apply for online (but no guarantee that will yield anything). Maybe you can reach out to the program or current students to see if they have advice. I know with FAFSA you might be able to be part of a work study program, but not sure if that conflicts with your program. It’s likely going to be a difficult road ahead for a while either way unfortunately.

 

Again, I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. I lost a dear family member last week. I don’t know what it is about springtime and death. I’m thankful that this time I have some concrete offers, but it doesn’t fully take away the pain. 

I’m rooting for your success ❤️ Feel free to DM me if you ever want to talk. 

[_redrabbit7]

36 minutes ago, shadygrove said:

I'm calling it for myself. Taking Brown as a rejection at this point since it sounds like acceptance calls have gone out? I only applied to four schools, all of them Top 10, so I'm taking it as a lesson to save up (if I can) to apply to some more options for my second round, even if I can still only do a fully funded program. I knew it was a long shot with how competitive places are, but I still thought I'd have a bit of a chance... I was pretty confident in my writing sample. Bummer! Here's to a year ahead of trying to get into some workshops, residencies, or publications. 

For all my fellow forlorns who didn't get in this round, I hope y'all are holding in there okay! I'm trying to let this be a galvanizing call to work super hard on my craft over the next year. Sending y'all love and sending much love and congratulations to everyone going into a program in the fall!!

To my knowledge, only Brown poetry acceptances have gone out so far. I know someone who got in. And my roommate (a current grad in fiction) told me the other programs will send out their acceptances before or by Saturday, ahead of spring break next week. Until Saturday night, I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for some good news. 

[glowingbrightly]

I just got offered a spot at Irvine!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[Hjanep]

31 minutes ago, glowingbrightly said:

I just got offered a spot at Irvine!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Out of reactions but congrats!!

[shadygrove]

1 hour ago, _redrabbit7 said:

To my knowledge, only Brown poetry acceptances have gone out so far. I know someone who got in. And my roommate (a current grad in fiction) told me the other programs will send out their acceptances before or by Saturday, ahead of spring break next week. Until Saturday night, I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for some good news. 

I'm poetry, unfortunately 😔 Putting out big big acceptance energy to the universe for you!!

[Slothy711]

Does anybody know if UC Riverside poetry acceptances have gone out yet?

[tiramisu22]

6 hours ago, Ekpe said:

Got in at Ole Miss 🥺🥺

@Ekpe poetry or fiction?

[_redrabbit7]

5 hours ago, shadygrove said:

I'm poetry, unfortunately 😔 Putting out big big acceptance energy to the universe for you!!

Oh, so sorry to hear that. 

I also applied to three schools in the Top 10 and have been rejected by two so far. Hoping for some good news from Brown honestly. 

🙏🏾🙏🏾

[Sumire11]

8 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

I'm really, really sorry about your cat. I'm really sorry.

[Ekpe]

10 hours ago, Chex said:

Just checked and can confirm that one was for Oregon State (poetry), and the other was for Bowling Green State (not sure of the genre but possibly fiction, based on the comments). 

I am so sorry, Panano. So so sorry for your loss and the general feeling of overwhelm. I can relate to the crushing bruise of relentless Ls. It does a number on the heart. Not much I can say now but I pray your hurt eases and that your resounding good news is very very close. Sending you all the hugs 🫂🫂🫂

Congrats! 

 

4 hours ago, tiramisu22 said:

@Ekpe poetry or fiction?

Thanks @Chex

 

Fiction @tiramisu22

[everything bagel lover]

13 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

I'm so sorry, panano  It is a really hard time and especially your cat's passing on top of that. I'm sorry for your loss. My partner has experienced a very similar thing these last few months, unable to find work anywhere. The've got a BA and no criminal record and not even retail will take them and it's really taken a toll on them. The economy is in shambles. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.

On a positive note, you do have some waitlists under your belt that could pan out. When I spoke to current students at NAU, both said they were able to make the GTA work by living frugally and with roommates, so I'd recommend reaching out to them if you haven't yet and maybe talking in more depth about how they swing it. None of this is to invalidate your concerns, they're very real and I hope that you can make one of the programs work for you ❤️ The fact that you've been accepted to 2 places and waitlisted at 3 speaks to your talents and skills as a writer! Places want you! I'm sending you love and hope ❤️ 

[honeytreasures]

Brown fiction waitlist hit draft

[Tinky C. Clown]

well i’m finishing the season with a 50% success rate… pretty cool but i wish i hadn’t applied to all those partially funded safety schools. if you’re considering a second round, don’t do what i did – apply to the funded ones, so many people get in their second time around. knowing the process/having to spend that year writing makes all the difference. i’m honestly thankful i didn’t get in my first time because now i know i wasn’t ready

[zaira]

14 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

You have been such a wonderful part of this community, and it hurts my heart to see that you're struggling right now. This is the one thing I absolutely despise about the MFA process. It's almost like it's designed to be an ego-crushing machine, hell bent on making spectacular writers feel unworthy. It tricks us into thinking a spot in a fully-funded program is the only testament to our skill. 

In truth you have so much going for your writing career. You earned a screenwriting MFA! You got into a residency! You GOT PUBLISHED!! At the end of the day, isn't that the thing that matters most? You're writing, you're putting your work out there, and it's showing up in publications for people to enjoy. What you're doing is working, it's valuable, and I'm so, so proud of you.

I know that doesn't ease the pain of rejections or the immense loss of your best friend. Go easy on yourself, your heart's so fragile right now and it needs to be held with care. If you ever need anything, please feel free to reach out. You have this community's support, forever and always. 

[everything bagel lover]

15 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

well i’m finishing the season with a 50% success rate… pretty cool but i wish i hadn’t applied to all those partially funded safety schools. if you’re considering a second round, don’t do what i did – apply to the funded ones, so many people get in their second time around. knowing the process/having to spend that year writing makes all the difference. i’m honestly thankful i didn’t get in my first time because now i know i wasn’t ready

Congratulations!! Though i'm waiting on UNLV, it's looking like I'll be finishing up with a 50% win rate as well. I'll second this, places that only offer partial funding are not it unless you're a big baller. I say this with an asterisk, as I applied to a few programs that only fund some applicants, hoping that the pool overall would be smaller and that my teaching credentials can provide me leverage within that pool (it did, I got funded offers at 2/3 and am waitlisted for funding at the 3rd). 

Knowing the process and the inner workings of applications is seriously half the battle. If you're applying to MFA's, you're likely already a strong writer or on your way to being one. I'm also grateful I didn't get in anywhere my first time. I've grown as a writer and a person outside of an academic setting and have more appreciation for the opportunity than I would have had straight out of undergrad. 

[curfew]

14 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

I am so very sorry for your loss, and for how difficult and frustrating your job search has been.

Let it be known that [at least] to myself and many others on here, as well as to so many other faces in the world, you have always been a credible writer. The path is very strange and brindled with mist. An MFA is, really, one of the externalities of writing, like prizes or all the other subjective cosmetic-pieces attached to the real beautiful thing, the practice of writing, a practice which is often lonely and weird to parse through and terrifying and bittersweet. My mentor at my undergrad shared a story once about wanting to win one of the annual prizes while at their MFA [one that is normally ranked near the tippy-top]. They changed their writing style almost completely, then won the prize, then felt empty. The undulating movement in a lot of MFAs is within the current of donors and plastic prestige. There are also wonderful parts about them, yes, which is why we apply, but getting into them or not getting into them does not give a writer any true barometer on his/her writing. You were a writer to me the second you started to write. As long as you just do the thing, you are always going to be a writer, one of the realest of them. I want to read your work at the soonest possible chance, because the empathy and luminosity you've shown to others throughout all of this is a greater measurement of you as an artist than anything related to this uneasy, shadowfaced process. 

Rooting for you forever.

 

[zaira]

6 minutes ago, curfew said:

I am so very sorry for your loss, and for how difficult and frustrating your job search has been.

Let it be known that [at least] to myself and many others on here, as well as to so many other faces in the world, you have always been a credible writer. The path is very strange and brindled with mist. An MFA is, really, one of the externalities of writing, like prizes or all the other subjective cosmetic-pieces attached to the real beautiful thing, the practice of writing, a practice which is often lonely and weird to parse through and terrifying and bittersweet. My mentor at my undergrad shared a story once about wanting to win one of the annual prizes while at their MFA [one that is normally ranked near the tippy-top]. They changed their writing style almost completely, then won the prize, then felt empty. The undulating movement in a lot of MFAs is within the current of donors and plastic prestige. There are also wonderful parts about them, yes, which is why we apply, but getting into them or not getting into them does not give a writer any true barometer on his/her writing. You were a writer to me the second you started to write. As long as you just do the thing, you are always going to be a writer, one of the realest of them. I want to read your work at the soonest possible chance, because the empathy and luminosity you've shown to others throughout all of this is a greater measurement of you as an artist than anything related to this uneasy, shadowfaced process. 

Rooting for you forever.

 

I'm out of reacts already (whyyyy gradcafe??) but just know I wish I could upvote and heart this a thousand times. Beautifully put! 

[exvat]

15 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Hey guys, mopey ass bummer of a post coming through so if you're feeling fragile like me please ignore lol. I'm just having such a hard time today. Having done this whole shebang last year I knew how competitive it is and I applied to so many programs hoping I would at least end up with a few options. I feel like I don't really have a right to complain since I have a funded offer at NAU, but the stipend simply isn't livable on its own and if I haven't been able to get a job in my current city (I've been unemployed for 5 months) I don't see why it would be easier to get one in flagstaff which is a fraction of the size. I'm just so, so tired of being broke all the time. All I do is apply to jobs and all I hear back, if I'm lucky, is no. My ego is sooo bruised from these applications. I was finally getting to a point in my life/career where I felt like I had a wee bit of credibility as a writer; I finished an mfa in screenwriting, did a cool residency, got some short stories published, etc. But now it's all evaporated and I just feel like I'm in a never ending flop era. On top of all this my cat, my best friend in the world, died unexpectedly on Sunday night. He was kind of all I had going for me and now I'm just sitting here in my empty apartment feeling lost. Sorry to trauma dump, I just don't have anybody irl who really gets how taxing this process is and how it seeps into every other aspect of your life. 

Condolences on your loss, wishing you peace and ease 🙏

[bucket]

1 hour ago, honeytreasures said:

Brown fiction waitlist hit draft

is is safe to assume that acceptances went out prior? 

[zaira]

7 minutes ago, bucket said:

is is safe to assume that acceptances went out prior? 

That's what I'm assuming, yeah. Though they might surprise us. I think either way we should know for sure very soon. Brown tends to reject folks shortly after putting out acceptances and waitlists (bless them for this, for real) 

[honeytreasures]

8 minutes ago, bucket said:

is is safe to assume that acceptances went out prior? 

I’d assume so but you never know! Ik they sent the waitlist email pretty early today!

[_redrabbit7]

16 minutes ago, bucket said:

is is safe to assume that acceptances went out prior? 

Waitlists first. They haven’t called people for acceptances. 

[exvat]

Brown University versus the world