2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[beet_root]

Keep in mind: if you’ve been offered a spot at a school that signed the April 15 resolution, but you’re waiting on other programs before you make your final decision, you can always just accept the first offer and back out if you change your mind. If you do it by April 15, you won’t be penalized.

Better to endure the temporary awkwardness of declining an offer you previously accepted than lose out on a spot in a program.

[everything bagel lover]

9 hours ago, glowingbrightly said:

Yeah, I’d take it if I were you. That’s a good offer so secure it and you won’t have much to lose in case you do need to pivot. I think everyone has to weigh it for themselves but it’s better to be safe than sorry in this climate.  

 

9 hours ago, snottlebie said:

Not saying to not take it - do what makes you feel most secure - but also that rushing to secure a spot in fear and giving up on waitlists is also not the best thing. (Nothing is the best thing - it's shitty all around.) Imagine if you were in that Northwestern cohort and basically half the group got their offers rescinded (IDK the numbers, but they only take 2/genre). Yes, it's good you're there, but do you want to be in a miniscule cohort? If community's an important thing, do you want to be at a place that had to cut a ton of people? We don't want this application season to be a wash and it may save you peace of mind to secure your spot, sure, but think hard about your decision.

If I was the one person to say yes at northwestern and then they deferred the other person in my genre, I'd be devastated too. Either way, it sucks.

 

7 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Take this with sooo many grains of salt because I obviously know nothing, but I think if I were you, I would probs hang in there and wait for final word from CSU before you accept NAU. I haven't gotten any indication in any of my convos with people at NAU that our offers there are in danger of being revoked/deferred/whatever...Now, obviously, as we're seeing, anything can happen, but I feel pretty confident in the NAU offer's sticking power, at least for now. I would just hate for you to end up in the super awkward position of getting your dream CSU funding offer and having the excitement of it all marred by having to back out of an NAU offer you accepted. Of course that wouldn't be the worst thing ever, but I think esp since April 15th is still a wee bit aways, I would probably wait. 

edit: THAT BEING SAID, I feel firmly that at the end of the day we all have to put ourselves first in this process. These schools are a lot like companies, and I think it's so valid to treat them the way you'd treat potential employers during a job search -- i.e. you don't owe them anything. Obviously we don't wanna burn bridges but like also...see above re: don't owe them anything.

This is all incredibly valuable feedback, thank y'all so much.

I also emailed the professor at CSU who's been my contact person and he said "there's a good chance we'll have definite info for you by the end of this week and I will reach out just as soon as I can" which I'm maybe reading too far into but seems really promising? If it's defitinite info for me, and I've expressed twice that I would accept it immediately, then perhaps?

And @pananoprodigy I had the same thought about the social guilt and anxiety and how that would really take away the joy of the whole commitment process for either school. I agree, NAU feels fairly solid; it's not the highest stipend in the world and it's GTA based, plus they did sign the resolution and only some are funded so they're hopefully fine. I do just feel in my gut that I should wait but the NU students having the rug pulled really freaked me out. I think, given the information I've received from CSU, I will hold off on committing to NAU out of fear. However, if they award the GTA to another cohort member, I'll probably commit just in case and then, if I must, pivot.

I really can't thank y'all enough for your sound reasoning and input ❤️ 

[penitentwanderer]

6 hours ago, beet_root said:

Keep in mind: if you’ve been offered a spot at a school that signed the April 15 resolution, but you’re waiting on other programs before you make your final decision, you can always just accept the first offer and back out if you change your mind. If you do it by April 15, you won’t be penalized.

Better to endure the temporary awkwardness of declining an offer you previously accepted than lose out on a spot in a program.

Everyone has to do what's best for them, but if you do take a spot (that you're hoping not to take, i.e. waiting on movement elsewhere), you are kinda fucking over the people on the waitlist, as they're informed the spots are all taken. So they take other offers, or take job offers, or renew their lease, etc. It has a huge ripple effect. 

[everything bagel lover]

24 minutes ago, penitentwanderer said:

Everyone has to do what's best for them, but if you do take a spot (that you're hoping not to take, i.e. waiting on movement elsewhere), you are kinda fucking over the people on the waitlist, as they're informed the spots are all taken. So they take other offers, or take job offers, or renew their lease, etc. It has a huge ripple effect. 

This is also my concern with confirming a spot when I'm unsure. I've been in the waitlist dance before and am currently biting my nails on a funding waitlist, and I don't want to muddy the waters for others. I really just hope that places deferring acceptances doesn't become something regular (or even happen more than once at this point).

[beet_root]

39 minutes ago, penitentwanderer said:

Everyone has to do what's best for them, but if you do take a spot (that you're hoping not to take, i.e. waiting on movement elsewhere), you are kinda fucking over the people on the waitlist, as they're informed the spots are all taken. So they take other offers, or take job offers, or renew their lease, etc. It has a huge ripple effect. 

Unfortunately, that’s the bummer of being on the waitlist. It’s not unusual for spots to open up at the last minute (or even after April 15), and programs often inform waitlisters that this may be the case.

Seems to me like an issue of the system, not the student.

[zaira]

Out of curiosity, if every applicant accepts offers from a program, would the school inform waitlisted folks that there are no spots available? Would they wait until April 15th to inform? Or would they just hold onto waitlists indefinitely?

I've heard of people getting off waitlists as late as a month before classes are set to start. How does that work? They just decide to remain on the waitlist despite all offers being accepted? 

[snottlebie]

10 minutes ago, zaira said:

Out of curiosity, if every applicant accepts offers from a program, would the school inform waitlisted folks that there are no spots available? Would they wait until April 15th to inform? Or would they just hold onto waitlists indefinitely?

I've heard of people getting off waitlists as late as a month before classes are set to start. How does that work? They just decide to remain on the waitlist despite all offers being accepted? 

They usually email applicants once they know. 

[everything bagel lover]

20 minutes ago, zaira said:

Out of curiosity, if every applicant accepts offers from a program, would the school inform waitlisted folks that there are no spots available? Would they wait until April 15th to inform? Or would they just hold onto waitlists indefinitely?

I've heard of people getting off waitlists as late as a month before classes are set to start. How does that work? They just decide to remain on the waitlist despite all offers being accepted? 

In my experience with one school, when all positions had been filled they said it is "very unlikely" that anything will change between now (it was late April) and the start of the term. So I didn't like remove myself from the waitlist or anything at that point, and the language left the door a tiniest crack open just in case they needed to reach back out last minute but I understood that this was deeply unlikely. 

[zaira]

2 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

In my experience with one school, when all positions had been filled they said it is "very unlikely" that anything will change between now (it was late April) and the start of the term. So I didn't like remove myself from the waitlist or anything at that point, and the language left the door a tiniest crack open just in case they needed to reach back out last minute but I understood that this was deeply unlikely. 

Ahhh, thank you! I wasn't sure if I could expect to be, like, officially rejected from the waitlist or something. This is good to know. Guess I'll just wait patiently, potentially all summer if I have to haha. 

[penitentwanderer]

49 minutes ago, beet_root said:

Unfortunately, that’s the bummer of being on the waitlist. It’s not unusual for spots to open up at the last minute (or even after April 15), and programs often inform waitlisters that this may be the case.

Seems to me like an issue of the system, not the student.

I think there's an ethical difference between spots opening up because applicants accepted offers they didn't want/hoped to still turn down prior to 4/15 just because they want to have a spot, and spots opening up because of applicants making decisions late in the game. It is an odd look to accept an offer weeks before the deadline and then jettison that acceptance prior to 4/15 (if you got off a waitlist somewhere better, for example). The system exists to prevent accepting offers that you don't intend to keep. Obviously, this year has an added element of uncertainty which means people act out of fear. But to each their own.

[squid05]

20 minutes ago, penitentwanderer said:

I think there's an ethical difference between spots opening up because applicants accepted offers they didn't want/hoped to still turn down prior to 4/15 just because they want to have a spot, and spots opening up because of applicants making decisions late in the game. It is an odd look to accept an offer weeks before the deadline and then jettison that acceptance prior to 4/15 (if you got off a waitlist somewhere better, for example). The system exists to prevent accepting offers that you don't intend to keep. Obviously, this year has an added element of uncertainty which means people act out of fear. But to each their own.

I agree with you. My unfortunate situation is that my Warren Wilson decision was due on Sunday. I asked for more time but waiting on UNCG to get back to me with any information at all has been excruciating. 

[everything bagel lover]

44 minutes ago, penitentwanderer said:

I think there's an ethical difference between spots opening up because applicants accepted offers they didn't want/hoped to still turn down prior to 4/15 just because they want to have a spot, and spots opening up because of applicants making decisions late in the game. It is an odd look to accept an offer weeks before the deadline and then jettison that acceptance prior to 4/15 (if you got off a waitlist somewhere better, for example). The system exists to prevent accepting offers that you don't intend to keep. Obviously, this year has an added element of uncertainty which means people act out of fear. But to each their own.

I agree, mostly! Ideally, accepted students have until April 15th to decide, and it's not considered good form to accept quickly just to turn it down for something else.

However, what recently is throwing a wrench into this is funding being pulled, and that trickling down into offers that haven't been accepted being deferred to Fall 2026. That's what Northwestern just did, according to a current student on Facebook. Accepted offers are typically honored, whereas an outstanding offer may not be if funding is getting chopped. Thus, the current conundrum I came to y'all with. I have one offer that is funded and that I'd be happy to take, but I'm waitlisted for funding at my top choice school and won't know until the person in front of me decides whether or not they want it. I can assume that potentially since they have pushed out deciding for so long that CSU isn't their top choice and they're maybe waiting on a similar situation that I'm waiting on.

And then, if schools don't abide by the April 15 resolution, then that's even more crunch onto a system where some schools are requiring decisions even earlier than most, leading to some tough decisions for applicants. Overall, this is unfortunately looking like a complicated season because of funding cuts to graduate programs. Ideally, I think we'd all like to be courteous to each other and take care to not unnecessarily take up spots or commit to places too soon. I really hope that no other programs start deferring outstanding offers. The whole thing gives me anxiety and I really hope that I, and other candidates, have until the April 15th deadline to fully decide.

Edited Wednesday at 03:06 PM by everything bagel lover
clarity

[Hjanep]

SFSU fiction acceptance just hit draft

[glowingbrightly]

59 minutes ago, penitentwanderer said:

I think there's an ethical difference between spots opening up because applicants accepted offers they didn't want/hoped to still turn down prior to 4/15 just because they want to have a spot, and spots opening up because of applicants making decisions late in the game. It is an odd look to accept an offer weeks before the deadline and then jettison that acceptance prior to 4/15 (if you got off a waitlist somewhere better, for example). The system exists to prevent accepting offers that you don't intend to keep. Obviously, this year has an added element of uncertainty which means people act out of fear. But to each their own.

Yeah, the system exists to protect students and allow them to make decisions without pressure. It’s a rough climate we are in because of trump but I think it’s even more important than ever to be grateful for what we have and not put additional pressure on those trying to decide right now. 

[penitentwanderer]

48 minutes ago, squid05 said:

I agree with you. My unfortunate situation is that my Warren Wilson decision was due on Sunday. I asked for more time but waiting on UNCG to get back to me with any information at all has been excruciating. 

Yeah it's so tough when you add programs that don't follow the 4/15 resolution. That's an instance in which I really don't think it's bad to accept - because they don't follow the resolution and force you to decide despite not hearing back from everyone else. Good luck to you and hang in there!

30 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

I agree, mostly! Ideally, accepted students have until April 15th to decide, and it's not considered good form to accept quickly just to turn it down for something else.

However, what recently is throwing a wrench into this is funding being pulled, and that trickling down into offers that haven't been accepted being deferred to Fall 2026. That's what Northwestern just did, according to a current student on Facebook. Accepted offers are typically honored, whereas an outstanding offer may not be if funding is getting chopped. Thus, the current conundrum I came to y'all with. I have one offer that is funded and that I'd be happy to take, but I'm waitlisted for funding at my top choice school and won't know until the person in front of me decides whether or not they want it. I can assume that potentially since they have pushed out deciding for so long that CSU isn't their top choice and they're maybe waiting on a similar situation that I'm waiting on.

And then, if schools don't abide by the April 15 resolution, then that's even more crunch onto a system where some schools are requiring decisions even earlier than most, leading to some tough decisions for applicants. Overall, this is unfortunately looking like a complicated season because of funding cuts to graduate programs. Ideally, I think we'd all like to be courteous to each other and take care to not unnecessarily take up spots or commit to places too soon. I really hope that no other programs start deferring outstanding offers. The whole thing gives me anxiety and I really hope that I, and other candidates, have until the April 15th deadline to fully decide.

It's a really hard time right now. Agree with others that everyone shouldn't feel pressured. I'm sitting on an offer, but have no intention to accept until 4/15 as I'm waiting to hear back from my 1st choice. If offers were rescinded it'd be terrible, but I wouldn't want to be part of an even tinier program (as it's tiny already). If no one's in your cohort, what's the point?

[Tinky C. Clown]

also, just because one school did rescinded offers doesn’t mean a bunch of schools will. the level of panic i’m seeing doesn’t really match the actual probability that this becomes a pattern 

[everything bagel lover]

7 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

also, just because one school did rescinded offers doesn’t mean a bunch of schools will. the level of panic i’m seeing doesn’t really match the actual probability that this becomes a pattern 

That's a good point and what I'm trying to remind myself. I just already was afraid of getting the rug pulled out from under me before it happened to some people and now I'm on edge and other people freaking out freaks me out which freaks other people out. 

[beet_root]

The exact language of the April 15 resolution: “If a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit a written resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. Applicants are not required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer they accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline. Once applicants have informed the program that they are withdrawing their acceptance of the offer, they then can accept any other offers.”

It’s clearly not discouraged or even odd for a student to back out of an acceptance if they have specific guidance regarding that exact situation.

[glowingbrightly]

28 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

also, just because one school did rescinded offers doesn’t mean a bunch of schools will. the level of panic i’m seeing doesn’t really match the actual probability that this becomes a pattern 

Can I ask why you think this? I’m not calling for widespread contagion but with pitt and now northwestern, in addition to various others, I think there is good reason to act cautiously. This isn’t about fear or panic, it’s about being realistic in a terrible climate for pursuing graduate studies. 

And I see multiple people talking about the tragedy of a small cohort but this is just the reality. Most programs aren’t taking as many students, whether it’s publicized or not, and while that’s sad, it shouldn’t be devastating or a reason not to follow your dreams of being a writer, working with faculty who can push your work forward.

[Tinky C. Clown]

8 minutes ago, glowingbrightly said:

 

Can I ask why you think this? I’m not calling for widespread contagion but with pitt and now northwestern, in addition to various others, I think there is good reason to act cautiously. This isn’t about fear or panic, it’s about being realistic in a terrible climate for pursuing graduate studies. 

And I see multiple people talking about the tragedy of a small cohort but this is just the reality. Most programs aren’t taking as many students, whether it’s publicized or not, and while that’s sad, it shouldn’t be devastating or a reason not to follow your dreams of being a writer, working with faculty who can push your work forward.

2 programs doesn't mean a pattern. i committed to a school because i was 100% certain about it, but i don't think this happening is reason to make a different decision/make it more quickly. i've seen multiple people on draft say they've accepted their offers straight up after seeing the northwestern thing, which feels unadvisable. i think a reasonable first step would be to email people in the department/grad school, and ask if there's any uncertainty. definitely do not make any decisions based on this. it's crazy to do that. maybe i'll eat my words if it does become a pattern, but it isn't one now.

[glowingbrightly]

6 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

2 programs doesn't mean a pattern. i committed to a school because i was 100% certain about it, but i don't think this happening is reason to make a different decision/make it more quickly. i've seen multiple people on draft say they've accepted their offers straight up after seeing the northwestern thing, which feels unadvisable. i think a reasonable first step would be to email people in the department/grad school, and ask if there's any uncertainty. definitely do not make any decisions based on this. it's crazy to do that. maybe i'll eat my words if it does become a pattern, but it isn't one now.

I think it’s clearly a pattern and as @beet_root posted above, accepting an offer has no consequences other than personal security and maybe having to send an extra email.

Word on the street is Northwestern profs had no idea this was coming and had 3 hours to decide on one student to keep before deferring other offers. Pitt profs are also said to be completely in the dark. I also committed to a school because I was 100% certain but not everyone has the luxury of certainty. I think calling anyone crazy for protecting themselves in this environment is in itself crazy. 

[penitentwanderer]

9 minutes ago, glowingbrightly said:

I think it’s clearly a pattern and as @beet_root posted above, accepting an offer has no consequences other than personal security and maybe having to send an extra email.

Word on the street is Northwestern profs had no idea this was coming and had 3 hours to decide on one student to keep before deferring other offers. Pitt profs are also said to be completely in the dark. I also committed to a school because I was 100% certain but not everyone has the luxury of certainty. I think calling anyone crazy for protecting themselves in this environment is in itself crazy. 

Well, there are consequences to other applicants.

It's a highly personal decision and everyone has to weigh what's best for them. But it's important to let people make their decisions without adding pressure. Helpful to have as much info as you can, but then the applicants must make their own choice, hopefully one that makes them feel good and not one made out of blind fear. Someone mentioned that an even smaller cohort isn't a reason to give up on your dreams of being a writer - but who said anything about giving up? No one's giving up, and an MFA doesn't make you a writer. But it is something you can only do once and do you want to do it without community? (though I understand that this can feel like a do-or-die scenario).

[Tinky C. Clown]

30 minutes ago, glowingbrightly said:

I think it’s clearly a pattern and as @beet_root posted above, accepting an offer has no consequences other than personal security and maybe having to send an extra email.

Word on the street is Northwestern profs had no idea this was coming and had 3 hours to decide on one student to keep before deferring other offers. Pitt profs are also said to be completely in the dark. I also committed to a school because I was 100% certain but not everyone has the luxury of certainty. I think calling anyone crazy for protecting themselves in this environment is in itself crazy. 

personally i need more than 2 instances of something to call it a pattern. BUT i do agree i was a tad harsh with the crazy assessment. i do think it would be bad if people freaking out makes more people freak out, because then we have a situation where a ton of people commit early, and then subsequently get off the waitlist and then renege on their commitments. we don't want this, because then being committed to a school then becomes less meaningful and everything becomes more precarious for everyone. so i'm in the camp of not committing to a school if you think there's a real chance you're gonna go somewhere else.

[zaira]

On the issue of consequences, there's one small, potentially unavoidable thing that could happen if a lot of people accept offers they might withdraw later.

Let's say Joe Writer panics and accepts an offer at Program A that he's not totally sure about. Program A sends an email to their waitlist saying their cohort is confirmed. Jane Author, seeing this email, assumes it's useless to wait for Program A so she accepts a spot at her second choice, Program B. Then a couple weeks later, Joe Writer withdraws his acceptance at Program A. Now Jane Author is a little annoyed because she could have stayed on the waitlist, but she didn't because she thought all of the available spots were confirmed. 

Again, I'm not saying you should make choices based on this somewhat-unlikely scenario. You need to focus on whatever makes sense for your specific situation. I don't blame anyone for wanting to confirm spots ASAP. 

[exvat]

Just chiming in to say that from a coldly mathematical perspective, you need at least 3 data points to define a trend—and even then, it's probably a flimsy assumption to make any consequential decision on, barring significant contributions from other data sets.

(Count the modifiers and conditionals 👆)