2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[zaira]

Just now, Hjanep said:

Fingers crossed for you! Are you on other waitlists / admitted elsewhere or are you UVA or bust for the season?

I'm UVA or bust! It's actually my only opportunity to get into a fully-funded MFA because I'm not applying again next season.  Kinda increases the pressure 😬 

I might try for a low res program in the future though 

[Allrich90]

I've got accepted to a Low Residency MFA program at SAIC. I felt like most of my cohort were exploring different arts to find themselves. I'm pretty sure of my direction, which is writing. Let me know if any of you have heard anything about the program and if it is worth it.

[Eloise2897]

At this point, I've found personal peace with every outcome--I'll be excited no matter where I go. However, I'm stressing in part because I want to have a clearer financial picture. I've been comparing UHaul costs, rent prices, transit costs, and all manner of other things for the past two weeks. I'm putting away as much money as I can at the moment regardless, but I would still like to be able to draw up a more specific budget.

[P i e r r o t]

54 minutes ago, zaira said:

I'm UVA or bust! It's actually my only opportunity to get into a fully-funded MFA because I'm not applying again next season.  Kinda increases the pressure 😬 

I might try for a low res program in the future though 

I saw that post on Draft and also immediately thought of you! Rooting for you from the sidelines, saying little witchy prayers, etc. Keep us posted!

[Mr. Scribblo]

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

I saw that post on Draft

hi, 
could you let me know when it was posted or who shared it? i've been searching draft but can't seem to find it.

[zaira]

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

I saw that post on Draft and also immediately thought of you! Rooting for you from the sidelines, saying little witchy prayers, etc. Keep us posted!

Awwww, thank you so, so much. This means the world, really. I love this community. I'll happily take all of your little witchy prayers! ❤️ 🕯️

[Eloise2897]

22 minutes ago, Eloise2897 said:

At this point, I've found personal peace with every outcome--I'll be excited no matter where I go. However, I'm stressing in part because I want to have a clearer financial picture. I've been comparing UHaul costs, rent prices, transit costs, and all manner of other things for the past two weeks. I'm putting away as much money as I can at the moment regardless, but I would still like to be able to draw up a more specific budget.

Here's what the I Ching said this morning: "This hexagram references the positive concepts of anticipation and expectation. A time of growing power and energies which have not yet revealed themselves. Diligence and focus must be at maximal levels because a time of great flourishing is near. The period of late winter (just prior to the springtime) is also referenced here." 

I like the sound of "great flourishing." "Energies which have not revealed themselves" makes me think I'm going to get at least one other option...

[decayingballads21]

Hi friends!! hope everyone’s hanging in there. Hoping good news comes your way this week if you’re still waiting on programs. @everything bagel lover sending you all the good vibes and luck for CSU funding!!! 🤞🏻 

im currently torn between two great programs. Idaho and Oregon state. Faculty and courses/community at both is amazing, and I know they’re both great choices. Teaching load is a bit higher at idaho but I honestly don’t really mind that. Idk how I’m supposed to choose 😔 right now, I’m mostly trying to figure out if I would like a two year program or a three year, as that’s the biggest difference between both and the only “con” I can find for osu.
 

I always said I’d only go to a 3 year program now I’m thinking 2 wouldn’t be so bad. I keep thinking what if I can’t write a manuscript in that time, or I have less options post grad, but I don’t think any of that is true.
 

Anyone have any thoughts on this specifically, or anything to add about either of these programs? 

[Jane Wyman]

13 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said:

Hi friends!! hope everyone’s hanging in there. Hoping good news comes your way this week if you’re still waiting on programs. @everything bagel lover sending you all the good vibes and luck for CSU funding!!! 🤞🏻 

im currently torn between two great programs. Idaho and Oregon state. Faculty and courses/community at both is amazing, and I know they’re both great choices. Teaching load is a bit higher at idaho but I honestly don’t really mind that. Idk how I’m supposed to choose 😔 right now, I’m mostly trying to figure out if I would like a two year program or a three year, as that’s the biggest difference between both and the only “con” I can find for osu.
 

I always said I’d only go to a 3 year program now I’m thinking 2 wouldn’t be so bad. I keep thinking what if I can’t write a manuscript in that time, or I have less options post grad, but I don’t think any of that is true.
 

Anyone have any thoughts on this specifically, or anything to add about either of these programs? 

I'd look at cost of living for both places. Not sure if that's a consideration, but I suspect OSU will be pricier.

Also, Oregon and Idaho are quite different politically, although of course a college town is a college town.

You could check out the faculty and see who you vibe with more?

[prufrock_]

2 minutes ago, Jane Wyman said:

I'd look at cost of living for both places. Not sure if that's a consideration, but I suspect OSU will be pricier.

Also, Oregon and Idaho are quite different politically, although of course a college town is a college town.

Exactly what I was thinking! if financially it's all the same, i'd go to oregon (i lived there before and loved it, it's so greeeeeeeen). It's a progressive state politically, while Idaho looks rather red. but yeah oregon's kinda pricey.

 

as for two vs three years, i've been debating that with myself lately. while having an extra year of guaranteed funding makes taking the mfa leap less scary, i think i can write a good thesis in two years anyway. (plus my savings spaced out over two years makes life prettier than vs three years.)

[decayingballads21]

1 minute ago, prufrock_ said:

Exactly what I was thinking! if financially it's all the same, i'd go to oregon (i lived there before and loved it, it's so greeeeeeeen). It's a progressive state politically, while Idaho looks rather red. but yeah oregon's kinda pricey.

 

as for two vs three years, i've been debating that with myself lately. while having an extra year of guaranteed funding makes taking the mfa leap less scary, i think i can write a good thesis in two years anyway. (plus my savings spaced out over two years makes life prettier than vs three years.)

So I love the faculty at both. I did feel like I *connected* more with idaho faculty, specifically but the people at both places are all amazing and I know I’d thrive in either environment. I think OSU offers more of a variety of courses, which I love, and the quarter system actually allows for me to take workshop 6x and craft courses 6x, which is sort of amazing and kind of makes up for the less time I think.

 

the political climate of idaho DOES worry me, but I know the town and campus itself is fine. I’m actually considering living in Pullman, Washington for healthcare reasons, and I think that would be slightly better. But yeah, still, Oregon is much more green and vibrant, and idaho would be more of a good place to intensely focus for three years - no distractions, very rural and quiet. 
 

it’s so tough! When it comes down to the nuts and bolts it’s like how do you even choose. 
 

I appreciate the insight 

[P i e r r o t]

51 minutes ago, Mr. Scribblo said:

hi, 
could you let me know when it was posted or who shared it? i've been searching draft but can't seem to find it.

It was from a comment on the big "waitlist movement" thread.

[Tinky C. Clown]

also is it just me or did oregon state waitlist a ton of people. i feel like everyone and their mama on draft reported an oregon state waitlist

[everything bagel lover]

CSU called, GTA was accepted by someone else they offered a fellowship but I couldn’t take that without tuition remission :,( I’m sad that the door to CSU has closed but very very grateful for my position at NAU and will be committing today! It’s bittersweet but I’m relieved to know ❤️ thank you everyone for the positive vibes you sent my way

[Hjanep]

1 hour ago, decayingballads21 said:

So I love the faculty at both. I did feel like I *connected* more with idaho faculty, specifically but the people at both places are all amazing and I know I’d thrive in either environment. I think OSU offers more of a variety of courses, which I love, and the quarter system actually allows for me to take workshop 6x and craft courses 6x, which is sort of amazing and kind of makes up for the less time I think.

 

the political climate of idaho DOES worry me, but I know the town and campus itself is fine. I’m actually considering living in Pullman, Washington for healthcare reasons, and I think that would be slightly better. But yeah, still, Oregon is much more green and vibrant, and idaho would be more of a good place to intensely focus for three years - no distractions, very rural and quiet. 
 

it’s so tough! When it comes down to the nuts and bolts it’s like how do you even choose. 
 

I appreciate the insight 

FWIW my aunt lives outside Sun Valley and says she is genuinely very frightened for how red and backwards Idaho is (the newly elected legislature is trying to make abortion a death penalty offense and make birth control entirely illegal, people wear guns out in the open on holsters, they’re banning books including Harry Potter). I used to live in Portland, OR and I do think you get some far right extremists in Oregon when you leave the cities but I would personally be much more comfortable in Corvallis 

[inkidacat]

Is anyone else here waitlisted at Syracuse for fiction? I know that one person confirmed that they were attending, but does anyone else know of any other waitlist movement? 

Edited March 31 by inkidacat

[glowingbrightly]

1 hour ago, decayingballads21 said:

So I love the faculty at both. I did feel like I *connected* more with idaho faculty, specifically but the people at both places are all amazing and I know I’d thrive in either environment. I think OSU offers more of a variety of courses, which I love, and the quarter system actually allows for me to take workshop 6x and craft courses 6x, which is sort of amazing and kind of makes up for the less time I think.

 

the political climate of idaho DOES worry me, but I know the town and campus itself is fine. I’m actually considering living in Pullman, Washington for healthcare reasons, and I think that would be slightly better. But yeah, still, Oregon is much more green and vibrant, and idaho would be more of a good place to intensely focus for three years - no distractions, very rural and quiet. 
 

it’s so tough! When it comes down to the nuts and bolts it’s like how do you even choose. 
 

I appreciate the insight 

I’m not normally one to advocate avoiding tenuous political climates but someone on draft who teaches in Idaho mentioned some state laws that restrict speech in regard to things like abortion and gender identity. I could exist in a red state, and sometimes I think it’s even better to write from a more divided community, but I’m not sure I could teach with such threats to freedom of speech and the ability to basically care for young queer students. 

[Eloise2897]

8 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

Is anyone else here waitinglisted at Syracuse for fiction? I know that one person confirmed that they were attending, but does anyone else know of any other waitlist movement? 

I am! Someone on draft just said they are removing themselves from the waitlist. That's all I have seen in the past few weeks (other than the 1 confirmed attending), and I have been watching for movement like a hawk. 

[snottlebie]

Can't quite remember all details but if I'm remembering correctly, someone who got into Syracuse for fiction also got into JHU and Cornell (and more, as well as waitlisted for Michener; apologies if I'm combining people but I do know there was someone with multiple acceptances who got into Syracuse). So there would likely be movement. I think someone in here might have known this person (?), but if anyone has any intel on where people with multiple acceptances are landing, feel free to share if comfortable.

Or if anyone has intel on if any of the above schools/others have filled their cohorts. Might be too early, but it is basically April at this point.

[glowingbrightly]

@P i e r r o t comment on draft waitlist post saying irvine fiction all accepted

[LichLover]

Hi everyone. I hope we're holding up well.

Got off the waitlist at two programs today, and also declined my spot at another program (Miami U), so there should be waitlist movements. I know a few folks here and on the Draft group are waitlisted at Miami. Rooting for us all.

[Eloise2897]

33 minutes ago, LichLover said:

Hi everyone. I hope we're holding up well.

Got off the waitlist at two programs today, and also declined my spot at another program (Miami U), so there should be waitlist movements. I know a few folks here and on the Draft group are waitlisted at Miami. Rooting for us all.

Do you mind if I ask where you got off the waitlists? No pressure if you would rather not share!

[Tinky C. Clown]

lmao got an official acceptance from emerson just now after i've already told them no. no mention of the full scholarship they unofficially offered me and asked me to unofficially decide on before offering it for real. they're just such a scammy place imo

 

oh also i see that a unlv acceptance just went out so nobody count them out yet

Edited March 31 by Tinky C. Clown

[Hjanep]

1 hour ago, snottlebie said:

Can't quite remember all details but if I'm remembering correctly, someone who got into Syracuse for fiction also got into JHU and Cornell (and more, as well as waitlisted for Michener; apologies if I'm combining people but I do know there was someone with multiple acceptances who got into Syracuse). So there would likely be movement. I think someone in here might have known this person (?), but if anyone has any intel on where people with multiple acceptances are landing, feel free to share if comfortable.

Or if anyone has intel on if any of the above schools/others have filled their cohorts. Might be too early, but it is basically April at this point.

Yeah my workshop mate is that person. They’re visiting all schools and then deciding. I think Syracuse and JHU are top of the list. There’s another person admitted at both those programs who might be leaning JHU (this is thirdhand information) because of transit etc limitations but I don’t think they’ve done their Syracuse visit yet. Unfortunately might be closer to 4/15 before you see movement. Keep us posted!

[P i e r r o t]

1 hour ago, glowingbrightly said:

@P i e r r o t comment on draft waitlist post saying irvine fiction all accepted

Yeahhhhh. Cruel business, waitlists. Major bridesmaid-never-bride vibes. Getting the personal treatment, too, was so appreciated but does make it real bitch in the end.