2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[P i e r r o t]

3 hours ago, zaira said:

It is!!! I'm actually pinching myself, I'm so incredibly grateful and happy. It's a dream program. I love every little detail about it and couldn't imagine myself in a better place this fall. 

@P i e r r o t You might actually be magic because your prayers worked!!! 🕯️

LET'S GOOOOOO THIS SOME WITCHY SHIT Y'ALL! So stoked for you. Please poke your head back in a few more times before you leave us for good!

Do me a solid and send them elite vibes back my way: waiting on Davis ahhhhhhh.

[cheer bear]

15 hours ago, paper copy said:

Anybody heard from Boise State? I saw there's one acceptance reported in Draft from March 28, but nothing else...I know an applicant who applied to Boise last year and was waitlisted on April 1, so that was my unofficial expectation for this year...at this point, I'm expecting a rejection, but I wanted to see if there was any other news or rumors to report!

yes! i was also waitlisted apr 1st (this season, for better clarity). the coordinator said acceptances have went out (and presumably all waitlists, too, but im not sure). they said we'll have more news next week if there's any movement probably cuz the 15th is coming up.

Edited April 3 by cheer bear

[zaira]

13 hours ago, P i e r r o t said:

LET'S GOOOOOO THIS SOME WITCHY SHIT Y'ALL! So stoked for you. Please poke your head back in a few more times before you leave us for good!

Do me a solid and send them elite vibes back my way: waiting on Davis ahhhhhhh.

I am sending every little bit of my own witchy energy your way!!! I got u 🕯️🕯️🕯️

[goodluckbabe]

what are the types of tiered rejections from iowa? i know there's "we want you to know that your manuscript was well-received by our readers, some of whom liked it very much" but what's the... levels

[P i e r r o t]

34 minutes ago, goodluckbabe said:

what are the types of tiered rejections from iowa? i know there's "we want you to know that your manuscript was well-received by our readers, some of whom liked it very much" but what's the... levels

The last "tier" includes a hand-written message from Sam Chang beneath the letter you quoted. Mine this year said "Thanks for a strong application". The generic letter is short and without any particular encouragement, I believe.

[Hjanep]

36 minutes ago, goodluckbabe said:

what are the types of tiered rejections from iowa? i know there's "we want you to know that your manuscript was well-received by our readers, some of whom liked it very much" but what's the... levels

There’s a shorter form note that’s below that. Above that is a handwritten note from the director. I think that’s it. 

[Tinky C. Clown]

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

The last "tier" includes a hand-written message from Sam Chang beneath the letter you quoted. Mine this year said "Thanks for a strong application". The generic letter is short and without any particular encouragement, I believe.

yeah my handwritten note said i’m sorry we weren’t able to offer you a spot this year 

[Magnolia Electric Co]

@Tuxedocat Did you end up visiting Wash U and/or having conversations with Wash U poets? I would be curious to hear what you thought if you'd be comfortable sharing! I am trying to learn more about Wash U as well

[inkidacat]

On 3/31/2025 at 1:35 PM, Eloise2897 said:

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. 

I also wonder how many people said yes to staying on the waitlist,,, i'm so nervous because Syracuse is my top choice, n i would say yes immediately :(( n since the waitlist isn't ranked, would they reconvene to decide who to pull from the waitlist pool? i wish to be free from this waiting game,,,but it seems like it's gonna drag till the very last minute 

Edited April 3 by inkidacat

[Lady Gladys]

6 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

I also wonder how many people said yes to staying on the waitlist,,, i'm so nervous because Syracuse is my top choice, n i would say yes immediately :(( n since the waitlist isn't ranked, would they reconvene to decide who to pull from the waitlist pool? i wish to be free from this waiting game,,,but it seems like it's gonna drag till the very last minute 

I'm trying to see the bright side, especially when it comes to the big name/popular programs: as long as you are waiting, someone is still deciding, meaning they aren't sold on their choices, which means you may end up with a spot. If people were sure, it wouldn't be dragging on so long. I hope my twisted logic brings comfort.

[inkidacat]

1 minute ago, Lady Gladys said:

I'm trying to see the bright side, especially when it comes to the big name/popular programs: as long as you are waiting, someone is still deciding, meaning they aren't sold on their choices, which means you may end up with a spot. If people were sure, it wouldn't be dragging on so long. I hope my twisted logic brings comfort.

u may be cooking, me thinks...i will take this as comfort 

[Eloise2897]

19 minutes ago, inkidacat said:

I also wonder how many people said yes to staying on the waitlist,,, i'm so nervous because Syracuse is my top choice, n i would say yes immediately :(( n since the waitlist isn't ranked, would they reconvene to decide who to pull from the waitlist pool? i wish to be free from this waiting game,,,but it seems like it's gonna drag till the very last minute 

Yeah, the Syracuse wait is genuinely painful at this point. I don't know how many emails is too many to send to reaffirm that I would 100% accept if offered a spot. I've sent 2. I will probably fold and send one more next week. I respect that everyone needs time to make a thoughtful decision, but I'm really hoping they commit one way or another soon. The fact that only 1 of 6 has accepted so far (that we know of) is both giving me hope and driving me crazy.

[Tuxedocat]

28 minutes ago, Magnolia Electric Co said:

@Tuxedocat Did you end up visiting Wash U and/or having conversations with Wash U poets? I would be curious to hear what you thought if you'd be comfortable sharing! I am trying to learn more about Wash U as well

Yeah sure! We can talk more over DMs if you want more in depth info. But basically the faculty are great and very invested in the students. Spent over 2 hrs total talking to them. Their mentorship was everything I dreamed out of an MFA program. The students I spoke to said it’s a great program but due to small cohort sizes, most of their friends are outside the program. Such is the nature of small programs I guess. Sadly, I couldn’t visit WashU. St Louis is far from where I live, so I couldn’t make the travel allowance and my budget stretch to cover tickets. It’s also a really hectic time for me so I wouldn’t have been able to fly out until next week, which felt like I would be cutting everything too close. I did turn down WashU yesterday, but it’s was gut-wrenching to say no to them. It’s a really amazing program. Michigan just fits me more right now.

[curfew]

23 hours ago, zaira said:

It is!!! I'm actually pinching myself, I'm so incredibly grateful and happy. It's a dream program. I love every little detail about it and couldn't imagine myself in a better place this fall.

WAHHHHHH CONGRATULATIONS @zaira I'VE BEEN ROOTING FOR YOU FOREVER!!! Charlottesville is such a beautiful place HURRAY!!

Edited April 3 by curfew

[zaira]

3 minutes ago, curfew said:

WAHHHHHH CONGRATULATIONS @zaira I'VE BEEN ROOTING FOR YOU FOREVER!!! Charlottesville is such a beautiful place HURRAY!!

Awwwwwww, THANK YOU!!! That means so much. I'm ridiculously excited! 

It really does just take one program to say yes. That's it, just one! We gotta keep going til we find it. 

[Southron]

Looks like Pitt is alive! Acceptances for Poetry and Nonfiction on draft. 

[hmm.]

did anyone else waitlisted at WashU get a seemingly empty email from David Schuman last night? I’m guessing it was just an error but I want to make sure I’m not missing something. 
also, does anyone have insight into or impressions of the Syracuse poetry program? I am on the waitlist there too and am finding it really hard to get any sense of what it’s actually like to go there beyond what I can find on the website. It’s hard to know without visiting, but I also don’t have a specific question I can articulate in an email to the administrator. 

[Magnolia Electric Co]

7 minutes ago, hmm. said:

did anyone else waitlisted at WashU get a seemingly empty email from David Schuman last night? I’m guessing it was just an error but I want to make sure I’m not missing something. 
also, does anyone have insight into or impressions of the Syracuse poetry program? I am on the waitlist there too and am finding it really hard to get any sense of what it’s actually like to go there beyond what I can find on the website. It’s hard to know without visiting, but I also don’t have a specific question I can articulate in an email to the administrator. 

Yes, I got the mysterious blank email too! I assume it was an error. And I am also curious about Syracuse's poetry program (though I did not apply there but wish I did). I second the feeling of being on a waitlist and having trouble getting a qualitative feel for a program. I feel like talking to faculty would make things a lot clearer.

[Nauna]

6 hours ago, Southron said:

Looks like Pitt is alive! Acceptances for Poetry and Nonfiction on draft. 

I am equal parts terrified and thrilled! 

[Nauna]

You guys I met the Director at Michener today and he is SUCH a genuine, humble, and brilliant human. Grats to all of you that will be going there in the fall! If I don't get in anywhere this cycle, you better believe I'll be applying there next year! 

[rapunzel]

32 minutes ago, Nauna said:

You guys I met the Director at Michener today and he is SUCH a genuine, humble, and brilliant human. Grats to all of you that will be going there in the fall! If I don't get in anywhere this cycle, you better believe I'll be applying there next year! 

that's amazing! how did you run into him??

[Hjanep]

7 hours ago, Nauna said:

You guys I met the Director at Michener today and he is SUCH a genuine, humble, and brilliant human. Grats to all of you that will be going there in the fall! If I don't get in anywhere this cycle, you better believe I'll be applying there next year! 

Seconding! I met him at a writers conference in 2014 and he was so lovely and encouraging

[VOID DARLING]

anybody know of people getting off the poetry waitlist/ rejecting their poetry spots at michigan? so far all the movement i see on the draft spreadsheet seems to be on the fiction side! 

lowkey in my delulu era thinking that 9 spots per genre means there's BOUND to be some movement in both.... TvT

[elizabethjeanewrites]

Hi!! So I'm waiting to hear back from Notre Dame, Butler and Miami of Ohio. I've gotten no email from all 3. I've never done this whole grad school thing before. Is this normal?? Should I be worried? I got waitlisted at Western Michigan University, but I got an email. Should I take no email as a rejection? I got rejected from Boston U, UIUC, and Ohio State, but they all sent emails... I'm so scared and I check my email everyday. And I'm just a undergrad finishing senior year and trying to plan what to do with my life next year. Can anyone give me some guidance?

[Nauna]

8 hours ago, rapunzel said:

that's amazing! how did you run into him??

He's the keynote speaker and guest at the National Undergraduate Literary Conference this year where I'm doing my undergrad & presenting this year (Weber State University). He presented as a student years ago, so it's all the more amazing that he's back as the headlining guest.