2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[exvat]

1 minute ago, ksiezniczka.monisia said:

You guys know what I think? I think that the longer a school takes with the decisions, the more money in scholarships they should give. 

Make it cosmic law

[RabbitRunner]

Hi! Sorta new lurker, I wish I had found this forum when I was first starting on applications! Good luck to everybody waiting on answers from schools, the wait really is torturous. I just got rejected from Virginia Tech for poetry and I expected it but I'm still trying to not to be too sad about it. I'm still waiting on George Mason, SIU, and Emerson but I got an acceptance and funding from Hollins University so I'm excited about that.

[analog_e]

1 hour ago, vilum said:

Yes... although I already threw in the towel for that one. I applied there because, well it's Brown, but I know their program is very experimental and my writing is quite anchored to realism. I guess 2025 was not my year!

Not necessarily—I listened to a podcast with one of their poetry candidates and he said most of his peers write within convention. I think the opportunities for experimentation are just more present.

[smallchange]

3 hours ago, fakepoet said:

Hey everyone! Been lurking for months now, told myself I wouldn't make an account, and finally caved today bcs I do have a question. I don't have Draft so I can't ask people there/my results aren't on the spreadsheet.

I received a fully funded offer from Hunter for poetry. They emailed me telling me I was shortlisted, interviewed me, then sent an official offer letter. Their program deadline to accept the offer is March 14th, at which point if I haven't accepted they will "reluctantly move on to the next candidate on their list." The cursory research I've done points to Hunter having signed the 4/15 resolution, but it's under the name CUNY Grad Center, so I'm not 100% sure if this program specifically is covered. I was surprised their unofficial deadline was so early—I understand doing it in rounds and wanting to finalize the cohort asap, but the admitted student visit is the night before their deadline, which feels silly. I was recently accepted to Brooklyn as well and am on the Michigan waitlist—obviously, I want to keep my options open re Michigan and stuff. And these schools might not even be done notifying by the 14th—I'm still waiting on half of my schools' results. Anyone have anymore knowledge on whether Hunter counts as having signed the 4/15 resolution thing? + how should I go about bringing this up with the program director in a classy way? They seem really lovely and I do think I'll probably end up there, but I want to keep my options open, especially considering that Michigan would offer more financial security. Brooklyn also doesn't expect an answer from me until 4/15, so the Hunter deadline being so early feels kinda random.

Happy to answer any questions about the interview or anything if anyone is curious or has one coming up. All hope is not lost if you haven't heard from Hunter—I feel like they probably send out acceptances in phases depending on who accepts their offers.

(PS re NYU—I was in their MFA program for a year and basically got soft expelled by the admin behind my program's back this summer for Palestine-related reasons. The money situation is strange because some people receive MUCH more financial support from the program than others. I personally didn't like the social dynamic the mixed funding setup created. Some people received thousands of dollars a month and had fellowship-provided jobs related to the program, some people got nothing. And of course only a certain type of person can afford to pay half tuition at NYU. If I were Deborah Landau I would cut the program in half and fully fund everybody. But I digress. If anyone has questions about the NYU program I'm happy to answer them to the best of my ability. Got my Ocean connect and dipped so I consider my time there a success lol)

Good to know re: Hunter. My hopes are slim but it does seem like they have some kind of a batched schedule reviewing applications, I’d guess because the program is so small.

 

That makes sense that NYU would attract a “certain type of person.” I was confused about funding because someone in the fb group mentioned getting a “fully funded” offer there plus full tuition remission which I didn’t know they offered. Any program that can fund their whole cohort but chooses not to doesn’t sit right with me. I’m sorry to hear about your experience there, that’s horrible. I have a friend doing a PhD there (in the English department) who is very involved in pro-Palestine activism so that’s a surprise to hear. Congrats on your offers/waitlists! Sounds like you’re off somewhere better no matter what. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:11 PM by smallchange

[szymborskasy]

the boston university wait is killing me!!!! still radio silence from them, and the week before BU's spring break too...atp i just want an answer ...

[zaira]

5 minutes ago, szymborskasy said:

the boston university wait is killing me!!!! still radio silence from them, and the week before BU's spring break too...atp i just want an answer ...

Sameeeee. It's the only program I feel might be a good fit for me in terms of timeline and overall vibes so I'm hoping to get some good news. Though at this stage I'll take any answers, good or bad. 

I wonder how many of us are still waiting? 

[Tinky C. Clown]

52 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

Mississippi gave an acceptance on this day a year ago so I'm manifesting. 

Please please please. 

no, their first acceptances were 3/7 onward. not sure where you're seeing this

[szymborskasy]

3 minutes ago, zaira said:

Sameeeee. It's the only program I feel might be a good fit for me in terms of timeline and overall vibes so I'm hoping to get some good news. Though at this stage I'll take any answers, good or bad. 

I wonder how many of us are still waiting? 

same...im super interested in their global fellowship program...

there's at least two other people on draft still waiting for fiction, but cannot really make out beyond that! BU's accepts came out around this time last year though so hopefully this week??

[zaira]

4 minutes ago, szymborskasy said:

same...im super interested in their global fellowship program...

there's at least two other people on draft still waiting for fiction, but cannot really make out beyond that! BU's accepts came out around this time last year though so hopefully this week??

Yes, that fellowship sounds incredible! And the option to go through the translation seminar is very high on my list of "please, please, I need this." 

Here's hoping we get some good news soon! 

[Tinky C. Clown]

Is it possible that U of Oregon has tons more applicants than usual?

[Mystic_Sunshine]

19 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

no, their first acceptances were 3/7 onward. not sure where you're seeing this

on the spreadsheet on 3/5 one person got a fiction acceptance via email. They typed ole miss instead of Mississippi 

Though I see most waitlist went out on the 10th. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:44 PM by Mystic_Sunshine

[Tinky C. Clown]

5 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

on the spreadsheet on 3/5 one person got a fiction acceptance via email. They typed ole miss instead of Mississippi 

oh weird. i see that on the spreadsheet that has multiple years worth of data, but when i go back to last year's draft spreadsheet, it's not there. who knows. not expecting anything from them until next week tho since 3/1 was a saturday

[Mystic_Sunshine]

3 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

oh weird. i see that on the spreadsheet that has multiple years worth of data, but when i go back to last year's draft spreadsheet, it's not there. who knows. not expecting anything from them until next week tho since 3/1 was a saturday

oh yeah, strange. and who knows since there is only one. 

 

 

[thelovelyunkown]

1 hour ago, OctopusCactus said:

While ideally you would have recommenders who can speak to your writing skills, professors (or even professional colleagues) who can speak to things like your work ethic and ability to succeed in a competitive grad program could also be valuable.  Since you're already thinking next cycle, you could also go to a writing conference or retreat, or take a writing class between now and the fall with the goal of getting a strong letter out of it.  That's what I did.

Thank you! Any recommendations for conferences/retreats? 

[fakepoet]

1 hour ago, smallchange said:

Good to know re: Hunter. My hopes are slim but it does seem like they have some kind of a batched schedule reviewing applications, I’d guess because the program is so small.

 

That makes sense that NYU would attract a “certain type of person.” I was confused about funding because someone in the fb group mentioned getting a “fully funded” offer there plus full tuition remission which I didn’t know they offered. Any program that can fund their whole cohort but chooses not to doesn’t sit right with me. I’m sorry to hear about your experience there, that’s horrible. I have a friend doing a PhD there (in the English department) who is very involved in pro-Palestine activism so that’s a surprise to hear. Congrats on your offers/waitlists! Sounds like you’re off somewhere better no matter what. 

Yeah, there's a handful of fully-funded/stipended fellowships that include free health insurance etc etc and everyone else gets the 50% off tuition/guaranteed teaching position package. It just felt unnecessary to me, especially given the size of the program. Probably ~15-20 people per genre-specific cohort each year? They definitely help you out more than, say, Columbia, but yes, it absolutely attracts a certain type of person. My friend who got into NYU with one of the fully funded packages this year was offered a $35k stipend. Love her to death and she deserves it but giving one person in your program $70k over two years and others nothing is just strange in my opinion. Creates an unnecessarily inequitable social environment. This is why I was leery of mixed-funding programs this time around.

Yeah, def attracts a certain type of person. All of this is obviously my opinion and said opinion is colored by the way my time in the program ended, but the NYU program is definitely not for everyone. If you want to be a literary hot girl in NYC, NYU is definitely the school for you, but I am not and will never be, lol. There are lots of people who are very good at what they do and others who are not. There are many talented people who decline NYU's offers because they can't afford the tuition, even with the 50% discount and teaching opportunities. So I think they do end up admitting some dodgy people who just pay their way. The Palestine thing was crazy because I got snitched on by another guy in my poetry cohort. He is apparently kind of a social pariah there now and nobody talks to him, but the fact remains that one of us is banned from the mf property and the other will graduate with an mf A. Lmao. Also his poetry is mid. I am kind of doxxing myself here but I honestly don't care because this is part of the downside of a big cohort and people should know this. You can't know everyone's true intentions and some people are fucking weirdos. He weaponized the political environment at NYU against me after sitting in workshop with me for a semester. Keep in mind that I am early/mid twenties, and he's in his thirties. The fact that he did that after learning very intimate details about my life in workshop kinda stunned me, and is a big part of why nobody talks to him now. I thought we were peers, he thought I was a crazy little girl he needed to tattle on. Thankfully, none of you will be at NYU with him, because he graduates this spring. His debut will sell ten copies and the only buyer will be his mother.

They also rehired Alex Dimitrov after a significant portion of the students in the program petitioned for him to be fired but that's none of my business xoxoxo

ETA: thank you for the congrats haha. Sorry forgot to say that cuz I got too busy going off on this tangent. I agree, it's a bummer what happened but ultimately I will find a better place

Edited Wednesday at 07:12 PM by fakepoet

[essentialflowers]

Hey everyone! Question: I just received my third TAship teaching a College Writing course. Should I update my waitlist schools & those I applied to with this new position? My professor told me to update them and let them know I'm still a competitive applicant. Thanks! Sending light and love. 

[DisplayNamesAreTheWorst]

On 7/7/2024 at 3:39 AM, therosewriter said:

Is anyone looking at applying to the University of Oxford's (England) Mst in Creative Writing? 

I applied! I had an interview in February. Still waiting on a decision though. 

[pananoprodigy]

23 minutes ago, fakepoet said:

Yeah, there's a handful of fully-funded/stipended fellowships that include free health insurance etc etc and everyone else gets the 50% off tuition/guaranteed teaching position package. It just felt unnecessary to me, especially given the size of the program. Probably ~15-20 people per genre-specific cohort each year? They definitely help you out more than, say, Columbia, but yes, it absolutely attracts a certain type of person. My friend who got into NYU with one of the fully funded packages this year was offered a $35k stipend. Love her to death and she deserves it but giving one person in your program $70k over two years and others nothing is just strange in my opinion. Creates an unnecessarily inequitable social environment. This is why I was leery of mixed-funding programs this time around.

Yeah, def attracts a certain type of person. All of this is obviously my opinion and said opinion is colored by the way my time in the program ended, but the NYU program is definitely not for everyone. If you want to be a literary hot girl in NYC, NYU is definitely the school for you, but I am not and will never be, lol. There are lots of people who are very good at what they do and others who are not. There are many talented people who decline NYU's offers because they can't afford the tuition, even with the 50% discount and teaching opportunities. So I think they do end up admitting some dodgy people who just pay their way. The Palestine thing was crazy because I got snitched on by another guy in my poetry cohort. He is apparently kind of a social pariah there now and nobody talks to him, but the fact remains that one of us is banned from the mf property and the other will graduate with an mf A. Lmao. Also his poetry is mid. I am kind of doxxing myself here but I honestly don't care because this is part of the downside of a big cohort and people should know this. You can't know everyone's true intentions and some people are fucking weirdos. He weaponized the political environment at NYU against me after sitting in workshop with me for a semester. Keep in mind that I am early/mid twenties, and he's in his thirties. The fact that he did that after learning very intimate details about my life in workshop kinda stunned me, and is a big part of why nobody talks to him now. I thought we were peers, he thought I was a crazy little girl he needed to tattle on. Thankfully, none of you will be at NYU with him, because he graduates this spring. His debut will sell ten copies and the only buyer will be his mother.

They also rehired Alex Dimitrov after a significant portion of the students in the program petitioned for him to be fired but that's none of my business xoxoxo

ETA: thank you for the congrats haha. Sorry forgot to say that cuz I got too busy going off on this tangent. I agree, it's a bummer what happened but ultimately I will find a better place

This is wild and I REALLY appreciate you sharing it. Didn’t apply to NYU just because I’m from new york and wasn’t that interested in moving back but this kinda thing seems important for all of us to be wary of regardless of program. Weird times we’re living in, man. 

[neuroticcowboy]

Anyone heard from UVA or BU? 

[MegHe]

2 minutes ago, neuroticcowboy said:

Anyone heard from UVA or BU? 

Nothing from UVA yet...in recent years they've called admits on a Friday/Saturday, then emailed waitlists, then sent out rejections the next Sunday or Monday. So it's fairly likely we'll hear back one way or another in the next five days or so.

....Not that I've obsessively researched it or anything. 

[Paul Schrader]

Anyone hear from Hunter or Columbia fiction yet? Feeling crazy!!

[suitcase 1234]

1 hour ago, fakepoet said:

Yeah, there's a handful of fully-funded/stipended fellowships that include free health insurance etc etc and everyone else gets the 50% off tuition/guaranteed teaching position package. It just felt unnecessary to me, especially given the size of the program. Probably ~15-20 people per genre-specific cohort each year? They definitely help you out more than, say, Columbia, but yes, it absolutely attracts a certain type of person. My friend who got into NYU with one of the fully funded packages this year was offered a $35k stipend. Love her to death and she deserves it but giving one person in your program $70k over two years and others nothing is just strange in my opinion. Creates an unnecessarily inequitable social environment. This is why I was leery of mixed-funding programs this time around.

Yeah, def attracts a certain type of person. All of this is obviously my opinion and said opinion is colored by the way my time in the program ended, but the NYU program is definitely not for everyone. If you want to be a literary hot girl in NYC, NYU is definitely the school for you, but I am not and will never be, lol. There are lots of people who are very good at what they do and others who are not. There are many talented people who decline NYU's offers because they can't afford the tuition, even with the 50% discount and teaching opportunities. So I think they do end up admitting some dodgy people who just pay their way. The Palestine thing was crazy because I got snitched on by another guy in my poetry cohort. He is apparently kind of a social pariah there now and nobody talks to him, but the fact remains that one of us is banned from the mf property and the other will graduate with an mf A. Lmao. Also his poetry is mid. I am kind of doxxing myself here but I honestly don't care because this is part of the downside of a big cohort and people should know this. You can't know everyone's true intentions and some people are fucking weirdos. He weaponized the political environment at NYU against me after sitting in workshop with me for a semester. Keep in mind that I am early/mid twenties, and he's in his thirties. The fact that he did that after learning very intimate details about my life in workshop kinda stunned me, and is a big part of why nobody talks to him now. I thought we were peers, he thought I was a crazy little girl he needed to tattle on. Thankfully, none of you will be at NYU with him, because he graduates this spring. His debut will sell ten copies and the only buyer will be his mother.

They also rehired Alex Dimitrov after a significant portion of the students in the program petitioned for him to be fired but that's none of my business xoxoxo

ETA: thank you for the congrats haha. Sorry forgot to say that cuz I got too busy going off on this tangent. I agree, it's a bummer what happened but ultimately I will find a better place

wait SOOO alarming thank you so much for sharing. you deserve way better!!! also I think I may be out of the loop, but what's the controversy w/ Alex dimitrov if you don't mind me asking?

[suitcase 1234]

19 minutes ago, Paul Schrader said:

Anyone hear from Hunter or Columbia fiction yet? Feeling crazy!!

I think there are a few hunter fiction notifs in the draft. since they have such a small cohort it's so hard to say what that means lol. unsure about Columbia!!

[szymborskasy]

28 minutes ago, neuroticcowboy said:

Anyone heard from UVA or BU? 

Lots of people have heard back with rejects from BU, but there's still a couple of us waiting

[analog_e]

35 minutes ago, neuroticcowboy said:

Anyone heard from UVA or BU? 

UVA finished their MFA review last night according to my insider info, so expect it soon