2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[exvat]

Doing dishes just now, this popped into my head:

"You can't hurt me, you're not a deafening silence from MFA programs!"

Edited February 7 by exvat
Also today last year Vandy accepted a poet byeeeeee

[Tinky C. Clown]

2 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Surprised we haven't heard anything from U of Oregon yet; I had my money on calls going out early this week (although of course maybe they did and nobody reported it).

also wondering. Oregon and Indiana seem ripe for picking 

[roomservice]

Anyone else losing it? I'm hoping we'll hear back from Cornell, WashU, and Vandy soon... today even would be awesome.

[everything bagel lover]

39 minutes ago, roomservice said:

Anyone else losing it? I'm hoping we'll hear back from Cornell, WashU, and Vandy soon... today even would be awesome.

I literally had a dream last night that people from a school I applied to met with me at a diner to offer me admission lol UNLV's first acceptance and CSU's first rejection were both on 2/8 last year and it has me on edge. What mostly is driving me crazy is that it could be anytime between right this very moment and a month and change from now.

[DJ Lambchop]

6 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

I literally had a dream last night that people from a school I applied to met with me at a diner to offer me admission lol UNLV's first acceptance and CSU's first rejection were both on 2/8 last year and it has me on edge. What mostly is driving me crazy is that it could be anytime between right this very moment and a month and change from now.

I had a dream last night that I was invited to an Iowa event where they revealed who was accepted. I was rejected but was forced to watch other people get their acceptances on a stage. Then the admissions committee took me aside and told me my writing was terrible. 

[Jane Wyman]

This freaking-out thing happens every year, right? And at least some of us get in? Riiiight?

[DJ Lambchop]

Does anyone know if they accept people to programs in waves/rolling? I don't understand why they wait so long after accepting people to send out rejections. Just put us out of our misery already. (Thinking of University of Minnesota who just sent out waitlists today [according to draft]. At this point I can assume I'm a rejection, right?)

[zaira]

2 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Does anyone know if they accept people to programs in waves/rolling? I don't understand why they wait so long after accepting people to send out rejections. Just put us out of our misery already. (Thinking of University of Minnesota who just sent out waitlists today [according to draft]. At this point I can assume I'm a rejection, right?)

Some programs accept in waves, yes. Most don't. It usually goes something like: acceptances clustered around the same day, then waitlists, then rejections. A few days or even weeks can pass between acceptances, waitlists, and rejections. Some programs waitlist and reject on the same day. Some accept and waitlist on the same day. It varies. You can see what each school tends to do if you look at past Draft notifications. 

For anyone expecting a Minnesota rejection soon, sending you lots of internet hugs. We're still so early in the season so please don't lose hope! 

[prufrock_]

7 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Does anyone know if they accept people to programs in waves/rolling? I don't understand why they wait so long after accepting people to send out rejections. Just put us out of our misery already. (Thinking of University of Minnesota who just sent out waitlists today [according to draft]. At this point I can assume I'm a rejection, right?)

I'm counting Minnesota as a soft reject at this point, yes, because i've heard nothing, yet acceptance/waitlists have gone out.  Most programs operate like this with the lag between waves. Most don't have massive distances between the three stages, but some do. I'd guess programs wait because that's just what works best for them for whatever reason. Applicants shouldn't even know about the waves; we only do because we have an underground network of crowd sourced data.

 

 

[KennyK]

25 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Does anyone know if they accept people to programs in waves/rolling? I don't understand why they wait so long after accepting people to send out rejections. Just put us out of our misery already. (Thinking of University of Minnesota who just sent out waitlists today [according to draft]. At this point I can assume I'm a rejection, right?)

Which branch was it for UOM? Twin Cities?

[DJ Lambchop]

7 minutes ago, KennyK said:

Which branch was it for UOM? Twin Cities?

Yes, twin cities

[KennyK]

1 minute ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Yes, twin cities

Guess I’ll be counting that as a soft rejection!

0a/1r/0w/12p

[Mystic_Sunshine]

39 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Does anyone know if they accept people to programs in waves/rolling? I don't understand why they wait so long after accepting people to send out rejections. Just put us out of our misery already. (Thinking of University of Minnesota who just sent out waitlists today [according to draft]. At this point I can assume I'm a rejection, right?)

The usual answer for why it takes longer is just an admin thing. Someone has to go in and do all the rejections. 

But all programs do it differently. I I applied to Minnesota though and I'm assuming rejection. 

[decayingballads21]

Is there still hope for CNF waitlist for Minnesota? 

[everything bagel lover]

Indiana Bloomington Poetry acceptance just dropped in the draft. 4 poets accepted.

Edited February 7 by everything bagel lover
wrong number

[alexisapoet]

If you're anything like me, you need reminders from time to time of the Great Subjectivity of all this--all this being not only acceptance to MFA programs but also publication and literary ""success"" in general--because it's easy to get discouraged. So, here's another reminder: today, I received an acceptance to Indiana for poetry. Up to this point, I've been rejected by three so-called lesser programs (though, due to the Great Subjectivity, I don't think the 'prestige' of programs matters much...). So, obvious lesson though it may be, there's another reminder of its truth. THIS IS SO SUBJECTIVE! Even if you're rejected at such-and-such school, assume nothing about other schools. Don't write yourself off. And, regardless, keep writing!

[snottlebie]

2 hours ago, decayingballads21 said:

Is there still hope for CNF waitlist for Minnesota? 

Just saw a CNF waitlist posted to Draft, so if that wasn’t you…I’d assume rejection, sorry. 

[Chex]

4 minutes ago, alexisapoet said:

If you're anything like me, you need reminders from time to time of the Great Subjectivity of all this--all this being not only acceptance to MFA programs but also publication and literary ""success"" in general--because it's easy to get discouraged. So, here's another reminder: today, I received an acceptance to Indiana for poetry. Up to this point, I've been rejected by three so-called lesser programs (though, due to the Great Subjectivity, I don't think the 'prestige' of programs matters much...). So, obvious lesson though it may be, there's another reminder of its truth. THIS IS SO SUBJECTIVE! Even if you're rejected at such-and-such school, assume nothing about other schools. Don't write yourself off. And, regardless, keep writing!

Congrats on Indiana!! I co-sign this mesaage. 

[everything bagel lover]

11 minutes ago, alexisapoet said:

If you're anything like me, you need reminders from time to time of the Great Subjectivity of all this--all this being not only acceptance to MFA programs but also publication and literary ""success"" in general--because it's easy to get discouraged. So, here's another reminder: today, I received an acceptance to Indiana for poetry. Up to this point, I've been rejected by three so-called lesser programs (though, due to the Great Subjectivity, I don't think the 'prestige' of programs matters much...). So, obvious lesson though it may be, there's another reminder of its truth. THIS IS SO SUBJECTIVE! Even if you're rejected at such-and-such school, assume nothing about other schools. Don't write yourself off. And, regardless, keep writing!

Congratulations!!!!!!!! Also, a great message!

[KennyK]

I thought forsure we would hear from Johns Hopkins

[nauseated]

31 minutes ago, KennyK said:

I thought forsure we would hear from Johns Hopkins

my entire thought process last 2 days has been this > if i didnt get an email then its a no > maybe i should check gradcafe before losing hope > ok they might not be out yet > forget > hmm I wonder if JHU sent out results >  if i didnt get an email then its a no... (rinse and repeat)

[KennyK]

19 minutes ago, nauseated said:

my entire thought process last 2 days has been this > if i didnt get an email then its a no > maybe i should check gradcafe before losing hope > ok they might not be out yet > forget > hmm I wonder if JHU sent out results >  if i didnt get an email then its a no... (rinse and repeat)

You think it’s possible they’re waiting until 5pm (EST) to call acceptances?

[nauseated]

1 minute ago, KennyK said:

You think it’s possible they’re waiting until 5pm (EST) to call acceptances?

I genuinely have no clue - this is my first round and I live in a timezone around 10 hours ahead 😭 That being said this is one call I wouldn't mind receiving at 3 am 

[pananoprodigy]

Guys I just heard from IU Bloomington - I'm on the waitlist for fiction!!!!

[Chex]

6 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

Guys I just heard from IU Bloomington - I'm on the waitlist for fiction!!!!

Big congrats!!!