2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[DJ Lambchop]

Everyone goes on and on about how subjective these admissions processes are, but that begins to feel less so when I see individuals on draft getting offers of admission from multiple schools. 

[zaira]

5 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Everyone goes on and on about how subjective these admissions processes are, but that begins to feel less so when I see individuals on draft getting offers of admission from multiple schools. 

I hear you, but you'll also see folks on there getting a combo of admissions, waitlists, and rejections. 

Sure, some people are inevitably gonna get more acceptances than others, no doubt about that. But it's extremely rare for applicants to get acceptances across the board. Almost everyone gets at least one rejection. 

[AyvaM]

12 hours ago, Chex said:

Pardon my French and this digression, but who the phuck is Mark Eriksson? Some spammer on the results page keeps posting jabs about them. 

P.S: Just Googled. Seems like some kind of professor (if I got the right person). LOL, way to obsess. Just let it go, dude, damn! 

how can i see the results page? when I click results in the hamburger menu on top I get brought to a master page of everyone on gradcafe it seems? is this the correct spot? [this is me trying to obsessively trying to track even more results than Draft 🥲]

[prufrock_]

15 minutes ago, DJ Lambchop said:

Everyone goes on and on about how subjective these admissions processes are, but that begins to feel less so when I see individuals on draft getting offers of admission from multiple schools. 

I wrote this last year but think it's still true:

I imagine 10%-20% of all applications from any slush have good enough writing to get into the program, and what turns you from that 10% to 'admitted' is less subjective than we may think --- prestigious awards & an ivy undergrad, LOR's from a Pulitzer winner, an sop that's two pages yet reads like a novel synopsis because your life is like Forest Gump. But it's also possible [those admitted to multiple places] just wrote a really killer short story and have an sop that shows they'd be fun to work with for a few years, which is all it takes to get in anywhere.

[Chex]

34 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

how can i see the results page? when I click results in the hamburger menu on top I get brought to a master page of everyone on gradcafe it seems? is this the correct spot? [this is me trying to obsessively trying to track even more results than Draft 🥲]

Yes, that's the results page. You can filter your search by typing "creative writing" or "mfa" into the search box. 

[exvat]

Will another tattoo magically get me into an MFA program? No. Will it reduce my suffering while I wait? No.

Will it be a good distraction while I wait? Awww yeah, better get two ✌️

[Runningforcats]

Hello fellow worriers,

 

Is it reasonable to assume we haven’t gotten in if we don’t hear anything in the month of Feb? It seems like the acceptances are notified early while the rejected are notified in March, April. 
 

I’ve applied to the typical group of fully funded, intensely competitive schools. 
 

This is my fourth round and I’m trying to be reasonable, distracted, and busy. I’ve even taken on a wildly intense job in the hospital emergency dept. Previous years I tried all the “manifesting” “positive thinking” (even going so far as to picture myself opening an acceptance letter while feverishly working out at the gym everyday) I’m thinking this is my last round. I can’t continue to drain my focus year after year. I’m trying to be realistic. 
 

anyways. Long time lurker here, end of rant, thank you for reading haha 🫡 sending lots of love to y’all!

[KennyK]

Has it been a quiet day for anyone else for the schools they applied to? 😭

[zaira]

15 minutes ago, Runningforcats said:

Is it reasonable to assume we haven’t gotten in if we don’t hear anything in the month of Feb? It seems like the acceptances are notified early while the rejected are notified in March, April. 

Depends! For me, I don't expect to hear from two of my schools (Brown and UVA) until the first week of March. They sent acceptances around that time last year. 

But yeah, if I didn't get any acceptances by about the second week of March I'd assume this season was a bust. I'd likely already know that though because most schools send rejections prior to mid-March too. 

[KennyK]

I’m hoping to hear noise from JH and Notre Dame this week. 😇🥺

[womanonline]

Been lurking here for awhile hoping to see if anyone mentions UTK's Creative Nonfiction program. I've seen acceptances/rejections/waitlists for Fiction and Poetry, but Nonfiction seems to be quiet. Does anyone know when they usually reach out? This is my first year applying to MFA programs, and the suspense is killing me. 

[AyvaM]

YALL I JUST GOT A CALL FROM NATALIE FUCKING SHAPERO AT UC IRVINE I was such an idiot on the phone but she was soooo nice about it 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm just screaming over here. Baby's first acceptance 

[pananoprodigy]

1 minute ago, AyvaM said:

YALL I JUST GOT A CALL FROM NATALIE FUCKING SHAPERO AT UC IRVINE I was such an idiot on the phone but she was soooo nice about it 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm just screaming over here. Baby's first acceptance 

LETS GOOOOO CONGRATS!!!

[Chex]

37 minutes ago, AyvaM said:

YALL I JUST GOT A CALL FROM NATALIE FUCKING SHAPERO AT UC IRVINE I was such an idiot on the phone but she was soooo nice about it 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm just screaming over here. Baby's first acceptance 

BIG CONGRATS!!!!! 🎉🎊

[decayingballads21]

47 minutes ago, womanonline said:

Been lurking here for awhile hoping to see if anyone mentions UTK's Creative Nonfiction program. I've seen acceptances/rejections/waitlists for Fiction and Poetry, but Nonfiction seems to be quiet. Does anyone know when they usually reach out? This is my first year applying to MFA programs, and the suspense is killing me. 

I applied for round 1 but not for round 2- i haven’t seen anything for cnf but then again CNF has been super quiet this year. I wouldn’t count yourself out yet! My guess is that cnf isn’t out yet and is on its way soon. I’m hoping that good news comes your way!!

 

what other programs are you waiting to hear back from?

[everything bagel lover]

Good morning my neurotic doves! Anyone else totally doubting their writing sample at this point? To a couple of last minute schools, I swapped a story for one that was a little weirder but not as polished (it hasn't been workshopped) and I'm wishing that I had both sent it out to more schools and had more time to really make it the best it could be. I know there's nothing to be done now but the silence and probable soft rejection from CSU has me feeling a lot of doubt. 

Also omg congratulations AyvaM!!!!!!!!! That's so amazing!!!

[seezeegee]

1 minute ago, everything bagel lover said:

Anyone else totally doubting their writing sample at this point?

It's fruitless self-flagellation, but at least it passes the time! I'm constantly thinking about which stories I picked for which schools, what the best combination was, and my pre- and post-edit stories. Were they rawer before the editing? Did the editing neuter an unpolished but more singular voice that AdComms might have liked more? Who knows! Who cares!

[zaira]

I'm feeling the opposite RE: samples, and honestly? I can't decide which feeling would be worse. 

I sent out what I truly feel was my best work. They were samples I loved writing and still enjoy. But here I am, sitting on a big old rejection from Cornell haha. Now I'm thinking, am I delusional? I workshopped these pieces with tons of writers and instructors but what if they were delusional too? 

The worries never end. At least we have each other to commiserate. Very thankful for this community! 

[DJ Lambchop]

19 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Good morning my neurotic doves! Anyone else totally doubting their writing sample at this point? To a couple of last minute schools, I swapped a story for one that was a little weirder but not as polished (it hasn't been workshopped) and I'm wishing that I had both sent it out to more schools and had more time to really make it the best it could be. I know there's nothing to be done now but the silence and probable soft rejection from CSU has me feeling a lot of doubt. 

Also omg congratulations AyvaM!!!!!!!!! That's so amazing!!!

When I sent in my writing samples, I was like “oh yeah, this is good stuff.” Now when I look back at my sample, I’m thinking “wtf is this crap?”

[programedlove333]

18 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Good morning my neurotic doves! Anyone else totally doubting their writing sample at this point? To a couple of last minute schools, I swapped a story for one that was a little weirder but not as polished (it hasn't been workshopped) and I'm wishing that I had both sent it out to more schools and had more time to really make it the best it could be. I know there's nothing to be done now but the silence and probable soft rejection from CSU has me feeling a lot of doubt. 

Also omg congratulations AyvaM!!!!!!!!! That's so amazing!!!

I am worried that I made a mistake by submitted a novel except instead of stories, but it truly did (and still does) feel like my best, most refined work that displays what I can do as a writer,,, but now im like did I make a mistake? I think the fact that when I was putting together apps, I had no doubt that it was my best work so I just need to carry that confidence with me but the nerves are still there

[curfew]

13 hours ago, AyvaM said:

YALL I JUST GOT A CALL FROM NATALIE FUCKING SHAPERO AT UC IRVINE I was such an idiot on the phone but she was soooo nice about it 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm just screaming over here. Baby's first acceptance 

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO!!! CONGRATS @AyvaM!!!

1 minute ago, zaira said:

I'm feeling the opposite RE: samples, and honestly? I can't decide which feeling would be worse. 

I sent out what I truly feel was my best work. They were samples I loved writing and still enjoy. But here I am, sitting on a big old rejection from Cornell haha. Now I'm thinking, am I delusional? I workshopped these pieces with tons of writers and instructors but what if they were delusional too? 

The worries never end. At least we have each other to commiserate. Very thankful for this community! 

Very thankful for YOU @zaira, always giving thoughtful two cents.

Cornell is the most selective program of them all, right? based on applications versus seats -- aside from Michener, methinks. I'm not feeling too sad about it, we got a lot of game left!

[Tinky C. Clown]

So, here’s my situation: I’m sitting on a really good fully funded offer, but also an admit to Emerson and have an interview on Zoom with Stony Brook. These other two are not fully funded and undoubtedly less solid – I only applied because I didn’t want to also fail my second round of apps. I feel bad about it lol, and I wish the situation was that I had three solid choices instead of one and two fake ones, just for like ego’s sake I guess?

 

PS is anyone ever paranoid that admissions people look at this site? i know it’s anonymous, but….

 

2A/2R/0W/16P not counting soft rejections

Edited February 11 by Tinky C. Clown

[KennyK]

15 minutes ago, Tinky C. Clown said:

So, here’s my situation: I’m sitting on a really good fully funded offer, but also an admit to Emerson and have an interview on Zoom with Stony Brook. These other two are not fully funded and undoubtedly less solid – I only applied because I didn’t want to also fail my second round of apps. I feel bad about it lol, and I wish the situation was that I had three solid choices instead of one and two fake ones, just for like ego’s sake I guess?

 

PS is anyone ever paranoid that admissions people look at this site? i know it’s anonymous, but….

 

2A/2R/0W/16P not counting soft rejections

Did you get accepted for fiction or poetry? 

[Tinky C. Clown]

2 minutes ago, KennyK said:

Did you get accepted for fiction or poetry? 

fiction!

[HalBear]

14 hours ago, womanonline said:

Been lurking here for awhile hoping to see if anyone mentions UTK's Creative Nonfiction program. I've seen acceptances/rejections/waitlists for Fiction and Poetry, but Nonfiction seems to be quiet. Does anyone know when they usually reach out? This is my first year applying to MFA programs, and the suspense is killing me. 

UTK hasn't sent out acceptances for Round 2 for poetry or fiction yet either, if that makes you feel any better