2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[pananoprodigy]

On 11/9/2024 at 9:54 PM, zaira said:

It's surprisingly hard to find a simple list. I only know of this list which has a category for partially-funded programs. It's from 2019 so not sure how accurate it is. It also lumps all partial funding in together -- everything from 50% tuition remission to full rides for a limited number of applicants. 

NYU is one of the more prominent ones I can think of that offers this sort of competitive system. Columbia is another one. Personally I'd be so stressed trying to keep my funding every year! I know some programs require you to keep competing in your second and third years. Yeesh. But hey, if you have the spare time and want to try it out for shits and giggles, could definitely be worth it. Why not, y'know? 

This is super helpful, thanks!!!

[rlion]

On 11/4/2024 at 1:43 PM, spewilicious said:

Hi all. I just found this forum today after reading MFA threads from past years (why does google like 2019 so much?) looking for literally any MFA advice.

I graduated with my BA in English May 2022 when I was 36 years old. I applied to three terminal PhDs in 2022, two PhDs and two MAs in 2023, and now I'm applying to who knows how many MFAs this year. I had surgery in July and meant to start shopping programs in August to be prepared for the September application openings, but I've had a really bad year that's included putting my dad in assisted living and losing my job when the school board approved a budget that eliminated my position. So I'm really, really behind on where I thought I'd be in the process and some deadlines are December 1. While I have plenty of time now to work on my applications, I feel like I'm getting in my own way because I don't know what I'm doing and I'm really stressed.

I spent all last week looking at programs and I feel like I have too many that I want to apply to. There are 27 on my list, and if I prioritize the 2 year programs, that leaves me with 20. If I drop Michener and Ole Miss, I'm at 18. Is that too many? I worry about asking my recommenders to submit that many letters of recommendation, especially with the special instructions some of them require. In previous years, I only applied to a handful of programs because I couldn't afford the application fees, but this year (sans job), I'm going to apply for fee waivers wherever I can and attempt to cast a broader net. I have a friend who got into UA Fairbanks last year (for this year), and he applied to 15 programs and was accepted at two.

I just... miss academia. I miss the community. I want to read and write and teach so desperately. And I feel like I don't have enough time to get a handle on what I need to do and do it.

The list of schools I'm considering, in no particular order: UC Riverside, Boston, Brown, Maryland, UC Irvine, Cornell, Michener, Ole Miss, Sarah Lawrence, Northwestern, Washington, Kentucky, Chapman, OS Corvallis, Iowa, John Hopkins, Hollins (does anyone know anything about Hollins?), Virginia, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, VCU, Syracuse, Arizona, Boise, George Mason, Ohio, UMinn.

Funding is obviously very important to me, as are program, faculty, and faculty diversity. Location much less so.

And thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

Hello! I’m currently an MFA student at Hollins and would be happy to answer any questions about that program or give general advice if anyone wants!

[sunaey]

On 10/22/2024 at 8:47 PM, zaira said:

On the subject of writing samples, I'm also trying to make a tough decision. 

Right now I have: 

• Short story (10 pages) 
• Short story (11 pages)
• First chapter of a novel-in-progress (10 pages) 

All three feel strong and have gone through the workshop gauntlet. Tbh, I feel most confident about my novel excerpt and the longer of the two short stories. 

I've heard it's best to send just two writing samples for prose. Thing is, that would only give me 20-21 pages. That's perfect for programs like Virginia that have a strict 20-page max. But for Iowa, is that really enough? They say average samples are at least 30 pages total. 

Trying to decide whether to err on the short side or send all three to programs that allow it. I'm probably way overthinking this (as usual). 

Hi Zaira! I'm in the same boat, although I have a short story (5 pages, flash fiction) and a novel excerpt (19 pages). That leaves me with 24 pages, and that's not enough for the 30-page minimum for IWW. I think that's just a recommended page count though, no? So if you submit 20-21 pages to IWW, you wouldn't necessarily be out of luck. But I do think that since you have three pieces to submit, you should submit all three--especially if they showcase your range and are already workshopped and polished (major kudos to you for that!). I'm no expert, though, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

I totally get overthinking this, haha. I'm doing the same thing. I'm only applying to two programs this year, since I can only afford two and it's my first time. That's probably outrageous by some standards, but oh well, if I don't get in this time, I won't sweat it. IWW and/or JHU or bust! Hahaha.

I'm interested in asking you about the content and style of your writing sample, actually, if you wouldn't mind sharing. How do you know if your pieces are thematically and stylistically relevant and/or captivating for an admissions committee? Do you have any insights to share from your experience workshopping pieces over the summer at IWW? (Sorry if I'm mixing you up with someone else!) My novel excerpt, more than my short story, shows off my grasp of dialogue, humor, scene-building, etc., so I'm inclined to keep it as a part of my application package. My short story is more experimental and disjointed, if only because the subject matter requires that sort of formal experimentation. That sounds pretentious, sorry lol.

I watched the IWW fiction application advice YouTube video, and one of the writers said that they focus on "pain point," or whether or not the piece understands how to write productively and beautifully from a place of pain. They said that bells and whistles aren't necessary (thank goodness), and that it's more important to have a piece with urgency. It must demonstrate that only you can write this story with urgency and truth. Beautiful passages help, but I think authenticity helps more. I hope I've demonstrated that in my writing, or at least hinted at my potential in some way.

I'd love to hear your advice and ideas, and I really appreciate you reading this! Thanks so much. Best of luck to you!

[OctopusCactus]

1 hour ago, sunaey said:

I'm only applying to two programs this year, since I can only afford two and it's my first time.

Do you know about app fee waivers?  Many schools (including Iowa) waive app fees if you can provide some documentation of financial hardship.  Worth checking out, just give yourself time to fill out that additional bit of paperwork and get it submitted in time.

[pananoprodigy]

19 hours ago, OctopusCactus said:

Do you know about app fee waivers?  Many schools (including Iowa) waive app fees if you can provide some documentation of financial hardship.  Worth checking out, just give yourself time to fill out that additional bit of paperwork and get it submitted in time.

Seconding this! Fee waivers are a HUGE help and in my experience they're not super difficult to get if you actually need them. I think 11 of the 17 places I applied waived my app fee and all I had to do for most of them was upload a bank statement or something similar showing that I'm poor lol

[backtooskewl]

Hi writers!
 

I'm seeking advice and support. I'm new to GradCafe and lots of this. I have never applied to a grad program.  Feel free to link me wherever the best resource might be. I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing in 2013, and have not been back in academia since. Without further ado, things I'm tryna figure out:

1. Recommendation Letters: I've not stayed in contact with my professors from a decade ago. Some are my Facebook friends. Does it make sense to reach out to them? I have however had a career writing in the entertainment industry, but with unstable gigs and questionable co-workers, and another career in community organizing. I also have one friend and peer who was in my original writing program, and we have watched each other work over the years. He also works for one of the universities I plan to apply to. Any advice on who to choose for these? Can I send more than the asked for amount? Also someone asked me if they had to write the letter themselves. Is it cool to write a letter for them?

2. Moving to a new MFAS program. Once I make it into an MFA program, how possible is it to jump to a different program if I wanted to?

3. Applying to multiple schools. How are you all juggling applying to 10+ schools? What resources have you been using to compare them? Does anyone have recommendations for schools to check out that offer good pay/full ride in some way, and are in the NE from NYC to DC?

4. Oh. One other thing. KIND of MFA. There's an itch in the back of my head that I might be better suited for something focused on screenwriting or mixed media or related to tech or even media and psychology. There are just so many grad programs. How did you all end up deciding on Creative Writing versus a good screenwriting program? Any of the latter I should check out?


Wishing everyone here luck!

Edited Friday at 07:42 PM by backtooskewl
Q4

[OctopusCactus]

41 minutes ago, backtooskewl said:

4. Oh. One other thing. KIND of MFA. There's an itch in the back of my head that I might be better suited for something focused on screenwriting or mixed media or related to tech or even media and psychology. There are just so many grad programs. How did you all end up deciding on Creative Writing versus a good screenwriting program? Any of the latter I should check out?
 

Current MFA student here.  I knew I wanted to do a creative writing MFA because I felt it provided the best opportunity to develop the book I'm working on.  I'm not interested in writing for the screen so no debate there for me.  I will say the people I observe struggling in my program tend to be the people who are not yet sure what kind of artistic output they want to make, so good to get clear on that before you start.

As for recommendation letters, it's important to stick to what schools ask for with all application materials, so don't include any extra letters.  Recent screen-writing colleagues could be great recommenders.  The general wisdom is not to use peers as recommenders unless you have no other choice.  

Writing your own letter is risky and IMO not worth it.  The people reading it will be writers who have had the chance to get very familiar with your writing via your app. Admissions committees are pretty good at telling who wrote their own letters and it's a bad look if you get caught.

Jumping between programs...you would have to do an entire new app cycle unless all you wanted to do was switch from like fiction to nonfiction (which some programs do allow).  I've heard it can be harder applying as someone dropping out of an MFA than applying without having started one, because programs see leaving another degree program as a red flag.

[pananoprodigy]

2 hours ago, backtooskewl said:

Hi writers!
 

I'm seeking advice and support. I'm new to GradCafe and lots of this. I have never applied to a grad program.  Feel free to link me wherever the best resource might be. I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing in 2013, and have not been back in academia since. Without further ado, things I'm tryna figure out:

1. Recommendation Letters: I've not stayed in contact with my professors from a decade ago. Some are my Facebook friends. Does it make sense to reach out to them? I have however had a career writing in the entertainment industry, but with unstable gigs and questionable co-workers, and another career in community organizing. I also have one friend and peer who was in my original writing program, and we have watched each other work over the years. He also works for one of the universities I plan to apply to. Any advice on who to choose for these? Can I send more than the asked for amount? Also someone asked me if they had to write the letter themselves. Is it cool to write a letter for them?

2. Moving to a new MFAS program. Once I make it into an MFA program, how possible is it to jump to a different program if I wanted to?

3. Applying to multiple schools. How are you all juggling applying to 10+ schools? What resources have you been using to compare them? Does anyone have recommendations for schools to check out that offer good pay/full ride in some way, and are in the NE from NYC to DC?

4. Oh. One other thing. KIND of MFA. There's an itch in the back of my head that I might be better suited for something focused on screenwriting or mixed media or related to tech or even media and psychology. There are just so many grad programs. How did you all end up deciding on Creative Writing versus a good screenwriting program? Any of the latter I should check out?


Wishing everyone here luck!

Welcome to the forum! Your guess is as good as mine for most of this, but I can speak a bit to the screenwriting of it all. I did an MFA in screenwriting and am now looking to transition out of the entertainment industry which is why I've decided to try for an MFA in fiction. I would say that unless you're knowledgeable about film & TV production and are very confident you want to be in that world, a degree in screenwriting may not be the best idea. Most of the "top" screenwriting programs (including mine lol) aren't funded, and while I definitely learned a lot I don't really know if I would do it again tbh. Definitely don't want to discourage you if that's what you're interested in of course! But it's a very specific and difficult industry, especially now, post-strike and post-pandemic. 

[zaira]

On 11/14/2024 at 8:09 AM, sunaey said:

I'm interested in asking you about the content and style of your writing sample, actually, if you wouldn't mind sharing. How do you know if your pieces are thematically and stylistically relevant and/or captivating for an admissions committee? Do you have any insights to share from your experience workshopping pieces over the summer at IWW?

Hi there! Love to hear you're applying to IWW and JH! They both sound like amazing programs. Fingers crossed for us.  

As for how I know whether my pieces are appealing to an admissions committee, honestly, I don't haha. I know they were well-received during workshops, but whether that translates to an acceptance? Big old shrug. It's entirely possible I get into zero programs this year. I'm going into it knowing full well there are a ton of incredible writers out there who are deserving of these spots, so I won't feel at all bad if I don't get in (okay, I might cry and eat a tub of ice cream). 

I used to worry about the content of my samples because two of my pieces are similar in theme. But they're similar because they're based on my background and culture. One thing I learned in workshop is that readers seem to gravitate most to stories that feel personal. I can totally see what the IWW writer was saying in that video you mentioned. If readers get the sense this is coming from an authentic place, the piece is probably gonna hit harder. My favorite stories from my workshop peers were the deeply personal ones. 

Workshopping mostly taught me that people will resonate with things I never expected them to, even the details I was worried would be too strange to include. So for what my very-new-to-this opinion is worth, I say lean into the weird and the personal! 

Wishing you lots of luck this year! 

[zaira]

9 hours ago, backtooskewl said:

I'm seeking advice and support. I'm new to GradCafe and lots of this. I have never applied to a grad program.  Feel free to link me wherever the best resource might be. I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing in 2013, and have not been back in academia since. Without further ado, things I'm tryna figure out:

Welcome to this very fun, not at all stressful process! 

Okay, so here's what I know based entirely on what I've learned since August: 

1. Letters of rec: If you're gonna reach out to professors, do this ASAP. They need time to remember who you are, see a current writing sample (they're probably gonna want this since it's been a while), write the letter, and submit it. This is also a busy time for professors so the faster you ask the better. It's best to get letters from people familiar with your writing. A peer would work. People you worked with as a professional writer would also work in a pinch. You're running a little low on time so just try to get three letters in by the due date. Oh, and definitely don't write the letter yourself! 

2. It's not recommended to jump to a new MFA program. They don't like to see it unless you have a really good reason for making the jump. You should only apply to schools you can see yourself loving from start to finish. 

3. Look for fully-funded programs. They have a big list of fully-funded ones on a bunch of websites. Lots are located on the East Coast! 

4. Not that familiar with screenwriting programs. I chose the creative writing MFA because I want to publish short stories and novels someday, so it seemed like the most obvious option. You might look into some MFA programs that encourage multimedia or cross-genre experimentation. Off the top of my head, Western Washington University is one that offers some cross-genre stuff. 

Best of luck!