2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[analog_e]

You ever wake up in a cold sweat realizing you should have put page numbers on your writing sample? Fun feeling. Oh well, hopefully Brown doesn't mind too much. 😩

Edited Friday at 04:51 AM by analog_e

[beet_root]

30 minutes ago, analog_e said:

You ever wake up in a cold sweat realizing you should have put page numbers on your writing sample? Fun feeling. Oh well, hopefully Brown doesn't mind too much. 😩

It's weird that page numbers are generally expected and yet I've never seen any program actually specify that they expect them. Like, 12-pt font and double-spacing always come up, but never page numbers.

[analog_e]

4 minutes ago, beet_root said:

It's weird that page numbers are generally expected and yet I've never seen any program actually specify that they expect them. Like, 12-pt font and double-spacing always come up, but never page numbers.

After some snooping, it looks like some implicitly want it, and others want the margins blank, so who knows-there's conflicting advice here. I am less concerned now than I was half an hour ago, at least, because I am confident I'll not be the only one lacking them.

[Prosaic Ioniser]

5 hours ago, analog_e said:

After some snooping, it looks like some implicitly want it, and others want the margins blank, so who knows-there's conflicting advice here. I am less concerned now than I was half an hour ago, at least, because I am confident I'll not be the only one lacking them.

And here I was confidently putting them everywhere - now I have the fear opposite of yours 😅

[analog_e]

I talked to my fiction professor today and she said UVA doesn't accept their own undergrads. Not once in the history of the program has it happened and it is ostensibly an unspoken rule, so I will save my $85 and see what comes of sending a single application. Brown or bust baybeeeeeee!

[programedlove333]

How many programs do you guys think is enough to reasonably apply to? I am applying for fiction programs, and have already submitted apps to NYU, UNCG, UWASH at STL and Rutgers, but wondering if applying to a few more programs would be beneficial in terms of even slightly increasing my chances of getting in?

[curfew]

1 hour ago, programedlove333 said:

How many programs do you guys think is enough to reasonably apply to? 

A couple of my fiction professors recommended applying to 7-10 programs. My friend, who attends a fully-funded program, applied to 13. I went in the middle of their advice and applied to 10. The net [at least to me] feels wide enough to where you don’t feel like the percentages are entirely against you, and small enough to not feel overwhelmed by the process. 

It sometimes feels like a crapshoot. Historically applicants have gotten rejected by all of their ‘safeties’ and accepted by nearly all of their ‘reaches.’ Because of that, I just mentally appreciated the long-ish list of 10 [there’s also a pseudo-satisfaction found from having a round-number]. 

As well, I would only apply to programs that have fully-funded packages and are schools/places you can 100% see yourself studying at. If that 100% feeling designates 7 programs only, or 4, or 17, then go for it:•)

[programedlove333]

5 minutes ago, curfew said:

A couple of my fiction professors recommended applying to 7-10 programs. My friend, who attends a fully-funded program, applied to 13. I went in the middle of their advice and applied to 10. The net [at least to me] feels wide enough to where you don’t feel like the percentages are entirely against you, and small enough to not feel overwhelmed by the process. 

It sometimes feels like a crapshoot. Historically applicants have gotten rejected by all of their ‘safeties’ and accepted by nearly all of their ‘reaches.’ Because of that, I just mentally appreciated the long-ish list of 10 [there’s also a pseudo-satisfaction found from having a round-number]. 

As well, I would only apply to programs that have fully-funded packages and are schools/places you can 100% see yourself studying at. If that 100% feeling designates 7 programs only, or 4, or 17, then go for it:•)

Lolll i totally get why you applied to 10 programs, and i honestly wouldve too if so many fully funded programs didnt require mfa students to teach freshman comp lol. Can i ask what schools you applied to?

[Leeannitha]

6 hours ago, analog_e said:

I talked to my fiction professor today and she said UVA doesn't accept their own undergrads. Not once in the history of the program has it happened and it is ostensibly an unspoken rule, so I will save my $85 and see what comes of sending a single application. Brown or bust baybeeeeeee!

Good luck with Brown! I hope you get in. 

[curfew]

1 hour ago, programedlove333 said:

Lolll i totally get why you applied to 10 programs, and i honestly wouldve too if so many fully funded programs didnt require mfa students to teach freshman comp lol. Can i ask what schools you applied to?

NP! I went for: Brown, Cornell, Iowa, Johns Hopkins, Michener, Michigan, Rutgers-Camden, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Virginia. A few of those may have had their deadlines passed by now, I think. 

[Mystic_Sunshine]

16 hours ago, Prosaic Ioniser said:

And here I was confidently putting them everywhere - now I have the fear opposite of yours 😅

Put page numbers. It won't ruin your application if you forgot them, but having them is standard. It makes it easier for a committee to discuss your writing if they can put to others where in the story they are talking about.  I work for a lit magazine and we refer to things by pg number a lot. 

Poetry probably matters a little less because they can point to specific poems. 

[pananoprodigy]

Is anybody applying to the cross disciplinary track at Brown? It seems so cool but I haven't really seen anybody talk about it this year or last.

[analog_e]

2 hours ago, pananoprodigy said:

Is anybody applying to the cross disciplinary track at Brown? It seems so cool but I haven't really seen anybody talk about it this year or last.

I wrote in my application about my interest in integrating photography into literature-I find projects like Dictee, Canicula, Rankine's Citizen and such fascinating; have read a fair amount of photography theory; and am an amateur analog photographer, but I am not sure that would justify applying to the cross disciplinary tract. Apparently people in the past have been everything from sculpteurs to violinists to web designers. I've got a fair amount of experience with synthesizers and can play a few instruments, know how to build a basic HTML website, but I think it would be ambitious to assemble anything professional enough out of my hodge podge of artistic pursuits to merit applying. Maybe another year, assuming I do not get into the fiction track this time around.

Edited Saturday at 07:21 PM by analog_e

[zaira]

On 12/7/2024 at 11:20 AM, analog_e said:

I wrote in my application about my interest in integrating photography into literature-I find projects like Dictee, Canicula, Rankine's Citizen and such fascinating

Um, THIS SOUNDS SO COOL! I adore Dictee. 

Brown feels weirdly more intimidating than some of the other programs. They have this reputation for being experimental and cross-disciplinary and I feel like a lot of us aren't sure if we fit into those categories. I really hope you get in mainly because it would be so cool to see what you do with those photography/lit hybrid projects. Brown or bust, let's go! 

[analog_e]

6 minutes ago, zaira said:

Um, THIS SOUNDS SO COOL! I adore Dictee. 

Brown feels weirdly more intimidating than some of the other programs. They have this reputation for being experimental and cross-disciplinary and I feel like a lot of us aren't sure if we fit into those categories. I really hope you get in mainly because it would be so cool to see what you do with those photography/lit hybrid projects. Brown or bust, let's go! 

That reputation is what so draws me to the program. I cannot imagine anywhere else as a better fit. My writing has been described as kaleidoscopic, experimental, and hallucinogenic, and I think those are all apt. I think my aim is to integrate the abstract, theory driven experimentation with grounded characterization, dialogue, and emotion, and Brown just seems like the ideal place to pursue that. Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[spewilicious]

This is a pretty small question, but I'm finalizing my Northwestern application and they are asking for the title of my writing sample and the title of my supplemental document (the critical writing sample). Do they want each title of the short stories in my sample? or the file name? The titles of both critical essays or the file name?

It just says "the title" and I'm like..... there are multiple titles?

[Scribe]

On 12/1/2024 at 9:42 PM, prufrock_ said:

UC Irvine's app is really annoying. "give us an sop, an autobiography, and a Personal History Statement." like what???? just let me send in my 500 word sop that's perfect please i'm begging you. now i have to cut it up into 3 different documents and pad them with words that aren't needed and then trust you're gonna read it all??

NO NO NO!

Do not pad! They expect some repetition and say so. and they aren't kidding.
Look at this differently. There is an opportunity here to say the things you had to cut from the SOP.

Use it!

[prufrock_]

3 minutes ago, Scribe said:

NO NO NO!

Do not pad! They expect some repetition and say so. and they aren't kidding.
Look at this differently. There is an opportunity here to say the things you had to cut from the SOP.

Use it!

well, i've already submitted! I went the risky route and put into the autobiography part a lot more of the quirky/human aspects of my personality that i otherwise cut from the SOP I submitted to other places. I wouldn't call it padding though, as it probably does give them a better picture of who I am as a writer/person.

 

 

[Scribe]

On 12/2/2024 at 11:54 AM, Mystic_Sunshine said:

Everywhere lol! Sometimes I feel like 20 schools is too many and then others not enough

What about you?

Oh yeah. 20 schools is way to many. I don't know what kind of a whackjob would even think about that many. 

On 12/2/2024 at 9:17 PM, bibsy said:

hey, everyone!

i was thrust into this process totally last minute. i'm a narrative director, and i was laid off two weeks ago without warning. this was my second layoff in two years, and the state of the industries i work in (theatre, gaming, and immersive experiences) is, to say the least, dire. to broaden my field of potential options, i decided to take the plunge and send out grad school applications.

i'm a professional writer, but my foundational training is as a playwright. i graduated from carnegie mellon in december of 2019, prepared for a life as a theatre artist... annnnd then the pandemic decimated those prospects. i pivoted into video games... annnnd now we've seen 30,000+ gaming layoffs in the past 18 months. pivoted again into immersive experiences... annnnd the industry is so young that most ventures are startups, layoffs are rampant, and narrative professionals are the first to go.

it's a lot! i just turned 28, and i've experienced a lot of early career success; however, that's all been packaged in severe job insecurity. with the growing threat of AI to my field, i'm strategizing again. storytelling is a sacred practice to me, and i'm fairly agnostic when it comes to my preferred vessel. that said: the bulk of my experience is in inherently collaborative ventures. to continue centralizing writing in my life, i think the greatest gift i can offer myself is a more refined solitary practice that's focused on my prose so that i'm less dependent on an employer facilitating my ability to make my work. 

so. here we are!! i applied to yale for playwriting, but the other five schools on my list are all creative writing: iowa, university of houston, UCSD, UC riverside, and UC irvine. i am truly flying by the seat of my pants here and am realistic about my odds - but just working on applications is soo much better for my mental health than agonizing over empty job boards before the holidays.

Welcome. 
Also, you are the first person I've heard who thought working on apps was a positive fore mental health. 

On 12/3/2024 at 7:51 AM, carrruly said:

ADVICE NEEDED

First time applying for an MFA and I was not an English/CW major in my undergrad so I'm not sure where I stand...I'm mainly applying to 2y fully funded programs that lean studio.

 

anyone have any insight to the level of competitiveness? I was hoping to have 1 or 2 schools with a slightly higher acceptance rate but it seems like all the 2y fully funded programs are equally impossible to get into 

As others have said, relax about the competitiveness. Concentrate on fit as best you can. 

On 12/4/2024 at 2:43 PM, analog_e said:

Hey all, first time applying. Finally, in my twilight years (32), about to finish a degree in English at UVA. I figured I would aim for two longshots this year-staying at UVA or moving to Providence for Brown. I clicked submit on Brown today and am planning to submit for UVA a bit closer to the deadline so I can tighten up one of the excerpts (could not use the same piece for both applications due to page number requirements being different). Just finished my only two exams and am about to have my final class, then it's three ten page essays between me and break. My thinking is that if I do not get in this year, I will just devote the year to honing my fiddle playing and try again next fall. Either way I am content. It'll be a nice surprise or an oh well rather than crushing disappointment. 

twilight years. 32. Christ. 

I advise everyone to start the apps early but apply at the last minute. as you work on one app, you'll find things you want to change about your essay. That may not be as true for your sample, but it's still good advice.

On 12/6/2024 at 10:59 AM, analog_e said:

I talked to my fiction professor today and she said UVA doesn't accept their own undergrads. Not once in the history of the program has it happened and it is ostensibly an unspoken rule, so I will save my $85 and see what comes of sending a single application. Brown or bust baybeeeeeee!

I didn't want to say anything but one of my recommenders told me not to apply to my own school. Now he said the reason was because I wouldn't want to attend where i already had. Expanding was what it was all about. He was right of course, but I couldn't get over the possibility that he just didn't want me there. If that's so, I expect he wrote me a killer rec. 

On 12/6/2024 at 3:26 PM, programedlove333 said:

How many programs do you guys think is enough to reasonably apply to? I am applying for fiction programs, and have already submitted apps to NYU, UNCG, UWASH at STL and Rutgers, but wondering if applying to a few more programs would be beneficial in terms of even slightly increasing my chances of getting in?

I'd say it can't hurt. 

6 hours ago, spewilicious said:

This is a pretty small question, but I'm finalizing my Northwestern application and they are asking for the title of my writing sample and the title of my supplemental document (the critical writing sample). Do they want each title of the short stories in my sample? or the file name? The titles of both critical essays or the file name?

It just says "the title" and I'm like..... there are multiple titles?

One word of advice about Northwestern: they have multiple schools and someone here last year applied to (and I think got in) to the wrong one. They have an unfunded program as well.

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, prufrock_ said:

well, i've already submitted! I went the risky route and put into the autobiography part a lot more of the quirky/human aspects of my personality that i otherwise cut from the SOP I submitted to other places. I wouldn't call it padding though, as it probably does give them a better picture of who I am as a writer/person.

 

 

GODDAMIT PRU! 
How could you not come to me first? Don't you know I'm here for you?!
Well, the good news is, it probably won't matter. No one is going to read those until you are already on the list and then no one is going to be disqualified based on their essays.

Wait?? You let them know who you are as person??
I was very careful to avoid that. 

[vilum]

hi all! been lurking for quite some time and finally posting!

this is my first time applying to an mfa, and to a us university in general, as i am straight out of an economics degree at bocconi (milan, italy). i was wondering if anyone had any idea of my chances getting in, as an international student who's relatively young (22 y/o). i applied to NYU, brown, vanderbilt, michener and JHU. it's not a very big list, but the process was so overwhelming that i feel i couldn't have managed any more!

my pieces are emotionally tolling and my statements show drive and commitment, but at the same time I have no publications nor any experience whatsoever in the field, and my rec letters come from quite famous (albeit, italian) authors.  i don't know if there is any statistic regarding international applicants and if their backgrounds is a factor taken into consideration.

any help is appreciated, if anything to soothe my anxiety. good luck to all!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

7 hours ago, vilum said:

hi all! been lurking for quite some time and finally posting!

this is my first time applying to an mfa, and to a us university in general, as i am straight out of an economics degree at bocconi (milan, italy). i was wondering if anyone had any idea of my chances getting in, as an international student who's relatively young (22 y/o). i applied to NYU, brown, vanderbilt, michener and JHU. it's not a very big list, but the process was so overwhelming that i feel i couldn't have managed any more!

my pieces are emotionally tolling and my statements show drive and commitment, but at the same time I have no publications nor any experience whatsoever in the field, and my rec letters come from quite famous (albeit, italian) authors.  i don't know if there is any statistic regarding international applicants and if their backgrounds is a factor taken into consideration.

any help is appreciated, if anything to soothe my anxiety. good luck to all!

No one is for sure going to be able to tell you your chances. Unfortunately, there are so many factors. 

NYU accepts more students than a lot of other MFA programs. However, it has less funding. 

Vanderbilt, Michener, JHU, and Brown are all competitive as well. 

Publications don't usually equal acceptances. Nor does "experience in the field". I think experience can be a lot of things. Like how can you show that you are dedicated to writing outside of the MFA? 

I can't speak for stats on international students. I see a lot of international students get accepted on draft and here. But idk actual stats. 

Also, I truly wish you the best of luck. But you're in a good spot  If you're 22 and have great letters, application materials ect. Then you can only improve if you have to go through another cycle. 

[taliaj]

7 hours ago, vilum said:

hi all! been lurking for quite some time and finally posting!

this is my first time applying to an mfa, and to a us university in general, as i am straight out of an economics degree at bocconi (milan, italy). i was wondering if anyone had any idea of my chances getting in, as an international student who's relatively young (22 y/o). i applied to NYU, brown, vanderbilt, michener and JHU. it's not a very big list, but the process was so overwhelming that i feel i couldn't have managed any more!

my pieces are emotionally tolling and my statements show drive and commitment, but at the same time I have no publications nor any experience whatsoever in the field, and my rec letters come from quite famous (albeit, italian) authors.  i don't know if there is any statistic regarding international applicants and if their backgrounds is a factor taken into consideration.

any help is appreciated, if anything to soothe my anxiety. good luck to all!

So cool that you're Italian! My grandmother is from Sicily (lives in the US now) but I've never been over there. I know the language fairly well (better with writing than speaking). I'm rooting for you! I couldn't speak to the probability of getting in to those programs (or any program really, I only applied to one school and it isn't one on your list), but as a 24 year old applicant I totally understand the "feeling young" thing. I worry that it might play against me, but realistically I know that's not the case. Good luck!

[taliaj]

Back on my nonsense of "I'm only applying to one school this year and am going to check the portal obsessively until April 15th." Though my sample this year is SO MUCH stronger than last year's, I hope they don't even remember me applying last year because I'm so insecure about what I submitted. I toss and turn at night worried that they'll think my new, better writing is just a fluke and not the result of a lot of hard work in the past year. Like, part of me thinks I should mention this in my personal statement (the working a lot harder this year to get better), but again, I don't want to bring up my last year's application. Anyways. Good luck all!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

5 minutes ago, taliaj said:

Back on my nonsense of "I'm only applying to one school this year and am going to check the portal obsessively until April 15th." Though my sample this year is SO MUCH stronger than last year's, I hope they don't even remember me applying last year because I'm so insecure about what I submitted. I toss and turn at night worried that they'll think my new, better writing is just a fluke and not the result of a lot of hard work in the past year. Like, part of me thinks I should mention this in my personal statement (the working a lot harder this year to get better), but again, I don't want to bring up my last year's application. Anyways. Good luck all!

They won't remember  Seriously, not at all. Keep in mind faculty read A LOT of applications + students they are already teaching + stuff for their own projects. It would be nearly impossible to remember a single applicant.

I read for a literary mag and I forget from issue to issue even the stories I really liked.