2025 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Nauna]

8 hours ago, Tuxedocat said:

It was so impersonal that I almost didn’t respond to it at first because I thought it was an automatic portal update instead of an email from a real person! It seems like it was a form response that was copy pasted for all grad programs at NC State. 

SAME! It read like a rejection portal update. Maybe they're testing our reading comprehension, haha.

[VOID DARLING]

do we think we'll hear from brown these coming few days? :"D
wishful thinking perhaps but it's the last decision i'm waiting on! (FINGERS CROSSED)

[HalBear]

I got my first Waitlist from GCSU! I really needed some good news cause I was starting to feel sad haha!!

[strawberrymatcha]

21 minutes ago, VOID DARLING said:

do we think we'll hear from brown these coming few days? :"D
wishful thinking perhaps but it's the last decision i'm waiting on! (FINGERS CROSSED)

I think last year they notified around 3/4-6 so I wouldn’t be surprised if we did🥲 I’m not ready

[HalBear]

6 hours ago, tiramisu22 said:

Has anyone heard anything from University of Tennessee, Knoxville?

I don't believe they have sent notifications! I am surprised, as they started notifying as early as 2/19 last year! My portal still says"Awaiting Decision." Hopefully we hear soon! Good luck!

[Mystic_Sunshine]

I'm wondering what happened to Nevada lol. 

More applications? Behind for some other reason?

[misssalem]

46 minutes ago, VOID DARLING said:

do we think we'll hear from brown these coming few days? :"D
wishful thinking perhaps but it's the last decision i'm waiting on! (FINGERS CROSSED)

This is so me, I've been nervously anticipating 

[prufrock_]

1 hour ago, everything bagel lover said:

Alrighty y'all, we're officially in free game territory I think! These next 2-3 weeks should be a landslide. I know I keep saying that every few weeks but it's gotta be true at some point lol

I'm a little confused on Boulder's funding deal, as I've read on the Draft that they are technically fully funded through a mishmash of grants, scholarships, fellowships, and GTA positions, but I'm unsure how this actually shakes out for the program. Those of y'all that are also applying to Boulder, what do you think/how are you feeling about that?

I didn't apply to boulder last year because yeah from their website i did the math and it seemed like even if you got 100% everything you still walked away with 20 grand in debt by the end. I applied this year just because of that draft post saying it's secretly funded (and last year someone on the draft reported everyone was funded as well).

Boulder is such a dream program for me (location and faculty), but i'm scared i'll get in and only be offered tiny funding -- or even worse, funding that's so mishmash it's a gamble year by year. I'd hate to get to year 3 and them be like 'okay pay us 60 grand for the last year, buckaroo'

[everything bagel lover]

17 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

I didn't apply to boulder last year because yeah from their website i did the math and it seemed like even if you got 100% everything you still walked away with 20 grand in debt by the end. I applied this year just because of that draft post saying it's secretly funded (and last year someone on the draft reported everyone was funded as well).

Boulder is such a dream program for me (location and faculty), but i'm scared i'll get in and only be offered tiny funding -- or even worse, funding that's so mishmash it's a gamble year by year. I'd hate to get to year 3 and them be like 'okay pay us 60 grand for the last year, buckaroo'

That's my fear with it too! I'm an optimist but not enough to take on student debt for a creative writing degree. I too love CU Boulder, from the faculty to the location, and I've heard that Stephen Graham Jones is a great workshop leader and teacher! But omg what a nightmare to be halfway through and suddenly have the funding rug pulled from under you. 

Applying to mostly programs that only fund some students has made me gamble and I'll be hurt if I have to turn down a dream program because I didn't get funding but it's all about stacking those odds, ya know? I'm crossing my fingers for good news for both of us! 

[Mystic_Sunshine]

17 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

That's my fear with it too! I'm an optimist but not enough to take on student debt for a creative writing degree. I too love CU Boulder, from the faculty to the location, and I've heard that Stephen Graham Jones is a great workshop leader and teacher! But omg what a nightmare to be halfway through and suddenly have the funding rug pulled from under you. 

Applying to mostly programs that only fund some students has made me gamble and I'll be hurt if I have to turn down a dream program because I didn't get funding but it's all about stacking those odds, ya know? I'm crossing my fingers for good news for both of us! 

I applied to CU Boulder as well. 

I'd hope (and anticipate) that the department knows the majority of students need funding to make an MFA work and would be really clear and transparent about funding. That way any choice can be an informed one. 

[exvat]

I just got accepted to Columbia for Poetry!!! With an Apple gift card for financial aid!!! Feels amazing but almost certainly gonna have to turn it down due to money.

Edited 3 hours ago by exvat
Lol they went out of their way to acknowledge "the unique path [I've] taken to get to an MFA program."

[KennyK]

@everything bagel lover has there been any other riverside fiction acceptances posted on draft? Or is it still just the one?

 

[momeraths]

@KennyK As of the time of writing there's one fiction acceptance and one nonfiction acceptance. Both notified via phone call yesterday. Hope that's helpful, and I'm rooting for you!!

[GhostOfHermann]

I know some others received that email from Pittsburgh this past Thursday with an update on why their admissions have been delayed. I couldn't tell if it was a general email to all applicants, or sent only to applicants who they are really interested in. That line in it, "We want to assure you that your application remains under active consideration and is of significant interest to our department," has really screwed with my head quite a lot.

I've thought about emailing them (they did say to email with any questions) and asking the above (was it a general email or more specific) but I thought that might be out of line and make me look bad. Does anyone have thoughts? Thanks!

 

[pananoprodigy]

4 minutes ago, GhostOfHermann said:

I know some others received that email from Pittsburgh this past Thursday with an update on why their admissions have been delayed. I couldn't tell if it was a general email to all applicants, or sent only to applicants who they are really interested in. That line in it, "We want to assure you that your application remains under active consideration and is of significant interest to our department," has really screwed with my head quite a lot.

I've thought about emailing them (they did say to email with any questions) and asking the above (was it a general email or more specific) but I thought that might be out of line and make me look bad. Does anyone have thoughts? Thanks!

 

I found this strange/potentially annoying too. I get that there are sooo many things that go on behind the scenes that we’re not privy to, but it was my understanding that they only admit people they’ve interviewed, so it’s kind of crazy to me that they would send that to everyone who applied and not just the ones from the interview list. 

[decayingballads21]

do we know if unlv is done notifying? there’s been a few random notifs in draft but nothing besides that. Are they normally that spread out? 

Also does anyone have info on when Rutgers-Camden typically notifies?

[Cosmicinkwell]

1 hour ago, everything bagel lover said:

That's my fear with it too! I'm an optimist but not enough to take on student debt for a creative writing degree. I too love CU Boulder, from the faculty to the location, and I've heard that Stephen Graham Jones is a great workshop leader and teacher! But omg what a nightmare to be halfway through and suddenly have the funding rug pulled from under you. 

Applying to mostly programs that only fund some students has made me gamble and I'll be hurt if I have to turn down a dream program because I didn't get funding but it's all about stacking those odds, ya know? I'm crossing my fingers for good news for both of us! 

I also applied to CU Boulder. I also noticed the last of definitive language about funding, but I'm so desperate for this experience I might actually take on student debt if given the chance to at least try. I think I need to get it through my head that its not worth that.

23 hours ago, Nauna said:

I'll just say that you never know who might vibe with your writing sample! ❤️ I applied there too, but understand that it's one of the more competitive programs. 

I fear nobody has vibed with it thus far and nobody will...

Edited 3 hours ago by Cosmicinkwell
expanding to reply to other reply

[Cosmicinkwell]

Also last year the acceptances were reported around this week for Boulder, but for waitlists and rejections, they had to wait another about two weeks. I am pretty sure at this point I'm not getting accepted, and it kills me that I'll have to wait that long for a probable rejection...

[everything bagel lover]

50 minutes ago, Mystic_Sunshine said:

I applied to CU Boulder as well. 

I'd hope (and anticipate) that the department knows the majority of students need funding to make an MFA work and would be really clear and transparent about funding. That way any choice can be an informed one. 

I imagine that must be the case, and from what that post on the draft says, I think it is. What I've appreciated during this experience is everyone's willingness to discuss finances candidly. 

8 minutes ago, Cosmicinkwell said:

I also applied to CU Boulder. I also noticed the last of definitive language about funding, but I'm so desperate for this experience I might actually take on student debt if given the chance to at least try. I think I need to get it through my head that its not worth that.

I fear nobody has vibed with it thus far and nobody will...

I don't know your life and I can't tell you one way or the other. I started the application season being ready to take on some debt, but my former professor who's been my advisor through this has greatly urged me to not take on debt for this degree and to go for the best funding package. 

Also, if it takes a second round, that's okay too! I know it's hard staring at the wall of rejections and if you need to take some time to lick your wounds, that's fine too. This is my second round applying and a lot of people take several rounds.

[Cosmicinkwell]

5 minutes ago, everything bagel lover said:

Also, if it takes a second round, that's okay too! I know it's hard staring at the wall of rejections and if you need to take some time to lick your wounds, that's fine too. This is my second round applying and a lot of people take several rounds.

I've made peace with the fact that I'm probably not getting in anywhere this round, but I need to get out of my current situation so I really would like to know for sure that I'm not in so I can figure out how to proceed if that makes sense. I'm planning a big move and a job search but both of those might be redundant if I randomly get in somewhere. It makes me just want to withdraw from consideration...

Anyway, sorry to be such a downer. I really am happy for all of you!

[everything bagel lover]

7 minutes ago, Cosmicinkwell said:

I've made peace with the fact that I'm probably not getting in anywhere this round, but I need to get out of my current situation so I really would like to know for sure that I'm not in so I can figure out how to proceed if that makes sense. I'm planning a big move and a job search but both of those might be redundant if I randomly get in somewhere. It makes me just want to withdraw from consideration...

Anyway, sorry to be such a downer. I really am happy for all of you!

No need to apologize! This is a safe space to work through the many feelings of MFA apps

Regardless, I hope things work out for the best for you! ❤️

[ssensibility]

is USC done notifying? does anyone know? 

[pananoprodigy]

I have what might be a hot take about funding & finances. So, the collective sentiment about going into debt for your MFA is don't, which I think is a good rule of thumb to follow re: debt in general. That said, the vast majority of masters degrees in other fields are not funded. It feels like the trade off with fully funded MFA creative writing degrees is that you're probably not going to come out of it with a job offer to be a full-time writer, because those job offers don't really exist, so at least you're not also coming out with a ton of debt. However, I almost feel like this line of thinking is outdated. The job market in general is so bad that the kind of instability we learn to live with as writers is becoming the norm for many other industries that were previously considered stable. I have multiple friends from my previous MFA degree who realized they couldn't make a living on writing alone and went back to school to get another masters in something more "employable." Unfortunately what most of them found after coming out of those programs is that the job market being horrendous is not a writing-specific dilemma. They're still struggling to achieve financial stability, and now they're in even more debt from a degree that's not their #1 passion (writing). All this to say, if you really weigh your options and you know that being in an MFA program is what you need right now, and your only option to do that is taking on some debt, I don't think it's inherently a bad decision. Now, I absolutely would not recommend taking on debt to cover full tuition and living expenses for a whole MFA, which is what I did for my MFA in screenwriting. That's a chunk of debt that will most likely follow me for the rest of my life, and I'm in the process of making peace with that. But if you can offset the cost of an unfunded degree with some combo of a wee bit of funding from the school, working in a coffee shop, private scholarships, or whatever, I don't think going into some amount of debt for your MFA is any more risky or dumb than going into debt for a degree that seems more employable. Because in this day and age even the employable degrees aren't guarantees of employment, so you might as well do something you're excited about. Just my two cents. 

TL;DR: Debt sucks but so does the job market. Do what's best for you. 

Edited 2 hours ago by pananoprodigy

[exvat]

7 minutes ago, pananoprodigy said:

I have what might be a hot take about funding & finances. So, the collective sentiment about going into debt for your MFA is don't, which I think is a good rule of thumb to follow re: debt in general. That said, the vast majority of masters degrees in other fields are not funded. It feels like the trade off with fully funded MFA creative writing degrees is that you're probably not going to come out of it with a job offer to be a full-time writer, because those job offers don't really exist, so at least you're not also coming out with a ton of debt. However, I almost feel like this line of thinking is outdated. The job market in general is so bad that the kind of instability we learn to live with as writers is becoming the norm for many other industries that were previously considered stable. I have multiple friends from my previous MFA degree who realized they couldn't make a living on writing alone and went back to school to get another masters in something more "employable." Unfortunately what most of them found after coming out of those programs is that the job market being horrendous is not a writing-specific dilemma. They're still struggling to achieve financial stability, and now they're in even more debt from a degree that's not their #1 passion (writing). All this to say, if you really weigh your options and you know that being in an MFA program is what you need right now, and your only option to do that is taking on some debt, I don't think it's inherently a bad decision. Now, I absolutely would not recommend taking on debt to cover full tuition and living expenses for a whole MFA, which is what I did for my MFA in screenwriting. That's a chunk of debt that will most likely follow me for the rest of my life, and I'm in the process of making peace with that. But if you can offset the cost of an unfunded degree with some combo of a wee bit of funding from the school, working in a coffee shop, private scholarships, or whatever, I don't think going into some amount of debt for your MFA is any more risky or dumb than going into debt for a degree that seems more employable. Because in this day and age even the employable degrees aren't guarantees of employment, so you might as well do something you're excited about. Just my two cents. 

 

Really appreciate this, good food for thought. I'll never consider $140k of debt for an MFA... but maybe $40k if the quality of life is sustainable, interest rate isn't predatory, etc. Because the job market in nearly any industry right now truly is awful.

Edited 2 hours ago by exvat
Adding that I was laid off Nov 2023 from a good job in a bad market, and it's even worse now.

[epr]

7 minutes ago, exvat said:

Really appreciate this, good food for thought. I'll never consider $140k of debt for an MFA... but maybe $40k if the quality of life is sustainable, interest rate isn't predatory, etc. Because the job market in nearly any industry right now truly is awful.

It’s definitely a scope thing too! Even a fully funded program doesn’t always cover the minimum life expenses for the area the school is in. There’s never any guarantee of it working out perfectly financially, you may end with a small loan/extra job. But I would be extremely hesitant to accept an offer for a school that isn’t at least providing full or close to full tuition remittance. That’s the kind of debt that you’ll never pay back and can cause long term issues. (If you’re already underwater on undergrad debt, it may be different.)

Best advice I heard someone give was never take out a loan for grad school that’s more than you’d agree for a normal/cheap new car. If you can’t picture or manage adding a car payment worth of bills to your life/living expenses post grad school, then an unfunded or partially funded program is NOT for you.