2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[Theodosia]

1 hour ago, Hmax said:

Also a senior in undergrad and went into this process expecting not to get in anywhere because of it, but it still hurts! I'm also worrying about postgrad and finding employment since it doesn't look like an MFA program is in the cards for me this year unfortunately (curse you, Syracuse!) If anyone else has any advice about next steps/possible options, I'm happy to hear it!

I graduated in December after ten years of pursuing my degree while dealing with mental health, so I am in the same postgrad limbo that you're gearing up to experience. I applied to Iowa Writers' Workshop sort of on a whim this year and obviously didn't get accepted. It's devastating to hope and plan for this next step in your career, only to have the universe take it away from you. However, I've already begun taking my next steps in the process, which is helping significantly with the rejection and the knowledge that I won't be in an MFA program until 2027 at the earliest. If you feel ready emotionally and creatively, I recommend beginning to assemble your application materials for the next cycle. I'm currently taking a break from my novel -- and the excerpt I'm using to apply -- but I am working on a short story. When that's finished, I will go back to my novel and write the first draft of a new chapter, that I will then refine along with my current excerpt until the next application cycle begins. 

When I graduated, I was dead set on beginning my writing/editing career and finding an internship or editorial position. However, I have an interview with a local bookstore on Wednesday and am feeling very positive about that, despite my initial despair at feeling like I was further from my writing career than ever upon graduation. It may be helpful to find a temporary job during this process, just to save money and not allow this time before an MFA to feel like such a waste. I'm likely not going to apply to more internships if I get this job, and instead use the time to work and write as much as I can. Other than when you're in an MFA program, this is the time in your life when you have the most ability to devote yourself to your craft. Use that! Know that this is just a longer journey than you had hoped, but that doesn't mean the destination isn't the same. 

Sorry, this likely makes no sense! Essentially, my advice for the next ten months before the dawn of the next application cycle is to: bolster your income and savings, work on your craft independently, and do everything you can to put yourself in the absolute best position to be successful in the next cycle. Sign up for workshops, make writerly connections, work on different projects in addition to your application sample, and submit to literary journals. This extra time doesn't have to be a waste even if we don't want it. 

Edited March 2 by Theodosia

[womanonline]

Iowa NWP rejection has hit my email

[Strawberry14]

2 minutes ago, marsmentality said:

I just wish I could find a job with my degree… i’m almost 3 years postgrad with a BA in English and I’m working part time at a library because i have no connections and everywhere i look is just rejection after rejection! Could you share your advice for someone looking to get a more stable writing/marketing job? 

It's so tough out there, I really feel you. It took me four years after graduating to land a full-time position, so this has gotta be your year! I didn't have a lot of advice/direction and floundered a bit for a while, so I'll try to give a couple pointers that I wish I'd had at the time:

• It sucks, but that first "in" will probably come from networking. My initial freelance gigs and my first two consistent positions all came in some way from a personal connection, but not always in the way I would have expected. I wrote blogs for an art studio because I knew one of the photographers. I did social media for a cafe where I was a barista. I landed my first part-time communications position at a museum through a cafe coworker's wife. Basically, I talked about writing, my interest in writing professionally, and that I could "write anything" to anyone who would listen, and I got a few opportunities that way. Have you expressed any interest in marketing at the library?
• Most marketing jobs are copywriting heavy for sure, but also look for other buzzwords. Once I managed to get into that entry level communications assistant role, I was really able to learn a lot more about how corporate workspaces function, how to write for all different kinds of assets (print, digital, email, web, scripts, press releases, etc), and the business jargon these industries use. A lot of people major in marketing but aren't great writers, so I always really pushed that writing and language were my areas of expertise. Look for entry level jobs with "copywriter" attached to any of these words: content, marketing, social media, communications, email, product. If most of the role seems copy focused, just apply even if you don't have experience in every part.

Sorry for yapping, and I'm not sure how helpful any of this is, but my basic advice is to just keep telling everyone that you interact with that you're interested in professional writing and that you can write anything, and you might be surprised at what opportunities come up. I honestly think working at the library is already a solid in! Libraries and museums are great non-profit orgs where you can often learn a lot about public relations/marketing if you can get involved there. 

[kiki.xoxo]

On 2/28/2026 at 10:59 AM, Toastyyy said:

Hi everyone with similar hopes and dreams! Congrats to those with acceptances. I’m not on socials and don’t have access to the draft. Anyone care to tell me if there’s anything from WVU on there?

One person for poetry recorded an acceptance on Saturday. I also know a couple CNF acceptances went out on Saturday too. 

[SleepingBadly]

Just got Texas NWP waitlist email. Got waitlisted at Michener last year but obv nothing came of it. Then got rejected from Michener this year but waitlist at NWP. This whole thing feels like such a crap shoot lol

anyome have insight into likelihood of getting off NWP waitlist? I got into another program that i feel great about but obv need to put serious consideration into NWP if i get in. Should i email asking where i am on the waitlist? Is there a way to get useful info from them without sounding pushy? I really wanna make my decision as soon as possible you know

[gafoo]

miffy strikes again... for the last program I'm waiting to get a response from

[Busybeez]

Miffy strikes again 😂

worst day for CNF so far..its a lot. 

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, frootkoops36 said:

Thank you for the clarification!! My fingers are crossed. So sad because two years ago, when I first applied out of undergrad, it was between myself and another person on waitlist for the final spot. So I was really hoping I would at least get on the waitlist again this year. An acceptance is probably a long shot at this point lol. 

If you made it to the waitlist, you have a chance of getting in. I know more than one person who were not given an offer one year, but were another. 

[Scribe]

31 minutes ago, SleepingBadly said:

Just got Texas NWP waitlist email. Got waitlisted at Michener last year but obv nothing came of it. Then got rejected from Michener this year but waitlist at NWP. This whole thing feels like such a crap shoot lol

anyome have insight into likelihood of getting off NWP waitlist? I got into another program that i feel great about but obv need to put serious consideration into NWP if i get in. Should i email asking where i am on the waitlist? Is there a way to get useful info from them without sounding pushy? I really wanna make my decision as soon as possible you know

I was accepted off the waitlist at NWP. As I recall, it took a few weeks, but I'm really not sure. The point is, it happens. 
As far as the decision, you need to to do right by you. Take your time. It's good of you to want to open up space/put people out of their misery, BUT you never know what you'll find out once you are accepted somewhere. Plus - and this is key - once you have an offer, you know what questions to ask another place before you accept. And of course, you may have new questions for your first offer. 
What's in the brackets are your thoughts, not necessarily things you want to put into your queries:

[I've received an offer from a school that guarantees housing,] Do you guarantee housing?
[I've received an offer from a school that provides travel stipends,] Are there opportunities to attend conferences and participate in off campus events?
[I've received an offer from a school that has very strict residency requirements,] How strict are your residency requirements?

etc.

[bucket]

sitting at 0a/2w/7r/5p and trying desperately to hold onto hope… very hard to believe that i have a chance of getting Any acceptances at this point, but trying to remind myself that it only takes one (and some people i know got rejected at every school except one Top Program, so…). idk man, this is tough

[Scribe]

2 minutes ago, bucket said:

sitting at 0a/2w/7r/5p and trying desperately to hold onto hope… very hard to believe that i have a chance of getting Any acceptances at this point, but trying to remind myself that it only takes one (and some people i know got rejected at every school except one Top Program, so…). idk man, this is tough

What the hell is wrong with you? You have five spots left and you're sitting on 2 waitlists! bucket up buttercup! You're already ahead of where most people will end up. 

[marsmentality]

2 minutes ago, bucket said:

sitting at 0a/2w/7r/5p and trying desperately to hold onto hope… very hard to believe that i have a chance of getting Any acceptances at this point, but trying to remind myself that it only takes one (and some people i know got rejected at every school except one Top Program, so…). idk man, this is tough

yeah... I applied to 5 and got rejected from 3, probably 4 if we include the silence from Iowa, and I'm not very hopeful about that final school being an acceptance. I think I'm just gonna take the next few months to attend workshops, focus on writing everyday, and making sure I have a flawless application for next cycle. The time is going to pass anyways, might as well make good use of it!

[precociousreader]

waitlisted 💔 for a program that only takes two people, how likely is it that one of those two people will say no and take an offer somewhere else...

[Busybeez]

I

4 minutes ago, precociousreader said:

waitlisted 💔 for a program that only takes two people, how likely is it that one of those two people will say no and take an offer somewhere else...

If one of them is miffy i would say you have an outstanding chance.

[hermione granger]

51 minutes ago, SleepingBadly said:

Just got Texas NWP waitlist email. Got waitlisted at Michener last year but obv nothing came of it. Then got rejected from Michener this year but waitlist at NWP. This whole thing feels like such a crap shoot lol

anyome have insight into likelihood of getting off NWP waitlist? I got into another program that i feel great about but obv need to put serious consideration into NWP if i get in. Should i email asking where i am on the waitlist? Is there a way to get useful info from them without sounding pushy? I really wanna make my decision as soon as possible you know

did they give any information on how many are accepted/waitlisted/applied in your email?

[Scribe]

6 minutes ago, precociousreader said:

waitlisted 💔 for a program that only takes two people, how likely is it that one of those two people will say no and take an offer somewhere else...

don't keep us in suspense, where? Is it a PhD?

 

[SleepingBadly]

3 minutes ago, hermione granger said:

did they give any information on how many are accepted/waitlisted/applied in your email?

They just said 500 applied and 6 got in. No other info. Also when i asked michener last year how big the waitlist was they said they werent at liberty to tell me

Edited March 2 by SleepingBadly

[precociousreader]

Just now, Scribe said:

don't keep us in suspense, where? Is it a PhD?

 

playwriting mfa, ut austin. very small program! 

[bucket]

14 minutes ago, Scribe said:

What the hell is wrong with you? You have five spots left and you're sitting on 2 waitlists! bucket up buttercup! You're already ahead of where most people will end up. 

LOLL whoever you are, thank you ❤️ appreciate the tough love, what the hell is wrong with me cracked me up. you’re simultaneously more reassuring and more matter of fact than anyone else has been over in my world. hope you have had good news this season if you’re in the running!!! and i’ll be keeping my chin up until it’s over🫡

[Toastyyy]

59 minutes ago, kiki.xoxo said:

One person for poetry recorded an acceptance on Saturday. I also know a couple CNF acceptances went out on Saturday too. 

Thank you so much!! I applied for fiction and my portal still says in review, so I’m really really hoping they’re still sending out acceptances? I made a fb to request access to the group but it’s still pending (maybe my account looks sketchy being new lol) 

[Scribe]

Just now, bucket said:

LOLL whoever you are, thank you ❤️ appreciate the tough love, what the hell is wrong with me cracked me up. you’re simultaneously more reassuring and more matter of fact than anyone else has been over in my world. hope you have had good news this season if you’re in the running!!! and i’ll be keeping my chin up until it’s over🫡

In the running?! Homie I'm in the winners' circle for years. 

So I know. I can be matter of fact because I have the grip given by having been there and having to hold on. 

[bucket]

3 minutes ago, Scribe said:

In the running?! Homie I'm in the winners' circle for years. 

So I know. I can be matter of fact because I have the grip given by having been there and having to hold on. 

AHH sorry!! i saw your other comment about NWP and realized you’re likely long past this process lol !!! apologies for assuming, and thank you for your vet perspective. 

[j1nju]

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's different post-grad journeys! I'll add mine. 

I graduated from college in 2021. I studied English & creative writing so MFA programs were on my radar. My favorite professor strongly encouraged our class to go out and accrue more life experience before applying to the MFA. After getting rejected/ghosted from every fellowship and job I applied to, I reframed my search as "what can I do that will be a good story to tell later?" which led me to do a service year in Wyoming. I chose a program that matched my faith identity, but there other orgs out there (Peace Corps, Americorps, etc.) that do not have a religious affiliation. I had an absolutely bonkers yeehaw time and came away with many, many good stories to tell. Despite the rural setting, I made some close friends and key professional contacts. I also got married(!!!) which is not normal but I've met other people who met their spouses in similar ways so, hey, worth mentioning.

I highly recommend applying to a service year if you're a college senior and unsure about next steps. You can use a service year to gain professional experience while living in a new place, often with cheap/free housing. My service site was a museum, which gave me experience with everything from teaching to book translation. I was really glad to have this experience when applying to MFA programs.

[gupppy]

4 minutes ago, j1nju said:

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's different post-grad journeys! I'll add mine. 

I graduated from college in 2021. I studied English & creative writing so MFA programs were on my radar. My favorite professor strongly encouraged our class to go out and accrue more life experience before applying to the MFA. After getting rejected/ghosted from every fellowship and job I applied to, I reframed my search as "what can I do that will be a good story to tell later?" which led me to do a service year in Wyoming. I chose a program that matched my faith identity, but there other orgs out there (Peace Corps, Americorps, etc.) that do not have a religious affiliation. I had an absolutely bonkers yeehaw time and came away with many, many good stories to tell. Despite the rural setting, I made some close friends and key professional contacts. I also got married(!!!) which is not normal but I've met other people who met their spouses in similar ways so, hey, worth mentioning.

I highly recommend applying to a service year if you're a college senior and unsure about next steps. You can use a service year to gain professional experience while living in a new place, often with cheap/free housing. My service site was a museum, which gave me experience with everything from teaching to book translation. I was really glad to have this experience when applying to MFA programs.

Yes! Seasonal jobs are also a great way to see new places and gain invaluable life experience - for fellow outdoorsy people, there are  a ton of seasonal jobs in national parks and towns outside of them, where you get paid (a little) and housing is a given. Even cooler: joining a trail crew for a summer, getting a seasonal tree planting job in a national forest, working the beet harvest for a season, etc, etc

[cocoice98]

I am so desperate to know where miffy & mtown are gonna land! Between them there are like 20 CNF seats that will open up once they choose.