2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[imgonnapuke]

4 hours ago, ketchupoverload said:

What are the odds that NYU releases acceptances tn??

was hoping so since AWP starts tomorrow 🥹 hope we dont have to wait until next week 

[SocialKonstruct]

We are starting to see the USC Ph.D. results for fiction stream in this week. Since I am CNF, no clue when they will get to those but presumably later on this month.

[dontwanttodothis]

7 hours ago, actualair said:

I’m not really sure if anyone would have insight on this. But I’m having some regret about my essays/SOPs. I felt my sample was strong, my recs were strong — oh well, everyone thinks this. I’m a public school teacher, I have been for six years. In my supplementals, I wrote about how I want to use my MFA to be a better teacher when I’m done, to hone my writing skills and spend time diving into content, that I can bring back to improve my practice as an educator, specifically special ed. Does anyone think this could have impacted my application negatively? Do committees want to hear that you want to put out books and be a professor? Since I’ve gotten mostly rejections, should I alter my materials next time around to be more aspirational? Who knows! I have one fully funded offer from a state school that’s very excited to have me, but I’m kind of kicking myself wishing I had done some things different.

Nah no way this hurt you imo, sounds like solid material for a SOP! If you didn't add any of your influences/writers you admire/traditions you're writing in or against, I'd add a bit along those lines though. (You may have already, just recommending if not.)

[stophittingurself]

13 hours ago, madsmadsmads said:

UVA waitlists on draft…my portal still says awaiting decision…should I assume the worst?

someone on the facebook group mentioned UVA usually asks accepted students to not share the info...so I'm taking it as a soft rejection. So so so bummed out.

[julesr]

I just got accepted to Stony Brook with half funding. I'm still deciding and I'd love to hear general thoughts from anyone familiar with the program/area. 

How's the balance between the Southampton campus, Manhattan Center, and main Stony Brook? Both in terms of life/student experience and networking opportunities.

Any insight is appreciated especially as an international student!

[ocurlyfries]

17 hours ago, BowelMovement said:

@ocurlyfries I'm late to the conversation but, like you've said to me before, we are in this together! I'm typing this while looking like pepe the frog because of how puffy my eyes have gotten from constantly crying because of this cruel cruel process. We need to be brave and keep going. As Alysa Liu says, what is there to lose? Every moment you're here you gain something!

this is so real, i feel like this has taken 20 years off my life

[ocurlyfries]

 .

Edited March 4 by ocurlyfries

[gafoo]

20 minutes ago, ocurlyfries said:

 .

Well said

[Mel Rose]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on here for a little bit since I couldn't figure out how to authenticate my account 😅 ...former playwright, applying for poetry this year (In got into a couple of playwriting programs a few years ago, opted not to go to grad school, but am now more interested in poetry, song, and branching out into multi-genre, and decided to dive back into the possibility of an MFA). I have learned that the process for creative writing is vastly different from playwriting...so I have been a little clueless. I only applied to two programs for a variety of reasons: Temple and Rutgers-Camden...curious if anyone has heard anything on for Poetry from these programs? I have seen CNF and Fiction acceptances represented on Draft but not Poetry. Do genres tend to get notified in different waves? And does anyone know how many are accepted in each genre? Again, I am in the dark so any knowledge is helpful!

[impatientjoy]

Do we think Montana alerted folks in poetry & fiction who just aren’t on draft? 

[potentialyeti]

I am sure this has been answered 5,000 times before. But! I just got a waitlist notification from IU! Losing my mind a little bit, since this is my first positive signal in six years of applications. 

What are the odds of getting off a waitlist? Help me gauge how excited to be lmao. 

[chapelperilous]

this might be a stupid question, but if I were to send a letter of continued interest, who would I send it to? would I send it to the email they provide for application questions (pretty sure it’s just a general email for all graduate programs at the university) or would I send it to a specific faculty member? thanks in advance 

[SocialKonstruct]

1 hour ago, julesr said:

I just got accepted to Stony Brook with half funding. I'm still deciding and I'd love to hear general thoughts from anyone familiar with the program/area. 

How's the balance between the Southampton campus, Manhattan Center, and main Stony Brook? Both in terms of life/student experience and networking opportunities.

Any insight is appreciated especially as an international student!

Grats and definitely a dope place! NYC is definitely the center of the literary world in the US so at least you are close by. Campus is really nice.

[gupppy]

Do we think Arizona acceptances/waitlists are all out 🥲

[bucket]

it seems like IU Bloomington just sent out a second round of waitlists weeks after the first ones… is this a normal thing that happens?? i thought schools usually send waitlists out at once, so i’m a bit confused and wondering if anyone has any insight!! 

[runlolarun]

21 hours ago, mazzykitty said:

any poets heard from iowa or uva on poetry yet? i see two for each school on draft, but not sure what the general timeline is for calls, then waitlists, then rejection.  i hope everyone is taking care ❤️ 

I am wondering about the status of Iowa poetry calls. I always thought Elizabeth Willis was the caller, but apparently someone named Mark Levine is calling? Maybe they split up calls, or they switch years? 

[prele]

Hi all!

I don't have access to draft but does anyone have any info on the Rutgers-Newark poetry situation. Have interviews/acceptances gone out there?

Also: I'm a lurker on this forum checking in for a friend. I'm currently fiction at Columbia with scholarship and really loving it. If anyone has any questions about that program feel free to reach out.

Edited March 4 by prele

[actualair]

WHY did Iowa stop calling and WHEN will NYU general acceptances drop 😭

[Busybeez]

5 hours ago, julesr said:

I just got accepted to Stony Brook with half funding. I'm still deciding and I'd love to hear general thoughts from anyone familiar with the program/area. 

How's the balance between the Southampton campus, Manhattan Center, and main Stony Brook? Both in terms of life/student experience and networking opportunities.

Any insight is appreciated especially as an international student!

I live here on long island. Long island is like a separate more sprawling city next to NYC- with the stony brook area about 90 minutes away by train (we have great rail system everyone uses) and in a lovely pretty town. You will not be so geographically close to the Hamptons area ehich is about 45 minutes away. 

[kiyaar]

On 3/2/2026 at 2:54 PM, ocurlyfries said:

Do we know how many waitlists Virginia Tech sends out for fiction?

saw a post from prev years that said 22 waitlist spots; the fiction cohort is 4 this year

[writerinthedarkk]

3 hours ago, runlolarun said:

I am wondering about the status of Iowa poetry calls. I always thought Elizabeth Willis was the caller, but apparently someone named Mark Levine is calling? Maybe they split up calls, or they switch years? 

Mark Levine is the only other permanent poetry faculty member aside from Elizabeth Willis. I hope to god poetry calls aren't over yet, but they could be. 

Edited March 5 by writerinthedarkk

[meanwhile]

has there been anything on the draft for poetry at university of south carolina, university of arkansas, or uncg? 

i'm ready to gnaw my arm off, the waiting is getting to me 

Edited March 5 by meanwhile
no edit but if anyone else here is a twin peaks fan, i'm living up to my username and currently mentally always black lodge laura palmer screaming

[bioluminescent sloth]

3 minutes ago, meanwhile said:

has there been anything on the draft for poetry at university of south carolina, university of arkansas, or uncg? 

i'm ready to gnaw my arm off, the waiting is getting to me 

You're not alone! The waiting is getting to me too.

UofSC: I see 3 poetry acceptances (last week) and 3 fiction waitlists (today)

Arkansas: a variety of results for multiple genres over the past couple weeks

UNCG: a handful of interviews for poetry and fiction over the past couple weeks

 

[meanwhile]

4 minutes ago, bioluminescent sloth said:

You're not alone! The waiting is getting to me too.

UofSC: I see 3 poetry acceptances (last week) and 3 fiction waitlists (today)

Arkansas: a variety of results for multiple genres over the past couple weeks

UNCG: a handful of interviews for poetry and fiction over the past couple weeks

 

thank you!! based on this, it’s looking like all rejects for me this year  anyone else anticipate or know for sure they’ll be here same time next year? i’m really struggling to find the motivation atm to think about trying again. 

[Greg13]

I've been a lurker for this season. I'm not the draft—Is anyone able to say what there is in terms of poetry acceptances/waitlists for Wash U on there? or ASU? Or even just the number of waitlists at MFA programs historically? I'm on the waitlists for both, and can't help being curious about chances .

IU rejection earlier today. Waiting on Brown, UVA, and Iowa—based on the thread I don't think there is much other good news coming my way, but fingers crossed for Brown ig?

 

 

Edited March 5 by Greg13