2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[itsgivingliterary]

2 hours ago, lizard in a blizzard said:

Been seeing Syracuse poetry responses on the spreadsheet… ominous…. anyone heard from them for fiction so far?

Pretty sure Syracuse notifies Fiction people in mid-late Feb. Poetry tends to be earlier, though even these rejections are early for them, if I remember right.

[HalBear]

Hello all,

There are two lovely applicants I've been communicating with on facebook who cannot figure out how to access replying and posting on this forum. I've tried to help them but I don't know much about Gradcafe's system. They have accounts but just don't seem to be able to contribute to this forum? They don't even have access to the "Quote" button or the "reply to this topic" button. They've logged in and out again, finished setting up their accounts, and still don't have access.. Anyone here figure out how to get over this hump

Edited January 27 by HalBear

[lizard in a blizzard]

2 hours ago, itsgivingliterary said:

Pretty sure Syracuse notifies Fiction people in mid-late Feb. Poetry tends to be earlier, though even these rejections are early for them, if I remember right.

Thanks so much—that’s what I thought as well, but with how early this round of notifs seemed I was holding out hope for a quick fiction response, too!

[libraryworker]

Does anyone know if the Minnesota acceptance was for poetry or fiction?

[analog_e]

5 minutes ago, libraryworker said:

Does anyone know if the Minnesota acceptance was for poetry or fiction?

poetry, fiction, and nonfiction

[XXY]

5 hours ago, nunyaaaaaaa said:

I shared the draft notification data outside the group… hhahahahaahahahaha

tf?

[Chex]

1 hour ago, XXY said:

tf?

Some people are deeply invested in being losers, and posting that here was a pathetic call for attention. Best to ignore that person. 

[Chex]

5 hours ago, HalBear said:

Hello all,

There are two lovely applicants I've been communicating with on facebook who cannot figure out how to access replying and posting on this forum. I've tried to help them but I don't know much about Gradcafe's system. They have accounts but just don't seem to be able to contribute to this forum? They don't even have access to the "Quote" button or the "reply to this topic" button. They've logged in and out again, finished setting up their accounts, and still don't have access.. Anyone here figure out how to get over this hump

I can't imagine why the reply/post option doesn't show up for them, but sometimes this website glitches, especially for new users. Hoping whatever it is gets fixed soon. 

Hey new users who are unable to post, if you're reading this, I'd say to stick around and check from time to time if anything changes. Would love to hear from y'all eventually! ❤

[guntherpingu]

Two of my friends have told me that they had dreams I got accepted to my top PhD program. I feel like the Heinz Doofenshmirtz nickel meme. Weird that it's happened twice, you know?

[nyanooblyn]

18 hours ago, HalBear said:

Hello all,

There are two lovely applicants I've been communicating with on facebook who cannot figure out how to access replying and posting on this forum. I've tried to help them but I don't know much about Gradcafe's system. They have accounts but just don't seem to be able to contribute to this forum? They don't even have access to the "Quote" button or the "reply to this topic" button. They've logged in and out again, finished setting up their accounts, and still don't have access.. Anyone here figure out how to get over this hump

Hey I'm a lurker replying because I think I had a similar problem initially--the gradcafe forum account is technically a different website/account than the gradcafe "main page". Try having them log in directly from this forum (account icon should be in the top right corner). They may need to remake their account, but they don't have to refill all the info if they don't want to!

[gm3]

Crazy how in a month our whole lives could change. 

[commandercowboy]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone else apply to the University of Utah PhD in English/Creative Writing? I applied in poetry, and just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat... (and also has any idea when decisions may bubble up, since there isn't a huge history of that program on the draft...)

[BowelMovement]

Does anyone know if schools send out notifs on weekends? Not that it really matters much, but I personally have been going insane checking the spreadsheet every two hours or so. Would be nice if I know for sure nothings gonna be out on weekends...

[gm3]

5 minutes ago, BowelMovement said:

Does anyone know if schools send out notifs on weekends? Not that it really matters much, but I personally have been going insane checking the spreadsheet every two hours or so. Would be nice if I know for sure nothings gonna be out on weekends...

I doubt they send emails on the weekends. I heard everything is up on the portal before emails are generated, typically, so if you're going to check anything. 

[runlolarun]

I am probably overthinking and creating elaborate, ill-founded theories.... last year's Syracuse waitlists received an email. This year I received a generated email to check the portal where it said I was waitlisted (similar to person who posted on MFA draft excel sheet). I wonder if "higher up" waitlist peeps get an email, and the rest get the stock letter from the Dean? 

[snow_owl]

14 minutes ago, BowelMovement said:

Does anyone know if schools send out notifs on weekends? Not that it really matters much, but I personally have been going insane checking the spreadsheet every two hours or so. Would be nice if I know for sure nothings gonna be out on weekends...

Some schools do call accepted students on weekends or in the evening hours, particularly those that notify over the course of a week or two (like Iowa or NYU).

Edited January 28 by snow_owl

[gm3]

5 minutes ago, runlolarun said:

I am probably overthinking and creating elaborate, ill-founded theories.... last year's Syracuse waitlists received an email. This year I received a generated email to check the portal where it said I was waitlisted (similar to person who posted on MFA draft excel sheet). I wonder if "higher up" waitlist peeps get an email, and the rest get the stock letter from the Dean? 

I assumed "email" meant the notification email to check the portal, so I think you're fine. You can always email or call grad admissions to ask if it's a ranked or unranked waitlist. Usually, the portal is updated first, I think. 

[analog_e]

Need to know someone else out there is writing ~odd~ stuff. Off kilter prose. Surreal situations. Getting a little weird with it.

I was scoping out publications by current candidates and it's all so overwhelmingly straightforward in how it's written, and what's more it's all very grounded in reality. I am not saying the writing is bad, or that my writing is stupendous and special, but it's definitely different. There is one candidate at Brown who seems to be writing surreal fiction with some prose experimentation, which fits the preconception I had of the program, but overall it's kind of worrying. It isn't that I am writing genre fiction, just lit fic that's a bit out there, maybe a bit experimental. 

[guntherpingu]

4 minutes ago, analog_e said:

Need to know someone else out there is writing ~odd~ stuff. Off kilter prose. Surreal situations. Getting a little weird with it.

I was scoping out publications by current candidates and it's all so overwhelmingly straightforward in how it's written, and what's more it's all very grounded in reality. I am not saying the writing is bad, or that my writing is stupendous and special, but it's definitely different. There is one candidate at Brown who seems to be writing surreal fiction with some prose experimentation, which fits the preconception I had of the program, but overall it's kind of worrying. It isn't that I am writing genre fiction, just lit fic that's a bit out there, maybe a bit experimental. 

I also write absurdist stuff (currently in an MFA program at GCSU, applying for PhDs now). I think there's definitely more realistic lit out there, but absurdism is alive and well in my grad community, at least!

[XXY]

43 minutes ago, analog_e said:

I was scoping out publications by current candidates

Were you mostly checking out the ones at Brown, or at MFAs more generally?

[analog_e]

Just now, XXY said:

Were you mostly checking out the ones at Brown, or at MFAs more generally?

Cornell, Vandy, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, and Brown

[itsgivingliterary]

1 hour ago, analog_e said:

Need to know someone else out there is writing ~odd~ stuff. Off kilter prose. Surreal situations. Getting a little weird with it.

I was scoping out publications by current candidates and it's all so overwhelmingly straightforward in how it's written, and what's more it's all very grounded in reality. I am not saying the writing is bad, or that my writing is stupendous and special, but it's definitely different. There is one candidate at Brown who seems to be writing surreal fiction with some prose experimentation, which fits the preconception I had of the program, but overall it's kind of worrying. It isn't that I am writing genre fiction, just lit fic that's a bit out there, maybe a bit experimental.

im writing weird shit! and applied with weird shit! My impression talking to mfa students/profs/alums is that literary spec fic is alive and well (and my impression of trade publishing is that spec fic is also having a moment, but that's a longer story). Hell, Carmen Maria Machado taught a horror workshop at Iowa last year. I don't think we have anything to worry about

[XXY]

I wish I could read the samples of everyone here. Not to ~size up the competish~. Just to read the lovely stuff everyone has written and recognize, during this period of uncertainty, the accomplishment and the effort that went into making those samples.

[meanwhile]

For those of y'all who are applying again/another round and those who have MFAs who are here very kindly offering your insight to us, what thoughts/tips/advice/do and don'ts do you have on giving it another go?

This is my first time applying and even though it's still pretty really early on (no decisions received yet), I'm admittedly already losing faith 😕 I've been out of school for a half a decade (any other 2020 grads here?? fun times!) and feel so rusty. I had enthusiastic recommenders, a writing sample I'm damn proud of, but feel that my biggest weaknesses were my SOPs and not having any publications (I've never submitted anywhere either, though!).

Any thoughts on applying with the same or mostly the same writing sample to the same programs the next year? Should one not apply to the same programs again? This is absolutely a me thing, but I'm horrified to think about pulling a "Hi, it's me again!" 

I know it's completely normal to not get in on your first round of applications, but if things don't work out this time, I'm really appreciative of any words of wisdom to keep from feeling completely dejected and like this is the only chance.

[Jitterbug98]

1 hour ago, meanwhile said:

For those of y'all who are applying again/another round and those who have MFAs who are here very kindly offering your insight to us, what thoughts/tips/advice/do and don'ts do you have on giving it another go?

This is my first time applying and even though it's still pretty really early on (no decisions received yet), I'm admittedly already losing faith 😕 I've been out of school for a half a decade (any other 2020 grads here?? fun times!) and feel so rusty. I had enthusiastic recommenders, a writing sample I'm damn proud of, but feel that my biggest weaknesses were my SOPs and not having any publications (I've never submitted anywhere either, though!).

Any thoughts on applying with the same or mostly the same writing sample to the same programs the next year? Should one not apply to the same programs again? This is absolutely a me thing, but I'm horrified to think about pulling a "Hi, it's me again!" 

I know it's completely normal to not get in on your first round of applications, but if things don't work out this time, I'm really appreciative of any words of wisdom to keep from feeling completely dejected and like this is the only chance.

A lot of people apply multiple times (this is my second round) and some of those people even end up in the most elite programs like Iowa or Brown or Michener! You can definitely apply to the same programs next year if you don’t get in this year, but from what I’ve heard I wouldn’t use the same writing sample. Same SOP or same SOP with some minor updates is probably fine, but for the writing sample they want to see that you’re generating new work. Using the same story/poem/essay with relatively major revisions is probably ok!

Also not having publications shouldn’t matter if the committee loves your sample. I think they really barely matter at all, if anything they could just be seen as evidence of a commitment to writing and publishing. The SOP does matter, but not as much as the sample. 

Edited January 29 by Jitterbug98