2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[nonsense]

@Strawberry14 Fiction too! Haven’t gotten an email yet. Feeling so antsy.

[j1nju]

2 minutes ago, Ogwick said:

I’m rarely on Facebook / we have Iowa Fiction phone calls and acceptances confirmed today?

Yes, there was one acceptance phone call for fiction reported on the FB Draft spreadsheet today. 

[julesr]

1 hour ago, lusitania_unsunk said:

I think decision day is april 15?

Thank you so much for the information

53 minutes ago, Strawberry14 said:

Yes! If your school is a member of CGS (council of graduate schools), you're not required to make a decision until April 15, and they cannot revoke the offer or anything like that. Schools should not be pressuring you to make decisions sooner. 

Unrelated, I just got waitlisted at Oregon State!

Thank you so much and congratulations! Sending my best wishes!

[goodoldneon]

I'm really torn about Iowa. It was truly my dream school (probably because of its reputation), and it's where I first learned about the MFA program and started considering pursuing it. But after learning more about it, I realized I don't really like their faculty's writing, and my professor has been telling me that many people are disappointed after going to Iowa, so I should seriously reconsider.

But I'm still hoping for a result, though I think it's probably too early to think all of these, they'll likely reject me outright.

[Ogwick]

2 minutes ago, goodoldneon said:

I'm really torn about Iowa. It was truly my dream school (probably because of its reputation), and it's where I first learned about the MFA program and started considering pursuing it. But after learning more about it, I realized I don't really like their faculty's writing, and my professor has been telling me that many people are disappointed after going to Iowa, so I should seriously reconsider.

But I'm still hoping for a result, though I think it's probably too early to think all of these, they'll likely reject me outright.

I wish I had those kinds of problems!

[lizard in a blizzard]

Someone in the Facebook group suggested Iowa made all calls today, because evidently Sam Chang told accepted student that “she started with East Coast since it was still early locally.” Not to start cross-platform telephone, but curious.

[cantoras]

someone on another Grad Cafe forum said that Iowa called East Coast acceptances earlier this morning  

[itsgivingliterary]

1 minute ago, lizard in a blizzard said:

Someone in the Facebook group suggested Iowa made all calls today, because evidently Sam Chang told accepted student that “she started with East Coast since it was still early locally.” Not to start cross-platform telephone, but curious.

i saw that, but i'd be surprised if it was the case. in years past they usually spread calls out over a few days. and logistically, it's just her making all 25 calls. if she were really calling everyone today I'd also expect more results on the spreadsheet. but maybe that's just me coping bc im on the east coast lmao

[strawberrymatcha]

5 minutes ago, itsgivingliterary said:

i saw that, but i'd be surprised if it was the case. in years past they usually spread calls out over a few days. and logistically, it's just her making all 25 calls. if she were really calling everyone today I'd also expect more results on the spreadsheet. but maybe that's just me coping bc im on the east coast lmao

yeahh like maybe she had a list of people she wanted to call today and started with the east coast out of those people? I agree with the others saying that it seems odd that we wouldn’t have seen them on draft, if I’ve been doing the math correctly it seems like around 40-60% of the results end up on the spreadsheet. unless they explicitly said not to share the information publicly?

[lisichka]

damn only 1 poet accepted at pitt this year!

[prufrock_]

i've convinced myself a dozen times today that i can feel premonitions, looking at my phone, thinking, 'it will ring with an iowa number... right... now!'

 

but alas, i cannot tell the future. 

[Theodosia]

9 minutes ago, cantoras said:

someone on another Grad Cafe forum said that Iowa called East Coast acceptances earlier this morning  

Welp. That's quite unfortunate. 

[Ogwick]

2 minutes ago, prufrock_ said:

i've convinced myself a dozen times today that i can feel premonitions, looking at my phone, thinking, 'it will ring with an iowa number... right... now!'

 

but alas, i cannot tell the future. 

Ok - having never applied to a grad school before, and knowing I’ll never get into Iowa - I’m glad to also know I’m not the only one slowly going crazy on the East Coast. 
 

FYI - someone on the page before who seems to know what they’re talking about says Iowa drags this out over days - which makes sense because of how many calls they have to make.

or at least I’m giving myself to the end of the week

[itsgivingliterary]

3 minutes ago, strawberrymatcha said:

yeahh like maybe she had a list of people she wanted to call today and started with the east coast out of those people? I agree with the others saying that it seems odd that we wouldn’t have seen them on draft, if I’ve been doing the math correctly it seems like around 40-60% of the results end up on the spreadsheet. unless they explicitly said not to share the information publicly?

yeah im thinking its more this, or maybe she started with east coast knowing she wouldn't get thru all of the acceptances today anyway, or maybe one of a hundred other things. if this were a less popular school with a smaller cohort id be more willing to believe we just haven't seen any acceptances.

tldr its not over till its over! and i bet the east coast group is pretty big anyway so there's hope for us yet

 

[pengiunsfriend]

-

Edited February 19 by lemongirl01
n/a

[theyearshallrunlikerabbits]

yeah she def spread calls across multiple days last year according to gradcafe/the spreadsheet so it seems kinda random to change practice this year?

[Ogwick]

5 minutes ago, theyearshallrunlikerabbits said:

yeah she def spread calls across multiple days last year according to gradcafe/the spreadsheet so it seems kinda random to change practice this year?

Do we have high confidence this single report (single call) happened today?

first year I’ve been on this website but it seems these happen in “waves” not a single reported call at 11am EST and the nothing else…

Edited February 19 by Ogwick

[itsgivingliterary]

9 minutes ago, Ogwick said:

Do we have high confidence this single report (single call) happened today?

first year I’ve been on this website but it seems these happen in “waves” not a single reported call at 11am EST and the nothing else…

both the gradcafe + spreadsheet notifications were from today. more people were prob notified who haven't posted.

[lusitania_unsunk]

1 hour ago, lisichka said:

damn only 1 poet accepted at pitt this year!

In total? Did people defer from last year?

[callmemarioplz]

anyone heard from brown poetry in the draft?

[lisichka]

23 minutes ago, lusitania_unsunk said:

In total? Did people defer from last year?

yes, in total - the 1 person accepted was told that they were the only one. the pitt poetry class size is normally 2, so it's possible that 1 person deferred last year!

[arghgradapps]

- 

Edited February 20 by arghgradapps

[lisichka]

19 minutes ago, callmemarioplz said:

anyone heard from brown poetry in the draft?

not yet! brown usually doesn't notify until march

[cocoice98]

Alright so I fully acknowledge that the “waiting insanity” has set in and there is truly no way to know when decisions will go out till they do….

BUT ANYWAY!

anyone have any intel on when Iowa NWP will go out? Their website says admitted applicants will go out mid to late March but I saw that they have Welcome days scheduled for March 26-27 and a “recruit the new class” info session on Feb 24. Per the way back machine & the spreadsheet they host those events in March & April and notified March 20-21. Think this means we might hear sooner?

Anyways the wait is clearly getting to me….maybe by spewing it into the world I can go back to writing instead of sleuthing. 

 

[SocialKonstruct]

I just realized why being a writer has been getting harder and harder with each year. I won't have an audience left in a decade. https://ktxs.com/news/local/they-cant-read-basic-sentences-college-students-facing-literacy-crisis