2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[kiki.xoxo]

Just got accepted to the University of Kentucky with funding! I'm so excited!!!!

[pengiunsfriend]

 

0

Edited February 25 by lemongirl01

[Ogwick]

3 minutes ago, kiki.xoxo said:

Just got accepted to the University of Kentucky with funding! I'm so excited!!!!

Congrats! Go Blue! 

[kiki.xoxo]

8 minutes ago, lemongirl01 said:

Just got into Oregon State today. Suck it miffy.

 

miffy: 6

lemongirl: 1

[pengiunsfriend]

patiently awaiting commitment day https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMWlhaTgzemRxcTQ0MXB5cGtqdDB1ZDgzYnF4YmswcXpydzg4ajZoaiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/6nR5Wk8K6Y70rHt3Mo/giphy.gif

 

[Ogwick]

11 minutes ago, lemongirl01 said:

Just got into Oregon State Today. Suck it miffy.

 

Congrats to you too - activity has picked up tonight!

[kiki.xoxo]

16 minutes ago, Ogwick said:

Congrats! Go Blue! 

thank you!

[tonybump]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the UN Reno MFA program, i.e. student experiences? I can't find any information on it online besides what I had already found on the UNR website, and haven't seen anyone talking about it. I got waitlisted a few weeks back and from what I've read so far the program definitely sounds up my alley...but also there's an anxious part of me that's a tad bit wary of making a huge life shift for a program I can't find any testimonials about lol. Thank you, and hope everyone is doing well in this stressful time!

Edited February 25 by tonybump

[SocialKonstruct]

Finally got my first rejection today. That took forever. Got two left to go.

[lisichka]

46 minutes ago, tonybump said:

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the UN Reno MFA program, i.e. student experiences? I can't find any information on it online besides what I had already found on the UNR website, and haven't seen anyone talking about it. I got waitlisted a few weeks back and from what I've read so far the program definitely sounds up my alley...but also there's an anxious part of me that's a tad bit wary of making a huge life shift for a program I can't find any testimonials about lol. Thank you, and hope everyone is doing well in this stressful time!

I have a friend in that program! I don't know her specific opinions about it, but I know she enjoys it and is the best fiction writer I've had the pleasure of knowing personally, so you would be in good company!

[tonybump]

33 minutes ago, lisichka said:

I have a friend in that program! I don't know her specific opinions about it, but I know she enjoys it and is the best fiction writer I've had the pleasure of knowing personally, so you would be in good company!

Thank you so much! That's all I needed to hear 🙂

[illumikitten]

Has anyone interviewed with any programs that would be willing to speak on what to expect? 

[vilum]

i saw one acceptance on the draft for the university of south carolina poetry... did anyone hear back for fiction?

[songofsolomon]

Syracuse, where art thou? 

[gafoo]

13 hours ago, cantoras said:

the only good news I've gotten so far is an interview at a school I'd really love going to... does anyone have tips for an interview at a fiction program? I've searched the Draft page but can't seem to find info relevant for fiction interviews. 

If you can, try to find someone on the Draft '25 who ended up in that same program and shoot them a message! I did that for my nonfic interview and got some really good insight into what the interview will be like (actually I reached out to someone doing fiction, and they very kindly messaged their friend in the nonfic track, who subsequently gave me advice). 

But overall, you can expect it'll probably cover a few of these areas: 

• Why this program? (know the faculty, program vibe, maybe their lit mag's style) 
• Tell us about what you envision for your book-length project (show you've thought seriously about what you want to produce during an MFA)
• Why an MFA at all? (show some thinking beyond "time to write and read")
• Your writing inspirations, favorite authors, why, etc.  

[guntherpingu]

Not feeling great today, friends.

I applied to five programs (phd). So far, I have one waitlist and three rejections. The last school I'm waiting on is the University of Missouri, and I have a feeling they're going to reject me too (but hey, you never know).

Part of me was expecting to be rejected everywhere, like I was when I applied for MFAs the first go-around, so I feel grateful for my waitlist. At the same time, I know what it's like to wait until April 15th, hoping someone turns down their spot so I can be admitted, and that shit sucks (happened to me during my second cycle, which ended in a rejection, and then in my third, which was an acceptance)...

I wish this process wasn't so incredibly unpredictable. My heart goes out to my fellow applicants with only waitlists and even moreso to those with all rejections. For my sanity, I'm going to start making plans for my future as if I'm not going to a phd program in the fall. If I happen to get in (woo-hoo!), I'll alter my plans from there.

For now, I need to finish revising/editing my thesis. I hope y'all are being kind to yourselves--it takes a lot of courage to willingly go through such a vulnerable and tiresome application process with ridiculously small acceptance rates.

[callmemarioplz]

has anyone heard about interviews starting for hunter college's poetry program?

[gafoo]

Honestly at this point I am happy to just accept the implicit rejection from UMN. One less school to consider! Once I hear back from Idaho I'll have officially heard a 'first response' from every school I applied to and that feels great. It's felt like an eternity but it's only been a month lmao

Edited February 25 by gafoo

[strawberrymatcha]

3 minutes ago, gafoo said:

Honestly at this point I am happy to just take the rejection from UMN. One less school to consider! Once I hear back from Idaho I'll have officially heard a 'first response' from every school I applied to. It's felt like an eternity but it's only been a month lmao

congrats on almost being done!! it’s interesting how different schools and people’s cycles line up. I still have 7 left to hear from (and one didn’t notify until late march last year) so just 1 more month…

[insearchoflostwine]

Should the draft be showing Iowa waitlist notifications any day now?

[Walter Hartwell White]

I got waitlisted at VCU! Apparently high up it / a finalist. Aaaaaaa. Questioning if I should have too much hope or not but it feels like validation regardless. I know some people get rejected and no waitlists at all. It makes me feel like I don’t suck like the 3 rejections made me feel like. 

[gm3]

23 minutes ago, Walter Hartwell White said:

I got waitlisted at VCU! Apparently high up it / a finalist. Aaaaaaa. Questioning if I should have too much hope or not but it feels like validation regardless. I know some people get rejected and no waitlists at all. It makes me feel like I don’t suck like the 3 rejections made me feel like. 

Congrats! I got waitlisted at Temple! 

[nonsense]

Just got waitlisted at Minnesota for fiction!

Got an email to check the portal.

Wild!

[inaudiblezine]

On 2/19/2026 at 11:24 PM, bucket said:

i cannot decide if it is comforting to have heard nothing from UC Davis (as opposed to having been rejected already) as that means i could still get less-bad news… but MAN PLEASE JUST TELL ME😭

i'm also waiting and it's getting too anxiety inducing oh my god, have u heard anything yet

[bucket]

10 minutes ago, inaudiblezine said:

i'm also waiting and it's getting too anxiety inducing oh my god, have u heard anything yet

i did! after almost dying of anxiety for like two weeks straight i got a waitlist. i don’t know if they’ve sent many rejections yet or not ?? i think i saw one rejection on draft a while ago but none since then…. idk man i wish schools didn’t draw things out like this it’s bad for our health