2026 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum

[meanwhile]

do we think the AWP conference this week might mean decisions are more likely to hit next week instead?

hoping to hear from Arizona and Idaho🤞

[Sumire11]

Any sightings of Iowa waitlists?

[impatientjoy]

Does anyone else have an odd update to their CSU portal? I’m assuming it’s a rejection since calls already started but

[asm0deus]

11 minutes ago, impatientjoy said:

Does anyone else have an odd update to their CSU portal? I’m assuming it’s a rejection since calls already started but

last year i got something similar before rejection  the wording was really odd i remember

Edited March 2 by asm0deus

[womanonline]

1 minute ago, asm0deus said:

last year i got something similar before rejection  the wording was really odd i remember

Mine still just says that my application has been forwarded to the academic department for review; that's been there for weeks. No update otherwise

[impatientjoy]

1 minute ago, womanonline said:

Mine still just says that my application has been forwarded to the academic department for review; that's been there for weeks. No update otherwise

My guess is that’s a good sign! Likely waitlist? I feel like they leave waitlisted students in limbo on the application itself

[impatientjoy]

Do we know anything about Montana? I know CNF notifications went out but it feels quiet on the F and P front?

[womanonline]

3 minutes ago, impatientjoy said:

My guess is that’s a good sign! Likely waitlist? I feel like they leave waitlisted students in limbo on the application itself

Accepting this as canon now

[delraiser]

hi guys! been a silent lurker since the fall. i'm a senior in college-- creative writing at syracuse-- right now waiting on a handful more decisions from MFAs in fiction. i got knocked out of tennessee in the first round in january, and then rejected by minnesota this morning. but i've been obsessing the past few weeks, checking this forum and checking my email constantly. do any of you have any advice on how to ease this? i can't focus on anything. the waiting has me so nervous

[goodoldneon]

5 minutes ago, delraiser said:

hi guys! been a silent lurker since the fall. i'm a senior in college-- creative writing at syracuse-- right now waiting on a handful more decisions from MFAs in fiction. i got knocked out of tennessee in the first round in january, and then rejected by minnesota this morning. but i've been obsessing the past few weeks, checking this forum and checking my email constantly. do any of you have any advice on how to ease this? i can't focus on anything. the waiting has me so nervous

I'm also a senior in college. According to other's experience, it's very rare to be admitted to an funded MFA program right after finish the undergraduate. So don't take the decisions personally while you don't need a mfa or a yes from a professor to be a writer. Write more, read more and you'll find ur own path. 

[delraiser]

12 minutes ago, goodoldneon said:

I'm also a senior in college. According to other's experience, it's very rare to be admitted to an funded MFA program right after finish the undergraduate. So don't take the decisions personally while you don't need a mfa or a yes from a professor to be a writer. Write more, read more and you'll find ur own path. 

i really appreciate this. and i'll do my best to remember this and accept that maybe i'm just at the beginning of a long and arduous process. i just worry about postgrad, what with finding employment in the meantime. thank you so much for the response :') 

[prufrock_]

16 hours ago, Scribe said:

First, TheGradCafe might be the worst website with which I have ever had to deal. I get kicked out of response boxes, am unrecognized by password, are forbidden from filling out mandatory fields, and rejected from confirming my credentials. Horrible. It's the second biggest reason I haven't been checking in and supporting this cycle. I'm sorry to say that I'm pretty sure I won't be back here next year. 

frootkoops, I only know about fiction. Sorry, I should have specified. Glad you asked.

 

thanks for letting us know about the status of uci! (and dang it!!)

now that you're almost done with your mfa, what are your thoughts on the whole MFA thing as a whole? If you don't wanna say publicly, no worries, but i am curious.

[ocurlyfries]

36 minutes ago, delraiser said:

hi guys! been a silent lurker since the fall. i'm a senior in college-- creative writing at syracuse-- right now waiting on a handful more decisions from MFAs in fiction. i got knocked out of tennessee in the first round in january, and then rejected by minnesota this morning. but i've been obsessing the past few weeks, checking this forum and checking my email constantly. do any of you have any advice on how to ease this? i can't focus on anything. the waiting has me so nervous

hi!! also a senior in college, also got knocked out by utk first round!! sending good vibes your way, i hope we both get in somewhere, but it'll be okay in the end if we don't!

[Scribe]

1 minute ago, prufrock_ said:

thanks for letting us know about the status of uci! (and dang it!!)

now that you're almost done with your mfa, what are your thoughts on the whole MFA thing as a whole? If you don't wanna say publicly, no worries, but i am curious.

Almost done?!
The program is three years. I'm just past the halfway mark. 
My thoughts though? I'm a bigger proponent than ever of two things: the MFA (fully funded) as an institution and finding the right program for you. I'm very happy with the workshop despite hating the UC and UCI as monstrous and evil entities that work to undermine civilization itself. How can this be? Because the program is THAT good and THAT supportive. 

[Hmax]

27 minutes ago, delraiser said:

i really appreciate this. and i'll do my best to remember this and accept that maybe i'm just at the beginning of a long and arduous process. i just worry about postgrad, what with finding employment in the meantime. thank you so much for the response :') 

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!

[arghgradapps]

there's only one Rutgers-Camden Fiction result on draft, but a few nonfiction ones...do you guys think all fiction acceptances are coming out today?

 

[ocurlyfries]

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

[gupppy]

Arizona please something soon😭

[Wittosss]

Hi, I’ve been reading the forum for quite sometime, but this is my first time writing. Does anyone have updates about Columbia’s decisions for poetry? 
good luck to everyone!

[Jitterbug98]

25 minutes ago, arghgradapps said:

there's only one Rutgers-Camden Fiction result on draft, but a few nonfiction ones...do you guys think all fiction acceptances are coming out today?

 

maybe/probably— since they deferred people last year after they lost funding I’m not getting my hopes up about Camden, I assume half the cohort is already taken up by people who chose to defer 

[Strawberry14]

Not that this is meant to be advice (or even aspirational lol) but I'll share just a bit about my journey if it's at all helpful for anyone wondering about post-grad options! I studied English lit and creative writing in undergrad and I graduated ten years ago (holy shit lol) knowing I wanted to pursue an MFA but not feeling ready to apply. I worked in service and did occasional freelancing (anything writing-adjacent I could get), but it took me a while to get into a writing-related career. Eventually I ended up in marketing/communications and technical writing, and I've been doing that for the last 5-6 years. I thought about applying to programs every year, but I was terrified of getting rejected. 

Two years ago, I got serious with my creative work and finally started submitting and publishing alongside my day job. Nothing groundbreaking, but the process of submission and rejection really helped me come into this process knowing that I'd be okay regardless of the outcome. Everyone's journey is different, and while I absolutely believe many writers could handle a program right out of undergrad, I definitely needed to cook a little longer. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few programs, but I'm thrilled with my one fully funded acceptance so far. I'm both excited and terrified to go back into full time school after being out for ten years, but it really feels like the right time for me now! All to say, It might sound like a long ways out, but don't panic--you're never out of time!
 

[frootkoops36]

18 hours ago, Scribe said:

First, TheGradCafe might be the worst website with which I have ever had to deal. I get kicked out of response boxes, am unrecognized by password, are forbidden from filling out mandatory fields, and rejected from confirming my credentials. Horrible. It's the second biggest reason I haven't been checking in and supporting this cycle. I'm sorry to say that I'm pretty sure I won't be back here next year. 

frootkoops, I only know about fiction. Sorry, I should have specified. Glad you asked.

 

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. 

[impatientjoy]

Ahhh!! I was wrong!! That weird CSU portal update was an acceptance 😭

is anyone familiar with CSU funding?? They can’t offer it at the moment, and I’m wondering if that means they might be able to or there’s a waitlist?? Emailed to ask but curious if anyone has any extra knowledge or experience!

[marsmentality]

34 minutes ago, Strawberry14 said:

Not that this is meant to be advice (or even aspirational lol) but I'll share just a bit about my journey if it's at all helpful for anyone wondering about post-grad options! I studied English lit and creative writing in undergrad and I graduated ten years ago (holy shit lol) knowing I wanted to pursue an MFA but not feeling ready to apply. I worked in service and did occasional freelancing (anything writing-adjacent I could get), but it took me a while to get into a writing-related career. Eventually I ended up in marketing/communications and technical writing, and I've been doing that for the last 5-6 years. I thought about applying to programs every year, but I was terrified of getting rejected. 

Two years ago, I got serious with my creative work and finally started submitting and publishing alongside my day job. Nothing groundbreaking, but the process of submission and rejection really helped me come into this process knowing that I'd be okay regardless of the outcome. Everyone's journey is different, and while I absolutely believe many writers could handle a program right out of undergrad, I definitely needed to cook a little longer. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few programs, but I'm thrilled with my one fully funded acceptance so far. I'm both excited and terrified to go back into full time school after being out for ten years, but it really feels like the right time for me now! All to say, It might sound like a long ways out, but don't panic--you're never out of time!
 

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? 

[gupppy]

46 minutes ago, Strawberry14 said:

Not that this is meant to be advice (or even aspirational lol) but I'll share just a bit about my journey if it's at all helpful for anyone wondering about post-grad options! I studied English lit and creative writing in undergrad and I graduated ten years ago (holy shit lol) knowing I wanted to pursue an MFA but not feeling ready to apply. I worked in service and did occasional freelancing (anything writing-adjacent I could get), but it took me a while to get into a writing-related career. Eventually I ended up in marketing/communications and technical writing, and I've been doing that for the last 5-6 years. I thought about applying to programs every year, but I was terrified of getting rejected. 

Two years ago, I got serious with my creative work and finally started submitting and publishing alongside my day job. Nothing groundbreaking, but the process of submission and rejection really helped me come into this process knowing that I'd be okay regardless of the outcome. Everyone's journey is different, and while I absolutely believe many writers could handle a program right out of undergrad, I definitely needed to cook a little longer. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few programs, but I'm thrilled with my one fully funded acceptance so far. I'm both excited and terrified to go back into full time school after being out for ten years, but it really feels like the right time for me now! All to say, It might sound like a long ways out, but don't panic--you're never out of time!
 

Similar situation here, took a few years after undergrad to live a little - spent some time on the road, worked a ton of service industry jobs, messed around and learned a lot before eventually getting a full-time writing job. Applied to MFAs this cycle after deciding it was time to take fiction writing seriously and got a fully-funded acceptance. Everyone’s different but I feel so much more prepared and grounded, and so much more like a whole grown human, than I did straight out of undergrad, and that’s something my writing really needed too.