viracity Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Hi All, Just curious if anyone on this board applied to the University of Southern California Literature and Creative Writing PhD program. Or, if anyone knows when that school generally reports. (Side note: The recent acceptance posts for other schools on the results forum make me nervous! I'm half glad I stumbled upon this website and half wishing I hadn't so I wouldn't even know that the universities were already reporting. Do most schools reply all at once or stagger responses?)
stylechallenge10 Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 I applied! I don't know that they'll start sending out acceptances to the middle of March--blah!--like they have in the past few years. Also, it's so competitive. It looks like they take 4/200. Where else did you apply, viracity?
poeteer Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 I applied. I'd expect to hear sooner than mid-March if you're accepted, but who knows.
viracity Posted February 21, 2012 Author Posted February 21, 2012 Jeepers, 4/200? That's so few students. Hopefully notification is before mid-March! I heard back last week from them, but just asking for a financial supplement form to be filled out. Got my hopes up for a second when I saw the email..and then I realized that it wasn't about a decision. Oh well. I also applied to Yale, Harvard, UPenn, UVa, Chicago, Rice, and WashU. I haven't heard back from anyone yet. Looking at some of the other posts, both in the results survey and in the forums, it seems like at this point I can count implied rejections at a few of those schools, but I'm hoping that's not necessarily true! We'll see, I guess. Where else did you apply? Did you apply to any other programs that allow creative dissertations?
stylechallenge10 Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I applied at Utah, Lincoln, Illinois-Chicago, Cincinnati and Georgia along with USC. I haven't heard back from any of those, and I don't believe that acceptances have gone out. It doesn't seem like that many people are interested in PhD's in Lit/Creative Writing, at least not on this board. Good luck to you--sounds like some great choices. I'm surprised to hear that all of those schools allow creative dissertations. Something to note if this year doesn't work out for me.
viracity Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks. Good luck to you as well! Those other schools actually don't allow creative dissertations; I applied to them for English lit with a focus in literary criticism/theory. And I think you're right, not too much interest on these boards for the creative PhDs. Oh well.
poeteer Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 There are some people over at creative-writing-mfa-handbook2.blogspot.com/, but people don't post there too much, either. It is a strange beast. When I first finished my MFA, I thought for sure I wouldn't apply for the Ph.D. And now here I am. I think more and more MFA grads are applying as time goes on.
Stately Plump Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I considered applying to some MFA/Creative Writing PhD programs, and if I had, USC definitely would have been one of them! +++ energy to all. (<--- this just worked for me today, so here's hoping it works for all of you!)
stylechallenge10 Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 You are very kind, StatelyPlump! Congratulations to you! Do all of you PhD applicants for creative writing already have MFA's? I am applying straight from undergrad (I'm a few years out, but I have no master's degree), and I hope I'm not completely out of my element. We'll see, I guess. I know that Utah has a B.A. to PhD direct route, at least.
Tabz Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I just graduated with my MA this past June and will have a MFA in June 2012.
Tabz Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 I considered applying to some MFA/Creative Writing PhD programs, and if I had, USC definitely would have been one of them! +++ energy to all. (<--- this just worked for me today, so here's hoping it works for all of you!) Thanks! I need it!
viracity Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 I considered applying to some MFA/Creative Writing PhD programs, and if I had, USC definitely would have been one of them! +++ energy to all. (<--- this just worked for me today, so here's hoping it works for all of you!) Thanks! And, many congrats! Stylechallenge, I applied with a BFA (I just finished up this past semester). Hopefully we're not at a disadvantage going the direct to PhD route; the past accepted students listed on the USC webpage didn't all have MFAs when entering, though, so I have to imagine the writing samples are of much greater significance than which degree (BA or MA, or variant thereof) the applicant holds.
Tabz Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 From everyone I've talked to it's your writing sample and how that fits in with their program.
Captain Enjambment Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I too have applied (as well to six other schools, and a few fellowships.) I was told they will be taking 3 poets and 3 fiction writers by Janalynn, the program coordinator, back in November when I called to ask about the program and various application details. I also (will) have an MFA and have heard from several programs that they prefer you have an MA/MFA before applying. USC is one school that has accepted people out of undergrad in the past though, so there's that.
Tabz Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Oh three is better than the 2 hat I had heard they took in the past.
truckbasket Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Last year there were a couple of notifications kinda early, and everyone else was notified on April 15th. And yes, it's usually 2 for fiction, 2 for poetry out of several hundred applicants. EDIT: Actually, if memory serves correct, there was a semi-early wave of rejections and then everyone else got theirs on 4/15 (by mail). They won't give out any info via phone / email. Considering the program isn't ranked super duper highly (for English at least) it's one of the most competetive programs out there because of location, faculty, and mind-blowingly good funding. They do take students with just the BA, but more often than not, it's MFA students who have published (I know a bunch of them). Edited February 23, 2012 by truckbasket
hellodog Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I think I read somewhere that they notified people by email if you were waitlisted. I haven't heard of that happening yet this year, but it has happened in the past.
poeteer Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Is anyone else about to burst into flames? Last year, according to the MFA Research Project, acceptances went out on 2/23 (today, dammit). Also, I do think waitlistees received emails.
vonteity Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 I applied to the Literature/Creative Writing program at USC. I haven't heard anything yet. I would love to be in the program, but I know it's a slim-to-none chance of getting in. I'm in thesis right now and should graduate with an MA in May.
poeteer Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 and English Ph.D people have apparently been getting calls this afternoon. I have a feeling this means the CWR program is notifying as well.... meep.
Tabz Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *runs around* Won't someone put me out of my misery? Edited February 24, 2012 by Tabz
Captain Enjambment Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 FEAR NOT, the delightful Ms. Janalynn just informed me over the phone that USC isn't making its CW offers until the first week of March. KEEP HOPE ALIVE KIDS!
Tabz Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 Oh thanks for finding out! Good luck everyone.
viracity Posted February 24, 2012 Author Posted February 24, 2012 thanks for the info, Insertbrackets! nice to know there's still a (slim-to-none) chance..
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