Fall 2016 MFA

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/17/2016 at 2:09 AM, JeremyCrickets said:

What happens if you're sitting on a waitlist and an acceptance, but you're much more enthusiastic about the waitlist than the acceptance? Do you wait it out and hope to god you get in?

What if people wait until 4/15 to notify? Is it possible that I could get my acceptance after the deadline? What should I do?! *loses mind*

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Wait. Don't worry about being waitlisted or feeling weird about being on the waitlist. There are so many applicants: they want to work with you, they just had to make a semi-arbitrary order out of the people accepted. If you might go over the deadline slightly, email both programs and be open about your situation. I suspect they'll be willing to be accommodating. 

[FalloutCoversEverything]

Ugh, just saw there was another Rutgers-Newark acceptance. I thought that ship had already sailed, but now I get to watch it sail again. Despite the rankings--I'm convinced Rutgers has maybe the best fiction program in the country. The faculty are sooooo good. And now it's fully funded. Jealous of those who go it.

[JeremyCrickets]

  On 3/17/2016 at 2:26 AM, FalloutCoversEverything said:

Wait. Don't worry about being waitlisted or feeling weird about being on the waitlist. There are so many applicants: they want to work with you, they just had to make a semi-arbitrary order out of the people accepted. If you might go over the deadline slightly, email both programs and be open about your situation. I suspect they'll be willing to be accommodating. 

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Thanks for that. A waitlist is definitely better than a rejection, so I'm very grateful for it. It's just kind of terrifying how close yet far I am from one of my top choices. 

I'll email both programs if need be.  Very solid advice there, as usual.

[GlowStick]

Maybe a weird question, but has anyone heard of anyone doing WORSE their second year of applying? Like, has anyone turned down an offer their first year applying, and then worked hard on their sample and applied even more broadly the next year only to get rejected across the board the second year? 

[JeremyCrickets]

  On 3/17/2016 at 9:41 PM, GlowStick said:

Maybe a weird question, but has anyone heard of anyone doing WORSE their second year of applying? Like, has anyone turned down an offer their first year applying, and then worked hard on their sample and applied even more broadly the next year only to get rejected across the board the second year? 

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I've been obsessing over the same thing actually... maybe this would be a good question to ask over on Draft.

[FalloutCoversEverything]

(1) ask if you can defer admission at the one program you got into. (2) yes, you will most certainly do better next go around, especially if you are seriously working on your application materials (write new things, have people look at the stories you decide on, edit everything a lot, etc.), especially if you apply to more places. 

 

[JeremyCrickets]

^ I'm torn because I love the program I got accepted to, but I can't shake the feeling that I was horribly stupid about applying to schools this round. I applied to schools based on status (and funding), and never once thought about whether or not my style of writing would mesh with the program's aesthetic. I've learned a lot through talking to people on Draft, reading MFA blogs, and stalking school websites (which I did whenever I saw a program I wasn't familiar with pop up on the results page).

I feel like I have a better idea of the type of school that might be interested in me. The program I was accepted to has quite a bit in common with the one I was wait listed at, so I have an idea of what "type" I should look into next year.

I also know to actually talk with programs I'm interested in prior to applying to them. It was dumb of me to assume that information listed on a blog from 5 years ago was still valid, so I won't make that mistake again (hello, funding cuts and reduced program sizes). On that note, I'm also going to read any stories/books published by faculty members before applying. I realized how important this is after reading some of the publications of the school I was accepted to (after getting accepted).

Anyway, these are all just thoughts. I still might go to the one I was accepted to this year. I honestly don't know yet.

Edited March 18, 2016 by JeremyCrickets

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/18/2016 at 4:08 PM, JeremyCrickets said:

^ I'm torn because I love the program I got accepted to, but I can't shake the feeling that I was horribly stupid about applying to schools this round. I applied to schools based on status (and funding), and never once thought about whether or not my style of writing would mesh with the program's aesthetic. I've learned a lot through talking to people on Draft, reading MFA blogs, and stalking school websites (which I did whenever I saw a program I wasn't familiar with pop up on the results page).

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If you love the program and you're fully funded, maybe just go and don't worry about regrets? Especially if you really feel like you need a change of pace in your life/work. That said, if you have a comfortable job and feel like you'll be able to push yourself as a writer and get into a better program, maybe apply next year. My feeling is that waiting might be good in some cases in terms of how you'll do "in the long term" as a writer. If you do the reading / prep you say you're planning on doing (and maybe do a summer/local workshop) I suspect you'll be better prepared to go into an MFA program and kick ass even more. That said, you can always just go to the MFA program and then work on applying to fellowships / phd programs at the tail end if you still feel like you need time (to finish that novel, to work on the next thing, to just have more time to be a better writer).

[JeremyCrickets]

I suppose you're right, @FalloutCoversEverything (btw, I recently got Fallout 4 and I can't stop playing). I really do want to go, but my gut is telling me to wait. I have to figure out if it's just nerves or something more legitimate, I guess. I'll see how I feel after I visit the campus. 

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/18/2016 at 5:27 PM, JeremyCrickets said:

I suppose you're right, @FalloutCoversEverything (btw, I recently got Fallout 4 and I can't stop playing). I really do want to go, but my gut is telling me to wait. I have to figure out if it's just nerves or something more legitimate, I guess. I'll see how I feel after I visit the campus. 

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I actually have the game, but I can't get into it. It feels too overwhelming. I think I got spoiled by open world games that don't feel clunky (Witcher 3). Heh. I'm currently playing Bioshock Infinite (which I somehow slipped past me; so far it's amazing).

My username is actually a reference to this Patchen poem =)

Anyway, my news for the day is that I got into Columbia, but with very little funding.

 

 

[holycat]

  On 3/18/2016 at 10:35 PM, FalloutCoversEverything said:

Anyway, my news for the day is that I got into Columbia, but with very little funding.

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Congrats! Same here. I think I chuckled when he said the amount. I don't think I'd be able to afford them if I sold my kidney. Did you get the e-mail? I'm still waiting for mine. 

Grateful for the acceptance and kind phone call, though. 

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/19/2016 at 12:41 AM, holycat said:

Congrats! Same here. I think I chuckled when he said the amount. I don't think I'd be able to afford them if I sold my kidney. Did you get the e-mail? I'm still waiting for mine. 

Grateful for the acceptance and kind phone call, though. 

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Yeah, I was happy about the news. Not going to attend, obviously. I haven't received a letter / email / or anything like that yet.

Edited March 19, 2016 by FalloutCoversEverything

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/19/2016 at 12:41 AM, holycat said:

Congrats! Same here. I think I chuckled when he said the amount. I don't think I'd be able to afford them if I sold my kidney. Did you get the e-mail? I'm still waiting for mine. 

Grateful for the acceptance and kind phone call, though. 

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Also, congrats to you as well! =)

[JeremyCrickets]

  On 3/18/2016 at 10:35 PM, FalloutCoversEverything said:

My username is actually a reference to this Patchen poem =)

 

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Awh man, I feel like an idiot now. Congrats on Columbia to you and @holycat (I think I somehow missed this update until today!). Funding or not, an acceptance at Columbia is a badge of honor!

[holycat]

  On 3/19/2016 at 6:03 AM, JeremyCrickets said:

Awh man, I feel like an idiot now. Congrats on Columbia to you and @holycat (I think I somehow missed this update until today!). Funding or not, an acceptance at Columbia is a badge of honor!

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Thank you. I suppose. Even though they have a very high acceptance rate compared to most others.  In any case, I feel lucky and happy with the way things have turned out. Onto the new terror now, to the challenges ahead. The Program I'm gearing up to accept the offer of admitted three people this year. No chance of "hiding" amidst a large student body like I would have been able to at the NYC schools. I'M FREAKING TERRIFIED; WHERE THE EFF IS JESUS?!

Edited March 19, 2016 by holycat

[qua]

Congrats to everyone who got into Columbia! Got a phone call yesterday and had to play phone tag with the department Chair. How is the funding situation for everyone? I was offered half-tuition and some other funding options, which was really an honor, but I'm still terrified of the funding issue... the funding issue.. . . .

[leafy]

Have most of you heard back by now from all the programs you applied to? I just heard back from my last one, Florida (a rejection). Now waiting as patiently as I can for news on a few waitlists (all at tiny 2-3 person fiction programs). In all likelihood it'll probably be until April 15 before I know for sure where I'm going. The good news is that I'd be thrilled to attend any of the schools where I'm waitlisted, so keeping my fingers crossed!

Has anyone made a final decision yet on where you're going? Are others still holding out for programs where you've been waitlisted? 

[simplesyrup]

Hi all, have not been to this site before. But now that I'm here, this will be my haven for all my grad school-based neuroses. 

I've applied to four Fiction MFA programs, all in New York. I live in Brooklyn, and don't feel like moving. I have a day job, so all the programs are either night or mostly night. Hence no NYU or Columbia. I've applied to New School, Hunter, Brooklyn, and CCNY. I got accepted to New School a couple of weeks ago and got a 25% scholarship. I was pretty happy until I realized that a lot of people got accepted with the same scholarship. Also - and this is totally my own stupidity at work - I thought New School was cheaper than it actually is. I'd have to fund approximately $20,000 a year, mainly through loans. I had an undergrad degree at NYU and it took almost ten years to pay those back. I am not in the mood to become a debtor again. 

So, I guess the question is: anyone hearing from Hunter, Brooklyn, or CCNY? Hunter is my ideal as it's both very selective and has outstanding faculty. 

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/21/2016 at 1:56 AM, qua said:

Congrats to everyone who got into Columbia! Got a phone call yesterday and had to play phone tag with the department Chair. How is the funding situation for everyone? I was offered half-tuition and some other funding options, which was really an honor, but I'm still terrified of the funding issue... the funding issue.. . . .

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I got 25%. I wasn't going to go unless they gave me a TA position / full funding. There's really no reason to take out a loan for an MFA. It's not worth it. Period.

 

  On 3/21/2016 at 7:34 PM, leafy said:

Have most of you heard back by now from all the programs you applied to? I just heard back from my last one, Florida (a rejection). Now waiting as patiently as I can for news on a few waitlists (all at tiny 2-3 person fiction programs). In all likelihood it'll probably be until April 15 before I know for sure where I'm going. The good news is that I'd be thrilled to attend any of the schools where I'm waitlisted, so keeping my fingers crossed!

Has anyone made a final decision yet on where you're going? Are others still holding out for programs where you've been waitlisted? 

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I still have two programs to hear from. I have an acceptance that I'm super happy with, but I'm just waiting to see if I have any other options. Hopefully one of those waitlist positions works out for you!

 

  On 3/21/2016 at 7:49 PM, simplesyrup said:

Hi all, have not been to this site before. But now that I'm here, this will be my haven for all my grad school-based neuroses. 

I've applied to four Fiction MFA programs, all in New York. I live in Brooklyn, and don't feel like moving. I have a day job, so all the programs are either night or mostly night. Hence no NYU or Columbia. I've applied to New School, Hunter, Brooklyn, and CCNY. I got accepted to New School a couple of weeks ago and got a 25% scholarship. I was pretty happy until I realized that a lot of people got accepted with the same scholarship. Also - and this is totally my own stupidity at work - I thought New School was cheaper than it actually is. I'd have to fund approximately $20,000 a year, mainly through loans. I had an undergrad degree at NYU and it took almost ten years to pay those back. I am not in the mood to become a debtor again. 

 

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People have heard from Hunter (tuition is now fully funded by the program, which is awesome... no stipend tho). Not really sure about Brooklyn or CCNY. I don't think it's worth taking out the loans for an MFA. Especially when there are so many fully funded programs out there (and even a handful that pay 20K + a year). 

[holycat]

  On 3/21/2016 at 1:56 AM, qua said:

Congrats to everyone who got into Columbia! Got a phone call yesterday and had to play phone tag with the department Chair. How is the funding situation for everyone? I was offered half-tuition and some other funding options, which was really an honor, but I'm still terrified of the funding issue... the funding issue.. . . .

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I was told 30K on the phone. Still waiting for the e-mail/letter. I'm assuming that's half tuition? With an estimated cost of attendance at 85K (could be conservative), no way in hell I'm taking out 55K/year in loans for an arts degree. Even if I wasn't given a full ride elsewhere, would rather wait another year than do that. 

[chamsee22]

  On 3/21/2016 at 7:34 PM, leafy said:

Have most of you heard back by now from all the programs you applied to? I just heard back from my last one, Florida (a rejection). Now waiting as patiently as I can for news on a few waitlists (all at tiny 2-3 person fiction programs). In all likelihood it'll probably be until April 15 before I know for sure where I'm going. The good news is that I'd be thrilled to attend any of the schools where I'm waitlisted, so keeping my fingers crossed!

Has anyone made a final decision yet on where you're going? Are others still holding out for programs where you've been waitlisted? 

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I'm headed to my #1 program this fall. I must've been a really good girl in some past life because I got an offer from what might've been another top choice. I withdrew from the Wisconsin, JHU, and UVA waitlists as soon as I made my decision so hopefully that helps. 

[holycat]

  On 3/22/2016 at 3:35 PM, chamsee22 said:

I'm headed to my #1 program this fall. I must've been a really good girl in some past life because I got an offer from what might've been another top choice. I withdrew from the Wisconsin, JHU, and UVA waitlists as soon as I made my decision so hopefully that helps. 

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Congraaaats!

[chamsee22]

  On 3/22/2016 at 4:08 PM, holycat said:

Congraaaats!

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Thank you<3 !!

[FalloutCoversEverything]

  On 3/22/2016 at 3:35 PM, chamsee22 said:

I'm headed to my #1 program this fall. I must've been a really good girl in some past life because I got an offer from what might've been another top choice. I withdrew from the Wisconsin, JHU, and UVA waitlists as soon as I made my decision so hopefully that helps. 

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Huge congrats!!!!!

[chamsee22]

Thank you, @FalloutCoversEverything~!! 

And just so I'm not spamming y'all, what's with that verbiage on the results board re: Brooklyn? Who's scolding whom?