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Fall 2016 MFA


kurtango

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@FalloutCoversEverything @JenP @gaudysideoftown and all, thanks for the tips! Yeah, an all new sample is probably the way to go (and it's not like I don't have 132 drafts saved on my hard-drive that I could be pulling from--I've got no excuses, really). It'll probably make my sample a little more consistent as well, which can only be good. 

Also, @karosko thanks for the NWP update!

 

As for the Michigan acceptance, there's one over on Draft as well. But I'd think there would be more if they were all notified. Hope everyone gets some info on everything soon!

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I don't think all Programs always notify everyone at the same time. I'm sure there are different factors, unknown to us, affecting the whole process. The 18th of February may have been the most frequent one in the past, but there were also other later dates here and there, so stop freaking out! :)

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Excuse the double post, but I have to ask this, in search of affirmation. :) 

Are any of you currently shaking your heads at why you even bothered waste $$ applying to certain Programs? And I don't even mean the feeling you get when you think you have no chance. But finding more things out about a program after you've submitted your applications (because the obsessive energy associated with waiting makes you read and read about these schools) and wondering why in the world you didn't do thorough research? No? Is it just me? Because, as it stands, I have already dismissed five of the eleven schools I have applied to based on some grounds. I don't think I'll go to any of those programs if I get in, unless I get some miraculous offer, which is unlikely. Spent a combined $380 on application fees (with one of them the most expensive of all -- $125!). It hurts!  

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59 minutes ago, holycat said:

Excuse the double post, but I have to ask this, in search of affirmation. :) 

Are any of you currently shaking your heads at why you even bothered waste $$ applying to certain Programs? And I don't even mean the feeling you get when you think you have no chance. But finding more things out about a program after you've submitted your applications (because the obsessive energy associated with waiting makes you read and read about these schools) and wondering why in the world you didn't do thorough research? No? Is it just me? Because, as it stands, I have already dismissed five of the eleven schools I have applied to based on some grounds. I don't think I'll go to any of those programs if I get in, unless I get some miraculous offer, which is unlikely. Spent a combined $380 on application fees (with one of them the most expensive of all -- $125!). It hurts!  

Yup, I do. Though my reasons are a little bit different. My application changed quite a lot between Minnesota and Virginia Tech (1st December to 15th January) especially when it comes to reducing typos or minor grammatical errors... So when I think about it, I feel sad that I spent all that money and the schools do not even have my best application :(

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3 hours ago, LexieB said:

I think the Michigan poster was a troll. I've seen more notifications go out that they aren't notifying people yet. (Though I'm happy for them if they did get accepted. I'm just skeptical at this point.)

Someone would have to be a very mean troll to do that... I mean I hope people are not that bad in this world that they would troll about University of Michigan's MFA program admissions lol. I mean hundreds of people slave over them! 

But I hope there would be more acceptances to come! 

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3 hours ago, holycat said:

Excuse the double post, but I have to ask this, in search of affirmation. :) 

Are any of you currently shaking your heads at why you even bothered waste $$ applying to certain Programs? And I don't even mean the feeling you get when you think you have no chance. But finding more things out about a program after you've submitted your applications (because the obsessive energy associated with waiting makes you read and read about these schools) and wondering why in the world you didn't do thorough research? No? Is it just me? Because, as it stands, I have already dismissed five of the eleven schools I have applied to based on some grounds. I don't think I'll go to any of those programs if I get in, unless I get some miraculous offer, which is unlikely. Spent a combined $380 on application fees (with one of them the most expensive of all -- $125!). It hurts!  

I'm new to all of this, but my suggestion is to make as little money as possible in the year of 2014. If you can make it below the poverty line, some schools will waive your application fee. Also, it prepares you for life as a published author. ba dum chhhh.

And yes, I'm disappointed that I applied to certain schools - even for applications I didn't pay for. I'm absolutely floored by the amount of time I put into programs that didn't fit my style or my goals.

Still, though, it's better to have more choices. $380 is nothing compared to grad school money. Just think of it as an investment. It's okay to loose a little while you're groping around - you took some risks, and one of those risks might pay off. 

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3 minutes ago, DangerDetective said:

$380 is nothing compared to grad school money. Just think of it as an investment...

That's on the 5 schools, by the way. Total for all my apps + transcripts was almost $1000. But yeah, investment is what I called it. But I would have invested less had I been thorough. Urgh. 

Anyway, did y'all see the other UMich result?! 

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2 hours ago, Challenger1992 said:

Yup, I do. Though my reasons are a little bit different. My application changed quite a lot between Minnesota and Virginia Tech (1st December to 15th January) especially when it comes to reducing typos or minor grammatical errors... So when I think about it, I feel sad that I spent all that money and the schools do not even have my best application :(

I'm sorry to hear that. Did you have other people proofread your stuff, though? I had my stuff read by four people about a million and three times. :)

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26 minutes ago, holycat said:

Anyway, did y'all see the other UMich result?! 

I did!! BUT I am going to remain delusional/skeptical and see what happens tomorrow. For some reason I was expecting Michigan emails to go out on a Friday...

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There's a chance only Fiction acceptances have gone out from Michigan. Also, there haven't been any waitlists posted... so I wouldn't totally give up hope yet. 

But yeah, I find myself worrying too much about each decision because I don't have a funded acceptance yet. I don't care where I go among the programs I applied to, I just want to go to one of them with funding =)

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9 hours ago, holycat said:

I'm sorry to hear that. Did you have other people proofread your stuff, though? I had my stuff read by four people about a million and three times. :)

I did but people seemed to find new faults every time. Some people would gross over the errors that others would then catch. My journalism professor loved it, and read it thrice, and said my sample is great. So I kind of got confident with that because in my class she would tear everything apart (she is a copy editor). But at the end I figured that there were many errors that she didn't identify. I guess professors sometimes are unconfident about editing literature that deals with very sensitive cultural issues. But well, part of life. I should've just bought grammarly or something! 

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Looks as though Vanderbilt's Fiction MFA program has sent out (some) acceptances. The newest post this morning shows a "wait listed" status.

Anyone in the forums waiting to hear from Vanderbilt's Poetry MFA program? I haven't seen any results posted for it yet.

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1 hour ago, karosko said:

Also, @DangerDetective--can't tell if you were joking, but instead of deliberately living below the poverty line just to get your fees waived, you could actually work hard and then save money to pay the fees...

 
56 minutes ago, Ultralight said:

Yeah I hoped it was a joke  too...

It was a joke. There was a rimshot at the end. Sorry.

Through happy accident (putting myself through school) I've been somewhat poor for a few years. I was actually pretty proud that I could scrape together 10,000 dollars last year while working the course load I had.

But "actually work hard" is a great idea. I should have done that, instead. Thanks for the tip!

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Sorry, wasn't trying to imply that you didn't or don't work hard; I'm sure that you do. It was more clarification than a tip. And believe me, I know what you mean about being poor--I paid my way through school as well. We're all in this together, friend. Good luck!

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Thanks, @karosko. I guess I just took it the wrong way. I've worked really hard, and I'm getting fairly depressed about my chances of getting into a quality school. I was responding with another joke, and I hope I didn't make you feel bad about making an innocent comment.

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7 hours ago, FalloutCoversEverything said:

Wow, the UMass rejection posted to the forum last night sure is salty. Lol. 

Screen Shot 2016-02-19 at 8.25.27 AM.png

OMG. Been looking at those types of entries and wondering about the sort of writing that level of [what appears to me to be] "self-ignorance" produces. 

3 hours ago, karosko said:

Also, @DangerDetective--can't tell if you were joking, but instead of deliberately living below the poverty line just to get your fees waived, you could actually work hard and then save money to pay the fees...

But hard work is so exhausting! :( 

I can't believe you gave in so easily, @DangerDetective! Here is a vote up for your sense of humor. :) And and and...congraaaats, @gaudysideoftown!

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