Fall 2016 MFA

[DangerDetective]

6 minutes ago, chamsee22 said:

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?

It seems like a weird political comment was made about affirmative action - that comment also seems to have been deleted. 

Someone externalizing their self-loathing, which is like missing the point of missing the point.

Also, congrats to the max for realz.

[My Mlemtonia]

Finally heard back from every school! It's truly over. My final school was a waitlist, from Notre Dame. 

2 acceptances, 2 waitlist. I'm excited! 

[GlowStick]

Maybe I don't even want an MFA. Maybe I want to work for the FBI.

[chamsee22]

2 hours ago, GlowStick said:

Maybe I don't even want an MFA. Maybe I want to work for the FBI.

I would legit throw it all away to work in a basement office and report to a bald buff assistant director. LET'S DO IT

[FalloutCoversEverything]

14 hours ago, Blue1001 said:

Finally heard back from every school! It's truly over. My final school was a waitlist, from Notre Dame. 

2 acceptances, 2 waitlist. I'm excited! 

Congrats!!

Which genre are you? I love ND's poetry faculty (one of them also teaches fiction).

[DangerDetective]

Well, that's my last school. I applied to Iowa, Irvine, Austin, Ann Arbor, and Bloomington. 5 rejections, all form letters.

Best of luck, everyone. See you on the 2017 forums  . Just because you're not good enough doesn't mean you won't be. 

[TheThesaurus]

I've been following this forum pretty closely over the last few months (as I am sure we all have!) and I've heard back from all the schools I've applied to (fiction) except one...Alabama, and it's really starting to annoy me because I know they sent out acceptances back in February, and I know they've sent out 2 or 3 rounds of rejections at the beginning of the month, but my application status still just says "referred to department for review". Should I email them so they can remember I exist and send me my rejection? I'm waiting out so I can officially tell my recommenders how all my applications went in one email...and it'll be weird trying to explain the one school that hasn't responded yet. 

Anyway, I hope someone can give me some insight into this situation, it's very annoying to say the least...waiting on a school that basically just forgot to notify me...allegedly of course ;-) Also, congrats to everyone who got in to various programs!

[FalloutCoversEverything]

21 minutes ago, TheThesaurus said:

I've been following this forum pretty closely over the last few months (as I am sure we all have!) and I've heard back from all the schools I've applied to (fiction) except one...Alabama, and it's really starting to annoy me because I know they sent out acceptances back in February, and I know they've sent out 2 or 3 rounds of rejections at the beginning of the month, but my application status still just says "referred to department for review". Should I email them so they can remember I exist and send me my rejection? I'm waiting out so I can officially tell my recommenders how all my applications went in one email...and it'll be weird trying to explain the one school that hasn't responded yet. 

Anyway, I hope someone can give me some insight into this situation, it's very annoying to say the least...waiting on a school that basically just forgot to notify me...allegedly of course ;-) Also, congrats to everyone who got in to various programs!

Yes, just send a nice email to the office person asking your status. No big deal. =)

[nightsociety]

Anyone else receive an acceptance call from Columbia but no email yet?

Starting to wonder if it was a hallucination...

[FalloutCoversEverything]

58 minutes ago, nightsociety said:

Anyone else receive an acceptance call from Columbia but no email yet?

Starting to wonder if it was a hallucination...

Yeah, I haven't received an email or letter yet. Not planning on going because the crappy funding is ridiculous. Not even worried about the email or whatever.

[holycat]

1 hour ago, nightsociety said:

Anyone else receive an acceptance call from Columbia but no email yet?

Starting to wonder if it was a hallucination...

You're not hallucinating. I haven't received an e-mail either. But, like @FalloutCoversEverything, it's irrelevant for me at this point.

Visiting the campus of the Program I'm planning to accept the offer of. I request that all fingers here be kept crossed for me: everything about this Program has been on point so far. Their organization is impeccable. Loving the professors and the current students. The financial aid offer is immensely generous. My would be advisor is the dream mentor. What could possibly go wrong? Under normal circumstances, probably nothing. But I sometimes suspect that I am (or someone somewhere along the line of my ancestry is) cursed! Shyt tends to happen right when things are going great. So, fingers crossed that, when I meet them in person, they're all as awesome as they sound via e-mail/phone. The right chemistry. Etc...I REBUKE THE DEVIL AND HIS ARMY OF PESKY LITTLE EVIL SPIRITS TO KEEP THEIR DAMNED FINGERS OFF MY THINGS -- IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Do I hear amen?! 

[SullyWins]

1 hour ago, holycat said:

You're not hallucinating. I haven't received an e-mail either. But, like @FalloutCoversEverything, it's irrelevant for me at this point.

Visiting the campus of the Program I'm planning to accept the offer of. I request that all fingers here be kept crossed for me: everything about this Program has been on point so far. Their organization is impeccable. Loving the professors and the current students. The financial aid offer is immensely generous. My would be advisor is the dream mentor. What could possibly go wrong? Under normal circumstances, probably nothing. But I sometimes suspect that I am (or someone somewhere along the line of my ancestry is) cursed! Shyt tends to happen right when things are going great. So, fingers crossed that, when I meet them in person, they're all as awesome as they sound via e-mail/phone. The right chemistry. Etc...I REBUKE THE DEVIL AND HIS ARMY OF PESKY LITTLE EVIL SPIRITS TO KEEP THEIR DAMNED FINGERS OFF MY THINGS -- IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Do I hear amen?! 

AMEN! ??????

[sayantika]

Hello,

Does anyone have any word from SIU Carbondale, Boston, George Mason and NCSU? The wait is getting all the more strenuous with the stream of rejections.

[FalloutCoversEverything]

10 hours ago, holycat said:

You're not hallucinating. I haven't received an e-mail either. But, like @FalloutCoversEverything, it's irrelevant for me at this point.

Visiting the campus of the Program I'm planning to accept the offer of. I request that all fingers here be kept crossed for me: everything about this Program has been on point so far. Their organization is impeccable. Loving the professors and the current students. The financial aid offer is immensely generous. My would be advisor is the dream mentor. What could possibly go wrong? Under normal circumstances, probably nothing. But I sometimes suspect that I am (or someone somewhere along the line of my ancestry is) cursed! Shyt tends to happen right when things are going great. So, fingers crossed that, when I meet them in person, they're all as awesome as they sound via e-mail/phone. The right chemistry. Etc...I REBUKE THE DEVIL AND HIS ARMY OF PESKY LITTLE EVIL SPIRITS TO KEEP THEIR DAMNED FINGERS OFF MY THINGS -- IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Do I hear amen?! 

Ah, don't worry so much about it. Based on my workshop experience there's a chance there will be some "poopy" personalities at your MFA, and most likely you won't even know during the visit if that is going to happen or not. Regardless, go with with a resilient attitude. You're there to write and to work on getting published. 

[holycat]

7 hours ago, sayantika said:

Hello,

Does anyone have any word from SIU Carbondale, Boston, George Mason and NCSU? The wait is getting all the more strenuous with the stream of rejections.

I respectfully turned down an offer from George Mason recently. They were sweet to me.

[sayantika]

3 hours ago, holycat said:

I respectfully turned down an offer from George Mason recently. They were sweet to me.

Thanks for the information @holycat! I wish I get in to one of these!

[holycat]

1 hour ago, sayantika said:

Thanks for the information @holycat! I wish I get in to one of these!

I hope you do too! And do you celebrate Holi? Happy Holi if so!

[witezslav]

@sayantika I just got my rejection letter in the mail from SIU today! Whomp whomp

[lemur1993]

On 3/23/2016 at 4:14 PM, TheThesaurus said:

I've been following this forum pretty closely over the last few months (as I am sure we all have!) and I've heard back from all the schools I've applied to (fiction) except one...Alabama, and it's really starting to annoy me because I know they sent out acceptances back in February, and I know they've sent out 2 or 3 rounds of rejections at the beginning of the month, but my application status still just says "referred to department for review". Should I email them so they can remember I exist and send me my rejection? I'm waiting out so I can officially tell my recommenders how all my applications went in one email...and it'll be weird trying to explain the one school that hasn't responded yet. 

Anyway, I hope someone can give me some insight into this situation, it's very annoying to say the least...waiting on a school that basically just forgot to notify me...allegedly of course ;-) Also, congrats to everyone who got in to various programs!

I emailed a few days ago and have not gotten a response back. My application says the same thing.

[GlowStick]

If there are any successful poetry applicants still lurking around here, how thematically consistent were your portfolio samples? 

Reflecting on my own application, I feel like my own poems didn't do much talking to each other, and I feel like I could pull together something a lot more focused now that I've had some time to reflect. So I'm curious how other people approached it.

[holycat]

15 hours ago, FalloutCoversEverything said:

Ah, don't worry so much about it. Based on my workshop experience there's a chance there will be some "poopy" personalities at your MFA, and most likely you won't even know during the visit if that is going to happen or not. Regardless, go with with a resilient attitude. You're there to write and to work on getting published. 

Have read so much about the "poopy" characters, but I suppose that's just like life, right? I just need to master the art of sifting through feedback to figure out what's useful and what isn't. I've heard about racism in MFA Programs before and recent comments I've seen on the results page have confirmed my suspicions of brewing anti immigrant sentiments, however faint at the moment. Perhaps because people believe we wouldn't make it to those Programs if it wasn't for diversity considerations. Not that I can't handle any such backlash, but I hate that it means I am not allowed to be flawed now and may have to go the extra mile to prove that I am there because I earned it. And I'm not just there for me but representing an entire race/continent/diaspora community.  My shortcomings, by default, can be arguments against "diversity" policies.  Unfortunately, mistakes and flaws and that very human thing of growing uneven are luxuries afforded to those considered the benchmark/the normal/the ruling majority. It's nothing new to me, but is still exhausting. BUT: there might be a good side to all this; maybe this will drive me to get stuff done! STILL: STAY AWAY FROM ME, RACISTS, STAY AWAY, I HAVE SPICES THAT BURN THE EYES REALLY REALLY BAD; YOU WILL CRY FOR MOMMY! 

[holycat]

FYI: for all who are waiting on Columbia. Finally got their financial aid info. They're offering me 30K in scholarship and the maximum Federal Loan (20,500). By their own estimates, cost of attendance is 90K+/year. 

[somethingtothinkabout]

I'm getting my MFA in creative nonfiction writing. I was accepted to a small private school in CA with a pretty solid reputation. I got my financial aid package today, though. They gave me a scholarship but it only covers 25% of tuition so I'll have to pay like $18,000 my first year and then reapply for scholarships for my second year. They also gave me a fellowship where I'll lead writing workshops for all undergraduate students that visit the writing center. I'll have to take additional courses my first semester, tutor one-on-one my second semester, then teach 6 writing workshops my second year. During the first year, I'll only make $2,000 during second semester and $10,000 during the second year. It will require roughly 15 hours/ week. I was also accepted to Columbia University with a 25% tuition scholarship (not going) and UNCW with zero funding. Should I just reapply to schools next year? Feeling pretty defeated right now. :-/

[heliogabalus]

What does the Fellowship cover? (Usually fellowships mean you don't have to teach and your tuition is covered.) The six workshops--is that six in total for the year, or 3 semester-classes each semester of your second year?

This sounds pretty awful, though. I would reapply. An MFA is not something you should go into debt for--it's only real value is that it gives you some time to work on your writing, and it sounds like you might not be getting too much of that at the place in CA. 

[FalloutCoversEverything]

On 3/24/2016 at 10:59 PM, holycat said:

Have read so much about the "poopy" characters, but I suppose that's just like life, right? I just need to master the art of sifting through feedback to figure out what's useful and what isn't. I've heard about racism in MFA Programs before and recent comments I've seen on the results page have confirmed my suspicions of brewing anti immigrant sentiments, however faint at the moment. Perhaps because people believe we wouldn't make it to those Programs if it wasn't for diversity considerations. Not that I can't handle any such backlash, but I hate that it means I am not allowed to be flawed now and may have to go the extra mile to prove that I am there because I earned it. And I'm not just there for me but representing an entire race/continent/diaspora community.  My shortcomings, by default, can be arguments against "diversity" policies.  Unfortunately, mistakes and flaws and that very human thing of growing uneven are luxuries afforded to those considered the benchmark/the normal/the ruling majority. It's nothing new to me, but is still exhausting. BUT: there might be a good side to all this; maybe this will drive me to get stuff done! STILL: STAY AWAY FROM ME, RACISTS, STAY AWAY, I HAVE SPICES THAT BURN THE EYES REALLY REALLY BAD; YOU WILL CRY FOR MOMMY! 

There will always be bad characters. Just brush them off. Dirt on your shoulders.

And yeah, this is a huge issue. Beyond microaggression stuff (which I think gets even more emotional when one's writing/aesthetic is on the line...) I do think it is much easier to find one's way around that in the current environment since there are actually a decent number of articles / interviews online by writers one can read putting the issue into words [Junot Diaz's POC vs MFA maybe still being one of the best]). That stuff is still going to happen, but at least it has more discourse surrounding it. More students know about it. There's more places to go to remember: these people are being bullshitty. One can commiserate by reading X writer's description of their experience. It's not perfect, but those things existing makes it much better than it was even 5 years ago, I suspect.

In a related side note: one thing I was shocked to see while applying is the number of MFA programs with no POC on faculty. I outright didn't apply to several programs because of this.... Johns Hopkins was particularly unsettling, if I remember correctly (I didn't apply)--because they had a sizable faculty and no diversity.

On 3/25/2016 at 7:17 PM, holycat said:

FYI: for all who are waiting on Columbia. Finally got their financial aid info. They're offering me 30K in scholarship and the maximum Federal Loan (20,500). By their own estimates, cost of attendance is 90K+/year. 

Was this in the email to open all of those letters? I mean, I don't care, but I couldn't even find the info they mentioned to me on the phone. I might have skimmed a bit tho. Lol. There was so much info and I was mostly disinterested.

On 3/26/2016 at 10:46 AM, somethingtothinkabout said:

I'm getting my MFA in creative nonfiction writing. I was accepted to a small private school in CA with a pretty solid reputation. I got my financial aid package today, though. They gave me a scholarship but it only covers 25% of tuition so I'll have to pay like $18,000 my first year and then reapply for scholarships for my second year. They also gave me a fellowship where I'll lead writing workshops for all undergraduate students that visit the writing center. I'll have to take additional courses my first semester, tutor one-on-one my second semester, then teach 6 writing workshops my second year. During the first year, I'll only make $2,000 during second semester and $10,000 during the second year. It will require roughly 15 hours/ week. I was also accepted to Columbia University with a 25% tuition scholarship (not going) and UNCW with zero funding. Should I just reapply to schools next year? Feeling pretty defeated right now. ?

I'd give it another shot next year! Work on your application and focus your SOP. There's a growing number of fully funded nonfiction programs from what I hear: make sure you apply to all of those next go around.