Fall 2017 MFA

[slouching]

2 hours ago, HoneydewHaiku said:

I've applied to Stony Brook, Sarah Lawrence, and CalArts for creative nonfiction... Stony Brook is my "safety" school, since I currently attend there and (after some conversations with important people in the program) I'm confident about my chances of getting an offer there. But as for Sarah Lawrence and CalArts, I'm currently in full anxiety mode. D:

Wanted to apply to CalArts so bad...that program looks amazing, and working with Maggie Nelson would be a dream. Good luck!

[pdh12]

For creative nonfiction, have you considered that program at the U of Iowa? The students there seem happy.  

Also, has anyone else had trouble with the Rutgers-Newark app? It keeps deleting stuff, so that it's perpetually incomplete. I've basically given up on it...

[slouching]

Two down, twelve to go. Finishing a bunch more applications this week. How's everyone doing?

The different requirements for SOP length are killing me. I wrote a version that's around 1,000 words that I'm happy with, and have been able to use for some places...but other places want 500 words or less, which seems super short! Has anyone else had to figure out how to craft two different versions of the SOP?

[pdh12]

14 schools! I bet our lists are mirrors. I've just stuck with my one SOP, altering a bit here and there, because I feel like I achieved saying the thing I wanted to say...it might prove to be my downfall, but in my previous round of apps I was accepted to schools for which I didn't abide by the length rules...ehhh

The chaos for me is getting my transcripts to the right places--some schools let you just upload the unofficials, and i've attended 6 schools ><

[slouching]

Props to you for managing transcripts from six places! I've attended three schools, so I can empathize a bit. Thankfully, I've mostly been able to stick with unofficial copies. @pdh12, what's on your list? I ended up settling on Minnesota, Ohio State, Brown, Cornell, Wisconsin, UCSD, Arizona, UVA, Alabama, Indiana, Notre Dame, Washington, Syracuse, and WashU/WUSTL. Somehow, it still doesn't feel like I'm applying to enough places, lol.

[pdh12]

I ended up with Minnesota, Washington University in St. Louis, Rutgers-Newark, Brown, UMass Amherst, Boston, Syracuse, UVA, Indiana, Notre Dame, U. Washington, U Oregon, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Iowa WW, UC-Irvine, and Wyoming----I've never applied to so many places at once! But all the talk about hyperselectivity compelled me to add (it was originally just 4 schools ><). I wish I'd applied to Arizona but at that point I thought my recommenders' hands would fall off. It'll be fun to hear everyone's results in a couple months--are you on draft? It's not so bad if you keep a healthy distance from it...

[slouching]

Wow, yeah, we picked a ton of the same places! I've managed to avoid Draft thus far, but may cave before this is over. My hope is that I'll be able to focus on some other projects I want to work on once everything dies down and there's nothing left to do but wait...but realistically, I'll probably be a nervous wreck.

[Everyday Inn]

On 8/23/2015 at 9:28 AM, HookedOnSonnets said:

There are quite a few very prestigious creative writing programs - so if you want to apply to just the big names, go for it. I can think of about 20 off the top of my head that are very prestigious, and very well-known for having amazing, top-tier creative writing programs.

Hi Sonnets, I'm kind of curious about what the 20 (or more?) prestigious programs in your mind. I know there is no safety schools. It is almost a cliche among CW MFA applicants. But I think there is no harm to try one top program or two. I only can think of Iowa, Utexas, Cornell, and Michigan Ann Arbor. What about Brown? And what might the other highly selective prestigious programs be?

[BLeonard]

Turned in my one and only application Sunday morning. Unlike last year, I wasn't frantically applying to the very last minute - just the same day, haha! I felt my portfolio was pretty strong, and I was moved to tears by one of the letters my recommenders wrote. At the very least, this application process reminded me that I do love writing, creating, and it's something I'm pulled to do - meant to do. 

Good luck to all! 

Edited December 19, 2016 by BLeonard

[pdh12]

good luck, @BLeonard! it takes some guts to apply to just one~~

[slouching]

Just submitted the last of my applications. I guess this is the part where I become consumed by anxiety, regret, etc. until results start coming in? Cool.

[BLeonard]

On 1/3/2017 at 2:57 AM, slouching said:

Just submitted the last of my applications. I guess this is the part where I become consumed by anxiety, regret, etc. until results start coming in? Cool.

Basically.

[jhan]

On 12/19/2016 at 2:33 PM, BLeonard said:

Turned in my one and only application Sunday morning. Unlike last year, I wasn't frantically applying to the very last minute - just the same day, haha! I felt my portfolio was pretty strong, and I was moved to tears by one of the letters my recommenders wrote. At the very least, this application process reminded me that I do love writing, creating, and it's something I'm pulled to do - meant to do. 

Good luck to all! 

Bold! Where did you apply? 

 

Just two applications left - very stressful, but I've also started feeling a little lost when I'm not working on something. 

[BLeonard]

On 1/6/2017 at 8:37 PM, jhan said:

Bold! Where did you apply? 

 

Just two applications left - very stressful, but I've also started feeling a little lost when I'm not working on something. 

 

I applied to NYU, the best choice for a number of reasons. I'm pretty zen about the entire thing. 

[pdh12]

dudes..i applied to 20 programs + 2 fellowships abroad...if i get covered in rejection it'll be dark days. 

also, lol. just tripped over the 2016 mfa thread, which is a testimony to anxiety/waiting/this microcosmic life.

[zehre]

hi everyone! thought i'd chime in since i'm applying / have applied to programs for fall 2017, too. i have 3 applications left (2 due this sunday), but overall i'm applying to 13 schools. mostly poetry. brown (my top choice!), umass amherst, nyu, columbia, sarah lawrence, pratt, cornell, university of new mexico, wisconsin, umich, mills, uc riverside, and uw bothell. it's all been so very stressful, and it looks like it's going to continue to be horrible, but oh well... i'd love to commiserate with other folks!!

[Eva A.]

Hi Everyone!  First time applying for programs for MFA, though already in a MS for Professional Writing.  Done all applications and awaiting any news!  Catching up on some novels and Netflix while I wait...

Wishing everyone an acceptance from a great program.

 

[pdh12]

yea, good luck to everyone's apps! This purgatory is feeling like the hardest part, for sure.

 

Also..I horrifically realized that I submitted the Wrong manuscript to four schools! I deserve this pain ><

[pdh12]

it seems like Minnesota, Washington University in St. Louis, and maybe Cornell are generally the first to notify...

[slouching]

Hi new people! Good luck to everyone!

Waiting is starting to kill me. I had kind of forgotten what it's like to have free time...

[cccmmm]

Freaking out, found this website, joining in! I don't know anyone else going through grad apps at all, much less MFA, so it's relieving/nerve-wracking to see my same stress mirrored here! 

I applied for poetry to: Iowa, Michigan, Cornell, Wisconsin, Brown, WUSTL, Syracuse, Oregon, VTech, NYU, Alabama, VCU, Hollins, Arizona, Ole Miss, George Mason, Boston, and New Hampshire. 

First time applicant, applied to so many because I am truly desperate to get in! Trying to beat the odds... 

do you guys think I got a good mix in? 

[pdh12]

18 schools--yea, that's as good a mix as any! good luck, I'm applying to some of those schools in poetry, too, so we can share notifications when they come. I'm both dreading and dabbling in the occult for any sign of news.

[tallenarts]

I'm also applying to more than a dozen schools in the hope that I earn at least one acceptance. I'm currently finishing up my MA in English and want the MFA to serve as the capstone of my education. As a non-traditional student, I feel the luxury of having concentrated time to work on my writing will truly help me progress toward publication.

The schools I've already applied to include Iowa WW, UVA, USC-Columbia, UNC-Greensboro, Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, UCF-Orlando, UF, and McNeese State as well as a few that I'm fine tuning my applications for. I'm still trying to decide whether or not to apply to NC State and Georgia College & State University. I originally took the GRE back in 2014 and sending official copies to each school is expensive as hell. I was hoping to avoid sending official copies to schools unless I'm accepted, but some schools don't seem to want to forward the applications to the English Departments unless they have them in hand. A few schools don't require the GRE and two say they don't need them until after round one, if at all.

Has anyone else run into this and if so, what did you do? One school, I believe, is holding my application until I send the GRE so I'm paying to send them a copy even though I uploaded an unofficial score. Does anyone have any information on either NC State or Georgia College or Milledgeville, GA?

 

[themfayears]

I agree with Kate. I hope someday we can have a list on The MFA Years that highlights programs who fund the majority but not all. It's a little harder because some programs aren't necessarily interested in giving numbers on who they fund. I'm glad EWU does.

Also, Kate has an awesome interview on our website about the program

[badeyebrows]

I'm glad I found this thread. I finally broke down and joined the Draft '17 group on Facebook, but it's been a few days and nobody approved my request, so here I am. I'm also a total lurker and it's probably about time I participate and pay it forward.

I only applied to two programs (nonfiction) which seems very low compared to most MFA hopefuls. If I had applied to MFAs when I first started considering it years ago, I'm sure that list of schools would be much larger, but at this point--late 20s, recently married, working at an OK job, not looking to make a cross-country move--it was pretty easy to narrow down that list (and, as a consequence, narrow down my chances at acceptance). All that to say, I'm glad I'm not totally alone in purgatory while we wait!