Fall 2017 MFA

[Hortense]

15 minutes ago, BananaPancakes said:

He's poetry, too. He mentioned getting into an MFA program for poetry in the Draft Fiction Workshop group. Didn't say which one, but the timing is right for Syracuse, considering the other rumoured acceptance.

Good to hear. I found some of his fiction online, and it's really good, so I thought he might be a fiction applicant.

[slouching]

Surprised to see that Arizona's started notifying for at least one genre...a new thing to be nervous about!

[pdh12]

still complete silence on my end (of 20 schools o.o)  but I'm shortlisted for a fellowship to study in Pakistan--signs?

 

[Hortense]

1 hour ago, pdh12 said:

still complete silence on my end (of 20 schools o.o)  but I'm shortlisted for a fellowship to study in Pakistan--signs?

 

Could be a sign. Is it a creative writing fellowship? Congrats either way.

[Hortense]

Did anyone else refuse to apply to certain schools because they required too much teaching? Or if that's the norm, is anyone actually cool with the idea of teaching two classes per semester? Can you even do that and still have time to write?

i didn't apply to Arizona and Alabama even though the programs are a great fit for me mainly because the teaching load seems too heavy. But now that Arizona is making offers, my stomach is in knots about it.

[pdh12]

That would be interesting! But alas, it's for intensive language study. I'm dreading/curious to know how our latest u.s. nightmares are going to be reflected in how we're received abroad (especially in regions like south asia)

[slouching]

Congrats, pdh! This early period of waiting is totally awful, but we should all start hearing from a lot more places over the next few weeks.

As far as teaching goes, I think what ended up being more of a deal breaker for me was the possibility of getting stuck teaching freshman comp and nothing else. A heavy teaching load certainly wouldn't be ideal, though.

 

[manandcamel]

11 hours ago, Hortense said:

Did anyone else refuse to apply to certain schools because they required too much teaching?

Not really. Funding and waivers aside, I tried to choose my applications based on their culture. Lit mags and journal opportunities were important to me, as well as size and department involvement in the community. I also spent a lot of time checking out faculty.

I think there's one or two schools that have a heavy teaching load on my list, which I don't think I'd mind.

[Tif]

13 hours ago, Hortense said:

Did anyone else refuse to apply to certain schools because they required too much teaching? Or if that's the norm, is anyone actually cool with the idea of teaching two classes per semester? Can you even do that and still have time to write?

 

I've been lurking around for a while...

Yeah, I think you'll have time to write.  If I can find time to write while working FT+ in an admin position in mental health and taking 16 units, I think anyone can.   I wouldn't let that limit you too much.  I've have writing friends who have reflected on how writing retreats in secluded areas for a month or so actually stifled their process. 

[slouching]

1 hour ago, manandcamel said:

Not really. Funding and waivers aside, I tried to choose my applications based on their culture. Lit mags and journal opportunities were important to me, as well as size and department involvement in the community. I also spent a lot of time checking out faculty.

This was important to me as well. I really wanted to apply to programs that offer a variety of opportunities for students-- so teaching, yes, but also working on a literary journal, doing relevant volunteer work/internships, etc. Even if the job market wasn't so insane, I don't know if I'd want to teach post-MFA, so I definitely would like to use the experience to try out some different things. 

[schlockandawe]

Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. 

Just wondering if anyone has started preparing for the interview stage? Any tips? What's the likelihood of a school wanting an interview if they did not explicitly state so on their admissions page?

Thanks! 

 

[Hortense]

22 minutes ago, schlockandawe said:

Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. 

Just wondering if anyone has started preparing for the interview stage? Any tips? What's the likelihood of a school wanting an interview if they did not explicitly state so on their admissions page?

Thanks! 

 

I heard that Brown and Virginia Tech interview finalists. Those are the only programs I've heard of doing interviews for fiction/ poetry/ CNF.  Somebody on Draft was interviewed at Columbia recently, but it was for screenwriting/ theater programs.

[manandcamel]

16 hours ago, schlockandawe said:

Just wondering if anyone has started preparing for the interview stage? Any tips? What's the likelihood of a school wanting an interview if they did not explicitly state so on their admissions page?

 

From UMass Amherst:  "It is strongly suggested that you read and become familiar with  the Writing Program's website prior to your telephone interview."

UMass is the only school on my list actually stating they will do interviews, so if I get notified, I'll make a cheat sheet with some notes about their program, my TA application, and a quick summary of questions they may ask. 

[badeyebrows]

Someone on the draft just got a waitlist notification (via email) from Minnesota, which leads me to believe they've officially wrapped up all acceptance and waitlist notifications. Hopefully they finally flip the switch from AWAITING PROGRAM DECISION for the rest of us that have been obsessively checking the online portal / awaiting official rejection for closure.

[ficpic89]

Does anyone have a sense of UMinnesota's general reputation/culture/vibe? I'm just curious—there seems to be information/strong opinions about this kind of thing for other similarly ranked schools.

[Hortense]

55 minutes ago, badeyebrows said:

Someone on the draft just got a waitlist notification (via email) from Minnesota, which leads me to believe they've officially wrapped up all acceptance and waitlist notifications. Hopefully they finally flip the switch from AWAITING PROGRAM DECISION for the rest of us that have been obsessively checking the online portal / awaiting official rejection for closure.

Sorry to hear this!  At least it's one less school to worry about.  Where else did you apply that you think might make decisions soon?

[Hortense]

11 minutes ago, ficpic89 said:

Does anyone have a sense of UMinnesota's general reputation/culture/vibe? I'm just curious—there seems to be information/strong opinions about this kind of thing for other similarly ranked schools.

It's a high-quality flagship state university in a cool city. When I was in undergrad (not at Minnesota) they had a few cutting-edge humanities departments. The creative writing program has been solid for many years. Charles Baxter, a fiction professor, is a big name.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Hortense

[lion in winter]

i got an email from minnesota wait listing me for fiction today. when i check apply now, it still says 'awaiting program decision.' so, yeah, they haven't flipped that switch yet. 

[schlockandawe]

On 2/3/2017 at 8:58 AM, manandcamel said:

From UMass Amherst:  "It is strongly suggested that you read and become familiar with  the Writing Program's website prior to your telephone interview."

UMass is the only school on my list actually stating they will do interviews, so if I get notified, I'll make a cheat sheet with some notes about their program, my TA application, and a quick summary of questions they may ask. 

Thanks so much. I have an interview with SAIC, waiting to hear news from UMass and Brown then.  

[BananaPancakes]

An update for those not on Draft:

A bunch of Hollins acceptances went out, looks like. Both poetry and fiction. 
One Northwestern acceptance, in fiction. 

Hope everyone's having a not-too-anxious weekend. 

[pdh12]

@schlockandawe also add brooklyn to the list of schools that interview

I, too, wondered how feasible it would be to have a full work load (teaching 2/2) while attempting to surrender oneself completely to creative impulse/prowess/imaginings. I've held full time jobs throughout my academic career, though, and it does seem like the critical engagement required to teach would enhance rather than deplete creative writing juices. 

But, yea, a program with diverse opportunity would be phenomenal--I hope y'all applied to WashU---that program is so kickass-seeming from out here.

[BananaPancakes]

U of Pittsburg has sent at least one waitlist notification, fiction (not me, but from Draft)

[manandcamel]

*This is about ND as a school, not as an MFA program. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.*

I presented a paper at a gender studies conference at ND a few years ago, and my impression was not positive. The professors we networked with described the school as a claustrophobic bubble designed to keep students on campus at all times (no bus system off campus, no cars for fresh undergrads), and I was disappointed (but not surprised) at the reproductive health restrictions for women--for example, a married professor described the difficulty she had getting birth control.

I'm sure this is irrelevant for some applicants, and things may have changed since, but I did not apply there for this and other reasons. 

[Hortense]

On 2/4/2017 at 6:04 PM, manandcamel said:

*This is about ND as a school, not as an MFA program. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.*

I presented a paper at a gender studies conference at ND a few years ago, and my impression was not positive. The professors we networked with described the school as a claustrophobic bubble designed to keep students on campus at all times (no bus system off campus, no cars for fresh undergrads), and I was disappointed (but not surprised) at the reproductive health restrictions for women--for example, a married professor described the difficulty she had getting birth control.

I'm sure this is irrelevant for some applicants, and things may have changed since, but I did not apply there for this and other reasons. 

Yeah, I did not apply because I had concerns about the university, not the writing program itself. The program is definitely one of the more innovative/ avant-garde. It'd put it in same category as Brown, WashU, Arizona, Alabama. But the university as a whole? Not progressive and not for me.

Speaking of innovative programs, anyone have an opinion on which programs (especially for fiction) lean towards innovative/ experimental/ avant-garde/ non-realistic writing? I'd would say that's true of all of the above.  And Syracuse. Maybe also Colorado. Not sure where else.  

[pdh12]

@manandcamel Ahh, actually you bring up my biggest question about ND---I was accepted to the MFA program a couple years ago and was thrilled---the director and professors in the program are very open, very amenable to experimentation, and very kind. But I never had the guts to ask how....Catholic...the place was. Seriously, no offense meant to any religious folk here, but I was curious how certain tendencies toward narrow-mindedness imbibed by certain religious institutions permeated South Bend on a grander scale...