Fall 2017 MFA

[slouching]

2 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

Congrats to those who have heard, and thanks for the tip about Draft on FB! Having one of those real freak-outs today about grad school. I didn't think I wanted this as much as I now do...when this process started I was pretty chill, but now that programs are rolling out acceptances I'm freaking. out. How is everyone else doing? 

Nothing but rejections over here, which has been pretty hard...I knew going into this that there was a possibility I wouldn't get in anywhere, but now that decisions are coming back, it feels much more real. Still waiting on several schools, but not feeling optimistic, and have already started thinking about the next application cycle and whether or not I'd want to subject myself to this particular kind of hell again. 

I'm wondering how everyone's reading and writing habits have been impacted by this process. I've started a few new pieces recently, but for the most part, I find myself wanting to do things that allow me to think about something other than poetry (mine or anyone else's). 

[BLeonard]

1 minute ago, slouching said:

I'm wondering how everyone's reading and writing habits have been impacted by this process. I've started a few new pieces recently, but for the most part, I find myself wanting to do things that allow me to think about something other than poetry (mine or anyone else's). 

 

I hear you on this. I've actually been thinking a lot about my own fiction, starting a bunch of small projects, but nothing that I can commit to. I have three short stories and a couple of novel/novella I've started but lost interest in. And I haven't read a new book since January! I'm going on vacation next week so hopefully I'll be able to reset.

@slouching, I'm sorry you're having a tough time with rejections. If it helps, I applied to about as many PhD programs in 2015, and was waiting for months with rejection after rejection until I finally got in some place! I try and keep an open mind and tell myself that you don't know until you know. 

[slouching]

@BLeonard thanks for the support! Hope you enjoy your vacation and that you receive some good news soon. 

[zen fang]

Heads up, Michigan Fiction acceptances are coming in. Just thought you ought to know *passes out*

[romola]

Oh wow. I'm getting oddly detached from this whole rejection/non-acceptance thing. Not sure whether that's a good sign or not. 

[MFA17OrBust]

39 minutes ago, zen fang said:

Heads up, Michigan Fiction acceptances are coming in. Just thought you ought to know *passes out*

Passing out here, too  ... are you seeing both poetry and fiction acceptances? (TGC and Draft?) Thank you so much for the heads up.

[zen fang]

Both...oh dear

[ficpic89]

There's an NWP rejection on Draft...ahh

[Hortense]

6 hours ago, slouching said:

I'm wondering how everyone's reading and writing habits have been impacted by this process. I've started a few new pieces recently, but for the most part, I find myself wanting to do things that allow me to think about something other than poetry (mine or anyone else's). 

For writing, it's been debilitating. Not generating much new material, and the fun/ joy I normally take in my writing has diminished. That said, editing old work for publication has kept me semi-productive.

For reading, I'm starting to feel motivated to read more, be more adventurous in my reading selections, but also more systematic. Largely it's b/c I worry that I missed the mark with my writing sample and need to be more in touch with contrmporary fiction.

 

[ficpic89]

Does anyone know if NWP calls or emails acceptances? Not a chance, but curious because there are entries for both on the GradCafe results from previous years.

[MFA17OrBust]

5 hours ago, zen fang said:

Both...oh dear

Do you get the sense U Mich is finished notifying? TGC shows only a couple of fiction acceptances. Wondering how many are showing up on Draft? 

[MFA17OrBust]

@ficpic89 i so wish i had NWP acceptance experience to share with you! hang in there!

 

[ficpic89]

15 minutes ago, MFA17OrBust said:

Do you get the sense U Mich is finished notifying? TGC shows only a couple of fiction acceptances. Wondering how many are showing up on Draft? 

I think so—there were a few on Draft  pretty sad about it

[pdh12]

Either way, this experience is making you stronger. If you don't get in this year, you'll have a much clearer sense of where and how you'd like to apply for next year---and you'll be unerringly better about how you curate your work and statement. Throw the rejections right out of your psyche and forge ooooooooooonnnnnnnnnn

[manandcamel]

Just wanted to put a note on this thread that I appreciate you all. Draft can be overwhelming when everyone posts ~everything~ and it unfolds in real time. I like it over here. Thanks for keeping this thread alive. 

[zen fang]

Just now, ficpic89 said:

I think so—there were a few on Draft  pretty sad about it

yeah i think michigan is over unfortunately. wasn't one of my top choices but every mark off the list hits and dings hope

[paperpencil]

8 hours ago, ficpic89 said:

I think so—there were a few on Draft  pretty sad about it

Michigan accepts 10 students in poetry and 12 in fiction each year. On GradCafe, there was 1 poetry acceptance and 2 fiction acceptances. I'm not on Draft but if there were just a few... less than 19 acceptances... there may be hope for us yet? 

[manandcamel]

7 hours ago, paperpencil said:

 I'm not on Draft but if there were just a few... less than 19 acceptances... there may be hope for us yet? 

Current Michigan student on Draft says that one person emails the acceptances and sends them all at once, not in clusters. Since both fiction and poetry acceptances have gone out, I would assume they have notified everyone accepted. She doesn't know about wait lists / rejections.

[ficpic89]

lots of drama in Draft right now...

[badeyebrows]

12 minutes ago, ficpic89 said:

lots of drama in Draft right now...

it's such a rabbit hole. usually i have to pull myself away from reading all the acceptance/rejection news, but the latest shenanigans are next-level. i started following along and then decided i should probably get back to doing my job.

ditto @manandcamel. i like it here and i'm glad this thread has remained active!

[ficpic89]

8 minutes ago, badeyebrows said:

it's such a rabbit hole. usually i have to pull myself away from reading all the acceptance/rejection news, but the latest shenanigans are next-level. i started following along and then decided i should probably get back to doing my job.

ditto @manandcamel. i like it here and i'm glad this thread has remained active!

Agreed. I've found this thread to be much more positive and less anxiety-inducing than Draft, honestly!

[pdh12]

Yea, and also it's fun to hear of the shenanigans from a distance. Like...what kind of drama? Are people hexing each other?

[zen fang]

I joined Draft expecting to endure drama to get more information. Maybe I'm just skimming for information but I don't pick up on too much tension in the group; however, emotions are certainly high. Most people just seem to have different ways of 'web-coping' and this calm environment certainly suits me better than Draft, that's for sure!

[Tif]

38 minutes ago, pdh12 said:

Yea, and also it's fun to hear of the shenanigans from a distance. Like...what kind of drama? Are people hexing each other?

I've seen exactly two drama threads. It got a little heated when someone brought up the cost of admissions applications (the words "privilege" and "white" were thrown around a good deal) and a second thread addressing whether white people can/should write characters of color. 

 

That's two threads in the last month, with about a gajillion threads in-between. I've found that group to be almost 100% supportive. So, YMMV, but I don't see it as a negative place. Mostly it's just congratulating the lucky and commiserating with the so-far-unfortunate.

[badeyebrows]

58 minutes ago, Tif said:

I've seen exactly two drama threads. It got a little heated when someone brought up the cost of admissions applications (the words "privilege" and "white" were thrown around a good deal) and a second thread addressing whether white people can/should write characters of color. 

 

That's two threads in the last month, with about a gajillion threads in-between. I've found that group to be almost 100% supportive. So, YMMV, but I don't see it as a negative place. Mostly it's just congratulating the lucky and commiserating with the so-far-unfortunate.

agreed--in general, i think the group is a good resource and a fine place to commiserate. although, as others have said, the vibe here on gradcafe just suits me better.

the "drama" that i saw this morning centered around a semi-fictional (i think?) SOP someone shared with the group. it touched on sensitive topics including rape, and then the thread escalated into comments (that i've only skimmed, for my own sanity/productivity at work) about trigger warnings, the merits of this guy's piece of writing, and a whole lot more. i think some of the other slightly more contentious threads about application fees and how/if white writers should write characters of color were interesting and mostly productive. this latest thread seems heavier on shenanigans, lighter on productivity.

ETA: maybe it's a valuable conversation and i just haven't taken the time to read it closely, so don't take my word on it

Edited February 22, 2017 by badeyebrows