Fall 2017 MFA

[Hortense]

6 minutes ago, pdh12 said:

If this isn't too self-indulgent, I'd love to hear your perspectives on a decision quandary....

I've been granted a scholarship to study Urdu in India for a year. I could defer the MFA program (poetry) for one year to do this fellowship, or I could go straight into the MFA and forego the language study. 

But two years ago I picked a language program (translation) over the mfa, and told myself I would finally get to work on my own poetry this year. Waiting a whole other year makes me feel a little weary, but should I do it anyway? They'll even pay for the plane ticket + a living stipend.....gehhhhh

(sorry for the woe-is-me rantish thing)

I'd take the scholarship. I'm assuming you'll have time to write in India. Bonus: If you don't get in at your 1st-choice MFA program this cycle, you have another chance to apply, assuming you aren't formally committed to the first program--but would you be formally committed?

And OMG congrats on having options.

[slouching]

51 minutes ago, Hortense said:

I'd take the scholarship. I'm assuming you'll have time to write in India. Bonus: If you don't get in at your 1st-choice MFA program this cycle, you have another chance to apply, assuming you aren't formally committed to the first program--but would you be formally committed?

And OMG congrats on having options.

I'd do the scholarship as well. Who knows the ways in which an experience like that could shape your writing? 

Either way, congrats, @pdh12, on your success this season! It sounds like no matter what you choose, you've got some great times ahead of you.

[aridari]

Hi all,

Very first time posting or doing anything but stalking on this website, really. But I'm going crazy and I don't wanna go at it alone, so I decided to join! Rooting for everyone here.

Applied to 13 for fiction, so far rejected officially by three (Michener, new writers project, u of arizona), though I am not optimistic about vanderbilt and michigan, seeing that they sent out acceptances and waitlists. Anyone have news on boston u. or jhu? I saw some results for them but the Boston one in particular seemed so early...

Anyways, here's to a successful season for all of us here!

Ps. I'm on draft too!

[pdh12]

@slouching, @Hortense, thank you so much for your generous thought-sharing! It's great to hear (albeit strangers') outside perspectives on a perplexion that feels impossible. 

And keep us up-to-date on your news/decisions/musings! We gotta see this shiz through to the end.

[Hortense]

For anyone not on Draft, there were many Iowa poetry acceptances today, a couple of Iowa non-fiction acceptances, and an Ole Miss fiction acceptance.

[MFA17OrBust]

5 hours ago, Hortense said:

For anyone not on Draft, there were many Iowa poetry acceptances today, a couple of Iowa non-fiction acceptances, and an Ole Miss fiction acceptance.

Thank you, @Hortense! Have you seen a lot of Iowa fiction acceptances on Draft?  

[Hortense]

5 hours ago, MFA17OrBust said:

Thank you, @Hortense! Have you seen a lot of Iowa fiction acceptances on Draft?  

Not a ton. Maybe 2 or 3? They tend to spread out their notifications. 

[Sleam]

While waiting to see if anyone accepts me, I started looking at the low-res options for another round of applications. I do like the idea of keeping my freedom to travel and move around, the one on one focus, and the independent studies. BUT! I can't stand the idea of getting into a $36,000 debt for the MFA. What do you think? Basically I'd applied to only fully/ mostly funded schools so far. Is it worth the debt and loan? I'm broke as it is so I wonder if it would allow me as a fresh MFA holder to suddenly get a teaching job or would colleges wait for me to prove myself? Any thoughts? It seems like a good Sunday conversation since I doubt OSU will contact me today! 

Thanks, s

[Hortense]

42 minutes ago, Sleam said:

While waiting to see if anyone accepts me, I started looking at the low-res options for another round of applications. I do like the idea of keeping my freedom to travel and move around, the one on one focus, and the independent studies. BUT! I can't stand the idea of getting into a $36,000 debt for the MFA. What do you think? Basically I'd applied to only fully/ mostly funded schools so far. Is it worth the debt and loan? I'm broke as it is so I wonder if it would allow me as a fresh MFA holder to suddenly get a teaching job or would colleges wait for me to prove myself? Any thoughts? It seems like a good Sunday conversation since I doubt OSU will contact me today! 

Thanks, s

Personally, I think the main situation where a low-res program is worthwhile is if you have a well-paying job and you can afford to pay for the program without going into debt AND you can manage to do the writing/ reading/ learning while working full-time. In that situation low-res might even be a smarter choice than a full-res program because there's no opportunity cost. Whereas if you quit a good job to enroll at a full-time MFA program, then you could lose a lot of income and have to start over on your career in 2-3 years. Also, for almost everybody, the prospect of an MFA as a springboard into a teaching job is not realistic--at least, not the kind of teaching job that most people would want. And a low-res MFA is particularly unlikely to help you get a teaching job b/c most low-res programs don't give you any teaching experience.

I'll tell you that I had a well-paying job until a few months ago. I decided to quit and focus on my writing/ full-res MFA apps. But I hated the job and would have quit anyway. And for several years I considered doing the low-res thing, but for me personally I just think my writing will improve more at a full-res program and I'd value the experience of being immersed in an academic community for a couple of years--a nice break from the anti-intellectual grind that is my career. Also, I'd love to teach a few creative writing classes. And I don't plan on becoming a teacher after the MFA, but I can apply the teaching experience to my non-writing career.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Hortense

[Sleam]

53 minutes ago, Hortense said:

I'll tell you that I had a well-paying job until a few months ago. I decided to quit and focus on my writing/ full-res MFA apps. But I hated the job and would have quit anyway. And for several years I considered doing the low-res thing, but for me personally I just think my writing will improve more at a full-res program and I'd value the experience of being immersed in an academic community for a couple of years--a nice break from the anti-intellectual grind that is my career. Also, I'd love to teach a few creative writing classes. And I don't plan on becoming a teacher after the MFA, but I can apply the teaching experience to my non-writing career.

Well, pretty much where I'm at too! I quit the day job last year, been writing and improvising since then. So no income to count on to pay for a loan. I agree with all of this to be truthful. I was curious as to how other's are looking at the options. There is one low-res course that I like the look of, the faculty has a high number of nonfiction writers/ teachers. I like their focus on positive feedback as opposed to the workshop style of what's wrong...

Well, all good feedback, thanks. And if I'm in at a funded full res course, then life is great! It's just that this process made me realize how much I want this. 

 

[samosasandsobaos]

@pdh12 I'd take the scholarship, too! Especially if they're willing to pay for your plane ticket / (some of your) living expenses. It'd be a great experience, imo, and it might even impact your poetry (in a great way!) -- by inspiring you to write about stuff you otherwise never would've written about, etc. etc.

I've got a massive case of wanderlust and jump at any/every opportunity to travel, though. I'd expect your decision to also sort of hinge on your feelings/thoughts on living in India for a year...

[Sleam]

@pdh12 i second the vote on going. I'd regret not going for the rest of my life, I'd always wonder...

[badeyebrows]

9 hours ago, Sleam said:

Well, pretty much where I'm at too! I quit the day job last year, been writing and improvising since then. So no income to count on to pay for a loan. I agree with all of this to be truthful. I was curious as to how other's are looking at the options. There is one low-res course that I like the look of, the faculty has a high number of nonfiction writers/ teachers. I like their focus on positive feedback as opposed to the workshop style of what's wrong...

Well, all good feedback, thanks. And if I'm in at a funded full res course, then life is great! It's just that this process made me realize how much I want this. 

 

i'm very interested in this conversation. i looked into the low-res path as i was applying for full-res programs in the fall and it seemed compelling but, to all of @Hortense's points, also seemed to require the perfect cocktail of circumstances. i have a fairly well paying job right now (knock on wood). depending on the cost of tuition for a low-res program, i could break even to still earn what a TA stipend might be like in a full-res program. i'm more worried about whether i'd be able to juggle the MFA work alongside a full-time job. forty hours a week is not really a reality for me in my current role--some weeks when i'm traveling it's double that, other weeks it's more consistentently 40-50.

@Sleam, which nonfiction programs have you looked into? i registered for a Goucher webinar this week and i'm looking forward to learning more about them. 

[MFA17OrBust]

15 hours ago, Hortense said:

Not a ton. Maybe 2 or 3? They tend to spread out their notifications. 

Again, thank you, @Hortense. So helpful to get the Draft news. (Still a FB fugitive  ...)

[Everyday Inn]

On 2/26/2017 at 8:58 AM, Hortense said:

For anyone not on Draft, there were many Iowa poetry acceptances today, a couple of Iowa non-fiction acceptances, and an Ole Miss fiction acceptance.

@HortenseThank you for the Draft updates. I've been lurking for a while. I'm an international student, and haven't logged on my FB account for some time. It seems to have been stolen and used to post some undesirable trash, and it got deactivated. I recently opened another FB account, and tried to join Draft. No response so far. Your Draft updates prove very helpful, thanks.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Everyday Inn

[Sleam]

@badeyebrows, let's see. I looked at OSU Cascades, mostly for the location. But the director, Emily, doesn't respond to emails. I wrote four times as the website says ask me questions...so I did. Each time I got a prewritten email that didn't address anything I had asked. So that was that! 

Goddard school appeals, good bunch of non-fiction on the faculty for once, wide range of experience there. Set in Washington. 

The othet is Ashland Ohio. Great conversation with the director, very affirming. Okay price but a little vague. Although she basically said that she would connect me with whoever I wanted to talk to, eg travel writers, teaching, and even a chance to do the residency program out of the country. I found her incredibly accessable and open. 

Without a job though, the loan worries me. 

Did you find any you like? We're both non-fiction, right? 

 

[Scheherazade]

@Sleam, I've also debated the low-res path. In fact, when I first started considering MFA programs last summer, I planned on going the low-res route. However, everyone I consulted advised me not to pay for an MFA, so I decided to apply to fully funded programs instead. I was also attracted to the advantages of a full-res program mentioned by @Hortense, such as the community, academic environment, and teaching experience. That said, you can still get plum teaching jobs with a low-res MFA; several of the creative writing professors at the top-tier liberal arts college I attended had degrees from Warren Wilson. I think having strong publications is a more important consideration.

The low-res path has many attractive elements:

- My partner cannot move with me, and most of the nearby programs are unfunded.

- My work situation is pretty much ideal for doing a low-res program, as I have a well-paying freelance career working 20-30 hours a week. I don't love my work -- I am a little burnt out and was looking forward to having a few years to dedicate to writing -- but I do like it, it's in my field, and the schedule is flexible. 

- Having taken several writing workshops, I find I benefit more from one-on-one mentorship than from group workshops.

- I currently have minimal expenses; I don't pay rent and share the costs of food and transportation with my partner. Relocating to a full-res program would thus be a substantial expense for me. That said, the health insurance provided by fully funded programs is appealing to me; as a freelancer, I'm worried about the ACA being repealed. Even though I don't receive a subsidy, I doubt I would be able to afford healthcare without the ACA. Before it was passed, I was denied insurance and necessary medication because I had a pre-existing condition. My condition? Asthma. I was an otherwise healthy twenty-three-year-old. 

- I already have relevant teaching experience and live in an academic community (my partner is a student), so these are lesser considerations for me.

Thus, in many ways, the low-res option makes more financial sense than many full-res programs; even after paying tuition, I would still probably make more than the modest stipends provided by teaching assistantships. With these considerations in mind, I decided to apply mostly to programs that provided generous stipends, required lighter teaching loads, and had small cohorts (thereby allowing for more individual mentorship). Unfortunately, programs that meet these criteria also tend to be the most selective. Given my lack of success applying to full-res programs, I've been reconsidering low-res programs. The main drawback, at the moment, is that the application process has been so utterly defeating that I'm hesitant to begin it again.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Scheherazade

[sadpoet]

Hey All,

I found out about this site less than 12 hours ago, and it has consumed me. 

I have a question. So, I applied to Michigan, and I've heard that they sent out all notices. Is this true? I applied, but I'm worried my transcript didn't make it in time. Does this mean that they'd not notify me at all? 

Also, does anyone have an idea when Emerson starts sending out letters? I know they do rolling admission, so I thought it might be soon. 

I'm a mess and so far have had 2 rejections (Michener & Arizona, which I was particularly sad about.)

Also, I've requested to join Draft, but no one's accepted it, so I'll stay on here to keep updated.

[badeyebrows]

3 hours ago, Scheherazade said:

@Sleam, I've also debated the low-res path. In fact, when I first started considering MFA programs last summer, I planned on going the low-res route. However, everyone I consulted advised me not to pay for an MFA, so I decided to apply to fully funded programs instead. I was also attracted to the advantages of a full-res program mentioned by @Hortense, such as the community, academic environment, and teaching experience. That said, you can still get plum teaching jobs with a low-res MFA; several of the creative writing professors at the top-tier liberal arts college I attended had degrees from Warren Wilson. I think having strong publications is a more important consideration.

The low-res path has many attractive elements:

- My partner cannot move with me, and most of the nearby programs are unfunded.

- My work situation is pretty much ideal for doing a low-res program, as I have a well-paying freelance career working 20-30 hours a week. I don't love my work -- I am a little burnt out and was looking forward to having a few years to dedicate to writing -- but I do like it, it's in my field, and the schedule is flexible. 

- Having taken several writing workshops, I find I benefit more from one-on-one mentorship than from group workshops.

- I currently have minimal expenses; I don't pay rent and share the costs of food and transportation with my partner. Relocating to a full-res program would thus be a substantial expense for me. That said, the health insurance provided by fully funded programs is appealing to me; as a freelancer, I'm worried about the ACA being repealed. Even though I don't receive a subsidy, I doubt I would be able to afford healthcare without the ACA. Before it was passed, I was denied insurance and necessary medication because I had a pre-existing condition. My condition? Asthma. I was an otherwise healthy twenty-three-year-old. 

- I already have relevant teaching experience and live in an academic community (my partner is a student), so these are lesser considerations for me.

Thus, in many ways, the low-res option makes more financial sense than many full-res programs; even after paying tuition, I would still probably make more than the modest stipends provided by teaching assistantships. With these considerations in mind, I decided to apply mostly to programs that provided generous stipends, required lighter teaching loads, and had small cohorts (thereby allowing for more individual mentorship). Unfortunately, programs that meet these criteria also tend to be the most selective. Given my lack of success applying to full-res programs, I've been reconsidering low-res programs. The main drawback, at the moment, is that the application process has been so utterly defeating that I'm hesitant to begin it again.

ah, that last line--i'm feeling the same way. it's hard to think about going through this again, although i have thought that maybe i should give it another go for 2018. especially since i know so much more now than i did when i fired off those applications a few months ago. but damn, i'm not 22 anymore. i've wondered if i'd even fit in with a cohort of people mostly in their early 20s in different life stages--and forgive me if i sound ridiculous, being in my late 20s, but i'm living a very different life than i was five years ago. i've thought that not getting into the two programs i applied for was perhaps a kind of blessing. this way, i still keep my job, i don't have to uproot myself or my husband, and i can of course still write, albeit not under the ~ideal circumstances~ i was pining for in a full-res program... knowing full-well that the MFA would not be a utopia where all i do is write and dissect joan didion essays. 

i'll stop before this devolves into a full-blown diary entry.

@Sleam, yes, we're both nonfiction! if anything interesting comes of this Goucher webinar i'll let you know. i don't blame you for being hesitant to take out loans; i would feel the same way. i'm similarly not so keen on the idea of sinking my hard-earned $$$ into an MFA.

[manandcamel]

1 hour ago, sadpoet said:

Hey All,

I found out about this site less than 12 hours ago, and it has consumed me. 

I have a question. So, I applied to Michigan, and I've heard that they sent out all notices. Is this true? I applied, but I'm worried my transcript didn't make it in time. Does this mean that they'd not notify me at all? 

Welcome! 

Re: Draft, it took me about a week for them to accept my request. Enter at your own peril~~~

Re: Michigan. Check via the Wolverine portal to see whether or not your transcript was received. There should be a date next to it. You should be able to check your application status there, too. 

[pdh12]

for low-res debt-dealing funsies: i had a friend who paid off all their loans on credit cards, then declared bankruptcy. After 7 years, they were a free human!

in all seriousness though, avoiding debt at all cost (heh) is a worthy pursuit. I'll be carrying mine around for a long time to come, and it's surely far from ideal.

There are LOADS of ways you can cultivate an 'mfa-esque' experience outside of the institution--whether it be in lieu of a program or while you wait to enter one. I wouldn't discount the plentitude of benefits that can come from organizing/facilitating a little writing/reading group in your town, or doing online stuff, or locking yourself in a shed for hours everyday (or night)...all of it's possible, and in some ways maybe even better than an mfa, since you have more agency over shaping the trajectory of whatever it is... 

------

totally hypothetically/generally, what do y'all think of UC-Irvine's program? Did anyone else apply there?

[Everyday Inn]

2 hours ago, sadpoet said:

I have a question. So, I applied to Michigan, and I've heard that they sent out all notices. Is this true? I applied, but I'm worried my transcript didn't make it in time.

It might not be a good ideal to ask a university about their decision progress, but it is OK to ask about if they have received all your application materials, ie SOP, letters of rec., and transcripts. 

[MFA17OrBust]

2 hours ago, sadpoet said:

Hey All,

I found out about this site less than 12 hours ago, and it has consumed me. 

I have a question. So, I applied to Michigan, and I've heard that they sent out all notices. Is this true? I applied, but I'm worried my transcript didn't make it in time. Does this mean that they'd not notify me at all? 

Also, does anyone have an idea when Emerson starts sending out letters? I know they do rolling admission, so I thought it might be soon. 

I'm a mess and so far have had 2 rejections (Michener & Arizona, which I was particularly sad about.)

Also, I've requested to join Draft, but no one's accepted it, so I'll stay on here to keep updated.

Hi, @sadpoet - I'm new here myself, but I'll share what I have gleaned from this forum and the results database. It appears Michigan has sent notices of acceptance or wait list. All that remains are the official rejection emails, sorry to say. Others with more experience on TGC can certainly advise you better on this point, but I would think Michigan would notify you, regardless of the transcripts. I know very little about Emerson, though you could probably search their history on the results pages and get a feel for their cadence. So sorry about the rejections... it's hard, no matter how many times you read those words. Lots of us have had difficulty getting accepted into the Draft group on FB; I find it just another way to be rejected now, so I've given up on that. There are some very generous folks on here who have kindly relayed information between Draft and TGC, and that has been tremendously helpful.  Anyway -- hang in there, and I hope you hear good news soon. 

[Sleam]

Hi, on Draft they're talking about fiction rejection emails from Corvallis. 

[MFA17OrBust]

16 minutes ago, Sleam said:

Hi, on Draft they're talking about fiction rejection emails from Corvallis. 

Thanks, @Sleam. Appreciate the Draft news!