Fall 2017 MFA

[Sleam]

McNeese rejection. Damn I'm good...

On another note, I've been in touch with the program director at Ashland Ohio and he's very interested in my application, offering specific network opportunities for my style and goals. So, no funding, low res, but I think he wants me! 

[manandcamel]

@Sleam !!! That's great.

@greatjones congrats, too! That's an accomplishment. Re tips for next year, what helped me was organization. I have a Google Sheets doc with multiple sheets: application data, school data, log ins / credentials, and statuses. Cells are color coded and hyperlinked. This has kept me sane.

Edited March 7, 2017 by manandcamel

[greatjones]

1 hour ago, manandcamel said:

 

@greatjones congrats, too! That's an accomplishment. Re tips for next year, what helped me was organization. I have a Google Sheets doc with multiple sheets: application data, school data, log ins / credentials, and statuses. Cells are color coded and hyperlinked. This has kept me sane.

Thanks, this is a great call.  I'm thinking of switching up the type of school I apply to as well, and maybe doing even fewer.  I applied to 6 this year that were all insane to even consider and by the end I was admittedly half-assing it.  I'm amazed at people that applied to 20 schools! 

[BLeonard]

Between the waitlist e-mails and the conflicting information about decisions being made at NYU, I'm oscillating between hope and preparing myself for rejection. I have been told, but have not been able to confirm, that there is a very, very small group they admit who don't get any tuition funding at all (usually employees of the university, which I am, and so my tuition would be covered anyway), but I'm not optimistic about this.

Congrats to everyone who got in - I always find this to be a supportive and wonderful community! If anyone has any questions about NYU/NYC generally, please do reach out. 

[tonydoesmovie]

1 hour ago, manandcamel said:

@Sleam !!! That's great.

@greatjones congrats, too! That's an accomplishment. Re tips for next year, what helped me was organization. I have a Google Sheets doc with multiple sheets: application data, school data, log ins / credentials, and statuses. Cells are color coded and hyperlinked. This has kept me sane.

This has been my first app cycle, but I could not agree more on this. I would've been infinitely lost to all the figures, facts, and information I was uncovering. I started by handwriting all of the programs that interested me from a larger pool, then, after breaking that number down, I added all the schools to a Google Spreadsheet which I color-coded along with the infinite amount of information I grabbed from various websites.

Once I had narrowed down the list to tens of schools I was considering to apply to, I made Google Sheets for each school, wrote up graduate requirements, faculty I was interested in, impressions about my feelings for each school and program, and everything I would need for my application. All these things played a major part in my SoP's and essays.

[aridari]

7 hours ago, manandcamel said:

Poetry. According to that one acceptance, official notifications are supposed to go out next week. They wanted to set up a time to call him, though. Not sure if that's because he's a special case, or if they want to do so with all of their acceptances. Either way, I'm nervous.

@manandcamel I feel ya, don't lose hope yet though! Since he had separate and earlier notification, it's totally possible that he's a special case. Good luckk

And holy moly there's been lots of news today. Still waiting on four. Guys, I'm dying

ps that BU fiction acceptance back in February better have been fake. Esp since poetry has just started notifying. But who knowss

Edited March 7, 2017 by aridari

[Sleam]

Okay, back to me! Low res, no funding, two years, Ohio (!), and $32,000 in tuition. 

I'm surprising myself by thinking it's worth it. I have no job but my home is paid off so no rent/ mortgage. I like the idea of focused attention and help. But no teacher training to mention. 

Thoughts? 

[aridari]

14 minutes ago, Sleam said:

Okay, back to me! Low res, no funding, two years, Ohio (!), and $32,000 in tuition. 

I'm surprising myself by thinking it's worth it. I have no job but my home is paid off so no rent/ mortgage. I like the idea of focused attention and help. But no teacher training to mention. 

Thoughts? 

I don't think I'm super equipped to give relevant advice, but I'd still wait to hear from all funded programs before seriously considering the offer. But, if it's something you can afford, why not? Low res does have more 1 on 1 time. On the other hand, if funded programs don't work out this year, why not reapply next year? Is that not an option? I guess there's lots of other variables to consider that we don't have access to. But congratulations!!

Another u of oregon update; there's a fiction waitlist. Thinking about ordering pizza just to eat my fears away

[Sleam]

 

3 minutes ago, aridari said:

I don't think I'm super equipped to give relevant advice, but I'd still wait to hear from all funded programs before seriously considering the offer. But, if it's something you can afford, why not? Low res does have more 1 on 1 time. On the other hand, if funded programs don't work out this year, why not reapply next year? Is that not an option? I guess there's lots of other variables to consider that we don't have access to. But congratulations!!

Another u of oregon update; there's a fiction waitlist. Thinking about ordering pizza just to eat my fears away

Pizza, save me a slice, no pizzarias near me. No, I can't afford it, it'd be all FAFSA loans but I'm 49 and not into trying again and again. 3 rejections from funded programs and Portland State to hear from. Oh well, I have three articles to write by Monday. 

Good luck to you and thanks for your ideas. ?

[slouching]

7 hours ago, manandcamel said:

@slouching I applied to LSU, mindful that it might be a good ol' faculty, but hopeful. Then I found that tumblr a month ago, and yikes. Did you end up applying? I'd have to have some long talks with the cohort to convince me it's not as bad as it sounds.

I was considering LSU fairly seriously, but ultimately decided not to apply. Coming across the Tumblr was part of that, but there were other factors, too (location being a big one). Will definitely be keeping an eye on the Tumblr page you shared, if, as expected, this season doesn't end well for me (and if I decide to apply again).

[sadpoet]

Hey all,

Draft update: Some Michener acceptances in poetry and fiction. And it looks like some waitlists for fiction McNeese.

 

Has anyone heard from McNeese poetry yet? And come on BU, I'm dying!

[manandcamel]

@Sleam my only suggestion is Do Not Go Into Debt For MFAs. This is what my letter writers, former profs, current MFA students, and the entire internet chanted while I was applying. YMMV with this advice, of course - but there are many, many successful writers without an MFA. Could you perhaps pursue a writer's conference or residency, or something lower-cost? I don't know anything about specifics, but they would provide attention and help without such hefty debt. 

[aridari]

2 hours ago, Sleam said:

 

Pizza, save me a slice, no pizzarias near me. No, I can't afford it, it'd be all FAFSA loans but I'm 49 and not into trying again and again. 3 rejections from funded programs and Portland State to hear from. Oh well, I have three articles to write by Monday. 

Good luck to you and thanks for your ideas. ?

Haha, hope you like pepperoni!

I totally understand your hesitation to reapply. This process kinda sucks a lot. But I also would second @manandcamel and maybe suggest looking at residencies and fellowships in the meanwhile?

And thank you for the luck, I really need it...and best of luck to you as well! 

[pdh12]

@Sleam Is it possible to look into employment at the school you might attend? Maybe if you're able to get a job, the tuition would forgiven. Then you could have your cake (or pizza?) and eat it. 

also..are you debt free now? i mean, i've got a heap of debt from undergrad, which is why I only applied to fully funded places. But if your credit is good and you're debt free, taking a loan out might be Do-able. But I tend to think of money as imaginary so...

[Collab123]

I just want to put it out there that I was accepted to NYU (fiction) and will not be accepting. Following everything on here for so long, it was the least I could do to hop in and let you guys know that at least someone on the waitlist will get in. Wish everyone luck!

[Sallyj]

Perhaps a silly question, but since I've been waitlisted at more than one school, figured I'd ask and see if anyone knows: 

 

For waitlists, do schools accept more to yield the number they want, or do they accept just the right amount and THEN go straight to the waitlist? 

(i.e. if someone chooses not to accept their spot at NYU, does this automatically mean that someone on the waitlist gets in?) 

[pdh12]

@Sallyj Yea! They accept their cohort number, then if any of those candidates decline their offer passes to a waitlist peep

[Sleam]

@manandcamel, @aridariand @pdh12, thanks. Good ideas. Yep, I'm debt free which takes work for sure. I'll look into the conferences in the West. I might be getting a good job for summer in Oregon so that's homebase for a while I hope. Portland has a good weiters conference. I love that idea of finding work at one of the colleges. Sweet, thanks again. 

 

[BLeonard]

Yup, got that rejection from NYU. I knew it was a super long shot but boy did I really want it there near the end. 

[Sleam]

31 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

Yup, got that rejection from NYU. I knew it was a super long shot but boy did I really want it there near the end. 

Sorry fella. 

[greatjones]

47 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

Yup, got that rejection from NYU. I knew it was a super long shot but boy did I really want it there near the end. 

Sorry man, where do you work at the University? 

 

Better luck next year.  I'll be restarting my search, too. 

[aridari]

1 hour ago, BLeonard said:

Yup, got that rejection from NYU. I knew it was a super long shot but boy did I really want it there near the end. 

Sorry bout that. Good luck on the rest of your apps!

[aridari]

Anyone else just generally going crazy? I think I'm losing it over the last four I have. Lord help me

[tonydoesmovie]

10 minutes ago, aridari said:

Anyone else just generally going crazy? I think I'm losing it over the last four I have. Lord help me

I feel you there. I'm waiting to hear back from four, three are Canadian universities, and the anticipation of that first domino falling is crushing, at best.

[aridari]

7 minutes ago, tonydoesmovie said:

I feel you there. I'm waiting to hear back from four, three are Canadian universities, and the anticipation of that first domino falling is crushing, at best.

It really is, especially when there's news of waitlists and acceptances for some of them trickling out. Really not equipped this time around to deal ha. Do the Canadian schools take a while to get back? Good luck!