Playwriting MFAs

[yoinky]

Just now, nickelmoop said:

Congrats to all those accepted to CMU and stay strong to those moving on. Curious - did CMU interview? Do folks have advice regarding interviews? 

Thank you! I was not interviewed before being waitlisted; can't speak to interview advice since this is my first time applying, but I hope your upcoming one goes well! 

[Agez]

23 hours ago, nickelmoop said:

just got a ut austin interview

i am BREATHLESS 

had to come here first

i dont know you but friends - i'm glad we're in this together 

Oh shit Congrats! Positive vibes for the interview! Let us know how it goes!

Yeah, least year for UCSD I was  on the "shortlist" to get to the first interview which I think was 10 ppl. Then folks went on to 2nd interviews from I think those top 3-4 or so. For Northwestern and Hunter they were each just one interview before I got accepted, so everyone is different and has their own wording.

 

Congrats CMU waitlisters! I believe they do interviews, from what I recall people said last year. The Results tab will have the info

[broccolini]

Anyone know when we should expect to start hearing things from Brooklyn, Northwestern, Hunter, Brown, or NYU? Looking at last year, it seems interviews started happening end of February but I'm getting very antsy and was wondering if we could be hearing sooner? blehhhhh, maybe I'm just wishing for info none of us have 

[Strelka]

Wow, exciting news! Huge congrats to all the folks who heard back from UT Austin/CMU!

I just submitted my last application of the year for Ohio University! Feels good to be done! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high for any of these schools (2020 pretty much killed my ability to be optimistic about anything, lol), but I can't help but be grateful for all the lessons I learned from my first time through the application process. Even if I don't get in for this fall, I know I'm going to feel so much more prepared going through this process next year—and I owe a lot of it to you lovely folks posting on this board! Thanks, all!

[seasickmermaid]

Hi! This is my first time posting but I've been reading a lot of posts going way back to get a sense for this process. 

I was rejected from Carnegie Mellon but I got an interview with Pace University. Did anyone else get an interview with Pace? Does anyone have any advice on what to expect from interviews in general? This is my first time applying. 

I haven't heard back from any other schools and am very on edge about it! It's cool to have this community though!

[Agez]

Hey y'all!

Just wanted to keep you posted. I got an email from Naomi and Deborah from UCSD for an interview for this Tuesday

[Agez]

On 2/4/2021 at 1:08 PM, seasickmermaid said:

Hi! This is my first time posting but I've been reading a lot of posts going way back to get a sense for this process. 

I was rejected from Carnegie Mellon but I got an interview with Pace University. Did anyone else get an interview with Pace? Does anyone have any advice on what to expect from interviews in general? This is my first time applying. 

I haven't heard back from any other schools and am very on edge about it! It's cool to have this community though!

I've had three interviews, none of them from the schools you mentioned, I'm afraid.

But the basic point of interviews is for them to:

1) Get to know you as a person. Anyone can write a great sample or statement of purpose, but they won't really know who you are until you meet. You're going to be a part of a cohort/ larger community. They have to make sure all the personality types mesh well and that they can see themselves being in your company for 2-3 yrs. And it honestly goes both ways. A school can be a dream school on paper, but do you gel with the faculty you are interviewing with? Is this the energy/ environment you feel like you can create and grow in?

2) Getting to know/ understand the mind behind the work. They want to get to know you as a creative. What inspires your writing? What do you want t accomplish in this program? Why specifically THIS program? They are going to woo you just as much, if not more, than you are wooing them. The interview already means they like your writing and are interested. And don't be afraid to ask what you really want to know. This is your time with them.

 

Good luck!

[yoinky]

1 hour ago, Agez said:

Hey y'all!

Just wanted to keep you posted. I got an email from Naomi and Deborah from UCSD for an interview for this Tuesday

Oh my goodness CONGRATS!!! That's so exciting!

Out of curiosity, was it sent as an email blast or individually? Just want to know if I should mentally count myself out there, lol.

[Agez]

1 hour ago, yoinky said:

Oh my goodness CONGRATS!!! That's so exciting!

Out of curiosity, was it sent as an email blast or individually? Just want to know if I should mentally count myself out there, lol.

Thank you so much!  trying not to stress out before then lol

It was an individual email on Friday night, so they may be staggering their emails. 

From my experience last year, they interviewed their top 10, and then their top 2-4 interviewed with the cohort. I only made it to the 1st interview tho.

[Agez]

On 2/2/2021 at 2:02 PM, broccolini said:

Anyone know when we should expect to start hearing things from Brooklyn, Northwestern, Hunter, Brown, or NYU? Looking at last year, it seems interviews started happening end of February but I'm getting very antsy and was wondering if we could be hearing sooner? blehhhhh, maybe I'm just wishing for info none of us have 

Yeah, February and March is just the wait and see time. Don't count yourself out too soon!

[broccolini]

@AgezI see you with that UCSD interview!!!? break all the legs!

[Coffee&Flowers]

On 2/7/2021 at 12:46 PM, Agez said:

Hey y'all!

Just wanted to keep you posted. I got an email from Naomi and Deborah from UCSD for an interview for this Tuesday

Congrats, @Agez! That's amazing news!! (And also very helpful - thank you for letting us know.) Best of luck tomorrow!

Edited February 8, 2021 by Coffee&Flowers

[sandringham]

Just wanted to chime in to say congrats @Agez!!! So excited for you!! Sending good vibes to you and @nickelmoop for your interviews this week!! 

[cheesy]

hi there! short-time lurker, just wanted to pop my head in here and say hello. this is my first time applying to graduate programs, i only applied to a few, mainly because those $$ fees tend to add up.. ha ha..

i am also interviewing for ut austin, very snervous, but finding lots of reassurance here! happy writing everyone and good wishes to you and your processes!

[Agez]

Thank you all so much for the support! I was so nervous, but Deborah and Naomi were really chill and we just talked about the past year, how it's effected our art making, my opinions on some theatre, how the school's doing etc. I'll hear back by next week if I get through to the next round, but it was a lowkey 40 min convo.

On 2/8/2021 at 11:28 PM, cheesy said:

hi there! short-time lurker, just wanted to pop my head in here and say hello. this is my first time applying to graduate programs, i only applied to a few, mainly because those $$ fees tend to add up.. ha ha..

i am also interviewing for ut austin, very snervous, but finding lots of reassurance here! happy writing everyone and good wishes to you and your processes!

Congratulations! Be yourself! They already love and are excited by you and your work, so you don't need to prove yourself. And don't be afraid to ask questions!

[yoinky]

@AgezThat's great to hear it was so chill! Hoping that means good things in your future ?

And yes–best of luck to everyone with interviews yet to come! It's so exciting to see the admissions process moving forward, and I hope it results in the best possible outcome for you all.

 

[Applicant2021me]

Hey has anyone had their new school interview yet? I had mine already. Idk how I feel about it. It felt very impersonal like they haven’t even read the application haha. How did everyone else feel?

[PlayWitch]

5 hours ago, Applicant2021me said:

Hey has anyone had their new school interview yet? I had mine already. Idk how I feel about it. It felt very impersonal like they haven’t even read the application haha. How did everyone else feel?

I have mine next week. Okay, so they don't read the applications. Good to know. What did you talk about? 

[Applicant2021me]

1 hour ago, PlayWitch said:

I have mine next week. Okay, so they don't read the applications. Good to know. What did you talk about? 

They asked me how I feel about collaborating with other artists and about plays I want to write. And then a few follow up questions based on one of my answers. Then they asked about what I do other than writing. So idk they could have read the application but they never referenced it or asked questions related to it you know what I mean? They also did not ask any follow up questions from the 10 minute  presentation of my plays that you have to give before the questions portion. Idk it just felt weird to me. Maybe that’s how all the interviews go but it just felt very impersonal to me.

[nickelmoop]

@cheesyhow was your UT?? Just finished mine. It was chill? SO short obviously. too short for follow up questions or statements which is sad bc i felt like i could have gone on. Tried not to be obsessed with Annie B even though I am. They asked about two very specific things from my cover letter - a weird study abroad trip i did and another weird workshop i led and then let me ask questions (i had few bc i've been chatting with an alum) but i asked about michener vs dept of theatre and dance & also if i was correct that the curriculum had non writing theatre reqs like devising. then annie asked what the worst version of grad school would be like for me and offered a really awesome response - it was clear she was trying to make sure that I was interviewing them as much as they interviewed me even though... obviously thats not true. lol. anyways. hope all is well to all the interview-ees. its good to ventttttttttt. xoxo 

[cheesy]

2 hours ago, nickelmoop said:

@cheesyhow was your UT?? Just finished mine. It was chill? SO short obviously. too short for follow up questions or statements which is sad bc i felt like i could have gone on. Tried not to be obsessed with Annie B even though I am. They asked about two very specific things from my cover letter - a weird study abroad trip i did and another weird workshop i led and then let me ask questions (i had few bc i've been chatting with an alum) but i asked about michener vs dept of theatre and dance & also if i was correct that the curriculum had non writing theatre reqs like devising. then annie asked what the worst version of grad school would be like for me and offered a really awesome response - it was clear she was trying to make sure that I was interviewing them as much as they interviewed me even though... obviously thats not true. lol. anyways. hope all is well to all the interview-ees. its good to ventttttttttt. xoxo 

hi! i just finished mine. it was super chill, i was shaking the whole time but overall they were so sweet. we kind of touched based on playwrights i looked up to, my journey to where i am, etc.. nothing extraordinary! they were very sweet though and im just glad i got it done!! haha worried i talked too much be c'est la vie.
sounds like yours went well!! i hope good things for you and everyone on here!

[nickelmoop]

14 hours ago, cheesy said:

hi! i just finished mine. it was super chill, i was shaking the whole time but overall they were so sweet. we kind of touched based on playwrights i looked up to, my journey to where i am, etc.. nothing extraordinary! they were very sweet though and im just glad i got it done!! haha worried i talked too much be c'est la vie.
sounds like yours went well!! i hope good things for you and everyone on here!

sounds like it was great!!! and now. we wait. wishing everyone luck too. 

[Agez]

On 2/7/2021 at 12:46 PM, Agez said:

Hey y'all!

Just wanted to keep you posted. I got an email from Naomi and Deborah from UCSD for an interview for this Tuesday

Update: Got an email from Naomi today saying I should expect to hear from the current MFA cohort soon for a 2nd interview, and for me to ask them any questions I have about the program and their experience. 

[nickelmoop]

Congrats!!! Cheesy and I are also both in for the final round at UT. Woo

[cheesy]

a great way to start the new year! happy lunar new year everyone!

i hope we all get some good fortune for the year ahead!