Playwriting MFAs

[waitingandwaitingmaybe21]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:19 PM, PlayWitch said:

This was my third year of applying. Zilch the first year, waitlisted at NYU the second year, and now I'm finally in at NYU. It's rough, for sure, but it's a process!

Thank you so much for your kind words! It has been super saddening to feel so rejected, but I hold out hope to keep trucking along on my own. 

And CONGRATS to everyone with the good news this year!!

Edited March 27, 2021 by waitingandwaitingmaybe21

[quarantini33]

hey y'all!

wondering if I should let UCLA know that I have been accepted into another program (CU), and need to know somewhat soon if I am still in the running. Do you think that will deter my chances of getting in? 

[natalinal]

2 hours ago, quarantini33 said:

hey y'all!

wondering if I should let UCLA know that I have been accepted into another program (CU), and need to know somewhat soon if I am still in the running. Do you think that will deter my chances of getting in? 

not at all, i think, if anything, it will make you look like a more competitive candidate to them.

[PlayWitch]

Funding advice, please! I got my scholarship offer from NYU, and I asked them for more because I am a poor. They told me they'd get back to me with a new offer. It's been almost two weeks since that conversation. Should I email to nudge them, or should I hang tight for them to get in touch with the new offer?

[quarantini33]

7 hours ago, PlayWitch said:

Funding advice, please! I got my scholarship offer from NYU, and I asked them for more because I am a poor. They told me they'd get back to me with a new offer. It's been almost two weeks since that conversation. Should I email to nudge them, or should I hang tight for them to get in touch with the new offer?

can I ask who you nudged?! Was it the office of finances or directly the faculty? Also, I would say a friendly reminder email would do no harm. 

[cheesy]

popping in here to say, if you have a more competitive offer from another school, always always use that as leverage in getting more funding. i spoke directly with the head of the dramatic writing program and he was able to bring up my funding significantly, but i decided to go with UT as the offer worked better for my situation. financial aid can't really do much since the school itself is large, i'd go directly to the faculty if you can!

best of luck!

[PlayWitch]

13 hours ago, quarantini33 said:

can I ask who you nudged?! Was it the office of finances or directly the faculty? Also, I would say a friendly reminder email would do no harm. 

My conversations have been with the department. I sent an email this morning. Thanks, folks!

[broccolini]

Anyone have any knowledge on general waitlist info for NYU and northwestern? I know NYU said movement on the waitlist typically happens between mid April-mid May but uuuugh I’m just so antsy...like how many students typically get in off the waitlist for these schools? And typically when? I know things change year to year but I would love some stats so I don’t feel totally in the dark ya know ?

Edited April 2, 2021 by broccolini

[Mel Rose]

11 hours ago, broccolini said:

Anyone have any knowledge on general waitlist info for NYU and northwestern? I know NYU said movement on the waitlist typically happens between mid April-mid May but uuuugh I’m just so antsy...like how many students typically get in off the waitlist for these schools? And typically when? I know things change year to year but I would love some stats so I don’t feel totally in the dark ya know ?

In the dark about Northwestern, but I corresponded a little with NYU...they said the earliest we would hear anything would be after April 15 because that’s when they evaluate the cohort based on who has committed and begin to re-evaluate waitlist candidates to fill the class with the right fit(s). The list is unranked, so it’s kind of a luck-of-the-draw situation, based on who decides to attend (screenwriters, playwrights, tv writers, etc) and who they think will fit the cohort. From previous conversations, it sounds like they go to the waiting list every year because some film/tv students prefer to attend school in LA, and some playwrights prefer fully funded/stipended programs. 

I’m super antsy too and I hate it. I’ve made plans to move/relocate this summer regardless of the outcome of grad school, as my current city unfortunately does not have much of an audience or community for new work...it’s time to ramble on.

Trying to just move on and plan on applying again next year with some new work to a revised & more focused list of programs...but it’s hard when there’s still a glimmer of hope I’m holding on to! 

[broccolini]

33 minutes ago, Mel Rose said:

In the dark about Northwestern, but I corresponded a little with NYU...they said the earliest we would hear anything would be after April 15 because that’s when they evaluate the cohort based on who has committed and begin to re-evaluate waitlist candidates to fill the class with the right fit(s). The list is unranked, so it’s kind of a luck-of-the-draw situation, based on who decides to attend (screenwriters, playwrights, tv writers, etc) and who they think will fit the cohort. From previous conversations, it sounds like they go to the waiting list every year because some film/tv students prefer to attend school in LA, and some playwrights prefer fully funded/stipended programs. 

I’m super antsy too and I hate it. I’ve made plans to move/relocate this summer regardless of the outcome of grad school, as my current city unfortunately does not have much of an audience or community for new work...it’s time to ramble on.

Trying to just move on and plan on applying again next year with some new work to a revised & more focused list of programs...but it’s hard when there’s still a glimmer of hope I’m holding on to! 

[broccolini]

@Mel Rose thank you sooo much for this info!! It’s so helpful knowing this.

and I totally feel you about how it’s hard to move on just yet...applying to grad school was HARD and it would be so so ideal if we didn’t have to do it again OH BOY. I guess since mid-April is the most common shuffling time, I’ll wait until then to start thinking about my 2022 application....fingers crossed we won’t have to ?

[Mel Rose]

3 hours ago, broccolini said:

@Mel Rose thank you sooo much for this info!! It’s so helpful knowing this.

and I totally feel you about how it’s hard to move on just yet...applying to grad school was HARD and it would be so so ideal if we didn’t have to do it again OH BOY. I guess since mid-April is the most common shuffling time, I’ll wait until then to start thinking about my 2022 application....fingers crossed we won’t have to ?

Ugh right??!! I don’t like thinking about going through it all over again ? Fingers crossed for both of us ?. This year the timing was finally right for grad school for me. Alas. Not giving up yet, but I’m just finding that throwing myself into a new project and getting excited about it is helping with the waiting.

I’m also doing the DG #endofplay thing happening this month...Anyone else? Just trying to hold myself accountable to stick to deadlines and challenge myself to connect more with other playwrights. It’s helping to distract from the pain of the waiting list ? (and to reconnect to the love of writing again). 

[puddel]

I'm doing the same thing, @Mel Rose -- just trying to throw all this energy into a new project ? 

Anyone know anything about Brooklyn's waitlist process/timeline? I reached out and only found out they don't rank their waitlist. Which is good to know. But omg I am vibrating with anticipation.

 

 

[yoinky]

Final R just rolled in for me (UCLA at 2:08 AM for some goddamn reason; interviewed about a month ago). Was removed from the CMU waitlist a couple weeks ago, and everything else was Rs across the board, so that ends my season: no acceptances this time.

Disappointed of course, but grateful to have gotten this far since I'm only one year post-undergrad. Honestly, this may have worked out for the best (which is NOT something I could have seen myself saying back in December lol). About to officially commit to living in a house with some queer friends (and an adorable polydactyl cat), and, assuming COVID keeps declining, I'm excited to do local theatre again next year. 

See you all when I inevitably apply for 2022, and keep writing! Have really appreciated the camaraderie and community this board brings.

[seasickmermaid]

Anyone heard anything from Ohio? Since UCLA sent their rejections late last night, Ohio's my last loose end. 

[Mel Rose]

13 hours ago, seasickmermaid said:

Anyone heard anything from Ohio? Since UCLA sent their rejections late last night, Ohio's my last loose end. 

I corresponded with Ohio and was told that interview requests were going out the first week of April. I haven’t gotten one, so I’m assuming I’m not a finalist there. That said, in previous years it looks like people have interviewed as late as mid April...their timeline seems later than most.

Ohio and Iowa are the ones I am still waiting on (other than the places I’ve been waitlisted). I’ve still heard nothing from Iowa, though I assume a rejection at this point, given that acceptances went out last month. No rejection email or changes on my portal. Sigh. Closure would be nice.

[Mel Rose]

And...just finally heard from Lisa S at Iowa, after reaching out to admissions about my status. I’m a finalist/alternate candidate, which I assume is like a short waitlist. I thought for sure that I had been rejected, so I’m very pleasantly surprised. Now Ohio is my last to hear from. Waitlist count is now just about half of my total applications (the rest were rejections) so I feel mildly encouraged, generally speaking, but still antsy and wondering what I could have done differently to have gotten acceptances. 

[natalinal]

7 hours ago, Mel Rose said:

And...just finally heard from Lisa S at Iowa, after reaching out to admissions about my status. I’m a finalist/alternate candidate, which I assume is like a short waitlist. I thought for sure that I had been rejected, so I’m very pleasantly surprised. Now Ohio is my last to hear from. Waitlist count is now just about half of my total applications (the rest were rejections) so I feel mildly encouraged, generally speaking, but still antsy and wondering what I could have done differently to have gotten acceptances. 

Congrats @Mel Rose! do you know the typical timeline for when they let waitlisted candidates know? 

[Mel Rose]

26 minutes ago, natalinal said:

Congrats @Mel Rose! do you know the typical timeline for when they let waitlisted candidates know? 

If tradition holds up, think we’ll all start hearing during the two weeks that follow April 15. I’m mentally moving on after the first week of May, but sometimes people get offers from the waitlist as late as the summer. Sounds stressful to me!

[ZoraNeale2021]

see some of you all in 2022! looking forward to a spring/summer of rest and back into this applications in the Fall. Crossing my fingers for Yale this time. Hope they will take students in 2022. See y'all on the flip side.  ❤️ 

[oliveswatz]

Wow, I am in at NYU off the waitlist....I am extremely confused! I had totally given up, and started planning my life without grad school this year and now suddenly it's a possibility again. I did receive a scholarship, but I would probably still go into a little bit of debt. I'm assuming I'm not in a position to ask for more money. Is anyone else in a similar situation? Do you think I'm able to reach out to current students and see if they're able to work/etc?? I was not prepared for this so I have no idea what to do!!!

[Applicant2021me]

Has anyone heard from the new school or northwestern yet?

[space94]

49 minutes ago, oliveswatz said:

Wow, I am in at NYU off the waitlist....I am extremely confused! I had totally given up, and started planning my life without grad school this year and now suddenly it's a possibility again. I did receive a scholarship, but I would probably still go into a little bit of debt. I'm assuming I'm not in a position to ask for more money. Is anyone else in a similar situation? Do you think I'm able to reach out to current students and see if they're able to work/etc?? I was not prepared for this so I have no idea what to do!!!

Hey! I also just got in off the waitlist and was offered a small(ish) scholarship. I've been following the conversation on the drafts FB group about other schools, and from what I understand you should absolutely ask. I plan on asking as well, so you won't be the only one, if that helps! The worst they can do is tell us no!  

[oliveswatz]

1 minute ago, space94 said:

Hey! I also just got in off the waitlist and was offered a small(ish) scholarship. I've been following the conversation on the drafts FB group about other schools, and from what I understand you should absolutely ask. I plan on asking as well, so you won't be the only one, if that helps! The worst they can do is tell us no!  

well first--congrats maybe future possible classmate! If I may ask, how are you planning on doing that? I'm autistic and this kind of correspondence absolutely terrifies me

[Mel Rose]

Congrats @oliveswatz and @space94! That’s so great to hear! Woot!!!

Scholarship-wise, I would definitely ask for more if you need it! 

No news for me from NYU so I’m going to mentally count myself out. Sigh. Maybe next year. 

Still holding on hope for Iowa, as my correspondence with Lisa really made me feel that it might be a good fit aesthetically. I love so many of the writers who have come out of that program. Fingers crossed.

Congrats to everyone who got good news today!