Playwriting MFAs

[seizing]

On 11/19/2022 at 5:53 PM, eleanorv said:

What do you all think about recycling statements of purpose if you're applying to a school for the second year in a row? I feel like it might be prudent to change it up if you made it to the interview process but otherwise I've heard at certain programs the admissions committee doesn't even read them if they didn't care for the play. Thoughts?

I would recommend changing it up especially if you've done anything this past year; it gives you a chance to show faculty what you've been up to and your motivations for pursuing the program may have changed (even if it's ever so slightly).

[greereyeforthegoneawry]

Anyone else applying to Carnegie Mellon and having a terrible time getting GradCAS to work? I have been back and forth with their support staff so many times this week and still can't submit my application. : /

[jck349]

3 hours ago, greereyeforthegoneawry said:

Anyone else applying to Carnegie Mellon and having a terrible time getting GradCAS to work? I have been back and forth with their support staff so many times this week and still can't submit my application. : /

I'm applying! Haven't uploaded everything yet so I'm not to the point of submitting the application, but I haven't had any technical issues so far... Have you emailed CMU? They might be more helpful than GradCAS!

[MischiefNotManaged]

Alright folx, this year I applied to:

1. Juilliard

2. Carnegie

3. UC San Diego

4. Columbia

5. Hunter

6. Brooklyn

7. Brown

8. Rutgers

I forgot about Yale this year a little too late ? but I figured my chances there were slimmer anyways. I'd rather stay close to NYC, but I live in RI so Brown would be really nice. UC San Diego is a dream that would definitely take me out of the city but would be... a dream. Carnegie's waitlisted me but I'm intrigued to see how the program changed. 

[jck349]

So... I just checked the UCSD website to confirm the application deadline, and it says they aren't accepting any applications for Fall 2023 and that they'll resume accepting applicants for Fall 2024?! Anybody know anything about this?

[jck349]

15 hours ago, jck349 said:

So... I just checked the UCSD website to confirm the application deadline, and it says they aren't accepting any applications for Fall 2023 and that they'll resume accepting applicants for Fall 2024?! Anybody know anything about this?

And to follow up... I emailed UCSD's application coordinator and this is unfortunately true... They'll be sending out official notice to applicants about this. Bummer! Hope the program is doing ok!

[seizing]

I'm glad I found out this way and not after paying an application fee ?

[jck349]

Well, that's it... I've officially finished all my applications (just waiting on my recommenders to submit their recommendations)! I was planning on applying to three schools, but since UCSD closed their applications, that leaves me with just Iowa and Carnegie Mellon.

Last time I applied was Fall 2019 for the 2020-2021 school year, and I ended up being interviewed/waitlisted at CMU and got full rejections from Iowa, UCSD, Yale, and UT Austin. Might have been a blessing in disguise, considering Covid. Wanted to wait until live theatre came back before applying again. Can't imagine the unique difficulty of a completely remote performing arts program!

Anyway, I feel better about my applications overall this time around. The play(s) I submitted are more interesting and my personal statements are slightly less embarrassing. Hope to at least get an interview from either program.

Happy Holidays (and keep an eye on those deadlines)!

P.S.: anybody else think it's kinda weird how quiet the forum is this year? Have people just abandoned Grad Cafe, or do you think there are less people applying this year?

 

[greereyeforthegoneawry]

On 12/22/2022 at 9:15 PM, jck349 said:

P.S.: anybody else think it's kinda weird how quiet the forum is this year? Have people just abandoned Grad Cafe, or do you think there are less people applying this year?

 

I was wondering this too! I was looking at the prior years of this forum and it seems like this year is much quieter. Might be just too early in the year to tell? Though also, I wonder if people on the younger side of the graduate school age range still use this site. I'm in my thirties and increasingly aware how much the internet has moved on from the ways I used it as a teen/college student...

Congrats on finishing your applications--best of luck to everyone and happy holidays.

[MischiefNotManaged]

On 12/5/2022 at 4:06 PM, MischiefNotManaged said:

Alright folx, this year I applied to:

1. Juilliard

2. Carnegie

3. UC San Diego

4. Columbia

5. Hunter

6. Brooklyn

7. Brown

8. Rutgers

I forgot about Yale this year a little too late ? but I figured my chances there were slimmer anyways. I'd rather stay close to NYC, but I live in RI so Brown would be really nice. UC San Diego is a dream that would definitely take me out of the city but would be... a dream. Carnegie's waitlisted me but I'm intrigued to see how the program changed. 

So, lol, I was affected by the UC San Diego snafu and I got an email about the cancelled application and was promptly refunded, thankfully. So that takes that off my list. Welp.

Now I just wait patiently to see if I get into anything on round three. 

[jck349]

1 hour ago, MischiefNotManaged said:

So, lol, I was affected by the UC San Diego snafu and I got an email about the cancelled application and was promptly refunded, thankfully. So that takes that off my list. Welp.

Now I just wait patiently to see if I get into anything on round three. 

Did UCSD give any info on why they're not accepting anyone this year? I found about their cancellation before I actually submitted my application, so I didn't get any emails from them.

Best of luck with this round! At least we should hear from Carnegie on February 1!

[handsacrossthesky]

@jck349, UCSD isn't taking anyone this year because they took three people last year. They're definitely going to reopen applications next fall, though!

[toreckonwithhenry]

hello all! i found this forum a couple weeks ago when trying to get a sense of the dates interview invitations/decisions are usually heard by. this is my first year applying to MFAs, and i am expecting the worst and hoping for the best! i applied to hunter, brooklyn, nyu, brown, yale, northwestern, UT austin, and rutgers. i've had a bit of an anxiety spiral about it the past couple days, and i wanted to try getting onto this forum to commiserate with some folks in the same boat. how's everybody else doing? anyone who's done this before have advice for the long wait? 

[seizing]

On 1/17/2023 at 11:36 PM, toreckonwithhenry said:

hello all! i found this forum a couple weeks ago when trying to get a sense of the dates interview invitations/decisions are usually heard by. this is my first year applying to MFAs, and i am expecting the worst and hoping for the best! i applied to hunter, brooklyn, nyu, brown, yale, northwestern, UT austin, and rutgers. i've had a bit of an anxiety spiral about it the past couple days, and i wanted to try getting onto this forum to commiserate with some folks in the same boat. how's everybody else doing? anyone who's done this before have advice for the long wait? 

Welcome! would recommend going to https://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/ and searching for playwriting to see results. Be sure you add your own in when they come (including interview requests!!) 

[shmemma]

On 1/17/2023 at 11:36 PM, toreckonwithhenry said:

hello all! i found this forum a couple weeks ago when trying to get a sense of the dates interview invitations/decisions are usually heard by. this is my first year applying to MFAs, and i am expecting the worst and hoping for the best! i applied to hunter, brooklyn, nyu, brown, yale, northwestern, UT austin, and rutgers. i've had a bit of an anxiety spiral about it the past couple days, and i wanted to try getting onto this forum to commiserate with some folks in the same boat. how's everybody else doing? anyone who's done this before have advice for the long wait? 

Hi! This is also my first year applying! Also applied to Hunter, Brooklyn, Brown, Yale, and Northwestern, and to UC Riverside as well. And have also been spiraling about it lol. I'm trying to expect the worst and emotionally prepare for rejections across the board but the prospect of writing an entirely new play to apply again next year is so overwhelming ? I haven't heard anything about interview requests from any of the schools yet, have you? 

[Waitwaitdotellme]

Hello, fellow writers. Long-time lurker, first-time GradCafe poster. Want to tap the brain trust about something. Out of the blue, one of my plays is going to have its world premiere with a full production out of town. Is this something I should update my schools about? The piece is not the play I used for my applications (with the exception of one program that required two full-length plays as samples). While exciting for me, it’s going up at a small theater that isn’t prestigious or particularly notable. Is it worth it to reach out to Department Heads with an update, or should I just wait to (knocking on all the wood on earth) mention it in an interview?

While I’m here— My Brooklyn College app is showing as “partially complete” though it’s submitted with all the necessary materials. Anyone else have a similar issue? 

Thanks & happy waiting season to those who celebrate. 

Edited January 27, 2023 by Waitwaitdotellme

[shmemma]

9 hours ago, Waitwaitdotellme said:

Hello, fellow writers. Long-time lurker, first-time GradCafe poster. Want to tap the brain trust about something. Out of the blue, one of my plays is going to have its world premiere with a full production out of town. Is this something I should update my schools about? The piece is not the play I used for my applications (with the exception of one program that required two full-length plays as samples). While exciting for me, it’s going up at a small theater that isn’t prestigious or particularly notable. Is it worth it to reach out to Department Heads with an update, or should I just wait to (knocking on all the wood on earth) mention it in an interview?

While I’m here— My Brooklyn College app is showing as “partially complete” though it’s submitted with all the necessary materials. Anyone else have a similar issue? 

Thanks & happy waiting season to those who celebrate. 

Congratulations!!! I know nothing so obviously grain of salt etc. but I don't think it would hurt to send an update! That's exciting news! And something that you would've included on your applications. 

My Brooklyn College app was doing the same thing and it turned out they didn't have my transcript, even though I thought I'd attached it. I don't know if that was just a me problem, but it could be worth just checking that portion of it. 

[seizing]

On 1/27/2023 at 9:56 AM, Waitwaitdotellme said:

Hello, fellow writers. Long-time lurker, first-time GradCafe poster. Want to tap the brain trust about something. Out of the blue, one of my plays is going to have its world premiere with a full production out of town. Is this something I should update my schools about? The piece is not the play I used for my applications (with the exception of one program that required two full-length plays as samples). While exciting for me, it’s going up at a small theater that isn’t prestigious or particularly notable. Is it worth it to reach out to Department Heads with an update, or should I just wait to (knocking on all the wood on earth) mention it in an interview?

While I’m here— My Brooklyn College app is showing as “partially complete” though it’s submitted with all the necessary materials. Anyone else have a similar issue? 

Thanks & happy waiting season to those who celebrate. 

Congratulations on the world premiere!!! That's so exciting. Are you going to travel to see it?

I also saw that my Brooklyn app said incomplete, so I reached out to the grad school to ask what was up and they said that it is pending official transcripts but those don't need to be sent until we receive an offer of admission.

[Waitwaitdotellme]

Thanks @seizingand @shmemma! Glad to hear I’m not alone with the Brooklyn college portal. I submitted unofficial transcripts, so makes sense. 

I went back through this thread and randomly found advice from Jeremy O’Harris (?) about reaching out with an update. Said to keep it short and sweet, so that’s what I plan to do. Yes, I’ll probably go out to see it depending on life stuff. 

[MischiefNotManaged]

merry carnegie eve. I anticipate we'll likely hear first round of interviews go out tomorrow night around 10PM. 

[MischiefNotManaged]

Well, I got a "decision delay" email letting me know I'd hear back by Feb 10th... anyone else hear back? Anyone get an interview? I'm a bit stumped by this hahaha. Normally they just outright reject on this day if you're not getting in.

[jck349]

16 minutes ago, MischiefNotManaged said:

Well, I got a "decision delay" email letting me know I'd hear back by Feb 10th... anyone else hear back? Anyone get an interview? I'm a bit stumped by this hahaha. Normally they just outright reject on this day if you're not getting in.

Got the same email! When I last applied (for the Fall 2020 start), they delayed a week because they needed more time to sort through the large applicant pool. So this definitely isn't anything out of the ordinary!

[greereyeforthegoneawry]

Same email from CMU here as well. 

[greereyeforthegoneawry]

Merry Carnegie eve take two!

Has anyone heard back from Yale? Saw someone had posted a result so wondering if interview requests went out. 

I'm in the wild speculation stage of waiting...

[seizing]

7 hours ago, greereyeforthegoneawry said:

Merry Carnegie eve take two!

Has anyone heard back from Yale? Saw someone had posted a result so wondering if interview requests went out. 

I'm in the wild speculation stage of waiting...

Best of luck! I hope you hear back from CMU. I saw a couple folks on twitter say they received rejections, if that helps at all.