Playwriting MFAs

[jck349]

Nice to see the board is getting active!! I've got 3 applications in (Yale, UT Austin, and Carnegie Mellon) with just UCSD and Iowa to go. Based on what people have said in the forum previous years, seems like we should start hearing back in just over a month...

[Aeli23]

Hey! I finished the last of my apps last week. So, let the waiting begin! I applied to Yale, NYU, UT Austin (Meichner), UCSD and Columbia. It's my first time applying and I have no idea what to expect. But, it's nice that this forum is here for people in the same boat as me over the next few months! 

[esbrain]

Hi all! Great to see some others come on this chat. I've submitted all of mine (Yale, NYU, Columbia, Brooklyn) but one (Hunter). Not excited for the waiting lol. 

[jck349]

Has anybody heard anything from Yale yet, since we all seem to have applied? I know it's barely into January, but that deadline was so long ago!

[esbrain]

1 minute ago, jck349 said:

Has anybody heard anything from Yale yet, since we all seem to have applied? I know it's barely into January, but that deadline was so long ago!

I haven't yet. I'm guessing it'll be late since, I assume, so many people applied. 

[jck349]

On 1/5/2020 at 3:16 PM, sns1106 said:

Well now in early January feeling tense ?Wondering if more of us will come out of the woodwork? How are you doing?

I'm doing good! One more to go, then hopefully I never need to write another statement of purpose again. They have been the bane of my existence. We also seem to be the only folks applying to CMU!

[secretavatar]

I contemplated whether or not I would continue to lurk or join but here I am. Like you, I've read and re-read all the pages of this forum multiple times over and now that the waiting game is now my anxiety's adversary, hoping that this place will be a bit of supportive refuge. MFA Draft is cool but not enough playwrights to commiserate with. 

All apps are in (Yale, NYU, and UCSD). First time applicant. Career switcher. 

So hello all and congrats on your journeys. Looking forward to hearing more.  

 

[jck349]

11 hours ago, secretavatar said:

I contemplated whether or not I would continue to lurk or join but here I am. Like you, I've read and re-read all the pages of this forum multiple times over and now that the waiting game is now my anxiety's adversary, hoping that this place will be a bit of supportive refuge. MFA Draft is cool but not enough playwrights to commiserate with. 

All apps are in (Yale, NYU, and UCSD). First time applicant. Career switcher. 

So hello all and congrats on your journeys. Looking forward to hearing more.  

 

For real, there should be an MFA Draft group for playwrights. The application process seems entirely different. Congrats on getting everything in! What career are switching from?

[space94]

Hey guys. I was hoping to stay off this forum until at least Feb because once you're here, it's like being in a waiting room but they've already started calling in people who came after you and it basically stays that way until like March. 

Long story short, second time applying. I really messed up when I applied last year through a whole host of missteps, but I'm in better shape this year. (Yale, NYU, Hunter, Brooklyn College, Columbia). I also have a reading coming up next week, so between these deadlines and getting that squared away, I'm basically constantly stressed. But it's good to know other people are going through the same thing. 

Good luck everyone. 

[secretavatar]

8 hours ago, jck349 said:

For real, there should be an MFA Draft group for playwrights. The application process seems entirely different. Congrats on getting everything in! What career are switching from?

Exactly! it's hard to get applicable information like how funding works and the acceptance cycle because of the program differentiation. I was seeing some creative writing folks getting their acceptances today so I had to turn off my notifications. 

I majored in Film Production in undergrad...couldn't find a job (recession era) so I shifted into the cruel world of advertising because.....loans. Started writing more consistently again within the last 2 years so finally made the jump to dedicate the life i have to the life i want. 

[newengland1]

Hi there--I really should stop reading this digest since I'm now almost two years out of my MFA program, but I thought ... perhaps I could be of service, having completed my MFA recently. I graduated from the NYU DDW program in 2018. I loved it but there are pros and cons. Happy to answer any questions about NYU, applications/admissions, or anything else that may be useful, at any point!

[zayzay]

Hello all!

This is my first time applying and I've used this forum as a resource. It has been so helpful. I have a question: one of my five schools includes Arizona State. DO THEY REQUIRE GRE SCORES FOR THE PLAYWRITING PROGRAM? Reading conflicting things and wanted to be sure.Thanks!

[SuddenBeth]

Hey There!

First time applicant here, about to submit all my January 15th apps as soon as my last two letters of recommendation are sent in.  I've already applied to CMU and I'm also doing Hunter, Northwestern, Iowa, and Ohio.

I have two questions before I officially press submit to validate my choices or make last minute changes: 

1.) How much do y'all think formatting matters for the plays we are sending in? I have written all mine by the samual french guidlines with one or two modifications for aesthetic reasons and also out of necessity. One of the plays is kind of avant guard in staging and so my stage direction format is modified out of necessity to best communicate that. This is something I don't think I can change but also am not too worried about because it's justified within the script. In my other play have a few small deviations from samual french like having my stage directions in italicized and not in parenthesis. Mostly this is out of habit and I also I just like the way it looks and reads better. Most of the playwrights I've talked to say that formatting should be whatever best communicates your play and it's style most effectively (within reason) Should I change the way my play is formatted? Is samual french ok to use or is there another format I should be using?

2.) For the ten page sample for Northwestern right now I have some text at the top that describes how the show works and the set up and then go right in to the climax of the show. Is this a good idea? Or should I choose a bit of the play that is maybe a little easier to dive into without getting the full back story and time to get to know the characters? The play is super character driven so I'm slightly worried the climax won't hit as well without the set up and character growth that leads up to it?

Thanks friends and happy somewhat end to the application to the application stage!

 

 

[jck349]

@zayzay: I don't know about Arizona specifically, but def email them! They might not be aware of the conflicting info on their website. They should respond quickly!

@SuddenBeth: First time applicant also!! So I'm no expert, but I hopefully I can help!

1. As long as your formatting choice is consistent throughout the play and easy to read, I don't think it really matters that much. It's not like screenwriting where there's an incredibly strict format. Seems like the playwrights you talked to are right.

2. From the people I've talked to (who are very familiar with the whole MFA app process), the unspoken standard seems to be to submit the first 10 pages. I think that's super annoying (why would the first 10 pages be the best 10 pages, this is not how most plays work)...but I also think of the readers who are having to read 100s of samples. Why do anything that would potentially throw them off or confuse them? I'd say to play it safe and submit the first 10, but others may know better!

[sns1106]

Whoa this forum really popped off in my brief time away lol.

@jck349 @SuddenBeth Yay fellow CMU applicants! I grew up in Pittsburgh (been in NYC since 2014) so hmu with any q's about the Pittsburgh area ☺️

I did recently stay up till 3am lurking through several years of this forum to determine generally when we'll start to hear things. Looks like UT Austin T&D starts reaching out for interviews in the beginning of Feb. Yale has been 2nd-3rd weeks of Feb for decisions but also saw mid-March at one point so *shrug* ? UT Michener also seems to announce interviews the first week of Feb but waits till mid-March to notify of decisions. CMU applicants have been scarce the last few years so I can't say definitively what their timeline is like but I saw one instance of a decision coming in the first week of April. ?Obvs these are just observations but it's a little more comforting than having 0 idea of what to expect.

[esbrain]

5 hours ago, sns1106 said:

I did recently stay up till 3am lurking through several years of this forum to determine generally when we'll start to hear things. 

100% same lol.

[jck349]

@sns1106 I love Pittsburgh! I've got a lot of family there. Still a bit bitter I didn't get into the CMU BFA program haha.

And as far as general anxiety goes, I'm at the point where, even though all my apps are in, I have the feeling that there was some hidden final submit button somewhere that I didn't know about... Woooo

[space94]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to reiterate something that's been said on this forum before. Stay on top of Brooklyn College if you're applying. I called them yesterday to sort things out--they changed their entire application process basically mid-cycle this time, and I'm a re-applicant, which makes it really tricky. Being a re-applicant, I had to ask them to add new things to my file (new statement of purpose, portfolio, etc) And I needed to know if I had to mail it (like last year) or if I could email it. And suddenly, their website says everything is supposed to go through their application system, which has NOT been my experience as recently as September. Anyway, long story short: I called and my file was in shambles. They didn't have one of my recent letters of recommendation filed (it was there), for one--and I basically had to go down the list with her to make sure anything else was in order, and I'm still not 100% confident I won't get a call/email later this month about missing files although she assured me everything was now in order. To their credit, I should say that I didn't have this issue last year, and my second application fee is waived because I submitted last year. So, that's a nice policy. 

It's a good program, but their admissions office can be a pain. Be careful.    

[Beans2083]

In case anyone missed Hunter's deadline yesterday, I heard they are keeping their application portal open through Monday 1/20. I had some transcript issues and they said I could submit a couple days late. Just wanted to pass that along. Good luck everyone!

[SuddenBeth]

On 1/14/2020 at 10:37 AM, jck349 said:

@sns1106 I love Pittsburgh! I've got a lot of family there. Still a bit bitter I didn't get into the CMU BFA program haha.

And as far as general anxiety goes, I'm at the point where, even though all my apps are in, I have the feeling that there was some hidden final submit button somewhere that I didn't know about... Woooo

Dude, I literally came like less then a day away from this happening to me for CMU! I pressed submit on the page where I uploaded my writing samples and didn't realize I had to go press submit on the gradcas app as well. Then gmail fucked me over and started doing this thing where it hid my important emails and I could only find them if I searched specifically for them so I missed the THREE emails they sent me about it. In a sheer stroke of luck CMU extended the deadline of their apps to the 8th because of some technically issues and somehow my phone put this info into a google reminder which I saw the night of the 7th.  I seriously almost had a freaking heart attack!! I checked everything like 10 times for the other schools after that to make sure that didn't happen again.

[sns1106]

7 hours ago, SuddenBeth said:

In a sheer stroke of luck CMU extended the deadline of their apps to the 8th because of some technically issues and somehow my phone put this info into a google reminder which I saw the night of the 7th.  I seriously almost had a freaking heart attack!! I checked everything like 10 times for the other schools after that to make sure that didn't happen again.

I didn't get anything about an extension ?hope it's bc i had everything in ?

[Sylvia Zhou]

Hello everybody, applied Pace, Northwestern and CMU. Just finished the interview of Pace. Has anybody got the interview invitation from CMU? I'm really nervous...hope everything goes well...

[jck349]

Hahaha! Why can't all these applications be like UT Austin where after you submit it, it explicitly says like "everything is done and is under review, chill out now." But CMU is all through the gradCAS site and slideroom, right? It weirds me out how it's the only school that doesn't have an application through the university website. Guess we'll all just have to reeeeeally keep an eye on our emails.

Don't think we'll be heading anything about CMU interviews until February!

[secretavatar]

Has everyone filled out their FAFSAs and related docs?

Having to explain to the parentals that despite being an independent adult, I still need their financial info is ummmm interesting. "Why do they need this? ...."Because they just do mommmm".  It's akin to when you show older folks a meme and they're like "who is that?". Hell if i know just laugh with me. Gotta love 'em though. 

Re-read some of my school's finaid reqs and they also want a signed copy of the tax return mailed so if you are like me and needing something to pass the time....get those docs in. I wish I' could know if I'd hear back before I bare my financial soul but whatevs. Happy waiting frens. 

[Sylvia Zhou]

On 1/20/2020 at 9:53 AM, jck349 said:

Hahaha! Why can't all these applications be like UT Austin where after you submit it, it explicitly says like "everything is done and is under review, chill out now." But CMU is all through the gradCAS site and slideroom, right? It weirds me out how it's the only school that doesn't have an application through the university website. Guess we'll all just have to reeeeeally keep an eye on our emails.

Don't think we'll be heading anything about CMU interviews until February!

Yeah that's true. The system of gradCAS was super confusing...The directing program guys have already got the interview request yesterday, I feel I'm losing it TAT