Dudes, I am now 1 for 7 on schools I would like to attend that have notified IF you count the GNE I got which has yet to turn into an official decision.
You have no idea how hard it is to keep myself from calling up the GNE school and begging them for an official decision.
Thought you guys might find this interesting: I've just recently put up on TSE the Five-Year Overall MFA Rankings. This is a particularly good time to link to it, I think, for the reason below.
Keeping in mind, as ever, that rankings must be used with extreme caution, I think this new ranking is interesting because it's the largest compilation of data in the history of the degree (1,000 MFA applicants participated in the poll across a five-year period) but also because its particular structure allows one to determine what percentage of the best-researched MFA applicants apply to a given program, historically, using simple math. For instance, the University of Iowa received 505 votes out of 1,000 poll participants, meaning 50.5% of all applicants applied to the Writers' Workshop; Johns Hopkins University received 134 votes, meaning that 13.4% of the applicants polled applied there; and so on.
Best of luck to everyone,
Be well, Seth
P.S. Keep in mind that to see the most recent trends in MFA program esteem one needs to look here (the 2011 rankings).
@Eli Thanks. Good to be back. Glad to know I was missed. There are several missing persons.
Now, my Potter dude is in need. A walk will help me too. As you can see, writing about it ain't makin' it happen. LOL
Check in later. And I'll put on Jason J's playlist. How did he do that? I could share some tunes, if I knew how. Otherwise, maybe we can just start a list on iTunes.??
Congrats to PK and everyone else with recent acceptances/waitlists from the last mailbag.
Just wondering--do programs do a lot of "notifying" over the weekends? I will be out of town this weekend, and unfortunately I won't have an internet connection. And I really doubt that I'll have cell reception--spotty at best. I can't decide whether no email, no blog, no cell and no snail-mail is going to have a calming effect or just put me over the edge. AHH
Those of you who were waitlisted by Alabama, was it for fiction or poetry?
@AAA - Happy Birthday! Hopefully you will hear some good news today. :)
@Seth - Thanks for the link.
@all - Two things:
1. When you subscribe to these mailbags, do you get 2000 individual emails (or whatever) per bag? If so, I have no idea how you deal with it.
2. Anyone have much experience with online workshops? I just signed up for a fiction workshop through MAR and am psyched (particularly to get my mind off the MFA application process).
I'd imagine a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Depending on what kind of service you're using/your connection/ if you are using a forwarding e-mail address, it could be as long as an hour. In general, I usually get email from across the country/internationally within the time it takes me to microwave water for tea.
@frankish - Thanks for the good wishes! I hope you're right.
Gmail clusters each mailbag into a single conversation so I get a single email every 61 messages or so.
As for the online workshop idea, I think that's a great way to spend time right now. I'd like to do that! This may be a naive question but what is MAR? Is that a thing or did you just mean you signed up for a class through March?
@AAA - Sorry, MAR is the Mid-American Review. It's the literary magazine of the Bowling Green creative writing program, if I recall correctly. The editor manages online workshops for up to twelve people. For fiction, over the course of the few months, each participant submits 3 stories or excerpts of up to 30 pages for peer and instructor review and discussion.
This is the first time I've tried an online workshop, so I'll let you know how it goes. I think Stanford and some other places also have them, but this one seemed to fit my (budget and timing) constraints best.
Hey, folks, lurker here (the fake RealTalk from a few mailbags back) - just wanted to chime in to say that I got an email from Michigan this morning, so KP is not the only blogger who was notified. No idea whether they've finished emailing people, though. Also got a call from Iowa, who I assume will be notifying others throughout the day (I was too dumbstruck to ask). Oh, and I'm fiction.
Good luck to everybody. This community's been a boon to me in these anxious times, and I sincerely wish y'all well. Real talk.
Anyone out there that hasn't heard one word from any of the programs, rejection, wait list, or acceptance? It is driving me insaneeee. Especially the news about Emerson. I love Emerson, and applied to the Publishing/Writing Program. Hopefully they will notify before late March. Ha, who am I kidding?
I just finished my phone interview with Virginia Tech. I think I did okay with all the questions except the one about whether Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan made the better James Bond. I had not seen "Quantum of Solace" and "Casino Royale" yet, so that question threw me. Just going by Pierce Brosnan's fine hair, I answered "My boy Pierce." I think the correct answer was Craig. D'Oh!
Anyway, VT received 160 applications for 7-8 slots in fiction. They're still doing interviews and we should hear from them in 2-4 weeks. (I thought someone here in this blog got an offer already? Probably their Top Top choice.)
Thank you, amanda and Nathaniel and beedeecee and everyone! I am stunned. I feel like I've just run a marathon. I just can't believe this is my life. This isn't my life. I'm just not this f*cking lucky!
Greetings. I applied for 6 MFA programs for Fall 2010 but just discovered this conversation today. I've been accepted for Fiction at Chatham and also am a finalist for a Teaching Fellowship there (however that ONLY gives a living stipend, not tuition remission, and I have to spend my own money to fly to Pittsburgh for an interview). I'm definitely having stress waiting to hear about other programs I applied at with better financial deals - especially Michigan. I've been finding useful information and amusing banter here, and getting a little comfort from shared misery, but I'm also curious - do y'all think regular interaction with this blog conversation is causing you personally to be MORE or LESS stressed over the uncertainty you're experiencing? Reading your conversations I'm not always sure. Anyway, I hope you all get in your top picks and I look forward to reading your published writing some day soon.
Re: VT. Is it possible they said 160 total apps for 7-8 total> spots? Last year they had 100 total apps and 6 total admits -- I got this directly from the program -- so while a 60% increase in apps and a slight increase in class size would make sense, what you've described would constitute (if we played the numbers out by adding in poetry in the usual ratio) a 240% increase in apps and a 250% increase in the size of the program. Thanks for the data.
@ Dandelion. That's a really good question. I would say that it's probably causing me a little more stress, but at the same time, giving me a place to focus my stress. I don't have that as much offline, even with several friends applying to grad programs in other fields. Only here can you NOT be labeled insane for applying to 17 programs.
Probably more stressed, but I feel like I can't stay away. It's stressful when schools I applied to start notifying and I read about it on the blog. Sometimes I think, well, if I didn't read the blog, I just wouldn't know and wouldn't have to think about it so much. But I probably would still think about it, and in the end, if one of my schools is notifying I would probably rather just know.
@Seth - I didn't ask specifics. When I talked to their grad coordinator Aileen Murphy a week ago, she said 7 fiction slots out of 150 apps. (150 total or 150 fiction apps, I don't know. I did not ask. Did not care.) There were a couple of defects to Poetry and the MFA program wanted to balance the number of fiction and poetry students, so they're admitting more fiction this time. However, during the phone interview, one of the faculty members said 8 slots out of 160 apps. That's all I know and that's all I can tell you.
You just made my day with that self-impression. I needed the laugh -- thanks!
I too am waiting for word from UMass for fiction, among other programs, sans cuticles. I'm not sure whether checking this list on a 10-minute basis is good for my nerves (knowing others are going through the same throes of anxiety), or god-effing-awful for them (compounding my stores of anticipation and dread).
@RealTalk - Iowa AND Michigan?! God bless your fingers of gold. Of course, we all knew you were a creative genius, way back during crazy-midnight-mailbag-time!
@Seth, Philly, LauraT, sahaider, YAR -- thank you so much, y'all! Thank you so much!
I'm nonfiction, but I haven't heard anything, from any school, except Bath Spa University in the UK (accepted). I'm assuming the others (schools on my list that people have heard from) are rejections...like Iowa, Hunter, and UNCW.
Best of luck! I wish Iowa could just put me out of my misery already. It just seems cruel at this point.
Virginia Tech sounds like a great program. Everyone who gets in receives full funding plus a $15k stipend for TA-ship, even if you're Bill Gates. It's not like you have to ask for it. Everyone gets it.
@Dandelion I did my undergrad at the University of Pittsburgh, and my bff just graduated from Chatham. Have you been to the campus before? B-e-a-utiful, and I must say that Pittsburgh has my heart. Besides the lack of funding, it sounds like a great deal!
Chrissy, more power to you. Why not? If you're not giving them your name, I don't see why it would hurt. Even if you did give them your name, I doubt it would affect anything.
Thank you for calling and finding out about Michigan. I love the kindness of strangers!
Okay, so if you're really dying to know...I called UMass, and the woman didn't know if they'd finished making calls, but she was able to check whether I was on the acceptance list. (I wasn't. Sadface.) The decisions are made, she said, she just wasn't sure if they'd finished the calls.
So, I guess you could call and ask. It's much better knowing, I think.
So I am actually at this Census thing now thinking about how I am going to deal with the profound pain and anger that is sure to come. Anyone have any ideas?
The only people to beat up at my house are my girl and my dog, and they are off the table as far as beatings go.
And thanks for all the support on making phone calls. I'm really not good on the phone, but I'm just so curious and dying to know. I'm glad I do it, and I'm glad I have you all to report back to for support and well wishes.
Anyone NOT believe RealTalk? It seems incredulous given the drivel he/she posted a few days ago. The voice was unique though, so I guess that goes a long ways in fiction.
At least I know. I think the uncertainty hurts me more than the rejection. At least, right now it feels that way. Hopefully I'll get in somewhere. But my hopes are starting to dwindle. Who knows? I've heard all those stories of people not getting in all over the place, but then getting accepted somewhere fabulous. We'll see.
So, I have a question for you all. Does anyone here lack writer friends in real life? My attempts at making them have largely gone awry, and the only good ones I had are people I've fallen out of touch with. I'm eagerly anticipating having a social circle with actual other writers in it when I attend a program.
Trilbe, Congratulations! You are living the dream, dear.
RealTalk, If you are indeed a real person, Congratulations! Awesome news! But Didn't I just give you money to get your hair toes and nails done the other day?
I just need news from somewhere so I can be assured that I really did go through the application process. It is starting to feel like I imagined it all.
Definitely less stressed! I wouldn't waste my time reading it if it was making me MORE stressed.
It's nice to hear about other people's successes - cheers me up - and it's also nice to have a place where people understand the horrible mix of hopeful/anxious/self-doubting feelings that go with waiting to hear. And personally, I like a little heads-up about what others have been hearing from schools... I have yet to hear anything myself, but knowing I very, very likely have a rejection notification coming soon (judging by info given here) has helped me deal with it better. I think if I just got the envelope in the mail and wasn't ready for it I would be more upset. And, it's helpful to know that lots of people haven't heard very much yet, or nothing from certain programs - I think without knowing that, I would have convinced myself that every single school lost my application by now. :)
saheider, I totally understand. I will take the rejection, but give me closure. Universe, show that you know I'm here! Or if not the universe, at least Michigan!!
jasmine, i also lack writer friends/support in real life and it's one of the reasons i'd be thrilled to get into a program. which is not looking so hopeful right now.
@Chrissy You are so brave for making all of those phone calls! I think I might have to just suck it up and call UMass so that I can be officially rejected and won't have to wait any longer. Did you just call the graduate admissions office (number at the bottom of the Spire page)? Thanks for your help!!
The MAR thing sounds like a good time...a little pricey (but the fee seems on par with other programs). Did you apply to BGSU? I did...would it be weird for me to take their online workshop?
Congrats to people who are accepted and/or wait listed. Then again, I think the universe has already congratulated you...so who cares what I have to say?
Does anyone know if Michigan notifies the rejections by email? I'm assuming I was rejected (I teach probability and statistics so I've always assumed I won't get in anywhere LOL). I just want to know 100% that the math is correct.
Hey awesome, Laura! Here's our horoscope from the LA Times:
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): You'll get your moment to shine, and you won't have to fight for it, either.
Today's birthday (Feb. 19): You will show the world that there's even more to you. You increase your self-discipline and become stronger emotionally, physically and financially. March brings a new and influential friend into your life. Your lucky numbers are 10, 3, 33, 21 and 49.
Jamie! Some more WFMU love over here! I love that station and I know some of the people who work there - awesome folks. I mean, how cool is a radio station where Jeff Mangum had a show for a while??
Sorry for the non-MFA interruption - but things are silent over here for me today too.
If your online status says "We've received your application and are currently reviewing it," does that mean it's been forwarded to committee? Or when it gets forwarded to committee does your status say specifically, "Your materials have been forwarded to committee."
Also! Waitlisted at Alabama in fiction. Almost exploded with delight. Their email was very sweet. Anyone accepted or waitlisted at Alabama (in fiction) -- where is it on your list, if you're willing to say? (As in... first choice, second choice, fifth choice, etc.)
Major congratulations to EVERYONE who's been hearing good news over the past couple weeks. So much of it!
I'm trying to limit my time on here and just check once a day at like 3am. I've pretty much returned to lurking status, since by the time I'm ready to respond to anything there are always hundreds of messages already burying it, but know that I'm rooting for you all! Or most of you, at least.
Pretty sure Michigan just sends you a letter. I was waitlisted there in 2007 (by letter as well, actually) and didn't hear anything for a long time; I finally wrote the dept and they told me all spots had been filled. But eventually, a letter of rejection came crawling through the post. So agonizingly slow in a world of instant gratification!
OK something is seriously wrong with me. I am about to eat lunch, which includes an orange. I was just shaking it before peeling it. really. seriously. something is wrong in my life.
Dandelion, the blogging is more stressful I think, but it's an addiction. The intermittent positive reinforcement is impossible to walk away from. If you are still here to read this, you are now one of us. WELCOME!
I think last year they notified all acceptances on the same day via email. I think they also notified a lot of their waitlistees on the same day as the acceptances. That could be wrong. I'm basing it on previous posts.
So I had this brilliant idea to start a fast this week and I've got to say that with Michigan notifications happening, IT'S NOT GOING WELL. Michigan, you are not welcome here on my Day 2.
I called UNCW and asked when they will be notifying fiction applicants. They told me they had notified the first round of poetry and CNF applicants (yesterday) but are still in the process of making fiction decisions. They will not be notifying today.
@Charles (Michelle too, I suppose) -- I was waitlisted in fiction at 'Bama... it has always been in my top four, and of those, there is no clear winner. [Others being Michener, Vanderbilt (assumed rejection), and LSU].
Alabama and Michigan?!! I guess the people you told that you were rejected a couple of weeks ago are not entirely confused haha
@ Frankish/Lucas
re: MAR/Online Workshops
I highly recommend the Mid-American Review workshop (I did it twice). Michael Czyzniejewski is an awesome writer and workshop leader. I think online workshops have a lot of advantages and disadvantages compared to in-person workshops (i.e. a record of conversations, well-thought out responses, sometimes more of a focus on the micro vs. macro, less fear to be honest with your fellow writers, a unique group dynamic etc.). Compared to a lot of other online workshops, MAR is actually a great deal. You get to workshop 3 stories whereas most other online courses (i.e. Stanford, Wisconsin, Gotham) often limit you to 1 story or to a ridiculously low word count (for those of you that write avg. length 3-5k word stories). You also get a year subscription to the Mid-American Review as part of your fee.
@ Jasmine/Beedee
re: writing friends
Getting involved with online writers communities and blogs (i.e. HTML Giant, Zoetrope, Fictionaut etc.) and submitting work for publication/getting published can help with the writer friends front. You'll eventually meet some of these people in real life (at conferences, workshops etc) and will run across their work. Writers spend a lot of time in front of a computer so it only makes sense that a lot of relationships stem from online communities/ keep real world writer friendships active. And I'm not just talking about new writers here. Folks with multiple books and national/international awards still hang out at blogs and online communities for advice, support, feedback and b/c they value the connections they've made.
From like 300 posts back, thanks to Trilbe and everyone else for so much positive support/congrats. I'm stoked.
To everyone waitlisted at Minnesota: best of luck! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and sending good luck vibes your way.
And that goes for everyone on here! I hope we all get exactly what we're hoping for.
Also, I can't keep it straight, but if anybody has questions about Portland State, Oregon State, or U Oregon, I did my undergrad at Oregon State and I can give you a pretty good idea of what it's like to live here, so don't be afraid to ask... although I can't promise I'll catch your post because this blog moves so fast!
thanks, WT. i was sort of involved in an unofficial writer's community a while back, but i don't think it was the right one for me. still, i know it takes some work to find the right one(s) and i'm willing to do that. especially if i have another year to work on my writing before reapplying to programs. ahem.
I'm completely with you, but it's funny to see "Michigan" in so many posts today. My poor little state hasn't seen this much longing since...exactly a year ago in this exact spot, I guess.
Don't take it personally. I'm sure the person that picked up is overwhelmed with the million and one calls that are probably coming in. People in admissions offices should be gracious in the summer and the fall but they have every right to be a bit testy in the spring haha.
Don't take it personally. I'm sure the person that picked up is overwhelmed with the million and one calls that are probably coming in. People in admissions offices should be gracious in the summer and the fall but they have every right to be a bit testy in the spring haha.
So many congratulations to Abbie, RealTalk, Trilbe, Raindrops... I'm sorry, I know I am missing people. Consider it a collective congratulations that covers everybody!
The blog stresses me out at times, but I just take breaks when I need to pull back from the frenzy. But I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel like we mostly validate each others' realities. Nobody gets this process like others in MFA acceptance limbo do. Plus, we have the opportunity to start making friends before we even get to school, which is nice. Good luck!
I think it's time to call Michigan again and ask if they've finished notifying people, and/or when they'll be done. Anybody up for doing it? I don't think I could handle it.
I love this blog because it reminds me that I'm not the only person going crazy during this process.
Today, though, I hate this blog, because I feel my Iowa and Michigan dreams slipping away, and I'm inching closer to facing the likelihood that I will have to figure out a Plan B after all. Today sucks.
2,428 comments:
1 – 200 of 2428 Newer› Newest»It's my Birthday!
Subscribing
New mailbag, and same old nerves.
Happy brithday A. Astur A!
subscribe
Dewars already???
oh man. I'm gonna go walk my dog. I need a break - and he needs a walk. He's so sweet.
Happy Birthday A Astur A!
Thanks Ashley B! I may not have word from programs but at least I've got my birthday. :-)
subscribing
click the subscribe button.
too early for Dewars? yeah right.
here. we. go.
I probably shouldn't subscribe, but I'm going to.
MFA blog, I wish I could quit you....
@ Mostly Swell
Yeah, I buy the half gallon. I am probably going to polish this one off tonight.
Dudes, I am now 1 for 7 on schools I would like to attend that have notified IF you count the GNE I got which has yet to turn into an official decision.
You have no idea how hard it is to keep myself from calling up the GNE school and begging them for an official decision.
No idea.
Hi all,
Thought you guys might find this interesting: I've just recently put up on TSE the Five-Year Overall MFA Rankings. This is a particularly good time to link to it, I think, for the reason below.
Keeping in mind, as ever, that rankings must be used with extreme caution, I think this new ranking is interesting because it's the largest compilation of data in the history of the degree (1,000 MFA applicants participated in the poll across a five-year period) but also because its particular structure allows one to determine what percentage of the best-researched MFA applicants apply to a given program, historically, using simple math. For instance, the University of Iowa received 505 votes out of 1,000 poll participants, meaning 50.5% of all applicants applied to the Writers' Workshop; Johns Hopkins University received 134 votes, meaning that 13.4% of the applicants polled applied there; and so on.
Best of luck to everyone,
Be well,
Seth
P.S. Keep in mind that to see the most recent trends in MFA program esteem one needs to look here (the 2011 rankings).
@Eli
Thanks.
Good to be back. Glad to know I was missed. There are several missing persons.
Now, my Potter dude is in need. A walk will help me too. As you can see, writing about it ain't makin' it happen. LOL
Check in later. And I'll put on Jason J's playlist. How did he do that? I could share some tunes, if I knew how. Otherwise, maybe we can just start a list on iTunes.??
Congratulations, KP!!!
Happy Birthday A.AsturA.
Congrats to PK and everyone else with recent acceptances/waitlists from the last mailbag.
Just wondering--do programs do a lot of "notifying" over the weekends? I will be out of town this weekend, and unfortunately I won't have an internet connection. And I really doubt that I'll have cell reception--spotty at best. I can't decide whether no email, no blog, no cell and no snail-mail is going to have a calming effect or just put me over the edge. AHH
Those of you who were waitlisted by Alabama, was it for fiction or poetry?
subscribing and hoping.
Should we assume that Michigan's done notifying the acceptees?
I hate everything
@Meredith -- LOL! (I can just picture the pout)
@Meredith
I HIGHLY doubt it. With 22 slots, and only ONE notification here on the boards, I'd say they're not done.
This is my impression of myself for the past week:
(Phone buzzes)
AH! An e-mail!...mailbag...
(Phone buzzes)
AH! An e-mail!...mailbag...
(Phone buzzes)
AH! An e-mail!...mailbag...
(Phone buzzes)
AH! An e-mail!...mailbag...
How long does it take email to travel from Michigan to California (where I am)? Snail mail takes about 3-4 days. I'm thinking email is a bit faster.
@AAA - Happy Birthday! Hopefully you will hear some good news today. :)
@Seth - Thanks for the link.
@all - Two things:
1. When you subscribe to these mailbags, do you get 2000 individual emails (or whatever) per bag? If so, I have no idea how you deal with it.
2. Anyone have much experience with online workshops? I just signed up for a fiction workshop through MAR and am psyched (particularly to get my mind off the MFA application process).
Cheers!
I'd imagine a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Depending on what kind of service you're using/your connection/ if you are using a forwarding e-mail address, it could be as long as an hour. In general, I usually get email from across the country/internationally within the time it takes me to microwave water for tea.
@ YAR, I hope you're right
I still hate everything
Congrats to Trilbe and Peaquah on UMich!
@frankish - Thanks for the good wishes! I hope you're right.
Gmail clusters each mailbag into a single conversation so I get a single email every 61 messages or so.
As for the online workshop idea, I think that's a great way to spend time right now. I'd like to do that! This may be a naive question but what is MAR? Is that a thing or did you just mean you signed up for a class through March?
@AAA - Sorry, MAR is the Mid-American Review. It's the literary magazine of the Bowling Green creative writing program, if I recall correctly. The editor manages online workshops for up to twelve people. For fiction, over the course of the few months, each participant submits 3 stories or excerpts of up to 30 pages for peer and instructor review and discussion.
This is the first time I've tried an online workshop, so I'll let you know how it goes. I think Stanford and some other places also have them, but this one seemed to fit my (budget and timing) constraints best.
Cheers!
I feel so pathetic right now.
Just had to get that off my chest.
F you Champlain College. YOU DO NOT SEND ME AN ADVERTISEMENT FROM GRADUATE ADMISSIONS THIS TIME OF YEAR.
I worship Trilbe right now. So amazing!
@Woon: Hahahahaha. Excellent questions, and I'm in the same boat.
congrats, trilbe!
Hey, folks, lurker here (the fake RealTalk from a few mailbags back) - just wanted to chime in to say that I got an email from Michigan this morning, so KP is not the only blogger who was notified. No idea whether they've finished emailing people, though. Also got a call from Iowa, who I assume will be notifying others throughout the day (I was too dumbstruck to ask). Oh, and I'm fiction.
Good luck to everybody. This community's been a boon to me in these anxious times, and I sincerely wish y'all well. Real talk.
Anyone out there that hasn't heard one word from any of the programs, rejection, wait list, or acceptance?
It is driving me insaneeee.
Especially the news about Emerson. I love Emerson, and applied to the Publishing/Writing Program. Hopefully they will notify before late March. Ha, who am I kidding?
I feel ill.
Me too, YARebels. Me too.
I've been watching these proceedings with more and more dread, and less and less hope.
I just finished my phone interview with Virginia Tech. I think I did okay with all the questions except the one about whether Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan made the better James Bond. I had not seen "Quantum of Solace" and "Casino Royale" yet, so that question threw me. Just going by Pierce Brosnan's fine hair, I answered "My boy Pierce." I think the correct answer was Craig. D'Oh!
Anyway, VT received 160 applications for 7-8 slots in fiction. They're still doing interviews and we should hear from them in 2-4 weeks. (I thought someone here in this blog got an offer already? Probably their Top Top choice.)
I'm imagining beautiful mountains in Blacksburg.
Riiiight, Sam? I got one, too. I didn't even apply there, and it pissed ME off.
Trilbe,
Congratulations! Very, very happy for you!
Cheers,
Seth
Congrats KP and Trilbe on Michigan. So happy for you (and jealous).
Hope everyone gets some good news today.
Iowa AND Michigan? Damn, RealTalk, good job.
Happy birthday, A. Astur A!
Thank you, amanda and Nathaniel and beedeecee and everyone! I am stunned. I feel like I've just run a marathon. I just can't believe this is my life. This isn't my life. I'm just not this f*cking lucky!
Oh, my God, yo! Real Talk!
Greetings. I applied for 6 MFA programs for Fall 2010 but just discovered this conversation today. I've been accepted for Fiction at Chatham and also am a finalist for a Teaching Fellowship there (however that ONLY gives a living stipend, not tuition remission, and I have to spend my own money to fly to Pittsburgh for an interview). I'm definitely having stress waiting to hear about other programs I applied at with better financial deals - especially Michigan. I've been finding useful information and amusing banter here, and getting a little comfort from shared misery, but I'm also curious - do y'all think regular interaction with this blog conversation is causing you personally to be MORE or LESS stressed over the uncertainty you're experiencing? Reading your conversations I'm not always sure. Anyway, I hope you all get in your top picks and I look forward to reading your published writing some day soon.
Woon,
Re: VT. Is it possible they said 160 total apps for 7-8 total> spots? Last year they had 100 total apps and 6 total admits -- I got this directly from the program -- so while a 60% increase in apps and a slight increase in class size would make sense, what you've described would constitute (if we played the numbers out by adding in poetry in the usual ratio) a 240% increase in apps and a 250% increase in the size of the program. Thanks for the data.
Be well,
S.
congrats, realtalk!
I posted this in the last mailbag as well, but YAY TRILBE!!!
Congrats, Trilbe and RealTalk!
Even though I now feel really ill knowing that someone has been accepted to Iowa for fiction already.... Ouch.
Dandelion
More stress!
Heh, Chrissy, is it time to call yet???
@ Dandelion. That's a really good question. I would say that it's probably causing me a little more stress, but at the same time, giving me a place to focus my stress. I don't have that as much offline, even with several friends applying to grad programs in other fields. Only here can you NOT be labeled insane for applying to 17 programs.
Maybe. I'm in the grips of panic, though. I haven't decided if I should give it a second...or just do it...
Dude. DO IT.
@ Dandelion,
Probably more stressed, but I feel like I can't stay away. It's stressful when schools I applied to start notifying and I read about it on the blog. Sometimes I think, well, if I didn't read the blog, I just wouldn't know and wouldn't have to think about it so much. But I probably would still think about it, and in the end, if one of my schools is notifying I would probably rather just know.
@Seth - I didn't ask specifics. When I talked to their grad coordinator Aileen Murphy a week ago, she said 7 fiction slots out of 150 apps. (150 total or 150 fiction apps, I don't know. I did not ask. Did not care.) There were a couple of defects to Poetry and the MFA program wanted to balance the number of fiction and poetry students, so they're admitting more fiction this time. However, during the phone interview, one of the faculty members said 8 slots out of 160 apps. That's all I know and that's all I can tell you.
Congrats, Trilbe! You are such a dear to everyone on this blog when it comes to their successes — you deserve this! What a coup!
Hang in there, everyone. It's early yet.
Congratulations, Trilbe! You're hitting them out of the park! You deserve all the best for being so kind to all.
Dang.
Chrissy, you're awesome for calling all these programs. I would be way too nervous.
Longtime lurker, never commented before. But...
@SamStod
You just made my day with that self-impression. I needed the laugh -- thanks!
I too am waiting for word from UMass for fiction, among other programs, sans cuticles. I'm not sure whether checking this list on a 10-minute basis is good for my nerves (knowing others are going through the same throes of anxiety), or god-effing-awful for them (compounding my stores of anticipation and dread).
In any case, good luck to everyone out there!
I SUCKED IT UP AND CALLED!
The woman said they're still notifying people in BOTH genres.
So I guess we should hold our horses.
I'm literally shaking.
@RealTalk - Iowa AND Michigan?! God bless your fingers of gold. Of course, we all knew you were a creative genius, way back during crazy-midnight-mailbag-time!
@Seth, Philly, LauraT, sahaider, YAR -- thank you so much, y'all! Thank you so much!
@Chrissy
1. YOU ROCK.
2. AHHHHH!.
3. REFRESH.
Should I call UMass, too? I'm waiting to hear in Poetry. Should I do it?
@sigma
I'm nonfiction, but I haven't heard anything, from any school, except Bath Spa University in the UK (accepted). I'm assuming the others (schools on my list that people have heard from) are rejections...like Iowa, Hunter, and UNCW.
Best of luck! I wish Iowa could just put me out of my misery already. It just seems cruel at this point.
Virginia Tech sounds like a great program. Everyone who gets in receives full funding plus a $15k stipend for TA-ship, even if you're Bill Gates. It's not like you have to ask for it. Everyone gets it.
chrissy = the best.
also, happy birthday a. astur a. i hope you get some great news today on your day o' birth.
@Dandelion I did my undergrad at the University of Pittsburgh, and my bff just graduated from Chatham. Have you been to the campus before? B-e-a-utiful, and I must say that Pittsburgh has my heart. Besides the lack of funding, it sounds like a great deal!
Chrissy, more power to you. Why not? If you're not giving them your name, I don't see why it would hurt. Even if you did give them your name, I doubt it would affect anything.
Thank you for calling and finding out about Michigan. I love the kindness of strangers!
Thanks for calling Michigan, Chrissy - but I wish I could just let these damn horses go already!
@Trilbe
!!!!!!!!!yay!!!!!!!!!! congrats
subscribing. and near throwing up in my mouth with anxiety. wee!
Thanks Woon.
Okay, so if you're really dying to know...I called UMass, and the woman didn't know if they'd finished making calls, but she was able to check whether I was on the acceptance list. (I wasn't. Sadface.) The decisions are made, she said, she just wasn't sure if they'd finished the calls.
So, I guess you could call and ask. It's much better knowing, I think.
Happy Birthday to A. Astur A. and Laura!!!!!
So I am actually at this Census thing now thinking about how I am going to deal with the profound pain and anger that is sure to come. Anyone have any ideas?
The only people to beat up at my house are my girl and my dog, and they are off the table as far as beatings go.
Agh. An Iowa Fiction Acceptance???? (congrats @RealTalk)
i still have not heard a WORD, save for one rejection (ucb) 2 weeks ago.
anyone else feel like they are invisible????
And thanks for all the support on making phone calls. I'm really not good on the phone, but I'm just so curious and dying to know. I'm glad I do it, and I'm glad I have you all to report back to for support and well wishes.
@Chrissy,
AHHHH. Now I don't know what to do. I probably won't call... Just wait. I'm not ready to risk having my UMass hope destroyed!
I'm sorry you weren't on the list :(
sorry to hear that, chrissy. :(
Anyone NOT believe RealTalk? It seems incredulous given the drivel he/she posted a few days ago. The voice was unique though, so I guess that goes a long ways in fiction.
Yes, I feel invisible.
Currently experiencing crippling self-doubt... too bad I'm in a cubicle and cannot break down... or maybe that's a good thing.
I hope everyone receives news (hopefully good!) soon.
At least I know. I think the uncertainty hurts me more than the rejection. At least, right now it feels that way. Hopefully I'll get in somewhere. But my hopes are starting to dwindle. Who knows? I've heard all those stories of people not getting in all over the place, but then getting accepted somewhere fabulous. We'll see.
@Chrissy
Sorry you weren't on the list. I'm about to make that same phone call... I just want a concrete answer.
I am calling from a private exam room where I work, so if I get teary eyed, I can at least maintain some dignity. Ugh.
So, I have a question for you all. Does anyone here lack writer friends in real life? My attempts at making them have largely gone awry, and the only good ones I had are people I've fallen out of touch with. I'm eagerly anticipating having a social circle with actual other writers in it when I attend a program.
@Chrissy and others, same boat. I'm starting to feel a little invisible, a little uh oh, a little what if.
Trilbe,
Congratulations! You are living the dream, dear.
RealTalk,
If you are indeed a real person, Congratulations! Awesome news! But Didn't I just give you money to get your hair toes and nails done the other day?
I just need news from somewhere so I can be assured that I really did go through the application process. It is starting to feel like I imagined it all.
Michigan, please e-mail me :)
@ dandelion:
Definitely less stressed! I wouldn't waste my time reading it if it was making me MORE stressed.
It's nice to hear about other people's successes - cheers me up - and it's also nice to have a place where people understand the horrible mix of hopeful/anxious/self-doubting feelings that go with waiting to hear. And personally, I like a little heads-up about what others have been hearing from schools... I have yet to hear anything myself, but knowing I very, very likely have a rejection notification coming soon (judging by info given here) has helped me deal with it better. I think if I just got the envelope in the mail and wasn't ready for it I would be more upset. And, it's helpful to know that lots of people haven't heard very much yet, or nothing from certain programs - I think without knowing that, I would have convinced myself that every single school lost my application by now. :)
saheider, I totally understand. I will take the rejection, but give me closure. Universe, show that you know I'm here! Or if not the universe, at least Michigan!!
Woon,
No original voice. Just R Kelly lyrics.
jasmine, i also lack writer friends/support in real life and it's one of the reasons i'd be thrilled to get into a program. which is not looking so hopeful right now.
@Ashley Brooke -- that video was unwatchable.
@ Trilbe - wow you rock! Congratulations!
Your choices are so extreme - North vs. South. I wonder who will win. Perhaps I overdramatize.
@ RealTalk - Congratulations on two big admits!
You should try to bring fake realtalk w you wherever you go.
Just got a call from the Stonecoast low-res program (University of Southern Maine) -- accepted for fiction!
UMass-Reject
but there's closure and that's something. Expected. But still sucks.
Anyone wanna share a glass of late afternoon wine? haha
beedeecee,
It ain't over till the fat lady sings. And she won't sing, I think, for over a month. I have high hopes for everyone on this blog, even if they don't.
Congrats, smiling raindrops!
Ooh, and forgot to say congrats to the others, so: CONGRATS!!! :D
Also, subscribing.
congratulations, smiling raindrops!
thanks, jasmine. so trying not to be a debbie downer and obviously not succeeding. :)
Woon,
It has nothing on Trapped in the Closet. This is my favorite chapter.
Bitch move! She moves!
Has anyone tried to check their application status online at Iowa? I'm wondering if they've changed those.
Congrats Smiling Raindrops!
So many of my schools notifying today (UMASS, Michigan, Stonecoast) and not a peep over here...
Huge congrats to all of the acceptances!!!
@Chrissy
You are so brave for making all of those phone calls! I think I might have to just suck it up and call UMass so that I can be officially rejected and won't have to wait any longer. Did you just call the graduate admissions office (number at the bottom of the Spire page)? Thanks for your help!!
I wish Michigan would tell us over the phone *pout*
@Sarah Nope, I called the MFA program. 413-545-0643
Congrats to everyone who has heard today!
I became JustanotherMichenerReject today.
All I have to say is for making me wait this long there should have at least been a few more sparkles.
Trilbe and RealTalk - congrats! That is such great news!
@Ashley Brooke
That was totally the chapter I was thinking of before I clicked your link.
What I think these programs need is to pick a day when they all notify so you can have one really crappy day, and then maybe a weekend to move on.
All this up and down, and hopeful, and anxious nonsense is not good for us!
@Frankish
The MAR thing sounds like a good time...a little pricey (but the fee seems on par with other programs). Did you apply to BGSU? I did...would it be weird for me to take their online workshop?
Congrats to people who are accepted and/or wait listed. Then again, I think the universe has already congratulated you...so who cares what I have to say?
Congrats to Smiling Raindrops and anybody else I may have missed who was accepted today! Jealoussss! :)
I recommend the marimba/thumb piano music being played right now on WFMU (listen at wfmu.org - streams at top) as very soothing for the nerves.
It's my birthday too! Happy birthday, A. Astur A!
Does anyone know anything about VA Tech for poetry? I don't think any acceptances have been reported...have any poets had interviews?
Does anyone know if Michigan notifies the rejections by email? I'm assuming I was rejected (I teach probability and statistics so I've always assumed I won't get in anywhere LOL). I just want to know 100% that the math is correct.
~Aubs
Hey awesome, Laura! Here's our horoscope from the LA Times:
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): You'll get your moment to shine, and you won't have to fight for it, either.
Today's birthday (Feb. 19): You will show the world that there's even more to you. You increase your self-discipline and become stronger emotionally, physically and financially. March brings a new and influential friend into your life. Your lucky numbers are 10, 3, 33, 21 and 49.
Sounds pretty good, right?
I'm gonna take a break from here and go make my first batch of "Nobody Wants Me, Everybody Hates Me" Snickerdoodles.
I checked my app status for Iowa online. it said "in progress". Yeah right. I can assumed that means rejected.
This is the worst day. The worst.
I would also be interested to know if Michigan notifies rejections through e-mail.
Jamie! Some more WFMU love over here! I love that station and I know some of the people who work there - awesome folks. I mean, how cool is a radio station where Jeff Mangum had a show for a while??
Sorry for the non-MFA interruption - but things are silent over here for me today too.
Congrats to Peaquah and Trilbe for their acceptances at Michigan! That's great news.
Congrats to SmilingRaindrops for Stonecoast. And congrats to everyone else I missed.
Thanks Sam!
By the way, I am a Madam - not a Sir. :-)
Yup my Iowa says "In progress"
anyone else have anything different?
@burlaper - dude(tte)! I am more or less ALIVE thanks to WFMU.
The African stuff is done, but there's some kind of chillout mixing going on...
My Iowa (fiction) online status says "in progress" as well.
is there just the one fiction acceptance so far for iowa?
To the Michener people:
If your online status says "We've received your application and are currently reviewing it," does that mean it's been forwarded to committee? Or when it gets forwarded to committee does your status say specifically, "Your materials have been forwarded to committee."
Also! Waitlisted at Alabama in fiction. Almost exploded with delight. Their email was very sweet. Anyone accepted or waitlisted at Alabama (in fiction) -- where is it on your list, if you're willing to say? (As in... first choice, second choice, fifth choice, etc.)
Major congratulations to EVERYONE who's been hearing good news over the past couple weeks. So much of it!
I'm trying to limit my time on here and just check once a day at like 3am. I've pretty much returned to lurking status, since by the time I'm ready to respond to anything there are always hundreds of messages already burying it, but know that I'm rooting for you all! Or most of you, at least.
Pretty sure Michigan just sends you a letter. I was waitlisted there in 2007 (by letter as well, actually) and didn't hear anything for a long time; I finally wrote the dept and they told me all spots had been filled. But eventually, a letter of rejection came crawling through the post. So agonizingly slow in a world of instant gratification!
OK something is seriously wrong with me. I am about to eat lunch, which includes an orange. I was just shaking it before peeling it. really. seriously. something is wrong in my life.
Dandelion, the blogging is more stressful I think, but it's an addiction. The intermittent positive reinforcement is impossible to walk away from. If you are still here to read this, you are now one of us. WELCOME!
I gave in and made the call to UMASS. Rejected. Blah.
Congrats on your Alabama waitlist.
Re: Michigan
I think last year they notified all acceptances on the same day via email. I think they also notified a lot of their waitlistees on the same day as the acceptances. That could be wrong. I'm basing it on previous posts.
@Trilbe Congrats on the acceptances -
@A.Astur.A - Happy Birthday
@Realtalk - Iowa wow wow wow wow congrats....
So I had this brilliant idea to start a fast this week and I've got to say that with Michigan notifications happening, IT'S NOT GOING WELL. Michigan, you are not welcome here on my Day 2.
I'm trying to tell myself that it is still early in the day and Michigan might still e-mail me.
Hope is fading.
Sorry, my post should have said, "Congrats to Charles for your Alabama waitlist."
I called UNCW and asked when they will be notifying fiction applicants. They told me they had notified the first round of poetry and CNF applicants (yesterday) but are still in the process of making fiction decisions. They will not be notifying today.
Even if that's what Michigan did last year, it does not mean that's what they'll do this year.
@Trilbe, KP, and RealTalk-- CONGRATS!
@Charles (Michelle too, I suppose) -- I was waitlisted in fiction at 'Bama... it has always been in my top four, and of those, there is no clear winner. [Others being Michener, Vanderbilt (assumed rejection), and LSU].
@Coughdrop -- Damn. Sorry comps buddy.
sahaider SAME.
My Iowa status says: "Who are you kidding?"
Anyone else get this message?
@ Real Talk
Congrats on two biggies!
@ Trilbe
Alabama and Michigan?!! I guess the people you told that you were rejected a couple of weeks ago are not entirely confused haha
@ Frankish/Lucas
re: MAR/Online Workshops
I highly recommend the Mid-American Review workshop (I did it twice). Michael Czyzniejewski is an awesome writer and workshop leader. I think online workshops have a lot of advantages and disadvantages compared to in-person workshops (i.e. a record of conversations, well-thought out responses, sometimes more of a focus on the micro vs. macro, less fear to be honest with your fellow writers, a unique group dynamic etc.). Compared to a lot of other online workshops, MAR is actually a great deal. You get to workshop 3 stories whereas most other online courses (i.e. Stanford, Wisconsin, Gotham) often limit you to 1 story or to a ridiculously low word count (for those of you that write avg. length 3-5k word stories). You also get a year subscription to the Mid-American Review as part of your fee.
@ Jasmine/Beedee
re: writing friends
Getting involved with online writers communities and blogs (i.e. HTML Giant, Zoetrope, Fictionaut etc.) and submitting work for publication/getting published can help with the writer friends front. You'll eventually meet some of these people in real life (at conferences, workshops etc) and will run across their work. Writers spend a lot of time in front of a computer so it only makes sense that a lot of relationships stem from online communities/ keep real world writer friendships active. And I'm not just talking about new writers here. Folks with multiple books and national/international awards still hang out at blogs and online communities for advice, support, feedback and b/c they value the connections they've made.
@ A. Astur
Happy Birthday!
@ Woon: HA!
@MFA Guy my Iowa page too says 'In Progress' damn they should just mention what it is - REJECTED ....AAAH
Nathaniel, I guess we appreciate the same moments.
Laura, Happy birthday!
Charles, congratulations!
Thanks Ashley for the UNCW news.
Jeez, this blog is so hard to keep up with!
From like 300 posts back, thanks to Trilbe and everyone else for so much positive support/congrats. I'm stoked.
To everyone waitlisted at Minnesota: best of luck! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and sending good luck vibes your way.
And that goes for everyone on here! I hope we all get exactly what we're hoping for.
Also, I can't keep it straight, but if anybody has questions about Portland State, Oregon State, or U Oregon, I did my undergrad at Oregon State and I can give you a pretty good idea of what it's like to live here, so don't be afraid to ask... although I can't promise I'll catch your post because this blog moves so fast!
Anyways, good luck everyone!
PS: And a huge CONGRATS to everyone who's been accepted somewhere!
Thanks Gena! I feel a little strung along but whatevs.
and did I see that you had passed your comps as well?? CONGRATS! paaaaaaarty for us!
@RealTalk
Does your status in the Iowa ISIS system also indicate your acceptance?
I just called UMass as well. REJECT
@ Woon
My Iowa status message just changed when I refreshed, to:
"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."
WTF!
WHAT! It's just a crummy commercial, Jamie! What a rip-off!
They still sell Ovaltine? I thought it was gone after the 1990s.
thanks, WT. i was sort of involved in an unofficial writer's community a while back, but i don't think it was the right one for me. still, i know it takes some work to find the right one(s) and i'm willing to do that. especially if i have another year to work on my writing before reapplying to programs. ahem.
@Real Talk you got an email from Iowa or a phone call??
I'm completely with you, but it's funny to see "Michigan" in so many posts today. My poor little state hasn't seen this much longing since...exactly a year ago in this exact spot, I guess.
Just called Iowa.
Me: Is it possible for you to tell me if I've been rejected?
Iowa: No. (Hangs up.)
WOW.
no news. 16 schools. not even a BNE. someone put me out of my misery.
CAA,
Don't take it personally. I'm sure the person that picked up is overwhelmed with the million and one calls that are probably coming in. People in admissions offices should be gracious in the summer and the fall but they have every right to be a bit testy in the spring haha.
CAA,
Don't take it personally. I'm sure the person that picked up is overwhelmed with the million and one calls that are probably coming in. People in admissions offices should be gracious in the summer and the fall but they have every right to be a bit testy in the spring haha.
Phone call. Accepted into Iowa for Poetry. Best wishes for everyone!
-M.
Jamie, I think you are my new internet BFF.
Congratulations to everyone on the good news. Wow! What a week, huh?
M. Johnson - huge congrats! That is terribly exciting.
For V.Tech people, they said further interviews will be done in the upcoming weeks.
Oh man, congrats to Iowa and Michigan acceptees! So wonderful.
CONGRATS M. Johnson! That's awesome!
@M Johnson congratulations - this is huge - congrats once more and best of luck...
@MFAguy
Thanks for the update on VT! I was getting nervous (and obsessively checking email/phone).
Does any one know till when will Iowa be notifying acceptances, I mean when do we expect the rejections to follow??
So many congratulations to Abbie, RealTalk, Trilbe, Raindrops... I'm sorry, I know I am missing people. Consider it a collective congratulations that covers everybody!
congratulations, m. johnson!
@Dandelion
The blog stresses me out at times, but I just take breaks when I need to pull back from the frenzy. But I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel like we mostly validate each others' realities. Nobody gets this process like others in MFA acceptance limbo do. Plus, we have the opportunity to start making friends before we even get to school, which is nice. Good luck!
Still no word on Colorado for fiction? I'm hoping that's good news--that they haven't gone out--please tell me no one has heard yet.
(I've been lurking, but in case I get that much-hoped-for acceptance, I don't want my shrieking to be my first post.)
I think it's time to call Michigan again and ask if they've finished notifying people, and/or when they'll be done. Anybody up for doing it? I don't think I could handle it.
In honor of the Iowa & Michigan notifications, I made "Under Pressure" my ringtone. Today it's funny, tomorrow it will probably make me cry.
@Chrissy
I want to but calling Amherst was brutal enough today. Dying to know about Mich too.
@Dandelion
I love this blog because it reminds me that I'm not the only person going crazy during this process.
Today, though, I hate this blog, because I feel my Iowa and Michigan dreams slipping away, and I'm inching closer to facing the likelihood that I will have to figure out a Plan B after all. Today sucks.
@Chrissy
What's the number?
@YARebels 734-763-4139
@YARebels and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Just called Michigan--they're done notifying.
Sorry guys.
@scomp
Thanks.
And booooo :(
Bakery time?
waitlistings too or just acceptances?
And now I descend into ever-present sadness.
Acceptances
Anyone out there still in Wisconsin-Madison limbo? Any updates on the shortlist? I could really use some good news about now.
Now I descend into vehement cursing.
@scomp.
Bakery Time. For real.
And.... cue the breaking of my fast. Eggs benny here I come.
@M. Swann - I'm still waiting on Wisconsin with you. Figuring out my Plan B in the meantime.
I volunteer to call one (1) school that I did not apply to. Somebody suggest a school.
yo i'm serious. this could happen. this is how it's done too to build a community.
Michigan, I regret to inform you that your rejection will not affect me in the least. Thanks for your consideration.
All the best,
Ali
@ Ashley: UC Boulder? Anyone else dying for more info on that one?
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