Friday, March 05, 2010

One more mailbag....Friday, March 5, 2010

Let 'em rip.

2,265 comments:

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frankish said...

@Trilbe & sh (and any I missed) - Congrats on the acceptances. Great news!

Cheers!

frankish said...

@Trilbe & sh (and any I missed) - Congrats on the acceptances. Great news!

Cheers!

frankish said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emily X.R. Pan said...

sh,

Do you think you'll go to NYU? I'm also in for fiction. Feel free to email me to discuss:

smilingdropsofrain [at] gmail [dot] com

Melissa said...

I got a call from NYU about an hour ago and am in for fiction! Friday nights are no longer safe from acceptance anxiety.

Emily X.R. Pan said...

Forgot to put in my daily congrats to everyone who's had good news!!! And to everyone who's still waiting, hang in there!! It'll happen for you!

Ashley Brooke said...

@frankish
Congrats on Houston! My godddd, you're in the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ dolla dolla billz yall.

Emily X.R. Pan said...

Ahhh, Melissa, drop me a line if you want to chat about NYU!

smilingdropsofrain [at] gmail [dot] com

Kendra said...

@ frankish and trilbe - congratulations to both of you! Very exciting.

re: Alaska - I totally get it. I grew up in Alaska and would have put Fairbanks on my list except for the one bothersome fact that there is *no chance* of teaching creative writing. I emailed them to ask, and they said that TAs only teach comp. I still think that's great teaching experience, but I just wanted there to be a chance (however small) that I could teach CW. Go Alaska adventurers! I'm sure it will fuel your writing in amazing ways.

@ Jacquelin S. - I'm a little late on responding to your questions about preparing applications, sorry - hope you're still reading. I had my husband look over my SOP, and I did a couple of revisions, but then called it good. It's not the greatest SOP ever, and if I had to do it over I would do it differently (of course) but it was direct and I got in all the bits I wanted. I submitted two stories with most of my applications. One of the stories I submitted was published last summer, and the other was one I'd been working on for awhile (that was accepted for publication the day before I got my Wisconsin rejection - ha, Wisconsin, ha!).

I had my husband, sister, and grandpa look at both stories (he's a great reader) and he helped me revise them. The best advice I got from one of my profs at undergrad was to learn how to edit your own work - and I've been really trying to get better at that. I let stories sit for a long time and I edit, then they sit again, and then I edit again. By the time applications rolled around I'd been working on the stories for a long time, and I knew I wouldn't look at them again after the application cycle and wonder what I'd been thinking. I got into Michigan. I hope that helps you! If you have more specific questions I'd be happy to take a stab at them.

Ashley Brooke said...

Boise,
Albuquerque is an offbeat town. I have visited only once by mistake (long story short: I was 18 and got kicked off greyhound bus) so I can't give you any specific recommendations. It has a sort of sleepy appeal and I actually visited UNM to use their library. I remember there was a pond. I ate at a vegetarian restaurant across the street. The bus was cheap. This was about 5 years ago but in the area I stayed there were a lot of boarded up businesses and a lot of the places there were open looked closed. I think it would be a cool place to live or explore further, but it had a definite personality to it that was very different from what I'm used to in the midwest.

@DigAPony, sh, Melissa, and anybody I've missed over the last few days-
CONGRATS! radness.

Ashley Brooke said...

Also I stayed on Historic Route 66 which was pretty cool and I imagine if I lived there would be ideal for spontaneous road trips. I can't remember why I didn't apply to UNM (was it funding?) but I'm starting to wish I had!

Unknown said...

Congrats, frankish! I'm glad that you got such great news. I just moved from Houston - it's a great city :)

Unknown said...

I probably should have added that I moved despite it's greatness, seeing as how my previous comment may seem slightly contradictory. haha

frankish said...

@Maslo - That's really interesting. I really like the program and thought In the Shadows of the Sun by Alex Parsons, so I'm psyched. But everyone has been telling me that Houston is miserable. One Texan said if he owned Hell and Houston, he'd rent out Houston and live in Hell. Maybe you could drop me an email and I could ask a few questions? tota at thinktankfilms dot com. :D

Cheers!

scomp said...

i also got the call from nyu. i got in. rejected everywhere else. i can't believe it.

capped tooth said...

Hello all! Anybody have news about fiction notifications for Rutgers-Newark?

I've seen a few posts about acceptances via phone call. Has any Newark applicant received a rejection? If so, did it arrive via snail mail, email, or change in online status?

I've heard nothing from Rutgersl, so I'm feeling a bit nervous, considering the first acceptance happened on 2/24 (as listed on Driftless House)...

Anyway, a big congratulations to all those who've been admitted! And best of luck to all applicants. May the "March Radness" continue! :)

Alyson Greene said...

Congrats @Frankish!!!
And @Melissa and everyone else who has gotten good new lately!

many many birdies said...

I know I've said this before, but I want to chime in with everyone about how differently they would have done their application process if they had found this blog sooner!

I wish there was a way to get the word out there. Even though I've had friends who have applied for and gotten into MFA programs, none of them were able to share with me the kind of information I've found here.

Sarah said...

@Frankish and sh, congrats!! So happy for both of you! :)

Unknown said...

@scomp! Congratulations! Love hearing the all-or-nothing stories of success. As long as they're success. ~_^.

Lizzie said...

I got a call at 9:00pm that I've been accepted to NYU in poetry (half tuition remission both years, and a teaching position my second year)!!

This is my first acceptance and I am so excited!

Unknown said...

@peaquah, thanks for filling us in on your application process. Awesome to hear Michigan loves you!
@Melissa, smiling raindrops, sh, scomp, Lizzie, and all NYU acceptances, congratulations!!!

laura said...

@Lizzie

Lucky, lucky girl! So jealous. :-D Congrats.

Unknown said...

almost forgot, congrats Trilbe!

Ian said...

@Mary

Congratulations on your MSU Moorhead acceptance! Fellow fiction acceptance holder here. I'd love to get in contact, maybe swap samples and discuss the program? I know nothing about it other than what I found on the website.

Drop me a line, iantcouch [at] gmail

Franny said...

Frankish: I said it on Driftless House, but CONGRATS! I can't take it! I'm so happy for you!

Ali Haider said...

@frankish Congrats on Houston! You have been excellent throughout this whole process and it makes me smile to hear that you got into one of the better programs. My gf and I love visiting Houston. It is a great town!

Unknown said...

Congrats, Frankish!

Andrea said...

Fuck yeah, NYU people! That was my dream school for undergrad, before I understood things like money.

In all seriousness, congratulations. On a side note, I reaaaallllly enjoy my Friday night tequila. Really.

Ali Haider said...

@Trilbe I forgot your congratulations as well - congrats! You are very deserving of all good news. I'm glad to hear of such good people from this blog getting such good news.

scomp said...

thanks so much everyone! i could not have made it through this process without you!

Elissa Cahn said...

MB Wells,

I live in Chicago, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the city. I e-mailed a grad admissions person today to see about visiting. I'll be curious to hear your impressions when you visit CC!

Congratulations to Frankish, Trilbe, all the NYU acceptees, and everyone else whom I may have forgotten but am very happy for nonetheless!

burlaper said...

Got my Cornell rejection letter in the mail, and just got a rejection email from Purdue at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Impressive! Notification night owls!

Congratulations to everyone hearing good news! It does cheer the heart to hear of the happiness and excitement.

Kevin said...

Yikes! Look at all these comments.

I was on the Driftless House blog for the MFA info, but it looks like I should've also been looking here.

I'm REALLY curious about Irvine and SFSU. The Driftless House Blog states that people's already heard from them, but everyone who calls/emails these programs all get the "we haven't made decision" responses. It's driving me nuts!

On a positive note, I've been accepted to U of San Fran and CA College of the Arts for fiction.

Emma said...

@ Frankish --

congratulations on Houston! That is kickass.

You don't, by any chance, know if they've finished notifying all fiction applicants, do you? Oh please Houston, come on, come on...

Unknown said...

@Kevin

I agree! I'm going crazy here! I applied to Irvine, Houston, SFSU, NYU and UC Davis ALL of which have started notifying but NONE of which claim to have looked at my application yet!

Jasmine Sawers said...

Rejection round up: in addition to UMass Amherst, Iowa and Brown, I got Michigan last week, Cornell yesterday (breaking my dad's cold, Ithaca 'n' Ivy-loving little heart) and Purdue this morning. Waiting on the let-her-down-easys from OSU and Minnesota. Penn State is inching toward that pile, too.

Hilary Dobel said...

Congrats to sh, scomp, and Lizzie for NYU!

@Jasmine, don't give up hope, yet! I'm still holding on... (Come on BU and Columbia, come onnnnnnn...)

Antalya said...

@frankish
Congratulations on Houston! I've never lived there but we visit a couple of times a year because we have one relative and one close friend that live there. They are seriously like an hour apart, and they're both in the city. I think it would be difficult to live there without a car.

I think the reason people get conflicting information about Houston is because both sides are true. It's a city of neighborhoods and they all have such different personalities that an impression of Houston could be easily shaped without having the whole picture. To me, the worst thing about Houston are the subdivisions, and maybe the August heat. But I have a pro-Houston bias I think, because I read so many Larry McMurtry novels in my teens...

On a side note about the university itself, when I worked in San Antonio, I worked with a lot of Turkish people who had graduated from U of H, and they told me it was the single most culturally diverse campus in the country. As a bonus, some of my friends invited me to Turkey with them - it was an incredible experience to stay with families in Istanbul and Izmir...

Cratty said...

I'm incredibly late to the party, but - CONGRATS, Frankish. You've been unaccountably calm throughout this process. As you can tell, many people on here were waiting for good things to come your way. Good on ya.

Jasmine Sawers said...

Hilary,

No worries, no hope abandoned. Just full disclosure. Waiting on a couple more schools, savoring my one acceptance.

Anonymous said...

I've been off of here for a couple of days. Quite a few new acceptances! Congrats to all of you!

Best,
Aaron

Leslie said...

captooth--I have the same questions about Rutgers Newark. There was that notification on DH for 2/24, but little since in fiction. I think somewhere said here they got a rejection letter around that time, but that's all I've heard. My status still says No Decision. I got up my nerve to email to ask if they were done with acceptances/waitlists, etc.,
but got no answer back. Sigh.

Leslie said...

sorry, "capped tooth" not "captooth"

Trilbe said...

Happy Saturday, rad people! Huge, well-earned congratulations to frankish for being so calm and lovely through the carnage -- and also for pulling f*ing HOUSTON! And love to scomp for pulling off a happy ending! I know my phrasing sounds a bit sleazy, there. And I'm actually quite proud of that... ;-D Congrats @Lizzie & Melissa & smiling raindrops & Mary & DigAPony (who's rockin radness to the extreme) & especially @sh for pulling a badass two-fer! you did it, you guys! As we say on da Sout Side a Chicago, Ya made it! Yer goin ta da show, folks!

Anonymous said...

Trilbe, Frankish, scomp, sh, everyone else that's been accepted! SO FABULOUS! I love great news in March. Seems so springy.

Anonymous said...

@Houston - NO, GODDAMNIT, NO! How could you do me this way?

Trilbe said...

@Jasmine - I totally feel you on the dad issue. My poor daddy is DEVASTATED because I didn't get into Iowa. Devastated. I'm going to have to get him a present to cheer him up. The thing is, I'm not at all upset about getting rejected by Iowa!

When I put together my list, I did a ton of research on programs and in doing so, I fell in love with some aspect of each of the programs that I chose to apply to -- except Iowa and Michener. Honestly, I applied to Iowa and Michener without doing any research because, you know, they're Iowa and Michener. And I never really figured I'd get in to either of them, anyway. So I never really got attached. My dad, on the other hand, has read that Iowa is the place. That every famous writer comes from Iowa. He's convinced that the only way I can survive as a poet is by going to Iowa. My dad's Haitian and there's kind of a cultural belief that: a.) we have to be the undisputed best or people (white people, rich people, Americans) won't take us seriously, and b.) distinguished brand names are always the best.

My dad's initial response to our rejection from Iowa, Can Josh (my adviser, who is an IWW alum), um, can Josh call someone and straighten this out? So I remind him that I've been accepted to some really wonderful programs. To which he responds, Can we reapply next year?

I should also mention that my dad likes to give me line edits on poems. He's not exactly a stage dad, he honestly thinks he's helping. His edits generally point out "missed opportunities" to rhyme. He understands that poems don't need to rhyme, but he strongly believes that always enhances. So I'm pretty sure he's back home, in Chicago, trying to put more music into my writing sample -- "for Iowa next year."

He's completely insane! But I love him. His obsession with achievment can be frustrating, but without it he wouldn't have been able to escape the poorest country in our hemisphere and then raise three kids, who will all get advanced degrees from "distinguished, brand name" institutions.

I hope my dad makes you laugh this Saturday as much as he makes me laugh everyday!

amanda said...

Hello all! I'm adding forums for specific schools on MFA Limbo. Thought it would be a good way to cull information and touch base with our fellow admits without having to sift through PW. If you still need an invite to the site, shoot me an email.

mandasue at gmail dot com

Ali Haider said...

@Trilbe My dad is Pakistani and much the same way when it comes to brand name recognition. He keeps asking whether or not I have any other programs left to notify me. He's a silly.

Anonymous said...

@Trilbe,
You dad sounds absolutely wonderful. My dad just pretends that I'm doing something "meaningful" with my life and consistently refers to my creative writing BA as "a solid English background" (never the dreaded w-word). Ahem. I have learned to grow comfy in my skin, and still love my dad at the same time. :)

frankish said...

Thanks, everyone. Those are very kind things to say. Needless to say, I'm pulling for everyone to get into a program they love. And, Trilbe, wow...you've been knocking it out of the park. Obviously, we've never met, but I have the feeling you and your writing will blossom even more fully at some of those programs than you might have at Iowa. Congrats!

@Emma (and anyone else wondering about Houston) - I don't know if they have finished notifying acceptances but do know that they just started. A faculty member called me last night, and (as I wasn't around) I'll give him a call back today. Earlier in the week, he had indicated that they would be meeting this week to make decisions, so last night may have been the first time available to notify. Also, the school is on spring break for this coming week, so it's possible that faculty calls will be made during that time. I'll ask, though, and let you know what I find out.

Good luck!

Coughka said...

Do we think NYU's finished notifying fiction/poetry acceptances? Are the eight here representative of the 40-ish they admit? Is it just the wait-list now? Or will we hear more in the next week (even if the next week is NYU's spring break)? NYU is my last reasonable hope (can't afford Columbia; should have spent their outrageous app fee applying to two funded schools).

Morgan said...

Frankish Congrats!! Houston is an awesome, awesome program. Way to go!!!

cecil peoples said...

does VCFA give out any funding? i'm having trouble finding an answer and the website seems to primarily address financial aid, which usually isn't a good sign.

Emily X.R. Pan said...

@ cecil,

Sadly VCFA doesn't have much funding to offer (my guess is even the people who get scholarships only receive a couple thousand, max), and I believe they've already given all of it out. Sucks, I know.

Hannah said...

congrats to Frankish and all recent acceptees!!

cecil peoples said...

blah.

i like trees. vermont has lotsa trees.

TR said...

@ M. Swann

I contacted NYU yesterday; they said they will be contacting people over the next few weeks...they are continuing to review applications. Also, for anyone who applied to Vanderbilt, it sounds as if they'll be making second/final notices in about a week.

Juliana Paslay said...

second?? does second mean hope? probably not right? second means rejection yes?

Well. At least we'll hear something.

TR said...

@Coughdrop

The woman I spoke with made it seem like they still had good news to deliver, but the person who usually handles MFA notices will be out until the end of next week. Either way, like you said, we'll be getting some sort of news.

Jasmine Sawers said...

Trilbe:

re: Dads

My dad's just a white Ivy league snob: Georgetown for undergrad, Harvard for law, likes to make fun of schools I've been to/got into.

Fact: He took my friend and me to visit Cornell when we were looking at undergrads. He should have gone when he was in undergrad instead of Georgetown, which he hated, and he did end up spending a lot of time in Ithaca on his BFF's couch during his slacker/drop out stage. He knew all this shit about Exra Cornell, including that he stipulated that "dogs run free" on Cornell campus in his estate. So we're going on this tour of the campus and suddenly my dad interrupts the guide and says,

"Listen. Do dogs run free?" in all seriousness.

The poor kid just stared at him. In the end, my dad was very disappointed to find out Cornellies were not allowing dogs to run free. My friend applied early decision and got her bachelors and masters in engineering, whereas I broke my dad's heart the first time by not applying at all. Before anyone asks, yes, my life plan is to mooch off my engineer friend and live on her couch saying "But I'm an artist!"

Woon said...

@Jasmine - loved that story! Dogs run free! LOL!

Jasmine Sawers said...

Woon:

My dad is a source of much inside-jokery between me and my hometown friends. He has many quotable lines, and "do dogs run free?" is definitely one of them.

Jasmine Sawers said...

Also, this should allow comment editing so I don't look like an ass managing to spell Ezra wrong.

Woon said...

@Jasmine -- yes, I hate blog formats. But what can I do? All the traffic is here.

Saturday morning. Time for jog with the doggies.

Jacqueline Stephens said...

Cornell rejection arrived.

March is almost over.

Hark! Is that the melodious voice of a rubenesque gal?

Unknown said...

@ Tara - thanks for the NYU info! (and Vandy? shoot, I thought they were long done...)

Courtney said...

Trilbe and Jasmine=-thank you for the Dad stories! Definitely had me giggling. Dads are the best.
Mine is so happy and proud of me for my acceptances. He's not much of a reader, so I haven't bothered sending him any of my fiction. He did send me an email last week that said "So, what are these stories about, exactly? Anyone in them I might recognize...?" Haha!
He's starting to worry that these stories getting all this attention might be about him. ;-)

No worries, Dad!

Chelsea said...

Just got off the phone with David Trinidad from Columbia College..

IN FOR POETRY.

My boyfriend said I was using my high pitched "I don't know you but I'm excited voice"

Haha oh well. No funding; no surprise there.

Congrats to all who've heard this week. Big, big March radness. But it isn't over yet for all those still waiting.

C'mon UNCG!!

inkli__11 said...

congratulations, chelsea!!

does columbia college give anyone full tuition waivers?

Elissa Cahn said...

These dad stories are hilarious!

Folks who heard from Purdue- did you apply in fiction or poetry?

Chelsea said...

@inkli

Thank you! In truth, I didn't get that impression about any waivers.

David sounded disappointed about the lack of aid but offered to put me in touch with students who work PT jobs and take classes at night to help make my decision.

He kept asking if I had any questions and I, of course, couldn't get my brain to process much of anything.

If I hear anything different..I'll be sure to post here!

Ena said...

Congratulations to everyone who got accepted or waitlisted today...it's been such a stressful few weeks.

Are there any poetry people who got into Houston? I just want to know what the chances are that my boyfriend will get off the waitlist and get into Houston with me. I'll even trade you my Michigan and Maryland spots! jk! (but really, I would).

Anyway, good luck to everyone, they still notify on weekends!

Ena said...

Houston in poetry, that is.

whynotbecause said...

@ Ena

Are you saying that Houston has notified it's poetry acceptances and waitlisters already?

Ena said...

@whynotbecause

well, my BF and I were admitted today by email, but I'm pretty sure they just started.

As an aside, our deadline to respond is March 25. wtf??

Anonymous said...

Waitlisted at Houston! Better than rejection, I suppose.

Hannah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Otkuda said...

Received my very nicely worded rejection from TNS. Read it once; crumpled it up into a ball; uncrumpled it and read it again. Burnt it. Unfortunately, I also burnt the tip of my finger in the process.

I've always found people who save their rejections...wonky. *heads off in search of a band-aid*

Nadiya said...

@Trilbe, Frankish, sh and everyone else with good news, way to go!!

James Cooney said...

Congratulations all new acceptances!

@ Trilbe

I loved that account of your father. So touching. Thank you. I'm glad you can see his concern both as an act of love but also as incongruent with your true needs as a writer. My own father has always been flexibly supportive of me academically, but is endearingly misguided in other ways. In fact, misguided fatherly love was the inspiration for my writing sample -- not that it's serving me so well right now.

Courtney said...

I love the word wonky!

Nadiya said...

@Chris, thanks. One of the stories in my sample is available online, so I'll just give you a link to that one - http://www.gulfcoastmag.org/index.php?n=3&si=7&s=587

The other one you can find in this anthology: http://www.amazon.com/One-World-global-anthology-stories/dp/1906523134

(Not because it has my story in it, but I do think this is a wonderful collection of short stories)

Also, thank you for wanting to take the time to read my stories. :-)

Hilary Dobel said...

@Jasmine, I totally forgot you had an acceptance under your belt *slaps side of face* Savor away!

Hilary Dobel said...

@Trilbe, sahaider, and Jasmine - I love the dad stories! My dad is still mourning my decision not to go to medical school (loooong story) but he still offered to go "talk to people" (in his scary, scary way) at Iowa and Michigan when I didn't get in. And I love him so!

Laura said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laura said...

@ G, re: waitlist etiquette

When I got a waitlist email, I wrote back, said thank you for considering my application and that I was glad to have made it as far as the waitlist, and then asked if they could tell me how many people were on the list and where my place was on it, and if any funding would be available for those accepted off the waitlist. Also it would be a good idea to ask when they plan to notify waitlisters of their final status, if it'll be before or after April 15, etc.

Laura said...

re: Dad stories

Everyone's dad stories are so funny and endearing. :) My dad is convinced that the schools that rejected me only did so because I don't "know someone" there. He went on about that's how the world works, you have to "know a guy," and that the people who got accepted to Syracuse, Cornell, etc. probably have an "inside connection." I tried to tell him that's not really how it works, that the schools that rejected me just didn't like my writing sample, but he wouldn't hear it!

Leslie said...

I love all the dad stories, too. I lost my dad when I was fourteen, which was, um, more than 35 years ago. But he's the subject of my first (and only) published story, so he still plays a part in my writing history.

Unknown said...

@ Laura T

My mom has been saying the same thing, from the beginning! She insists, with unapologetic condescension, that I'm naive to think it works any other way. I've tried dozens of different explanations to convince her otherwise, to no avail. In a way, I love her for so thoroughly "believing in me"... it's sort of cute, if not also somewhat... terrible. Oh parents, so silly!

Sequoia N said...

My dad:
(This phone conversation never happened but it easily could have)

Me: "I'm applying to MFA programs."

Him: "Hmm?"

Me: Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Him: "Huh. What's it cost?"

Me: "Nothing, I'm applying to fully funded programs."

Him: "There's a lot of nudity in this movie I'm watching . . . it's called . . ."

Me: "Yeah, the love scenes in that are pretty epic."

Him: "I saw midget today."

Me: "I think the term is Little People."

And it goes on . . .

ceruleanblue said...

Just got a snail mail rejection from UC Irvine. I live in LA, so that's probably why it arrived so fast. I'm Fiction, by the way.

Jarsh said...

I have a new response to the question: "What are you gonna do with an arts degree?"

"I plan on teaching art therapy to depressed zoo elephants"

Sequoia N said...

Jarsh,

A good reply to that question is:

"What did you do with your degree?" That'll make a good chunk of people shut up.

Otkuda said...

@ Jarsh: I get tired of people asking me that question too.

Completely random, but your comment reminded me of this photo:

"Brooklyn Zoo and Step On It!"

Rosie said...

Did anyone else receive their acceptance packet from Emerson today? Mine came, and there's no mention of funding. Just an invitation to attend an open house, where someone will do a presentation about financial aid. (Which I can't attend.)

I'm guessing this means I didn't get a fellowship of any kind? I mean, they would've mentioned that, right? HAHA. Did ANYONE receive any financial aid?

Chrissy Widmayer said...

@Rosie -- I haven't heard a peep from Emerson yet. Are you in fiction? I'm assuming you already knew you were accepted?

Anyway, I'm waiting anxiously for any news from them. I'm starting to get nervous!

Chrissy Widmayer said...

P.S. I'm in Creative Nonfiction. I just know that Emerson already notified some Fiction people, so I assume that's your genre...?

Jacqueline Stephens said...

@peaquah

No problem! I appreciate every answer. I do not know where I stand on the issue. I do have some friends who got their samples read by some very important people. So I wonder, "Is it stupid not to have some rockstar read your work when others are doing it?" For better or for worse, I know there are things I would not have attempted in my sample if I knew I had to show it to someone, and I tend towards a confessional style already and trust the person who usually reads my work!

Jarsh said...

What's most amazing is that you even held the memory of that photo in your mind's periphery...! Good job!

I have another one I've been using: "I thought to myself 'What better degree to get in these troubled economic times?' This really shuts them up because it both questions and answers their other question, which is "Now, really?"

Otkuda: sorry to hear about TNS rejection. Where else are you waiting to hear about? My guess is the other CUNYs (you're in NYC, right?) I still think I'll wind up at CCNY.

Rosie said...

Yep, I'm in for fiction. The decision should be on the application status page for all fiction people. Don't know about other genres, though. I only checked mine last week because someone else stumbled upon their acceptance that way!

Jarsh said...

@Rosie

What Emerson page are you looking at? Applyyoursef or whatever it is?

Otkuda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Otkuda said...

Haha, it was coincidentally fresh in my memory; I just happened to've reblogged the photo a few hours ago onto my "Tumblr site

Yes, I'm still waiting on Hunter and Brooklyn (assume rejections.) I'll probably be ending up in CC, too.

Which ones are you still waiting on?

(Darn, I really wish this blog had an edit option!)

Rosie said...

@Jarsh,

It's actually this link: https://interactive.emerson.edu/admission/index.cfm?

I received my link to that page (plus my ID) in an email with "Your Emerson College Application ID" in the subject line.

Woon said...

@Laura T, Meredith, re. knowing someone

It's true. You do indeed have to know the "right" people. Alternatively, you can "offer" yourself to said "right" people, if you know what I mean.

Jarsh said...

Otkuda,

Waiting on San Fran State (love to go there since I currently have CA residency, sick of being this far from home though)

Also awaiting: Emerson, Arizona, San Diego State

Basically, I am 95% going to accept the CCNY offer. I do miss the east coast and the only reason I've stuck around here is to wait to hear from schools out west. Something in me says "screw it" and just start packing and looking for a place and a waiter job in NYC.

dYlJ said...

In at U Houston for poetry via email :) Great start to the weekend. Nice, warm, if vague letter

Jarsh said...

Rosie

After I typed that response to you, I looked around and realized I never got that follow up email. I got one confirming the receipt of my submission that said I'd be receiving an ID soon. Never did.

Guess I'll call Monday. Clearly my materials are lodged between two desks in their admissions department.

I knew a guy who knew a guy whose sister that happened to :)

Chrissy Widmayer said...

@Jarsh -- I didn't get the initial follow-up email from Emerson, either. I ended up emailing them after a couple weeks to get my Emerson ID, and someone emailed me back with it.

I don't think your application fell through the cracks anywhere. I think they just forgot to email some of us...or at least, I hope so.

About said...

Got my packet in the mail this morning from The New School, and the scholarship is just a tiny bit more than quoted over the phone. Other TNSers noticed that, as well?

Where do all the TNS acceptances stand on your decision enroll? I'm going to wait until I have a conversation with financial aid next week to make up my mind on whether to send in a deposit.

Andrea said...

Congrats to Chelsea, and all of today's Houston admits, and everyone else I'm missing!

I'm loving all these dad stories. My dad pretty much despises reading, but is very supportive. It seems, however, that no matter how much I've told him about all of this, he still doesn't totally get it. Like last week, when I called him to tell him about my Mankato acceptance, he said, "So that's for the MFA program?"

Oh, Pa. He makes up for it by adorably Googling every school/city I've been accepted to and rattling off the facts.

My boyfriend's dad just offers to write the programs that rejected me and tell them they're "shit-asses who should go fuck."

Seth Abramson said...

Attention: If you have received a funded offer of admission from any MFA program in the United States and been told you must respond to that offer by ANY DATE OTHER THAN APRIL 15TH, please e-mail me the details at sethabramson[@]yahoo.com. All communications will be confidential. I am working my best to put an end to the unethical practice of sub rosa violations of the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution. If you fit into the category above, your rights as a graduate school applicant are being violated. I can't help you if I don't know about it. Your willingness to share this information will help future applicants more than you can imagine.

Hannah said...

@ Houston acceptances - did your status change on the Houston student center thing?

Sud said...

@Seth, is there any kind of grad school agreement for non-funded spots? I've been accepted to two low res schools but am waiting for others that may not arrive before the April 1st deadline I've been given. I already got an extension on on from March 15 to April 1st, and don't think I can ask for another. Thanks for all of your help!

Seth Abramson said...

Sud,

There isn't -- but I can tell you that any MFA program whose parent university is not a signatory to the CGSR is going to pay some sort of penalty in the national rankings (method and means to be determined). It's simply bad citizenship; if every program acted this way, the entire national MFA admissions system would collapse. For the sake of both programs and applicants, this can't be allowed to happen -- and certainly not because of just a few bad actors. I've started to send out formal complaint notices to programs, and I just need help determining who I should be sending them to.

S.

gsolbrunne said...

Rosie,

I havent gotten my packet yet, so I dunno if I was offered funding or not, but I saw a post on the Emerson blog, Gradmission (their pun, not mine) that said they would hopefully have financial aid announced in two weeks. They didnt say two weeks from when, though. I'll let you (and the other emersonees) know if I hear anything. I may get up the courage to call them, but I'm not promising nothin'.

ceegee said...

To the other Idaho acceptances (in both genres), I would love to get to know my future classmates! Drop me a line:

curtisg[at]upenn.edu

Zoulou said...

@dYIJ, congratulations on Houston, way to go! :) Are you headed that way next year? Great school, and very exciting!

@Lo Real Maravilloso (from AGES ago... sorry it's taken me so long!), congrats on Alaska! I'm sorry for assuming you weren't an admit THIS year - duh, what was I thinking? Anyway, maybe we'll be seeing each other in a couple of months! And I forgot to ask, what is your genre? Anyway, whatever you decide - good luck!

Also, everybody - the dad stories are making me laugh :) Thanks for sharing.

Rosie said...

Thanks, Algae! That's very, very helpful...I need to visit that blog, LOL.

Anonymous said...

@Xavier

TNS Packet: I got it yesterday, but I'm away from home.

Does it say you have to respond to their offer by March 30th? If so, I'd like to informally declare a complaint to Mr. Abramson [I will e-mail you as soon as I receive the packet myself. My parents are going to send it to me on Monday].

I received partial funding, but I still think the March 30th deadline's a bit unfair.

**

nightlyfix at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

@Zoulou:

No worries. I'm confused half the time I post on this thing. I'm in fiction (with some poetry leanings). It's definitely a place that has a lot of opportunity. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see you up there. :) Still have about six more programs to hear back from, but it's nice to know Alaska is a go. The wilderness and the experience will be worthwhile. And I'm not going to lie, the idea of fresh seafood makes me more than a little excited. :D

Sarah said...

Anyone else who applied to Emerson still have no update on the site? I applied in fiction. :\

Unknown said...

Curses... Houston down, I suppose. Despite the probable rejection, I have to re-ask Hannah's question-- has any of the newly admitted Houstonites looked at their my.uh.edu application status?

Jessica Marie said...

So I've been hiding in the corner of this blog for a few weeks and figured it was time to crawl out with my rising panic and say hello. Here's my list, for fiction. I'm starting to think I was on acid when I made it ...

UMass Amherst: rejected
Michigan: rejected
Iowa: rejected
UT Austin: rejected
Syracuse: rejected (biggest disappointment)

still waiting on
UC Irvine
Ohio
Illinois
NYU
Emerson
New School
BU

Thanks to everyone here for giving me a community to latch onto while I wait wait wait. Congrats to all accepted, let's hope for an even better coming week.

Anyone have any interesting backup plans? I'm coming up with new ones every 11 seconds, none of which are easy or cheap.

Lydia E. Wright said...

Snail Mail rejection from Irvine today. Letter marked March 1st.

Lydia E. Wright said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@DigApony-
Thank you! I've been looking for the perfect adieu to those handsome tie-bearing gentlemen. I am always like "Oh. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Jesus? Oh yeah, he's great. Yup. Okay. (Checks imaginary watch) Yeah. Well, you know my husband--oh, sure I'll take a packet--well you know..next week?...erm, eh..Yeah, I should be home" Then my husband kicks my ass. (figuratively)

Laura said...

Also getting nervous about Emerson, even though I'm poetry and no poetry acceptances have been reported yet. I reallyreallyreally want to get into Emerson. Please.

Anonymous said...

anyone else wondering when penn state will send rejections? am i missing something on their site--can we view rejections?

Summer said...

@Ena - I will go knock off a couple of the Houston acceptees so you and your BF can go there and let me move up into accepted status at Michigan. :D

WordShift said...

I've been chillin' on the sidelines. I'm still waiting to hear back from four other schools....

I do have news for those waiting on UC Irvine in Fiction though. A classmate of mine just got a call, she's in. She's older, 40+ a very edgy writer, so should be an interesting mix. As a side note she applied to only two schools, Iowa and Irvine.

Kevin said...

Looks like the news aren't good for the most of us still waiting on Irvine....

Jillian Liota said...

Rejected from Arizona via snail mail received 3/13.

I'm assuming that for Arizona, if you haven't received a call yet, a letter is on it's way to you.

Ariel said...

@phillywriter and other Indiana "short" waitlisters

I'm also on that waitlist--so does that bring it to five (at least)? Any word for anyone yet? Sorry for delayed response, I'm in China where the blog is blocked (highly subversive material here!) so I can only sneak on from time to time.

IU is the number one dream right now...my fiance is at school in Chicago and I was really hoping for somewhere within driving distance.

Good luck all around!

Rosie said...

@Jillian,

Ugh. Arizona State or UoA?

Jillian Liota said...

@Rosie

UofA. From what I have heard ASU hasn't sent out admissions yet. I could be wrong though.

Rosie said...

Oh gawd. Thanks for the heads up, Jillian...I'll keep a look out for my rejection.

ceruleanblue said...

Curious how many Iowa waitlisters there are out there. I'm one of them, and I know of one other (for fiction that is). We've talked. Anyone else?

LIke anyone is going to respond in the middle of the night. Yes, that's what I'm up thinking about on a Saturday. Yikes.

I'm writing though, that's the good news. And smoking. But I"m going to quit tomorrow. "Tomorrow" is by far the most popular day to quit, so I figure I must be on to something.

Yarduni said...

Just got my rejection letter from Cornell. It's my fourth rejection so far (along with Boulder, Michigan and Brown), but this one really hurt. I'm applying along with my boyfriend, who was accepted to a buttload of schools (PhD in Social Psychology) and has his heart set on Cornell, so I was really hoping for this one. Now I need to cross my fingers for any school close enough to Cornell to get together with him on the weekends. I'm assuming rejection from NYU since it seems acceptances have been notified, so this leaves Columbia. Anybody hear from them yet?

Perpetua said...

Columbia begins informing from March 22 - someone, I don't remember who, called them and found out.

Andthen said...

Any thoughts about the Hopkins program? I've been accepted at JHU for fiction, but can't seem to find much "real world" info about the program.

I am also still waiting to hear from American and Brooklyn. (It doesn't seem as though Brooklyn has notified yet. Has anyone heard from American?)

Eli Lindert said...

Has anyone heard anything from the following schools?

Minnesota
Ole Miss
U of Florida

Also, if I haven't heard from Michigan or Oregon, I should probably chalk them up as rejections, right?

cecil peoples said...

oregon and michigan gave out all acceptances and wait lists.

minn and florida have given out many, possibly all. i'm not sure if they have more notifying to do.

Unknown said...

***Warning*** This post contains a Dad Story.

My dad was pretty damn pleased when I got my acceptance from UMD (though he doesn't read poetry), and then equally damn mad when I told him my decision to attend might hinge on what they offer financially. He proceeded to tell me that this "smacks of hubris" and attempted to use his having had to pay for MEDICAL SCHOOL as an analog. What the eff? If ever there was an apple, here was its orange. I tried to explain that I'm looking for a cooperative, collegial atmosphere, not a free ride to prove how flipping cool I am.

Also:

Will someone please say a secular prayer for me re: Cornell? Or, if you got accepted, please just go to Iowa. They will love you there, I promise! Hehe.

Every limbo boy and girl, in the grad school limbo world...

golightly said...

Andthen:

Congrats on your JHU acceptance!

Maybe I'm too much of a snoop, (and I forget quite how I found this) but I found this blog by a former JHU MFA student:

http://unstruck-sound.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

The link pops right to a couple of posts about some of his experience in the program.

I know a few things about the program: They've been jump-starting the Hopkins Review, and apparently student(s) can get involved in that. There's a reading series run by students as well. Teaching is apparently relatively easy because the JHU undergrads are pretty focused.

T.G. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ena said...

@Summer:

Deal! In fact, I wish acceptances were like trading cards, and we could all just play around until we got what we wanted. Of course, then no one would get anything...

threes said...

I saw some posts about Purdue rejection emails yesterday; have others not received word either way from Purdue yet?

Perpetua said...

I haven't heard anything from Purdue. In fact when I called last week, after asking my name, I was told to check in after a week or two. Most people have been recieving rejections via email so I'm just going to hold on to hope!

Elissa Cahn said...

No word from Purdue here.

Unknown said...

I just found out via snail mail (dated March 10)that I'm in @ UNT's MA program for poetry! I am soooo relieved! Going to call after spring break and see what they offer me. Funny thing is that my mom and sister knew and didn't tell me, but just left the letter open on the table...

Kate said...

@Yinz Is anyone still waiting to hear from Florida State? My application status has not changed, but my partner's did (she was accepted to FSU's PhD for english).

Has anyone who interviews for a UMASS Amherst TA position heard anything back yet?

Also, a funny haha: I was accepted at U of Washington in Seattle with no funding, but they sent me a letter to let me know that they totally receive a TON of funding for their students! (Okay, those weren't the words, but it made me laugh. Why even send me that letter??)

frankish said...

@Kate - I haven't heard a peep from FSU and haven't heard about any MFA acceptances (though I might have missed it if there were). I'd like to know what's up there, too. :D

Good luck!

Kate said...

Thanks, Frankish! :) Good luck!

Ashley Brooke said...

Almost 5pm and only 16 posts since I looked last night?
It's hard to believe that notification season is winding down. It's crazy to look at Driftless House (which I admit still runs through my head as "Drift Horse" and I cannot explain why) and realize that most schools have already notified - not just mine, but everyone's. There are still some schools yet to make a peep and there are still plenty of schools to make another wave or offers/to accept waitlisters... but... the end is closer than the beginning!
For some of us, that means picking a school and for others it means starting up our Plan Bs. I'm still unsure which of these schools I fall into (my funding situation is up in the air) but let me just say that having everybody here has been really important to my sanity and progress. I love everyyybody and if this isn't your year, I hope you have better experiences this coming year that school could offer and that next year, or whenever you choose to reapply, brings you the kind of acceptances that will change your lives. And if it IS your year, I wish you the best of luck in your program of choice.

♥ ❤ ❤❤ ❤

fjp said...

Hey there. I've only posted once before, but I just wanted to note that I was also wait-listed at Houston yesterday for the PhD in poetry. Oy, the unending waiting. It has been such a boon to read of all your acceptances. Reading this blog has made the waiting more fun, if not exactly easier. Best wishes and good luck to you all!

About said...

@Anti

Yes, it says to respond by March 30 with a deposit to hold your spot. Sounds, to me, like they want confirmation from us early so they can start ticking off people from the wait-list.

Woon said...

I can't believe it's March 14 already.

I wish MFA programs would just put up a small display box on their website showing REALTIME UPDATES of:

1. Where they are in the application review process.
2. Whether acceptances and/or waitlists have gone out.
3. Whether there is a second-tier reserve of waitlists.
4. Whether rejections have gone out.
5. Whether the MFA application season is over for them.

It's just a simple thing to update this general information on the website. Just one line of text. I'm not sure if this potentially promotes MORE calls to their office or LESS, but it certainly answers a few questions all applicants from all years have had.

koru said...

@Woon,

I like that idea! Or a Bloomberg-esque ticker for here: School symbols with some notations after them with that stuff, creeping across the top of Driftless House.

Oh yeah ...

Woon said...

It's so simple, too!

I also like one where it says:

"3/14: Deb Eisenberg revg' writing sample 46 of 102"

asdf said...

Rejected by 7 schools, waiting to hear from seven more, I finally broke down and started checking my application status at the remaining schools online, knowing full well that there wouldn't be any new information...

...except that there was. Apparently Oregon and Vanderbilt never received my transcripts. And never told me that.

LSU didn't receive them either, but they sent me a nice email months ago letting me know.

Thanks Rutgers. 14 sets of transcripts to send out and AT LEAST three of them never arrived.

frankish said...

@fjp - I hope you make it in off the waitlist. It sounds like a really cool program. Where did you earn your MFA, if you don't mind my asking?

@asdf - That sucks. But often the websites just don't get updated. You might want to call to check about the transcripts. Plus you still have 7 to go!

Good luck!

Vanni said...

Has anyone heard anything from UNLV, SDSU, Hollins, & UC Riverside (I'm in poetry).

Thanks!

Zoulou said...

@Sigma - congratulations on UNT! Exciting! Is that where you're headed next year, then?

@Andthen - congrats on JSU! I have no "insider information," just that - oh my goodness, Maryland is so incredibly green. I felt like... I was flying into the Amazon or something. It was amazing. Haha, but this is not the information you are looking for... again, congratulations :)

@Nicholas - your dad sounds awesome.

Zoulou said...

@Lo Real Maravilloso - good luck on those last six! (Whoa, so many still!) And seafood, tell me about it :) Mmmmm, salmon... Haha, when I applied that was definitely in the back of my mind.

Anyway, here's hoping you're about to get lots of good news!

LJ said...

Hola my MFA friends.

I got accepted at the following places:
SAIC
Columbia College
UC Davis
New School

Don't know what to do! leaning towards new school but how much is it really? Advice? Oh thanks!

and don't worry because last year i pretty much got rejected all over the place.

Brandy Colbert said...

well, i've been fairly absent here lately and have missed all kinds of good news. congratulations to all of the acceptances and waitlist notifications of the past couple of weeks!

@frankish and @trilbe: special congrats to you two! so happy to hear your good news. :)

as for me, waiting for one more school, george mason, which was on spring break this past week. even if i do hear good news at this point i'm not expecting any funding, which would make me unable to attend.

good luck to those still waiting on news!

Sud said...

Still waiting for Warren Wilson, Bennington, and Pacific University. Anyone hear yet?

fjp said...

Hey Frankish, I notice that you were accepted to Houston (in fiction?)-- congratulations! I would love to end up at Houston, but I will just have to see.

I got my MFA at Columbia U. I entered 5 years ago and didn't really know it was possible to have a fully funded MFA, believe it or not. I don't know if the MFA has changed that much in 5 years or if I was just clueless at the time. I got what I thought was a good fellowship, but now I see it was somewhat paltry in comparison! In any case, I was really happy there. I felt very supported and nurtured by the faculty and my classmates. But now I am hoping to enter a fully funded PhD program. If it doesn't work out this year, I will try again for a wider range of programs.

Good luck to you, frankish, with your decisions and to everyone else waiting to hear!

Unknown said...

hey guys

congrats to all recent acceptees! sometimes I forget to state that. you guys rock!

question: if certain schools (ahem NYU, ASU, etc) should I assume I'm not going to hear from them this coming week, or do profs/administrators work through SB? ugh I hope so! I want the waiting game to end already...

Rose said...

@Eli

Minnesota acceptances and waitlists went out about four weeks ago.

: (

TK said...

Rejected at Iowa. Accepted at Northern Iowa for MA English - Creative Writing emphasis. Waiting to hear on funding. Both notifications were by mail.

ke105 said...

Such a quiet weekend....I'm so intrigued as to what this week will bring!!

ceruleanblue said...

I had a dream that I got into Virginia, but was living in Montana and commuting to classes in Florida. That pretty much sums up how my decision-making process is going...

I'm dying to visit Montana, but it's damn near impossible to get a flight! I'm definitely going to visit Florida. I'm waitlisted at Iowa, so if by some miracle I get in, I will visit too. It seems like visiting is my only hope for making a sane decision.

Are there other people who are planning to visit schools? Any overlap with mine?

Ashley Brooke said...

WHOA GUYS PUMAS AND NIKES

Anonymous said...

Did someone say "Green Vans, purple Pumas, blue All Stars, and red Adidas?"

Zoulou said...

Ahahahahaha - thank you, @Ashley Brooks.

You guys, I am really excited for the week to start up - see if we can get in another slew of acceptances! Seriously, this blog has given me a reason to love Monday mornings. Good luck everyone!

Unknown said...

Crap, was that spam? Hehe. It's spring, and I THOUGHT I'd be wearing my K-Swiss in 3-5 business days. Turns out they probably just stole my identity. I hope they like it better than I do.

COME ON, CORNELL. YOU MAKE ME WEEPY.

Zoulou said...

Ahahaha oh I love shoes...

Anonymous said...

tingting needs to gogo

Unknown said...

@Sud

Someone heard from Benningington for poetry last week. I haven't hear anything from fiction though - which genre are you?

Miss Parker said...

Got a call from NeoMFA last night and was pleased to find they were calling to congratulate me on my acceptance (and not to laugh mockingly at my sample) Yay!!! No work on funding yet, but still excited to have someone open the door and say 'come on it and get your MFA'

By chance, has anyone heard from WVU for fiction yet? It's the only school I'm really waiting on (as I believe BGSU is done informing people?)

Kati-Jane said...

Hey, everyone, just checking in to say congratulations to all who've received acceptances, and hang in there to the rest of us. Hope you're all well.

Mathilda said...

@Sigma: Congrats! I am waiting to hear about whether or not I have been accepted for the PhD: fiction at UNT. Nervous! I think it may be a no. Not sure, though. Supposedly, the letters were mailed on Friday. Fingers crossed and saying lots of prayers!

Alum said...

Hey guys, has anyone heard anything from GCSU for fiction yet? I know that poetry and CNF have heard, but it's past what I would consider "early March" for notifications and I'm still on the edge of my seat waiting for fiction news.

Perpetua said...

Alum - On Driftless House someone wrote in saying they had been accepted almost a week ago. I believe the Director of the programme was going to be making the calls all week round. They might still be in the process of informing people.

Laura said...

OH MY GOD!

I GOT INTO EMERSON!!!! (in poetry)

My top choice :D

Found out by mail -- a big envelope landed in my mailbox just a few minutes ago. Cue tearing open, jumping and screaming!

I think my decision will come down to Emerson vs. Sarah Lawrence (or Rutgers if they give me a TAship). I love the program at Emerson and the location, but I love the faculty at Sarah Lawrence. Eep!

Emily X.R. Pan said...

Laura T, that's awesome! Congrats!!!

Chelsea said...

@Laura

Yay!!!!! Aw, that's awesome about Emerson. And your top choice. You must have good karma ;D

Unknown said...

YAY LAURA T!!!!!

I'm so happy for you! That's so awesome!

*hug/high-five*

Ben said...

@capped tooth:

I received an acceptance at Rutgers-Newark by phone, on March 5. (Fiction.) I'm not sure what that tells you, other than that they did not send out all their acceptances at once.

Perpetua said...

Congratulations Laura!

Chelsea said...

@Laura T

Aaaand I just checked my Emerson app status and I got into for poetry, too! HOORAY

Monday = Gooood times.

Perpetua said...

Congratulations Chelsea

Hilary Dobel said...

Congratulations to Chelsea and Laura T!

Chrissy said...

Congrats to the Emerson acceptances! What a great way to start the week. :)

Laura said...

Thank you smiling raindrops, Perepetua, and my girl Meredith!

Chelsea!!! Maybe future classmates? Congratulations!

Laura said...

Thank you hilary and Chrissy H.!

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