Why does Virginia take such a long time to notify? Do you think they lose their top picks to other schools who notify earlier?
I am waiting on them, and of course I'm not at all banking on being let in, but I will be honest and say that I'm considering accepting Indiana's offer very soon, rather than waiting for UVa's molasses-pace yea or nay. I've had such a strong positive reaction to my visit to Bloomington that I'm having a hard time seeing how anyone could offer me something better, so why wait on the slow-poke that will probably reject me anyway?
Anyway. I'm just rather mystified as to why a top program like UVa would run the risk of losing their admits to other, quicker schools. It seems like a poor gamble.
I have a related question. At what point is it acceptable to send a friendly inquiry to other programs you are waiting to hear back from, when you have a really good feeling about another program you're accepted to but want to hear back from the others? I completely understand waiting to see about other offers because it's important to make an informed decision. Is the last week in March too early to email the other programs (before the April 15 deadline)? Thank you to anyone with answers! :)
uggghhhhh every day i wake up thinking Ok. this could be the day I hear from Arizona State, or Hollins, or Columbia... (non-fiction application) ...proceed to obsessively refresh email, make sure phone is on, check here for updates, check Driftless house until i leave for school.
as the day goes on i just get discouraged. i give up early, too. like, by noon i figure it's over for the day. Come ON, guys, pleeeeease?? you've notified around this time in the past...so...pretty please?
Anti- and any other TNS/NYC peeps: if The New School' ends up being my future (and yours, too) let's definitely be in touch about housing options, ideas etc. I'm coming from pretty far across the country...
Also, to all you potential or certain AWP attendees: Denver's really rad, we should definitely connect, go to the bars, hover at the tables of grad grograms we were/were not admitted to, etc. I've been at AWP the past 2 years and it's been a blast. I still occasionally have wet dreams about the endless sea of tables upon tables that is the bookfair: independent presses and publishers and grad programs, oh my!
I really get the feeling that prodding the programs for information/status checks, whether by phone or by email, is a rather irritating habit we applicants have, probably exacerbated by the manic atmosphere of this blog. I'm guilty of that mania, of course. But I don't want to harass a secretary or program director who can barely do his/her job because s/he has to field multiple inquiries a day from anxious applicants. So my thoughts on your question is that I'm unwilling to contact programs no matter how late in the game it is. I know other people here will disagree.
All of that said, there really should be a better system of getting out acceptances/rejections/waitlist notificatons in good time. We have this April 15 deadline to accept or reject an offer, but schools who cut it too close to that deadline leave their admits in a bad position, one which encourages a harried, poorly thought-out decision. In my opinion, notifications should be finished a full month before our own decision deadline. It would save us all this grief, and save them their preferred admits as well as their time.
Once I make a decision, finding housing will be my next panic! A few of my schools say they have services that help grad students find housing, so I hope that those services will be helpful and do more than just hand me a brochure or something like that...
I might end up in or near NYC too, and once it comes closer to decision time, I would love to talk to other NYC-bound people from the blog, or people who have lived there in the past. I have never even lived in a city before and am completely clueless and pretty nervous.
oh my god, i just spent an hour and half catching up with everything.
@CNF Courtney - YESSSS AMERICA!
@Syracuse peeps: this is absurd. End of april? i'm done with them. I love george so much, yet not enough to live there. I will sacrifice myself to send the email no one wants to send. What do we need to know?
last, thank you seth, for swooping in to occasionally save us from ourselves.
I'm assuming that Syracuse reply was automated. People have been accepted AND wait listed already. I'm sure the admissions office just says some random end date so that people won't form a mob earlier in application season.
i sound like a maniac. let me just explain that in the last 1.5 hours catching up on this bog i have eaten 2 fried eggs, two pieces of toast with jam, 9ish rosemary butter crackers, one weird little piece of kale, and 11 AMBIGUOUS GUMMIES FROM CHINATOWN. and nyquil.
ps. if anybody went to michigan undergrad, pls email me. rebecca dot mydarling at gmail dot com. need to talk about some things.
WMU has a pretty great Ph.D. program for creative writing. For that reason, many of my undergraduate workshops have been taught by Doctoral fellows (excellent doctoral fellows). However, I've never heard of a workshop at WMU that wasn't great. We have a pretty well rounded English faculty from all over the country, all of which are extremely friendly, helpful, and genuinly care about the success and betterment of each student. Lucky for you, as a graduate student at Western you would have the opportunity to work under the instruction of Jaimy Gordon and Stuart Dybek, as well as all of the other amazing staff. I honestly have never heard a negative review in regards to any of the creative writing faculty.
Kalamazoo is a great city. In my opinion, it is the perfect balance between campus life and city. It is also near more rural neighborhoods if you can't stomach the city thing--but generally speaking, the city/campus is more prominant. I'm not sure what you consider to be affordable, but housing in Kalamazoo ranges from the very highest to lowest in both quality and pricing. You can honestly find something that suits your needs, no matter what they are, if you just know who to ask and where to look. There are a ton of neighborhoods specifically designed for students, as well as affordable homes for rent and options within neighborhoods that house more of the general public (which would probably be the route I would take going into my graduate degree, but there are good options for graduates within the more "student" populated areas as well.) If WMU ends up being a larger prospect for you I'd be happy to go into this with more detail. For now, just know you can find something that will work for you.
Cleanliness, safety and friendliness all depend on the area. Generally speaking, Kalamazoo is a very friendly community and a very safe community. I'm not sure what to say about cleanliness. It is not a dirty place by any means, but I'm not sure how you percieve cleanliness. I'd say, like most cities, it depends on the neighborhood. The more "public" and student populated areas are not as well kept as the family and single home areas. At the same time, there is no kind of issue with trash, disease, etc. I'm a neat freak myself, so I'm not sure how to judge the average. There are safety issues in one or two places. These are easily avoidable areas and seem to be targeted mainly because many young college students don't understand the importance of securing your belongings. I can honestly pin point most activity to several blocks, so it won't be an issue to avoid these areas. Every city has its crime.
I really love Kalamazoo. It's extremely easy to adapt to and the campus community is close. The English department is, in my opinion (and I have experience with many of the departments)one of the closest communities on the campus. All of the arts are pretty loving and supportive of each other. It makes our end of the campus a pretty exciting place to be around. ;)
I'm not sure where you live, but if Western becomes a promising prospect, I would consider visiting the area. The English department will be more than hospitable, and I would have no problem showing you around if it was something of interest.
If you have other questions or would like more detail we can chat. I'd leave my email but all of them reveal my first and last name. If you want to speak outside of the blog, post your email and I could contact you.
Hope this helped. And for everyone else, I'm sorry you had to be subjected to such a lengthy post that was likely irrelevant for you.
@ ALL
Good luck to everyone this week and the next. I'm feeling the heat more than ever, and I'm sure I'm not the only one whose personality is being eaten by their emotions. Who was I before this?
So I remember a few bags back that there were some Colorado State acceptances roaming around.... where you at? I just got a letter of acceptance (snail mail) and am anxious to talk with anyone else whose heard from them. Since they didn't mention funding, I doubt I'm being considered, but I really hope so. I'm in poetry.
@anyone coming to NYC: I've been living here for 9 years, and am happy to chat about the city, apartments, locations.... whatever. Feel free to email me: coreyann at gmail dot com.
Also-- people who currently live in NYC: are you part of any writer's groups? I can't afford classes at the moment, but I work well receiving feedback in workshop type settings... unfortunately I come from a theatre background so most of my network is actors and directors-- I'd love to connect with NYC based writers.
Congratulations to MFAguy, burlaper, and Cher - and the Columbia College admits!
Got my letter from Iowa today... no surprise there, no lovely note from Sam Chang, either. Not too crushed since I'd already made my peace with this one, though. Come on, BU and Columbia... surely ONE of you wants me?
Also, if any of the Columbia College people are in poetry, enjoy class with James Shea! I think he's still there, anyway. He's a wonderful teacher and his book, "Star in the Eye" is terrific.
@ Jasmine - I'm with you on Virginia. I really don't understand the late notifying. I'm hopeful that it's just an out they've built for themselves in case it ends up taking that long - but that it isn't the *plan*.
@Jasmine - re: Virginia - Well, Virginia is a special case. Everyone knows it is the Harvard of...er...um...well, Virginia. :P
Seriously, I think it's a cool program but that notifying so late is a mistake (and not particularly justified each year by their number of applications).
Def. like that idea about discussing housing options. Still waiting for other programs (and options), but if you're likely to be moving to the NYC/NYC-area, hit me up at:
nightlyfix at gmail dot com
@Coreyann
A friend of mine tried the site meetup.com and found a very cool workshop in the area. Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.
**
I think I mentioned I had a GNP with SAIC a few days ago (or was it yesterday. Man, I'm forgetful).
It's an interesting program, and the writers it's spawning are the epidome of experimental (many are in online journals). The tuition is incredbily expensive, but the program, from what I've so far read, seems interesting and provacative.
Anyone thinking of attending? It's not my first choice, but I still applied because I found the school and location to die for. And I had a feeling they'd dig my writing sample. They did.
Hey All -- De-Lurking here after months of following the conversation daily.
We lurkers have our various reasons for playing the wallflower but still feel like we know all of you regulars. I often have wished I had come out from the shadows earlier -- so many great things to comment on and so many great people here, particularly Woon, Sam N., Wrecking Light, Eli, franksih, Cratty, Mostly Swell, koru, pencore, Wandering Tree, Klairkwilty, Arna, DFW1986, JasonJ, and of course, the much absent Dreux. I am sure I forgot many of you - apologies - but it's fun to keep up with you all and your thoughts. Further, I have learned so much about so many things from just hanging out herel -- so thanks!
@Seth -- my list
Boston University Brown (rejected) UVA WUSTL (rejected) U of Washington
If I don't get in anywhere, the thing I will feel I will have missed out on the most is the community. As a few others mentioned months back, finding people with whom to share (the writing) life can be difficult, but you, here, have inspired me. Thanks. A.
I'm also in nyc and not apart of any "official" writers groups but know alot of other writers who trade work as friends. email me at morganapple0 at gmail dot com so we can get a thread going if you're interested?
Oregon fiction acceptance (via phone) posted on DH. I didn't apply there, but feel the need to report back for those waiting...
@ Ananda - welcome! As someone who de-lurked about a month ago, I can say with certainty that I wish I'd done it much sooner. To any other lurkers out there - it's not scary, creepy, or any more time-consuming to comment than it is to follow along in silence. But it is a lot more fun.
Just received my official rejection from Maryland approximately one minute and thirty seconds ago. They sent an email with the subject line, "Decision status is available for..." and the name of the university was cut off in the email address. So, warning! I had a small heart attack.
Also, the decision isn't in the email; you have to sign in to the portal, and click on three more links before they spit it out. Nerve wracking and pretty mean, if you ask me.
Morgan & Coreyann: check your mailboxes. At the very least, someone could organize a NYC MFA candidate/reject gathering. I think they did one last year.
Got it! I wasn't terribly confident since I knew others had been accepted via mail. It was actually kinda fun following all those links...I even had to have my password emailed to me first, as I'd forgotten it.
Just glad to finally be hearing ANYTHING. The suspense isn't killing me. The suspense is suspending my getting with a normal life. God bless notifications, may they begin to POUR IN good or bad.
From Susan over on Driftless House, re: New School on 3/8, for anyone who is still waiting to hear:
"I also called the New School, they said Admissions has not sent out any formal acceptances, waitlists, or rejections, but individual depts might have taken the liberty to start contacting their accepted candidates. TNS is working in waves, so it seems that their decisions have not yet been finalized. Still room for some hope there."
Also, anyone hear about Emerson? Someone on Driftless House said they found out their acceptance on a website, but the only site I can log into is the credential check site, and there is nothing there that says I've been accepted or rejected.
Good luck everyone and congrats to all who are getting acceptances and waitlists.
I have applied to 8 schools and have nothing to report. It is maddening. My two German Shepherds are moping around the house because I am the one taking on the mailman...
I think waitlist purgatory has actually heightened my anxiety level rather than lessening it.
I'm a nervous wreck.
The elation at being sort of wanted by a school quickly faded away into preparing myself for the likelihood that I still won't get in anywhere and will have to do this all over again next year. And, of course, I'm now having to fight the urge to wish that evil things will befall those ahead of me on the waitlist.... (It's not personal.) I didn't have any evil thoughts when I assumed I was nowhere close to being accepted - but now that I know there are just a handful of individuals keeping me from an acceptance, ill will is beginning to emerge. Don't worry; I won't be buying any voodoo dolls.
This MFA application process is making me psychotic.
I understand your lot. I am on three waitlists now and they have become my burden. Rejections are final but waitlists are near-forever, with no guarantees. On the bright side, having a sliver of hope is better than none, perhaps. As long as the psychotic episodes are kept to a minimum.
I think homemade voodoo dolls are probably more effective anyway.
I could not agree more that being on a waiting list adds a whole new dimension of stress. I want to be thinking rationally about the programs I've been waitlisted at so that I will know where I stand should I be accepted. But I don't want to get my hopes up and acceptance is still an abstract possibility. BUT I still feel elated at not being rejected everywhere, which was my fear.
As someone who is holding up 3 waitlists right now by still being unable to outright reject offers yet, I really agree that the system sucks.
I'm in poetry and have full funding to Michigan and Montana, and indeterminable funding for Maryland. However, I have yet to hear back from two more schools (one the dream school- mostly because my BF and I are trying to get in together). So I can't rule out Michigan, I might have to go there alone if the funding at Maryland for us both doesn't work out.
The only school I knew to reject for sure was Minnesota a while back.
Thus, in any case, I feel like an a-hole because I read somewhere that many people on waitlists don't hear from the schools until like the last minute, as those holding up the acceptances are usually the same dozen people in every school, and when they accept, a bunch of spaces open up.
/end rant.
Sorry about getting like that, I thought a school had just called, but it was my mom.
Oh, and as an aside, I do think everyone on waitlists should keep their chins up, like I said above, it probably won't happen until right before the end.
@Ena and others who have been accepted multiple places but can't make a decision yet:
Don't feel like an a-hole. This is a big decision, and you shouldn't feel rushed into making it. My waitlist agony whining isn't intended to make anyone feel pressured to make a decision - I just needed to vent about the process.
I think it makes sense to hold on to two offers while trying to decide, but more than two is unreasonable. In fact, it's why the artsy MFA types get such a bad rep for being flakes. Blimey, get with it, blokes!
I'm in Brooklyn, have been for 4 years. I've taken the Freebird Workshops in Carroll Gardens. They're awesome! The girl who runs the workshops is a great reader. She's super supportive, but perfectly critical. Check them out here:
http://freebirdworkshops.webs.com/
I'm also trying to keep from dropping loot on workshops, myself. The problem is that I definitely need some more readers. I'd be interested in talking to you and any other NYC writers that would like to share work.
hey all been lurking guiltily for a while now, since I didn't have an account to post with and since I didnt want to add more people to the list of "those would know I didnt get in" (I know, that's ridiculous, but there it is). However, I just checked my Emerson status and found out, I'm in for fiction! Of course, when I called my dad, he killed my high by asking "so are they gonna pay for it for you?" Good question. Do any of you other Emerson acceptees know how the fin aid will work? (@quincy is the only I've seen, but I probably missed some)
Also, thanks so much everyone for keeping me sane through this nutso process!
that looks great-- and pretty cheap, although at the moment i have basically zero cash. But i'm kepping it bookmarked, since its so affordable.
Some people from this blog have been emailing me about a group, feel free to email me as well? I think touching base with those of us based in NYC is really helpful...
Maybe, but as I said, my holding more than two waitlists wouldn't be an issue if I was making the decision for just myself. If that was the case, I would have totally accepted one of the above schools already, or at least declined one.
But I'm waiting with my significant other, who didn't get into Michigan, and no funding in Montana for him. So, what if no other schools wants us both?--it's a hard decision to just go our separate ways, or have huge loans together, and still no word of funding from anyone else.
That's all I'm saying. It's no one's fault, and as it is I'm going to let one of the schools go soon, despite the fact that it might (possibly) be a good shot.
Also, I'm not entirely sure that "artsy MFA types" get a bad rap for holding on to acceptances. In fact, I would never have deemed that to be a reason someone might dislike the type. Nor am I sure that being cautious (as defined by uncertainty of the future and other potential schools in this case) is flakey.
I agree with phyliwriter: we're being put in sucksville situations because the schools refuse to cooperate and have definite and consistent times of acceptance/rejections like the law schools. My (and others') situation is a reaction to/product of the system.
After some bullet biting, I emailed Syracuse about us limboers. I received a helpful response that said acceptances (6), wait-lists (12), and denials were out, but my application was in a 'holding file.'
Though the email didn't explicate what a 'holding file' is, I think it's pretty clear that it's an unofficial wait-list. In the unlikely event that a program exhausts its acceptances and wait-listers, they move to a deeper reserve of applicants they aren't ready to outright reject. This is self-protective for the program, obviously, but difficult for the waiting applicant.
I think what we should take from it is encouragement: they liked our writing.
I haven't gotten any wait-lists, was a finalist at Wisconsin-Madison (later rejected), have five watermarked rejections to my name. I'm bummed (and mildly hopeful for my remaining schools), but I'll take encouragement.
I'm also in New York and have taken a few workshops, Sacketts, Gotham, Writers Studio..etc My guess is there are enough people on this blog for us to start our own workshop so we can swap stories and potentially meet once a week/every couple of weeks.
I'd love to enter my MFA program with some good material/ideas going. I think we could make a workshop happen for those interested who don't want to (or can't afford to, in my case) drop the dough. I can already think of 3future MFA students/friends (Wee Meathead included in this) that I could talk to who would most likely be interested.
I don't know how different this year is compared to previous years, but it seems that with the increased application numbers, Admissions offices across the nation are scrambling to cope. They're seeing more acceptees turn down their offers and they're having to go through a "deeper reserve of applicants," as M. Swann said, to compensate. I suspect that as we near April 15, there will be a wild feeding frenzy of sorts. Our version of musical chairs. Can't wait!
@umlrenic (sorry, didn't check on spelling of that. i'm being lazy)
I'm in fiction, and I'm hoping to stay in the city. that's the plan at least.
A bunch of people have been emailing me with interest, so i'm going to give it the day for interested NYC people to touch base with me, and then send out an email to everyone who expressed interest at the end of the day? I don't mind me all organizational... its a welcome distraction from thinking about notifications.....
i know! i nearly died when he said "louise and I are drawing up the numbers for your teaching fellowship" casually, as though louise gluck is just referred to casually all the time
@Woon: I'm with @ena. Even if my s.o. weren't a factor, I currently have three offers that present different kinds of opportunities, and I'm waiting to hear from a fourth program from whom I've received a good-news email.
(To be clear, I also have my share of rejections, and a pair of schools remaining from whom I've heard nothing.)
I don't think it's unreasonable or "artsy" to want to wait to make a decision until I have complete information. If the GNE school came through with an acceptance and funding, I could safely rule out one of the schools from whom I have an offer. But at the moment, I can't really rule out any of my offers.
But there's a huge range of factors in play here—in no particular order: location, faculty. size, track record, funding, duration, research/studio mix, teaching opportunities, and so on. To dig into each of these categories now, to call the GNE program and ask the questions I have before I've even been accepted, to reach out to students at all three of my current offers even though I may rule one out tomorrow… that doesn't seem like the right way to go to me.
And again—that's not to mention the other person in this equation, for whom each choice also presents different opportunities, the full understanding of which requires further research. We're working on it, but it's a lot to get through and we definitely can't finish up without knowing where we stand.
As I don't think it's been posted yet here, thought I'd let my fellow ladies of the '80s (re: our teen heart throb convo) know that Corey Haim was found dead early this morning of an "accidental overdose."
As far as Virginia goes--I for one am grateful they take so long to notify. It makes me hopeful that they actually take time with the samples. I still findi it utterly implausible that a place like Iowa can give a fair read to 1,300 samples in such a short period. I know, I know--grad students read the first couplpe rounds (also does not, for me, inspire confidence)-- I say hooray for Virginia. That's just me.
Not to bring you down, but someone posted this on the Driftless Blog:
"FWIW, I had to write the UVirginia office today (lost transcript), and when I asked them if this would affect my admissions decision, the admissions person said the Creative Writing department is 'starting' to review applications now and should be making decisions by 1 April."
Just received an email from the director of the UMass Boston MFA program saying that I'm being recommended for matriculation! It says they're accepting five students this year; no mention of funding yet, maybe not till I get my official acceptance.
So, I am in at George Mason, Texas State and St Mary's, all for poetry. I thought I'd have some time to figure out all my financial info etc, but St Mary's decision deadline is in just 5 days! While they are definitely my first choice at this point I still haven't even recieved final decisions from 6 of the schools I applied to. I'm going to call the program director and try to stall, but is anyone else dealing with the problem of an early deadline?
has anyone been in contact with the university of washington (seattle) about where they are in the decision process? it looks like some people have already been accepted. did anyone report being accepted with funding?
I know a few people on here have already declined some of their offers. I'm curious how you went about doing this: Did you write an email? Make a phone call? Did you explain why you had chosen to go elsewhere, or just say you were declining?
I wrote an email because I wanted to spare everyone the awkwardness of the phone call. In it, I basically told them that at this time I am unable to commit to their program and hope that someone else gets my losses.
Be aware, however, that some of them want to know where you are going instead (for their records) so if you don't know yet--like me, it can be a little awkward. Cause I didn't want to say "oh, I don't know yet, just not you". I told them probably X, but the financial stuff is still being worked out. Thank way you have a little leeway with your real decision, without feeling guilty.
@Nathaniel -- congrats! Boston is a great city. Last October, my wife and I traversed the city on foot. Not that big, to tell you the truth. The city, that is, not the foot.
re. Corey Haim. What a waste of decent talent. Good in "Lucas." (which reminds me, whatever happened to Kerri Green?)
Did anyone else applying to Sarah Lawrence College receive an email about incomplete financial aid? I did the FAFSA, but now they want a profile and a copy of my tax return?
Not sure what to do with this... guess I'll call their office and ask.
I was just thinking optimistically that "It's okay! No one's heard from all these schools yet!" and then looked today and saw TNS, USF, SFSU, etc. all started notifying.
Sarah Lawrence has a long list of financial aid requirements. The FAFSA, and the CSS Profile (similar to the FAFSA but with more questions), and a copy of your entire federal tax return and W2 mailed to their office.
Here is the address for the Profile: https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp
For the Profile, you have to create a CollegeBoard account if you don't have one, then fill it out and put Sarah Lawrence as the school you want to send it to, like how you put a list of schools into your FAFSA, then submit it. I think the Profile costs somewhere around $25 to send.
Anyone interested in SFSU for fiction, just a head's up: Driftless House indicates SFSU contacted people already, but I just spoke with the department and they said they are only now wrapping up reading applications and will be notifying next week.
@Ian I too got that email. I got it last week (I applied in fiction) I wanted to think it was good news (and that would be the first I've heard, in a long list of pure rejections and silence), but I don't really know what to make of it. Nothing after I sent them my PROFILE.
I think, instead of applying to MFA programs again next year, I will put my application fees toward these: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/03/mattel-to-make-mad-men-barbie-dolls-/1
They will look nicer on my shelf that my rejection letters.
@K - re: Virginia. DAMN. That's absolutely ridiculous. They're just now beginning to review applications? What the hell have they been doing the past two months, fingering their a-holes?
also, congrats to everyone whose gotten accepted/ waitlisted! everyone who's still in notification purgatory, keep your chin up, i had completely signed off a week or so ago and I, somehow, got good news (which is definitely making the breakup i'm going through right now way easier).
for Seth, my application list in fiction:
Rejections: Syracuse U. Wyoming UNCW
Accepted: Emerson!
No word or assumed rejection: Montana CSU Portland State Penn state U. Florida Arizona state
I know! if quincy hadn't mentioned it yesterday, i would never have thought to look (it also took me 'til this morning to figure out how to check it. can you say, "internet illiterate?"
Hi All - I know that Lesley in Boston is rolling admission but does anyone know how long the turnaround process is? I applied the last week of February.
@inkli__11 - I was accepted last week unofficially via email to University of Washington for fiction, and am on a waitlist for funding. Have not seen anyone discuss funding from them yet this year.
Hey guys, we think our odds are bad, but let's take a look back at history to the year 1974 when there were over 5,000 applications for 48 spots to a little school called the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, now defunct.
The middle of my week is always so hectic. Fell behind on reading posts for a day or two.
@Arna: Great advice.
@Laurie Lynn: Thanks for coming on the board in order to answer applicant questions. It is always interesting to get some perspective on this process directly from a faculty member.
@Ashley Brooke: FAU actually has a good set of poetry faculty. I read a Zukofsky biography by one of the professors there a while ago. Good stuff.
Congrats to the Boston, Portland State, Emerson, Montana, CU and CSU admits! Also congrats on the FL wait-list! & Congrats on any programs I missed!
We know (thanks to Cratty) that a spot opened up on Monday. Do you think Indiana is slow to respond, or that they already contacted the lucky waitlister and it just wasn't one of us?
These kinds of questions are truly driving me crazy.
For the Emerson admits--How the hell do you log in??? I got the email with my Emerson ID, so I clicked on the link, clicked Log In, and pasted in my ID, and entered my birthdate (what is the date format you are supposed to use?). Then it says "LOGIN FAILED. This area of e-campus is not available at this time"
Hey ya'll, been lurking since last year – this is my second year of apps. Heard good news from Adelphi yesterday by phone and City College today, by email. I'm in Fiction.
Congrats to everybody this week. Hang in there guys, I was rejected by 20 programs last year with only 1 waitlist. It'll happen for you.
Did you apply to any other low-res programs? I absolutely love the low-res format. Not sure if I like the idea of the debt, but I think the format is perfect for me. Even if I were not married with two very young kids I would rank them high on my list of to-apply-to.
Only Bennington and Lesley... though if I don't get into Bennington I think I'll just stop writing altogether! It's my toptoptop.
And I love the low-res format as well. I work full time and really can't afford to take on campus life (which is ironic). The format is also perfect for me, though I am not married and have no kids :)
sheesh, I dunno about "Login Failed," I did the same thing and just typed in the numbers of my birthday like mm/dd/yyyy. It also took me FOREVER to find where to check my application status though. sorry i cant offer more help. good luck!
@LHH - Amazing! I would not have retained my composure at that point. In my imagination, the phone call goes like this:
Robert Pinsky: Hello, this is Robert Pinsky. I'm calling for Hilary? Me: JESUS EFFING CHRIST, YOU'RE ROBERT PINSKY. OH MY GOD I HAVE TO CALL MY MOM BECAUSE I'M ON THE PHONE WITH ROBERT PINSKY. *hangs up on former US Poet Laureate * Robert Pinsky: ...
I feel very sheepish about asking, but does any brave person want to call Emerson and ask when they plan on making poetry decisions? I am much too scared.
ok guys.... i'm thinking of emailing Sarah Lawrence re: fiction notifications.... has anyone heard from them (I know someone did after they emailed.... anyone else?)
It sounded like they had made decisions, but no fiction notifications have officially happened yet? anyway, if anyone has more info let me know, otherwise i'm emailing them to check in.
ok guys.... i'm thinking of emailing Sarah Lawrence re: fiction notifications.... has anyone heard from them (I know someone did after they emailed.... anyone else?)
It sounded like they had made decisions, but no fiction notifications have officially happened yet? anyway, if anyone has more info let me know, otherwise i'm emailing them to check in.
@Jasmine, just wait, I totally will. I'm a loose cannon with nothing to lose! Or, I've been stress-eating brownies all day and the sugar is making me punchy...
my mom: so there is a voicemail on the home phone from someone named Robert at BU... me: my god, give me that phone number right now! my mom: i take it he's a big deal? me: i don't have time to list that many credentials and accolades.
she says the number i hang up on her then i call him with tears of joy building
I also love Cambridge. Whoever ends up going to Lesley, during one of the residencies you will have to go to University Hall (part of Lesley) in Porter Square, and eat at all the delicious little restaurants there. My favorite is a Japanese restaurant called Tampopo. Amazing tempura. My boyfriend lives in Boston and when I go visit him, I always beg him to go there :)
Funny story re. Cambridge (well, funny to me) -- My wife and I visited the Boston area last Fall. At Harvard, we came across an undergrad. I approached her and asked, "Are you a student here at Harvard?"
She beamed. "Yeah, I'm a freshman. I'm studying..."
I interrupted her and asked, "We're looking for the LL Bean store. Do you know where it is?"
A dejected look just washed across her face. I guess she thought I was going to say "Wow, a Harvard student!" or otherwise engage in a convo about her journey to Cambridge. (You know, she's a freshman and of course, it's all about HER!) But really, my wife and I were just lost.
I particularly love how they tend to have notes (lightbulb pops up) explaining why a particular line is difficult or could be scanned in different ways. I (think I)have scansion pretty much down, and I don't usually write formally, but it's still so much fun to practice!
Beats waiting for phone calls/emails/letters, anyway.
@Coreyanne that would be amazing if you called--I'm sort of living on the edge of my seat on that because I think it's the one I applied to I have a chance of getting in...and then there was that financial aid email...but if you do email, that'd be so amazing! Please let us know!!
Thanks for that link golightly! Even though I'm a fiction applicant, I have always loved scanning poetry for meter! I am deriving the same kind of enjoyment I would as from a crossword puzzle. (Which is to say: immense.)
Thanks WanderingTree. My funding is still up in the air which won't be sorted until April. Somewhat bittersweet this acceptance. Going to just wait to hear from the other schools.
I have never gotten meter. Is this because it uses the same part of the brain as music? I've always been terrible at instruments. I think I've clicked with a bit of meter during various poetry classes, but it is fleeting in my brain space. Even then, I have never really really really REALLY gotten it.
Big huge congratulations to everyone accepted and waitlisted today! I'm so excited for everyone. I just wanted to share with you all something interesting that happened for me with my writing as a result of this process. For a while I was finding it incredibly difficult to write. I was feeling totally psyched out, and distracted with the waiting, and then the decision-making (I have yet to make a decision). Anyway, something switched and I'm feeling totally focused and motivated. I think it's just that being so fixated on the MFA stuff is a constant reminder of what it is that I love to do, and so I'm doing it. This is really a great time for writing, and getting it done takes off so much of the pressure. Last year I applied to three schools and was rejected, and I found that writing was the cure for my dismay. This year I have gotten into several programs, and became anxious about making choices, waiting for more results, and how I would perform as an MFA student. Writing really seems to be the answer.
I'm rooting for everyone-- that you get into the programs you want, but even more so that you keep on writing throughout this strang process.
Guys, I really can't stress how awesome it is to see you all getting admitted and waitlisted - this blog is such an awesome community. Cheers, everyone.
I sent them an email because I was concerned about whether or not they received my submission (my status online said "not received" or something along those lines). They emailed to say that my submission was complete and that they would be sending responses over the next three weeks as applicants are accepted/denied.
According to the secretary, the faculty met yesterday at 12:30 and made their final selections. I'm hoping for a call tonight or tomorrow-- or not at all.
To those of us that got nothing but rejections LAST year, but find themselves with acceptances THIS year:
What did you do differently the second time around? Obviously, you tweaked the most important part, the writing sample, but anything else? Did you change your list of schools? Get different letters? A different approach entirely to your sample? Did you have more or different readers in regards to your sample?
I'm 0 for 10 right now, waiting on one more that I'm not so confident about, so I'm already readying a plan of attack for next year.
I know there is truly no formula to this, but I want to take the proper steps, and get on it now, so
Congrats to all of you who have heard good news this week!
And, I also live in NYC and currently am running a small writing group that could use a few more members. Interested parties should email me: jake [dot] goldman [at] gmail
@Inks and Beans - I've said this before and I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face. You as an applicant won't know how close you came to being on the Acceptance/Wait List. Perhaps if you had not used that word "moist" on the first page of your writing sample, you might have been on several Acceptance/Wait Lists. We just don't know.
Like I said, I was rejected last year, and have been accepted this year. I did a ton of writing in between, and what I learned (for myself) is I need to write every story I write, whether it sucks or it's good, because it gets me to the next one. A few bad stories landed me on a story that I used this time as the heart of my sample, and several program directors have commented on it in a positive light. It took a lot of shitty writing to get to that one, and so I'd say that writing as much as possible is what helped me most.
Of course I'm sure you read a lot, but I can't not mention that. I read a ton, and really diverse stuff. I consciously thought about what I could learn from the authors I admire most.
My personal statement also changed a lot. The first time I tried to show how passionate I am about writing, and I don't think that's the right approach. This time I tried to put myself across as a person trying to achieve a practical goal: I am a writer who wishes to get better; to publish, to be read, and to continue to grow. Studying in an MFA program is the next logical step for me. In some cases I did mention particular aspects of individual programs that were attractive to me, but I didn't spend too much time on that, nor did I "suck up." I was honest and straightforward-- no gimmicks, no sentimentality. I tried to keep it professional.
To be honest, I didn't really run my application by many people before I sent it out, but I know that's a good thing to do. So far as what schools I decided to apply to, I applied only to schools that I would LOVE to go to. On the other hand, I applied to 10 instead of just 3, thereby giving myself a much better chance. I figured that if I didn't get in, I would still be a writer, and I could reapply. I didn't want to apply to any 'safety schools' just to get an MFA, if they weren't schools I'm truly dying to go to.
@ Perpetua: Congrats!!! I'm also in at CU (poetry) and hoping to get some funding come April. Are you considering going there to visit? Have you gotten in anywhere else?
I have to agree with Emma about doing lots of mediocre writing to get to the good stuff. I took a creative writing seminar last fall, and we had the pleasure of speaking with Karen Russell about craft and such. I thought it might comfort all of you to know that she also made a point of saying that you have to write through some not-so-good stuff to get to that good story that lives in you. We also got to speak with Dan Chaon and he said basically the same thing -- that he had to write several bad stories for each good one.
Keep your spirits up, all out there still waiting for good news. And try to keep writing in the meantime. It's good for the soul.
@LHH - Haha I'm not sure your reassurance is a good thing. Now every moment of waiting is water torture. I saw Pinsky read with a jazz quartet at FSU in the fall and I want to study with him so damn badly!
I would also like to tell everyone to look into the NY State Summer Writer's Institute at Skidmore if you are interested in a two or four week workshop this summer. The readers and artists in residence are unreal.
Oh to be beginning this process when it's ending for most of you...
I'm planning on applying to MFA programs for fiction this winter. I want to stay in the Midwest, especially in or around MI (my home state). I'm prioritizing schools with full-funding, teaching positions, studio-focused, and at least 2 years in length.
My list so far:
U of Michigan, Ann Arbor Western Michigan U Northern Michigan U Indiana U, Bloomington Purdue U Southern Illinois U, Carbondale U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Bowling Green State U Penn State U Syracuse U
I have 10 and I'd like to have 12; any suggestions? Replacements?
Acceptance from UMD, rejections from Hopkins, SU, and Amherst. Waitlisted at UNC Wilmington and Cornell. Was told that I'm the first person on the waitlist; four poets were given offers, and am number five. It sounds pretty sweet (and I really hope a spot opens up), but it's also torture!
2,265 comments:
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She really is wonderful. :)
Why does Virginia take such a long time to notify? Do you think they lose their top picks to other schools who notify earlier?
I am waiting on them, and of course I'm not at all banking on being let in, but I will be honest and say that I'm considering accepting Indiana's offer very soon, rather than waiting for UVa's molasses-pace yea or nay. I've had such a strong positive reaction to my visit to Bloomington that I'm having a hard time seeing how anyone could offer me something better, so why wait on the slow-poke that will probably reject me anyway?
Anyway. I'm just rather mystified as to why a top program like UVa would run the risk of losing their admits to other, quicker schools. It seems like a poor gamble.
@Jasmine
I have a related question. At what point is it acceptable to send a friendly inquiry to other programs you are waiting to hear back from, when you have a really good feeling about another program you're accepted to but want to hear back from the others? I completely understand waiting to see about other offers because it's important to make an informed decision. Is the last week in March too early to email the other programs (before the April 15 deadline)? Thank you to anyone with answers! :)
Congrats to MFAguy and other folks who received acceptances today. :)
uggghhhhh every day i wake up thinking Ok. this could be the day I hear from Arizona State, or Hollins, or Columbia... (non-fiction application)
...proceed to obsessively refresh email, make sure phone is on, check here for updates, check Driftless house until i leave for school.
as the day goes on i just get discouraged. i give up early, too. like, by noon i figure it's over for the day. Come ON, guys, pleeeeease?? you've notified around this time in the past...so...pretty please?
Anti- and any other TNS/NYC peeps: if The New School' ends up being my future (and yours, too) let's definitely be in touch about housing options, ideas etc. I'm coming from pretty far across the country...
Also, to all you potential or certain AWP attendees: Denver's really rad, we should definitely connect, go to the bars, hover at the tables of grad grograms we were/were not admitted to, etc.
I've been at AWP the past 2 years and it's been a blast. I still occasionally have wet dreams about the endless sea of tables upon tables that is the bookfair: independent presses and publishers and grad programs, oh my!
Boise:
I really get the feeling that prodding the programs for information/status checks, whether by phone or by email, is a rather irritating habit we applicants have, probably exacerbated by the manic atmosphere of this blog. I'm guilty of that mania, of course. But I don't want to harass a secretary or program director who can barely do his/her job because s/he has to field multiple inquiries a day from anxious applicants. So my thoughts on your question is that I'm unwilling to contact programs no matter how late in the game it is. I know other people here will disagree.
All of that said, there really should be a better system of getting out acceptances/rejections/waitlist notificatons in good time. We have this April 15 deadline to accept or reject an offer, but schools who cut it too close to that deadline leave their admits in a bad position, one which encourages a harried, poorly thought-out decision. In my opinion, notifications should be finished a full month before our own decision deadline. It would save us all this grief, and save them their preferred admits as well as their time.
Well, Nadia, you're counted "in". I'm attending AWP and, conveniently, I'm a Denver resident.
As it approaches, let's make Team MFA Blog plans. Goddamn it, it'll be fun.
re: looking for housing
Once I make a decision, finding housing will be my next panic! A few of my schools say they have services that help grad students find housing, so I hope that those services will be helpful and do more than just hand me a brochure or something like that...
I might end up in or near NYC too, and once it comes closer to decision time, I would love to talk to other NYC-bound people from the blog, or people who have lived there in the past. I have never even lived in a city before and am completely clueless and pretty nervous.
I've thought about attending AWP. I've never been. What does one do, once there? Is it worth it?
oh my god, i just spent an hour and half catching up with everything.
@CNF Courtney - YESSSS AMERICA!
@Syracuse peeps: this is absurd. End of april? i'm done with them. I love george so much, yet not enough to live there. I will sacrifice myself to send the email no one wants to send. What do we need to know?
last, thank you seth, for swooping in to occasionally save us from ourselves.
I'm assuming that Syracuse reply was automated. People have been accepted AND wait listed already. I'm sure the admissions office just says some random end date so that people won't form a mob earlier in application season.
i sound like a maniac. let me just explain that in the last 1.5 hours catching up on this bog i have eaten 2 fried eggs, two pieces of toast with jam, 9ish rosemary butter crackers, one weird little piece of kale, and 11 AMBIGUOUS GUMMIES FROM CHINATOWN. and nyquil.
ps. if anybody went to michigan undergrad, pls email me. rebecca dot mydarling at gmail dot com. need to talk about some things.
@Andrew
WMU has a pretty great Ph.D. program for creative writing. For that reason, many of my undergraduate workshops have been taught by Doctoral fellows (excellent doctoral fellows). However, I've never heard of a workshop at WMU that wasn't great. We have a pretty well rounded English faculty from all over the country, all of which are extremely friendly, helpful, and genuinly care about the success and betterment of each student. Lucky for you, as a graduate student at Western you would have the opportunity to work under the instruction of Jaimy Gordon and Stuart Dybek, as well as all of the other amazing staff. I honestly have never heard a negative review in regards to any of the creative writing faculty.
Kalamazoo is a great city. In my opinion, it is the perfect balance between campus life and city. It is also near more rural neighborhoods if you can't stomach the city thing--but generally speaking, the city/campus is more prominant. I'm not sure what you consider to be affordable, but housing in Kalamazoo ranges from the very highest to lowest in both quality and pricing. You can honestly find something that suits your needs, no matter what they are, if you just know who to ask and where to look. There are a ton of neighborhoods specifically designed for students, as well as affordable homes for rent and options within neighborhoods that house more of the general public (which would probably be the route I would take going into my graduate degree, but there are good options for graduates within the more "student" populated areas as well.) If WMU ends up being a larger prospect for you I'd be happy to go into this with more detail. For now, just know you can find something that will work for you.
Cleanliness, safety and friendliness all depend on the area. Generally speaking, Kalamazoo is a very friendly community and a very safe community. I'm not sure what to say about cleanliness. It is not a dirty place by any means, but I'm not sure how you percieve cleanliness. I'd say, like most cities, it depends on the neighborhood. The more "public" and student populated areas are not as well kept as the family and single home areas. At the same time, there is no kind of issue with trash, disease, etc. I'm a neat freak myself, so I'm not sure how to judge the average. There are safety issues in one or two places. These are easily avoidable areas and seem to be targeted mainly because many young college students don't understand the importance of securing your belongings. I can honestly pin point most activity to several blocks, so it won't be an issue to avoid these areas. Every city has its crime.
I really love Kalamazoo. It's extremely easy to adapt to and the campus community is close. The English department is, in my opinion (and I have experience with many of the departments)one of the closest communities on the campus. All of the arts are pretty loving and supportive of each other. It makes our end of the campus a pretty exciting place to be around. ;)
I'm not sure where you live, but if Western becomes a promising prospect, I would consider visiting the area. The English department will be more than hospitable, and I would have no problem showing you around if it was something of interest.
If you have other questions or would like more detail we can chat. I'd leave my email but all of them reveal my first and last name. If you want to speak outside of the blog, post your email and I could contact you.
Hope this helped. And for everyone else, I'm sorry you had to be subjected to such a lengthy post that was likely irrelevant for you.
@ ALL
Good luck to everyone this week and the next. I'm feeling the heat more than ever, and I'm sure I'm not the only one whose personality is being eaten by their emotions. Who was I before this?
@ Laura T
re: housing --> I know how you feel, as I've already started my hardcore search (though, granted, not in NYC).
Hey everyone,
So I remember a few bags back that there were some Colorado State acceptances roaming around.... where you at? I just got a letter of acceptance (snail mail) and am anxious to talk with anyone else whose heard from them. Since they didn't mention funding, I doubt I'm being considered, but I really hope so. I'm in poetry.
@anyone coming to NYC: I've been living here for 9 years, and am happy to chat about the city, apartments, locations.... whatever.
Feel free to email me: coreyann at gmail dot com.
Also-- people who currently live in NYC: are you part of any writer's groups? I can't afford classes at the moment, but I work well receiving feedback in workshop type settings... unfortunately I come from a theatre background so most of my network is actors and directors-- I'd love to connect with NYC based writers.
Thanks Cecil for the info! Will do a little more investigating!
Congratulations to MFAguy, burlaper, and Cher - and the Columbia College admits!
Got my letter from Iowa today... no surprise there, no lovely note from Sam Chang, either. Not too crushed since I'd already made my peace with this one, though. Come on, BU and Columbia... surely ONE of you wants me?
Also, if any of the Columbia College people are in poetry, enjoy class with James Shea! I think he's still there, anyway. He's a wonderful teacher and his book, "Star in the Eye" is terrific.
@ Jasmine - I'm with you on Virginia. I really don't understand the late notifying. I'm hopeful that it's just an out they've built for themselves in case it ends up taking that long - but that it isn't the *plan*.
I also e-mailed Syracuse. This was their reply:
"No, we have not sent all decisions out yet. We expect all letters to be released no later than April."
This message could be interpreted in a maddening array of ways.
@Jasmine - re: Virginia - Well, Virginia is a special case. Everyone knows it is the Harvard of...er...um...well, Virginia. :P
Seriously, I think it's a cool program but that notifying so late is a mistake (and not particularly justified each year by their number of applications).
Cheers!
@Tim Noble
That email is a real reach-around. Come on, Syracuse! Let's do this face-to-face!
Seth's response time database says UCI, UC Davis and SF State have all notified!? No! I don't want to assume rejection yet!
@Nadia
Def. like that idea about discussing housing options. Still waiting for other programs (and options), but if you're likely to be moving to the NYC/NYC-area, hit me up at:
nightlyfix at gmail dot com
@Coreyann
A friend of mine tried the site meetup.com and found a very cool workshop in the area. Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.
**
I think I mentioned I had a GNP with SAIC a few days ago (or was it yesterday. Man, I'm forgetful).
It's an interesting program, and the writers it's spawning are the epidome of experimental (many are in online journals). The tuition is incredbily expensive, but the program, from what I've so far read, seems interesting and provacative.
Anyone thinking of attending? It's not my first choice, but I still applied because I found the school and location to die for. And I had a feeling they'd dig my writing sample. They did.
Hey All -- De-Lurking here after months of following the conversation daily.
We lurkers have our various reasons for playing the wallflower but still feel like we know all of you regulars. I often have wished I had come out from the shadows earlier -- so many great things to comment on and so many great people here, particularly Woon, Sam N., Wrecking Light, Eli, franksih, Cratty, Mostly Swell, koru, pencore, Wandering Tree, Klairkwilty, Arna, DFW1986, JasonJ, and of course, the much absent Dreux. I am sure I forgot many of you - apologies - but it's fun to keep up with you all and your thoughts. Further, I have learned so much about so many things from just hanging out herel -- so thanks!
@Seth -- my list
Boston University
Brown (rejected)
UVA
WUSTL (rejected)
U of Washington
If I don't get in anywhere, the thing I will feel I will have missed out on the most is the community. As a few others mentioned months back, finding people with whom to share (the writing) life can be difficult, but you, here, have inspired me. Thanks.
A.
U San Francisco is reviewing (at least fiction) this week! Just letting ya know.
@Coreyann - I'm also in NYC, not part of any writer groups, but if you find one (or form one!) I'd love it if you'd let me know-
@ coreyann & @hannah
I'm also in nyc and not apart of any "official" writers groups but know alot of other writers who trade work as friends. email me at morganapple0 at gmail dot com so we can get a thread going if you're interested?
@hannah
drop me a line: coreyann at gmail dot com.
Just discovered this blog today--got a phone call from Robert Pinsky that I got into Boston University's MFA--anyone else hear good news from BU?
Oregon fiction acceptance (via phone) posted on DH. I didn't apply there, but feel the need to report back for those waiting...
@ Ananda - welcome! As someone who de-lurked about a month ago, I can say with certainty that I wish I'd done it much sooner. To any other lurkers out there - it's not scary, creepy, or any more time-consuming to comment than it is to follow along in silence. But it is a lot more fun.
honey mustard:
Congrats! Are you fiction or poetry?
@Nathaniel
I'm poetry!
@LHH (shape-shift much?)
Nice. Hence the Pinsky. Does that mean if I get in, Ha Jin will call me?
@Nathaniel
yes, i didn't realize that my name was so bizarre until i saw it.
if you get fiction, my guess is that Leslie Epstein will be making the call.
Just received my official rejection from Maryland approximately one minute and thirty seconds ago. They sent an email with the subject line, "Decision status is available for..." and the name of the university was cut off in the email address. So, warning! I had a small heart attack.
Also, the decision isn't in the email; you have to sign in to the portal, and click on three more links before they spit it out. Nerve wracking and pretty mean, if you ask me.
Morgan & Coreyann: check your mailboxes. At the very least, someone could organize a NYC MFA candidate/reject gathering. I think they did one last year.
@honey mustard: your moniker is making me hungry. Congrats, btw.
@LHH - Congrats! I'm surprised BU is notifying this early. Does this mean my hopes of studying with Pinsky are dashed? Maybe for this year.
@Rosie
RE - Maryland rejection
Got it! I wasn't terribly confident since I knew others had been accepted via mail. It was actually kinda fun following all those links...I even had to have my password emailed to me first, as I'd forgotten it.
Just glad to finally be hearing ANYTHING. The suspense isn't killing me. The suspense is suspending my getting with a normal life. God bless notifications, may they begin to POUR IN good or bad.
From Susan over on Driftless House, re: New School on 3/8, for anyone who is still waiting to hear:
"I also called the New School, they said Admissions has not sent out any formal acceptances, waitlists, or rejections, but individual depts might have taken the liberty to start contacting their accepted candidates. TNS is working in waves, so it seems that their decisions have not yet been finalized. Still room for some hope there."
Also, anyone hear about Emerson? Someone on Driftless House said they found out their acceptance on a website, but the only site I can log into is the credential check site, and there is nothing there that says I've been accepted or rejected.
Has anyone heard unofficial notice from TNS or Hunter for poetry?
@umlrenic
Re: TNS Poetry
Not a peep. And very depressed as a result :[
@ myself
I just checked my email and had news from Hunter.
@ Chelsea
What is up with TNS? They seem to be taking a long time...
@umlrenic
I believe the phrase you are looking for is: "They are taking their sweet #%*)#% time" haha
Good luck everyone and congrats to all who are getting acceptances and waitlists.
I have applied to 8 schools and have nothing to report. It is maddening. My two German Shepherds are moping around the house because I am the one taking on the mailman...
@ Chelsea
I was muttering that to myself while typing
I think waitlist purgatory has actually heightened my anxiety level rather than lessening it.
I'm a nervous wreck.
The elation at being sort of wanted by a school quickly faded away into preparing myself for the likelihood that I still won't get in anywhere and will have to do this all over again next year. And, of course, I'm now having to fight the urge to wish that evil things will befall those ahead of me on the waitlist.... (It's not personal.) I didn't have any evil thoughts when I assumed I was nowhere close to being accepted - but now that I know there are just a handful of individuals keeping me from an acceptance, ill will is beginning to emerge. Don't worry; I won't be buying any voodoo dolls.
This MFA application process is making me psychotic.
@Summer
Actually, he mentioned that they have only selected a few so far, and there will be about seven to eleven in the end, so, fingers crossed!
Got a response from American in response to an email asking about decision timing.
They said "Your application is in the final stages of the review process. You can expect an answer from our department around the end of March."
@ phillywriter
I understand your lot. I am on three waitlists now and they have become my burden. Rejections are final but waitlists are near-forever, with no guarantees. On the bright side, having a sliver of hope is better than none, perhaps. As long as the psychotic episodes are kept to a minimum.
@ phillywriter
I think homemade voodoo dolls are probably more effective anyway.
I could not agree more that being on a waiting list adds a whole new dimension of stress. I want to be thinking rationally about the programs I've been waitlisted at so that I will know where I stand should I be accepted. But I don't want to get my hopes up and acceptance is still an abstract possibility. BUT I still feel elated at not being rejected everywhere, which was my fear.
@People on waitlists:
As someone who is holding up 3 waitlists right now by still being unable to outright reject offers yet, I really agree that the system sucks.
I'm in poetry and have full funding to Michigan and Montana, and indeterminable funding for Maryland. However, I have yet to hear back from two more schools (one the dream school- mostly because my BF and I are trying to get in together). So I can't rule out Michigan, I might have to go there alone if the funding at Maryland for us both doesn't work out.
The only school I knew to reject for sure was Minnesota a while back.
Thus, in any case, I feel like an a-hole because I read somewhere that many people on waitlists don't hear from the schools until like the last minute, as those holding up the acceptances are usually the same dozen people in every school, and when they accept, a bunch of spaces open up.
/end rant.
Sorry about getting like that, I thought a school had just called, but it was my mom.
Oh, and as an aside, I do think everyone on waitlists should keep their chins up, like I said above, it probably won't happen until right before the end.
@Ena and others who have been accepted multiple places but can't make a decision yet:
Don't feel like an a-hole. This is a big decision, and you shouldn't feel rushed into making it. My waitlist agony whining isn't intended to make anyone feel pressured to make a decision - I just needed to vent about the process.
In other words, it's the system that sucks, not any of you.
Hope, Hope, Hope, Hope, Hope!
re. holding on to offers.
I think it makes sense to hold on to two offers while trying to decide, but more than two is unreasonable. In fact, it's why the artsy MFA types get such a bad rep for being flakes. Blimey, get with it, blokes!
(blimey and bloke are my two new favorite words)
@Coreyann
I'm in Brooklyn, have been for 4 years. I've taken the Freebird Workshops in Carroll Gardens. They're awesome! The girl who runs the workshops is a great reader. She's super supportive, but perfectly critical. Check them out here:
http://freebirdworkshops.webs.com/
I'm also trying to keep from dropping loot on workshops, myself. The problem is that I definitely need some more readers. I'd be interested in talking to you and any other NYC writers that would like to share work.
@LHH congratulations! A phone call from Robert effing Pinsky... damn, that's awesome.
hey all
been lurking guiltily for a while now, since I didn't have an account to post with and since I didnt want to add more people to the list of "those would know I didnt get in" (I know, that's ridiculous, but there it is).
However, I just checked my Emerson status and found out, I'm in for fiction!
Of course, when I called my dad, he killed my high by asking "so are they gonna pay for it for you?"
Good question. Do any of you other Emerson acceptees know how the fin aid will work? (@quincy is the only I've seen, but I probably missed some)
Also, thanks so much everyone for keeping me sane through this nutso process!
Also, I completely forgot to congratulate Woon on the Florida waitlist yesterday. So yay Woon!
Pleeeeeease, Robert Pinsky, call meeeeeeeee...
Congrats, Algae!
All these acceptances are really keeping my spirits up during this increasingly stressful time. I'm so proud of all you guys!
@weighswithwords:
that looks great-- and pretty cheap, although at the moment i have basically zero cash. But i'm kepping it bookmarked, since its so affordable.
Some people from this blog have been emailing me about a group, feel free to email me as well? I think touching base with those of us based in NYC is really helpful...
coreyann at gmail dot com.
Hello to NYC MFA-ers!
@weighswithwords - Thanks for the info on Free Bird. Never heard of them.
As for NYC workshops, I've taken classes at the Poetry Project and the Asian American Writers' Workshop.
@Woon:
Maybe, but as I said, my holding more than two waitlists wouldn't be an issue if I was making the decision for just myself. If that was the case, I would have totally accepted one of the above schools already, or at least declined one.
But I'm waiting with my significant other, who didn't get into Michigan, and no funding in Montana for him. So, what if no other schools wants us both?--it's a hard decision to just go our separate ways, or have huge loans together, and still no word of funding from anyone else.
That's all I'm saying. It's no one's fault, and as it is I'm going to let one of the schools go soon, despite the fact that it might (possibly) be a good shot.
Also, I'm not entirely sure that "artsy MFA types" get a bad rap for holding on to acceptances. In fact, I would never have deemed that to be a reason someone might dislike the type. Nor am I sure that being cautious (as defined by uncertainty of the future and other potential schools in this case) is flakey.
I agree with phyliwriter: we're being put in sucksville situations because the schools refuse to cooperate and have definite and consistent times of acceptance/rejections like the law schools. My (and others') situation is a reaction to/product of the system.
@Tim Noble, Wee Meathead, Julian
After some bullet biting, I emailed Syracuse about us limboers. I received a helpful response that said acceptances (6), wait-lists (12), and denials were out, but my application was in a 'holding file.'
Though the email didn't explicate what a 'holding file' is, I think it's pretty clear that it's an unofficial wait-list. In the unlikely event that a program exhausts its acceptances and wait-listers, they move to a deeper reserve of applicants they aren't ready to outright reject. This is self-protective for the program, obviously, but difficult for the waiting applicant.
I think what we should take from it is encouragement: they liked our writing.
I haven't gotten any wait-lists, was a finalist at Wisconsin-Madison (later rejected), have five watermarked rejections to my name. I'm bummed (and mildly hopeful for my remaining schools), but I'll take encouragement.
Hope this info helps you guys!
@weighswithwords
I'm also in New York and have taken a few workshops, Sacketts, Gotham, Writers Studio..etc My guess is there are enough people on this blog for us to start our own workshop so we can swap stories and potentially meet once a week/every couple of weeks.
I'd love to enter my MFA program with some good material/ideas going. I think we could make a workshop happen for those interested who don't want to (or can't afford to, in my case) drop the dough. I can already think of 3future MFA students/friends (Wee Meathead included in this) that I could talk to who would most likely be interested.
@ Coreyann
What genre are you? Are you staying in nyc?
@ Wee Meathead
Thanks!!!I know you love good ol' George, but SU is laughable at this point. Late April?!? I can see you glaring at them in navy and gold already...
Hi - has anyone heard anything from Bennington?
I don't know how different this year is compared to previous years, but it seems that with the increased application numbers, Admissions offices across the nation are scrambling to cope. They're seeing more acceptees turn down their offers and they're having to go through a "deeper reserve of applicants," as M. Swann said, to compensate. I suspect that as we near April 15, there will be a wild feeding frenzy of sorts. Our version of musical chairs. Can't wait!
@umlrenic (sorry, didn't check on spelling of that. i'm being lazy)
I'm in fiction, and I'm hoping to stay in the city. that's the plan at least.
A bunch of people have been emailing me with interest, so i'm going to give it the day for interested NYC people to touch base with me, and then send out an email to everyone who expressed interest at the end of the day? I don't mind me all organizational... its a welcome distraction from thinking about notifications.....
coreyann at gmail dot com.
Thanks Mr Swann. That makes sense. I'll go with that.
@hilary
i know! i nearly died when he said "louise and I are drawing up the numbers for your teaching fellowship" casually, as though louise gluck is just referred to casually all the time
@Woon: I'm with @ena. Even if my s.o. weren't a factor, I currently have three offers that present different kinds of opportunities, and I'm waiting to hear from a fourth program from whom I've received a good-news email.
(To be clear, I also have my share of rejections, and a pair of schools remaining from whom I've heard nothing.)
I don't think it's unreasonable or "artsy" to want to wait to make a decision until I have complete information. If the GNE school came through with an acceptance and funding, I could safely rule out one of the schools from whom I have an offer. But at the moment, I can't really rule out any of my offers.
But there's a huge range of factors in play here—in no particular order: location, faculty. size, track record, funding, duration, research/studio mix, teaching opportunities, and so on. To dig into each of these categories now, to call the GNE program and ask the questions I have before I've even been accepted, to reach out to students at all three of my current offers even though I may rule one out tomorrow… that doesn't seem like the right way to go to me.
And again—that's not to mention the other person in this equation, for whom each choice also presents different opportunities, the full understanding of which requires further research. We're working on it, but it's a lot to get through and we definitely can't finish up without knowing where we stand.
As I don't think it's been posted yet here, thought I'd let my fellow ladies of the '80s (re: our teen heart throb convo) know that Corey Haim was found dead early this morning of an "accidental overdose."
http://www.opposingviews.com/p/star-of-the-lost-boys-in-1980s-actor-corey-haim-dead-at-38
@Courtney
Setting up a workshop sounds great! I'd suggest emailing Coreyann. She's got those executive skills!
Thanks, Coreann!
As far as Virginia goes--I for one am grateful they take so long to notify. It makes me hopeful that they actually take time with the samples. I still findi it utterly implausible that a place like Iowa can give a fair read to 1,300 samples in such a short period. I know, I know--grad students read the first couplpe rounds (also does not, for me, inspire confidence)-- I say hooray for Virginia. That's just me.
Congrats all,
Daffy
Daffron--
Not to bring you down, but someone posted this on the Driftless Blog:
"FWIW, I had to write the UVirginia office today (lost transcript), and when I asked them if this would affect my admissions decision, the admissions person said the Creative Writing department is 'starting' to review applications now and should be making decisions by 1 April."
@K,
I stand corrected. That blows.
Daffy
Holy *%&@!!
Just received an email from the director of the UMass Boston MFA program saying that I'm being recommended for matriculation! It says they're accepting five students this year; no mention of funding yet, maybe not till I get my official acceptance.
Forgot to mention: in fiction!
So, I am in at George Mason, Texas State and St Mary's, all for poetry. I thought I'd have some time to figure out all my financial info etc, but St Mary's decision deadline is in just 5 days! While they are definitely my first choice at this point I still haven't even recieved final decisions from 6 of the schools I applied to. I'm going to call the program director and try to stall, but is anyone else dealing with the problem of an early deadline?
@ Nathaniel
Congrats on UMass!
Accepted to Portland State in CNF via regular mail yesterday (3.9.2010)
I live in Portland though, so the letter might have came quick compared to those that have to travel more than a mile...
has anyone been in contact with the university of washington (seattle) about where they are in the decision process? it looks like some people have already been accepted. did anyone report being accepted with funding?
@ Nathaniel
Awesome news!
I know a few people on here have already declined some of their offers. I'm curious how you went about doing this: Did you write an email? Make a phone call? Did you explain why you had chosen to go elsewhere, or just say you were declining?
The Dutchess, Dry Leaves:
Thanks so much!
@Woon: I can't remember if I congratulated you on your Florida waitlist. Yay! That's a great program.
Portland State, GM, UMass Boston acceptances: Congrats! Wonderful news.
Congrats to all the recent acceptances! And good luck with funding for all those awaiting offers..
@Violet Mai
I wrote an email because I wanted to spare everyone the awkwardness of the phone call. In it, I basically told them that at this time I am unable to commit to their program and hope that someone else gets my losses.
Be aware, however, that some of them want to know where you are going instead (for their records) so if you don't know yet--like me, it can be a little awkward. Cause I didn't want to say "oh, I don't know yet, just not you". I told them probably X, but the financial stuff is still being worked out. Thank way you have a little leeway with your real decision, without feeling guilty.
@Nathaniel -- congrats! Boston is a great city. Last October, my wife and I traversed the city on foot. Not that big, to tell you the truth. The city, that is, not the foot.
re. Corey Haim. What a waste of decent talent. Good in "Lucas." (which reminds me, whatever happened to Kerri Green?)
@Nathaniel
Congrats on UMass Nathaniel! Looks like we'll be neighbors!
@McB
That's exciting! Congrats! I take it you didn't get a call before the official letter.
..Makes me wonder whether all fiction admits were called. Hmmm, I want to keep the hope alive!
Do not despair, one of the writers was saved; do not presume, one of the writers was damned.
@Nathaniel
UMass?! Well freggin done. That's great news.
Did anyone else applying to Sarah Lawrence College receive an email about incomplete financial aid? I did the FAFSA, but now they want a profile and a copy of my tax return?
Not sure what to do with this... guess I'll call their office and ask.
I was just thinking optimistically that "It's okay! No one's heard from all these schools yet!" and then looked today and saw TNS, USF, SFSU, etc. all started notifying.
March sadness for me I guess!
@ Ian,
Sarah Lawrence has a long list of financial aid requirements. The FAFSA, and the CSS Profile (similar to the FAFSA but with more questions), and a copy of your entire federal tax return and W2 mailed to their office.
Here is the address for the Profile:
https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp
For the Profile, you have to create a CollegeBoard account if you don't have one, then fill it out and put Sarah Lawrence as the school you want to send it to, like how you put a list of schools into your FAFSA, then submit it. I think the Profile costs somewhere around $25 to send.
@Sarah
I, too, am waiting for the word from Bennington. I think they said mid-March in the email I got from them a few weeks ago. So any day now! Good luck!
Anyone interested in SFSU for fiction, just a head's up: Driftless House indicates SFSU contacted people already, but I just spoke with the department and they said they are only now wrapping up reading applications and will be notifying next week.
@Ian
I too got that email. I got it last week (I applied in fiction)
I wanted to think it was good news (and that would be the first I've heard, in a long list of pure rejections and silence), but I don't really know what to make of it. Nothing after I sent them my PROFILE.
@DougO
Good luck to you too! Thanks for the info. I emailed admissions today and was told that the readers should be getting back to them 'soon'.
I like 'mid-March' better :)
I think, instead of applying to MFA programs again next year, I will put my application fees toward these: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/03/mattel-to-make-mad-men-barbie-dolls-/1
They will look nicer on my shelf that my rejection letters.
@K - re: Virginia. DAMN. That's absolutely ridiculous. They're just now beginning to review applications? What the hell have they been doing the past two months, fingering their a-holes?
Jesus Christ.
I love this blog.
Still no word from SFSU, although I see some people have heard... My online status is the same as always...so I'm guessing it is a no.
But, I'm pretty excited about Portland. Anyone going for sure yet?
thanks Hilary!
also, congrats to everyone whose gotten accepted/ waitlisted! everyone who's still in notification purgatory, keep your chin up, i had completely signed off a week or so ago and I, somehow, got good news (which is definitely making the breakup i'm going through right now way easier).
for Seth, my application list in fiction:
Rejections:
Syracuse
U. Wyoming
UNCW
Accepted:
Emerson!
No word or assumed rejection:
Montana
CSU
Portland State
Penn state
U. Florida
Arizona state
Holy crap, I'm in at Emerson, too. !!! Thanks for the tip, Algae, I might not have checked my status for eight years.
Rosie,
I know! if quincy hadn't mentioned it yesterday, i would never have thought to look (it also took me 'til this morning to figure out how to check it. can you say, "internet illiterate?"
what genre are you in for?
@Emerson
For those with acceptances (high five!) are you all fiction or some poetry?
Hi All - I know that Lesley in Boston is rolling admission but does anyone know how long the turnaround process is? I applied the last week of February.
@inkli__11 - I was accepted last week unofficially via email to University of Washington for fiction, and am on a waitlist for funding. Have not seen anyone discuss funding from them yet this year.
Hey guys, we think our odds are bad, but let's take a look back at history to the year 1974 when there were over 5,000 applications for 48 spots to a little school called the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, now defunct.
Fiction! :D
@ Ashley Brooke
That tidbit is thus far the highlight of my day.
The middle of my week is always so hectic. Fell behind on reading posts for a day or two.
@Arna: Great advice.
@Laurie Lynn: Thanks for coming on the board in order to answer applicant questions. It is always interesting to get some perspective on this process directly from a faculty member.
@Ashley Brooke: FAU actually has a good set of poetry faculty. I read a Zukofsky biography by one of the professors there a while ago. Good stuff.
Congrats to the Boston, Portland State, Emerson, Montana, CU and CSU admits! Also congrats on the FL wait-list! & Congrats on any programs I missed!
All Best,
Aaron
@Chelsea
i'm in fiction. i havent heard of any poetry/cnf admits yet, here or on the fb group for emerson.
@Emerson
Congrats all you Emerson people! Looks like we will be very nearby neighbors indeed!
xx from the lone BU ranger
@Algae
Thanks for clearing it up. Guess Emerson just wants to be a bit of a ballbuster. Rawr.
To my fellow Indiana fiction waitlisters:
We know (thanks to Cratty) that a spot opened up on Monday. Do you think Indiana is slow to respond, or that they already contacted the lucky waitlister and it just wasn't one of us?
These kinds of questions are truly driving me crazy.
Anyone who has been accepted to an MFA in the Greater Boston Area please join my group on facebook called "Writers getting their MFA in Boston"!
@ anyone and everyone
Anybody else hear from Hunter today?
um, I mean yesterday. Also, I mean poetry.
Congrats to all of today's acceptances/WL's!!!
Anyone have the inside scoop on when Columbia might notify? It seems late for them, historically...
@Emerson
@Boston University
@Umass Amherst
@UMass Boston
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=353336919380&ref=mf
For the Emerson admits--How the hell do you log in??? I got the email with my Emerson ID, so I clicked on the link, clicked Log In, and pasted in my ID, and entered my birthdate (what is the date format you are supposed to use?). Then it says "LOGIN FAILED. This area of e-campus is not available at this time"
What the eff!?
Shenandoah: Print to ezine, sure, but free?
I can understand (sort of) the switch away from print, but why wouldn't you have people pay to subscribe?
@umlrenic
I applied to Hunter for fiction. I've heard nothing. What'd you hear? How?
@kaybay
If you still visit this blog, can you tell me who you contacted at Notre Dame to find out your status?
Hey ya'll, been lurking since last year – this is my second year of apps. Heard good news from Adelphi yesterday by phone and City College today, by email. I'm in Fiction.
Congrats to everybody this week. Hang in there guys, I was rejected by 20 programs last year with only 1 waitlist. It'll happen for you.
@Sarah
Did you apply to any other low-res programs? I absolutely love the low-res format. Not sure if I like the idea of the debt, but I think the format is perfect for me. Even if I were not married with two very young kids I would rank them high on my list of to-apply-to.
@Emerson
Does anyone have an external link to that login page you've been talking about?
It doesn't sound familiar so I want to make sure I'm checking my app status @ the right spot, haha.
@DougO
Only Bennington and Lesley... though if I don't get into Bennington I think I'll just stop writing altogether! It's my toptoptop.
And I love the low-res format as well. I work full time and really can't afford to take on campus life (which is ironic). The format is also perfect for me, though I am not married and have no kids :)
Michael,
sheesh, I dunno about "Login Failed," I did the same thing and just typed in the numbers of my birthday like mm/dd/yyyy. It also took me FOREVER to find where to check my application status though. sorry i cant offer more help.
good luck!
@LHH - Amazing! I would not have retained my composure at that point. In my imagination, the phone call goes like this:
Robert Pinsky: Hello, this is Robert Pinsky. I'm calling for Hilary?
Me: JESUS EFFING CHRIST, YOU'RE ROBERT PINSKY. OH MY GOD I HAVE TO CALL MY MOM BECAUSE I'M ON THE PHONE WITH ROBERT PINSKY. *hangs up on former US Poet Laureate *
Robert Pinsky: ...
@ chelsea, michael
here's the link to the login page
https://interactive.emerson.edu/credcheck/
I feel very sheepish about asking, but does any brave person want to call Emerson and ask when they plan on making poetry decisions? I am much too scared.
Hilary:
Now I kinda wish you would call Robert Pinsky.
Hey there,
What do you guys know about Emerson's program? I've heard funding is an issue... Anyone with experience there?
Thanks!
ok guys.... i'm thinking of emailing Sarah Lawrence re: fiction notifications.... has anyone heard from them (I know someone did after they emailed.... anyone else?)
It sounded like they had made decisions, but no fiction notifications have officially happened yet? anyway, if anyone has more info let me know, otherwise i'm emailing them to check in.
ok guys.... i'm thinking of emailing Sarah Lawrence re: fiction notifications.... has anyone heard from them (I know someone did after they emailed.... anyone else?)
It sounded like they had made decisions, but no fiction notifications have officially happened yet? anyway, if anyone has more info let me know, otherwise i'm emailing them to check in.
@Jasmine, just wait, I totally will. I'm a loose cannon with nothing to lose! Or, I've been stress-eating brownies all day and the sugar is making me punchy...
@hilary
actually it went more like this:
my mom: so there is a voicemail on the home phone from someone named Robert at BU...
me: my god, give me that phone number right now!
my mom: i take it he's a big deal?
me: i don't have time to list that many credentials and accolades.
she says the number
i hang up on her
then i call him with tears of joy building
Thanks Algae. It just says my submission status is "Complete." Bummer. Now I have to wind myself down...
@weighswithwords
I got an email this morning (sent last night) from the adcom. Waiting list! I am on a roll with the waiting lists... : P
@Algae
Muchas Gracias! Now I'll make sure that login page is one of my compulsive stops every hour, every day.
@LHH - that is as it should be. I'm so excited for you! I'm crossing my fingers for BU (I live in Cambridge, MA), so maybe we'll be MFA buddies...
Just turned down a fiction spot at McNeese. Heads up, waitlisters!
@hilary
I LOVE CAMBRIDGE. I did my undergrad in beantown--Grolier is my jam. So is Mr. B's--GOOD LUCK! I hope you get in too!!
Just turned down a poetry spot at McNeese.
Someone gets to go to Mardi Gras next year!
I also love Cambridge. Whoever ends up going to Lesley, during one of the residencies you will have to go to University Hall (part of Lesley) in Porter Square, and eat at all the delicious little restaurants there. My favorite is a Japanese restaurant called Tampopo. Amazing tempura. My boyfriend lives in Boston and when I go visit him, I always beg him to go there :)
Funny story re. Cambridge (well, funny to me) -- My wife and I visited the Boston area last Fall. At Harvard, we came across an undergrad. I approached her and asked, "Are you a student here at Harvard?"
She beamed. "Yeah, I'm a freshman. I'm studying..."
I interrupted her and asked, "We're looking for the LL Bean store. Do you know where it is?"
A dejected look just washed across her face. I guess she thought I was going to say "Wow, a Harvard student!" or otherwise engage in a convo about her journey to Cambridge. (You know, she's a freshman and of course, it's all about HER!) But really, my wife and I were just lost.
Hey guys, here's something I've found myself sufficiently distracted with, lately:
http://prosody.lib.virginia.edu/
I particularly love how they tend to have notes (lightbulb pops up) explaining why a particular line is difficult or could be scanned in different ways. I (think I)have scansion pretty much down, and I don't usually write formally, but it's still so much fun to practice!
Beats waiting for phone calls/emails/letters, anyway.
@Go Lightly
Haha I tried that website and it became immediately obvious to me that I don't know poetry... at all.
Time to hit the books and learn!!
RE - CUNY City College
Accepted today in fiction via an emailed link to their online notification thingy!
If anyone has any insider info on the program or wants talk about their own acceptance, please email me: joshua.a.gardner@gmail
Hi all. While there hasn't been much time to reflect as yet, I've been writing down some of my thoughts on this whole stressful process.
A little too long and windy for here perhaps so it's on my blog if anyone cares to read:
Coping with MFA Rejection
@ phillywriter
This includes that post of yours from a few days ago that I wanted to use. Incidentally, umm... did I guess your gender correctly?
@Franny, weighswithwords, Woon, LHH, Lipsha, Chelsea, Aaron Apps
Thanks to all for the congrats!
Has any heard a peep out of UNH? They were supposed to notify yesterday...
I have developed an eye twitch.
@Coreyanne
that would be amazing if you called--I'm sort of living on the edge of my seat on that because I think it's the one I applied to I have a chance of getting in...and then there was that financial aid email...but if you do email, that'd be so amazing! Please let us know!!
@rwhitmore
re: UNH
I've come to compulsively bouncing my knee at my desk. Not an eye twitch, but very similar. Wish I had good news for you!
In at Colorado, Boulder - Fiction.
@Chelsea
I was checking the UNH website at 1am... I have lost my damn mind. Best of luck to you too!
I'm fiction btw. le sigh
Congrats, Perpetua!
Thanks for that link golightly! Even though I'm a fiction applicant, I have always loved scanning poetry for meter! I am deriving the same kind of enjoyment I would as from a crossword puzzle. (Which is to say: immense.)
@ Woon
You rule.
@ CCA peeps
Just received in the mail today a small manilla envelop with important enrollment info. Check for it.
Thanks WanderingTree. My funding is still up in the air which won't be sorted until April. Somewhat bittersweet this acceptance. Going to just wait to hear from the other schools.
I have never gotten meter.
Is this because it uses the same part of the brain as music? I've always been terrible at instruments.
I think I've clicked with a bit of meter during various poetry classes, but it is fleeting in my brain space. Even then, I have never really really really REALLY gotten it.
@umlrenic - Best of luck!
Big huge congratulations to everyone accepted and waitlisted today! I'm so excited for everyone. I just wanted to share with you all something interesting that happened for me with my writing as a result of this process. For a while I was finding it incredibly difficult to write. I was feeling totally psyched out, and distracted with the waiting, and then the decision-making (I have yet to make a decision). Anyway, something switched and I'm feeling totally focused and motivated. I think it's just that being so fixated on the MFA stuff is a constant reminder of what it is that I love to do, and so I'm doing it. This is really a great time for writing, and getting it done takes off so much of the pressure. Last year I applied to three schools and was rejected, and I found that writing was the cure for my dismay. This year I have gotten into several programs, and became anxious about making choices, waiting for more results, and how I would perform as an MFA student. Writing really seems to be the answer.
I'm rooting for everyone-- that you get into the programs you want, but even more so that you keep on writing throughout this strang process.
Waitlisted at UMass Boston in poetry. Eep, first waitlist.
@Ashley Brooke re: FAU (again)
Talked to my friend, and he said he thinks they accept 12 a year per genre and that his class sizes are always 10-12 people.
Congrats to Laura T and Perpetua!
Guys, I really can't stress how awesome it is to see you all getting admitted and waitlisted - this blog is such an awesome community. Cheers, everyone.
Does anyone know how many student CSU accepts in each genre??
@ inkli__11
I sent them an email because I was concerned about whether or not they received my submission (my status online said "not received" or something along those lines). They emailed to say that my submission was complete and that they would be sending responses over the next three weeks as applicants are accepted/denied.
@Laura T
Thanks so much, I'm doing the Profile now... geez, I hate tax stuff. Can't I just say "Yes I am poor please give me $$$?!"
Do you know where I am to send a copy of my tax return and W2? I assume the financial aid office.
@ Coreyann
I will obviously be eager to hear if you do decide to email them. I applied in fiction at Sarah Lawrence.
@Blu
Thank you so much for this good news. My undergrad writing mentor got her MFA from SFSU and it is a program (and location) I am very excited about.
@Jimmy James,
Thank you for all of the news! Did you say you did your undergrad at FAU? How do you like the area/campus?
@ UNH
According to the secretary, the faculty met yesterday at 12:30 and made their final selections. I'm hoping for a call tonight or tomorrow-- or not at all.
Best of luck to everyone in the running.
To those of us that got nothing but rejections LAST year, but find themselves with acceptances THIS year:
What did you do differently the second time around? Obviously, you tweaked the most important part, the writing sample, but anything else? Did you change your list of schools? Get different letters? A different approach entirely to your sample? Did you have more or different readers in regards to your sample?
I'm 0 for 10 right now, waiting on one more that I'm not so confident about, so I'm already readying a plan of attack for next year.
I know there is truly no formula to this, but I want to take the proper steps, and get on it now, so
Congrats to all of you who have heard good news this week!
And, I also live in NYC and currently am running a small writing group that could use a few more members. Interested parties should email me: jake [dot] goldman [at] gmail
@Inks and Beans - I've said this before and I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face. You as an applicant won't know how close you came to being on the Acceptance/Wait List. Perhaps if you had not used that word "moist" on the first page of your writing sample, you might have been on several Acceptance/Wait Lists. We just don't know.
@Dig A Pony - I don't understand, but thanks nonetheless. I think?
@ Andrew Sottile
Thanks for the latest UNH update.
Congrats to the latest batch of waitlists/acceptees. March is endless joy and misery. Viva!
@Jake-Up
Like I said, I was rejected last year, and have been accepted this year. I did a ton of writing in between, and what I learned (for myself) is I need to write every story I write, whether it sucks or it's good, because it gets me to the next one. A few bad stories landed me on a story that I used this time as the heart of my sample, and several program directors have commented on it in a positive light. It took a lot of shitty writing to get to that one, and so I'd say that writing as much as possible is what helped me most.
Of course I'm sure you read a lot, but I can't not mention that. I read a ton, and really diverse stuff. I consciously thought about what I could learn from the authors I admire most.
My personal statement also changed a lot. The first time I tried to show how passionate I am about writing, and I don't think that's the right approach. This time I tried to put myself across as a person trying to achieve a practical goal: I am a writer who wishes to get better; to publish, to be read, and to continue to grow. Studying in an MFA program is the next logical step for me. In some cases I did mention particular aspects of individual programs that were attractive to me, but I didn't spend too much time on that, nor did I "suck up." I was honest and straightforward-- no gimmicks, no sentimentality. I tried to keep it professional.
To be honest, I didn't really run my application by many people before I sent it out, but I know that's a good thing to do. So far as what schools I decided to apply to, I applied only to schools that I would LOVE to go to. On the other hand, I applied to 10 instead of just 3, thereby giving myself a much better chance. I figured that if I didn't get in, I would still be a writer, and I could reapply. I didn't want to apply to any 'safety schools' just to get an MFA, if they weren't schools I'm truly dying to go to.
That's my experience, and I hope it's helpful.
@Ashley Brooke
I'll fill you in off-blog.
jimmyjames at phreaker dot net.
@ Woon
I was referencing your Hahvahd story.
Johns Hopkins let me know today (by mail and e-mail) that I'm on the waitlist for the MFA in fiction. My first bit of good news!
Good luck to everyone in limbo and congrats to those already in.
@ Perpetua: Congrats!!! I'm also in at CU (poetry) and hoping to get some funding come April. Are you considering going there to visit? Have you gotten in anywhere else?
@ Laura T: Yay! Congrats on your waitlist!
@DigAPony - Oh. Okay. Glad you liked it. :)
I have to agree with Emma about doing lots of mediocre writing to get to the good stuff. I took a creative writing seminar last fall, and we had the pleasure of speaking with Karen Russell about craft and such. I thought it might comfort all of you to know that she also made a point of saying that you have to write through some not-so-good stuff to get to that good story that lives in you. We also got to speak with Dan Chaon and he said basically the same thing -- that he had to write several bad stories for each good one.
Keep your spirits up, all out there still waiting for good news. And try to keep writing in the meantime. It's good for the soul.
Best,
Danielle
@LHH - Haha I'm not sure your reassurance is a good thing. Now every moment of waiting is water torture. I saw Pinsky read with a jazz quartet at FSU in the fall and I want to study with him so damn badly!
Congrats, Perpetua, on Boulder! Did you just hear today? Was it by mail?
I'm waiting to hear from them. I know others have heard acceptances and rejections--anyone else not hear anything?
@Sarah
Yes, he's quite tremendous.
I would also like to tell everyone to look into the NY State Summer Writer's Institute at Skidmore if you are interested in a two or four week workshop this summer. The readers and artists in residence are unreal.
Oh to be beginning this process when it's ending for most of you...
I'm planning on applying to MFA programs for fiction this winter. I want to stay in the Midwest, especially in or around MI (my home state). I'm prioritizing schools with full-funding, teaching positions, studio-focused, and at least 2 years in length.
My list so far:
U of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Western Michigan U
Northern Michigan U
Indiana U, Bloomington
Purdue U
Southern Illinois U, Carbondale
U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bowling Green State U
Penn State U
Syracuse U
I have 10 and I'd like to have 12; any suggestions? Replacements?
@ anotherjenny
I might be biased, but how about Minnesota? They're 3 years, guarantee full funding, and they're in Seth's top 15.
The news so far:
Acceptance from UMD, rejections from Hopkins, SU, and Amherst. Waitlisted at UNC Wilmington and Cornell. Was told that I'm the first person on the waitlist; four poets were given offers, and am number five. It sounds pretty sweet (and I really hope a spot opens up), but it's also torture!
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Who wants a glass of wine, eh?
Nick
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