Thanks to everyone that helped me decide what locations are best for me (since I've ironically done more traveling outside the US than in my own country).
@I.rosenfeld - I might be asking you questions about U of Miami's locale, although there doesn't seem to be much to hate.
@Marti - I looked at Bloomington through the blogs of various students there and the moment I saw their farmer's market it became a definite on my list.
@Minnow - You made Madison sound so beautiful! I only wish they were accepting for fiction this year...
Here's my list in fiction:
Iowa UVA Michigan UC Irvine Syracuse Cornell Brown NYU U of Oregon U of Minnesota Wash U St. Louis Ohio State Miami UC San Diego U of Colorado, Boulder U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
This list seems pretty lengthy (16 schools). If I had to cut any it would be either Brown or Illinois (or both). Mostly because I don't know much about the city of Urbana-Champaign, Or exactly how experimental Brown's program is.
Does anyone know about either of these programs (locale and/or range of "experimentation" at Brown)?
Also, remember that Missouri is cheap in terms of living expenses. Perhaps not your top priority in terms of picking schools, but not having to pay upwards of $1000/month for a studio apartment definitely is nice (that was my punishment for running off to do my undergrad in SoCal! SO EXPENSIVE THERE).
Hey all, I wanted to share the news I got from Syracuse... I'm in! No, no I'm not, but they responded to my email informing me that those who applied last year can reactivate their application from last year and update only what they choose to update (you can send a new sample and SOP only, for example, and use everything else from last year). AND (the best part!) the application fee is waived!! Hello $75 in my pocket. Plus, the email was very polite and very helpful and laid out everything that was to be included in the application and I totally appreciated the time it took to that. It's a silly thing to get excited over, but hey, a little nicety goes a long way :)
I have a question about the funding situation at Johns Hopkins. In the P&W its ranked 4th for funding. Is that an error or did I see that correctly? I don't remember them being funded that well. What is their funding package and is the program fully funded? I can get over the foreign language requirement (um, hello, I aced Espanol Uno), but funding is kinda a big deal. Anyone know the answer?
Son is in fiction at Johns Hopkins. All of the MFA students are fully funded (tuition remission plus a base stipend of ~$18,800.) They all get paid health insurance. Plus if you are willing to teach over intercession or summers you can earn ~ $7000 more. You can try to place out of the language requirement. You are required to take the GRE.
I've looked into Queens University (which, so long as I get a few scholarships and financial aid I could most likely actually attend) and I'm curious as to how the MFA program works in general. CFNC.org (a college aid website for kids in NC) said that there are a few colleges around that does BFA for Creative Writing, and Queens wasn't under that listing.
So basically; my question is whether or not I have to get a BFA before moving on to an MFA.
Hi, I have a question about recommendations. I have a literary agent and I was wondering if I should have her write me a recommendation. The novel I signed with her will likely not be published because it is not marketable (so I'm told). I've been through a substantial revision of the novel with this woman and I would say that she understands how dedicated I am to writing and knows how much time I put into revising this novel. She doesn't know me personally beyond emails and phone calls. My other recommendations are from college professors (I just graduated this past spring). I wasn't going to use the agent initially, but one of my professors told me to use her. Another professor told me that it's bad to use an agent because they're basically sales people and its kind of a given that your agent is enthusiastic about your work. If I don't use her, I'm planning on using a recommendation from another writing professor, who knew me earlier in my college career but still really liked me and my writing. Let me know if asking the agent is a good idea or not. Thanks!
I can't remember which mailbag it's in (I've read so many on this blog). But someone else asked a similar question to you before and was advised that they should not use anyone who might benefit from your success. By that I mean, if you get an MFA and improve your writing that directly benefits your literary agent. She has reason to want you to get in beyond her just thinking you're a letter might be 100% genuine, it can come off suspiciously. The advice that was given before and that I agree with is to not use a literary agent.
Hi guys, I've been pondering over this, hopefully you can help.
Majority of the schools ask for a writing sample with a maximum page count of 25/30 pages. My two short stories will probably come out to around 22/25 pages.
But then there are some schools like Indiana and Iowa that ask for at least 30 pages, in Iowa's case 30-80 pages.
I want to send all my schools the same two short stories as my writing sample. Would it be ok to send this to the schools that ask for a longer writing sample?
Last week it was UNLV, this week it is FSU: Announcing the 36th fully-funded MFA program in the United States. Applicants take note! Florida State University's funding ranking is being re-calculated now, but it will be very high.
Has anyone spent much time looking at U. New Mexico's website. It's quite possibly the most confusing and difficult one I've encountered yet.
The website talks about TAships for MA and PhD students only. But then the application itself has a box for MFA students, so I'm planning to fill it out (better to be safe than sorry). But the application asks for a writing sample without specifying what kind. I'm not sure if they want a creative sample or a critical one and whether my application sample counts or not. Anyone else looked at this yet?
Also, are people sending their study abroad transcripts from the institutions directly to schools that asks for 'transcripts from all schools'?
Anyone know when Wichita State makes its decisions for Spring admission? Sorry, last year I applied for all Fall programs so I only know about the hell that is March madness lol.
In Iowa's case, at least, it's definitely okay to send the same 20-25 page sample you're sending to other programs -- and sending 80 just because they allow 80 is a classic mistake. However, if they like your portfolio, but feel like they have a less complete picture of you than they have of other similarly-regarded candidates, they might contact you and ask for more work. This is a rare occurrence (less than 1%, really), but it did happen when I was a reader, and you wouldn't want it to catch you totally unprepared.
New Mexico's website is very confusing! The CWP page is pretty bad, but I found this link and it has all the necessary info. Here are the ms reqs:
1) a portfolio of ten to fifteen poems not to exceed 20 pages in length; 2) one or preferably two stories or a novel excerpt not to exceed a total of 7500 words; 3) 15-20 pages of non-fiction prose.
Also, I am pretty bummed to see they require an expository writing sample and two separate letters of rec for the TA application.
My list for poetry: Iowa Brown Minnesota Cornell Michigan Virginia NYU
I may add a couple more as deadlines approach. I have a 2.95 GPA and have been told I can't apply to Texas, which makes me regret taking courses like Cognitive Neuroscience and Psycholinguistics. Oh well.
Hey all. Been away for a bit with work/job stuff, haven't done nearly enough writing (which happens all too often), but I did manage to take the GRE today and got in the 600s on both verbal and quantitative, which makes me very happy. I was honestly expecting around 500 on math, because I barely studied for it. Not sure yet about writing, but I feel like it's OK.
And now I am done with that test forever, woosh. However, since they won't even look at my GRE scores unless my writing sample piques their interest, I have to perfect that. I have the rough draft written, but I feel so self-conscious self-editing, even though the best thing to do is just dive. There's a pretty cool writing conference sponsored by a lit mag next month I may go to, especially since the cost is just $50.
To those who haven't taken the GRE yet/are afraid of it: Get it over with. You'll feel so much better. And you get to send your scores immediately to four schools (it may cost more to send it after that, ugh). I chose LSU, Texas State, Southern Illinois and Minnesota. LSU says on their site a score of 600 is "generally expected" in verbal, so that's a relief. They also want a 3.2 GPA-mine is 3.21.
(definite) U of Houston U of Wisconsin U of Alabama Notre dame Brown
(maybe) LSU? Cornell? UT Austin? U of Oregon? Virginia tech? UNLV? FSU? Syracuse?
I applied to some of these schools a couple years ago and made it on some wait lists, so I'm hoping my application has strengthened enough to actually get in somewhere this time around. We'll see.
Brown - seems like a wild, interdisciplinary program and I like the idea of Providence
Southern Illinois - They popped up on my radar due to Ben Percy and Pinckney Benedict. It seems like a pretty cool, rising program.
Texas-Austin - $$$
Notre Dame - Football
Alabama - Four years
Oregon - Women in fleece and many hiking opportunities. In other words, the location is awesome.
Syracuse -People who say they aren't applying b/c of George Saunders are bloody liars.
UNCG - I realize this program seems to be fluctuating in terms of funding/ resources etc. but a lot of writers I respect graduated from this program. (and I know alumni lists often have little bearing on a program quality) . . . still . . .
Iowa: Duh
Maybe: Cal Arts, NYU (faculty list here is insane) and SAIC (I shall write while doing interpretive dances) but funding is obviously an issue with these places.
I am applying this year to two different degrees: Creative Writing MFA and Literature MA.
There are a few schools I want to apply to for both the MFA and a Lit MA (e.g., UWashington in Seattle). These are different departments, but even so I am worried that the Creative Writing department will see that I've applied also to the CompLit department and think that I am waffling and unsure of what I want (truth is, I really want to do both and plan to ultimately study/work in both). Do you think this is a legitimate concern? Will it reflect poorly on me if the MFA dept sees that I also applied to that school for an MA in CompLit (or vice versa)? Thanks.
1. Syracuse 2. Brooklyn College 3. NYU (expensive, I know, but Zadie Smith is there) 4. Rutgers, Newark (Jayne Anne Phillips!) 5. Minnesota 6. Iowa Writers' Workshop (might as well give it a shot) 7. Columbia College 8. Montana*
* Montana is my wild card. The faculty looks great and I've heard good things about the program, but I'm nervous about being too isolated out there. Any info about Missoula would be appreciated!
The question comes in a thousand varieties, but the answer is always the same: It really only comes down to your writing sample.
So I don't see any reason to think that a prof would penalize your application because he/she notices you also applied for an MA in Lit (I don't even really see how an application judge would notice that). A strong sample will overcome anything.
Missoula is one of the nicest smaller cities you could live in. Yes, it's isolated in that you'd have to drive a bit to get to a large city (i.e. Spokane), but I know people from large metropolitan areas who have decided to settle down in Missoula because they liked it so much. You might want to think of it as Berkeley light. There's also a great music scene out there.
whew! I took the GRE today. Scored in the upper 600s in verbal and the mid-500s in quantitative. Good enough.
Two recommenders are on board (though one hasn't sent me his address, grr) and I need to find another, as my third professor is MIA. Sending out packets on Monday.
Transcripts are ordered. SOP is in draft form. I would be okay sending out my writing sample tomorrow. All right.
I keep second-guessing myself on my list, but the more I do, the more annoying it would get to add more schools. This is probably for the best. (How is everyone else doing?)
I was planning to use Interfolio to send my letters to each school. I thought it would be super-easy for my letter-writers because they would have to upload their letters just once.
But schools are not making it any easier. Indiana U has a PDF that, literally, I need to print to fill in a section, then snail-mail it to my referee to fill in, then he snail-mails it to the school.
UT Austin has a section in their online form that requires referees to go to a website to check some boxes and upload their letters.
I'm sure as I go through the applications for other schools, more such instances will pop up.
Q: How can I keep it super-smooth for my referees? Does using Interfolio make sense? Or should I send out pre-addressed and stamped envelopes and forms and waivers and whatever else is required (along with a little gift of thanks) to each of my referees.
Note: I live in India, while my referees live in the US. One of the referees said he'd be in Haiti and can do everything online.
I applied last year in fiction. Got in some places, but none with funding. I'm planning to try again this year, but I am thinking about applying in poetry. I write and have published in both genres, and have spent most of the spring and summer working in poetry rather than fiction.
My question is: if I'm applying to some of the same places I did last time, do I look flaky if I apply in a different genre? Can I justify this in my statement of purpose? Is there a special protocol for this?
I so wanted to use Interfolio and decided not to for the exact same reason you just mentioned. That, and it was going to end up costing me about $100! I think the best thing for recommenders is streamlining the process. The problem mainly arises from having to do too many tasks. They have to upload letters for some schools and print them out for others, fill out forms for some but not for others, talk about teaching skills for one school and writing skills for another. It gets really complicated. Give your recommenders very specific instructions, make a big packet, try to make the steps less (if possible, have them use the same letter for each school and print it out with different addresses), and offer to do any work when possible. I'm pretty close with my letter writers and volunteered to the annoying work (letter-stuffing, sealing). I addressed and stamped each letter, provided forms for each school, and any instructions from the school.
Really, if you think about it, it's really not that much extra work. They pretty much use the same letter for each school, have to check a couple of boxes on a form, and then they're done. I still feel bad about having them do it, but it's not really that awful. Give them a nice gift to make up for it ;)
@kaybay: Who did you email at Syracuse to find out about applying again? I had a hard time finding any contact information on their website. I sent an email to the email address from which they sent rejections last year, but haven't heard anything back.
@Marti: For the New Mexico TA application you don't need two separate letters of recommendation. I emailed them and they told me that two of your letters can be used for both the general application and the TA application. Just ask your letter writers to address your teaching potential/experience and put their names on the TA app.
Hi Raine, here's the address I used: tazollo@syr.edu
I had emailed the admin assistant with the program and never got a response, so I went the next step. I had also tried the "contact us" email system through the website and never got a response (although, there's a note on the website that says that system no longer works). I got a quick and super detailed, much appreciated response from Terri Zollo that made me feel so gracious. I'm still waiting on responses from two schools that I have now emailed twice, asking about re-applying, and I haven't even received an "I'll get back to you" response. It's really frustrating because I need to get my packet ready for my recommenders and need to know what I need to resend. It's just nice when people respond to emails and make an effort to help out. I hope that doesn't sound insensitive, but I don't know why they are ignoring me :(
I agree kaybay! I appreciated that Minnesota includes a note in their FAQ about the materials they maintain from one year to the next, and two other programs I've had to email (about this and a different question) have been so quick to respond, it made me like the programs even more. Thanks for passing on that email address!
I would be surprised if they even remembered your application. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's different readers on the committee for fiction vs. poetry, not to mention the readers can vary year to year some generally as well.
Speaking of recommendations, do you guys think it's okay to have someone write me a recommendation who I've taught with, who knows my "intellect," work ethic, and teaching ability? Not a supervisor and not an old professor.
I've been a long time lurker here, but finally making my first post... yay.
I'm graduating with my BA in English this May and I'm applying to get my MFA in fiction writing. I finally narrowed down my list, and started 5 of 8 apps today! In order:
Wash U Indiana U Iowa Michigan The New School (children's writing) Roosevelt U NEOMFA Ohio State
@Renee, you're ahead of me. I haven't started the packets or my SOPs, but that's my goal next weekend. Still have to edit, too.
However, I did secure my third referrer, which is a relief. She responded that she'd be happy to do it. I told her I'd send her an info packet in early October, so that's my goal with her and my other two referrers.
I had to take Illinois off my list, because their application fee is $70 freakin dollars, which is insane. Plus, they only admitted something like 5 people last year, for both genres. I still have 10 schools left and more than $400 in app fees, including $75 for Minnesota. I like the looks of the Illinois program, but I had to cut something and still may have to cut another school or two, which I don't love, but my finances just suck.
This is probably ridiculous, but I'm considering if I should cut Washington U in St. Louis because they don't, to my knowledge, have a football team. I love college football and most of my other programs have pretty big programs, although maybe not a big history of winning (see: Minnesota, Vanderbilt). But it's only $35 to apply, and it does look like a really good and well-funded program.
The cheapest school I'm applying to, other than Vanderbilt, which is free if you do it online, is Florida at $30. Most expensive is Minnesota. How about you guys?
Texas - $65 Washington U - $35 Alabama - $50 Kansas - $45 Indiana - $55 UNC-Wilmington - $60 Iowa - $60 Syracuse - application is free for people who applied last year, so yes! Vanderbilt - free online Oregon - $50 West Virginia - $45 I haven't been able to find the application fees for UMKC or LSU. Other than that, will be paying $7 for each transcript to each school. GRE scores to I guess 75% of those schools ($15 each?).
Transcripts = $91 GRE scores = $120 Application Fees = approximately $565
Total will be about $776. Did the same thing last year with a job that paid much less. God knows how I made it through.
pdg, i think i remember you from last year. were you the other indiana waitlister? anyhow, i just wanted to remind you that some of those schools will be able to pull your transcripts and GREs from last year, so you can save yourself some money that way. in your list specifically, i know for sure that indiana and iowa both do this.
I'm too terrified to tally up costs. I have money in savings, so I'll still be able to feed myself (I hope). But I think if I actually look at what the whole process will cost me, I'll be less than pleased.
I'm starting to get to that anxious phase of knowing I have so much to do, but not actually starting any of it. I should get started on my SOP, but yikes, it's a daunting task.
At least one of my school is requesting a CV/Resume. I'm thinking I'm going to have to re-work mine, which is currently designed for real world jobs. Does anyone have any insights as to how to configure a CV for an MFA program? I don't have any publications to list..but certainly don't want a blank a CV!
I focused my CV on mostly academic and teaching experience. I listed school-related awards and committees and then put down relevant teaching experience under my work-related section.
If it makes you feel better, there's someone in my program who has a master's degree in astrophysics and work experience as an engineer. I think they're just trying to get a picture of how you choose to spend your time. Are you an academic? Have real world experience? Are you really interested in teaching? That sort of thing.
@lala and anyone else weighing their GPA/GRE against the expectations listed on the many websites, consider that in most cases, those are university guidelines and not program-specific.
Take me: I'm a new MFA at LSU (and loving it), accepted with a sub-3.0 undergrad GPA. Now, I wasn't in the room, so I don't know if that came up, if they considered by relatively decent GRE scores (660 verbal, 710 math), or if they weighed my really hard work on lots of literary and publishing projects in the five years since I'd graduated. I don't know.
What I do know is that they liked my sample, that's why I got in, and it's the university, not the program, marking me as a "provisional student." (I have to get a 3.0 my first semester to stay here.) Almost as a rule: if you like a program, go for it! Don't let GPA/GRE worries hold you back. (And I suggest you all give LSU a hard look - it's a wonderful, supportive, intelligent, hardworking program, with full funding and stipend!)
Hey all. First time posting this year; looks like it will be another busy season by the number of posts...
A few questions/thoughts/concerns:
Is anyone not anywhere close to being done with their writing sample? I hate getting down to the wire, but I just don't have anything worth submitting right now. What I'm working on is coming along nicely though; it'll be one long story (~25 pages) and it'll probably be the only thing I submit, which might limit my submission options, but my heart is set on one school anyway. Just wondering if anyone was in the same boat. I see a lot of people who have their samples ready to go or are a few revisions away from an application-ready sample, and this makes me nervous. Made me nervous last year too (this is my second year applying--first year there was one acceptance: CCA, and one waitlist: NYU).
Also, thoughts on submitting just one story? I'm putting a lot into this 25-pager, and I'm hoping that will be OK with the reviewers, especially if they see that it's my second year submitting and they waitlisted me the previous year!!!
If that didn't make it obvious, I'm really hoping I'll be re-locating to the East Village next Fall...
I'm not really sure where else I'll be applying this time around, but it's not going to be anymore than five or six schools, which is considerably less than the number I applied to last year (14). Anybody else distributing there eggs in fewer baskets this year? I just don't think I have the energy to do 10+ again...
Good luck everyone! I mostly lurked around here last season, but I'll try to be a more active poster this time around.
Reading through this blog has made me both excited and terrified! I'm posting my list below. I feel pretty good about it, a mixture of both long shots and maybe more realistic possibilities, but if anyone has any opinions about these schools, good or bad, please let me know.
My genre is Poetry:
Wisconsin Alabama Houston Iowa Massachuestss, Amherst Georgia San Diego State Oregon State Colorado
You're not alone. I'm still working on my writing sample (two shorts that I just finished a rough draft of last week). The writing sample is the most important part, it seems silly to even worry about anything else (which is what many comments on this blog are leading me to do!) I think I need to just filter some of this stuff out.
Not taking the GRE until Nov 20th either. And have a rough sketch of what my SOP will be like. Already have two professors who wrote me a rec last year and I'm meeting with them in the next two weeks. Last potential recommendor still hasn't gotten back to me. But it's important to keep in mind that:
1) Earliest Deadline isn't until Dec 1st (and there are only a few in Dec, most of which don't even require GRE)- things will happen, all in good time.
2) Writing Sample Writing Sample Writing Sample! (why even waste your time worrying about anything else?)
I definitely agree that the writing sample is the most important and that's what most of the attention should go towards.
Because this is my first time applying, I'm using pieces that are already finished, have been edited several times, and have been workshopped. They're all pieces I'm happy with and that I think are true to me. It also saves me the worry of having to churn out writing right now.
For those who do have work that they're happy with, I think this is a smart way to go.
I agree with you that it's best to send in work that you've mulled over for quite some time. However, I feel that the work I had previously workshoped before I graduated is no where near the stuff I'm coming up with now. (I wasn't even planning to apply this round up until a few weeks ago).
I am very nervous that this work hasn't been reviewed and revised nearly as much as my other work. But my gut tells me to go with it. I'm planning to take a workshop at a writing center near me and get this stuff workshoped soon!
So, GRE scores shouldn't weigh into the admissions process toooo terribly heavily...right? I hope. I just got back from my test, and I'm a little disappointed about my scores :(
Sorry if I freaked anyone out with my previous post! I just happen to have three finished stories that I've been editing for months already, and I don't want to sit around twiddling my thumbs doing nothing.
Two of my programs also have Dec 1 deadlines (Minnesota and UMass) and I want my recommenders to have two full months to write their recs.
Still no third recommender, though. (I'm going down the list. Sigh.)
I have a question: I finally looked at UMass's TA application, and it requires a TON of things, one of which is a "short expository essay." Anyone have any idea of how short short is? Can a research paper work? I have a lot of longer papers from college that I could possibly trim.
Hello all! I'm a little freaked out that I may have ruined my chances at an MFA. I was in a low residency program, but had to withdraw for health reasons. Unfortunately, I withdrew late enough in the semester to receive an "F" (dun dun dun...). Should I even bother, because of that pesky "F," applying to a full residency MFA, even though I have decent GRE scores, what I have been told is a strong portfolio, and a fabulous undergrad record? Would explaining my situation a little in my SOP help? I so want to be in a full residency program now that I'm well and able...
Renee and PDG - between transcripts, shipping costs, application fees, and GRE score reports, I will also be spending around $750 and four of the schools I'm applying to have waived their app fees :( bummer to blowing a whole lotta moolah XD
My biggest stumbling block right now is deciding which stories to send to which schools. I think the one thing that bothers me about workshopping is that I get better feedback with more traditional pieces and get the whole "I didn't get it" thing with a lot of my more experimental stories. I don't know how much of that is based on personal preference and how much is legitimate. I just read an awesome magical realist story and I could have said the same things about it that have been said about my stories. Basically, I'm frustrated because I don't want to send anything that's getting negative feedback, but I really like some of the stories that are getting "iffy" or even negative feedback. Double bummer.
No school that likes your writing sample well enough to want to admit you is going to let that 'F' stop them, I don't think. Certainly it needs to be explained, and your SOP is a good place to do so. Any sort of explanatory letter from a professor or administrator in your old low-res program who can confirm the situation would likely be helpful as well -- whether it's part of a letter of rec, or just thrown in as justified by your special case. But the bottom line is, I think, programs want talent, and if you're the talent they want, they'll help you find a way in.
Hi. I just graduated this summer with my B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing at 39. This was my 6th college, so I'm feeling the pinch of the official transcript requests. I'll be 40 in a couple of days, so I'd love to hear from other non-trad applicants. I'm excited and terrified about this whole process, but that sounds like everyone here. :)
Here's the list of schools I'm considering for poetry. I'm trying to narrow down to 12.
DEFINITE: Texas-Michener Cornell (joint MFA/PhD) Indiana Arkansas Alabama Mississippi Washington U. Wisconsin Virginia Tech
STILL UNDECIDED: Iowa West Virginia Michigan Vanderbilt Georgia College and State Ohio State Illinois UC Wyoming and anything else that catches my eye during the next few weeks....
I'm looking forward to stressing out with y'all over this process. :)
@Adam: I'd love to go to LSU. My Louisiana-born stepdad would also love it. Plus, it's in the same general region as where I am now. Also, we're GRE verbal score twins. You did way better than me on math, though.
Applying to schools is insanely expensive. My family is helping me out some, but dang, it's rough. If I'm ever rich (haha) I'm going to have to buy my mom a house or something. Or get her and my stepdad Saints tickets, at least-the good ones cost as much as a small mobile home.
After I took my GRE, I sent my scores to LSU, Texas State (love the location even if the funding isn't amazing), Southern Illinois and Minnesota. So I pretty much have to apply to those four now, or I've wasted a score report. Does it cost $23 for each additional school you send it to, or what?
hey everyone, in case you're applying to minnesota and haven't seen, the new application instructions (everything's online now!) are up: http://english.cla.umn.edu/grad/applying.html
I'm in the third(?) week of my PhD program now -- for those of you who don't remember me, I applied to one PhD in Creative Writing and one MFA program; didn't get into the MFA program -- struggling through a doctoral level survey of literary criticism. Just finished Jameson's The Political Unconscious. Derrida is up next.
I am also reading Charles Olson for another class.
I am not in a writing workshop this fall ... The one I wanted overlapped the class I really wanted to take with a professor who may retire soon, so I opted for that. I am writing more, though still without a group of readers. I am happy! though slammed with reading on top of working full time. Crazy, crazy. I've got to finish Plato's Timaeus today and get through some of Whitehead. I'm living on coffee. But I am getting the intellectual stimulation I wanted.
There are a bunch of people here who got MFAs first and then came to the PhD program, so the MFA, although it is billed as a terminal degree, doesn't seem to be unless you have some pretty serious books in hand when you're looking for jobs. Also, from the job openings I've seen and what I've heard here so far colleges and universities really want people who can teach a specialty in addition to writing.
Mind you, I am in my first semester of the program, so I don't know much. I have to go back to my reading.
Good luck to all of you who are starting this year's agony, or are back for more.
How do you format a cover page for your portfolio?
One of the schools I'm applying to does not provide one, and when I called to ask if they wanted contact info on each poem, I was told to just do a cover page. Suggestions?
I have never posted here before, but I have a small SOP question. Maybe this was answered elsewhere and I didnt see it, but I was wondering if people were planning to tailor their staements to specific schools...for example, mentioning a specific faculty member you'd like to study with. I worry that this might seem like kissing up and turn them off, but I could also see how it might show them you've actually done your research. What do the rest of you think?
BTW, here's where I'll be applying in fiction:
Cornell Brown Iowa New School NYU Emerson UNC, Wilmington Vanderbilt
I am planning (still need to start my first draft of my first attempt at a SOP)to include a couple sentences, maybe even a short paragraph specific to each school. I do not plan on mentioning any faculty. Although one of the schools I'm applying to, I'll have to double check which one, specifically suggested discussing faculty. But I think I will be pretty vague even in that case. I'd hate to rave about one faculty member, only to have another, who might like my work a lot, feel put off. And like you mentioned, I'd hate to come off as a kiss up.
My plan is to tailor my SOP to talk about aspects of that program that particularly appeal to me. For example, Alabama has a heavy teaching load and as someone who hopes to eventually teach, lots of TAing experience is a plus. UT on the other hand has no TAing, but their secondary focus genre really appeals to me. It'll take me a bit more time, but I figure it's worth a couple sentences here or there for each one.
I've heard different things concerning this, but when I discussed it with one of my profs a couple years ago I was told it's a good thing to mention the main fiction/poetry (genre you're in) professors in your SOP. Just a sentence like "I am excited at the opportunity to study under _____, _____, and _____." My experience was that it was pretty easy to figure out which profs were the leading profs in a program. And I think it is a good opening to tell schools why you're interested in their program (specifically) such as three years of study, interdisciplinary study, etc etc. But whatever you do don't mention funding as an interest hahaha.
And if a prof who isn't mentioned in your SOP is on the selection committee, big deal. As long as you're not going on a rant about how wonderful so and so professor is, it's not that big of a deal. Mainly you are showing that you have looked into the program and aren't just applying to a school blindly.
one more thing, some general advise to people writing their SOP that you may not know, it's probably not a good idea to talk about teaching unless you're specifically referring to a TAship you are applying for within a program. It's fine in that case, like to tell a program one reason you are interested in them is because you believe the TAship they offer is a good part of a balanced MFA experience and so forth, but don't say that a goal for wanting an MFA is so you can teach afterwords, because an MFA is an art degree, and wanting to teach is not a good reason to pursue one.
I'm in the same boat regarding an experimental story that I think is awesome but other people just don't seem to "get it." I can't decide if it will help me stand out among the other applicants or if all the negative reviews from my peers should dissuade me from submitting it at all.
Would you be interested in swapping stories? Maybe we can help each other out. My email is markcollins.md(at)gmail.com
I would love to swap stories/SOPs with anybody else out there who is interested, I'm unemployed and have a lot of time on my hands!
Glad to know I'm not the only one still working on the writing sample. I wrote two sentences last night...
Still a ways to go.
Re: GREs, you're right, a lot of schools don't seem to require them (way more than I remember) and even the ones that do, my experience was that as long as they had your writing sample by the deadline, then test scores, recs, transcripts, etc. were accepted if they were late.
@dopplegangster,
I've heard that advice too, and it makes perfect sense to me. On my SoP last year, I professed to have a serious interest in teaching after graduate school (like Nabokov lectures-on-literature type teaching) even though I didn't have any interest in it at all (unless my income required it). I just thought it sounded more realistic and might have been what they wanted to hear. I'm sure it wasn't the reason I was rejected from the schools I was rejected from, but it probably didn't help.
@lala I hope you get in! It's such an exciting program. (Nothing like a 15-spot jump in the rankings to make you feel like you're part of something with momentum.) Rankings aside, I love my profs, my peers, all of it.
Applying IS expensive. I spent over $1000, and if I hadn't had a teaching job and a little parental help, I have no idea what would have happened. It helped that they were a little spaced out. (LSU, for example, is a later deadline.)
I wasted a score report when I opted out of applying to Minnesota (a program whose GPA requirement seemed more rigid and program-oriented than others, but that's based only on my reading of their website and not on fact), and yes I had to pay for every extra one - though I didn't send an official report to schools that didn't require it, just xeroxed my report and included it in my packet.
It's kind of weird - we're GRE twins, and I applied (or considered applying) to all of those schools. [Twilight Zone music] I hope that means LSU is in your future!
I contacted the Michener Center (Texas) today and inquired about the GPA requirement.
Practically every program seems to have this same response. The writing sample is everything. If you can produce work that makes it worth their trouble, they'll find a way to get you in the program, regardless of transcripts, GPA, GRE scores, etc.
But that's quite a hurdle. When these creative writing professors look at your work, it's like a cop who's walked the beat for twenty years and heard every excuse, every lie. Very, very little surprises them anymore.
But, if you want a shot at getting into a top-rate program, you have to do it.
@Jeff, I couldn't agree more. And despite it all... you never know.. you gotta try. I feel like this is American Idol and everyone thinks they can sing - and sing well at that. And then Simon's just waiting, sitting at the review table, ready to knock us down. Please ignore my random musing if you don't like the show (I don't even like it that much).
Anyways, got a question: The general notion is that you shouldn't mention specific faculty at programs because it could offend a faculty member who was not mentioned (Nancy Rawlinson says something along these lines in her Poets & Writers article on how to write a SOP - and what not to do).
But what if you have a writer who's short story has significantly impacted your work and he happens to be among the faculty of a program you're applying. Is it ok to list him and his story as a source of inspiration on my general SOP (which I will be sending to every school)?
Kind of a strange question, but my brother-in-law attended a fairly prestigious MFA program in the 90s, and although he`s never been published, he credits the name recognition of the university with helping him get a teaching job at a small college in upstate New York.
Are either of these things appropriate to mention on an SOP?
Also, I`ve been wondering about this amorphous idea of prestige. It seems like it`s a major factor in many people`s decision, and pretty much everybody is applying to some combination of Iowa, Texas, and Michigan. Does that mean everybody`s first choice is one of these three schools? Or at the very least one from a list of ten or so schools? In which case would I be stupid to choose, say, Iowa State over Iowa for specifics of the program?
I think I kind of touched on this already, but basically, the mentioning of a writer's story which had an impact on you, who just so happens to work for the school you're applying to would be the type of name-dropping Nancy Rawlinson (as you mentioned) and others are saying not to do. I actually don't think dropping any writers names is necessary in the SOP, unless it's something specific that school is asking for (I have seen that from at least one program).
I'm guessing you are well-read, and you can bet you are going to be required to read a lot of different stuff in grad school. By giving any short list of influences, it can make it seem like your scope is more limited than you might want to come across.
So I would recommend against it.
But again, just a simple sentence stating that you are excited to study under so&so, so&so, and so&so, is completely different. It's actually not saying anything about their writing at all, just that you are eager to have the opportunity to learn from them.
@DMC1985
I don't think that you should mention it, unless it somehow significantly relates to your writing, which it doesn't sound like it does.
@kaybay sounds like you have good taste in screen names :P
Hey guys! Does anyone understand the difference between the statement of purpose and the supplemental essay for Syracuse?
The statement of purpose asks you to "describe in about 500 words your main academic interests, why you wish to study for the degree you've chosen, why you wish to study at Syracuse University, how you expect to finance your studies, and your plans for the future after you receive your degree."
The supplemental essay says, "Briefly describe why you wish to study for the degree you've chosen and why you wish to study at Syracuse University. (Maximum of 320 characters. Use additional information page if more space is needed.)"
320 characters is shorter than this comment. Do they want the statement of purpose boiled down into a few sentences or something else entirely?
Wow—other Eric has a very similar list to the one I had when I was applying last year. I applied to Brown, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Iowa, and NYU; I'm currently at NYU and tremendously happy with the program.
I do think prestige matters to a certain extent for some people. It does for me, even though I know it shouldn't really, particularly in this field. An old professor of mine, who has been very helpful through this process, doesn't seem to put much emphasis on prestige, and has encouraged me to apply to schools that are a 'good fit.'
Having said that, my first choice is Iowa. My second and third go back and forth between Michigan and UMass. Those are all fairly high ranked programs that come with a certain amount of prestige. However, that's not their only reason for being my top choices. Some not so prestigious programs are also very exciting and great options for me.
UVA, Cornell, Brown, and John Hopkins are all well ranked and regarded as prestigious programs and they are schools I actively do NOT want to attend for various reasons and am therefore not applying to. And though I am applying to Texas, it's not very high on my list.
Just saw this article posted on the PW speakeasy board about U. New Mexico: http://chronicle.com/article/In-Professor-Dominatrix/124369/
Beyond the scandal, it makes it seem like there is a less than stellar environment at the program right now. Anyone have any first hand experience that can talk about this a bit? I can't tell how much this is influencing student life there or if it's just a juicy news story.
Like Blob, prestige did play a factor in my final list, even though at least four of the schools on my list might not be considered traditionally "elite." It's NOT like I'm not going to do an MFA if I don't get into one of the elite schools on my list, but if I have to choose between an elite school and a less prestigious school, I'll probably choose the elite one. According to my current creative writing professor, a school's name can hold some currency down the line. Obviously Iowa, but even others like Cornell and NYU.
In case you're interested, here's my final list of school where I'll be applying in fiction.
Iowa Cornell Virginia NYU Johns Hopkins Mississippi LSU Texas State McNeese State
Renee, it's in the online application itself. They only ask for 320 characters (though they say you can attach additional pages) so it's probably not a big deal, but I was still a little confused.
(This question is on page 5 of the online app and they have a few other short response questions along those lines.)
Renee, it's in the online application itself. They only ask for 320 characters (though they say you can attach additional pages) so it's probably not a big deal, but I was still a little confused.
(This question is on page 5 of the online app and they have a few other short response questions along those lines.)
I recently talked to a friend of a friend who went to U. New Mexico, and he told me not to apply there. He dropped out of the program, and while he wasn't very vocal about his reasons, if he was there when that was going on, I can understand why...
I love the article on New York City MFAs. New York is already one of the most financially draining cities in the U.S., and the programs there get away with murder in terms of funding. I lived in New York for three years and considered applying to MFAs around the city in order to prolong my stay, but, due to the poor funding of basically all of the programs, there are no NYC schools on my current wishlist -- such a shame, because the New York is a wonderful place for a writer, so vibrant and rich in story and character and poetry.
However, the appeal of NYC MFAs, other than being in New York, is in the higher acceptance rate (framed in the article as "low selectivity") of most programs. When I look at places with three open spots for fiction writers, I wonder if I should even bother spending the money to apply. And I disagree with the idea that low selectivity of NYC schools ultimately degrades quality of applicant pool: first of all, New York City's literary reputation is, I think, so unshakable that people will always be tempted to apply, funding or no funding; and second, and in my experience, New York attracts the fiercest, most driven, talented, passionate types of people, and therefore writers, from all around. Of course that's not a scientific statement. But not all true statements are scientific. My sense is that New York repels mediocrity.
Also, I have heard that the New York schools are at least improving in terms of funding. Specifically I heard a rumor from a well-connected instructor at a writing workshop that Brooklyn, NYU and Rutgers Newark have started to offer better funding packages in the last year or two. I didn't bother looking into the specifics, though, because I assumed that "better" probably meant something along the lines of "better than nothing."
I am very, very curious, though -- Why is the funding of every single NYC school unranked? Have they all refused to disclose information about financial aid? Are they in communal rebellion against the ranking system or something?
NYU has worked their butts off to better fund their students, but they'd still place somewhere between #75 and #85 nationally. The other schools are not so much "unranked" -- their placement nationally can be estimated, as the article says -- as that the funding rankings don't technically "rank" programs that fully fund fewer than 25% of students, as there's no point in it because such programs are, for all intents and purposes, unfunded (that said, I'm trying to find a way to recognize programs that are between 20% and 25% fully funded, but haven't lit on one yet -- even so, all NYC programs but NYU fall below that level, according to available data).
I appreciate your enthusiasm for NYC, but there's simply no evidence that applicants to NYC programs are more driven and more talented than other applicants -- in fact, the data rather suggests that they're likely less astute about how to use the internet to research programs, which isn't a good indication of their, er, personal resources. The selectivity issue really is just one of applicant-pool size -- the smaller the pool, the less accomplished the ultimately-selected cohort (all things being equal), unless there is some kind of proof, as there is not, that certain places attract better applicants as a rule. New York has dined out on theories of "exceptionalism" like the one you're espousing for decades -- the tourism folks in NYC are marketing geniuses. Unfortunately, the only thing we know is that NYC is more likely (re: MFAs) to attract either the very rich or the very reckless or the very poorly researched, which isn't to say they don't attract those who don't fit those categories also.
I currently live in NYC and while the costs of school are expensive and the cost of living is expensive. But not having to move would also save some costs and I can afford to pay tuition, though I would rather not get student loans, when I've managed to avoid them thus far. But I am not applying to any NYC schools for a number of reasons. Some are funding related, some are how the actual programs are run. I think the biggest draw to the NYC schools, NYU in particular, is the faculty. But as it's been said before, it's not clear how good they'll be as teachers. While I was an undergrad a pretty high profile poet joined the CW faculty. I was a fan of his work and was thrilled. And while I still got something out of his workshops, he was not a good teacher, clearly did not really want to teach, and most of the students really did not like him.
But I also wanted to talk a bit about the writing community in NYC. I know that's a big draw for a lot of NYC school applicants. But I think the marketing is deceptive. Yes, there are great reading series, lots of writers, and lots of circles. But that's part of the problem. The writing community in NYC is very sprawled out. It's made up of specific little pockets spread out throughout. It's hard to find your niche and your groove. When you do it can be great. But it's not as inclusive and connected as communities in other cities that I've experienced.
I got my undergrad in journalism at Colorado State in Ft. Collins and its a neat little town (about 150k people) with lots of independent beer breweries and easy access to outdoor activities. Its a lot like Boulder but without all the pretentiousness that is sometimes rampant at CU. I don't know much about the MFA program but the liberal arts department was very friendly while I was there.
I totally second EGS' comment about NMSU. Kinda glad I never put them on my list :D Not that anyone's sexual stuff is any of my business, but wow, awk-ward...
I'm compiling my spreadsheet of vital info for each program, and I'm having problems finding the application fee for the University of Alabama's Graduate School.
I think some people are definitely confused. Just U. New Mexico as far as I know! It's also too bad, because it's a school I was really excited about applying to and now I'm not sure I should. I could have dealt with the scandal, but the divided and unhappy faculty, many of which are leaving or planning to leave, makes me very nervous. Sigh.
Definitely hear you. Both UNM and NMSU were on my longlist... so the difference is pretty important. And the UNM faculty troubles are a sort of bomb... How on earth are they supposed to pay attention to their students when they've got all this crap to deal with? For me, it's a dealbreaker... no UNM application. NMSU is still up there for me, though. Unless someone knows something I don't.
In fact, I'm usually decidedly anti-gossip, but if anyone else knows of any MFA-bureaucracy mine fields I need to watch out for, I'd be grateful.
If it's something you don't want to air out to a public sphere, I'm available at g [dot] scholastica @ gmail [dot] com.
Erin in Venezuela--A friend of mine is in the MA program at Hopkins. She likes it and says the other students' work is pretty amazing, but she also says it is a lot less rigorous than the semester she spent in an MFA program.
If anyone has any questions about Cornell, feel free to ask.
If anyone is considering applying to Cornell, you should. It's an amazing program, and we are spoiled rotten with funding while getting magazine and teaching experience.
If anyone is planning on not applying to Cornell, you should strongly reconsider.
If you count the tuition fellowship along with the stipend, getting accepted to Cornell is like winning $150,000. Furthermore, the professors here are awesome.
Thanks for sharing that information about Cornell. I was on the fence about applying and still feel that it's going to be a long shot with the low acceptance percentage, but am now thinking I might give it a shot. I've been looking for a 10th school to add to my list anyway, so maybe it will be Cornell. Or Cornell and maybe one other school.
And, if anyone is interested, the other 9 schools on my list (for fiction) are-
Arizona Washington University/St.Louis Iowa Montana Purdue Illinois Colorado State Arkansas Oregon
I took a look at the updated Michener page, and it shows that they had over 1100 applicants for 12 open slots. I'm not good at math, not even basic arithmetic, but isn't that like a 0.010% acceptance rate?
And how can they read all those portfolios? Do they press a button that jettisons all the applications belonging to people who have a SSN ending with an even number?
@The poster who just deleted his comment about Cornell - you took the words right out of my mouth. This isn't a dig at Sam because, hello, that's an amazing accomplishment. But, I don't think too many people here are going read that and go "hmm, what is Cornell thing that you speak of?" If there is someone unaware of Cornell's awesomeness, they're probably also surprised by the color of the sky, so they don't really count...
I've also made a pact of sorts to not apply to any school that I feel is a waste of time (except for Vanderbilt, but only because it's free). Michener, Cornell, UVA. Not worth it. I'll save my $75+ and apply to another school or pay my electric bill.
Cornell's ranking seems to slip every year, so I felt the need to advertise its benefits. I was just looking through these posts and noticed that Cornell is not on a lot of lists.
So if you're willing to "gamble" on some highly selective schools, I just think Cornell is a really good choice. I think it's comparable to Michener and yet it gets a fraction of the submissions.
That's all I'm saying. I'm just here to help anyone with questions about the program and try to boost my school at the same time. I didn't mean to rub anyone the wrong way.
So I'm putting together my packet for people who are recommending me. I'm just listing the schools in order of deadline. I'm putting the website of each school's program as well. Minnesota is giving me fits because their ApplyYourself system is down right now, sigh. And they require everything to be uploaded online.
They don't even want an official transcript. They want me to scan in an unofficial transcript and upload it, then if I get in, mail in something official. Lovely for them. Not so much for me. I'm probably going to have to pay for a transcript mailed to me, then find a way to scan it (no scanner). Anyone else having this problem?
I took some classes in high school for college credit, like 9 or 12 hours. I guess I need to get a transcript from that community college, too?
The more I do, the more I find that needs to be done. I was going to say it's like planning a wedding, except you spend a lot of money and effort and at the end the groom may or may not show up to the altar. And even if he does, his ring may not be big enough (funding).
OK, gonna get the info for a couple more schools, then play Sims 3. I'm weak.
I understand what kind of a workload the application process can be. But look at it this way, it's preparing you for the sleepless juggling act you'll have to pull off once you get into grad school.
Thanks for the info on Minnesota. I just struck them from my list as a result of their going 100% electronic. I swear, some of the these schools don't have a realistic view of the way our world functions. I guess they think every applicant is sitting at home with a brand new PC, printer, scanner, and modem hitched into high-speed Internet access. Like we're Mr. Sulu on the bridge of the Enterprise or something. Did it ever occur to them that certain international applicants might not even have electricity certain days of the week?
Why on Earth would you pay to have one sent to you if they're fine with a scan of an unofficial one? Why not just figure out how to see your unofficial transcript (should be pretty easy -- always has been with any school I've been to), print that off and scan it? No need to spend extra cash and then wait for a shiny official one.
Hi all. I'm going through the schools I'm planning to applying to and have a couple of questions....
On IU's web application, they want to know "to which other Universities are you applying?" How should this be answered? I'm applying to at least 12 (maybe 15) programs. However, Indiana is one of my top choices. Will it work against me if I admit to applying to that many programs?
Also, on their application, there is a question of waiving your right to see your letters of recommendation. Is there any reason not to waive? Does it look better to waive? I know that my letters of recommendation will be excellent, so there is no need for me to see them, but I'm just curious.
Question regarding fiction portfolios: I have one short story that I'm planning on using... it's 14 pages and one trusted reader said it was her favorite thing of mine. Then I have a couple likely excerpts from a novel. Am I right in thinking that schools will not want to see two separate excerpts from the same novel? I'm struggling because I don't have a perfect 15-page excerpt from the novel that has a tidy story arc... anyone else wondering about this or have any answers?
After months of lurking, I finally have a question that merits a post.
Most of my applications this year will be for fiction, but I'm considering sending out a few nonfiction apps to diversify. However I've found the data on nonfiction programs to be scarce this year (for instance there is not even a consecutive ranking of nonfiction programs in the P&W top fifty). Does anyone know if Georgia College and State U really fell from #23 to being unranked this year? University of Colorado was #29 last year, and it too is now unranked for nonfic. I'm still interested in these programs because they have fairly good funding (for some reason, quality funding and nonfiction are a rare pairing in mfa programs), but I'd want to know if they've lost favor for specific reasons.
If you read the methodology article for the rankings, you'll see that a decision was made this year not to designate any program ranked below 20th in nonfiction. That decision is explained in the article this way:
Due to the still relatively small number of nonfiction programs in the United States and abroad, only programs receiving top 20 placement in the genre have received a special notation in either the print or online editions of the rankings. No Honorable Mentions have been awarded, for the following reasons: (1) the relatively small number of votes for programs ranked beyond twentieth in the genre, all of which appeared on fewer than 10% of nonfiction applicants' application lists; (2) a bunching phenomenon in the nonfiction rankings, such that any presumptive Honorable Mention section of the nonfiction rankings (programs ranked between 21 and 25) would include nine programs, making the Honorable Mention section nearly half the size of the rankings proper; and (3) there would be little statistical distinction, that is, two votes or less, between the nine presumptive Honorable Mention programs and the six programs ranked behind them—a smaller disparity, out of a cohort of 101, than the three-vote difference between the top 50 and Honorable Mention sections in the 527-cohort full-residency rankings.
GCSU is "21st" in fiction this year, and Colorado is "25th," but the rankings dropped any designation after 20th because such designations are not probative. When we're talking about there being only around 50 nonfiction tracks in the country, rankings outside the top 20 really don't tell us much at all. So the answer is, no one "dropped" from the rankings, the rankings are just more selective about what accomplishments they acknowledge.
My plan is to get my recommender packets out this week. One of my recommenders will be traveling a lot in November, so I'm trying to get it out to him as soon as possible.
But of course, in this last minute, I'm second guessing all my choices.
I still have New Mexico on my list, I can't figure out what the future is for them and whether I should apply or not.
I'm considering putting either Notre Dame or Purdue back on my list. But don't feel strongly towards one versus the other.
And I'm starting to hesitate about Michener Center (UTexas). Texas has appealed to me from the very start for numerous reasons. But odds of getting in are so slim. Plus, I'm starting to wonder if, as someone who does want to teach eventually, if going to a school that doesn't have TA opportunities might not be the best move. I think it's experience that would be beneficial for me and that I would enjoy. And if, it turns out I hate teaching, that would probably also be good to find out. I also worry that this might have a negative impact on my post-grad placement in a fellowship or job that is teaching related. (though I know mfa related jobs are hard to come by and I probably shouldn't even think that far ahead.) Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I'm also starting to consider Arizona or Irvine, perhaps to replace New Mexico? Though I hate to just keep stacking first tier schools to my list.
I'm one of the people who deleted their post about Cornell in response to your comment, and in truth I was a bit irked by what I consider a somewhat off-putting post on your part. After getting burned by them twice, it's difficult to imagine gambling with that program again. I'm glad you're thrilled with the school, but the vast majority here (even the fantastically talented writers among us) will barely get a cursory look. Personally, I am not willing to get beaten up by Cornell a third time.
It's been my dream school for the past three plus years, and I'm still recovering from the sting. I mean, like perhaps some others reading this post, I believe that I submitted some damn fine work in previous years that was polished and reworked with the guidance of some very fine mentors and readers.
Sorry if I come off somewhat bitter here, but people, Cornell excepts 4 for fiction! It's a friggin subjective lottery with no tangible indicators of what brings success. No, thank you. I'm not throwing away my money and emotional well being yet again. I think I'll hold onto the little shred of dignity and confidence that I can still muster up to keep plugging away at this writing life.
Hear you man. A few months ago I started to have similar reservations about Texas and decided to take them off my list. I too would like to get some teaching experience, and I also don't like the fact you're forced to write in another genre. Not that it would hurt, it's just that I'm a poet and don't really want to be forced to write short stories or plays. It just doesn't seem like a good use of my time at this point. I've also heard Austin is expensive and so you're money doesn't go as far as you'd think. I don't know. I looked at the faculty, the requirements. It just didn't seem to be what I was looking for.
What I ended up doing actually is cutting my list down to seven schools, all of which I'd love to get into, if not for the faculty there, then for other reasons like funding or location.
Obviously this whole thing is subjective but these were my top seven dream schools for poetry.
Virginia Indiana Iowa WW Houston UMass Minnesota Vanderbilt
Iowa and Virginia were basically no brainers for me for a variety of reasons. Faculty had a lot to do with Houston and UMass--Nick Flynn and James Tate respectively--and both Indiana, Vanderbilt and Minnesota were programs I'd researched heavily and really liked what I found. Cornell and Johns Hopkins were contenders too, but I worried I wouldn't like the super-small size.
I don't mean to say anything negative about my home-state program--and a program I'm very, very fond of--but you do need to take into account Jim's health (at UMass). I don't believe his capacities as a teacher are what they were before his health problems, and that's something I've heard from a number of students. He's not as much of a presence in the program as you would think, be warned. That said, Peter Gizzi is the best teacher I've ever had in poetry, and Amherst is in a wonderful area, and there's a lot of great stuff going on there poetry-wise. Just don't apply only because of Jim Tate, is what I'd say.
Cheers, Seth
P.S. My two cents on Cornell, and I'll state it as simply as I can: It should be on every single applicant's list, as far as I'm concerned. Obviously that's just my two cents, but there it is. It's essentially a three-year, fully-funded Ivy in the top college town in America (or nearly that) according to AIER. And some students get a fourth year. The faculty, location, pedigree, student-to-faculty ratio--it's to die for. Plus you get both editing and teaching experience and have a large full-time faculty (major distinctions between Cornell and Texas, plus Cornell is just a much more significant name on one's CV than Texas). It should be, as I said, just about everyone's pie-in-the-sky target, if you're going to have one. I even think the aesthetic diversity among the faculty and students is worth crowing about. It's just about the perfect MFA program.
I'm very nervous about something and I could really use advice.
I have two recommendations at the moment - one from a writing teacher, the other from an English professor.
There is one other writing processor who's teaching has really impacted my writing. She is the person I really want my third recommendation from. Except, so far it's been a struggle to even meet with her (let alone ask her to write me a recommendation). What should I do?
I know this recommendation would be very good, and specifically about my writing. If I were to ask another professor, they would only be able to speak of my academic accomplishments and not my creative writing. But I'm worried it's getting too late in the game to wait around and not ask someone to write me one now...
etrangette: Go with someone else. I learned the hard way that someone who doesn't want to find the time to meet with you will not write a good recommendation no matter how much they may like you.
I saw an ad for Full Sail University offering an on-line MFA in Creative Writing. Has anyone heard anything about this school? Is it worth looking at for an MFA?
Would you mind posting a list of the schools that are not CGSR compliant? (Hope it's not a long one). I want to compare that list to the list of schools I'm considering, but haven't been able to find it...
Does anyone know anything about funding quality at Notre Dame? The FAQ on its website claims that tuition is waived for all students, but the most recent P&W MFA rankings list it as being not fully funded. What's their deal?
My onlinesmanship sucks. I don't even know what CGSR means, to tell you the truth-- I just know that it has to do with programs giving you until April to make up your mind on where to go.
Anyway, I googled "mfa program CGSR" and "university CGSR" etc... no dice. Mostly got "do you mean csr - corporate social responsibility" as well as pro-mfa junk and anti-mfa junk-- enough to give me brain tumors.
May I ask what CGSR stands for?... Perhaps I should have started with that. Anyone...?
The definition of full funding involves not just a full tuition waiver but a minimum (cost of living adjusted) $8,000/year academic-year stipend. ND still only offers a few of these.
Does anyone know what ETS is charging now to have your GRE scores transferred to a new school?
I know you get 3-4 "freebies" when you take the test. After that, you have to ante up the fees which were around $20-$35 last time I checked.
This is something to consider if you're applying to a school that requires GRE scores. You might want to tack that ETS GRE fee onto the application fee.
So, I just decided that I will be applying again this year. Last year I was waitlisted at NYU, Notre Dame and the New School and accepted at USF.
I couldn't go to USF because they started their program before I graduated (had to take summer school for the language requirement) so I deferred. This whole time, I've been planning to just stick with USF. The first go around of applying was difficult enough.
I am so nervous right now. The thought of going through this process again is crazy, but at least I'll have more information than when I started last time.
There are a few things I'm really freaked out about:
1) emailing my professors and asking for letters of rec. It was hard enough the first time and now I have the fear that after graduating, they've already forgotten all about me.
2) choosing the absolute list of schools I will be applying to. Last year, I winged it. I applied on the fly to a school recommended to me by a stranger and to a school that emailed me their pitch (was waitlisted at both), but I want to be more prepared this year.
3) deciding on my writing sample. I liked my sample from last year, and I still feel like it's one of my strongest pieces but I'm not sure what the protocol is with applying to the same places with the same sample.
I'm putting my faith into this blog again. I almost wasn't going to post this year because last year somebody replied "Ugh" when I said I was waitlisted at ND and that really soured me on this place. But whatever.
1. I've been out of school for almost three years now. I was pretty sure all my professors would have forgotten about me. But, they didn't. Professors, as it turns out are used to this kind of thing. Even my brother, who had no good/strong relationships with professors was able to get 3 willing people to write recommendations for him, 3 years after he graduated.
2. No matter how close I get to what I think is a final list, I just can't nail it down. I've set the end of this week as my deadline. I think after doing a decent amount of research, we just have to force ourselves to commit!
3. I know a couple people re-applying this year after not getting in/attending last year. All of them are working on new samples. But I don't think you necessarily have to. If you're doing fiction, you could keep one short story from last time and add one new one. Or if you're doing poetry you can throw in a few new ones. It may not be the best idea to send the same stuff to the same schools, considering it's the bulk of your application.
Hopefully the blog this year will be a better experience for you. Though I can imagine things get really stressful come Feb/March.
You aren't the only one trying to nail down your final list by the end of this week. I want to make sure that I give the people who will be recommending me plenty of time to write their letters, plus - I'm just driving myself crazy with all this indecision.
Hey everyone, If it hasn't been addressed already, I would love some help. I have two unrelated questions. The first is that if I were to apply today, I would apply for fiction. That being said, I think I might really enjoy non-fiction. Would it be a good idea for me to explore this on my own, or do programs allow for some double dipping? If I should look in to it now, any suggestions for where to start?
My second question deals with references. I graduated with my BA in Spanish Literature 4 years ago. I'm not sure any of my professors even remember me, let alone my writing. I figured I would send them a copy of an essay I wrote for their class and a little bit about our interaction (assuming they even agree to write me a recommendation) but I can't imagine it'll be particularly strong. I have a great relationship with an old boss but I did not write in any capacity for her. I guess I'm just looking for ideas on how to drum up some decent letters.
Alyssa - I hope it wasn't me that said "ugh" to your Notre Dame wait list. If it was (I can't remember doing it, but I might have) it was probably because I was also wait listed there and wanted to be all by my lonesome on that list. It was likely said in jest. Most people on this blog are pretty cool, though, and wouldn't seriously be mad at someone's success. At least I would hope!
Blob and everyone else, I third the comment about list indecision. One thing that I'm contemplating is asking my letter-writers to write letters for schools I'm on the fence about anyway, just in case I end up actually applying there. Is that cruel, though?
I have a question about writing samples. Some schools (Indiana, Minnesota, and Michigan on my list) ask for somewhat longer writing samples. Last I checked Minnesota wanted 25 pages, which is 250% longer than most schools. I was wondering if it would be appropriate to put in a newer, rawer poem or two that really demonstrate the ideas and aesthetics I`ve been exploring recently, or should I just submit my best 25 pages of poetry?
Great Interview w/ Ben Percy (Faculty at Iowa State, author of Refresh, Refresh; The Wilding; Language of the Elk) and some insight into the Southern Illinois University - Carbondale MFA Program
The advice I hear over and over is submit your best, submit your best, submit your best. If you feel your "best" is no longer representative of your work at all, then I'd say let the new poems breathe for a while and then revise and workshop them before you submit them. =)
1. I have the same issue regarding fiction and non-fiction. I decided to go with a fiction specialization and take courses in non-fiction. check out my reasoning on my blog "ragsmfa[dot]blogspot[dot]com".
2. I'm getting a letter from a former supervisor at work. I'm using it to show my abilities and competence at completing graduate school. To recommend my writing, I have two instructors from an online writing class I'm taking.
Sorry for the extreme delay... The reason why I'm not looking at other programs is location. I'm wavering on the California schools. I know I shouldn't let a location hinder future... but I'm in love with my city and just not ready to move yet. So Chicago schools for now.
1. Indiana U 2. MCW, U of Texas, Austin 3. Cornell 4. Washington U, St. Louis 5. Brown 6. U of Michigan, Ann Arbor 7. Syracuse 8. Iowa Writers' Workshop 9. U of Virginia, C'ville 10. Vanderbilt 11. Johns Hopkins
I thought about asking my professors for recommendations of those 'on the fence' schools. But I already feel like I'm asking them to do so much work with a list of 12-15 schools (eek!) that I'd hate to do that. Plus I have a lot of either ors on my list. Like, for example, I will probably either apply to UT-Austin or Cornell, but not both. And I will probably apply to U. New Mexico or Arizona. I just need to commit and then not look back!
@PDG I think the other schools question is mostly for statistical purposes. I plan on filling it out, but maybe not listing all 14 something schools I end up applying to. I might list 6 or so. But I don't think it'll impact the decision on whether to accept you or not at all.
Applied to five nyc schools last year--i am one of those spoiled nyc-ers whom we all hate (my family is in nyc and i would prefer to not be away from them for three years)--and was waitlisted at Sarah Lawrence and The New School. I wish I had the balls to apply all over, which I was originally planning on doing, until it all started making me ill. So, I will probably just reapply where I applied, hoping that this time hunter and brooklyn college will give me the time of day. I was wondering what the protocol is when reapplying--should you mention that you already applied/ were waitlisted at other programs? Should you talk about the difference in your writing sample? Also, I desperately want to apply to NYU but desperately don't want to take the GRE (i literally failed math in college). NYU is the only school I would be applying to (unless I soon grow those balls to apply outside nyc) that requires the GRE. Has everyone already taken it? I. need. help. and. liquor. or. more. black. tea.
I don't know the protocol for applying a second time. Someone else will have to pitch in there.
But I do think you should go ahead and take the GRE. I've been told by anyone and everyone that the scores don't really matter. But not taking it can really limit your list. I took mine about 2-3 weeks ago and did really terribly on all three sections. After the initial shame subsided, I went back and looked again at all the websites of the places I was applying and not a single one put any emphasis on the gre score. So you should just get it out of the way. Pick up a prep book or even look online (there's enough free stuff out there) to do a little math refresher. There is nothing more advanced than algebra on the gre. But not having a calculator can be a bit of a bummer.
Have you considered applying to schools close to NYC, but not actually in it? Cornell and Syracuse, while not that close are at least within the state and a few hours. The Boston area schools are also not bad, might give you a few options. Also, I don't know if it's included in your 5, but Queens College's MFA program was recently recommended to me as a good, but a little more under the radar option.
I also live in NYC, but unlike you, I think getting out of the city is exactly what my writing needs at this point.
Thanks so much for that. I guess I'll sign up for that damn test then. It doesn't matter if we take the computer or the paper test right? It's all so confusing to me. All I remember from math is the screams inside my head. Bah, okay, ill do it! And by NYC, I meant my family lives in NJ. Cornell and Syracuse sound amazing, I am just so intimidated. And I think I will add Queens College to my list! Thanks again.
Also, where are you applying? I'm curious because for people who love new york city--me--it's hard to imagine loving one of these remote, quiet though probably charming towns... I spent three weeks in San Moritz Switzerland this summer and unlike Fitzgerald who was inspired within the silence and mountains, I binge ate. Yet, I would like to experience a town that has a large arts presence, a community feel, and that isn't as far as portland.
I have a question about recommendations and would love your input.
I have 2 recommendation writers on board: my writing teacher and current work supervisor. Trying to decide on the third.
Option one is to approach a former English professor. It's been 8 years since I've graduated. I've kept in touch very, very sporadically with this professor. I'm sure she remembers me, but she can't speak to my creative writing (I started writing fiction after graduating college), but maybe could write about my intelligence, contributions in class discussion, etc.?
Option two is to approach another professional contact. Again, wouldn't be able to speak to my creative writing, but could give a general recommendation about my work ethic, maturity etc. This person would "know" me better, as a person, as opposed to the professor who I haven't seen in 8 years.
My question it, is it better to ask the professor because she's in academia and has seen me in a classroom setting? Or is it better to ask the professional contact who has had more recent contact with me?
And do consider coming to University of South Carolina. Everyone gets money and teaching experience. Now that the devil has left its much more enjoyable.
Airships - sorry, you piqued my interest. What did you mean by "now that the devil has left it's a much more enjoyable experience"? I'm likely applying to USC, so I'm even more interested :)
Wow, I actually laughed out LOUD when I read this beauty: "Columbia's MFA is rigorous and competitive but students don't just have publication as a goal – they take that for granted, since about half the graduating class has a book published or a publishing contract in hand by graduation – so they have their sights set on Pulitzers."
Wait a minute, wait a minute, did she say that Columbia students publish frequently or infrequently, the email is too vague...
I'm surprised no one's pointed out the lies in this Columbia professor's e-mail. Columbia is a three-year program? Er, no. They accept 100 poets, novelists, and nonfiction writers per year? Er, wrong again--Columbia's own website last said that 80 are admitted per year, and Ben Marcus came on this very site to claim (falsely) that Columbia's own website was wrong and a lie and that in fact Columbia accepts many fewer than 80 people a year. Columbia's the largest MFA in the U.S.? No, wrong again. Half the graduating class each year has a publishing contract in hand or a book out by graduation? Nope, not true. I even question her recitation of the size of the faculty--lest anyone think Columbia has a better than 8:3 student-to-faculty ratio, keep in mind that most of those alleged "30+" faculty members are not full-time faculty. Columbia gets more than 600 applications per year? Again, I call party foul--I don't believe that to be true based on the historical application trends Columbia itself published on its website. (The TSE data overstates the Columbia applicant pool). Only 100 applicants are selected each year? They wish! Their terrible yield means that they have to accept closer to 125 or 150 per year just to fill a class. It's as competitive an environment as MIT? No, that's not what alumni who write me report--they say their classmates are largely pampered rich kids with minimal talent. Anyone wonder why she writes that 100 people matriculate per year (remember, she says that there are 300 in the program at any one time, and it's a "three-year program" she says, so clearly 100 must matriculate per year) but only 60 defend their theses? That's some fuzzy math right there. Need one go on? I'm sorry, but letters like these are the last gasp of a dying giant. The way for Columbia to turn their ship around--and I hope they do--is not to send out propaganda like this to what are, in so many respects, better programs (like USC) but to look to their own affairs in an honest and rigorously appraising way.
Doesn't this whole thing get to the point where it just becomes comical? It's kind of like the segwey owner who died by falling off a cliff on while riding his seqway a la Gob Bluth. It's terrible and sad, but don't you snicker just a little bit?
Trying to make a list, live in the Deep South and scared to freeze to death but willing to risk it (mostly). I want a program heavy on the writing and funded. Any comments/suggestions appreciated.
the List
Pretty sure: Univ. of Florida Louisiana State Ohio State Notre Dame Univ. Illinois-Urbana Univ. Oregon Univ. Minn Bama Bowling Green Univ. Texas
Jeeeeesch! Not that I was planning to apply to Columbia but boy....
The way she describes it makes it seem like all they care about is getting their students book deals. No thanks. Anyone here from South Carolina should thanking their lucky stars she's gone.
I was going to wait to post my list until later, but since I'm 99 % sure this is what it's going to look like here goes (and yes, I know there are probably too many long shots on here)!
University of Indiana Cornell University Brown University University of Alabama University of North Carolina Wilmington University of California, San Diego University of Iowa University of Memphis
Oh, and I'm applying in fiction for these schools but I might apply to a few in nonfiction is I have the $!
Today, I picked up my second batch of recommendations. What a relief! In my opinion, recommendations are the hardest part of the application process.
I honestly feel like I'm harassing people for these letters. Not to mention these professors are already busy in the middle of the school year because they're writing and teaching and reading, etc.
Once I net the final batch of letters, I'm kicking things up a couple gears. Soon, it will be address label time...
I remember you on here from last year in my own quest to figure out where I should head off to. University of South Carolina is an awesome program. We take about six to seven people a year out workshops are small and the professors are awesome. I will like to reiterate that everyone that gets accepted gets funding AND teaching experience with the opportunity to be teaching your own creative writing workshop in your third year. So your time here is pretty much free. We have an awesome lit mag with dedicated students running it. It's all a win-win, unlike Columbia, where you pay an arm and a leg for three years of the same thing.
Since, Janette has left, Elise Blackwell has become head of the program and is doing big things with it. She and our other lead fiction David Bajo just publish new novels this year with good reception and they are excellent workshop leaders.
I thank Seth for clearing things up. Ivy league does not mean awesome when it comes to creative writing programs. The top programs are at public schools (including the majority of SEC schools) located of all the horrible places in the world, in the south of the United States.
So if you are looking for another school to throw in the batch of applications try south carolina. If you get in, I have an extra room and you can come crash and visit and check it out.
I actually found that letter from the Columbia professor concerning, not because I have any interest in going to Columbia, but because one of the virtues of a school like South Carolina to me is how the culture of Columbia, SC is distinctively different from, and (in my mind) disinterested in the pitfalls of the New York City literary world.
It never really crossed my mind until today that there might be professors at supposedly un-prestigious schools in supposedly horrendous locations just waiting to get their big break and move to NYC.
@kbtoys I'm applying to some sort of middle of nowhere places, such as Alabama, which is in Tuscaloosa. But also some really great smaller towns, like Madison, WI; Amherst, MA; and Ann Arbor, MI.
Austin is a fantastic city and so is Minneapolis (though I'm not applying to Minnesota). Both are artsy, fun, and have a lot of activity.
I love New York, but at this stage in my writing life, I think I'd benefit from going away and removing myself from all the distractions here. I also think that being in a place with a less scattered, broad, and hard to navigate literary scene/community will be good for me. I'll be back to NYC, I don't doubt that. But I'm also excited about leaving for awhile.
I'm sure I'm missing this somewhere, but can you direct me to the rankings for nonfiction MFAs? I read the methodology article on P&W, but for some reason, can't find the link to the nonfiction rankings. I'm sure I've just skipped over it...
The nonfiction rankings are in the main rankings--there's a category called "nonfiction." The non-top-50 programs also are listed in nonfiction (see the non-top-50 rankings at www.pw.org) if they're ranked in the top 20 in that category. This year only the top 20 nonfiction programs were acknowledged, because there are many fewer nonfiction programs than poetry and fiction programs.
So I sent out my emails to my possible recommenders today. I spent an hour sculpting the 10 sentence emails and was horrified once I pressed send. Now I just have to wait and hope they respond.
My next step is to decide exactly which schools I'm going to apply. I'm so directionless here. I really don't know where I'm going to end up applying. Last year I just applied to whichever schools I heard the people in my school talking about, plus a few recommended to me by my professors. But now I just don't know.
I'm just so nervous about this whole process. (Obviously.)
Hey again all, Are any of you taking the GRE in November or should I just take it in October and hardly study for it? Does anyone know how long it takes for the scores to eventually reach the schools?
Hey, does anyone know if what the process for reapplying to Minnesota, U Mic, Syracuse, Indiana, Arizona State, or U Florida Gainesville - i.e. is it the entire application process again, or just a new sample?
Here's my very long list for fiction. I might even have the longest list of anyone on the board. I got stonewalled last year: one wait-list and then rejections down the line. My mistakes, looking back, were obvious and numerous. One of them was applying to too few schools. I won't be repeating that one.
And the list:
Iowa Michigan Texas Oregon Cornell Minnesota Houston Arizona State Johns Hopkins Ohio State Notre Dame Southern Illinois Washington (WA) Columbia College Chicago Texas State Western Michigan Temple Northern Michigan NEOMFA Wichita State
Just wanted to let people know that I called a bunch of schools yesterday that asked for 'ALL transcripts' to see whether they needed originals of my study abroad transcript. I didn't make it through my full list, but the 5 I did call, all said the same thing:
If the class names, credits, and grades are listed on your primary college's transcript you don't need to send an official transcript directly from your study abroad program/school. But if those details are missing you do need an official study abroad transcript.
If you studied abroad for more than one semester you need an official transcript from your study abroad program regardless of whether the information shows up on your main transcript.
Thought I'd pass along the news to others.
As a side note, the woman in the Michener Center office was so nice I wanted to jump through the phone and into her arms. It truly takes a patient person to work in an admissions office!
To anyone considering Boise State, I e-mailed the program director, Martin Corless-Smith, this afternoon to ask if they knew yet how many TAships they would be able to offer this year. Within minutes, I got a very nice response: The answer is 3 each in fiction and poetry, which Martin said is "not much, but it does give us a very strong tight group."
Since I also asked how many would be admitted, I believe that answers both of my questions. So small group, but I was really impressed with the quick and honest answer. They've moved up to probable from maybe on my list.
DigAPony and Jonathan, I believe, took part in this original convo. Thought some others might want to know, too. Deadline for BSU is Jan. 15, btw.
So, er, uh, like -- I thought I'd try to relieve some stress with some mostly-but-not-entirely off topic discush. (and I really want to hit 400 comments here).
When you write...total silence or do you rock out?
I can do either but usually like music playing. Though after 3 or 4 hours of writing, I could not tell you more than 2 songs that played during the frenzy.
Hannah - UF has not contacted me about reapplying, even though I've emailed twice and called both the receptionist in the creative writing program and in the English department. Harumph. Syracuse gave me a lovely response saying that they basically just reactivate the old application and keep all documents from last year, giving you the option to send anything new that you want to send. It's free to reapply, too. COOL!
Writer dude - I usually listen to music, since I'm distracted super easily. Sometimes I prefer silence, though.I think that the mood of a song can impact a story, for good or for bad. Sometimes I like to set the mood (woohoo ;0) ), sometimes I don't. I'll tell ya, those 3-4 hour "jam" sessions aren't coming to me lately :*( I'm struggling to put in an hour.
I would spend your October/November time on your writing sample unless that's a done deal. Then, of course, you'll have some time to study in October before taking the GRE in November.
Everything is digital nowadays. If you take the GRE in November, your scores should arrive well before the December and January deadlines. But just to be safe call ETS and ask. Every time I've called they've been great about answering quickly and giving accurate info.
I have to have total silence when I write, which is why I'm avoiding MFA programs set in huge cities. Libraries are too loud for me, so I have to find places that are serene and not too densely populated.
I sent out envelopes et al to my recommenders yesterday for the 2 hard-copy schools on my list - Indiana U and Iowa Writers' Workshop.
Today, I'm working on getting my transcripts. It's a long and expensive process :(
I like listening to western classical. This is because I'm a drummer and, if I listen to jazz or rock, I start air-drumming. Plus, listening to words trips me up when I'm writing words.
@kbtoys: I think the ETS website says it takes 4-6 weeks for scores to reach schools. Or I think I read it on some school's website. I can't recall.
504 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 504 Newer› Newest»Thanks to everyone that helped me decide what locations are best for me (since I've ironically done more traveling outside the US than in my own country).
@I.rosenfeld - I might be asking you questions about U of Miami's locale, although there doesn't seem to be much to hate.
@Marti - I looked at Bloomington through the blogs of various students there and the moment I saw their farmer's market it became a definite on my list.
@Minnow - You made Madison sound so beautiful! I only wish they were accepting for fiction this year...
Here's my list in fiction:
Iowa
UVA
Michigan
UC Irvine
Syracuse
Cornell
Brown
NYU
U of Oregon
U of Minnesota
Wash U St. Louis
Ohio State
Miami
UC San Diego
U of Colorado, Boulder
U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
This list seems pretty lengthy (16 schools). If I had to cut any it would be either Brown or Illinois (or both). Mostly because I don't know much about the city of Urbana-Champaign, Or exactly how experimental Brown's program is.
Does anyone know about either of these programs (locale and/or range of "experimentation" at Brown)?
@Rags
Also, remember that Missouri is cheap in terms of living expenses. Perhaps not your top priority in terms of picking schools, but not having to pay upwards of $1000/month for a studio apartment definitely is nice (that was my punishment for running off to do my undergrad in SoCal! SO EXPENSIVE THERE).
Hey all, I wanted to share the news I got from Syracuse... I'm in! No, no I'm not, but they responded to my email informing me that those who applied last year can reactivate their application from last year and update only what they choose to update (you can send a new sample and SOP only, for example, and use everything else from last year). AND (the best part!) the application fee is waived!! Hello $75 in my pocket. Plus, the email was very polite and very helpful and laid out everything that was to be included in the application and I totally appreciated the time it took to that. It's a silly thing to get excited over, but hey, a little nicety goes a long way :)
By the way, just to clarify, the application fee is waived only for those re-applying, don't want anyone to get too excited just to be let down...
I have a question about the funding situation at Johns Hopkins. In the P&W its ranked 4th for funding. Is that an error or did I see that correctly? I don't remember them being funded that well. What is their funding package and is the program fully funded? I can get over the foreign language requirement (um, hello, I aced Espanol Uno), but funding is kinda a big deal. Anyone know the answer?
Oops, forgot to put Indiana on my list. Uggghhh that makes 17.... what to do!
@kaybay
Son is in fiction at Johns Hopkins. All of the MFA students are fully funded (tuition remission plus a base stipend of ~$18,800.) They all get paid health insurance. Plus if you are willing to teach over intercession or summers you can earn ~ $7000 more.
You can try to place out of the language requirement. You are required to take the GRE.
@Peaquah,
Would be so helpful to see your SOP. I'm beginning mine now, and feeling a little lost. If you don't mind sharing, my email is amybernhard3@gmail
Hope to hear from you!
So, John from earlier. I'm a bit confused.
I've looked into Queens University (which, so long as I get a few scholarships and financial aid I could most likely actually attend) and I'm curious as to how the MFA program works in general. CFNC.org (a college aid website for kids in NC) said that there are a few colleges around that does BFA for Creative Writing, and Queens wasn't under that listing.
So basically; my question is whether or not I have to get a BFA before moving on to an MFA.
@ John
Nope, no BFA required. You can get your bachelor's in anything and then go on to an MFA.
Chris
Driftless House
Thanks, dadofwriter! God, I want to apply to so many! Not enough funds :(
Amy, if you'd like to look at Peaquah's SoP, click on her name and e-mail her.
Hi,
I have a question about recommendations. I have a literary agent and I was wondering if I should have her write me a recommendation. The novel I signed with her will likely not be published because it is not marketable (so I'm told). I've been through a substantial revision of the novel with this woman and I would say that she understands how dedicated I am to writing and knows how much time I put into revising this novel. She doesn't know me personally beyond emails and phone calls. My other recommendations are from college professors (I just graduated this past spring). I wasn't going to use the agent initially, but one of my professors told me to use her. Another professor told me that it's bad to use an agent because they're basically sales people and its kind of a given that your agent is enthusiastic about your work.
If I don't use her, I'm planning on using a recommendation from another writing professor, who knew me earlier in my college career but still really liked me and my writing.
Let me know if asking the agent is a good idea or not.
Thanks!
Hi Maria,
I can't remember which mailbag it's in (I've read so many on this blog). But someone else asked a similar question to you before and was advised that they should not use anyone who might benefit from your success. By that I mean, if you get an MFA and improve your writing that directly benefits your literary agent. She has reason to want you to get in beyond her just thinking you're a letter might be 100% genuine, it can come off suspiciously.
The advice that was given before and that I agree with is to not use a literary agent.
Hi guys, I've been pondering over this, hopefully you can help.
Majority of the schools ask for a writing sample with a maximum page count of 25/30 pages. My two short stories will probably come out to around 22/25 pages.
But then there are some schools like Indiana and Iowa that ask for at least 30 pages, in Iowa's case 30-80 pages.
I want to send all my schools the same two short stories as my writing sample. Would it be ok to send this to the schools that ask for a longer writing sample?
Much appreciated
Important Funding & Rankings Update.
Last week it was UNLV, this week it is FSU: Announcing the 36th fully-funded MFA program in the United States. Applicants take note! Florida State University's funding ranking is being re-calculated now, but it will be very high.
S.
Has anyone spent much time looking at U. New Mexico's website. It's quite possibly the most confusing and difficult one I've encountered yet.
The website talks about TAships for MA and PhD students only. But then the application itself has a box for MFA students, so I'm planning to fill it out (better to be safe than sorry). But the application asks for a writing sample without specifying what kind. I'm not sure if they want a creative sample or a critical one and whether my application sample counts or not.
Anyone else looked at this yet?
Also, are people sending their study abroad transcripts from the institutions directly to schools that asks for 'transcripts from all schools'?
Anyone know when Wichita State makes its decisions for Spring admission? Sorry, last year I applied for all Fall programs so I only know about the hell that is March madness lol.
@etrangette
In Iowa's case, at least, it's definitely okay to send the same 20-25 page sample you're sending to other programs -- and sending 80 just because they allow 80 is a classic mistake. However, if they like your portfolio, but feel like they have a less complete picture of you than they have of other similarly-regarded candidates, they might contact you and ask for more work. This is a rare occurrence (less than 1%, really), but it did happen when I was a reader, and you wouldn't want it to catch you totally unprepared.
Chris
Driftless House
@ Blob
New Mexico's website is very confusing! The CWP page is pretty bad, but I found this link and it has all the necessary info. Here are the ms reqs:
1) a portfolio of ten to fifteen poems not to exceed 20 pages in length; 2) one or preferably two stories or a novel excerpt not to exceed a total of 7500 words; 3) 15-20 pages of non-fiction prose.
Also, I am pretty bummed to see they require an expository writing sample and two separate letters of rec for the TA application.
My list for poetry:
Iowa
Brown
Minnesota
Cornell
Michigan
Virginia
NYU
I may add a couple more as deadlines approach. I have a 2.95 GPA and have been told I can't apply to Texas, which makes me regret taking courses like Cognitive Neuroscience and Psycholinguistics. Oh well.
Good luck to everyone!
Hey all. Been away for a bit with work/job stuff, haven't done nearly enough writing (which happens all too often), but I did manage to take the GRE today and got in the 600s on both verbal and quantitative, which makes me very happy. I was honestly expecting around 500 on math, because I barely studied for it. Not sure yet about writing, but I feel like it's OK.
And now I am done with that test forever, woosh. However, since they won't even look at my GRE scores unless my writing sample piques their interest, I have to perfect that. I have the rough draft written, but I feel so self-conscious self-editing, even though the best thing to do is just dive. There's a pretty cool writing conference sponsored by a lit mag next month I may go to, especially since the cost is just $50.
To those who haven't taken the GRE yet/are afraid of it: Get it over with. You'll feel so much better. And you get to send your scores immediately to four schools (it may cost more to send it after that, ugh). I chose LSU, Texas State, Southern Illinois and Minnesota. LSU says on their site a score of 600 is "generally expected" in verbal, so that's a relief. They also want a 3.2 GPA-mine is 3.21.
List for poetry:
(definite)
U of Houston
U of Wisconsin
U of Alabama
Notre dame
Brown
(maybe)
LSU?
Cornell?
UT Austin?
U of Oregon?
Virginia tech?
UNLV?
FSU?
Syracuse?
I applied to some of these schools a couple years ago and made it on some wait lists, so I'm hoping my application has strengthened enough to actually get in somewhere this time around. We'll see.
For Fiction (w/ some reasons):
Brown - seems like a wild, interdisciplinary program and I like the idea of Providence
Southern Illinois - They popped up on my radar due to Ben Percy and Pinckney Benedict. It seems like a pretty cool, rising program.
Texas-Austin - $$$
Notre Dame - Football
Alabama - Four years
Oregon - Women in fleece and many hiking opportunities. In other words, the location is awesome.
Syracuse -People who say they aren't applying b/c of George Saunders are bloody liars.
UNCG - I realize this program seems to be fluctuating in terms of funding/ resources etc. but a lot of writers I respect graduated from this program. (and I know alumni lists often have little bearing on a program quality) . . . still . . .
Iowa: Duh
Maybe: Cal Arts, NYU (faculty list here is insane) and SAIC (I shall write while doing interpretive dances) but funding is obviously an issue with these places.
Here's a strange inquiry.
I am applying this year to two different degrees: Creative Writing MFA and Literature MA.
There are a few schools I want to apply to for both the MFA and a Lit MA (e.g., UWashington in Seattle). These are different departments, but even so I am worried that the Creative Writing department will see that I've applied also to the CompLit department and think that I am waffling and unsure of what I want (truth is, I really want to do both and plan to ultimately study/work in both). Do you think this is a legitimate concern? Will it reflect poorly on me if the MFA dept sees that I also applied to that school for an MA in CompLit (or vice versa)? Thanks.
My list for fiction:
1. Syracuse
2. Brooklyn College
3. NYU (expensive, I know, but Zadie Smith is there)
4. Rutgers, Newark (Jayne Anne Phillips!)
5. Minnesota
6. Iowa Writers' Workshop (might as well give it a shot)
7. Columbia College
8. Montana*
* Montana is my wild card. The faculty looks great and I've heard good things about the program, but I'm nervous about being too isolated out there. Any info about Missoula would be appreciated!
@inkli_11
The question comes in a thousand varieties, but the answer is always the same: It really only comes down to your writing sample.
So I don't see any reason to think that a prof would penalize your application because he/she notices you also applied for an MA in Lit (I don't even really see how an application judge would notice that). A strong sample will overcome anything.
Neema,
Missoula is one of the nicest smaller cities you could live in. Yes, it's isolated in that you'd have to drive a bit to get to a large city (i.e. Spokane), but I know people from large metropolitan areas who have decided to settle down in Missoula because they liked it so much. You might want to think of it as Berkeley light. There's also a great music scene out there.
whew! I took the GRE today. Scored in the upper 600s in verbal and the mid-500s in quantitative. Good enough.
Two recommenders are on board (though one hasn't sent me his address, grr) and I need to find another, as my third professor is MIA. Sending out packets on Monday.
Transcripts are ordered. SOP is in draft form. I would be okay sending out my writing sample tomorrow. All right.
I keep second-guessing myself on my list, but the more I do, the more annoying it would get to add more schools. This is probably for the best.
(How is everyone else doing?)
SUB: Letters of recommendation.
I was planning to use Interfolio to send my letters to each school. I thought it would be super-easy for my letter-writers because they would have to upload their letters just once.
But schools are not making it any easier. Indiana U has a PDF that, literally, I need to print to fill in a section, then snail-mail it to my referee to fill in, then he snail-mails it to the school.
UT Austin has a section in their online form that requires referees to go to a website to check some boxes and upload their letters.
I'm sure as I go through the applications for other schools, more such instances will pop up.
Q: How can I keep it super-smooth for my referees? Does using Interfolio make sense? Or should I send out pre-addressed and stamped envelopes and forms and waivers and whatever else is required (along with a little gift of thanks) to each of my referees.
Note: I live in India, while my referees live in the US. One of the referees said he'd be in Haiti and can do everything online.
Hey all -
I applied last year in fiction. Got in some places, but none with funding. I'm planning to try again this year, but I am thinking about applying in poetry. I write and have published in both genres, and have spent most of the spring and summer working in poetry rather than fiction.
My question is: if I'm applying to some of the same places I did last time, do I look flaky if I apply in a different genre? Can I justify this in my statement of purpose? Is there a special protocol for this?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
if anyone is thinking of applying to NMSU (a terrific small program), check out the new creative writing MFA blog.
clarabellenmsu.blogspot.com
Rags -
I so wanted to use Interfolio and decided not to for the exact same reason you just mentioned. That, and it was going to end up costing me about $100! I think the best thing for recommenders is streamlining the process. The problem mainly arises from having to do too many tasks. They have to upload letters for some schools and print them out for others, fill out forms for some but not for others, talk about teaching skills for one school and writing skills for another. It gets really complicated. Give your recommenders very specific instructions, make a big packet, try to make the steps less (if possible, have them use the same letter for each school and print it out with different addresses), and offer to do any work when possible. I'm pretty close with my letter writers and volunteered to the annoying work (letter-stuffing, sealing). I addressed and stamped each letter, provided forms for each school, and any instructions from the school.
Really, if you think about it, it's really not that much extra work. They pretty much use the same letter for each school, have to check a couple of boxes on a form, and then they're done. I still feel bad about having them do it, but it's not really that awful. Give them a nice gift to make up for it ;)
Hey all, two things:
@kaybay: Who did you email at Syracuse to find out about applying again? I had a hard time finding any contact information on their website. I sent an email to the email address from which they sent rejections last year, but haven't heard anything back.
@Marti: For the New Mexico TA application you don't need two separate letters of recommendation. I emailed them and they told me that two of your letters can be used for both the general application and the TA application. Just ask your letter writers to address your teaching potential/experience and put their names on the TA app.
Hi Raine, here's the address I used: tazollo@syr.edu
I had emailed the admin assistant with the program and never got a response, so I went the next step. I had also tried the "contact us" email system through the website and never got a response (although, there's a note on the website that says that system no longer works). I got a quick and super detailed, much appreciated response from Terri Zollo that made me feel so gracious. I'm still waiting on responses from two schools that I have now emailed twice, asking about re-applying, and I haven't even received an "I'll get back to you" response. It's really frustrating because I need to get my packet ready for my recommenders and need to know what I need to resend. It's just nice when people respond to emails and make an effort to help out. I hope that doesn't sound insensitive, but I don't know why they are ignoring me :(
I agree kaybay! I appreciated that Minnesota includes a note in their FAQ about the materials they maintain from one year to the next, and two other programs I've had to email (about this and a different question) have been so quick to respond, it made me like the programs even more. Thanks for passing on that email address!
@ Raine Thanks so much, that's great news.
@elio
I would be surprised if they even remembered your application. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's different readers on the committee for fiction vs. poetry, not to mention the readers can vary year to year some generally as well.
Speaking of recommendations, do you guys think it's okay to have someone write me a recommendation who I've taught with, who knows my "intellect," work ethic, and teaching ability? Not a supervisor and not an old professor.
I've been a long time lurker here, but finally making my first post... yay.
I'm graduating with my BA in English this May and I'm applying to get my MFA in fiction writing. I finally narrowed down my list, and started 5 of 8 apps today! In order:
Wash U
Indiana U
Iowa
Michigan
The New School (children's writing)
Roosevelt U
NEOMFA
Ohio State
@Renee, you're ahead of me. I haven't started the packets or my SOPs, but that's my goal next weekend. Still have to edit, too.
However, I did secure my third referrer, which is a relief. She responded that she'd be happy to do it. I told her I'd send her an info packet in early October, so that's my goal with her and my other two referrers.
I had to take Illinois off my list, because their application fee is $70 freakin dollars, which is insane. Plus, they only admitted something like 5 people last year, for both genres. I still have 10 schools left and more than $400 in app fees, including $75 for Minnesota. I like the looks of the Illinois program, but I had to cut something and still may have to cut another school or two, which I don't love, but my finances just suck.
This is probably ridiculous, but I'm considering if I should cut Washington U in St. Louis because they don't, to my knowledge, have a football team. I love college football and most of my other programs have pretty big programs, although maybe not a big history of winning (see: Minnesota, Vanderbilt). But it's only $35 to apply, and it does look like a really good and well-funded program.
The cheapest school I'm applying to, other than Vanderbilt, which is free if you do it online, is Florida at $30. Most expensive is Minnesota. How about you guys?
Texas - $65
Washington U - $35
Alabama - $50
Kansas - $45
Indiana - $55
UNC-Wilmington - $60
Iowa - $60
Syracuse - application is free for people who applied last year, so yes!
Vanderbilt - free online
Oregon - $50
West Virginia - $45
I haven't been able to find the application fees for UMKC or LSU.
Other than that, will be paying $7 for each transcript to each school. GRE scores to I guess 75% of those schools ($15 each?).
Transcripts = $91
GRE scores = $120
Application Fees = approximately $565
Total will be about $776. Did the same thing last year with a job that paid much less. God knows how I made it through.
pdg,
i think i remember you from last year. were you the other indiana waitlister?
anyhow, i just wanted to remind you that some of those schools will be able to pull your transcripts and GREs from last year, so you can save yourself some money that way. in your list specifically, i know for sure that indiana and iowa both do this.
GRE: $160 plus one extra score report $23
transcripts: $48
app fees: $520. (ugh. Cornell alone is $80.)
printing costs: around $25? at the library but I think I'm going to have to buy a printer.
good god, $726 is a lot of money. About my monthly stipend on the farm, to be exact.
I'm too terrified to tally up costs. I have money in savings, so I'll still be able to feed myself (I hope). But I think if I actually look at what the whole process will cost me, I'll be less than pleased.
I'm starting to get to that anxious phase of knowing I have so much to do, but not actually starting any of it. I should get started on my SOP, but yikes, it's a daunting task.
At least one of my school is requesting a CV/Resume. I'm thinking I'm going to have to re-work mine, which is currently designed for real world jobs. Does anyone have any insights as to how to configure a CV for an MFA program? I don't have any publications to list..but certainly don't want a blank a CV!
Blob -
I focused my CV on mostly academic and teaching experience. I listed school-related awards and committees and then put down relevant teaching experience under my work-related section.
If it makes you feel better, there's someone in my program who has a master's degree in astrophysics and work experience as an engineer. I think they're just trying to get a picture of how you choose to spend your time. Are you an academic? Have real world experience? Are you really interested in teaching? That sort of thing.
@lala and anyone else weighing their GPA/GRE against the expectations listed on the many websites, consider that in most cases, those are university guidelines and not program-specific.
Take me: I'm a new MFA at LSU (and loving it), accepted with a sub-3.0 undergrad GPA. Now, I wasn't in the room, so I don't know if that came up, if they considered by relatively decent GRE scores (660 verbal, 710 math), or if they weighed my really hard work on lots of literary and publishing projects in the five years since I'd graduated. I don't know.
What I do know is that they liked my sample, that's why I got in, and it's the university, not the program, marking me as a "provisional student." (I have to get a 3.0 my first semester to stay here.) Almost as a rule: if you like a program, go for it! Don't let GPA/GRE worries hold you back. (And I suggest you all give LSU a hard look - it's a wonderful, supportive, intelligent, hardworking program, with full funding and stipend!)
Hey all. First time posting this year; looks like it will be another busy season by the number of posts...
A few questions/thoughts/concerns:
Is anyone not anywhere close to being done with their writing sample? I hate getting down to the wire, but I just don't have anything worth submitting right now. What I'm working on is coming along nicely though; it'll be one long story (~25 pages) and it'll probably be the only thing I submit, which might limit my submission options, but my heart is set on one school anyway. Just wondering if anyone was in the same boat. I see a lot of people who have their samples ready to go or are a few revisions away from an application-ready sample, and this makes me nervous. Made me nervous last year too (this is my second year applying--first year there was one acceptance: CCA, and one waitlist: NYU).
Also, thoughts on submitting just one story? I'm putting a lot into this 25-pager, and I'm hoping that will be OK with the reviewers, especially if they see that it's my second year submitting and they waitlisted me the previous year!!!
If that didn't make it obvious, I'm really hoping I'll be re-locating to the East Village next Fall...
I'm not really sure where else I'll be applying this time around, but it's not going to be anymore than five or six schools, which is considerably less than the number I applied to last year (14). Anybody else distributing there eggs in fewer baskets this year? I just don't think I have the energy to do 10+ again...
Good luck everyone! I mostly lurked around here last season, but I'll try to be a more active poster this time around.
Mike
Hello everyone,
Reading through this blog has made me both excited and terrified! I'm posting my list below. I feel pretty good about it, a mixture of both long shots and maybe more realistic possibilities, but if anyone has any opinions about these schools, good or bad, please let me know.
My genre is Poetry:
Wisconsin
Alabama
Houston
Iowa
Massachuestss, Amherst
Georgia
San Diego State
Oregon State
Colorado
@Mike,
You're not alone. I'm still working on my writing sample (two shorts that I just finished a rough draft of last week). The writing sample is the most important part, it seems silly to even worry about anything else (which is what many comments on this blog are leading me to do!) I think I need to just filter some of this stuff out.
Not taking the GRE until Nov 20th either. And have a rough sketch of what my SOP will be like. Already have two professors who wrote me a rec last year and I'm meeting with them in the next two weeks. Last potential recommendor still hasn't gotten back to me. But it's important to keep in mind that:
1) Earliest Deadline isn't until Dec 1st (and there are only a few in Dec, most of which don't even require GRE)- things will happen, all in good time.
2) Writing Sample Writing Sample Writing Sample! (why even waste your time worrying about anything else?)
I definitely agree that the writing sample is the most important and that's what most of the attention should go towards.
Because this is my first time applying, I'm using pieces that are already finished, have been edited several times, and have been workshopped. They're all pieces I'm happy with and that I think are true to me. It also saves me the worry of having to churn out writing right now.
For those who do have work that they're happy with, I think this is a smart way to go.
@Blob
I agree with you that it's best to send in work that you've mulled over for quite some time. However, I feel that the work I had previously workshoped before I graduated is no where near the stuff I'm coming up with now. (I wasn't even planning to apply this round up until a few weeks ago).
I am very nervous that this work hasn't been reviewed and revised nearly as much as my other work. But my gut tells me to go with it. I'm planning to take a workshop at a writing center near me and get this stuff workshoped soon!
So, GRE scores shouldn't weigh into the admissions process toooo terribly heavily...right? I hope. I just got back from my test, and I'm a little disappointed about my scores :(
Sorry if I freaked anyone out with my previous post! I just happen to have three finished stories that I've been editing for months already, and I don't want to sit around twiddling my thumbs doing nothing.
Two of my programs also have Dec 1 deadlines (Minnesota and UMass) and I want my recommenders to have two full months to write their recs.
Still no third recommender, though. (I'm going down the list. Sigh.)
I have a question: I finally looked at UMass's TA application, and it requires a TON of things, one of which is a "short expository essay." Anyone have any idea of how short short is? Can a research paper work? I have a lot of longer papers from college that I could possibly trim.
Hello all! I'm a little freaked out that I may have ruined my chances at an MFA. I was in a low residency program, but had to withdraw for health reasons. Unfortunately, I withdrew late enough in the semester to receive an "F" (dun dun dun...). Should I even bother, because of that pesky "F," applying to a full residency MFA, even though I have decent GRE scores, what I have been told is a strong portfolio, and a fabulous undergrad record? Would explaining my situation a little in my SOP help? I so want to be in a full residency program now that I'm well and able...
Hi all,
First time poster here. Thanks for all your posts; it's so helpful and encouraging to know that we're all going through this process.
Here's my final list, for fiction:
UCSD
UC Irvine
Ohio State Columbus
UVA Charlottesville
UC Riverside
Brooklyn College
Hunter
UNLV
Renee and PDG - between transcripts, shipping costs, application fees, and GRE score reports, I will also be spending around $750 and four of the schools I'm applying to have waived their app fees :( bummer to blowing a whole lotta moolah XD
My biggest stumbling block right now is deciding which stories to send to which schools. I think the one thing that bothers me about workshopping is that I get better feedback with more traditional pieces and get the whole "I didn't get it" thing with a lot of my more experimental stories. I don't know how much of that is based on personal preference and how much is legitimate. I just read an awesome magical realist story and I could have said the same things about it that have been said about my stories. Basically, I'm frustrated because I don't want to send anything that's getting negative feedback, but I really like some of the stories that are getting "iffy" or even negative feedback. Double bummer.
@K
No school that likes your writing sample well enough to want to admit you is going to let that 'F' stop them, I don't think. Certainly it needs to be explained, and your SOP is a good place to do so. Any sort of explanatory letter from a professor or administrator in your old low-res program who can confirm the situation would likely be helpful as well -- whether it's part of a letter of rec, or just thrown in as justified by your special case. But the bottom line is, I think, programs want talent, and if you're the talent they want, they'll help you find a way in.
Chris
Driftless House
inkli,
that is indeed me. and thanks for the info regarding indiana and iowa!
Hi. I just graduated this summer with my B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing at 39. This was my 6th college, so I'm feeling the pinch of the official transcript requests. I'll be 40 in a couple of days, so I'd love to hear from other non-trad applicants. I'm excited and terrified about this whole process, but that sounds like everyone here. :)
Here's the list of schools I'm considering for poetry. I'm trying to narrow down to 12.
DEFINITE:
Texas-Michener
Cornell (joint MFA/PhD)
Indiana
Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
Washington U.
Wisconsin
Virginia Tech
STILL UNDECIDED:
Iowa
West Virginia
Michigan
Vanderbilt
Georgia College and State
Ohio State
Illinois UC
Wyoming
and anything else that catches my eye during the next few weeks....
I'm looking forward to stressing out with y'all over this process. :)
@Adam: I'd love to go to LSU. My Louisiana-born stepdad would also love it. Plus, it's in the same general region as where I am now. Also, we're GRE verbal score twins. You did way better than me on math, though.
Applying to schools is insanely expensive. My family is helping me out some, but dang, it's rough. If I'm ever rich (haha) I'm going to have to buy my mom a house or something. Or get her and my stepdad Saints tickets, at least-the good ones cost as much as a small mobile home.
After I took my GRE, I sent my scores to LSU, Texas State (love the location even if the funding isn't amazing), Southern Illinois and Minnesota. So I pretty much have to apply to those four now, or I've wasted a score report. Does it cost $23 for each additional school you send it to, or what?
hey everyone, in case you're applying to minnesota and haven't seen, the new application instructions (everything's online now!) are up:
http://english.cla.umn.edu/grad/applying.html
Here's an interesting article from the London Review of Books questioning the value of an MFA:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n18/elif-batuman/get-a-real-degree?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3218
I'm in the third(?) week of my PhD program now -- for those of you who don't remember me, I applied to one PhD in Creative Writing and one MFA program; didn't get into the MFA program -- struggling through a doctoral level survey of literary criticism. Just finished Jameson's The Political Unconscious. Derrida is up next.
I am also reading Charles Olson for another class.
I am not in a writing workshop this fall ... The one I wanted overlapped the class I really wanted to take with a professor who may retire soon, so I opted for that. I am writing more, though still without a group of readers. I am happy! though slammed with reading on top of working full time. Crazy, crazy. I've got to finish Plato's Timaeus today and get through some of Whitehead. I'm living on coffee. But I am getting the intellectual stimulation I wanted.
There are a bunch of people here who got MFAs first and then came to the PhD program, so the MFA, although it is billed as a terminal degree, doesn't seem to be unless you have some pretty serious books in hand when you're looking for jobs. Also, from the job openings I've seen and what I've heard here so far colleges and universities really want people who can teach a specialty in addition to writing.
Mind you, I am in my first semester of the program, so I don't know much. I have to go back to my reading.
Good luck to all of you who are starting this year's agony, or are back for more.
J.
How do you format a cover page for your portfolio?
One of the schools I'm applying to does not provide one, and when I called to ask if they wanted contact info on each poem, I was told to just do a cover page. Suggestions?
I have never posted here before, but I have a small SOP question. Maybe this was answered elsewhere and I didnt see it, but I was wondering if people were planning to tailor their staements to specific schools...for example, mentioning a specific faculty member you'd like to study with. I worry that this might seem like kissing up and turn them off, but I could also see how it might show them you've actually done your research. What do the rest of you think?
BTW, here's where I'll be applying in fiction:
Cornell
Brown
Iowa
New School
NYU
Emerson
UNC, Wilmington
Vanderbilt
@kira
I am planning (still need to start my first draft of my first attempt at a SOP)to include a couple sentences, maybe even a short paragraph specific to each school. I do not plan on mentioning any faculty. Although one of the schools I'm applying to, I'll have to double check which one, specifically suggested discussing faculty. But I think I will be pretty vague even in that case. I'd hate to rave about one faculty member, only to have another, who might like my work a lot, feel put off. And like you mentioned, I'd hate to come off as a kiss up.
My plan is to tailor my SOP to talk about aspects of that program that particularly appeal to me. For example, Alabama has a heavy teaching load and as someone who hopes to eventually teach, lots of TAing experience is a plus. UT on the other hand has no TAing, but their secondary focus genre really appeals to me. It'll take me a bit more time, but I figure it's worth a couple sentences here or there for each one.
@kira
I've heard different things concerning this, but when I discussed it with one of my profs a couple years ago I was told it's a good thing to mention the main fiction/poetry (genre you're in) professors in your SOP. Just a sentence like "I am excited at the opportunity to study under _____, _____, and _____." My experience was that it was pretty easy to figure out which profs were the leading profs in a program. And I think it is a good opening to tell schools why you're interested in their program (specifically) such as three years of study, interdisciplinary study, etc etc. But whatever you do don't mention funding as an interest hahaha.
And if a prof who isn't mentioned in your SOP is on the selection committee, big deal. As long as you're not going on a rant about how wonderful so and so professor is, it's not that big of a deal. Mainly you are showing that you have looked into the program and aren't just applying to a school blindly.
one more thing, some general advise to people writing their SOP that you may not know, it's probably not a good idea to talk about teaching unless you're specifically referring to a TAship you are applying for within a program. It's fine in that case, like to tell a program one reason you are interested in them is because you believe the TAship they offer is a good part of a balanced MFA experience and so forth, but don't say that a goal for wanting an MFA is so you can teach afterwords, because an MFA is an art degree, and wanting to teach is not a good reason to pursue one.
@kaybay
I'm in the same boat regarding an experimental story that I think is awesome but other people just don't seem to "get it." I can't decide if it will help me stand out among the other applicants or if all the negative reviews from my peers should dissuade me from submitting it at all.
Would you be interested in swapping stories? Maybe we can help each other out. My email is markcollins.md(at)gmail.com
I would love to swap stories/SOPs with anybody else out there who is interested, I'm unemployed and have a lot of time on my hands!
@Estrangette,
Glad to know I'm not the only one still working on the writing sample. I wrote two sentences last night...
Still a ways to go.
Re: GREs, you're right, a lot of schools don't seem to require them (way more than I remember) and even the ones that do, my experience was that as long as they had your writing sample by the deadline, then test scores, recs, transcripts, etc. were accepted if they were late.
@dopplegangster,
I've heard that advice too, and it makes perfect sense to me. On my SoP last year, I professed to have a serious interest in teaching after graduate school (like Nabokov lectures-on-literature type teaching) even though I didn't have any interest in it at all (unless my income required it). I just thought it sounded more realistic and might have been what they wanted to hear. I'm sure it wasn't the reason I was rejected from the schools I was rejected from, but it probably didn't help.
Dr. Collins - Sure! I'll send you an email when I get chance.
Dopplegangster - I sooooo love your screen name, it's not even funny... it makes me giggle every time!
@lala I hope you get in! It's such an exciting program. (Nothing like a 15-spot jump in the rankings to make you feel like you're part of something with momentum.) Rankings aside, I love my profs, my peers, all of it.
Applying IS expensive. I spent over $1000, and if I hadn't had a teaching job and a little parental help, I have no idea what would have happened. It helped that they were a little spaced out. (LSU, for example, is a later deadline.)
I wasted a score report when I opted out of applying to Minnesota (a program whose GPA requirement seemed more rigid and program-oriented than others, but that's based only on my reading of their website and not on fact), and yes I had to pay for every extra one - though I didn't send an official report to schools that didn't require it, just xeroxed my report and included it in my packet.
It's kind of weird - we're GRE twins, and I applied (or considered applying) to all of those schools. [Twilight Zone music] I hope that means LSU is in your future!
I contacted the Michener Center (Texas) today and inquired about the GPA requirement.
Practically every program seems to have this same response. The writing sample is everything. If you can produce work that makes it worth their trouble, they'll find a way to get you in the program, regardless of transcripts, GPA, GRE scores, etc.
But that's quite a hurdle. When these creative writing professors look at your work, it's like a cop who's walked the beat for twenty years and heard every excuse, every lie. Very, very little surprises them anymore.
But, if you want a shot at getting into a top-rate program, you have to do it.
@Jeff, I couldn't agree more. And despite it all... you never know.. you gotta try. I feel like this is American Idol and everyone thinks they can sing - and sing well at that. And then Simon's just waiting, sitting at the review table, ready to knock us down. Please ignore my random musing if you don't like the show (I don't even like it that much).
Anyways, got a question:
The general notion is that you shouldn't mention specific faculty at programs because it could offend a faculty member who was not mentioned (Nancy Rawlinson says something along these lines in her Poets & Writers article on how to write a SOP - and what not to do).
But what if you have a writer who's short story has significantly impacted your work and he happens to be among the faculty of a program you're applying. Is it ok to list him and his story as a source of inspiration on my general SOP (which I will be sending to every school)?
Kind of a strange question, but my brother-in-law attended a fairly prestigious MFA program in the 90s, and although he`s never been published, he credits the name recognition of the university with helping him get a teaching job at a small college in upstate New York.
Are either of these things appropriate to mention on an SOP?
Also, I`ve been wondering about this amorphous idea of prestige. It seems like it`s a major factor in many people`s decision, and pretty much everybody is applying to some combination of Iowa, Texas, and Michigan. Does that mean everybody`s first choice is one of these three schools? Or at the very least one from a list of ten or so schools? In which case would I be stupid to choose, say, Iowa State over Iowa for specifics of the program?
Thanks!
sorry for the posting delete rampage.
i wish this blog had an edit post feature.
here's my revised post:
@etrangette
I think I kind of touched on this already, but basically, the mentioning of a writer's story which had an impact on you, who just so happens to work for the school you're applying to would be the type of name-dropping Nancy Rawlinson (as you mentioned) and others are saying not to do. I actually don't think dropping any writers names is necessary in the SOP, unless it's something specific that school is asking for (I have seen that from at least one program).
I'm guessing you are well-read, and you can bet you are going to be required to read a lot of different stuff in grad school. By giving any short list of influences, it can make it seem like your scope is more limited than you might want to come across.
So I would recommend against it.
But again, just a simple sentence stating that you are excited to study under so&so, so&so, and so&so, is completely different. It's actually not saying anything about their writing at all, just that you are eager to have the opportunity to learn from them.
@DMC1985
I don't think that you should mention it, unless it somehow significantly relates to your writing, which it doesn't sound like it does.
@kaybay sounds like you have good taste in screen names :P
Hey guys! Does anyone understand the difference between the statement of purpose and the supplemental essay for Syracuse?
The statement of purpose asks you to "describe in about 500 words your main academic interests, why you wish to study for the degree you've chosen, why you wish to study at Syracuse University, how you expect to finance your studies, and your plans for the future after you receive your degree."
The supplemental essay says, "Briefly describe why you wish to study for the degree you've chosen and why you wish to study at Syracuse University. (Maximum of 320 characters. Use additional information page if more space is needed.)"
320 characters is shorter than this comment. Do they want the statement of purpose boiled down into a few sentences or something else entirely?
can anyone give me any insight into what the following cities are like?:
1)urbana & champaign, il
2) fort collins, co
[in terms of culture, size, age-range)
thanks!
Wow—other Eric has a very similar list to the one I had when I was applying last year. I applied to Brown, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Iowa, and NYU; I'm currently at NYU and tremendously happy with the program.
E
^ in poetry.
E
@ jsbn, where do you see that? On this page http://english.syr.edu/graduate/apply.htm it says nothing about a supplemental essay
@DMC1985
I do think prestige matters to a certain extent for some people. It does for me, even though I know it shouldn't really, particularly in this field. An old professor of mine, who has been very helpful through this process, doesn't seem to put much emphasis on prestige, and has encouraged me to apply to schools that are a 'good fit.'
Having said that, my first choice is Iowa. My second and third go back and forth between Michigan and UMass. Those are all fairly high ranked programs that come with a certain amount of prestige. However, that's not their only reason for being my top choices. Some not so prestigious programs are also very exciting and great options for me.
UVA, Cornell, Brown, and John Hopkins are all well ranked and regarded as prestigious programs and they are schools I actively do NOT want to attend for various reasons and am therefore not applying to. And though I am applying to Texas, it's not very high on my list.
Hope that answers some of your questions.
Just saw this article posted on the PW speakeasy board about U. New Mexico:
http://chronicle.com/article/In-Professor-Dominatrix/124369/
Beyond the scandal, it makes it seem like there is a less than stellar environment at the program right now. Anyone have any first hand experience that can talk about this a bit? I can't tell how much this is influencing student life there or if it's just a juicy news story.
@DMC1985,
Like Blob, prestige did play a factor in my final list, even though at least four of the schools on my list might not be considered traditionally "elite." It's NOT like I'm not going to do an MFA if I don't get into one of the elite schools on my list, but if I have to choose between an elite school and a less prestigious school, I'll probably choose the elite one. According to my current creative writing professor, a school's name can hold some currency down the line. Obviously Iowa, but even others like Cornell and NYU.
In case you're interested, here's my final list of school where I'll be applying in fiction.
Iowa
Cornell
Virginia
NYU
Johns Hopkins
Mississippi
LSU
Texas State
McNeese State
@Blob
Holy inappropriate behavior, Batman! Definitely not applying to New Mexico any time soon.
I have a new article up at The Huffington Post regarding creative writing MFA programs:
The Decline of the New York City MFA
If you like it, I hope you will re-post, re-tweet, share on Facebook, etcetera. Best of luck to all,
Cheers,
Seth
Renee, it's in the online application itself. They only ask for 320 characters (though they say you can attach additional pages) so it's probably not a big deal, but I was still a little confused.
(This question is on page 5 of the online app and they have a few other short response questions along those lines.)
Renee, it's in the online application itself. They only ask for 320 characters (though they say you can attach additional pages) so it's probably not a big deal, but I was still a little confused.
(This question is on page 5 of the online app and they have a few other short response questions along those lines.)
I recently talked to a friend of a friend who went to U. New Mexico, and he told me not to apply there. He dropped out of the program, and while he wasn't very vocal about his reasons, if he was there when that was going on, I can understand why...
On New York schools --
I love the article on New York City MFAs. New York is already one of the most financially draining cities in the U.S., and the programs there get away with murder in terms of funding. I lived in New York for three years and considered applying to MFAs around the city in order to prolong my stay, but, due to the poor funding of basically all of the programs, there are no NYC schools on my current wishlist -- such a shame, because the New York is a wonderful place for a writer, so vibrant and rich in story and character and poetry.
However, the appeal of NYC MFAs, other than being in New York, is in the higher acceptance rate (framed in the article as "low selectivity") of most programs. When I look at places with three open spots for fiction writers, I wonder if I should even bother spending the money to apply. And I disagree with the idea that low selectivity of NYC schools ultimately degrades quality of applicant pool: first of all, New York City's literary reputation is, I think, so unshakable that people will always be tempted to apply, funding or no funding; and second, and in my experience, New York attracts the fiercest, most driven, talented, passionate types of people, and therefore writers, from all around. Of course that's not a scientific statement. But not all true statements are scientific. My sense is that New York repels mediocrity.
Also, I have heard that the New York schools are at least improving in terms of funding. Specifically I heard a rumor from a well-connected instructor at a writing workshop that Brooklyn, NYU and Rutgers Newark have started to offer better funding packages in the last year or two. I didn't bother looking into the specifics, though, because I assumed that "better" probably meant something along the lines of "better than nothing."
I am very, very curious, though -- Why is the funding of every single NYC school unranked? Have they all refused to disclose information about financial aid? Are they in communal rebellion against the ranking system or something?
Hi Maia,
NYU has worked their butts off to better fund their students, but they'd still place somewhere between #75 and #85 nationally. The other schools are not so much "unranked" -- their placement nationally can be estimated, as the article says -- as that the funding rankings don't technically "rank" programs that fully fund fewer than 25% of students, as there's no point in it because such programs are, for all intents and purposes, unfunded (that said, I'm trying to find a way to recognize programs that are between 20% and 25% fully funded, but haven't lit on one yet -- even so, all NYC programs but NYU fall below that level, according to available data).
I appreciate your enthusiasm for NYC, but there's simply no evidence that applicants to NYC programs are more driven and more talented than other applicants -- in fact, the data rather suggests that they're likely less astute about how to use the internet to research programs, which isn't a good indication of their, er, personal resources. The selectivity issue really is just one of applicant-pool size -- the smaller the pool, the less accomplished the ultimately-selected cohort (all things being equal), unless there is some kind of proof, as there is not, that certain places attract better applicants as a rule. New York has dined out on theories of "exceptionalism" like the one you're espousing for decades -- the tourism folks in NYC are marketing geniuses. Unfortunately, the only thing we know is that NYC is more likely (re: MFAs) to attract either the very rich or the very reckless or the very poorly researched, which isn't to say they don't attract those who don't fit those categories also.
Cheers,
Seth
Re: NYC Schools
I currently live in NYC and while the costs of school are expensive and the cost of living is expensive. But not having to move would also save some costs and I can afford to pay tuition, though I would rather not get student loans, when I've managed to avoid them thus far. But I am not applying to any NYC schools for a number of reasons. Some are funding related, some are how the actual programs are run. I think the biggest draw to the NYC schools, NYU in particular, is the faculty. But as it's been said before, it's not clear how good they'll be as teachers. While I was an undergrad a pretty high profile poet joined the CW faculty. I was a fan of his work and was thrilled. And while I still got something out of his workshops, he was not a good teacher, clearly did not really want to teach, and most of the students really did not like him.
But I also wanted to talk a bit about the writing community in NYC. I know that's a big draw for a lot of NYC school applicants. But I think the marketing is deceptive. Yes, there are great reading series, lots of writers, and lots of circles. But that's part of the problem. The writing community in NYC is very sprawled out. It's made up of specific little pockets spread out throughout. It's hard to find your niche and your groove. When you do it can be great. But it's not as inclusive and connected as communities in other cities that I've experienced.
Just my two cents.
@ inkli__11
I got my undergrad in journalism at Colorado State in Ft. Collins and its a neat little town (about 150k people) with lots of independent beer breweries and easy access to outdoor activities. Its a lot like Boulder but without all the pretentiousness that is sometimes rampant at CU. I don't know much about the MFA program but the liberal arts department was very friendly while I was there.
Does anyone know about the Johns Hopkins MA in Writing program? It's part time and in DC (unlike the full-time, prestigious MFA program in Baltimore).
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks!
I totally second EGS' comment about NMSU. Kinda glad I never put them on my list :D Not that anyone's sexual stuff is any of my business, but wow, awk-ward...
I'm compiling my spreadsheet of vital info for each program, and I'm having problems finding the application fee for the University of Alabama's Graduate School.
Anyone?
@Jeff, the U Alabama application fee is $50.
Are people conflating all new mexico mfas or are the problems at UNM also occurring at NMSU?
@Gena,
I think some people are definitely confused. Just U. New Mexico as far as I know! It's also too bad, because it's a school I was really excited about applying to and now I'm not sure I should. I could have dealt with the scandal, but the divided and unhappy faculty, many of which are leaving or planning to leave, makes me very nervous. Sigh.
@Blob --
Definitely hear you. Both UNM and NMSU were on my longlist... so the difference is pretty important. And the UNM faculty troubles are a sort of bomb... How on earth are they supposed to pay attention to their students when they've got all this crap to deal with? For me, it's a dealbreaker... no UNM application. NMSU is still up there for me, though. Unless someone knows something I don't.
In fact, I'm usually decidedly anti-gossip, but if anyone else knows of any MFA-bureaucracy mine fields I need to watch out for, I'd be grateful.
If it's something you don't want to air out to a public sphere, I'm available at g [dot] scholastica @ gmail [dot] com.
Erin in Venezuela--A friend of mine is in the MA program at Hopkins. She likes it and says the other students' work is pretty amazing, but she also says it is a lot less rigorous than the semester she spent in an MFA program.
Thanks Jennifer!
Anybody want to swap poetry manuscripts or SOPs? Offer whatever insight we have, feelings about certain poems or whatever.
AndrewDPayton@gmail.com
If anyone has any questions about Cornell, feel free to ask.
If anyone is considering applying to Cornell, you should. It's an amazing program, and we are spoiled rotten with funding while getting magazine and teaching experience.
If anyone is planning on not applying to Cornell, you should strongly reconsider.
If you count the tuition fellowship along with the stipend, getting accepted to Cornell is like winning $150,000. Furthermore, the professors here are awesome.
Sam M.,
Thanks for sharing that information about Cornell. I was on the fence about applying and still feel that it's going to be a long shot with the low acceptance percentage, but am now thinking I might give it a shot. I've been looking for a 10th school to add to my list anyway, so maybe it will be Cornell. Or Cornell and maybe one other school.
And, if anyone is interested, the other 9 schools on my list (for fiction) are-
Arizona
Washington University/St.Louis
Iowa
Montana
Purdue
Illinois
Colorado State
Arkansas
Oregon
I took a look at the updated Michener page, and it shows that they had over 1100 applicants for 12 open slots. I'm not good at math, not even basic arithmetic, but isn't that like a 0.010% acceptance rate?
And how can they read all those portfolios? Do they press a button that jettisons all the applications belonging to people who have a SSN ending with an even number?
@The poster who just deleted his comment about Cornell - you took the words right out of my mouth. This isn't a dig at Sam because, hello, that's an amazing accomplishment. But, I don't think too many people here are going read that and go "hmm, what is Cornell thing that you speak of?" If there is someone unaware of Cornell's awesomeness, they're probably also surprised by the color of the sky, so they don't really count...
I've also made a pact of sorts to not apply to any school that I feel is a waste of time (except for Vanderbilt, but only because it's free). Michener, Cornell, UVA. Not worth it. I'll save my $75+ and apply to another school or pay my electric bill.
@Kaybay and the deleted poster
Cornell's ranking seems to slip every year, so I felt the need to advertise its benefits. I was just looking through these posts and noticed that Cornell is not on a lot of lists.
So if you're willing to "gamble" on some highly selective schools, I just think Cornell is a really good choice. I think it's comparable to Michener and yet it gets a fraction of the submissions.
That's all I'm saying. I'm just here to help anyone with questions about the program and try to boost my school at the same time. I didn't mean to rub anyone the wrong way.
So I'm putting together my packet for people who are recommending me. I'm just listing the schools in order of deadline. I'm putting the website of each school's program as well. Minnesota is giving me fits because their ApplyYourself system is down right now, sigh. And they require everything to be uploaded online.
They don't even want an official transcript. They want me to scan in an unofficial transcript and upload it, then if I get in, mail in something official. Lovely for them. Not so much for me. I'm probably going to have to pay for a transcript mailed to me, then find a way to scan it (no scanner). Anyone else having this problem?
I took some classes in high school for college credit, like 9 or 12 hours. I guess I need to get a transcript from that community college, too?
The more I do, the more I find that needs to be done. I was going to say it's like planning a wedding, except you spend a lot of money and effort and at the end the groom may or may not show up to the altar. And even if he does, his ring may not be big enough (funding).
OK, gonna get the info for a couple more schools, then play Sims 3. I'm weak.
I understand what kind of a workload the application process can be. But look at it this way, it's preparing you for the sleepless juggling act you'll have to pull off once you get into grad school.
Thanks for the info on Minnesota. I just struck them from my list as a result of their going 100% electronic. I swear, some of the these schools don't have a realistic view of the way our world functions. I guess they think every applicant is sitting at home with a brand new PC, printer, scanner, and modem hitched into high-speed Internet access. Like we're Mr. Sulu on the bridge of the Enterprise or something. Did it ever occur to them that certain international applicants might not even have electricity certain days of the week?
Lalaland:
Why on Earth would you pay to have one sent to you if they're fine with a scan of an unofficial one? Why not just figure out how to see your unofficial transcript (should be pretty easy -- always has been with any school I've been to), print that off and scan it? No need to spend extra cash and then wait for a shiny official one.
Hi all. I'm going through the schools I'm planning to applying to and have a couple of questions....
On IU's web application, they want to know "to which other Universities are you applying?" How should this be answered? I'm applying to at least 12 (maybe 15) programs. However, Indiana is one of my top choices. Will it work against me if I admit to applying to that many programs?
Also, on their application, there is a question of waiving your right to see your letters of recommendation. Is there any reason not to waive? Does it look better to waive? I know that my letters of recommendation will be excellent, so there is no need for me to see them, but I'm just curious.
Thanks for any advice!
Question regarding fiction portfolios: I have one short story that I'm planning on using... it's 14 pages and one trusted reader said it was her favorite thing of mine. Then I have a couple likely excerpts from a novel. Am I right in thinking that schools will not want to see two separate excerpts from the same novel? I'm struggling because I don't have a perfect 15-page excerpt from the novel that has a tidy story arc... anyone else wondering about this or have any answers?
After months of lurking, I finally have a question that merits a post.
Most of my applications this year will be for fiction, but I'm considering sending out a few nonfiction apps to diversify. However I've found the data on nonfiction programs to be scarce this year (for instance there is not even a consecutive ranking of nonfiction programs in the P&W top fifty). Does anyone know if Georgia College and State U really fell from #23 to being unranked this year? University of Colorado was #29 last year, and it too is now unranked for nonfic. I'm still interested in these programs because they have fairly good funding (for some reason, quality funding and nonfiction are a rare pairing in mfa programs), but I'd want to know if they've lost favor for specific reasons.
Dot,
If you read the methodology article for the rankings, you'll see that a decision was made this year not to designate any program ranked below 20th in nonfiction. That decision is explained in the article this way:
Due to the still relatively small number of nonfiction programs in the United States and abroad, only programs receiving top 20 placement in the genre have received a special notation in either the print or online editions of the rankings. No Honorable Mentions have been awarded, for the following reasons: (1) the relatively small number of votes for programs ranked beyond twentieth in the genre, all of which appeared on fewer than 10% of nonfiction applicants' application lists; (2) a bunching phenomenon in the nonfiction rankings, such that any presumptive Honorable Mention section of the nonfiction rankings (programs ranked between 21 and 25) would include nine programs, making the Honorable Mention section nearly half the size of the rankings proper; and (3) there would be little statistical distinction, that is, two votes or less, between the nine presumptive Honorable Mention programs and the six programs ranked behind them—a smaller disparity, out of a cohort of 101, than the three-vote difference between the top 50 and Honorable Mention sections in the 527-cohort full-residency rankings.
GCSU is "21st" in fiction this year, and Colorado is "25th," but the rankings dropped any designation after 20th because such designations are not probative. When we're talking about there being only around 50 nonfiction tracks in the country, rankings outside the top 20 really don't tell us much at all. So the answer is, no one "dropped" from the rankings, the rankings are just more selective about what accomplishments they acknowledge.
Hope this helps,
Seth
Thanks Seth!
My plan is to get my recommender packets out this week. One of my recommenders will be traveling a lot in November, so I'm trying to get it out to him as soon as possible.
But of course, in this last minute, I'm second guessing all my choices.
I still have New Mexico on my list, I can't figure out what the future is for them and whether I should apply or not.
I'm considering putting either Notre Dame or Purdue back on my list. But don't feel strongly towards one versus the other.
And I'm starting to hesitate about Michener Center (UTexas). Texas has appealed to me from the very start for numerous reasons. But odds of getting in are so slim. Plus, I'm starting to wonder if, as someone who does want to teach eventually, if going to a school that doesn't have TA opportunities might not be the best move. I think it's experience that would be beneficial for me and that I would enjoy. And if, it turns out I hate teaching, that would probably also be good to find out. I also worry that this might have a negative impact on my post-grad placement in a fellowship or job that is teaching related. (though I know mfa related jobs are hard to come by and I probably shouldn't even think that far ahead.) Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I'm also starting to consider Arizona or Irvine, perhaps to replace New Mexico? Though I hate to just keep stacking first tier schools to my list.
I wish I had a time machine to take me to march.
Sam N,
I'm one of the people who deleted their post about Cornell in response to your comment, and in truth I was a bit irked by what I consider a somewhat off-putting post on your part. After getting burned by them twice, it's difficult to imagine gambling with that program again. I'm glad you're thrilled with the school, but the vast majority here (even the fantastically talented writers among us) will barely get a cursory look. Personally, I am not willing to get beaten up by Cornell a third time.
It's been my dream school for the past three plus years, and I'm still recovering from the sting. I mean, like perhaps some others reading this post, I believe that I submitted some damn fine work in previous years that was polished and reworked with the guidance of some very fine mentors and readers.
Sorry if I come off somewhat bitter here, but people, Cornell excepts 4 for fiction! It's a friggin subjective lottery with no tangible indicators of what brings success. No, thank you. I'm not throwing away my money and emotional well being yet again. I think I'll hold onto the little shred of dignity and confidence that I can still muster up to keep plugging away at this writing life.
Blob,
Hear you man. A few months ago I started to have similar reservations about Texas and decided to take them off my list. I too would like to get some teaching experience, and I also don't like the fact you're forced to write in another genre. Not that it would hurt, it's just that I'm a poet and don't really want to be forced to write short stories or plays. It just doesn't seem like a good use of my time at this point. I've also heard Austin is expensive and so you're money doesn't go as far as you'd think. I don't know. I looked at the faculty, the requirements. It just didn't seem to be what I was looking for.
What I ended up doing actually is cutting my list down to seven schools, all of which I'd love to get into, if not for the faculty there, then for other reasons like funding or location.
Obviously this whole thing is subjective but these were my top seven dream schools for poetry.
Virginia
Indiana
Iowa WW
Houston
UMass
Minnesota
Vanderbilt
Iowa and Virginia were basically no brainers for me for a variety of reasons. Faculty had a lot to do with Houston and UMass--Nick Flynn and James Tate respectively--and both Indiana, Vanderbilt and Minnesota were programs I'd researched heavily and really liked what I found. Cornell and Johns Hopkins were contenders too, but I worried I wouldn't like the super-small size.
Russ,
I don't mean to say anything negative about my home-state program--and a program I'm very, very fond of--but you do need to take into account Jim's health (at UMass). I don't believe his capacities as a teacher are what they were before his health problems, and that's something I've heard from a number of students. He's not as much of a presence in the program as you would think, be warned. That said, Peter Gizzi is the best teacher I've ever had in poetry, and Amherst is in a wonderful area, and there's a lot of great stuff going on there poetry-wise. Just don't apply only because of Jim Tate, is what I'd say.
Cheers,
Seth
P.S. My two cents on Cornell, and I'll state it as simply as I can: It should be on every single applicant's list, as far as I'm concerned. Obviously that's just my two cents, but there it is. It's essentially a three-year, fully-funded Ivy in the top college town in America (or nearly that) according to AIER. And some students get a fourth year. The faculty, location, pedigree, student-to-faculty ratio--it's to die for. Plus you get both editing and teaching experience and have a large full-time faculty (major distinctions between Cornell and Texas, plus Cornell is just a much more significant name on one's CV than Texas). It should be, as I said, just about everyone's pie-in-the-sky target, if you're going to have one. I even think the aesthetic diversity among the faculty and students is worth crowing about. It's just about the perfect MFA program.
Hi guys,
I'm very nervous about something and I could really use advice.
I have two recommendations at the moment - one from a writing teacher, the other from an English professor.
There is one other writing processor who's teaching has really impacted my writing. She is the person I really want my third recommendation from. Except, so far it's been a struggle to even meet with her (let alone ask her to write me a recommendation). What should I do?
I know this recommendation would be very good, and specifically about my writing. If I were to ask another professor, they would only be able to speak of my academic accomplishments and not my creative writing. But I'm worried it's getting too late in the game to wait around and not ask someone to write me one now...
etrangette: Go with someone else. I learned the hard way that someone who doesn't want to find the time to meet with you will not write a good recommendation no matter how much they may like you.
I saw an ad for Full Sail University offering an on-line MFA in Creative Writing. Has anyone heard anything about this school? Is it worth looking at for an MFA?
Seth--
Would you mind posting a list of the schools that are not CGSR compliant? (Hope it's not a long one). I want to compare that list to the list of schools I'm considering, but haven't been able to find it...
Prospector,
Easier to go in the other direction--you should be able to find a PDF of the CGSR easily online, and it'll list all signatories.
S.
Does anyone know anything about funding quality at Notre Dame? The FAQ on its website claims that tuition is waived for all students, but the most recent P&W MFA rankings list it as being not fully funded. What's their deal?
Tried. Couldn't. Dammit.
My onlinesmanship sucks. I don't even know what CGSR means, to tell you the truth-- I just know that it has to do with programs giving you until April to make up your mind on where to go.
Anyway, I googled "mfa program CGSR" and "university CGSR" etc... no dice. Mostly got "do you mean csr - corporate social responsibility" as well as pro-mfa junk and anti-mfa junk-- enough to give me brain tumors.
May I ask what CGSR stands for?... Perhaps I should have started with that. Anyone...?
Prospector,
Go here, mate.
S.
Maia,
The definition of full funding involves not just a full tuition waiver but a minimum (cost of living adjusted) $8,000/year academic-year stipend. ND still only offers a few of these.
S.
P.S. I hope everyone will keep those application lists coming! We all appreciate seeing where others are applying/thinking of applying. --S.
Does anyone know what ETS is charging now to have your GRE scores transferred to a new school?
I know you get 3-4 "freebies" when you take the test. After that, you have to ante up the fees which were around $20-$35 last time I checked.
This is something to consider if you're applying to a school that requires GRE scores. You might want to tack that ETS GRE fee onto the application fee.
So, I just decided that I will be applying again this year. Last year I was waitlisted at NYU, Notre Dame and the New School and accepted at USF.
I couldn't go to USF because they started their program before I graduated (had to take summer school for the language requirement) so I deferred. This whole time, I've been planning to just stick with USF. The first go around of applying was difficult enough.
I am so nervous right now. The thought of going through this process again is crazy, but at least I'll have more information than when I started last time.
There are a few things I'm really freaked out about:
1) emailing my professors and asking for letters of rec. It was hard enough the first time and now I have the fear that after graduating, they've already forgotten all about me.
2) choosing the absolute list of schools I will be applying to. Last year, I winged it. I applied on the fly to a school recommended to me by a stranger and to a school that emailed me their pitch (was waitlisted at both), but I want to be more prepared this year.
3) deciding on my writing sample. I liked my sample from last year, and I still feel like it's one of my strongest pieces but I'm not sure what the protocol is with applying to the same places with the same sample.
I'm putting my faith into this blog again. I almost wasn't going to post this year because last year somebody replied "Ugh" when I said I was waitlisted at ND and that really soured me on this place. But whatever.
Hi Alyssa,
Are you applying for fiction, poetry, or CNF?
Answers/thoughts to some of your concerns:
1. I've been out of school for almost three years now. I was pretty sure all my professors would have forgotten about me. But, they didn't. Professors, as it turns out are used to this kind of thing. Even my brother, who had no good/strong relationships with professors was able to get 3 willing people to write recommendations for him, 3 years after he graduated.
2. No matter how close I get to what I think is a final list, I just can't nail it down. I've set the end of this week as my deadline. I think after doing a decent amount of research, we just have to force ourselves to commit!
3. I know a couple people re-applying this year after not getting in/attending last year. All of them are working on new samples. But I don't think you necessarily have to. If you're doing fiction, you could keep one short story from last time and add one new one. Or if you're doing poetry you can throw in a few new ones. It may not be the best idea to send the same stuff to the same schools, considering it's the bulk of your application.
Hopefully the blog this year will be a better experience for you. Though I can imagine things get really stressful come Feb/March.
@ Blob -
You aren't the only one trying to nail down your final list by the end of this week. I want to make sure that I give the people who will be recommending me plenty of time to write their letters, plus - I'm just driving myself crazy with all this indecision.
Good luck figuring it out! :)
Hey everyone,
If it hasn't been addressed already, I would love some help. I have two unrelated questions. The first is that if I were to apply today, I would apply for fiction. That being said, I think I might really enjoy non-fiction. Would it be a good idea for me to explore this on my own, or do programs allow for some double dipping? If I should look in to it now, any suggestions for where to start?
My second question deals with references. I graduated with my BA in Spanish Literature 4 years ago. I'm not sure any of my professors even remember me, let alone my writing. I figured I would send them a copy of an essay I wrote for their class and a little bit about our interaction (assuming they even agree to write me a recommendation) but I can't imagine it'll be particularly strong. I have a great relationship with an old boss but I did not write in any capacity for her. I guess I'm just looking for ideas on how to drum up some decent letters.
Thanks, and I've enjoyed following along for far!
I have had 4 final, definite, absolutely-will-not-change-no-matter-what lists so far ;)
Alyssa - I hope it wasn't me that said "ugh" to your Notre Dame wait list. If it was (I can't remember doing it, but I might have) it was probably because I was also wait listed there and wanted to be all by my lonesome on that list. It was likely said in jest. Most people on this blog are pretty cool, though, and wouldn't seriously be mad at someone's success. At least I would hope!
Blob and everyone else, I third the comment about list indecision. One thing that I'm contemplating is asking my letter-writers to write letters for schools I'm on the fence about anyway, just in case I end up actually applying there. Is that cruel, though?
I have a question about writing samples. Some schools (Indiana, Minnesota, and Michigan on my list) ask for somewhat longer writing samples. Last I checked Minnesota wanted 25 pages, which is 250% longer than most schools. I was wondering if it would be appropriate to put in a newer, rawer poem or two that really demonstrate the ideas and aesthetics I`ve been exploring recently, or should I just submit my best 25 pages of poetry?
Thanks!
Great Interview w/ Ben Percy (Faculty at Iowa State, author of Refresh, Refresh; The Wilding; Language of the Elk) and some insight into the Southern Illinois University - Carbondale MFA Program
Percy Interview
@DMC --
The advice I hear over and over is submit your best, submit your best, submit your best. If you feel your "best" is no longer representative of your work at all, then I'd say let the new poems breathe for a while and then revise and workshop them before you submit them. =)
@ K:
1. I have the same issue regarding fiction and non-fiction. I decided to go with a fiction specialization and take courses in non-fiction. check out my reasoning on my blog "ragsmfa[dot]blogspot[dot]com".
2. I'm getting a letter from a former supervisor at work. I'm using it to show my abilities and competence at completing graduate school. To recommend my writing, I have two instructors from an online writing class I'm taking.
I'd like to echo a question I think was unanswered earlier.
For schools like Indiana which ask you what other schools you are planning to apply to, what is the correct procedure?
Name nothing? All of them? A few?
@pdg
You can tell them. It's just part of the application procedure and not a trick question.
@Kaybay & Seth:
Sorry for the extreme delay... The reason why I'm not looking at other programs is location. I'm wavering on the California schools. I know I shouldn't let a location hinder future... but I'm in love with my city and just not ready to move yet. So Chicago schools for now.
My final list for fiction: (sorted by deadline)
1. Indiana U
2. MCW, U of Texas, Austin
3. Cornell
4. Washington U, St. Louis
5. Brown
6. U of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7. Syracuse
8. Iowa Writers' Workshop
9. U of Virginia, C'ville
10. Vanderbilt
11. Johns Hopkins
@kaybay
I thought about asking my professors for recommendations of those 'on the fence' schools. But I already feel like I'm asking them to do so much work with a list of 12-15 schools (eek!) that I'd hate to do that. Plus I have a lot of either ors on my list. Like, for example, I will probably either apply to UT-Austin or Cornell, but not both. And I will probably apply to U. New Mexico or Arizona. I just need to commit and then not look back!
@PDG
I think the other schools question is mostly for statistical purposes. I plan on filling it out, but maybe not listing all 14 something schools I end up applying to. I might list 6 or so. But I don't think it'll impact the decision on whether to accept you or not at all.
Hi Guys,
Applied to five nyc schools last year--i am one of those spoiled nyc-ers whom we all hate (my family is in nyc and i would prefer to not be away from them for three years)--and was waitlisted at Sarah Lawrence and The New School. I wish I had the balls to apply all over, which I was originally planning on doing, until it all started making me ill. So, I will probably just reapply where I applied, hoping that this time hunter and brooklyn college will give me the time of day. I was wondering what the protocol is when reapplying--should you mention that you already applied/ were waitlisted at other programs? Should you talk about the difference in your writing sample? Also, I desperately want to apply to NYU but desperately don't want to take the GRE (i literally failed math in college). NYU is the only school I would be applying to (unless I soon grow those balls to apply outside nyc) that requires the GRE. Has everyone already taken it? I. need. help. and. liquor. or. more. black. tea.
@kbtoys
I don't know the protocol for applying a second time. Someone else will have to pitch in there.
But I do think you should go ahead and take the GRE. I've been told by anyone and everyone that the scores don't really matter. But not taking it can really limit your list. I took mine about 2-3 weeks ago and did really terribly on all three sections. After the initial shame subsided, I went back and looked again at all the websites of the places I was applying and not a single one put any emphasis on the gre score. So you should just get it out of the way. Pick up a prep book or even look online (there's enough free stuff out there) to do a little math refresher. There is nothing more advanced than algebra on the gre. But not having a calculator can be a bit of a bummer.
Have you considered applying to schools close to NYC, but not actually in it? Cornell and Syracuse, while not that close are at least within the state and a few hours. The Boston area schools are also not bad, might give you a few options. Also, I don't know if it's included in your 5, but Queens College's MFA program was recently recommended to me as a good, but a little more under the radar option.
I also live in NYC, but unlike you, I think getting out of the city is exactly what my writing needs at this point.
Blob,
Thanks so much for that. I guess I'll sign up for that damn test then. It doesn't matter if we take the computer or the paper test right? It's all so confusing to me. All I remember from math is the screams inside my head. Bah, okay, ill do it! And by NYC, I meant my family lives in NJ. Cornell and Syracuse sound amazing, I am just so intimidated. And I think I will add Queens College to my list! Thanks again.
Also, where are you applying? I'm curious because for people who love new york city--me--it's hard to imagine loving one of these remote, quiet though probably charming towns... I spent three weeks in San Moritz Switzerland this summer and unlike Fitzgerald who was inspired within the silence and mountains, I binge ate. Yet, I would like to experience a town that has a large arts presence, a community feel, and that isn't as far as portland.
I have a question about recommendations and would love your input.
I have 2 recommendation writers on board: my writing teacher and current work supervisor. Trying to decide on the third.
Option one is to approach a former English professor. It's been 8 years since I've graduated. I've kept in touch very, very sporadically with this professor. I'm sure she remembers me, but she can't speak to my creative writing (I started writing fiction after graduating college), but maybe could write about my intelligence, contributions in class discussion, etc.?
Option two is to approach another professional contact. Again, wouldn't be able to speak to my creative writing, but could give a general recommendation about my work ethic, maturity etc. This person would "know" me better, as a person, as opposed to the professor who I haven't seen in 8 years.
My question it, is it better to ask the professor because she's in academia and has seen me in a classroom setting? Or is it better to ask the professional contact who has had more recent contact with me?
OK, doesn't look like anyone posted this yet. I can't wait to see what Seth says about this. The headline:
Columbia Writing Professor Sends World's Haughtiest Email to Former Students
http://gawker.com/5651154/columbia-writing-professor-sends-worlds-haughtiest-email-to-former-students
Please enjoy all:
And do consider coming to University of South Carolina. Everyone gets money and teaching experience. Now that the devil has left its much more enjoyable.
Sorry forgot the post
http://gawker.com/5651154/columbia-writing-professor-sends-worlds-haughtiest-email-to-former-students
Seth you might appreciate this one money wise.
Airships - sorry, you piqued my interest. What did you mean by "now that the devil has left it's a much more enjoyable experience"? I'm likely applying to USC, so I'm even more interested :)
Oh, nevermind, I just read the article. I'm assuming Hospital is the Devil ;)
Wow, I actually laughed out LOUD when I read this beauty: "Columbia's MFA is rigorous and competitive but students don't just have publication as a goal – they take that for granted, since about half the graduating class has a book published or a publishing contract in hand by graduation – so they have their sights set on Pulitzers."
Wait a minute, wait a minute, did she say that Columbia students publish frequently or infrequently, the email is too vague...
An active link to the article is here.
I'm surprised no one's pointed out the lies in this Columbia professor's e-mail. Columbia is a three-year program? Er, no. They accept 100 poets, novelists, and nonfiction writers per year? Er, wrong again--Columbia's own website last said that 80 are admitted per year, and Ben Marcus came on this very site to claim (falsely) that Columbia's own website was wrong and a lie and that in fact Columbia accepts many fewer than 80 people a year. Columbia's the largest MFA in the U.S.? No, wrong again. Half the graduating class each year has a publishing contract in hand or a book out by graduation? Nope, not true. I even question her recitation of the size of the faculty--lest anyone think Columbia has a better than 8:3 student-to-faculty ratio, keep in mind that most of those alleged "30+" faculty members are not full-time faculty. Columbia gets more than 600 applications per year? Again, I call party foul--I don't believe that to be true based on the historical application trends Columbia itself published on its website. (The TSE data overstates the Columbia applicant pool). Only 100 applicants are selected each year? They wish! Their terrible yield means that they have to accept closer to 125 or 150 per year just to fill a class. It's as competitive an environment as MIT? No, that's not what alumni who write me report--they say their classmates are largely pampered rich kids with minimal talent. Anyone wonder why she writes that 100 people matriculate per year (remember, she says that there are 300 in the program at any one time, and it's a "three-year program" she says, so clearly 100 must matriculate per year) but only 60 defend their theses? That's some fuzzy math right there. Need one go on? I'm sorry, but letters like these are the last gasp of a dying giant. The way for Columbia to turn their ship around--and I hope they do--is not to send out propaganda like this to what are, in so many respects, better programs (like USC) but to look to their own affairs in an honest and rigorously appraising way.
S.
Seth, tell us how you really feel ;)
Doesn't this whole thing get to the point where it just becomes comical? It's kind of like the segwey owner who died by falling off a cliff on while riding his seqway a la Gob Bluth. It's terrible and sad, but don't you snicker just a little bit?
Not that I laughed at that or anything. Ahem.
Trying to make a list, live in the Deep South and scared to freeze to death but willing to risk it (mostly). I want a program heavy on the writing and funded.
Any comments/suggestions appreciated.
the List
Pretty sure:
Univ. of Florida
Louisiana State
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Univ. Illinois-Urbana
Univ. Oregon
Univ. Minn
Bama
Bowling Green
Univ. Texas
Not so sure:
Cornell
Iowa
Jeeeeesch! Not that I was planning to apply to Columbia but boy....
The way she describes it makes it seem like all they care about is getting their students book deals. No thanks. Anyone here from South Carolina should thanking their lucky stars she's gone.
I was going to wait to post my list until later, but since I'm 99 % sure this is what it's going to look like here goes (and yes, I know there are probably too many long shots on here)!
University of Indiana
Cornell University
Brown University
University of Alabama
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of California, San Diego
University of Iowa
University of Memphis
Oh, and I'm applying in fiction for these schools but I might apply to a few in nonfiction is I have the $!
Today, I picked up my second batch of recommendations. What a relief! In my opinion, recommendations are the hardest part of the application process.
I honestly feel like I'm harassing people for these letters. Not to mention these professors are already busy in the middle of the school year because they're writing and teaching and reading, etc.
Once I net the final batch of letters, I'm kicking things up a couple gears. Soon, it will be address label time...
Hey Kaybay,
I remember you on here from last year in my own quest to figure out where I should head off to. University of South Carolina is an awesome program. We take about six to seven people a year out workshops are small and the professors are awesome. I will like to reiterate that everyone that gets accepted gets funding AND teaching experience with the opportunity to be teaching your own creative writing workshop in your third year. So your time here is pretty much free. We have an awesome lit mag with dedicated students running it. It's all a win-win, unlike Columbia, where you pay an arm and a leg for three years of the same thing.
Since, Janette has left, Elise Blackwell has become head of the program and is doing big things with it. She and our other lead fiction David Bajo just publish new novels this year with good reception and they are excellent workshop leaders.
I thank Seth for clearing things up. Ivy league does not mean awesome when it comes to creative writing programs. The top programs are at public schools (including the majority of SEC schools) located of all the horrible places in the world, in the south of the United States.
So if you are looking for another school to throw in the batch of applications try south carolina. If you get in, I have an extra room and you can come crash and visit and check it out.
Good Luck!
I actually found that letter from the Columbia professor concerning, not because I have any interest in going to Columbia, but because one of the virtues of a school like South Carolina to me is how the culture of Columbia, SC is distinctively different from, and (in my mind) disinterested in the pitfalls of the New York City literary world.
It never really crossed my mind until today that there might be professors at supposedly un-prestigious schools in supposedly horrendous locations just waiting to get their big break and move to NYC.
lol, thanks Airships. I'm 99% sure that I'll apply to USC, but hopefully I'll never have to crash on your couch ;)
@kbtoys
I'm applying to some sort of middle of nowhere places, such as Alabama, which is in Tuscaloosa. But also some really great smaller towns, like Madison, WI; Amherst, MA; and Ann Arbor, MI.
Austin is a fantastic city and so is Minneapolis (though I'm not applying to Minnesota). Both are artsy, fun, and have a lot of activity.
I love New York, but at this stage in my writing life, I think I'd benefit from going away and removing myself from all the distractions here. I also think that being in a place with a less scattered, broad, and hard to navigate literary scene/community will be good for me. I'll be back to NYC, I don't doubt that. But I'm also excited about leaving for awhile.
@Seth Abramson,
I'm sure I'm missing this somewhere, but can you direct me to the rankings for nonfiction MFAs? I read the methodology article on P&W, but for some reason, can't find the link to the nonfiction rankings. I'm sure I've just skipped over it...
Thanks!
Amy,
The nonfiction rankings are in the main rankings--there's a category called "nonfiction." The non-top-50 programs also are listed in nonfiction (see the non-top-50 rankings at www.pw.org) if they're ranked in the top 20 in that category. This year only the top 20 nonfiction programs were acknowledged, because there are many fewer nonfiction programs than poetry and fiction programs.
S.
So I sent out my emails to my possible recommenders today. I spent an hour sculpting the 10 sentence emails and was horrified once I pressed send. Now I just have to wait and hope they respond.
My next step is to decide exactly which schools I'm going to apply. I'm so directionless here. I really don't know where I'm going to end up applying. Last year I just applied to whichever schools I heard the people in my school talking about, plus a few recommended to me by my professors. But now I just don't know.
I'm just so nervous about this whole process. (Obviously.)
Hey again all,
Are any of you taking the GRE in November or should I just take it in October and hardly study for it? Does anyone know how long it takes for the scores to eventually reach the schools?
Hey, does anyone know if what the process for reapplying to Minnesota, U Mic, Syracuse, Indiana, Arizona State, or U Florida Gainesville - i.e. is it the entire application process again, or just a new sample?
Thanks-
Here's my very long list for fiction. I might even have the longest list of anyone on the board. I got stonewalled last year: one wait-list and then rejections down the line. My mistakes, looking back, were obvious and numerous. One of them was applying to too few schools. I won't be repeating that one.
And the list:
Iowa
Michigan
Texas
Oregon
Cornell
Minnesota
Houston
Arizona State
Johns Hopkins
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Southern Illinois
Washington (WA)
Columbia College Chicago
Texas State
Western Michigan
Temple
Northern Michigan
NEOMFA
Wichita State
This is ridiculously long, I am aware.
Just wanted to let people know that I called a bunch of schools yesterday that asked for 'ALL transcripts' to see whether they needed originals of my study abroad transcript. I didn't make it through my full list, but the 5 I did call, all said the same thing:
If the class names, credits, and grades are listed on your primary college's transcript you don't need to send an official transcript directly from your study abroad program/school. But if those details are missing you do need an official study abroad transcript.
If you studied abroad for more than one semester you need an official transcript from your study abroad program regardless of whether the information shows up on your main transcript.
Thought I'd pass along the news to others.
As a side note, the woman in the Michener Center office was so nice I wanted to jump through the phone and into her arms. It truly takes a patient person to work in an admissions office!
To anyone considering Boise State, I e-mailed the program director, Martin Corless-Smith, this afternoon to ask if they knew yet how many TAships they would be able to offer this year. Within minutes, I got a very nice response: The answer is 3 each in fiction and poetry, which Martin said is "not much, but it does give us a very strong tight group."
Since I also asked how many would be admitted, I believe that answers both of my questions. So small group, but I was really impressed with the quick and honest answer. They've moved up to probable from maybe on my list.
DigAPony and Jonathan, I believe, took part in this original convo. Thought some others might want to know, too. Deadline for BSU is Jan. 15, btw.
So, er, uh, like -- I thought I'd try to relieve some stress with some mostly-but-not-entirely off topic discush. (and I really want to hit 400 comments here).
When you write...total silence or do you rock out?
I can do either but usually like music playing. Though after 3 or 4 hours of writing, I could not tell you more than 2 songs that played during the frenzy.
Hannah - UF has not contacted me about reapplying, even though I've emailed twice and called both the receptionist in the creative writing program and in the English department. Harumph. Syracuse gave me a lovely response saying that they basically just reactivate the old application and keep all documents from last year, giving you the option to send anything new that you want to send. It's free to reapply, too. COOL!
Writer dude - I usually listen to music, since I'm distracted super easily. Sometimes I prefer silence, though.I think that the mood of a song can impact a story, for good or for bad. Sometimes I like to set the mood (woohoo ;0) ), sometimes I don't. I'll tell ya, those 3-4 hour "jam" sessions aren't coming to me lately :*( I'm struggling to put in an hour.
kbtoys:
I would spend your October/November time on your writing sample unless that's a done deal. Then, of course, you'll have some time to study in October before taking the GRE in November.
Everything is digital nowadays. If you take the GRE in November, your scores should arrive well before the December and January deadlines. But just to be safe call ETS and ask. Every time I've called they've been great about answering quickly and giving accurate info.
I have to have total silence when I write, which is why I'm avoiding MFA programs set in huge cities. Libraries are too loud for me, so I have to find places that are serene and not too densely populated.
400! woo hoo! This is Sparta (+100).
I sent out envelopes et al to my recommenders yesterday for the 2 hard-copy schools on my list - Indiana U and Iowa Writers' Workshop.
Today, I'm working on getting my transcripts. It's a long and expensive process :(
I like listening to western classical. This is because I'm a drummer and, if I listen to jazz or rock, I start air-drumming. Plus, listening to words trips me up when I'm writing words.
@kbtoys:
I think the ETS website says it takes 4-6 weeks for scores to reach schools. Or I think I read it on some school's website. I can't recall.
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