@Amy-- I'm exactly the opposite. Mad at schools that won't let my recomenders UPLOAD their letters, because, like you, I'm out of town. I'm left in the annoying situation of printing out forms, scanning them back in, and sending them to professors and asking them to fill them out. It's awkward and time consuming... if the professors had these available to them online... less struggle.
In other news-- Is anyone reapplying to Iowa or Alabama? I've been having a time getting the latter to answer me, and I feel like this was already answered for the former-- Do you have to resubmit applications to the graduate school, or just send in a new sample and SOP like some of the other schools?
So...when writing the SOP, how are you all titling it? Creatively? Or just "Statement of Purpose," etc? I hate titling and have a bad habit of throwing something generic on when writing something like this, but it occurred to me that I should perhaps put more thought into it than that...
@x interestingly enough, I think my diversity statement is much better than my SOP... sadly, I doubt they'll get that far if my SOP sucks. On the plus side, I'm planning on using aspects of my diversity statement for my Creative Autobiography for UCI.
Gena, I decided not to reapply to Alabama (and I'm happy with my decision because after a spectacular Iron Bowl, my loyalties are far too strong with my alma mater, Auburn, and I have a strong distaste for Bammers and their spanks-players of a coach, Nick Saban :P). BUT, Iowa allows you to reactivate your app and just send in a new sample and SOP. In fact, even the fee is waived. I had to email them to get the application reactivated, so if you're not getting a response from them, it might still be a problem :(
Thanks for the quick response. It's actually Bama that hasn't gotten to me-- I'll give them until Tuesday before I start calling. I'm sorry I won't be seeing you there, but given your previous comments, I believe we wouldn't be very good friends anyway. (Just kidding! I did about die during that Iron Bowl though. How did we let that lead slip through our fingers?!) I emailed Iowa, so hoping for good news.
Better news: Except for Bama, Iowa, and Maryland (forgot to take the last one to the post office... d'oh) and the Classics programs I'm applying to... I'M DONE.
11/14 sent! And 2/3 Recs in to everyone! The only problem being that my last recommender got to me today with the "...so what am I doing?" email. I sent her an email explaining said doings a good month+ ago. Ah well, I have faith in her.
@inkli-- I cheated and print screen-ed my unofficial transcripts into an image on paint, then put said picture in a word document, then converted to pdf. :).
Fellow UVA applicants: on the website, an official transcript is requested. On the online application, you may upload an unofficial transcript, but it says offers of admission are not binding until official transcripts are received. Are you sending official transcripts now, or waiting until they've accepted you? Most of my other schools allow unofficial transcripts until you're accepted, then require the official copy before being officially admitted. What to do, what to do?
@Gena - hehe... muahaha... MUAHAHAHA! *twists imagined mustache in evil manner*. I don't know how they came back but I went from utter devastation and hair-pulling to ecstatic jubilation, using the lord's name in vain on multiple occasions and putting sailors to shame with my profane verbosity to jumping up and down Chris Farley style. It was nothing short of miraculous, baby! *hghm* anyway...
Hopefully they get back to you, it's a little late in the game to be left in the dark like that. And hey, we'll just have to be friends at Iowa ;P
Oh, and Gena, I am super jealous of your progress. I'm going to send my OSU on the 1st, but it's still not quite where I want it to be (it's not bad, I'm just weary of sending it right now; it needs time). I won't be sending the others off until mid-month :S
@X, no, I think the requirement is the same, and I only began to question it when I saw on their site (versus the online application) that they require an official transcript. But all of them require an official transcript before admission, so I think UVA is the same and will be fine with unofficial for now...
Le Sigh. Oh, Bama. I'm just going to have to satisfy myself with being 40-34-1 :P. Or yes, we could be pals in Iowa, minus Thanksgiving. XD.
I think the only reason I got them out so early this time (it was last minute last year) is my newfound dislike for editing my sample. I've just seen it too many times. After this week, I'm not looking at it again until May. I'll work on new stuff until then.
Oh, and here was Rushdie on CNN-- Rushdie on what to tell new writers: It's very tough. You need real determination. It doesn't come easily. You have to have desire. If you have drive, you will find your way.
Also, electronic formats aren't the devil, and he's considering getting an iPad. Important stuff, you know. Oh, and novelists should read poetry so they don't become lazy with language. Fair enough, Rushdie, I agree.
I would send an official transcript, if I were you. I'm not applying to UVA, but from my 14 schools only one doesn't want an official transcript upfront. and that school, cornell, was VERY clear that they don't want an official one right now. All the others did.
Also, I love Rushdie. If you ever get a chance to listen in on a one of his talks be sure to take up the opportunity. He's a wonderful speaker.
I hear ya about not wanting to look at your sample. I'm like that with story #1, but I'm still in obsession-mode over story #2 and I just don't have the confidence in it that I do in story #1. Sigh. I'm giving it to someone for one final look; it's mostly the ending/dialogue towards the end that I want to fix. I'm sure I'm overreacting, but I just don't want to send my sample out prematurely.
Man, y'all might want to do a double check on deadlines. I just realized that I wrote South Carolina's deadline down wrong. I thought it was January 15, but it's December 15! Eek! It says that I have to have all materials in by that date, too *I'm nauseous, I'm nauseous*
Speaking of which, do any of you know how long its going to take the average app to make it to a program? I know it depends, but how long would it take for my materials to reach Columbia, SC from Florida? A week? I don't want to gamble. Should I overnight it when it's finished???
This is going to be my last question about Ohio State, I promise. :D
Is anybody going to purposely hold their application until Dec. 15, despite the fact that we now know their actual deadline is Dec. 1? I could send in my application by Wednesday, but I'd need to leave out a story that I was planning on sending to most of the rest of the schools to which I'm applying. The story in progress is going to be a good story, probably second best of the three I'm planning for my sample, but it's just not going to be 100 percent ready to go by Wednesday.
Is is a gamble to just hold the OSU application until the story is done? I imagine I'll be finished with it well before Dec. 15 (when I'd originally planned to apply to OSU), but I don't want my application to be considered "late." If that's the case, I'll just send my two completed stories (23 pages total, well within OSU's requirements) and meet the Dec. 1 deadline. But, arg, I really want to go to OSU, and I want to be able to send my best stuff! Dang them and their incorrect website!
Anyone have any suggestions? Are you guys struggling with this OSU deadline issue, too?
Amanda, I'm also a little concerned with the early deadline. I'm not quite in your situation because my story is basically done, but I want to wait until I get some more feedback on it and can let it sit (I really just finished it earlier this week). I think I'm just going to send it off by the first anyway, just to be sure. I would keep your eye on this blog to see if anyone gets a response back from them about extending the deadline. If you don't get anything by the 1st, I would say send what you got. It sucks, but you're really looking at a difference of being looked at or not. I'm sorry :*(
Thanks for the commiseration, haha. It does totally suck, especially since we're paying them $50 and somehow they expected us to know their deadline isn't really Dec. 15. But that's enough complaining about the subject from me. :)
I have to work early Monday, but if I get a second, I'll try to call OSU's offices to see whether we can get those extra couple of weeks. Barring any answer (which of course I'd share), you're right to suggest that we should probably just be safe and send stuff by the Dec. 1 deadline. Boo.
That said, anyone want to do a last-minute exchange of sample stories? Kaybay? :D
This won't assuage anyone's anxiety (I know the applicant mindset too well), but, for what it is worth, I want to point something out to those of you freaking out about the lack of communication you are currently experiencing with various schools: you guys know this is the end of the fall semester, right? The people who are going to read your apps are a tad busy at the moment, as is everyone else even remotely involved in handling your app. Nobody's reading anything until January, I can damn near garuantee it. Assuming you all hold at least a BA, I would have thought you'd figured that out about college bureaucracy. Take a deep breath, and proceed accordingly (and dilligently).
Kind of a strange question, but one of the applications I'm filling out asks for any additional information that is not included in the application that may be relevant. As it turns out, I'm moving to the city where the school is located in January, so obviously this is a factor in my decision whether or not to attend (if not theirs). Is this relevant?
@DMC, this is just my opinion and not based on any solid knowledge, but I would not include the fact that you're relocating. Any school that you apply to should assume that you'll be relocating if you don't already live nearby, and I would think mentioning that you're planning to relocate could possibly hurt you, since it might appear that you've chosen that school because you're relocating, and not that you'd relocate because you care enough about attending that school, if that makes sense.
Has anyone come across the ridiculous apps that ask "With what writers have you worked?"
I'm pissed about this question because, to me, it reeks of nepotism. Somebody who's worked with (X), (Y), and (Z) famous poet is by NO MEANS necessarily a better writer than someone (like me) who comes from a university that has no big-name writing faculty.
Part of this is because it's 1:04am, part of it is because I've been filling out apps for hours, and part of it is because I'm just so sick of the entire process, but I'm infuriated.
Lucas - I'm sure you had good intentions with writing that post, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. Most of the frustration that I have (and most of the posters here) comes from the programs emailed early on that don't respond or from websites displaying inaccurate information (i.e. deadlines!). With one program, I emailed in AUGUST about reapplying and didn't receive a response after three follow-up emails. I then called, left two messages. Nothing. I then called someone in the English department, not affiliated with CW, and felt bad enough for me to talk to the admin in the CW program for me. Then SHE (the English dpt. lady) emailed me back with the info I had asked for. I'm a busy gal, too, but I would never do that to a parent who emailed me(I'm a teacher), however busy I got or however inconvenient the email was.
Now, does that mean that said program sucks and that I shouldn't apply there? Absolutely not. But, it does send a bit of a red flag. What's going to happen when I have to actually matriculate? What about moving? Health insurance/assistantship info? That's when the pangs of bureaucracy are really felt.
It's not self-centered to say that we all have stuff to get done as well, that we have questions in of need answers, and that for many of us, it's the difference between applying and not, getting accepted or not. I'm not sure if I understand the point of your last post; were you being critical or were you sincerely trying to help? I'm not sure. I guess it really doesn't matter, but I thought I'd respond anyway :)
I haven't come across that question yet. But I haven't done Iowa's yet. I've come across one application so far, Flordia, that asks about your favorite authors and whether you've had any workshop experience. I've been hesitant to talk about which writers I've worked under in my SOP, etc. because I don't want to come off as a name-dropper. But now I'm wondering if I should have...
I'm finally starting to feel like my scattered pieces are coming together. I have a chunk of applications either done or almost done (just need to be mailed out). And then a chunk that I'm definitely waiting to do later on (Iowa, LSU, and UCI). I still need to send out GRE score reports since for some reason when I sent them out in September no one received them (more money wasted) and I still need to get recommendations in. I've gotten 2 out of 5 recommenders' letters in. Still waiting on the other 3, hoping they'll come in the next couple weeks!
oh also, for some reason, despite it being the first one due, I just can't seem to get UMass's application done. It's my only december 1st school, it's probably the closest I have to a first choice. and yet I just CAN'T do it.
I'm also starting to stress out about having to keep track of/making sure all my applications are actually complete. I've been getting links for places to check statuses. But I'm still starting to feel a bit frazzled having to coordinate, check up on so many schools in the next couple weeks!
I'm frustrated because it's one of my three top-choice programs that asks this (Syracuse). I wouldn't care so much if it was "Who have your instructors been?" or "What's your workshop experience been like?" I just get nervous that they'll favor applicants who have big names written in that space on the app.
Maybe I'm just paranoid.
But then again, why would they ask if it "doesn't matter" to them?
I'm overthinking every aspect of this process. I wonder if it's a better sign to have a super speedy, yet not quite so friendly response from program faculty, or to have a response that's slower, yet nicer. I can't help but wonder if this is indicative of the way the program will be...
Interesting. I emailed them once over the summer, then again earlier this month along with a follow-up phone-call.
None of my attempts at communication has received any sort of response.
Maybe they just don't like my email writing style or the sound of my voice. I had two very specific & easy-to-answer inquiries that weren't addressed on the website. Oh well. I feel irked enough at their lack of communication that I might decide not to apply.
Anyone know the right address to mail recs to for WashU if your recommenders are opting to do hard copy recs for that instead? I can't find one on the website for the MFA program..
Direct from the email I received from WUSTL re: the same question about recs:
"Your referees may send letters directly to me via email (attached as word doc) or to the following postal address. We do not require a cover sheet. All best, Kathy Schneider"
Washington University One Brookings Drive Campus Box 1122 --- Attn: K. Schneider St. Louis MO 63130
FWIW - Kathy is fantastic. I met her in March when I visited the campus (since I was in town for the Sigma Tau Delta conference - were any of you there?). She is really on top of things and is very, very nice. :)
Are you having difficulties actually completing the online applications, or are you having issues remembering if you've assembled and sent all the components (i.e. letters of recommendation and transcripts) that make up the application packages?
If you haven't done so already, make a checklist for every program. Time consuming, yes, but it will save you several headaches.
I made a checklist based around deadlines, from earliest to latest. This way, I don't feel the enormous crush of applying to so many schools.
I have both checklists for each school and a master spreadsheet. I'm not too worried about getting all the stuff taken care of on my end. BUT I am feeling overwhelmed about the process of checking the status of my applications and making sure everything arrives. I've already witnessed my GRE scores not arriving anywhere they were supposed to from the schools I picked to have my scores sent to when I took the test.
Having 14 schools makes me feel a little frazzled when it comes to making sure and double checking to make sure everything comes together. I SHOULD have faith. But there are so many pieces that are being sent by people other than me (transcripts, gre scores, rec letters) that I'm feeling a little EEKed out.
I'd just hate for an application to be rejected because it's not complete...
One thing, Blob, that might make you feel better is that NO ONE gets rejected because of a missing application item, no matter what the website says. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never heard of it. What ends up happening is if you made it into the "we might want you" pile and you're missing, say, a transcript, you'll be notified and will be allowed to re-send it.
Even if you don't get into the "good" pile, you might be notified early on of a missing item. Last year, UCF didn't get my GRE score and let me know about it via email. I gave her the confirmation # and she still couldn't find it anywhere. She then asked me to email her a copy of my score report from the website and they went off of that. Now, I was rejected by UCF, haha, but I don't think it had to do with that.
In other words, don't worry about the ancillary pieces of your application, they really don't matter even if they're missing. In fact, you really don't even need to be calling programs to ask if they've received your materials (apparently, that ticks them off a tad). You might want to just wait until you get an email. Hey, in some cases, missing transcripts meant waitlist/acceptance :D
Thanks, it's always nice to have reassurance. I wasn't planning on calling nay programs, don't worry, unless something was obviously missing. They have all those application status websites, but checking up on them seems overwhelming to be perfectly honest.
Michigan's website is pretty explicit about the fact that if recs are not in BY the deadline your application will not be processed... even though it's only one school that says something like that. It still makes me nervous about all the others!
And the fact that my GRE scores never arrived anywhere they were supposed to go the first time around also makes me very nervous, especially for schools like UMass that say you don't NEED your GRE score unless you want a shot at a TAship (which yes, I need). But I doubt they'd contact me if it was missing.
@blob - good point about UMass, I would contact them when you're finished :D
I'm also worried about Michigan and South Carolina, who have both said they need everything in BEFORE the deadline. AH! But, even with them, there's bound to be a misplaced letter and a computer error is bound to occur, through no fault of your own. They have to be understanding of that and, quite frankly, they don't want to lose talented writers because of something stupid. They should (and normally do) allow you to fix it.
On Illinois' website, with regards to GRE scores, it says "The scores must not be more than five years old and must be sent electronically to University. Only the General Test is required. Our institution code is 1836."
Can anyone clarify what "electronically" and "to university" mean.
So when ETS sends our GRE scores, are they wiring them electronically, or are they actually sticking them in an envelope and handing it to the mailman?
I always thought it was electronic because of the coding system used to designate which department gets the scores.
I was trying to be helpful. I agree with everything you say, and I'm also a teacher.
I was trying to make the point that it will be tough to get much attention from schools right now. I don't disagree that there are people who should, in fact, respond to queries...I just have a hard time believing that they will. They are dealing with current students (a full workload at present), and they aren't paid extra to do extra work, and emails from applicants are easy to ignore. I've seen this play out with many people (me, my brother, my wife, etc). It sucks that schools post inaccurate information, but the folks at the schools who should fix this are busy, and, while I agree that applicants are equally busy, that doesn't mean the university employees care. Whether or not a lack of caring is a red flag depends on the applicant...out of my jurisdiction, naturally.
I can see why that notion doesn't seem helpful. Thus, I should add that you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that schools don't reject people for missing app materials (beyond the sample, of course). The only oversight I made when applying was forgetting to send one TA application to one school. I freaked out and sent it late. It wasn't a big deal. I got in to that school as a TA (my only funded offer).
So, what the hell is my point? A. it should prove difficult to get much in the way of response from schools until after Christmas break. B. Applicants should do the best they can with what information is offered. If there is a contradiction with posted deadlines, and no one at the school will respond, the safest choice is to follow the earliest deadline, but it also makes sense to follow the latter deadline, for several reasons (the foremost being that an applicant could cite the contradiction as reason to accept the application), but that gets into speculation on my part which isn't helpful. Going by the early date is safest, but, as the school made the mistake, I would think the school would have to accept any materials sent by the latest posted date. C. As you've pointed out, these issues will likely not play much of a part in acceptance/rejection. A kick ass writing sample will. Stressing about other issues is wasting time.
If an applicant applies to a school and the school accepts ten people, and ten other applicants submit "better" writing samples, the former applicant is screwed (well, waitlists, etc., but you all get my point). As applicants, no one here can control what a school will like. They can only control how hard they work on the sample, making sure the first page grabs the reader by the short hairs, reading the entire work aloud, over and over, to ensure the voice/tone is consistent, punchy, etc., making sure the story reflects a character doing or deciding something, making sure a poem...does what ever a poem should do at this level (I'm not a poet), so on, and so on.
Folks, nine tenths of the advice you'll hear beyond what I just laid out above about writing samples doesn't matter. Even the damn SOPs don't matter if your writing sample is strong enough. It's your one great hope, and even if I'm wrong (and I'm not), it is the only component you can control (besides the SOP, which still only supplements the sample). Please act accordingly. I'm now going to butt out of this conversation, having nothing else to add.
I do wish you all the best of luck. I know how it feels. I can also tell you, in hindsight, that whatever happens will be the best thing. Other sorts of MFA's often have staggered applications cycles (actors one year, directors the next, etc.) In most cases, CW MFA programs take all genres every year. A year goes by fast. I love where I'm at but another year to polish would have been great as well. I wish I'd laughed more about the process...crying and pulling my hear did no good. It will all work out. The end.
I haven't been one of the people to complain about schools not responding, so I don't think your original post was aimed for me. Though I have, worried and stressed about plenty of other things. But I would like to mention that a lot of programs and schools have administrative staff that field these questions. It IS their job. It's not like faculty members are having to deal with this amongst everything else and it's not really part of their job description. For a lot of support staff, admissions folk, this IS part of their job description.
The other thing is, while everything you've said makes sense and is valid and I don't think anyone here is really disagreeing, when you make statements like 'act accordingly' it's easy to rub a lot of already nervous people the wrong way. Yes, in retrospect we'll all wish we relaxed. And yes, we all know there's nothing really we can do to make ourselves great applicants if we're not great writers. But we're nervous, we're excited, we want this badly. No one should really expect us to feel differently. It sounds like you've been there and done that. And honestly, we'd probably all love to hear your advice and hear about how the process went for you. But if you make us feel ridiculous for being nervous and tense, it only makes us (or at least me) feel worse.
Has anyone sent in the Cornell app yet? (or any entirely online apps?) If we have two stories in our sample, are we supposed to upload both in the same file, one after the other? Or is there a way to upload two files?
OK, I'm starting to stress about my LORs for the Dec 1 schools.
One of my letter-writers had said he was going to do all the letters two weekends ago, but I haven't heard from him since, and from the status pages it looks like he did NOT do any of the letters. Should I email him again?
Another of my letter-writers got all of them done, or so I thought, except UMass' status page is not showing that her letter was submitted. It IS showing that another one was submitted... just not hers. I emailed her about this last week and haven't heard back. In the same email, I let her know that OSU's deadline was actually Dec 1, and asked her to send in the letter for them sooner. Didn't hear back on either front. Should I write again?
I really hate to feel like I'm nagging them, but Dec 1 is the day after tomorrow, and one of these schools is high on my list! What to do, folks?
I would wait. UMass doesn't even send out rec requests until the full online application is submitted, which means they are obviously ok with recommendations coming in at least a week or two after the deadline. OSU's deadline mix-up also likely means they're ok with letters coming in a bit late. Plus, in general the rule is that GRE scores, transcripts, and LORs can come in a bit late without hurting the applicant. The except is schools that make it explicitly clear otherwise, Michigan for example.
But, I would wait until the end of the week or early next week to remind them again if they still haven't turned things in. Last week just might have ended up a wash because of thanksgiving, so at least give them most of this week to get it done.
Having said that, it also sort of depends on your relationship with them. I have one recommender that I have a more casual relationship with. I feel more comfortable nagging him than my other recommenders. So if you are on a pretty casual basis with them and are really freaking out, you're probably ok nagging a big.
Honestly, I would be wary of programs that never respond to applicants' questions. Should you expect a response within an hour of emailing? No. But getting nothing after over a month is ridiculous, especially if you email multiple times. People are hired to respond to such questions, and if a program wants applicants, they will try to be as helpful as possible. A program that ignores its applicants is a program that is most likely underfunded, unorganized, and probably frustrating to work with from beginning to end. All of the programs I've emailed with questions have gotten back to me within 24 hours.
Now, you also don't want to be that person who calls and calls and then emails 10 times over within a few days. (I work at a med school, I know who you people are!). But sending a polite email with the expectation of a timely response is far from a ridiculous request.
I'll just put my good experience with responses in and say that Syracuse has been excellent. I e-mailed a professor (on Sunday, nonetheless) who responded to me within two hours, and directed me to the head of the department, who also responded quickly and nicely. This morning, I've been corresponding with the Graduate Studies Coordinator, who is extremely kind and helpful. Good signs, I think, for any of us applying to Syr! :)
You are correct on all counts, and I didn't mean to rub anyone the wrong way. Of course this is important, and my only motive was to tell people that things will work out, that this process has a fun side too. All the same, it is scary. I didn't mean to be didactic or self-important, and my apologies for coming off that way.
I'll add that a person couldn't be more nervous than I was, and, thus, no one should feel bad. Applying did more for my writing than anything I'd done before it, so there's that, however this plays out. I commend you guys for your guts, and I'll shut the hell up.
I have one 16-pg story (Plum) that I love and am applying with to 4/7 schools that will allow me to submit less than 30 pgs.
UT Austin, however, wants 30.
I have another 17-pg story that is polished but not nearly as bold as Plum that I could submit along with...
Or I have another 28-pg story kicking around that IS bold and awesome, but in a state of heavy revision/I don't really know where it's going lol.
With the Dec 15th deadline looming, would it be better to submit Plum, my ace-in-the-hole story, along with another lesser story that might drag it down, or take a risk and try and polish the 28-pger as much as possible and submit that?
These page stipulations are being a pain in my ass. To me it feels like the MFA programs saying, "We'll only accept you if you're between 5'2'' and 5'8''."
Heard back from Ohio State. Kelli Fickle, their English (MFA) Academic Program Coordinator. Here's a copy of her e-mail, verbatim:
Thank you for your message. We will accept materials after the December 1, 2010 deadline. We are not in local control of our website and the contents on the web page and we have a request out to the web team asking them to update our site.
Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions. For future reference, please inquire with the OSU Creative Writing Program for the best and first hand information regarding the OSU MFA application process and not an MFA blog. My contact information is listed below and I look forward to hearing from you and others regarding any additional concerns.
do most programs do fee waivers based on need? i got all my fees waived when i applied to undergrad because me and my family are, uh, not well off, like at all.
i just looked at u. michigan's site and they only do waivers if you're a US citizen or resident (which i'm not - i'm a UK citizen) or if you're a member of a specific institution they have affiliations with.
Just another note about OSU. I called them today, and the deadline is definitely Dec. 1st even though the MFA website says Dec. 15. So I guess I will be overnighting all of my materials today. Another 50 dollars down the MFA tube . . .
That's rough! What did you ask Colorado? Maybe it was the same thing I asked them.
@everyone else
Maybe I'm selfish but I believe in replying to prospective student inquiries and I do think it reflects on the school. I'm not saying they have to get back to me within the hour but if I've emailed a school 3 times over the course of 3 months then come on, that's pushing it.
writing sample:
I'm still interested in writing sample exchanges. Lemme knoooow.
You may not want to do that. Fifty bucks is a lot of money--to me anyway.
The individual I'm corresponding with sounds like she's the one who actually accepts the application packages, and she said they'll take them after December 1st.
Don't throw your money away. I'm sending mine later this month; it should arrive at OSU on December 13th or 14th. If they wanted it earlier, they should have put the correct deadline on their web site.
Alabama needs one official transcript sent to the graduate school (not the department) and one unofficial for the web application.
Another Bama question that I've asked before but I'll repeat: has anyone completed the online application for them yet? I'm having a bit of a hard time with the SOP situation. The website explicitly says that the SOP should uploaded onto the online application. But I can't find ANYWHERE on the online application for an SOP. I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if there's misinformation. Anyone been through this?
Oh, I'm definitely trying to have some fun with the process. I actually had a blast doing Umass's TA application. But I have a weird paper correcting fetish.
I've also applied for a volunteer position here in NYC that should report back to me around the time schools do. It's a coincidence since they just opened applications again after 6 months. But hopefully at least that will come back positively!
I believe you want to finish the application and submit payment and all that and then there is a separate link for "Supplemental Forms" that will allow you to upload the SOP.
It is on the Bama Grad School Apply page...there is a big red "Begin Online Application Now" button and below that is a black "Submit Other Required Documents"
http://graduate.ua.edu/application/index.html
Make sure you follow the formatting instructions (you need your bama ap ID on the top of each page) and that everything is still formatted correctly. You cannot change or edit anything after you upload it.
While reformatting it I accidentally changed my perfectly 2-page SOP into 2 pages and one sentence on a third page...didn't notice and uploaded it lol.
Also, for bama...the SOP and writing sample gets mailed to the CW program too.
I'd be willing to exchange for some last minute feedback each way. I don't think it's incredibly important, but I'm fiction. Email me @ homerun31sr@gmail.com
Thanks! Huge help. I hadn't noticed that supplemental link and had held off on paying and submitting my online application in fear that I was missing something.
I have my hard copies ready. Do the hard copies need the ID # as well? Not a big deal if they do, I'll just have to re-print.
I'd be happy to read your work if you'd like. I'm done with my sample, so it won't be an exchange. But I love reading and commenting. I am a poet, but I do have some experience in fiction workshops as well.
I'm a repeat MFA draft member and every time I get stressed out I come on here and lurk in all of you lovely peoples' conversations, and I remember how good it feels to be in this (especially the part where I can be actively doing something! I don't remember fondly the long months of waiting. And waiting.).
Just wanted to let you all know you're appreciated!
It doesn't say that anywhere from where I read...so I don't think it's important. I wouldn't re-print them...but that's just me.
@ Fiction Writers
I am willing to read some stories...but don't expect anything life changing. Just ol' fashioned honest feedback...at this point in the game, sweeping changes would be hard to do anyhow. You don't even have to read mine unless you want to (I am JUST about to send em off so I probably won't make many changes)
Ugh, I just sent my first sample out and have that feeling like I either mailed it to the wrong place, included the wrong SOP, or, you know, accidentally placed a sock in there or something. I hate being neurotic :(
I'm still waiting on letters, which is a little nerve-wracking, but I'm pretty sure my writing sample is finished (I might be tweaking the ending of one story for other schools). Everything else is done, I just need to compile and ship. Easier said than done. I'm sending my letters in late if I don't get them, so I'm trying to send everything else in on time.
I'm starting to feel the crunch! I'm hoping it's short-lived...
On a fairly non-MFA-related note, I have to brag for a second. My boyfriend just found out he got nominated for a Pushcart, and I have to share my excitement with people who actually KNOW what a Pushcart IS! :D
I know the feeling. But CONGRATS on getting things done and out the door. I sent off 7 out of 14 this past week. And definitely felt like I was sending god knows what where. But I also feel relieved!
I also just got another recommender in. So, now I have a majority in. Just waiting for two more!
blerggggg i am working on trying to scramble and get my umass/ohio state apps out tomorrow. how did you guys who were in the draft last year do it again? maybe it's that i'm still in school but i'm kind of losing my mind!
i just keep telling myself that i've gotta get these two out and the rest will be way easier. and i'll be 1/4 done!
i think my GRE writing score is probably in but oh my word i am remembering how slipshod my essays were and i kind of don't want to look. D:
Okay, VA Tech is pissing me off. Their English department website says to send letters of recommendation online, yet when you go to the "Apply Now" page to get to the application, it has a downloadable/printable .pdf form for recommenders to fill out and then send back to the department.
WTF.
AND I e-mailed them almost a week ago with no response.
just wanted to pop in and say STAY STRONG and YOU CAN DO IT!!! I remember this time last year I was a total mess trying to get everything together -- and now just a year later I am finishing up my first term, and I feel like my poetry has already improved leaps and bounds. I'm so, so happy to be living a life that involves so much writing and that lets me be surrounded by other writers. The application process does suck, but it's SO worth it. You can do it!
the P&W forum doesn't seem to be nearly as active as this blog this year.
@katie oh welcome to the club of people who are not happy with their GRE scores. Luckily, i've convinced myself it doesn't matter.
I'm feeling good about my progress and the amount of work I have left. Only FSU, UCI, LSU, and Iowa need any real substantive work done. There are a couple more that need to be mailed or need documents uploaded, etc. Now my only remaining fear in terms of getting apps in is LORs, oh and getting in another paycheck so I can send out my GRE scores.
You know when you email someone and they open the word doc and they can still see the spelling and grammar suggestion squiggles-- How can I make this not be seen when I submit my sample online to schools?
gummy bear sacrifice: I asked them two questions: 1) If I am reapplying, do they hold any of my materials from last year's application. 2) Will they accept hard copies of letters of recommendation.
I would be happy to trade samples. Fiction or poetry?
anotherjenny: may i read your "plum" story??
major catastrophe: minnesota's online application has been incredibly slow and full of glitches all day, most likely because others are scrambling to complete their applications last-minute like me. unfortunately, i can't even access my application right now. i just get a "service unavailable" page. too bad, because minnesota in my #1 choice. hopefully the site will fix itself soon.
Most online applications (including Cornell) have you submit only ONE file for your writing sample. I just put my three stories together in order in one PDF (a good tool for doing this is PDF reDirect) and uploaded the single PDF.
I finally have my list of poems narrowed down to twenty. (I'm really hoping that no one wants more than that.) They are all edited as much I am able (without overediting/butchering them, I hope). Now I just need to figure out which I think are best/most representative/etc.
Still waiting on a couple of things (recommendations from one person, but she's been working on them yesterday and today) and transcripts from one school (I've got all the rest).
Now, if I can just nail down the statement of purpose/teaching statement, things will be even better.
So glad that I have my students doing presentations until the end of the semester!
@Katie Oh and Loren, I'll join you both with a frosty brown ale!
At this point, I'm done with UMass, Minnesota, Ohio State, Mills, and Brown. Texas and Wisconsin are enveloped and going in tomorrow's mail.
And a "funny" story- I accidentally sent Ohio State's with a signature required, and the post office tried to deliver it on the 26th, when I'm sure the office was closed. Well, when I discovered all of this online via tracking, I called the post office, proceeded to cry when I learned what would be required of OSU in order to schedule redelivery (something involving a light peach form and photo ID- FML). At that point, the post office employee felt so bad for me she got permission from her supervisor to just freakin' schedule a redelivery for tomorrow, right then and there. Phew. I didn't mean to cry, it just happened. We writers, we haz feelings, you know? Pssh. Weak moment.
So, *lifting a glass* as I know all of you have been through similar travails. Keep on keepin' on!
@ Blob I'm not an expert by any means, so these are opinions, but I am hoping they will help.
I feel like your statement of purpose isn't a huge deal, as far as being "memorable." Your writing sample needs to be memorable, awesome, all that stuff. I feel like your SOP needs to not hurt your chances, really present who you are, etc. And if they don't like that you're a person who genuinely has a lot to say about his past and future, enh, whatever. You presented your best self in your sample and your SOP.
I don't know about reapplying but their website says that the recommendations "must" be submitted online. I know that's why I was flipping out about the recommender link, I think that's crazy! I'll exchange samples with you if you like.
I also want to add to the sent Ohio State applications (thank God). I'm hoping to get my third and final set of letters back (double thank God), so I had to send everything except my letters, which I'll hopefully be able to do tomorrow. Once I get my letters in, everything will go by really quickly. It feels SO freaking awesome to fill in a spreadsheet cell with green, marking D-O-N-E! I only have like thirty more cells to fill :D
On a side note, I love me some Charlie Brown Christmas. Gets me every time :*). Happy Holidays, everyone!
if you've sent in all the app parts and the program website still shows some things not received, how much do you bug them, if at all? is it better to sit back and trust they'll get everything matched up? or bug them (with the hundreds of other people who are doing the same thing)?
my question is specifically re gre scores. I had them sent directly from the test (in sept). some schools aren't showing them associated with the app yet, while others are. (and don't ask how I did on the gre. it is prob better that the schools never find the scores...)
CV updated! AND! I think that I finally have a decent statement of purpose. I was beginning to despair of ever saying that. I've managed to do the evil 350 Michener one, and now I just need to adapt that one for the others.
I'm inspired by everyone who is going at it and getting these applications in, so thanks for that! :)
Has anyone contacted Alabama about having letters of recommendation coming separately, rather than included in the packet with the other application materials? All of my recommenders would rather just send them off themselves.
Hi everyone! It's so nice to read all the comments and realize everyone is freaking out and nitpicking as much as I am. My eyes are actually twitching from the amount of time I've spent staring at these school websites. I was wondering, a few of you mention your GRE scores not making it to the schools. How did you find out they weren't received? Did you contact the school to check? Mine all appear as "sent" on ETS website but it sounds like that's no guarantee.
I'd love to swap writing samples with anyone who is interested. I'm not sure I'd change much at this point on mine, but it would be great to read other people's submissions, and I'd be happy to comment on them if you like.
I would still give them a few days to match things up. If even one school received scores from your order, chances are the others did too. But I'm having problems with my september reports as well.
I did call several schools, about it a couple weeks ago and all of them said that if GRE scores come in a bit late it was no big deal and that the deadlines were 'soft deadlines' for things like transcripts, gre scores, and SORs, especially since GRE scores didn't matter THAT much.
i'd be interested in swapping writing samples! like you, i don't plan on changing much, but i am curious to see other applicants writing. the process feels so lonely, it would be fun to share!
Hyperbole and a half is one of the greatest thing on these here interwebs.
So to all of my stressed fellow applicants.. Here, take a break for a minute or two. You'll like it alot, promise. Who else can I share grammar humor with?
@gummy bear and others that want another pair of eyes on their sample:
my emaail is fatimazahmed(at)gmail(.)com
@loren I love that blog and LOVE that post. I've gotten in the habit of writing 'alot' on purpose when writing to my friends just so we can all conjure up images of that lovable beast. I hope it doesn't become a permanent habit...
@Loren, thanks for posting that link...when I saw you say "alot" I totally started judging you...then I read the blog and it made my life better. For real.
Hyperbole and a Half is the number one thing getting me through this process. I laugh so hard I cry at most posts.
I'm actually feeling like 100x more motivated after submitting the first two applications! I think I'm going to try to fill out most of the other schools' online forms this afternoon. Though I really should be working on my sample... Ugh. My second sample story will be the death of me. :[
Indiana asks for "a portfolio of creative work (at least thirty pages of fiction, or twenty pages poetry)."
Does that mean also AT LEAST twenty pages of poetry? Or would I be OK submitting fifteen? I could probably round up five more decent ones, but the fifteen I've already got in a cohesive order, etc., and am wondering if they'd be miffed if I only sent that.
I don't know about indiana specifically. But Michigan asks for 15 and i'm sending 12. I think schools are generally ok with a bit under, as long as it's not ridiculous.
So...I kinda took the GRE, and when I my scores came up--I looked at them, but I was burnt out and continued on and it wouldn't let me go back (to my dismay) because nowhere did it show my test scores again. I have to wait now. The universe hates me.How long until you all got your scores? Do you really have to wait 10-15 days? What about calling for your scores?
I know there was some back and forth earlier in regards to their online system when it came to TA applications and whether they were needed/existed or not.
I submitted their online application last week and since then two of my recommenders have submitted their LORs. I know because they emailed me to tell me so and because Oregon's system emailed me to tell me so. BUT when I look at the 'check your status' link they sent me it says that neither have been received and that my writing sample and SOP haven't been received either (even though they were part of the online submission...). Is there somewhere else I should be looking?? Or does their system just not make sense?
@Blob- thanks. I also just found this in Indiana's FAQ:
--If my writing sample is a couple of pages short of the stipulated 30 pages for fiction and 20 pages of poetry, will my application be disqualified?
We will most likely ignore it if your sample is only a page or two short, but in general we like our applicants to stick to the page length we require.
Well there you go. 20 pages of poetry is an awful lot.
I like schools that give a wide range like 10-20, that way it gives applicants some freedom to put together their best sample as a fairly edited down manuscript or submit a lot of work.
In other news I officially have two favorite applications thus far:
Cornell because it's about as basic and user friendly of an online form as you can get. Everything is online, it's clear what goes where, you can skips sections, they don't ask too many crazy questions etc.
UF because it's only $30 and they don't even want an SOP, woohoo, and they only need two LORs. Talk about easy peasy.
And my favorite program in terms of communication is UT. I haven't contacted a lot. But the woman who I spoke to twice at UT was just so, so exceptionally friendly.
Is it a bad idea to send everything requiring a signature? What's the best method to use for USPS. I'm assuming you can still track it without it having to be signed?
One complication is that the postal service delivers on Saturdays, during which most campus buildings aren't open and wouldn't have someone to sign for it. That's what happened in my case. The world of leaving notices and scheduling re-delivery is a complicated one. That said, if you said it on, say, a Monday by overnight or 2-day, it SHOULD be fine if you want to require a signature.
You can absolutely still track it without requiring a signature, and that's what I'll be doing for the rest of mine.
Five of nine apps are in the mail, and damn, it feels good. I see what you guys are saying. Good luck to everyone as we finish out!
So, question: What are all your approaches to fonts and sizes? Twelve point, Times New Roman? Did you search for a font that had more flair? Or did you change anything for spacial reasons? My two stories total 35 pages, yet several programs max out at 30, so I fiddled with my fonts and margins until I dropped five pages. If a program very specifically mentioned fonts in their requirements, I followed their suggestions, but otherwise I felt the freedom to manipulate, mostly because I wanted very much to send the same work everywhere when at all possible. Anyone agree or disagree?
Sorry to jump in out of nowhere. Does anyone know how bad it is to have a late postmark date? I have my Amherst application sitting right here and it was supposed to postmark today. I've applied online (paid the fee), gotten recommendations, etc. - this is just my writing sample. I fell asleep. The post offices just closed. I feel awful.
you might want to check to see if there are some post offices open later. I don't know where you live but, all the cities i've lived in have had at least one that's open to 9pm. It might be a bit of a drive, but it's probably worth it. A lot of places, I don't know about UMass in particularly, will not accept hard copy materials if you miss the post-mark deadline.
If there really is no post office open, you can try to overnight it via fedex or ups it. Or, you can call tomorrow and see if they'll take something with a one day late post-mark.
I've already searched in a 100 mile radius, no post offices open late. I'm checking Fed Ex and UPS now. If I strike out I'm wondering if it's better to ask them - ask for mercy, as it were - or just send it tomorrow without pointing it out. Not trying to be sly. But maybe sometimes the mail doesn't get sorted that day and things CAN be postmarked within one day. I don't know.
I'm with Blob, I'd try to find a way to get it out tonight. If you can't find a post office open that late, maybe call a local UPS store [I ended up sending mine UPS since the post office had closed before I finished compiling my packets yesterday] and see if you could overnight it. I wouldn't chance it.
On the topic of UMass, have anyone else's recommenders had trouble with the online form? I feel terrible, both of my recommenders who've responded so far have had terrible luck with the website. One was finally able to submit but the other [who is hella busy] won't have time til tomorrow... if they penalize me because of their POS website, i will be so angry. >:[
the post mark comes from the stamping the post office does. They won't do it a day late. The only way you can get away with sneaking it in the next day is if UMass doesn't care much, which they genuinely may not. Not all schools are sticklers for deadlines.
Call and see if they can get it out tonight! They might be able to. That way you have the shipping date as Dec 1st. You prob wouldn't even have to overnight it as long as the date was on it.
Recs are not due Dec. 1st, only our stuff is. The online app doesn't even send out LOR requests until you submit the application, which you could do at 11:59 tonight with no penalty, which means LORs have at least a 1-2 week grace period.
I just called the UPS Store - they're open another two hours. I asked, and they said if I drop it off still tonight it will be postmarked tonight - just won't leave until tomorrow. I think that'd be totally fine? The only deadline given is postmark... I'm going to give it a shot anyhow. Thanks very much all, I was very upset about this. I hope this works out!
@Katie - my recommender also had this problem. He called UMass. They gave him these instructions: attach the recommendation letter to an email addressed to
gradadm(at)grad.umass.edu
Put "Letter of Reference" in the subject line. Make sure the person being recommended is mentioned in the letter, and make the letter, if possible, a pdf file.
They won't be able to do the rating (checking the boxes, etc. to rate you) but he asked about that also and was told our program doesn't require it anyhow. Hope that helps.
Ugh, I was hoping to have my third letter of recommendation in today, but no, she didn't have it. That means my letters for Ohio State will be late :( If I don't have them in by tomorrow (which she promised) I'm going to be a little perturbed. I totally understand being busy, I mean, I have the same job. She's also working on PhD at the same time and has a 5-year old at home, so I really shouldn't judge. BUT, it' still frustrating since she agreed to do this two months ago and said she would have it finished by today. OSU did say that letters and transcripts could arrive late so long as everything else is in, but I hate to send anything in after the deadline. I'm the kind of person who shows up exactly when the party starts, always the first one there, because I can't stand being late! Even by a minute!
On a happier note, I am completely finished with my first app for South Carolina, and it's a wonderful feeling!
Just to ease everyone's mind about LORs that might trickle in late, one of my letter-writers (who graduated from a top program and therefore I trust about stuff like this) said that any program "worth its salt" will not hold it against the applicant, and that the programs are used to dealing with busy professors, for better or worse.
Not sure if this has already been addressed, but I'm working on Syracuse online app right now. They've got a page dedicated to uploading the Personal Statement/SOP, but nothing specific for the Teaching Essay. Are we supposed to upload it as one of the "Additional Information Forms" later on, or am I just not seeing it? Thanks!! Good luck on this first day of deadlines.
Does Indiana have online monitoring for application materials? If so, I can't seem to find it anywhere. If not, okay to send a quick email verifying everything was received?
I couldn't find an online app monitoring thingy for Indiana either. I think emailing them will be fine. Heather Steele (the one you want to contact) was nice enough to me.
BTW, I just totally intellectually castrated my boyfriend by practically rewriting a coverletter for him. At the end of a long talk (and many apologies on my part) he DID concede that the changes I made were apt, but it was definitely wrong of me to rewrite it like I did. I... just... couldn't help it! Once the editor in me kicks in, it's hard to stop.
Does anyone else ever feel like they pursue literary perfection at the expense of others' feelings? I feel like such a bastard now, lol. He just hasn't written anything professional in so long (been graduated for 4 years) so it did need some reworking.
Bad news: I just discovered, by way of my professor's extreme meticulousness, that I forgot to give my recommenders Ohio University's recommendation form. I totally forgot about it all together. Oh, the agony. Now I have to email all of them, get their home addresses (since school isn't in session right now), and send them the form and an envelope a month late. *smacks self on forehead*
Also, I took the GRE on November 4th, and submitted the scores to four schools, but none of them have told me they've received them. Is this standard for all schools to email and say they have? I didn't realize they did this, but now I'm worried.
I did the exact same thing with Ohio State. :/ I don't know how I missed it, but there it is. Hopefully that will be the only goof I've made. I'm also in the process of going back to my recommenders. Two of the three I've contacted were saying "it's no big deal" - so yay. I think that the problem was that the MFA program doesn't mention the cover sheet on the website. Oy. Congrats on getting six out though. I'm hoping to have my first seven out by Monday.
I took the GRE at the end of October and sent my scores then. No school has ever contacted me to say that they've been received, but checking my application status on several websites reveals that they have actually made it just fine.
Perhaps unless the entire application is online and the school can use automated messaging, I'm not aware of any programs that are going to let you know when the all the individual pieces of your application arrive. But that doesn't mean they haven't.
I guess all that's to say if a program e-mails you to say your scores have been received, then wonderful. But if they haven't, it's not necessarily reason to panic.
@Jonathan, the part that makes me nervous is that even online when I view my application status, it doesn't say that the scores have been received. I had scores sent to 4 schools at the time of my test and then sent in to have them sent to my other 3 schools a few weeks ago, so they've been requested in two different ways. We'll see...
Well if it makes you all feel better I have now sent my score to Iowa a grand total of 4 times. Totally by accident. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'll probably get rejected just for being totally over eager/moronic haha!
Well if it makes you all feel better I have now sent my score to Iowa a grand total of 4 times. Totally by accident. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'll probably get rejected just for being totally over eager/moronic haha!
Anyone else started dreaming about programs? I can only admit this here, but I wake up in the middle of the night convinced I've either been rejected to X school, or accepted.
I do! The other night I had a multi-hour dream about crafting the perfect Facebook status about how I was accepted Cornell while being cutesy and witty.
I wish I had your problems right now. :[ I'm 2/8 done, working on another 2 in other tabs as I write this... and I have 40 pages of my thesis due next week.
My school's website has this page where I can view my Unofficial Transcripts. Do you think if I save the contents of it to a PDF that I could use that for the schools that want an uploaded transcript? They're all getting hard copies in the mail anyway.
That's exactly what I did. When I viewed my unoffical transcript, it was in pdf format, so I just saved it and used that for every website that required an uploaded transcript.
Some of you may remember me from last year when I applied to a few programs. I decided at the last minute to apply to some low residency MFA programs for their 2011 summer residencies. While I'm potentially in the position to do a residential program, I really like the idea of low residency. I can stay where I live now and continue looking for jobs while completing the program. Is anyone else applying? My schools are Spalding, Lesley, Bennington, Vermont, and Goddard.
I'm very excited, although struggling a bit with all the different essays I have to write for the applications. It's less consistent than the statements of purpose for residential programs. I could pretty much use the same statement for all of my schools, but the low res programs want very specific things.
It's okay, the other night I had a dream that I was snowed into the Syracuse English building. Hopefully this is a premonition that I'll end up there ;)
In other news -- I gave out my packets to LOR writers today. I'm so excited to have that organizational NIGHTMARE out of my hands. I have my writing sample chosen, my SOP done (just needs polished). I DO need to finish my critical writing sample, but then I just have to pay and it's done.
I'm so giddy to be getting close to the end of the app process.
Are you talking about Ohio State University's recommendation form? I didn't think they had one. This is all I found on their website:
"at least three letters of recommendation (on official letterhead) submitted to the Creative Writing Program, from persons acquainted with the applicant's writing and academic abilities"
I didn't think OSU had a form either, but it does say on the graduate application website that there are supplemental forms, the recommendation form being one of them.
I was too late with my other two letters and they won't have the form attached. I figure if they really care, they'll ask me for it and I'll promptly comply. I did get my third letter back (yes, yes, yes!) and I asked her to fill out the form and include it with the letter, so hey, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
I really can't see it being much of a problem because yes, they didn't say anything about it on their website. But they didn't about their deadline wither. Hurumph.
i almost wish that the schools would just have us send in the sample and a basic application form and save the recs/personal statement/other formalities til later. i'm assuming that's how the system ends up working, but there has just been so much other paperwork that i've definitely not ended up working on my sample as much as i should have!
@Katie Oh, that would make so much sense...that's pretty much how Arkansas works, right? And they don't charge a fee until they tell you they like your sample! Oh, if only they were ALL like that...
whoa, i'm not applying to arkansas so i had no idea! sounds like a pretty good way to do it, but then the schools would lose out on all those app fees. :[ unless it's secretly a trap and they tell everyone they like their samples.
I believe Arkansas does require letters along with the sample, but what they DON'T require is you filling out a grad school application online, along with the fee. I don't think they require GRE scores either, so it's pretty much free.
McNeese State, however, just wants the writing sample, nothing else. If they give you the nod after that, then you send everything else.
I believe the average age of an MFA applicant is 25-26, meaning that you'll find students of all ages, but the cohorts generally skew a little younger (i.e. somewhere in their twenties). That doesn't mean, though, that there aren't plenty of students in their thirties and forties.
Just sent out my first application to San Diego. Woo hoo. Why does it seem like I'm the only one waiting until the last minute? How many days before the received date do you think I should send things in. (I hate when they require a hard copy.)
GRE saturday. Today was the first day I looked at the math. bleh.
Hoorah! One of my two mentors (the one I've been working with since I started my college career) just got tenure today!
A reminder, I think, for those of us planning to eventually attempt to enter the academic job market, that good things do indeed happen to good people sometimes!!
@Paulette I didn't study the math at all and scored 370. I haven't taken a math course in probably 2.5 years (college algebra). I wouldn't sweat the math. If I would suggest anything at all--get a GRE vocab book. That would be the MOST help imho.
Have you seen any change with Oregon's status regarding materials? I've just been given the link to track my status and I'm very disconcerted by seeing everything marked as "not yet received."
I'm making the big push to finish a bunch of applications this weekend. As for submitting writing samples...yeah, a few will be out by December 11th. UT Austin is the only one I'm bothering to fedex, since they want to complicate things and ask that writing samples be in by December 15th instead of postmarked by December 15th. Geez, if that's the case, why not just move up the deadline? Whatever. *grumbles*
Nada. I wonder if that status page still functions for their old application process which included hard copy statements and samples and a TA application. Maybe it doesn't relate to the new all online application.
If you check back into where you applied you can see an accurate recommendation count. But still, it's a bit nerve wracking.
This isn't really an application question. But I was wondering if anyone here had much information about Wisconsin's program. I've already applied, and clearly have no idea whether I'll get in or not, but it's a program that is very, very intriguing and appealing to me. But it's also a program that I don't usually hear as much about as some of the other programs. I was wondering if anyone knew more about students' experiences there or how people felt about the one genre a year only approach?
I was just thinking the same thing. I didn't graduate with an English degree, so I dont have as many writer friends as I'd like. I say we keep in touch past application season no matter where all of us end up.
Well.. I'm nowhere near done, but I am procrastinating, so I don't mind creating it. As if we needed another page to check compulsively.. Hmmm it doesn't look like I can create a group without adding anyone to it first? So feel free to friend me (just tell me your mfa blog name in the message) and I'll try to start one up from there.
520 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 520 Newer› Newest»@Amy-- I'm exactly the opposite. Mad at schools that won't let my recomenders UPLOAD their letters, because, like you, I'm out of town. I'm left in the annoying situation of printing out forms, scanning them back in, and sending them to professors and asking them to fill them out. It's awkward and time consuming... if the professors had these available to them online... less struggle.
In other news-- Is anyone reapplying to Iowa or Alabama? I've been having a time getting the latter to answer me, and I feel like this was already answered for the former-- Do you have to resubmit applications to the graduate school, or just send in a new sample and SOP like some of the other schools?
So...when writing the SOP, how are you all titling it? Creatively? Or just "Statement of Purpose," etc? I hate titling and have a bad habit of throwing something generic on when writing something like this, but it occurred to me that I should perhaps put more thought into it than that...
Wait, Mordor has an MFA program?!
-rushes to write new SOP-
Dear Potentate Sauron...
I've always wanted to be an evil writer. Please have me. Do you fund in anything other than hobbit skulls?
@x
interestingly enough, I think my diversity statement is much better than my SOP... sadly, I doubt they'll get that far if my SOP sucks. On the plus side, I'm planning on using aspects of my diversity statement for my Creative Autobiography for UCI.
Gena, I decided not to reapply to Alabama (and I'm happy with my decision because after a spectacular Iron Bowl, my loyalties are far too strong with my alma mater, Auburn, and I have a strong distaste for Bammers and their spanks-players of a coach, Nick Saban :P). BUT, Iowa allows you to reactivate your app and just send in a new sample and SOP. In fact, even the fee is waived. I had to email them to get the application reactivated, so if you're not getting a response from them, it might still be a problem :(
RE: UPLOADING TRANSCRIPTS
for those who have done this already, how on earth did you manage to get your transcript into a .pdf or .doc that is less than 1500 kb?
any tips are much appreciated. also, the sooner the better, since minnesota apps are due in just a couple days.
thanks.
p.s. my undergrad transcript is two pages long, which makes this even more difficult.
@kaybay--
Thanks for the quick response. It's actually Bama that hasn't gotten to me-- I'll give them until Tuesday before I start calling. I'm sorry I won't be seeing you there, but given your previous comments, I believe we wouldn't be very good friends anyway. (Just kidding! I did about die during that Iron Bowl though. How did we let that lead slip through our fingers?!) I emailed Iowa, so hoping for good news.
Better news: Except for Bama, Iowa, and Maryland (forgot to take the last one to the post office... d'oh) and the Classics programs I'm applying to... I'M DONE.
11/14 sent! And 2/3 Recs in to everyone! The only problem being that my last recommender got to me today with the "...so what am I doing?" email. I sent her an email explaining said doings a good month+ ago. Ah well, I have faith in her.
@inkli-- I cheated and print screen-ed my unofficial transcripts into an image on paint, then put said picture in a word document, then converted to pdf. :).
Hope everyone's Thanksgiving weekend continues productively.
Fellow UVA applicants: on the website, an official transcript is requested. On the online application, you may upload an unofficial transcript, but it says offers of admission are not binding until official transcripts are received. Are you sending official transcripts now, or waiting until they've accepted you? Most of my other schools allow unofficial transcripts until you're accepted, then require the official copy before being officially admitted. What to do, what to do?
@x--
Glad to be of service! I have no idea why the pic-->doc-->pdf works better, it just came to me in a moment of scanning distress. :).
@Gena - hehe... muahaha... MUAHAHAHA! *twists imagined mustache in evil manner*. I don't know how they came back but I went from utter devastation and hair-pulling to ecstatic jubilation, using the lord's name in vain on multiple occasions and putting sailors to shame with my profane verbosity to jumping up and down Chris Farley style. It was nothing short of miraculous, baby! *hghm* anyway...
Hopefully they get back to you, it's a little late in the game to be left in the dark like that. And hey, we'll just have to be friends at Iowa ;P
Oh, and Gena, I am super jealous of your progress. I'm going to send my OSU on the 1st, but it's still not quite where I want it to be (it's not bad, I'm just weary of sending it right now; it needs time). I won't be sending the others off until mid-month :S
Salman Rushdie's about to be on CNN telling everyone what the "one quality every writer must have" is.
...I'm all ears, sir.
@X, no, I think the requirement is the same, and I only began to question it when I saw on their site (versus the online application) that they require an official transcript. But all of them require an official transcript before admission, so I think UVA is the same and will be fine with unofficial for now...
@kaybay
Le Sigh. Oh, Bama. I'm just going to have to satisfy myself with being 40-34-1 :P. Or yes, we could be pals in Iowa, minus Thanksgiving. XD.
I think the only reason I got them out so early this time (it was last minute last year) is my newfound dislike for editing my sample. I've just seen it too many times. After this week, I'm not looking at it again until May. I'll work on new stuff until then.
Oh, and here was Rushdie on CNN--
Rushdie on what to tell new writers: It's very tough. You need real determination. It doesn't come easily. You have to have desire. If you have drive, you will find your way.
Also, electronic formats aren't the devil, and he's considering getting an iPad. Important stuff, you know. Oh, and novelists should read poetry so they don't become lazy with language. Fair enough, Rushdie, I agree.
re: UVA transcripts
I would send an official transcript, if I were you. I'm not applying to UVA, but from my 14 schools only one doesn't want an official transcript upfront. and that school, cornell, was VERY clear that they don't want an official one right now. All the others did.
Also, I love Rushdie. If you ever get a chance to listen in on a one of his talks be sure to take up the opportunity. He's a wonderful speaker.
Aaaah, ok, question about Alabama:
The MFA website clearly says that the SOP should be sent to the department and uploaded in the online application. Great, no big deal.
Except, I've finished the applicaiton online and I can't for the life of me find where I'm supposed to upload a personal statement...
Does anyone know how/where to submit the SOP online?
@Gena - ouch :X
I hear ya about not wanting to look at your sample. I'm like that with story #1, but I'm still in obsession-mode over story #2 and I just don't have the confidence in it that I do in story #1. Sigh. I'm giving it to someone for one final look; it's mostly the ending/dialogue towards the end that I want to fix. I'm sure I'm overreacting, but I just don't want to send my sample out prematurely.
Man, y'all might want to do a double check on deadlines. I just realized that I wrote South Carolina's deadline down wrong. I thought it was January 15, but it's December 15! Eek! It says that I have to have all materials in by that date, too *I'm nauseous, I'm nauseous*
Speaking of which, do any of you know how long its going to take the average app to make it to a program? I know it depends, but how long would it take for my materials to reach Columbia, SC from Florida? A week? I don't want to gamble. Should I overnight it when it's finished???
@kaybay
Mail can often arrive within a couple days only. BUT, it's probably best to give yourself at least a week.
If it's really a receive by date and not a postmark date, then you might want to do a 2 day ups/fed-ex.
This is going to be my last question about Ohio State, I promise. :D
Is anybody going to purposely hold their application until Dec. 15, despite the fact that we now know their actual deadline is Dec. 1? I could send in my application by Wednesday, but I'd need to leave out a story that I was planning on sending to most of the rest of the schools to which I'm applying. The story in progress is going to be a good story, probably second best of the three I'm planning for my sample, but it's just not going to be 100 percent ready to go by Wednesday.
Is is a gamble to just hold the OSU application until the story is done? I imagine I'll be finished with it well before Dec. 15 (when I'd originally planned to apply to OSU), but I don't want my application to be considered "late." If that's the case, I'll just send my two completed stories (23 pages total, well within OSU's requirements) and meet the Dec. 1 deadline. But, arg, I really want to go to OSU, and I want to be able to send my best stuff! Dang them and their incorrect website!
Anyone have any suggestions? Are you guys struggling with this OSU deadline issue, too?
Amanda, I'm also a little concerned with the early deadline. I'm not quite in your situation because my story is basically done, but I want to wait until I get some more feedback on it and can let it sit (I really just finished it earlier this week). I think I'm just going to send it off by the first anyway, just to be sure. I would keep your eye on this blog to see if anyone gets a response back from them about extending the deadline. If you don't get anything by the 1st, I would say send what you got. It sucks, but you're really looking at a difference of being looked at or not. I'm sorry :*(
@kaybay
Thanks for the commiseration, haha. It does totally suck, especially since we're paying them $50 and somehow they expected us to know their deadline isn't really Dec. 15. But that's enough complaining about the subject from me. :)
I have to work early Monday, but if I get a second, I'll try to call OSU's offices to see whether we can get those extra couple of weeks. Barring any answer (which of course I'd share), you're right to suggest that we should probably just be safe and send stuff by the Dec. 1 deadline. Boo.
That said, anyone want to do a last-minute exchange of sample stories? Kaybay? :D
Sure, Amanda, I'm happy to share. Email me at kbritten @ yahoo when you're ready :)
I'm open to some last minute exchanges: chh118@mac.com
subscribing
This won't assuage anyone's anxiety (I know the applicant mindset too well), but, for what it is worth, I want to point something out to those of you freaking out about the lack of communication you are currently experiencing with various schools: you guys know this is the end of the fall semester, right? The people who are going to read your apps are a tad busy at the moment, as is everyone else even remotely involved in handling your app. Nobody's reading anything until January, I can damn near garuantee it. Assuming you all hold at least a BA, I would have thought you'd figured that out about college bureaucracy. Take a deep breath, and proceed accordingly (and dilligently).
Kind of a strange question, but one of the applications I'm filling out asks for any additional information that is not included in the application that may be relevant. As it turns out, I'm moving to the city where the school is located in January, so obviously this is a factor in my decision whether or not to attend (if not theirs). Is this relevant?
@DMC, this is just my opinion and not based on any solid knowledge, but I would not include the fact that you're relocating. Any school that you apply to should assume that you'll be relocating if you don't already live nearby, and I would think mentioning that you're planning to relocate could possibly hurt you, since it might appear that you've chosen that school because you're relocating, and not that you'd relocate because you care enough about attending that school, if that makes sense.
Has anyone come across the ridiculous apps that ask "With what writers have you worked?"
I'm pissed about this question because, to me, it reeks of nepotism. Somebody who's worked with (X), (Y), and (Z) famous poet is by NO MEANS necessarily a better writer than someone (like me) who comes from a university that has no big-name writing faculty.
Part of this is because it's 1:04am, part of it is because I've been filling out apps for hours, and part of it is because I'm just so sick of the entire process, but I'm infuriated.
@Karissa:
Iowa's cover sheet, I believe, asks what instructors you've studied under.
Lucas - I'm sure you had good intentions with writing that post, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. Most of the frustration that I have (and most of the posters here) comes from the programs emailed early on that don't respond or from websites displaying inaccurate information (i.e. deadlines!). With one program, I emailed in AUGUST about reapplying and didn't receive a response after three follow-up emails. I then called, left two messages. Nothing. I then called someone in the English department, not affiliated with CW, and felt bad enough for me to talk to the admin in the CW program for me. Then SHE (the English dpt. lady) emailed me back with the info I had asked for. I'm a busy gal, too, but I would never do that to a parent who emailed me(I'm a teacher), however busy I got or however inconvenient the email was.
Now, does that mean that said program sucks and that I shouldn't apply there? Absolutely not. But, it does send a bit of a red flag. What's going to happen when I have to actually matriculate? What about moving? Health insurance/assistantship info? That's when the pangs of bureaucracy are really felt.
It's not self-centered to say that we all have stuff to get done as well, that we have questions in of need answers, and that for many of us, it's the difference between applying and not, getting accepted or not. I'm not sure if I understand the point of your last post; were you being critical or were you sincerely trying to help? I'm not sure. I guess it really doesn't matter, but I thought I'd respond anyway :)
@Karissa,
I haven't come across that question yet. But I haven't done Iowa's yet. I've come across one application so far, Flordia, that asks about your favorite authors and whether you've had any workshop experience. I've been hesitant to talk about which writers I've worked under in my SOP, etc. because I don't want to come off as a name-dropper. But now I'm wondering if I should have...
I'm finally starting to feel like my scattered pieces are coming together. I have a chunk of applications either done or almost done (just need to be mailed out). And then a chunk that I'm definitely waiting to do later on (Iowa, LSU, and UCI). I still need to send out GRE score reports since for some reason when I sent them out in September no one received them (more money wasted) and I still need to get recommendations in. I've gotten 2 out of 5 recommenders' letters in. Still waiting on the other 3, hoping they'll come in the next couple weeks!
oh also, for some reason, despite it being the first one due, I just can't seem to get UMass's application done. It's my only december 1st school, it's probably the closest I have to a first choice. and yet I just CAN'T do it.
I'm also starting to stress out about having to keep track of/making sure all my applications are actually complete. I've been getting links for places to check statuses. But I'm still starting to feel a bit frazzled having to coordinate, check up on so many schools in the next couple weeks!
@Blob, etc.
I'm frustrated because it's one of my three top-choice programs that asks this (Syracuse). I wouldn't care so much if it was "Who have your instructors been?" or "What's your workshop experience been like?" I just get nervous that they'll favor applicants who have big names written in that space on the app.
Maybe I'm just paranoid.
But then again, why would they ask if it "doesn't matter" to them?
I'm overthinking every aspect of this process. I wonder if it's a better sign to have a super speedy, yet not quite so friendly response from program faculty, or to have a response that's slower, yet nicer. I can't help but wonder if this is indicative of the way the program will be...
Inklii_11
It took Colorado two days to answer my email, so they did get back to me...I don't know if I would say a "timely" basis.
Gummy Bear Sacrifice:
Interesting. I emailed them once over the summer, then again earlier this month along with a follow-up phone-call.
None of my attempts at communication has received any sort of response.
Maybe they just don't like my email writing style or the sound of my voice. I had two very specific & easy-to-answer inquiries that weren't addressed on the website. Oh well. I feel irked enough at their lack of communication that I might decide not to apply.
Anyone know the right address to mail recs to for WashU if your recommenders are opting to do hard copy recs for that instead? I can't find one on the website for the MFA program..
@ Blob
Direct from the email I received from WUSTL re: the same question about recs:
"Your referees may send letters directly to me via email (attached as word doc) or to the following postal address. We do not require a cover sheet.
All best,
Kathy Schneider"
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1122 --- Attn: K. Schneider
St. Louis MO 63130
FWIW - Kathy is fantastic. I met her in March when I visited the campus (since I was in town for the Sigma Tau Delta conference - were any of you there?). She is really on top of things and is very, very nice. :)
Perfect! Thanks, Thereandbackagain!
@Blob:
Are you having difficulties actually completing the online applications, or are you having issues remembering if you've assembled and sent all the components (i.e. letters of recommendation and transcripts) that make up the application packages?
If you haven't done so already, make a checklist for every program. Time consuming, yes, but it will save you several headaches.
I made a checklist based around deadlines, from earliest to latest. This way, I don't feel the enormous crush of applying to so many schools.
@Jeff,
I have both checklists for each school and a master spreadsheet. I'm not too worried about getting all the stuff taken care of on my end. BUT I am feeling overwhelmed about the process of checking the status of my applications and making sure everything arrives. I've already witnessed my GRE scores not arriving anywhere they were supposed to from the schools I picked to have my scores sent to when I took the test.
Having 14 schools makes me feel a little frazzled when it comes to making sure and double checking to make sure everything comes together. I SHOULD have faith. But there are so many pieces that are being sent by people other than me (transcripts, gre scores, rec letters) that I'm feeling a little EEKed out.
I'd just hate for an application to be rejected because it's not complete...
One thing, Blob, that might make you feel better is that NO ONE gets rejected because of a missing application item, no matter what the website says. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never heard of it. What ends up happening is if you made it into the "we might want you" pile and you're missing, say, a transcript, you'll be notified and will be allowed to re-send it.
Even if you don't get into the "good" pile, you might be notified early on of a missing item. Last year, UCF didn't get my GRE score and let me know about it via email. I gave her the confirmation # and she still couldn't find it anywhere. She then asked me to email her a copy of my score report from the website and they went off of that. Now, I was rejected by UCF, haha, but I don't think it had to do with that.
In other words, don't worry about the ancillary pieces of your application, they really don't matter even if they're missing. In fact, you really don't even need to be calling programs to ask if they've received your materials (apparently, that ticks them off a tad). You might want to just wait until you get an email. Hey, in some cases, missing transcripts meant waitlist/acceptance :D
@kaybay
Thanks, it's always nice to have reassurance. I wasn't planning on calling nay programs, don't worry, unless something was obviously missing. They have all those application status websites, but checking up on them seems overwhelming to be perfectly honest.
Michigan's website is pretty explicit about the fact that if recs are not in BY the deadline your application will not be processed... even though it's only one school that says something like that. It still makes me nervous about all the others!
And the fact that my GRE scores never arrived anywhere they were supposed to go the first time around also makes me very nervous, especially for schools like UMass that say you don't NEED your GRE score unless you want a shot at a TAship (which yes, I need). But I doubt they'd contact me if it was missing.
@blob - good point about UMass, I would contact them when you're finished :D
I'm also worried about Michigan and South Carolina, who have both said they need everything in BEFORE the deadline. AH! But, even with them, there's bound to be a misplaced letter and a computer error is bound to occur, through no fault of your own. They have to be understanding of that and, quite frankly, they don't want to lose talented writers because of something stupid. They should (and normally do) allow you to fix it.
On Illinois' website, with regards to GRE scores, it says "The scores must not be more than five years old and must be sent electronically to University. Only the General Test is required. Our institution code is 1836."
Can anyone clarify what "electronically" and "to university" mean.
Thanks!
So when ETS sends our GRE scores, are they wiring them electronically, or are they actually sticking them in an envelope and handing it to the mailman?
I always thought it was electronic because of the coding system used to designate which department gets the scores.
Kaybay,
I was trying to be helpful. I agree with everything you say, and I'm also a teacher.
I was trying to make the point that it will be tough to get much attention from schools right now. I don't disagree that there are people who should, in fact, respond to queries...I just have a hard time believing that they will. They are dealing with current students (a full workload at present), and they aren't paid extra to do extra work, and emails from applicants are easy to ignore. I've seen this play out with many people (me, my brother, my wife, etc). It sucks that schools post inaccurate information, but the folks at the schools who should fix this are busy, and, while I agree that applicants are equally busy, that doesn't mean the university employees care. Whether or not a lack of caring is a red flag depends on the applicant...out of my jurisdiction, naturally.
I can see why that notion doesn't seem helpful. Thus, I should add that you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that schools don't reject people for missing app materials (beyond the sample, of course). The only oversight I made when applying was forgetting to send one TA application to one school. I freaked out and sent it late. It wasn't a big deal. I got in to that school as a TA (my only funded offer).
So, what the hell is my point? A. it should prove difficult to get much in the way of response from schools until after Christmas break. B. Applicants should do the best they can with what information is offered. If there is a contradiction with posted deadlines, and no one at the school will respond, the safest choice is to follow the earliest deadline, but it also makes sense to follow the latter deadline, for several reasons (the foremost being that an applicant could cite the contradiction as reason to accept the application), but that gets into speculation on my part which isn't helpful. Going by the early date is safest, but, as the school made the mistake, I would think the school would have to accept any materials sent by the latest posted date. C. As you've pointed out, these issues will likely not play much of a part in acceptance/rejection. A kick ass writing sample will. Stressing about other issues is wasting time.
If an applicant applies to a school and the school accepts ten people, and ten other applicants submit "better" writing samples, the former applicant is screwed (well, waitlists, etc., but you all get my point). As applicants, no one here can control what a school will like. They can only control how hard they work on the sample, making sure the first page grabs the reader by the short hairs, reading the entire work aloud, over and over, to ensure the voice/tone is consistent, punchy, etc., making sure the story reflects a character doing or deciding something, making sure a poem...does what ever a poem should do at this level (I'm not a poet), so on, and so on.
Folks, nine tenths of the advice you'll hear beyond what I just laid out above about writing samples doesn't matter. Even the damn SOPs don't matter if your writing sample is strong enough. It's your one great hope, and even if I'm wrong (and I'm not), it is the only component you can control (besides the SOP, which still only supplements the sample). Please act accordingly. I'm now going to butt out of this conversation, having nothing else to add.
I do wish you all the best of luck. I know how it feels. I can also tell you, in hindsight, that whatever happens will be the best thing. Other sorts of MFA's often have staggered applications cycles (actors one year, directors the next, etc.) In most cases, CW MFA programs take all genres every year. A year goes by fast. I love where I'm at but another year to polish would have been great as well. I wish I'd laughed more about the process...crying and pulling my hear did no good. It will all work out. The end.
Sorry for typos...the end, for real.
@lucas
I haven't been one of the people to complain about schools not responding, so I don't think your original post was aimed for me. Though I have, worried and stressed about plenty of other things. But I would like to mention that a lot of programs and schools have administrative staff that field these questions. It IS their job. It's not like faculty members are having to deal with this amongst everything else and it's not really part of their job description. For a lot of support staff, admissions folk, this IS part of their job description.
The other thing is, while everything you've said makes sense and is valid and I don't think anyone here is really disagreeing, when you make statements like 'act accordingly' it's easy to rub a lot of already nervous people the wrong way. Yes, in retrospect we'll all wish we relaxed. And yes, we all know there's nothing really we can do to make ourselves great applicants if we're not great writers. But we're nervous, we're excited, we want this badly. No one should really expect us to feel differently. It sounds like you've been there and done that. And honestly, we'd probably all love to hear your advice and hear about how the process went for you. But if you make us feel ridiculous for being nervous and tense, it only makes us (or at least me) feel worse.
Has anyone sent in the Cornell app yet? (or any entirely online apps?) If we have two stories in our sample, are we supposed to upload both in the same file, one after the other? Or is there a way to upload two files?
Thanks.
OK, I'm starting to stress about my LORs for the Dec 1 schools.
One of my letter-writers had said he was going to do all the letters two weekends ago, but I haven't heard from him since, and from the status pages it looks like he did NOT do any of the letters. Should I email him again?
Another of my letter-writers got all of them done, or so I thought, except UMass' status page is not showing that her letter was submitted. It IS showing that another one was submitted... just not hers. I emailed her about this last week and haven't heard back. In the same email, I let her know that OSU's deadline was actually Dec 1, and asked her to send in the letter for them sooner. Didn't hear back on either front. Should I write again?
I really hate to feel like I'm nagging them, but Dec 1 is the day after tomorrow, and one of these schools is high on my list! What to do, folks?
@I
I would wait. UMass doesn't even send out rec requests until the full online application is submitted, which means they are obviously ok with recommendations coming in at least a week or two after the deadline. OSU's deadline mix-up also likely means they're ok with letters coming in a bit late. Plus, in general the rule is that GRE scores, transcripts, and LORs can come in a bit late without hurting the applicant. The except is schools that make it explicitly clear otherwise, Michigan for example.
But, I would wait until the end of the week or early next week to remind them again if they still haven't turned things in. Last week just might have ended up a wash because of thanksgiving, so at least give them most of this week to get it done.
Having said that, it also sort of depends on your relationship with them. I have one recommender that I have a more casual relationship with. I feel more comfortable nagging him than my other recommenders. So if you are on a pretty casual basis with them and are really freaking out, you're probably ok nagging a big.
Honestly, I would be wary of programs that never respond to applicants' questions. Should you expect a response within an hour of emailing? No. But getting nothing after over a month is ridiculous, especially if you email multiple times. People are hired to respond to such questions, and if a program wants applicants, they will try to be as helpful as possible. A program that ignores its applicants is a program that is most likely underfunded, unorganized, and probably frustrating to work with from beginning to end. All of the programs I've emailed with questions have gotten back to me within 24 hours.
Now, you also don't want to be that person who calls and calls and then emails 10 times over within a few days. (I work at a med school, I know who you people are!). But sending a polite email with the expectation of a timely response is far from a ridiculous request.
I'll just put my good experience with responses in and say that Syracuse has been excellent. I e-mailed a professor (on Sunday, nonetheless) who responded to me within two hours, and directed me to the head of the department, who also responded quickly and nicely. This morning, I've been corresponding with the Graduate Studies Coordinator, who is extremely kind and helpful. Good signs, I think, for any of us applying to Syr! :)
Blob,
You are correct on all counts, and I didn't mean to rub anyone the wrong way. Of course this is important, and my only motive was to tell people that things will work out, that this process has a fun side too. All the same, it is scary. I didn't mean to be didactic or self-important, and my apologies for coming off that way.
Blob,
I'll add that a person couldn't be more nervous than I was, and, thus, no one should feel bad. Applying did more for my writing than anything I'd done before it, so there's that, however this plays out. I commend you guys for your guts, and I'll shut the hell up.
I have a quandary:
I have one 16-pg story (Plum) that I love and am applying with to 4/7 schools that will allow me to submit less than 30 pgs.
UT Austin, however, wants 30.
I have another 17-pg story that is polished but not nearly as bold as Plum that I could submit along with...
Or I have another 28-pg story kicking around that IS bold and awesome, but in a state of heavy revision/I don't really know where it's going lol.
With the Dec 15th deadline looming, would it be better to submit Plum, my ace-in-the-hole story, along with another lesser story that might drag it down, or take a risk and try and polish the 28-pger as much as possible and submit that?
These page stipulations are being a pain in my ass. To me it feels like the MFA programs saying, "We'll only accept you if you're between 5'2'' and 5'8''."
Heard back from Ohio State. Kelli Fickle, their English (MFA) Academic Program Coordinator. Here's a copy of her e-mail, verbatim:
Thank you for your message. We will accept materials after the December 1, 2010 deadline. We are not in local control of our website and the contents on the web page and we have a request out to the web team asking them to update our site.
Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions. For future reference, please inquire with the OSU Creative Writing Program for the best and first hand information regarding the OSU MFA application process and not an MFA blog. My contact information is listed below and I look forward to hearing from you and others regarding any additional concerns.
do most programs do fee waivers based on need? i got all my fees waived when i applied to undergrad because me and my family are, uh, not well off, like at all.
i just looked at u. michigan's site and they only do waivers if you're a US citizen or resident (which i'm not - i'm a UK citizen) or if you're a member of a specific institution they have affiliations with.
Just another note about OSU. I called them today, and the deadline is definitely Dec. 1st even though the MFA website says Dec. 15. So I guess I will be overnighting all of my materials today. Another 50 dollars down the MFA tube . . .
Ink_11
That's rough! What did you ask Colorado? Maybe it was the same thing I asked them.
@everyone else
Maybe I'm selfish but I believe in replying to prospective student inquiries and I do think it reflects on the school. I'm not saying they have to get back to me within the hour but if I've emailed a school 3 times over the course of 3 months then come on, that's pushing it.
writing sample:
I'm still interested in writing sample exchanges. Lemme knoooow.
@Gwen E. Kirby:
You may not want to do that. Fifty bucks is a lot of money--to me anyway.
The individual I'm corresponding with sounds like she's the one who actually accepts the application packages, and she said they'll take them after December 1st.
Don't throw your money away. I'm sending mine later this month; it should arrive at OSU on December 13th or 14th. If they wanted it earlier, they should have put the correct deadline on their web site.
I'm having trouble getting on Alabama's website right now. Does anyone know where/how many transcripts need to be sent?
Thanks!
@DMC1985
Alabama needs one official transcript sent to the graduate school (not the department) and one unofficial for the web application.
Another Bama question that I've asked before but I'll repeat: has anyone completed the online application for them yet? I'm having a bit of a hard time with the SOP situation. The website explicitly says that the SOP should uploaded onto the online application. But I can't find ANYWHERE on the online application for an SOP. I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong or if there's misinformation. Anyone been through this?
@lucas
Oh, I'm definitely trying to have some fun with the process. I actually had a blast doing Umass's TA application. But I have a weird paper correcting fetish.
I've also applied for a volunteer position here in NYC that should report back to me around the time schools do. It's a coincidence since they just opened applications again after 6 months. But hopefully at least that will come back positively!
@ Blob
RE: BAMA SOP
I believe you want to finish the application and submit payment and all that and then there is a separate link for "Supplemental Forms" that will allow you to upload the SOP.
It is on the Bama Grad School Apply page...there is a big red "Begin Online Application Now" button and below that is a black "Submit Other Required Documents"
http://graduate.ua.edu/application/index.html
Make sure you follow the formatting instructions (you need your bama ap ID on the top of each page) and that everything is still formatted correctly. You cannot change or edit anything after you upload it.
While reformatting it I accidentally changed my perfectly 2-page SOP into 2 pages and one sentence on a third page...didn't notice and uploaded it lol.
Also, for bama...the SOP and writing sample gets mailed to the CW program too.
@ Gummy Bear
I'd be willing to exchange for some last minute feedback each way. I don't think it's incredibly important, but I'm fiction. Email me @ homerun31sr@gmail.com
@writer dude
Thanks! Huge help. I hadn't noticed that supplemental link and had held off on paying and submitting my online application in fear that I was missing something.
I have my hard copies ready. Do the hard copies need the ID # as well? Not a big deal if they do, I'll just have to re-print.
oh and @gummy bear
I'd be happy to read your work if you'd like. I'm done with my sample, so it won't be an exchange. But I love reading and commenting. I am a poet, but I do have some experience in fiction workshops as well.
I'm a repeat MFA draft member and every time I get stressed out I come on here and lurk in all of you lovely peoples' conversations, and I remember how good it feels to be in this (especially the part where I can be actively doing something! I don't remember fondly the long months of waiting. And waiting.).
Just wanted to let you all know you're appreciated!
@Blob, thanks for your reassurance re: LORs. It was exactly what I wanted to hear.
As of today, I've got four apps in: UMass, Minnesota, Ohio State and Mills.
Onward to the Dec 15 wave!
@ Blob
It doesn't say that anywhere from where I read...so I don't think it's important. I wouldn't re-print them...but that's just me.
@ Fiction Writers
I am willing to read some stories...but don't expect anything life changing. Just ol' fashioned honest feedback...at this point in the game, sweeping changes would be hard to do anyhow. You don't even have to read mine unless you want to (I am JUST about to send em off so I probably won't make many changes)
peteralanherbert[at]gmail.com
Ugh, I just sent my first sample out and have that feeling like I either mailed it to the wrong place, included the wrong SOP, or, you know, accidentally placed a sock in there or something. I hate being neurotic :(
I'm still waiting on letters, which is a little nerve-wracking, but I'm pretty sure my writing sample is finished (I might be tweaking the ending of one story for other schools). Everything else is done, I just need to compile and ship. Easier said than done. I'm sending my letters in late if I don't get them, so I'm trying to send everything else in on time.
I'm starting to feel the crunch! I'm hoping it's short-lived...
On a fairly non-MFA-related note, I have to brag for a second. My boyfriend just found out he got nominated for a Pushcart, and I have to share my excitement with people who actually KNOW what a Pushcart IS! :D
@kaybay
I know the feeling. But CONGRATS on getting things done and out the door. I sent off 7 out of 14 this past week. And definitely felt like I was sending god knows what where. But I also feel relieved!
I also just got another recommender in. So, now I have a majority in. Just waiting for two more!
here's to getting the rest in!
@karissa
congrats to your boyfriend!
blerggggg i am working on trying to scramble and get my umass/ohio state apps out tomorrow. how did you guys who were in the draft last year do it again? maybe it's that i'm still in school but i'm kind of losing my mind!
i just keep telling myself that i've gotta get these two out and the rest will be way easier. and i'll be 1/4 done!
i think my GRE writing score is probably in but oh my word i am remembering how slipshod my essays were and i kind of don't want to look. D:
just kidding, i just checked and wow, i bombed that shit. i hope the schools don't even open the score envelopes!
@ Karissa - congrats to the boyfriend. that's exciting, indeed!
@ Jeff
yeah, it was no where near 50! that was surprise and panic estimating. it only cost like ten bucks to send it two day mail, so crisis averted!
WRITING SAMPLE DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE.
Yes, I think I'm behind in the process, but it's DONE!!!!!!!
Okay, VA Tech is pissing me off. Their English department website says to send letters of recommendation online, yet when you go to the "Apply Now" page to get to the application, it has a downloadable/printable .pdf form for recommenders to fill out and then send back to the department.
WTF.
AND I e-mailed them almost a week ago with no response.
hi people applying to programs!
just wanted to pop in and say STAY STRONG and YOU CAN DO IT!!! I remember this time last year I was a total mess trying to get everything together -- and now just a year later I am finishing up my first term, and I feel like my poetry has already improved leaps and bounds. I'm so, so happy to be living a life that involves so much writing and that lets me be surrounded by other writers. The application process does suck, but it's SO worth it. You can do it!
the P&W forum doesn't seem to be nearly as active as this blog this year.
@katie oh
welcome to the club of people who are not happy with their GRE scores. Luckily, i've convinced myself it doesn't matter.
I'm feeling good about my progress and the amount of work I have left. Only FSU, UCI, LSU, and Iowa need any real substantive work done. There are a couple more that need to be mailed or need documents uploaded, etc. Now my only remaining fear in terms of getting apps in is LORs, oh and getting in another paycheck so I can send out my GRE scores.
Hey guys,
Possibly silly question.
You know when you email someone and they open the word doc and they can still see the spelling and grammar suggestion squiggles-- How can I make this not be seen when I submit my sample online to schools?
gratzi
@ Loren -
Would changing it to a PDF get rid of that? Or do the schools specify DOCs?
@loren
I think katie Oh's suggestion is the right one. Plus most of the schools I've seen only allow pdf uploads in the first place.
gummy bear sacrifice:
I asked them two questions:
1) If I am reapplying, do they hold any of my materials from last year's application.
2) Will they accept hard copies of letters of recommendation.
I would be happy to trade samples. Fiction or poetry?
anotherjenny:
may i read your "plum" story??
major catastrophe:
minnesota's online application has been incredibly slow and full of glitches all day, most likely because others are scrambling to complete their applications last-minute like me. unfortunately, i can't even access my application right now. i just get a "service unavailable" page. too bad, because minnesota in my #1 choice. hopefully the site will fix itself soon.
@ M
Most online applications (including Cornell) have you submit only ONE file for your writing sample. I just put my three stories together in order in one PDF (a good tool for doing this is PDF reDirect) and uploaded the single PDF.
Oh, thanks guys. That was easy enough.
(And a special good job to word 2010.. If I'm remembering correctly it was a pain in the ass to convert files to pdfs previously)
I finally have my list of poems narrowed down to twenty. (I'm really hoping that no one wants more than that.) They are all edited as much I am able (without overediting/butchering them, I hope). Now I just need to figure out which I think are best/most representative/etc.
Still waiting on a couple of things (recommendations from one person, but she's been working on them yesterday and today) and transcripts from one school (I've got all the rest).
Now, if I can just nail down the statement of purpose/teaching statement, things will be even better.
So glad that I have my students doing presentations until the end of the semester!
just got back from mailing [or, rather, UPS-ing, since my post office changed their hours] my Ohio State and UMass Amherst applications!
i'm a quarter done, guys! now i just have to hope that i didn't fuck anything up.
i've got a bottle of pink champagne chilling in my fridge as a reward to myself, who wants some?!
you keep the pink champagne, but I'll preemptively (on my part) cheers to progress with a glass or four of cheap red wine.
@Katie Oh and Loren, I'll join you both with a frosty brown ale!
At this point, I'm done with UMass, Minnesota, Ohio State, Mills, and Brown. Texas and Wisconsin are enveloped and going in tomorrow's mail.
And a "funny" story- I accidentally sent Ohio State's with a signature required, and the post office tried to deliver it on the 26th, when I'm sure the office was closed. Well, when I discovered all of this online via tracking, I called the post office, proceeded to cry when I learned what would be required of OSU in order to schedule redelivery (something involving a light peach form and photo ID- FML). At that point, the post office employee felt so bad for me she got permission from her supervisor to just freakin' schedule a redelivery for tomorrow, right then and there. Phew. I didn't mean to cry, it just happened. We writers, we haz feelings, you know? Pssh. Weak moment.
So, *lifting a glass* as I know all of you have been through similar travails. Keep on keepin' on!
I'll see your pink champagne, cheap red wine, and frothy brown ale and raise you some vodka and orange juice.
Special congrats to Karissa's boyfriend! And a pat on the back to I's considerate post office worker!
:). (Iowa's gotten back to me. Stillllll waiting on Bama.)
No alcohol in sight for me at work. But I am leaving early to go to a poetry reading. So cheers to that.
And congrats to everyone making progress (big or small).
@ Blob I'm not an expert by any means, so these are opinions, but I am hoping they will help.
I feel like your statement of purpose isn't a huge deal, as far as being "memorable." Your writing sample needs to be memorable, awesome, all that stuff. I feel like your SOP needs to not hurt your chances, really present who you are, etc. And if they don't like that you're a person who genuinely has a lot to say about his past and future, enh, whatever. You presented your best self in your sample and your SOP.
Inkli_11
I don't know about reapplying but their website says that the recommendations "must" be submitted online. I know that's why I was flipping out about the recommender link, I think that's crazy! I'll exchange samples with you if you like.
Blob-what's your email?
@inkli_11:
It my not be practical for you, but you might want to try and access Minnesota at a remote hour, like 3:30 A.M.
If heavy traffic is guilty of causing the those technical problems, you may have better luck when most folks are asleep.
Then again, most people hustling to finish their applications are sleeping normal hours these days...
I also want to add to the sent Ohio State applications (thank God). I'm hoping to get my third and final set of letters back (double thank God), so I had to send everything except my letters, which I'll hopefully be able to do tomorrow. Once I get my letters in, everything will go by really quickly. It feels SO freaking awesome to fill in a spreadsheet cell with green, marking D-O-N-E!
I only have like thirty more cells to fill :D
On a side note, I love me some Charlie Brown Christmas. Gets me every time :*). Happy Holidays, everyone!
question re application status stuff:
if you've sent in all the app parts and the program website still shows some things not received, how much do you bug them, if at all? is it better to sit back and trust they'll get everything matched up? or bug them (with the hundreds of other people who are doing the same thing)?
@honeyless
I would wait 10 business days before contacting anyone unless you have reason to be concerned about something.
Even the online systems tend to be slow, I can imagine they're even slower getting the status of hard copy materials up.
Both Oregon and Umass both have electronic recs and I know at least 2 of mine have been submitted, but it took a few days for them to show up.
Now is when everything is coming in so I would give them at least the courtesy of 10 days.
thanks @blob
my question is specifically re gre scores. I had them sent directly from the test (in sept). some schools aren't showing them associated with the app yet, while others are. (and don't ask how I did on the gre. it is prob better that the schools never find the scores...)
CV updated! AND! I think that I finally have a decent statement of purpose. I was beginning to despair of ever saying that. I've managed to do the evil 350 Michener one, and now I just need to adapt that one for the others.
I'm inspired by everyone who is going at it and getting these applications in, so thanks for that! :)
Subscribing
Question:
Has anyone contacted Alabama about having letters of recommendation coming separately, rather than included in the packet with the other application materials? All of my recommenders would rather just send them off themselves.
come*
Hi everyone! It's so nice to read all the comments and realize everyone is freaking out and nitpicking as much as I am. My eyes are actually twitching from the amount of time I've spent staring at these school websites. I was wondering, a few of you mention your GRE scores not making it to the schools. How did you find out they weren't received? Did you contact the school to check? Mine all appear as "sent" on ETS website but it sounds like that's no guarantee.
I'd love to swap writing samples with anyone who is interested. I'm not sure I'd change much at this point on mine, but it would be great to read other people's submissions, and I'd be happy to comment on them if you like.
First day that an app is due and I can't sleep, shocker. Anyone else applying to UC San Diego?
@honeyless
I would still give them a few days to match things up. If even one school received scores from your order, chances are the others did too. But I'm having problems with my september reports as well.
I did call several schools, about it a couple weeks ago and all of them said that if GRE scores come in a bit late it was no big deal and that the deadlines were 'soft deadlines' for things like transcripts, gre scores, and SORs, especially since GRE scores didn't matter THAT much.
First time commenter with a question:
One of my recommenders has flown the coop. Has not responded to email, and did not submit a letter for my first deadline (today, UM).
That leaves me 2.
The other programs I'm applying to ask for 3.
Any input is appreciated.
Thanks!
@ Sarah
i'd be interested in swapping writing samples! like you, i don't plan on changing much, but i am curious to see other applicants writing. the process feels so lonely, it would be fun to share!
Hyperbole and a half is one of the greatest thing on these here interwebs.
So to all of my stressed fellow applicants.. Here, take a break for a minute or two. You'll like it alot, promise. Who else can I share grammar humor with?
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html
@gummy bear and others that want another pair of eyes on their sample:
my emaail is fatimazahmed(at)gmail(.)com
@loren
I love that blog and LOVE that post. I've gotten in the habit of writing 'alot' on purpose when writing to my friends just so we can all conjure up images of that lovable beast. I hope it doesn't become a permanent habit...
@Loren, thanks for posting that link...when I saw you say "alot" I totally started judging you...then I read the blog and it made my life better. For real.
@ Loren -
Hyperbole and a Half is the number one thing getting me through this process. I laugh so hard I cry at most posts.
I'm actually feeling like 100x more motivated after submitting the first two applications! I think I'm going to try to fill out most of the other schools' online forms this afternoon. Though I really should be working on my sample... Ugh. My second sample story will be the death of me. :[
Indiana asks for "a portfolio of creative work (at least thirty pages of fiction, or twenty pages poetry)."
Does that mean also AT LEAST twenty pages of poetry? Or would I be OK submitting fifteen? I could probably round up five more decent ones, but the fifteen I've already got in a cohesive order, etc., and am wondering if they'd be miffed if I only sent that.
Apologies if this has already been asked.
@I
I don't know about indiana specifically. But Michigan asks for 15 and i'm sending 12. I think schools are generally ok with a bit under, as long as it's not ridiculous.
So...I kinda took the GRE, and when I my scores came up--I looked at them, but I was burnt out and continued on and it wouldn't let me go back (to my dismay) because nowhere did it show my test scores again. I have to wait now. The universe hates me.How long until you all got your scores? Do you really have to wait 10-15 days? What about calling for your scores?
Question for Oregon Folks:
I know there was some back and forth earlier in regards to their online system when it came to TA applications and whether they were needed/existed or not.
I submitted their online application last week and since then two of my recommenders have submitted their LORs. I know because they emailed me to tell me so and because Oregon's system emailed me to tell me so. BUT when I look at the 'check your status' link they sent me it says that neither have been received and that my writing sample and SOP haven't been received either (even though they were part of the online submission...). Is there somewhere else I should be looking?? Or does their system just not make sense?
@Blob- thanks. I also just found this in Indiana's FAQ:
--If my writing sample is a couple of pages short of the stipulated 30 pages for fiction and 20 pages of poetry, will my application be disqualified?
We will most likely ignore it if your sample is only a page or two short, but in general we like our applicants to stick to the page length we require.
@I
Well there you go. 20 pages of poetry is an awful lot.
I like schools that give a wide range like 10-20, that way it gives applicants some freedom to put together their best sample as a fairly edited down manuscript or submit a lot of work.
In other news I officially have two favorite applications thus far:
Cornell because it's about as basic and user friendly of an online form as you can get. Everything is online, it's clear what goes where, you can skips sections, they don't ask too many crazy questions etc.
UF because it's only $30 and they don't even want an SOP, woohoo, and they only need two LORs. Talk about easy peasy.
And my favorite program in terms of communication is UT. I haven't contacted a lot. But the woman who I spoke to twice at UT was just so, so exceptionally friendly.
@farfromgruntled
That would be great! My email address is sarah.kamlet@gmail.com. Anyone else who wants to swap can email me also.
@I or anyone else,
Is it a bad idea to send everything requiring a signature? What's the best method to use for USPS. I'm assuming you can still track it without it having to be signed?
@M, from my experience I can't recommend it.
One complication is that the postal service delivers on Saturdays, during which most campus buildings aren't open and wouldn't have someone to sign for it. That's what happened in my case. The world of leaving notices and scheduling re-delivery is a complicated one. That said, if you said it on, say, a Monday by overnight or 2-day, it SHOULD be fine if you want to require a signature.
You can absolutely still track it without requiring a signature, and that's what I'll be doing for the rest of mine.
Five of nine apps are in the mail, and damn, it feels good. I see what you guys are saying. Good luck to everyone as we finish out!
So, question: What are all your approaches to fonts and sizes? Twelve point, Times New Roman? Did you search for a font that had more flair? Or did you change anything for spacial reasons? My two stories total 35 pages, yet several programs max out at 30, so I fiddled with my fonts and margins until I dropped five pages. If a program very specifically mentioned fonts in their requirements, I followed their suggestions, but otherwise I felt the freedom to manipulate, mostly because I wanted very much to send the same work everywhere when at all possible. Anyone agree or disagree?
Also, Georgia is an excellent font. :)
Sorry to jump in out of nowhere. Does anyone know how bad it is to have a late postmark date? I have my Amherst application sitting right here and it was supposed to postmark today. I've applied online (paid the fee), gotten recommendations, etc. - this is just my writing sample. I fell asleep. The post offices just closed. I feel awful.
@brenda
you might want to check to see if there are some post offices open later. I don't know where you live but, all the cities i've lived in have had at least one that's open to 9pm. It might be a bit of a drive, but it's probably worth it. A lot of places, I don't know about UMass in particularly, will not accept hard copy materials if you miss the post-mark deadline.
If there really is no post office open, you can try to overnight it via fedex or ups it. Or, you can call tomorrow and see if they'll take something with a one day late post-mark.
I've already searched in a 100 mile radius, no post offices open late. I'm checking Fed Ex and UPS now. If I strike out I'm wondering if it's better to ask them - ask for mercy, as it were - or just send it tomorrow without pointing it out. Not trying to be sly. But maybe sometimes the mail doesn't get sorted that day and things CAN be postmarked within one day. I don't know.
@ Brenda -
I'm with Blob, I'd try to find a way to get it out tonight. If you can't find a post office open that late, maybe call a local UPS store [I ended up sending mine UPS since the post office had closed before I finished compiling my packets yesterday] and see if you could overnight it. I wouldn't chance it.
UPS Store is open for another two hours. I wonder if that would work.
On the topic of UMass, have anyone else's recommenders had trouble with the online form? I feel terrible, both of my recommenders who've responded so far have had terrible luck with the website. One was finally able to submit but the other [who is hella busy] won't have time til tomorrow... if they penalize me because of their POS website, i will be so angry. >:[
@brenda
the post mark comes from the stamping the post office does. They won't do it a day late. The only way you can get away with sneaking it in the next day is if UMass doesn't care much, which they genuinely may not. Not all schools are sticklers for deadlines.
But I would go for that ups.
@Brenda-
Call and see if they can get it out tonight! They might be able to. That way you have the shipping date as Dec 1st. You prob wouldn't even have to overnight it as long as the date was on it.
@katie oh
Recs are not due Dec. 1st, only our stuff is. The online app doesn't even send out LOR requests until you submit the application, which you could do at 11:59 tonight with no penalty, which means LORs have at least a 1-2 week grace period.
I just called the UPS Store - they're open another two hours. I asked, and they said if I drop it off still tonight it will be postmarked tonight - just won't leave until tomorrow. I think that'd be totally fine? The only deadline given is postmark... I'm going to give it a shot anyhow. Thanks very much all, I was very upset about this. I hope this works out!
@Katie - my recommender also had this problem. He called UMass. They gave him these instructions: attach the recommendation letter to an email addressed to
gradadm(at)grad.umass.edu
Put "Letter of Reference" in the subject line. Make sure the person being recommended is mentioned in the letter, and make the letter, if possible, a pdf file.
They won't be able to do the rating (checking the boxes, etc. to rate you) but he asked about that also and was told our program doesn't require it anyhow. Hope that helps.
Ugh, I was hoping to have my third letter of recommendation in today, but no, she didn't have it. That means my letters for Ohio State will be late :( If I don't have them in by tomorrow (which she promised) I'm going to be a little perturbed. I totally understand being busy, I mean, I have the same job. She's also working on PhD at the same time and has a 5-year old at home, so I really shouldn't judge. BUT, it' still frustrating since she agreed to do this two months ago and said she would have it finished by today. OSU did say that letters and transcripts could arrive late so long as everything else is in, but I hate to send anything in after the deadline. I'm the kind of person who shows up exactly when the party starts, always the first one there, because I can't stand being late! Even by a minute!
On a happier note, I am completely finished with my first app for South Carolina, and it's a wonderful feeling!
Just to ease everyone's mind about LORs that might trickle in late, one of my letter-writers (who graduated from a top program and therefore I trust about stuff like this) said that any program "worth its salt" will not hold it against the applicant, and that the programs are used to dealing with busy professors, for better or worse.
Not sure if this has already been addressed, but I'm working on Syracuse online app right now. They've got a page dedicated to uploading the Personal Statement/SOP, but nothing specific for the Teaching Essay. Are we supposed to upload it as one of the "Additional Information Forms" later on, or am I just not seeing it? Thanks!! Good luck on this first day of deadlines.
Are there 24-hour automated kiosks inside some Post Offices?
Can't you choose and pay for expedited shipping and have it print a label with the current time and date on it?
Does Indiana have online monitoring for application materials? If so, I can't seem to find it anywhere. If not, okay to send a quick email verifying everything was received?
@ ajw
I couldn't find an online app monitoring thingy for Indiana either. I think emailing them will be fine. Heather Steele (the one you want to contact) was nice enough to me.
BTW, I just totally intellectually castrated my boyfriend by practically rewriting a coverletter for him. At the end of a long talk (and many apologies on my part) he DID concede that the changes I made were apt, but it was definitely wrong of me to rewrite it like I did. I... just... couldn't help it! Once the editor in me kicks in, it's hard to stop.
Does anyone else ever feel like they pursue literary perfection at the expense of others' feelings? I feel like such a bastard now, lol. He just hasn't written anything professional in so long (been graduated for 4 years) so it did need some reworking.
"Does anyone else ever feel like they pursue literary perfection at the expense of others' feelings?"
@anotherjenny:
I've had students in workshop throw furniture at me, say bad things about my mother, scream and curse, and threaten me with homicide.
It's never pretty. But let's just say that I'm prepared for any fiction workshop in any program in the United States.
Oh, MFA blog, how I've missed you.
Good news: I submitted 6 of my 15 applications!
Bad news: I just discovered, by way of my professor's extreme meticulousness, that I forgot to give my recommenders Ohio University's recommendation form. I totally forgot about it all together. Oh, the agony. Now I have to email all of them, get their home addresses (since school isn't in session right now), and send them the form and an envelope a month late. *smacks self on forehead*
Also, I took the GRE on November 4th, and submitted the scores to four schools, but none of them have told me they've received them. Is this standard for all schools to email and say they have? I didn't realize they did this, but now I'm worried.
@ Jami
I did the exact same thing with Ohio State. :/ I don't know how I missed it, but there it is. Hopefully that will be the only goof I've made. I'm also in the process of going back to my recommenders. Two of the three I've contacted were saying "it's no big deal" - so yay. I think that the problem was that the MFA program doesn't mention the cover sheet on the website. Oy. Congrats on getting six out though. I'm hoping to have my first seven out by Monday.
I've had the same problem with Boulder... Sigh..
@Jami, I had my scores sent in August when I took my GRE, and I've never heard anything about the schools receiving them. It's all a little unnerving.
@Jami, PensiveMonkey,
I took the GRE at the end of October and sent my scores then. No school has ever contacted me to say that they've been received, but checking my application status on several websites reveals that they have actually made it just fine.
Perhaps unless the entire application is online and the school can use automated messaging, I'm not aware of any programs that are going to let you know when the all the individual pieces of your application arrive. But that doesn't mean they haven't.
I guess all that's to say if a program e-mails you to say your scores have been received, then wonderful. But if they haven't, it's not necessarily reason to panic.
@Jonathan, the part that makes me nervous is that even online when I view my application status, it doesn't say that the scores have been received. I had scores sent to 4 schools at the time of my test and then sent in to have them sent to my other 3 schools a few weeks ago, so they've been requested in two different ways. We'll see...
re: GRE scores
Well if it makes you all feel better I have now sent my score to Iowa a grand total of 4 times. Totally by accident. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'll probably get rejected just for being totally over eager/moronic haha!
re: GRE scores
Well if it makes you all feel better I have now sent my score to Iowa a grand total of 4 times. Totally by accident. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'll probably get rejected just for being totally over eager/moronic haha!
@ Blob
Accidentally posting that comment twice. Irony ;)
@writerdude,
I know! The insanity is creeping in!
Anyone else started dreaming about programs? I can only admit this here, but I wake up in the middle of the night convinced I've either been rejected to X school, or accepted.
MAKEITEND.
@ Amy -
I do! The other night I had a multi-hour dream about crafting the perfect Facebook status about how I was accepted Cornell while being cutesy and witty.
My life: pathetic.
I'm in application withdraw. I've got everything finished and sent out, just did NaNoWriMo, but now I don't know what to do with all this free time.
Come on, February!
@ Andrew P -
I wish I had your problems right now. :[ I'm 2/8 done, working on another 2 in other tabs as I write this... and I have 40 pages of my thesis due next week.
I just remembered I have an actual question.
My school's website has this page where I can view my Unofficial Transcripts. Do you think if I save the contents of it to a PDF that I could use that for the schools that want an uploaded transcript? They're all getting hard copies in the mail anyway.
Katie Oh,
That's exactly what I did. When I viewed my unoffical transcript, it was in pdf format, so I just saved it and used that for every website that required an uploaded transcript.
So in short, yes!
Hi everyone,
Some of you may remember me from last year when I applied to a few programs. I decided at the last minute to apply to some low residency MFA programs for their 2011 summer residencies. While I'm potentially in the position to do a residential program, I really like the idea of low residency. I can stay where I live now and continue looking for jobs while completing the program. Is anyone else applying? My schools are Spalding, Lesley, Bennington, Vermont, and Goddard.
I'm very excited, although struggling a bit with all the different essays I have to write for the applications. It's less consistent than the statements of purpose for residential programs. I could pretty much use the same statement for all of my schools, but the low res programs want very specific things.
@Katie Oh
It's okay, the other night I had a dream that I was snowed into the Syracuse English building. Hopefully this is a premonition that I'll end up there ;)
In other news -- I gave out my packets to LOR writers today. I'm so excited to have that organizational NIGHTMARE out of my hands. I have my writing sample chosen, my SOP done (just needs polished). I DO need to finish my critical writing sample, but then I just have to pay and it's done.
I'm so giddy to be getting close to the end of the app process.
@Jami:
Are you talking about Ohio State University's recommendation form? I didn't think they had one. This is all I found on their website:
"at least three letters of recommendation (on official letterhead) submitted to the Creative Writing Program, from persons acquainted with the applicant's writing and academic abilities"
@Jeff -
I didn't think OSU had a form either, but it does say on the graduate application website that there are supplemental forms, the recommendation form being one of them.
I was too late with my other two letters and they won't have the form attached. I figure if they really care, they'll ask me for it and I'll promptly comply. I did get my third letter back (yes, yes, yes!) and I asked her to fill out the form and include it with the letter, so hey, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
I really can't see it being much of a problem because yes, they didn't say anything about it on their website. But they didn't about their deadline wither. Hurumph.
oops, *1* out of three ain't bad :)
i almost wish that the schools would just have us send in the sample and a basic application form and save the recs/personal statement/other formalities til later. i'm assuming that's how the system ends up working, but there has just been so much other paperwork that i've definitely not ended up working on my sample as much as i should have!
@Katie Oh, that would make so much sense...that's pretty much how Arkansas works, right? And they don't charge a fee until they tell you they like your sample! Oh, if only they were ALL like that...
@ Pensive Monkey -
whoa, i'm not applying to arkansas so i had no idea! sounds like a pretty good way to do it, but then the schools would lose out on all those app fees. :[ unless it's secretly a trap and they tell everyone they like their samples.
This is random - is there an average age for MFA students/applicants? I realize this may vary by school...
I believe Arkansas does require letters along with the sample, but what they DON'T require is you filling out a grad school application online, along with the fee. I don't think they require GRE scores either, so it's pretty much free.
McNeese State, however, just wants the writing sample, nothing else. If they give you the nod after that, then you send everything else.
I'm pretty sure I'm right about all this.
@kaybay:
Concerning Ohio State and their hidden forms, do you print these off while you're filling out your application online, is that what you meant?
@Natalie
I believe the average age of an MFA applicant is 25-26, meaning that you'll find students of all ages, but the cohorts generally skew a little younger (i.e. somewhere in their twenties). That doesn't mean, though, that there aren't plenty of students in their thirties and forties.
Just sent out my first application to San Diego. Woo hoo. Why does it seem like I'm the only one waiting until the last minute? How many days before the received date do you think I should send things in. (I hate when they require a hard copy.)
GRE saturday. Today was the first day I looked at the math. bleh.
Hoorah! One of my two mentors (the one I've been working with since I started my college career) just got tenure today!
A reminder, I think, for those of us planning to eventually attempt to enter the academic job market, that good things do indeed happen to good people sometimes!!
@Paulette
I didn't study the math at all and scored 370. I haven't taken a math course in probably 2.5 years (college algebra). I wouldn't sweat the math. If I would suggest anything at all--get a GRE vocab book. That would be the MOST help imho.
@Blob
Have you seen any change with Oregon's status regarding materials? I've just been given the link to track my status and I'm very disconcerted by seeing everything marked as "not yet received."
I'm making the big push to finish a bunch of applications this weekend. As for submitting writing samples...yeah, a few will be out by December 11th. UT Austin is the only one I'm bothering to fedex, since they want to complicate things and ask that writing samples be in by December 15th instead of postmarked by December 15th. Geez, if that's the case, why not just move up the deadline? Whatever. *grumbles*
@Raine
Nada. I wonder if that status page still functions for their old application process which included hard copy statements and samples and a TA application. Maybe it doesn't relate to the new all online application.
If you check back into where you applied you can see an accurate recommendation count. But still, it's a bit nerve wracking.
This isn't really an application question. But I was wondering if anyone here had much information about Wisconsin's program. I've already applied, and clearly have no idea whether I'll get in or not, but it's a program that is very, very intriguing and appealing to me. But it's also a program that I don't usually hear as much about as some of the other programs. I was wondering if anyone knew more about students' experiences there or how people felt about the one genre a year only approach?
@ X
I was just thinking the same thing. I didn't graduate with an English degree, so I dont have as many writer friends as I'd like. I say we keep in touch past application season no matter where all of us end up.
@x, Loren
Completely agreed! Who's already made enough progress on their apps to have the time to make a Facebook group?!! :D I deem that person the creator! ;)
Well.. I'm nowhere near done, but I am procrastinating, so I don't mind creating it. As if we needed another page to check compulsively..
Hmmm it doesn't look like I can create a group without adding anyone to it first? So feel free to friend me (just tell me your mfa blog name in the message) and I'll try to start one up from there.
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1350000085161#!/profile.php?id=29627717
Ok. Facebook group made. You should be able to just search MFA Draft '11 and find it, but if not, friend me an I'll add you.
Loren, I joined the FB group but can't comment. :(
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