If you're accepted somewhere off the waitlist and you're invited to ask questions and all that, is it appropriate to ask why you were waitlisted? I guess probably not....
I wouldn't ask that. They will just say "It was a difficult choice and we wish that we could accept a larger class blah blah blah." I doubt there's one specific reason, one line in your work, one misspelling, that landed you on the waitlist. I'm thinking of how that conversation would go and I just feel awkward.
I think what might be better option is to wait and see if you get in off the wait-list or get in elsewhere. If you get in, it doesn't matter much in the immediate.
But if you don't get in and are starting to plan for next year, I think it's fair to ask if you think they'll be helpful if they have any suggestions for what you could do differently next year. They might not give anything concrete, but some folks are very transparent and might say 'story A was awesome, story B made us worry.'
I know someone who asked a school what she could do for next year and found out that one of her recommenders basically through her under the bus-- which was definitely good to find out, she didn't use him next time.
Well, upon further reflection, I think it would be appropriate to discuss your work and ask which piece they liked the best. But I wouldn't phrase it as "Why didn't I just get in right away". I would make it seem like you're generally interested in what kind of potential they saw in your work. You can assume what they don't compliment you on is the weakness or stylistic difference that may have sent you to the waitlist.
Blob and K, thanks for the advice. I guess I'll wait a bit and then try to politely ask what they thought about my work (if I do get in) or what I could do better next year (if I don't).
And Blob, that's ridiculous what your friend's professor did! I thought if you couldn't say nice things about someone, you didn't agree to "recommend" them?? Oh well, guess some professors don't get that!
@Holla Where are you getting this info from South Carolina? I sent an email out a while back and they sent me basically "you're still pending, but we've sent out initial offers" which seems a whole lot to me like they were expecting to give more offers eventually. And their selectivity, compared with their program rank, also seems like they would end up losing kids to higher ranked programs. I'm for fiction by the way. And still holding onto every last shred of hope.
I thought your response from them was strange. I got a nice email from the MFA director saying that all offers went out, and while there is no official waitlist, there seems to be a vast amount of unnotified applicants. Basically, they don't send out "non-acceptances" until late April.
What is comes down to is funding. They apparently accept only as many as they can afford. However, if they get more funding, or if places become available, they move down the list.
They don't have an official waitlist, don't contact those they aren't accepting.
Emailed LSU a couple of days ago because Mardi Gras is way late this year, and I was curious if notifications would be later. Heard back this morning that they are "aiming for mid March." 2 weeks, 2 weeks, 2 weeks....
Same to you! Do you think you will visit your programs before making a decision? I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of having to take time off work and get on a plane in a few weeks....
I don't think I can manage visits to anywhere far away (I'm teaching full time in northwestern Wisconsin), but I have begun hunting down stuff the faculty has written. If you do visit, let me know what you think. My gmail name is tpamperin.
Think I got a wait-list call from Oregon today, for fiction. One of the faculty left a voicemail in which he expressed enthusiasm for my work and asked to talk with me about "the process" (which sounds ominous and waitlist-y). Damn, so close.
Those of you waiting to hear on Montana fiction, FYI, I don't think I would've been notified about my acceptance (by email) UNLESS my application was missing something. Karen Sturm said that she'd be sending acceptances out by mail in March, apparently. So good luck!
Yesterday I was offered admission to Johns Hopkins fiction MFA. Does anyone know why this program has fallen from top ten to #30 in the P&W rankings in the past few years? I am extremely happy about the admissions offer--and I want to learn as much as I can about the program. Thank you!
As a sems student, I can tell you the program at JHU is great. The reason it went down in the rankings has nothing to do with the quality of the program, it has to do with the fact that fewer people apply to the program (as reported on this blog and Seth's) compared to other programs. This might have something to do with the GRE and language requirements, a more expensive app fee, and a selective department (they take, on average, five in each genre). Add all this up, more people feel the odds are against them and fewer decide to apply. Since I have been here the stipend has increased nearly 25%.
@jamie_mu - Thank you for your comments. This makes a lot of sense to me. I know JHU is a top, top program and I'm frankly stunned by the admissions and fellowship offer. I think the particularities of the program that may dissuade others from applying are some of the same reasons why the school is a good fit for me--academic background in lit and interest in foreign languages. I am anxious to accept, I just want to make sure students are happy there, and that the atmosphere feels right to me. I am trying to coordinate a visit right now, despite my busy work schedule... Any other insights you can offer would be extremely valuable! : )
I'm totally WTFed-out by this whole process. I've been rejected from Wyoming, Boise State and probably Texas State yet accepted at Oregon.
I mean, they say this process is subjective, but I had know idea HOW subjective: I figured overall I'd be more likely to get into a school with a higher acceptance rate or a school outside the Top 50. But this process is subjective to its core.
DON'T GIVE UP. I basically gave up after Wyoming rejected me, and then I got a phone call from someone I liked more than Wyoming.
Oh this is wonderful to see! What a great sense of community and support. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share equally in acceptances, rejections, and writing life in general. To add my rejection so far: The University of Wisconsin - Madison MFA graciously declined my application. Sigh. This is my second year applying to MFA's. Now waiting for Iowa, CSU, Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, Purdue, and Virginia Tech. Keep writing!
I have what may seem like an odd or silly question: if you receive a message that you were accepted on your voicemail (or answering machine even) is it standard procedure to call them back? Or is it just a courtesy?
Thanks all. Congrats to all accepted and/or waitlisted, and good luck to those still waiting for good news!
I'm currently living abroad, and the family number I gave schools has changed--do you think it is worth e-mailing everyone telling them my contact info changed--when it's not really *my* contact info?
@Eli, they'll need at least 1 good number to get you at, for sure! I don't see why you can't give an international # if you're just visiting overseas and not an international candidate.
Congrats on JHU! The program in fiction is quite small- just 5 students per year. My son is a first year there. With tuition remission and the generous stipend he is able to be self-supporting (parents like that). He was straight out of college but most of the MFA candidates are older. One thing to consider is that in your first year you teach IFP (Introduction to Fiction and Poetry), a 3 credit class. Son took this very seriously and spent a lot of time preparing lectures. Giving feedback and grades on weekly poems and stories and finally evaluating students portfolios is time consuming. Obviously this is time that could be otherwise spent writing. However my son is very much enjoying teaching this semester. The class has a lot of upperclassmen (many premed). At Hopkins if the TA says "jump" the student says "how high?" Finally a little known fact is a number of grad students stay at JHU for a third year as paid adjuncts and continue their writing. If you can, pay a visit to see if its a good fit for you
dadofwriter, Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I do think it's exactly what I was looking for in a program, and I've had a great feeling about JHU from the start. I'm very glad to hear your son is happy.
jellyfish, I'm not sure if all of the offers have gone out. I know of a handful of other acceptances in both fiction and poetry. Best of luck! I hope you have good news very soon.
Grinning Fox, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news... Florida calls have gone out in both poetry and fiction. And they were down to 4 per genre this year.
Why are you assuming rejection from Arizona? (And are you referring to University of Arizona or Arizona State?) Based on your comment, I'm assuming you're fiction. Has anyone been accepted into the University of Arizona's fiction program yet?
Have a question, I am still waiting to hear back from several schools, got rejections from Michener, Syracuse. I was recently informed that one of my pieces of flash fiction is going to be published. Should I inform the universities that I have yet to hear back from of the upcoming publication? Is that considered tacky or would they appreciate being kept in the loop? I understand it won't effect my chances too much, but still, thoughts?
@Almond Punch: thanks. I thought so but this is all so new to me. I did call, and didn't reach Lavonne (@UNCW) but did leave a giddy babbling voicemail that I think conveys my excitement. Hopefully it isn't so all over the place it makes them regret the offer!
@Jessica: thanks for that post re: spam. Sure enough I had 2 UNCW emails there I'd never have found otherwise!
Though I also write fiction, I only applied to nonfiction this year. I'm assuming rejection from U of AZ because they've already notified CNF acceptees (as early as Feb 18th, I believe). Not sure if anyone has been accepted in fiction or poetry yet though...
@Karen, no problem! Have they mentioned funding to you at all? I heard from Lavonne Adams today and sah said that funding was "all locked up". I don't know if that means they have offered funding to other students, or if there just isn't much funding to be offered this year.
I received a not admitted letter (on physical paper that came in the mail!) from Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (I see that Holla received one from Southern Illinois at Carbondale). This was the first actual letter that I received (not a single one last year, all e-mails) and it was personally signed; a kind and gracious letter, I must say. Makes the not being accepted feel much better.
@Jessica: Lavonne said they weren't able to offer me funding right now, but she'd let me know "immediately" if that should change. I'd assume if anyone accepted in poetry w/ funding declines, then the next on the accepted list would get it. We can only dream, I suppose!
Anyone here from NYU for fiction? I'd love to get in touch.
I heard via phone call this past Wednesday, 3/2. I've been so busy with work that I've hardly had a chance to process it. But needless to say, VERY EXCITED.
Almost forgot, congrats to every on their acceptances! And for everyone else who hasn't heard, don't get discouraged. I had almost counted myself out before I heard.
This is my second year applying. Last year I was accepted to one school that I declined for financial reasons, and I was waitlisted at NYU.
I don't know if this is covered yet, but I was unable to find a post on this. I would love to do an MFA in creative writing (concentration on poetry) as an online program. Are there any legitimate programs out there that does this? If so, could you recommend me some programs? Thank you sincerely!
Just wanted to clarify the situation with respect to Johns Hopkins. First, let me say that it's a wonderful program, and nothing here is intended to take away from that -- I'm literally just adding to what's already been said re: JHU's ranking. The short version is that JHU has actually not been "Top 10" at any point in the twenty-first century, at least not rankings-wise. Here are the last five years of rankings:
2007: #16 2008: #14 2009: #17 2010: #29 2011: #15
You can see that, with the exception of one "anomaly year," the rankings have been insanely consistent -- JHU has not been #30 "the past few years" but in fact ranged only three spots in the rankings (varying between #14 and #17) in every year of the last five but one. As to the explanation for that anomaly year, there could be many, and some have been provided here, but there are others: dissatisfaction with Baltimore; lack of transparency from the program regarding funding stipend; a reputation for aesthetic conservatism among the faculty; minimal program outreach to applicants; a non-user-friendly website; and so on. All of these factors are factors applicants report playing into their decision not to apply to JHU, and so to the extent the rankings are measuring the tendency of applicants to apply to various programs we can (and do) listen to the why of those decisions so we know why programs are dropping or gaining in popularity. And to applicants' credit, the reasons are always substantive. FWIW, JHU was a mere 4 votes (out of 527 cast) away from achieving a Top 25 status in 2010 -- the "anomaly year" -- so really it might well have just been a statistical blip. The point being, JHU has actually not undergone wild ranking fluctuations this century.
Not sure about online MFAs, but there are a lot of low residency MFAs, for which you only have to be on campus a couple times a year. Some of these programs may have online components (I have no idea about that, though-- I never researched low res programs).
@Lotus: All low-res programs are primarily conducted online, via a very close correspondence with your professor. Once or twice a year, you are required to spend an intensive period of time (usually between 2 and 6 weeks) on campus, when you meet other people in the low-res program and your professor/advisor, do workshops and writing exercises, etc.
You can find info on low-res programs on Seth's blog. I'm currently getting my M.A. at Lancaster University in England, and they are renowned for their "distance learning" M.A. and PhD - you would have to come to England once a year, but it might be worth checking that out, too.
Seth, I posted this on the acceptance page, but I wanted to get your thoughts on Montana versus Ohio State. Seems like OSU is an up-and-comer, but Montana has a more solid reputation. I have funding at both, so that is not an issue.
Seth - Thank you so much! I hadn't seen their recent rankings, or their ranking for 2011, just for 2010 because I bought that issue of P&W when I started thinking about applying for MFAs. I think 2010 must have been an anomaly. I also think the Huffington Post article must have helped to boost applications again this year... I was told they were inundated. Also, for the record, faculty and current students have been incredibly friendly and helpful in answering questions--everything is checking out beautifully. Anyway, I'm glad for the information, so thank you again!
I had a similar -type question about U Mass to the JHU question. It looks like in 2010 it was ranked #4, and then 2011 #12. Does anyone know why that would be the case?
Any new writer needs writing credits. How to get some? One way is to enter and win the First Official Pop Lit Story Opening Contest, which so far is up for grabs. A strong entry will take it. Did I mention that prizes will be mailed for the top three winning entries? 200 words max. Openings-- not entire stories. Deadline scarcely two weeks away. Thanks!
Thanks for the UF info. That's pretty depressing for me--they were one of my top two picks. Still, waiting on word from 7 more schools. Keeping the hope alive! Thanks again
That's still a fairly minor drop, but the primary reasons there were: 1) revelation of the program's relatively poor funding (with 40% of admittees being fully funded rather than 100%, though I hear that's changing), 2) rumors of dissatisfaction among the students, and 3) the illness of a major professor in one of the genres. But also, 4) other strong programs simply leap-frogged them, which was much easier than it would be otherwise because UMass has always been primarily strong reputation-wise in poetry, less so in fiction. It's the same reason Irvine can't -- and won't -- crack the Top 10, i.e. it's much stronger in one genre than another and some programs are very strong in both (or even three) genres. So you can/should expect UMass to be ranked between #12 and #18 for the foreseeable future.
@AlmondPunch - Congrats, and thanks for the morale boost. I'm down to the wire, with 6 confirmed rejections, 3 presumed rejections, and now just waiting on JHU, Montana, Oregon, and Irvine. Here's to Hail Mary long shots!
Would any of you mind sharing your portfolio? I'm trying to see for next year (b/c this year is looking not so good for me) which programs are liking which poetry.
Acceptance to Emerson today via mail. They said fellowship information had not been decided yet, and that they'd let people know once they've made decisions.
I'm in Boston, so those of you further out should have a letter coming soon!
Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted! Infrequent poster here, but just wondering if there is any news about UC Riverside and Rutgers Newark? I know they started notifying already, but should I assume they are finished?
I think an email should suffice. At least, that's what I would do, personally. I would only call if, say, you were having trouble picking between two schools. That way you could call them with "I'm having a hard time deciding" and hear what they have to say. Who knows, they might say something to sway you one way or another.
Also, does anyone know of outside scholarships that can still be applied for? My search has only yielded program scholarships but, at least according to Columbia's financing-your-degree page, outside assistance is available.
I apologize if this has been asked before, but: I'm on two waitlists (Wyoming and Oregon State). Is it standard practice / advisable for a waitlistee to reply to the waitlister's notification email just as an acknowledgment and to say thanks?
@Matt: Not sure what's advisable (though I'd love to hear from others!), but when I got my waitlist email from Minnesota, I shot over a two-sentence thanks.
@Matt I also sent over a small e-mail saying thank you to my waitlisted schools. On a related note, what do you guys say to asking a school what number you are on the waitlist? Good idea? Bad Idea?
On a more-or-less unrelated note, does anyone know where Iowa Writers' Workshop is standing on acceptances and waitlist notifications? I think I've only seen 1 or 2 poetry acceptances on TSE about two weeks ago, and after that a suspicious silence on the poetry front. I feel like such a large program would produce more acceptees from all the various blogs...
@Matt Also, congrats on your waitlists! I've been waitlisted at two schools and it's a strange experience. You get both a feeling of accomplishment and frustration from wondering what minor point in the application went wrong. Oh well, I guess we knew what we were signing up for.
It's definitely good to write back and thank them and express your continuing interest. If you know which one you'd prefer to get into, you should also tell that school that they're your 'first choice' and that, should you get in, you will definitely come.
Yeah, I say respond to a waitlist email. I was waitlisted at UNCW last year. I sent a quick thanks and asked where I was on the list.
Lavonne--I'm not sure if she works there, but she was who I was corresponding with last year--was very helpful, told me where I was on the list and included my chances of getting accepted based on how many offers had already been accepted and confirmed. Saved me a lot of worrying! Obviously I didn't make the cut, which is why I'm here applying for a second time!
There're my two cents.
Anyone heard in fiction from Brooklyn, Hollins or American?
Lets talk about post-MFA oppportunities. I know everyone says that an MFA won't open doors in terms of career opportunities (professorships, etc). But what CAN an MFA help you achieve (besides hopefully improved writing)? What does it mean when the MFA rankings say "Post Graduate Placement" ranking. Where are graduates being placed if not in university teaching positions? What other options are there besides teaching?
I'm currently a secondary school teacher, but I'm an assistant since I don't have a MA in Education. And I'm not planning on getting one. What if I graduate from a moderately good MFA program (I'm thinking GMU right now) and can't find a job post graduation?
I'm new to this game. I applied to U Michigan, Iowa, Wyoming, Oregon, and Boston U, all fiction. 2/19 Wyoming notified me that I was on their waitlist. No news from anyone else, although I submitted the Boston app on the deadline (March 1st).
Hoping to hear some news from Boston and Oregon, no huge hopes for Iowa and Michigan. I have been nothing but impressed by Wyoming. I really hope that list moves around some.
Thanks for all the posts, too. Great distraction from the inbox!
In my previous query about OSU versus Montana, you said my "mileage may vary". Can I ask what you meant? I don't mean parse words, but I'm having a real hard time with my decision. Any additional reasons as to why you said OSU over Montana would be incredibly helpful. And I need help. To make things worse, I'm in at Brooklyn, where I live, but with the lack of funding, I'd have to work full time and go to school, ie, have even less time to write than I do now. That, and I noticed that OSU had jumped to only one spot behind Montana. They seem to be trending in different directions.
Just waitlisted at Hollins by email; I applied in a combination of fiction/CNF/poetry.
Good news! But they said they most likely won't select from their waitlist until after April 15, and I already have other funded offers, so I probably won't get in at Hollins.
Hi guys, Sorry this isn't wholly pertinent, although I believe you'll find it interesting: I'm the Fiction Editor at The Missing Slate: themissingslate.com, a literary/arts magazine. It's run mostly out of Islamabad, but is in English and geared towards an international audience (hence my involvement). It's still getting off the ground, but we get more and more (and better and better) submissions for each issue (last issue we had almost 100 fiction submissions and published five). I realized that a good way to automatically infuse some quality writing into the mag was to advertise to all of you talented people. Check it out, especially the Theme of the Week, which is a cool new concept I've decided to try... Thanks!
Waitlisted this morning for poetry at UF via email. For all of those accepted: I live in Florida and let me tell you, if from a cheerful Northern climate, Florida is a hellish corridor of Disney-smiling, flip-flop wearing people and it's 106 degrees year round. You definitely don't want to move here. I, on the other hand, am willing to stay. *poker face*
I'm a first-time poster, but I've been reading for awhile. Received an official rejection from Michigan (fiction) in the mail today dated February 25th. Assuming rejection from Iowa, and still waiting to hear from Notre Dame. It looks like they've sent out poetry acceptances, but any word on fiction?
I never post on this blog but I kind of follow it, and I'm a member of the Facebook group. Tonight I got a call from Steve Tomasula and I'm in at Notre Dame for CNF (!!!). :)
FYI, I've already posted this on the Facebook group (those in the MFA Facebook group--this is the girl with the story about being in a band rehearsal... I know you can trace it back to me, but I'm trying to avoid using my real name).
Sigh. Damn. Just Googled "Fielding Mellish" (I never watch movies) and understood you were calling me out.
So, to clear everything up, I do have two screen names on the blog: Norman the Honda dealer and Almond Punch. People have various reasons for making up avatars other than dissociative identity disorder; mine was mainly insecurity -- I believed I wasn't going to get in anywhere and wanted a fake person to take the hits for me. I guess that does sound a little neurotic, but this process has brought out the neurotic in me.
I am a real applicant in fiction, I have applied to 21 programs, I have heard back officially from seven programs, I've gotten into six places, I'm assuming rejection from around nine or ten places, I am a 25-year-old female etc. So I'm not an impostor or a troll. I was a frequent poster on the Facebook group for a while (my real name, my real Facebook picture) but left the group in an attempt to get myself to do some more writing.
I hope that cleared everything up. Sorry for the confusion. None of my posts have been dishonest. On TSE, all my posts have been truthful: I have gotten into Rutgers-Newark, Oregon and Montana.
So! This has been embarrassing. But I hope now no one is confused or distrustful of one another. I think most avatars are not trolls; they are real applicants who are excessively private and introverted, or who are in some way or for some reason insecure or nervous about posting ("Will the school feel betrayed if I post my acceptance on TSE?" I have even wondered).
I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. I never intended to call anyone out. All I know is that someone named Fielding Mellish asked if their blog posts were visible, so I responded to say that they were.
My results so far-- Rejected: Michener-F, Iowa-CNF, Minnesota-CNF, Wyoming-F/CNF, Montana-CNF Waitlist: Illinois-Urbana-F, Hollins-F/CNF/P Accepted: Northern Michigan-CNF, Idaho-CNF, U of Arizona-CNF ???: New Hampshire-CNF, Memphis-CNF
Beats my unblemished rejection record from my last applications!
I got impatient and emailed New Hampshire about my app in CNF--got a reply from the director: I'm in! No TA offer yet, funding a bit up in the air but still possible.
I have a question -- I was just accepted into a program that I'm very excited to go to. My best friend (and fellow poet), is on the top of the waitlist of that program. she is wondering if she should let the program know (in her response letter) that she knows someone who is going, who has workshopped with her before and who complements artistic sensibilities, etc. As in, will that seem too much like a "oh i want in my BF is there" or is it a legitimate thing to say that will appreciate because it means at least two workshop members have worked together before? Is that even something MFAs look for?
In the case of waitlisters, it's often the case that there just isn't enough money for everyone. To illustrate this, let me tell you about my situation at Florida. One of their faculty called and told me that if they had access to the same funding they had last year, I would have been offered admission. But, seeing as they had to cut two spots due to state budget cuts, I am waitlisted. They want me to go if one of the initial four drops out, but they don't have the money for me at present.
@ Mari: It's probably better if your friend just writes them expressing strong interest (if she'd def go if she got in, she should tell them that). The rest might feel like bullying a bit. It's always better to air on the side of subtle with these things, I think...
For some reason, I am still holding out hope for Alabama, Syracuse, and Indiana. Are these schools absolutely finished notifying, or is there still a chance?
I've been mostly lurking and that is due to the fact that I have zero acceptances so far. I assume I'll be receiving my IWW rejection letter in the mail this week. So I'm just waiting for Irvine after that. Poetry. I try to start drinking at 5pm every day now.
i'm having a pretty hard time trying to decide between a few programs and could use some advice. the programs are indiana, montana and illinois.
i'm especially interested in any information people can give me about the locations, as i've never been to bloomington, missoula or urbana-champaign and somehow i'm not too excited about the prospect of living in any of these towns (besides missoula, which sounds lovely...).
i'd appreciate all and any information, experiences, memories, etc. with regard to these places.
I've never been to any of those places, but some friends of mine said Bloomington is a fun college town.
I live in Chicago and love it. Champaign is a pretty close drive (or bus), so if you're a big-city kind of person that's a great option.
Montana is a two year program right? And the others are three years. Does that factor in at all? I guess if you don't end up too excited to live in any of the towns that could matter, ha.
I know I'm not much help, but I decided to put my two cents in.
i've also heard that bloomington is a nice college town, but that itself is what i fear. when i hear "college town," i imagine a town dominated by undergraduates and that's not the sort of culture i'm interested in, as i am in my mid-(almost late)-twenties and would like to have people my own age, or older, around..
I hear ya. I went to Iowa City last summer for a couple weeks, and I loved it. But I shuttered picturing the return of the big-ten undergraduate mob.
I think you will be able to find a niche in any place, but I do completely understand your hesitation about a "college-town", especially when that's usually the first description given.
Maybe location isn't going to be the decision-maker for you, but luckily you have some great academic options!
I went to IU, and I can assure you it's more than a typical college town. I left in 2003, and I still have friends who live there. People tend to hang around after graduation. The town and campus are bucolic, the rent is cheap, and the music/art scene appeal to people who don't want or aren't ready to make the move to NYC or LA or Chicago. The music scene is really special due to Secretly Candadian and Jagjaguwar, labels based in Bloomington that bring in great bands. Sure, the campus is dominated by undergrads and frat boys, but the town itself is a liberal oasis dominated by late 20's early 30 somethings with a very friendly DIY attitude. When I was there, I barely noticed the greek community because of the tight-knit art community. I live in NYC now, and I go back there whenever I can.
That said, I didn't apply there because after a few years, Bloomington can feel VERY small and most of my old writing teachers are still there. I'm in at Montana and visiting Missoula in two weeks, and I hope to the find a version of Bloomington in the Rockies.
I've heard Bloomington is absolutely amazing, with a lot of up and coming scenes (music, artistic, etc.) But more than location or anything else, I would concentrate on the faculty: which school has a faculty whose work you admire the most?
To any interested U of Idaho applicants. I just withdrew my name from their fiction acceptance list. So someone on their waitlist should be hearing something soon
I remember seeing information at some point about the University of New Hampshire and how it's a good, albeit new, program. I'd love to hear more about it. I've been accepted for non-fiction and really like how much journalism experience the faculty seem to have. I'd also like to know how it compares to George Mason.
I, too, like the journalism-friendly vibe of UNH; I'm in for nonfiction, too. Don't know much, other than a really good reputation in nonfiction. No funding for me yet, alas...
I just got my first rejection letter, from Portland State. Because I'm new to this, is it bad form to ask why I was rejected? A friend mentioned that she petitioned the admissions department when she got rejected during her undergrad years and they ended up reversing their decision (she said she knew someone else who had done the same thing). Might this work for a graduate program, too? Or is it a done deal once the letters go out?
@Michael: Though I don't know whether it could get a decision reversed or not (though I doubt it), my personal vote is that asking why you were rejected wouldn't be particularly fruitful, and petitioning them to reverse their decision would be, at best, poor form. Besides, writing is such a subjective field, and, from everything I've heard, the decisions ad comms make is deeply tied to whom they want to work with in the upcoming years. If they don't want to work with your writing, then perhaps it's a bad fit for the program.
Besides, there are also considerations like funding (never enough) and faculty-student ratio (tryin' to keep it low) that make it seem unlikely to me that they would create an extra spot just because someone petitioned them to.
I disagree -- I think asking *how you could improve for future admission cycles* is perfectly normal (this is a little different than asking why you were rejected/petitioning for admission).
Most grad programs are used to getting this kind of question. They might tell you something directly useful like they'd like to see a stronger personal statement or an MS that shows greater breadth, or they might tell you it was strictly a matter of funding (which you can do little about). Regardless, information is always useful -- I would politely ask them how you might improve for next year, and see what they have to say.
I'm gonna go ahead and agree with Kat and Seth on this one. It's not that asking is completely bad form, but I don't think you'll get the answers you need. You just have to assume that either you weren't what they were looking for, or your work didn't quite make the cut. In case you want to reapply, pushing unnecessary questions on them might hurt future chances. I'd just run your work and letters and whatnot by people you trust will be honest with you, rather than the committees themselves.
Quick question - the 2011 App Response Data Bank says there was a Notre Dame fiction acceptance given by phone on March 7th - does anyone know if this is correct? I know there was an accpetance that went out for CNF on the 7th (someone posted that on this blog), but I haven't heard anything about fiction yet. Anyone else?
@grinning fox and inkli_11 and anyone else wondering about portland state or u of montana
I'm a student in fiction at Portland State and was just talking with some folks about the MFA blog last night, so I thought I'd check out how it was going this year. Congratulations on everyone's acceptances. Thoughts on PSU and Missoula:
On Portland State: We're a really, really new program still working out the kinks, but we're hiring a new fiction writer and a poet right now (still not sure who) and there's just generally a lot of buzz in the department. We've got a great bunch of students here, lots of different styles and ideas about writing. And we've got a great faculty that will continue to get better. That said, departmental funding is terrible, and Portland is not as cheap a city as people think. Still, with departmental funding as bad as it is, I managed a part time gig tutoring writing for the first two terms, and, starting this spring, have an assistantship from another department. So there is some money there, you just have to look hard for it.
On Missoula: I did my undergrad there and loved every second of it. It's a hip little mountain town with a surprisingly good music, art, literature, and even film scene, considering its size. It's a very liberal town in a very conservative state, which puts strange pressure on it and makes it a fun and interesting place to live. Writing faculty typically teach one undergrad course and one grad course per term, so I was able to work with many of the faculty as an undergrad. Fiction and nonfiction faculties are tremendous, and the poetry faculty is solid as well (i didn't get to take much poetry, but most everyone I know that did had good things to say about faculty). An example of Missoula's cultural currency: Susan Orlean (arguably the US's most famous literary journalist) will be there for a reading next week. On the map, it looks like a little nowhere town. It's not.
Any other questions from the two of you or anyone else about Missoula or PSU, email me - danielmollet [at] gmail [dot] com.
Reporting my acceptance to Irvine (poetry) today - a call from Michael Ryan. First acceptance for me this blistering application season, in which I've applied to 15 schools. Can I get an Amen?
I applied to Columbia for poetry, has anyone heard anything from them in poetry? I saw a few people in CNF were notified and I'm starting to get antsy.
It's the only place I applied to, but I got into the New School for poetry last year and deferred, so if I get Ito Columbia, a spot at the New School will free up :)
Can anyone help me out on this? Columbia? Anything?
I *believe* there were reports of fiction notifications going out a week or two ago - not certain, though. I am going to talk to a faculty member about technical things soon, so I will ask about notifications.
Man, you just got me quite excited about my likely choice of Montana. My only acceptance thus far, but it seems to be a great choice in terms of locale and general enthusiasm. Thanks for telling us what to expect and look forward to. I just saw that Susan Orlean and Rick Moody were visiting writers, which makes me quite excited for what's to come next year.
Yeah, it's a hell of a great place. I still travel from Portland to visit Missoula on a regular basis. Congratulations on the acceptance. I think you'll like Missoula.
Thanks for the Portland info. I was accepted in fiction and actually I'm really excited about their nonfiction faculty too...but, yes, the funding is a big problem. That might be the big deal breaker for me. Also, the city of Portland itself looks incredible. I would love to live there! Is there any word on who the new professors might be?
In at U Memphis for CNF--my last school to hear from. Found out by checking my application status ("accepted"), then emailed the program for confirmation. No details on funding yet.
So, 5 rejections, 5 acceptances, and 2 waitlists. My first round of apps in 2005 was all rejections.
Does anyone remember that weird email that came out of Arkansas earlier in the year? It said decisions wouldn't be made until the end of April. Do you think they were serious? Because, if they notify after April 15, I don't see how anyone could go there, except for people who were ONLY accepted there. Has anyone heard anything from Arkansas?
@Julie: it seems that across the board (except for Minnesota) schools have tended to notify acceptances a bit earlier than they predicted in official announcements. Perhaps late April is really when they intend to send rejection letters? Although with other schools, I think the late prediction was intended to keep anxious phone calls to a minimum, but I can't see how a late-April prediction could do anything BUT lead to worried phone calls!
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That's incredibly, helpful - thanks. I left the FB group for time-management purposes and really appreciate the update.
Has anyone heard from Brooklyn College?
If you're accepted somewhere off the waitlist and you're invited to ask questions and all that, is it appropriate to ask why you were waitlisted? I guess probably not....
I wouldn't ask that. They will just say "It was a difficult choice and we wish that we could accept a larger class blah blah blah." I doubt there's one specific reason, one line in your work, one misspelling, that landed you on the waitlist. I'm thinking of how that conversation would go and I just feel awkward.
@lB
I think what might be better option is to wait and see if you get in off the wait-list or get in elsewhere. If you get in, it doesn't matter much in the immediate.
But if you don't get in and are starting to plan for next year, I think it's fair to ask if you think they'll be helpful if they have any suggestions for what you could do differently next year. They might not give anything concrete, but some folks are very transparent and might say 'story A was awesome, story B made us worry.'
I know someone who asked a school what she could do for next year and found out that one of her recommenders basically through her under the bus-- which was definitely good to find out, she didn't use him next time.
Well, upon further reflection, I think it would be appropriate to discuss your work and ask which piece they liked the best. But I wouldn't phrase it as "Why didn't I just get in right away". I would make it seem like you're generally interested in what kind of potential they saw in your work. You can assume what they don't compliment you on is the weakness or stylistic difference that may have sent you to the waitlist.
Blob and K, thanks for the advice. I guess I'll wait a bit and then try to politely ask what they thought about my work (if I do get in) or what I could do better next year (if I don't).
And Blob, that's ridiculous what your friend's professor did! I thought if you couldn't say nice things about someone, you didn't agree to "recommend" them?? Oh well, guess some professors don't get that!
@Holla
Where are you getting this info from South Carolina? I sent an email out a while back and they sent me basically "you're still pending, but we've sent out initial offers" which seems a whole lot to me like they were expecting to give more offers eventually. And their selectivity, compared with their program rank, also seems like they would end up losing kids to higher ranked programs. I'm for fiction by the way. And still holding onto every last shred of hope.
Yay back-up plans: I'm officially an "in" for an MA Comp & Comm program.
Deck,
I thought your response from them was strange. I got a nice email from the MFA director saying that all offers went out, and while there is no official waitlist, there seems to be a vast amount of unnotified applicants. Basically, they don't send out "non-acceptances" until late April.
What is comes down to is funding. They apparently accept only as many as they can afford. However, if they get more funding, or if places become available, they move down the list.
They don't have an official waitlist, don't contact those they aren't accepting.
Very little transparency here.
Any word on whether Iowa is finished notifying acceptances for CNF?
I dig the current new design. Clean, with pop of color. No beige. Nicely done.
In at Minnesota State for nonfiction, via letter, today
Anybody heard anything from NC State yet?
Congrats Amy!
Got a phone call from Deborah Landau at NYU today, in for poetry. First good news after a slew of rejections from Cornell, Brown, UT Austin.
@Lucas, I think someone get a call today, reported it on the Facebook page, for poetry.
I hope I get a call :-/
@ the bugs -
CHEERS!
In at U of Idaho for CNF--had a phone message waiting tonight. Not much detail yet, but I have been offered a TA position.
Congrats to all the rest of the acceptances, and good luck to the rest!
In at Idaho for nonfiction today!
Emailed LSU a couple of days ago because Mardi Gras is way late this year, and I was curious if notifications would be later. Heard back this morning that they are "aiming for mid March." 2 weeks, 2 weeks, 2 weeks....
@Amy,
congrats on Idaho; you seem to be doing well with acceptances. Perhaps we'll meet in Moscow.
@Tom,
Same to you! Do you think you will visit your programs before making a decision? I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of having to take time off work and get on a plane in a few weeks....
Amy,
I don't think I can manage visits to anywhere far away (I'm teaching full time in northwestern Wisconsin), but I have begun hunting down stuff the faculty has written. If you do visit, let me know what you think. My gmail name is tpamperin.
Good luck with decisions.
Received a phone call that I'm in at Pacific University (low-res program) for fiction!
ApplyingGraphite: Bonnie Jo Campbell teaches fiction at Pacific U! She is both the bomb and the real deal.
Thanks, Mimi! That's good to know...I'm having a tough time deciding where to go!
Think I got a wait-list call from Oregon today, for fiction. One of the faculty left a voicemail in which he expressed enthusiasm for my work and asked to talk with me about "the process" (which sounds ominous and waitlist-y). Damn, so close.
anyone heard whispers about Colorado State? It's getting to be well past last year's notification date for them.
Those of you waiting to hear on Montana fiction, FYI, I don't think I would've been notified about my acceptance (by email) UNLESS my application was missing something. Karen Sturm said that she'd be sending acceptances out by mail in March, apparently. So good luck!
Yesterday I was offered admission to Johns Hopkins fiction MFA. Does anyone know why this program has fallen from top ten to #30 in the P&W rankings in the past few years? I am extremely happy about the admissions offer--and I want to learn as much as I can about the program. Thank you!
Congrats on all the acceptances!
Anyone heard anything from Irvine yet?
@ Nyl
As a sems student, I can tell you the program at JHU is great. The reason it went down in the rankings has nothing to do with the quality of the program, it has to do with the fact that fewer people apply to the program (as reported on this blog and Seth's) compared to other programs. This might have something to do with the GRE and language requirements, a more expensive app fee, and a selective department (they take, on average, five in each genre). Add all this up, more people feel the odds are against them and fewer decide to apply. Since I have been here the stipend has increased nearly 25%.
@jamie_mu - Thank you for your comments. This makes a lot of sense to me. I know JHU is a top, top program and I'm frankly stunned by the admissions and fellowship offer. I think the particularities of the program that may dissuade others from applying are some of the same reasons why the school is a good fit for me--academic background in lit and interest in foreign languages. I am anxious to accept, I just want to make sure students are happy there, and that the atmosphere feels right to me. I am trying to coordinate a visit right now, despite my busy work schedule... Any other insights you can offer would be extremely valuable! : )
Anyone on this blog get into University of South Carolina for fiction (or other)? If so, do you have other options?
I'm in at Oregon! Not a waitlist. An acceptance.
I'm totally WTFed-out by this whole process. I've been rejected from Wyoming, Boise State and probably Texas State yet accepted at Oregon.
I mean, they say this process is subjective, but I had know idea HOW subjective: I figured overall I'd be more likely to get into a school with a higher acceptance rate or a school outside the Top 50. But this process is subjective to its core.
DON'T GIVE UP. I basically gave up after Wyoming rejected me, and then I got a phone call from someone I liked more than Wyoming.
OH and huge congrats N.K. on JHU. I applied there and most certainly did not get a phone call. But it's an absolutely wonderful program.
@Almond Punch, congrats!!! Congrats everyone!
Oh this is wonderful to see! What a great sense of community and support. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share equally in acceptances, rejections, and writing life in general.
To add my rejection so far: The University of Wisconsin - Madison MFA graciously declined my application. Sigh.
This is my second year applying to MFA's. Now waiting for Iowa, CSU, Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, Purdue, and Virginia Tech.
Keep writing!
Congrats on everyone's acceptances so far. I, myself, am assuming rejection from Iowa and Arizona, but haven't yet heard from my two other schools.
That said, here's some gossip/info:
Word is that UNLV is hiring Maile Chapman for fiction, which is an awesome, awesome thing. They need new blood.
And, I got an email stating that San Jose State will notify by March 25, for you Bay Area hopefuls.
I have what may seem like an odd or silly question: if you receive a message that you were accepted on your voicemail (or answering machine even) is it standard procedure to call them back? Or is it just a courtesy?
Thanks all. Congrats to all accepted and/or waitlisted, and good luck to those still waiting for good news!
@Karen -
Definitely call back. They want to hear your voice. Calling back will also communicate that you are interested in the program.
NC State called me and I'm in for fiction. Full funding. Holla.
I'm currently living abroad, and the family number I gave schools has changed--do you think it is worth e-mailing everyone telling them my contact info changed--when it's not really *my* contact info?
@Eli, they'll need at least 1 good number to get you at, for sure! I don't see why you can't give an international # if you're just visiting overseas and not an international candidate.
Um, check your SPAM folks, just found 3 message from UNCW, one from Michael White...swoon!
@ Nyl
Congrats on JHU! The program in fiction is quite small- just 5 students per year. My son is a first year there. With tuition remission and the generous stipend he is able to be self-supporting (parents like that). He was straight out of college but most of the MFA candidates are older. One thing to consider is that in your first year you teach IFP (Introduction to Fiction and Poetry), a 3 credit class. Son took this very seriously and spent a lot of time preparing lectures. Giving feedback and grades on weekly poems and stories and finally evaluating students portfolios is time consuming. Obviously this is time that could be otherwise spent writing. However my son is very much enjoying teaching this semester. The class has a lot of upperclassmen (many premed). At Hopkins if the TA says "jump" the student says "how high?" Finally a little known fact is a number of grad students stay at JHU for a third year as paid adjuncts and continue their writing. If you can, pay a visit to see if its a good fit for you
@ Nyl
Did Hopkins say they're finished notifying for fiction? I mean I'm sure it doesn't take long to let five people know...but you know what I mean.
Any info would be helpful! I'm getting ready to cross it off my list!
Has anybody heard a peep from Univ. of Florida?
dadofwriter, Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I do think it's exactly what I was looking for in a program, and I've had a great feeling about JHU from the start. I'm very glad to hear your son is happy.
jellyfish, I'm not sure if all of the offers have gone out. I know of a handful of other acceptances in both fiction and poetry. Best of luck! I hope you have good news very soon.
Grinning Fox, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news... Florida calls have gone out in both poetry and fiction. And they were down to 4 per genre this year.
@'11 MFA Draft:
Why are you assuming rejection from Arizona? (And are you referring to University of Arizona or Arizona State?) Based on your comment, I'm assuming you're fiction. Has anyone been accepted into the University of Arizona's fiction program yet?
Mailed rejection from Southern Illinois at Carbondale (poetry).
Nine to go.
Have a question, I am still waiting to hear back from several schools, got rejections from Michener, Syracuse. I was recently informed that one of my pieces of flash fiction is going to be published. Should I inform the universities that I have yet to hear back from of the upcoming publication? Is that considered tacky or would they appreciate being kept in the loop? I understand it won't effect my chances too much, but still, thoughts?
@Almond Punch: thanks. I thought so but this is all so new to me. I did call, and didn't reach Lavonne (@UNCW) but did leave a giddy babbling voicemail that I think conveys my excitement. Hopefully it isn't so all over the place it makes them regret the offer!
@Jessica: thanks for that post re: spam. Sure enough I had 2 UNCW emails there I'd never have found otherwise!
@paper
Though I also write fiction, I only applied to nonfiction this year. I'm assuming rejection from U of AZ because they've already notified CNF acceptees (as early as Feb 18th, I believe). Not sure if anyone has been accepted in fiction or poetry yet though...
@Karen, no problem! Have they mentioned funding to you at all? I heard from Lavonne Adams today and sah said that funding was "all locked up". I don't know if that means they have offered funding to other students, or if there just isn't much funding to be offered this year.
@Louise
I applied to Brooklyn in Fiction, and I haven't heard yet.
@Karen, correction on my last message...she said "At this point, all of the funding isn't locked in."
Maybe it's just wait and see...
I received a not admitted letter (on physical paper that came in the mail!) from Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (I see that Holla received one from Southern Illinois at Carbondale). This was the first actual letter that I received (not a single one last year, all e-mails) and it was personally signed; a kind and gracious letter, I must say. Makes the not being accepted feel much better.
I just got an admissions offer from Columbia University (Nonfiction, via phone).
@Jessica: Lavonne said they weren't able to offer me funding right now, but she'd let me know "immediately" if that should change. I'd assume if anyone accepted in poetry w/ funding declines, then the next on the accepted list would get it. We can only dream, I suppose!
Anyone here from NYU for fiction? I'd love to get in touch.
I heard via phone call this past Wednesday, 3/2. I've been so busy with work that I've hardly had a chance to process it. But needless to say, VERY EXCITED.
Almost forgot, congrats to every on their acceptances! And for everyone else who hasn't heard, don't get discouraged. I had almost counted myself out before I heard.
This is my second year applying. Last year I was accepted to one school that I declined for financial reasons, and I was waitlisted at NYU.
Accepted at Univ. Montana (w/funding), phone, 3/4.
In at Columbia for CNF - by phone.
I don't know if this is covered yet, but I was unable to find a post on this. I would love to do an MFA in creative writing (concentration on poetry) as an online program. Are there any legitimate programs out there that does this? If so, could you recommend me some programs? Thank you sincerely!
~Kathy
Nyl,
Just wanted to clarify the situation with respect to Johns Hopkins. First, let me say that it's a wonderful program, and nothing here is intended to take away from that -- I'm literally just adding to what's already been said re: JHU's ranking. The short version is that JHU has actually not been "Top 10" at any point in the twenty-first century, at least not rankings-wise. Here are the last five years of rankings:
2007: #16
2008: #14
2009: #17
2010: #29
2011: #15
You can see that, with the exception of one "anomaly year," the rankings have been insanely consistent -- JHU has not been #30 "the past few years" but in fact ranged only three spots in the rankings (varying between #14 and #17) in every year of the last five but one. As to the explanation for that anomaly year, there could be many, and some have been provided here, but there are others: dissatisfaction with Baltimore; lack of transparency from the program regarding funding stipend; a reputation for aesthetic conservatism among the faculty; minimal program outreach to applicants; a non-user-friendly website; and so on. All of these factors are factors applicants report playing into their decision not to apply to JHU, and so to the extent the rankings are measuring the tendency of applicants to apply to various programs we can (and do) listen to the why of those decisions so we know why programs are dropping or gaining in popularity. And to applicants' credit, the reasons are always substantive. FWIW, JHU was a mere 4 votes (out of 527 cast) away from achieving a Top 25 status in 2010 -- the "anomaly year" -- so really it might well have just been a statistical blip. The point being, JHU has actually not undergone wild ranking fluctuations this century.
Cheers (and congrats on your acceptance!),
S.
@Lotus,
Not sure about online MFAs, but there are a lot of low residency MFAs, for which you only have to be on campus a couple times a year. Some of these programs may have online components (I have no idea about that, though-- I never researched low res programs).
@Lotus:
All low-res programs are primarily conducted online, via a very close correspondence with your professor. Once or twice a year, you are required to spend an intensive period of time (usually between 2 and 6 weeks) on campus, when you meet other people in the low-res program and your professor/advisor, do workshops and writing exercises, etc.
You can find info on low-res programs on Seth's blog. I'm currently getting my M.A. at Lancaster University in England, and they are renowned for their "distance learning" M.A. and PhD - you would have to come to England once a year, but it might be worth checking that out, too.
Anyone heard about UF waitlists?
Seth, I posted this on the acceptance page, but I wanted to get your thoughts on Montana versus Ohio State. Seems like OSU is an up-and-comer, but Montana has a more solid reputation. I have funding at both, so that is not an issue.
Seth - Thank you so much! I hadn't seen their recent rankings, or their ranking for 2011, just for 2010 because I bought that issue of P&W when I started thinking about applying for MFAs. I think 2010 must have been an anomaly. I also think the Huffington Post article must have helped to boost applications again this year... I was told they were inundated. Also, for the record, faculty and current students have been incredibly friendly and helpful in answering questions--everything is checking out beautifully. Anyway, I'm glad for the information, so thank you again!
I had a similar -type question about U Mass to the JHU question. It looks like in 2010 it was ranked #4, and then 2011 #12. Does anyone know why that would be the case?
@Seth, what are the factors for calling a program academic or studio? Which would you consider South Carolina to be?
Thanks!
Any new writer needs writing credits.
How to get some?
One way is to enter and win the First Official Pop Lit Story Opening Contest, which so far is up for grabs. A strong entry will take it.
Did I mention that prizes will be mailed for the top three winning entries?
200 words max. Openings-- not entire stories.
Deadline scarcely two weeks away.
Thanks!
@Mimi
Thanks for the UF info. That's pretty depressing for me--they were one of my top two picks. Still, waiting on word from 7 more schools. Keeping the hope alive! Thanks again
Ramona,
That's still a fairly minor drop, but the primary reasons there were: 1) revelation of the program's relatively poor funding (with 40% of admittees being fully funded rather than 100%, though I hear that's changing), 2) rumors of dissatisfaction among the students, and 3) the illness of a major professor in one of the genres. But also, 4) other strong programs simply leap-frogged them, which was much easier than it would be otherwise because UMass has always been primarily strong reputation-wise in poetry, less so in fiction. It's the same reason Irvine can't -- and won't -- crack the Top 10, i.e. it's much stronger in one genre than another and some programs are very strong in both (or even three) genres. So you can/should expect UMass to be ranked between #12 and #18 for the foreseeable future.
S.
Eric,
It'd take too long to give all the reasons, but I'll say that, for me, Ohio State would probably be the better decision. Your mileage may vary.
S.
Any chance UVA will notify any earlier this year? Their usual acceptance date just seems unfair.
Thanks so much Seth.
@AlmondPunch - Congrats, and thanks for the morale boost. I'm down to the wire, with 6 confirmed rejections, 3 presumed rejections, and now just waiting on JHU, Montana, Oregon, and Irvine. Here's to Hail Mary long shots!
@ Zak Nelson
I'm with you on the Irvine Hail Mary!
Crossing my fingers for you, Zak!
To all successful poetry applicants!
Would any of you mind sharing your portfolio? I'm trying to see for next year (b/c this year is looking not so good for me) which programs are liking which poetry.
I'm on yahoo at: poetrymfa
Thanks!!
When turning down a program's offer, do you call or email?
Acceptance to Emerson today via mail. They said fellowship information had not been decided yet, and that they'd let people know once they've made decisions.
I'm in Boston, so those of you further out should have a letter coming soon!
Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted!
Infrequent poster here, but just wondering if there is any news about UC Riverside and Rutgers Newark? I know they started notifying already, but should I assume they are finished?
@Almond Punch
I think an email should suffice. At least, that's what I would do, personally. I would only call if, say, you were having trouble picking between two schools. That way you could call them with "I'm having a hard time deciding" and hear what they have to say. Who knows, they might say something to sway you one way or another.
Or, you could always snail-mail 'em, ha ha.
Very interesting geographic breakdown of acceptances/rejections:
Northern (ish) United States:
Iowa (accepted)
Columbia (accepted)
Montana (accepted)
George Mason (accepted)
Southern United States:
Arizona (assumed rejection)
Alabama (assumed rejection)
UNC Wilmington (assumed rejection)
Hollins (assumed rejection)
All in CNF.
Also, does anyone know of outside scholarships that can still be applied for? My search has only yielded program scholarships but, at least according to Columbia's financing-your-degree page, outside assistance is available.
Thanks for sharing!
@Emily,
Mine are looking very, very similar. I'm also in CNF.
@Michael
I'm in at NYU for fiction, too. I'd love to talk more--you can email me at: dontcallmerach at gmail.
I apologize if this has been asked before, but: I'm on two waitlists (Wyoming and Oregon State). Is it standard practice / advisable for a waitlistee to reply to the waitlister's notification email just as an acknowledgment and to say thanks?
@Matt: Not sure what's advisable (though I'd love to hear from others!), but when I got my waitlist email from Minnesota, I shot over a two-sentence thanks.
@Matt I also sent over a small e-mail saying thank you to my waitlisted schools. On a related note, what do you guys say to asking a school what number you are on the waitlist? Good idea? Bad Idea?
On a more-or-less unrelated note, does anyone know where Iowa Writers' Workshop is standing on acceptances and waitlist notifications? I think I've only seen 1 or 2 poetry acceptances on TSE about two weeks ago, and after that a suspicious silence on the poetry front. I feel like such a large program would produce more acceptees from all the various blogs...
@Matt Also, congrats on your waitlists! I've been waitlisted at two schools and it's a strange experience. You get both a feeling of accomplishment and frustration from wondering what minor point in the application went wrong. Oh well, I guess we knew what we were signing up for.
It's definitely good to write back and thank them and express your continuing interest. If you know which one you'd prefer to get into, you should also tell that school that they're your 'first choice' and that, should you get in, you will definitely come.
Yeah, I say respond to a waitlist email. I was waitlisted at UNCW last year. I sent a quick thanks and asked where I was on the list.
Lavonne--I'm not sure if she works there, but she was who I was corresponding with last year--was very helpful, told me where I was on the list and included my chances of getting accepted based on how many offers had already been accepted and confirmed. Saved me a lot of worrying! Obviously I didn't make the cut, which is why I'm here applying for a second time!
There're my two cents.
Anyone heard in fiction from Brooklyn, Hollins or American?
Also, I've been thinking about this alot lately.
Lets talk about post-MFA oppportunities. I know everyone says that an MFA won't open doors in terms of career opportunities (professorships, etc). But what CAN an MFA help you achieve (besides hopefully improved writing)? What does it mean when the MFA rankings say "Post Graduate Placement" ranking. Where are graduates being placed if not in university teaching positions? What other options are there besides teaching?
I'm currently a secondary school teacher, but I'm an assistant since I don't have a MA in Education. And I'm not planning on getting one. What if I graduate from a moderately good MFA program (I'm thinking GMU right now) and can't find a job post graduation?
Thoughts? Encouragement? Optimism?
waiting list at Indiana! woo
@Fielding Mellish
I can see all three of your comments
@ gellyfish,
I'm a current MFA student at Emerson. Please feel free to email me if you would like to talk about the program! lauratetreault@gmail.com
(same for anyone else considering Emerson!)
Hello everyone,
I'm new to this game. I applied to U Michigan, Iowa, Wyoming, Oregon, and Boston U, all fiction. 2/19 Wyoming notified me that I was on their waitlist. No news from anyone else, although I submitted the Boston app on the deadline (March 1st).
Hoping to hear some news from Boston and Oregon, no huge hopes for Iowa and Michigan. I have been nothing but impressed by Wyoming. I really hope that list moves around some.
Thanks for all the posts, too. Great distraction from the inbox!
Ah, yes. Officially rejected from Iowa's NWP today via the snailest of mails. Go me!
Seth,
In my previous query about OSU versus Montana, you said my "mileage may vary". Can I ask what you meant? I don't mean parse words, but I'm having a real hard time with my decision. Any additional reasons as to why you said OSU over Montana would be incredibly helpful. And I need help. To make things worse, I'm in at Brooklyn, where I live, but with the lack of funding, I'd have to work full time and go to school, ie, have even less time to write than I do now. That, and I noticed that OSU had jumped to only one spot behind Montana. They seem to be trending in different directions.
Thanks
Seth--
If you want to respond confidentially, my email is emhowell7@gmail.com
Just waitlisted at Hollins by email; I applied in a combination of fiction/CNF/poetry.
Good news! But they said they most likely won't select from their waitlist until after April 15, and I already have other funded offers, so I probably won't get in at Hollins.
Waitlisted at Indiana and Hollins today for fiction.
No acceptances so far this year, but this adds to my optimism about reapplying next year!
Hi guys,
Sorry this isn't wholly pertinent, although I believe you'll find it interesting: I'm the Fiction Editor at The Missing Slate: themissingslate.com, a literary/arts magazine. It's run mostly out of Islamabad, but is in English and geared towards an international audience (hence my involvement). It's still getting off the ground, but we get more and more (and better and better) submissions for each issue (last issue we had almost 100 fiction submissions and published five). I realized that a good way to automatically infuse some quality writing into the mag was to advertise to all of you talented people. Check it out, especially the Theme of the Week, which is a cool new concept I've decided to try...
Thanks!
P.S. Just waitlisted at UF for fiction via e-mail. (Not getting my hopes up, but still very happy.) Anyone else hear from them today?
I also got a waitlist notification from Hollins (fiction) via email.
And got an email from NYU and am on their waitlist as well (also fiction).
Waitlisted this morning for poetry at UF via email. For all of those accepted: I live in Florida and let me tell you, if from a cheerful Northern climate, Florida is a hellish corridor of Disney-smiling, flip-flop wearing people and it's 106 degrees year round. You definitely don't want to move here. I, on the other hand, am willing to stay. *poker face*
I'm a first-time poster, but I've been reading for awhile. Received an official rejection from Michigan (fiction) in the mail today dated February 25th. Assuming rejection from Iowa, and still waiting to hear from Notre Dame. It looks like they've sent out poetry acceptances, but any word on fiction?
I never post on this blog but I kind of follow it, and I'm a member of the Facebook group. Tonight I got a call from Steve Tomasula and I'm in at Notre Dame for CNF (!!!). :)
FYI, I've already posted this on the Facebook group (those in the MFA Facebook group--this is the girl with the story about being in a band rehearsal... I know you can trace it back to me, but I'm trying to avoid using my real name).
@Blob
Sigh. Damn. Just Googled "Fielding Mellish" (I never watch movies) and understood you were calling me out.
So, to clear everything up, I do have two screen names on the blog: Norman the Honda dealer and Almond Punch. People have various reasons for making up avatars other than dissociative identity disorder; mine was mainly insecurity -- I believed I wasn't going to get in anywhere and wanted a fake person to take the hits for me. I guess that does sound a little neurotic, but this process has brought out the neurotic in me.
I am a real applicant in fiction, I have applied to 21 programs, I have heard back officially from seven programs, I've gotten into six places, I'm assuming rejection from around nine or ten places, I am a 25-year-old female etc. So I'm not an impostor or a troll. I was a frequent poster on the Facebook group for a while (my real name, my real Facebook picture) but left the group in an attempt to get myself to do some more writing.
I hope that cleared everything up. Sorry for the confusion. None of my posts have been dishonest. On TSE, all my posts have been truthful: I have gotten into Rutgers-Newark, Oregon and Montana.
So! This has been embarrassing. But I hope now no one is confused or distrustful of one another. I think most avatars are not trolls; they are real applicants who are excessively private and introverted, or who are in some way or for some reason insecure or nervous about posting ("Will the school feel betrayed if I post my acceptance on TSE?" I have even wondered).
Take care and I still wish everyone the best.
I'm sorry if I've missed this information somewhere on here, but has anyone heard anything about Johns Hopkins' waitlist?
@almond punch
I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. I never intended to call anyone out. All I know is that someone named Fielding Mellish asked if their blog posts were visible, so I responded to say that they were.
I know nothing else. :s
Just to close the loop on the waitlist / email reply - Thanks everybody for the very thoughtful and helpful advice!
Facebook group acceptance updates
Names of accepted people removed, but can be found on the Facebook group doc
March 2nd, UCF (poetry) email- 1 person
March 1st- Idaho (fiction) - 1 person
March 2nd - Idaho (fiction) - 1 different person
March 2nd - Idaho (nonfiction) - 1 person
March 2nd - Iowa (nonfiction) - 1 person
March 2nd- University Central Florida- Fiction (email)- 1 person
March 2nd- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (fiction) (mail)- 1 person
March 2nd- VCU (poetry)- 1 person
March 3rd - Minnesota State @ Mankato (CNF) snail mail - 1 person
March 3rd - Iowa State (poetry) phone - 1 person
March 3rd - Idaho (nonfiction) - email - 1 person
March 3rd - Virginia Tech (poetry) - email - 1 person
March 3rd - Bowling Green (fiction) phone- 1 person
March 3rd - University of Minnesota (poetry) email: 1 person
March 3rd - Oregon State University (fiction) phone - 1 person
March 3rd - University of Oregon (fiction) email - 1 person
March 4th- Boston University (Poetry) and Brooklyn College (Poetry) phone- 1 person
March 4th - Columbia (CNF); [phone] 1 person
March 4th - Columbia College Chicago (Fiction) - (mail) - 1 person
March 4th - Kansas State MA - (CNF) - 1 person
March 5th - Emerson (fiction) mail - 2 people
March 6th - Columbia (CNF): [phone] 1 person
March 7th - University of Maryland (poetry) - 1 person [letter, email 3/4]
March 7th - University of Montana (Fiction) - 1 person (phone)
March 7th - Columbia College Chicago (Poetry) - 1 person (mail)
March 7th - University of New Hampshire (non-fiction) - 1 person
March 7th - University of Notre Dame (CNF) - 1 person [phone]
All those people are not me
:(
Apologies if this has been posted before but can someone post the fan page title or group name for this Facebook page I've heard much about.
I've typed in several names I think would fit, but none fit the description.
MFA Draft '11
My results so far--
Rejected:
Michener-F, Iowa-CNF, Minnesota-CNF, Wyoming-F/CNF, Montana-CNF
Waitlist:
Illinois-Urbana-F, Hollins-F/CNF/P
Accepted:
Northern Michigan-CNF, Idaho-CNF, U of Arizona-CNF
???:
New Hampshire-CNF, Memphis-CNF
Beats my unblemished rejection record from my last applications!
Just a general update due to finally receiving an acceptance(!). All for fiction.
Official rejections:
Vanderbilt
Syracuse
Wyoming
Oregon
Waiting on:
UF (assumed rejection)
Iowa (assumed rejection)
Univ. West Virginia
Univ. Virginia
Fresno State
LSU
Accepted:
Portland State--received an email today and a snail mail letter is supposed to follow.
Any opinions out there on Portland State?
@Inyour
I noticed FB, with its mysterious logic, would hide the group from me when I searched it before joining.
Try pasting http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_111211268949325 into your web browser and see if that works.
Michener, email, playwriting/screenwriting via email. Seth posted it for me on fb, because I want to stay anon. I am also agog. Third round of apps.
I got impatient and emailed New Hampshire about my app in CNF--got a reply from the director: I'm in! No TA offer yet, funding a bit up in the air but still possible.
Seth, are preliminary 2012 rankings available? I've seen them referenced a few times. It seems like lots of changes are developing - interesting...
I have a question --
I was just accepted into a program that I'm very excited to go to. My best friend (and fellow poet), is on the top of the waitlist of that program. she is wondering if she should let the program know (in her response letter) that she knows someone who is going, who has workshopped with her before and who complements artistic sensibilities, etc. As in, will that seem too much like a "oh i want in my BF is there" or is it a legitimate thing to say that will appreciate because it means at least two workshop members have worked together before? Is that even something MFAs look for?
@ Mari -
In the case of waitlisters, it's often the case that there just isn't enough money for everyone. To illustrate this, let me tell you about my situation at Florida. One of their faculty called and told me that if they had access to the same funding they had last year, I would have been offered admission. But, seeing as they had to cut two spots due to state budget cuts, I am waitlisted. They want me to go if one of the initial four drops out, but they don't have the money for me at present.
@ Summer: Are you fiction or poetry?
@ Mari: It's probably better if your friend just writes them expressing strong interest (if she'd def go if she got in, she should tell them that). The rest might feel like bullying a bit. It's always better to air on the side of subtle with these things, I think...
@The Hoot -
Poetry.
Summer, I'm in pretty much the same position for fiction. Let's send each other good vibes!
Getting out my conga drums and jawharp right now!
I'll start my rain dance soon.
For some reason, I am still holding out hope for Alabama, Syracuse, and Indiana. Are these schools absolutely finished notifying, or is there still a chance?
Both Indiana and Alabama have notified wait-listed students, so I imagine that they're probably done notifying :o(
Syracuse has notified waitlisters, too. Although they've also sent out rejections too. Double-secret waitlist? I'd consider emailing to follow up.
I've been mostly lurking and that is due to the fact that I have zero acceptances so far. I assume I'll be receiving my IWW rejection letter in the mail this week. So I'm just waiting for Irvine after that. Poetry. I try to start drinking at 5pm every day now.
Have any fiction applicants heard from Memphis?
FYI, I contacted the director at BGSU yesterday and found out I am "high on the waitlist" in poetry.
Hm, i'm tired of posting on the fb group but always want to hear this stuff myself, so i'll post here:
accepted at memphis for cnf last week
waitlists:
hollins on 3/8 for cnf
uncw today for cnf (i contacted them to find out)
hello everyone,
i'm having a pretty hard time trying to decide between a few programs and could use some advice. the programs are indiana, montana and illinois.
i'm especially interested in any information people can give me about the locations, as i've never been to bloomington, missoula or urbana-champaign and somehow i'm not too excited about the prospect of living in any of these towns (besides missoula, which sounds lovely...).
i'd appreciate all and any information, experiences, memories, etc. with regard to these places.
thanks!
@inkli
Missoula does sound lovely, doesn't it?
I've never been to any of those places, but some friends of mine said Bloomington is a fun college town.
I live in Chicago and love it. Champaign is a pretty close drive (or bus), so if you're a big-city kind of person that's a great option.
Montana is a two year program right? And the others are three years. Does that factor in at all? I guess if you don't end up too excited to live in any of the towns that could matter, ha.
I know I'm not much help, but I decided to put my two cents in.
thanks, K.
i've also heard that bloomington is a nice college town, but that itself is what i fear. when i hear "college town," i imagine a town dominated by undergraduates and that's not the sort of culture i'm interested in, as i am in my mid-(almost late)-twenties and would like to have people my own age, or older, around..
@inkli
I hear ya. I went to Iowa City last summer for a couple weeks, and I loved it. But I shuttered picturing the return of the big-ten undergraduate mob.
I think you will be able to find a niche in any place, but I do completely understand your hesitation about a "college-town", especially when that's usually the first description given.
Maybe location isn't going to be the decision-maker for you, but luckily you have some great academic options!
RE: Bloomington
I went to IU, and I can assure you it's more than a typical college town. I left in 2003, and I still have friends who live there. People tend to hang around after graduation. The town and campus are bucolic, the rent is cheap, and the music/art scene appeal to people who don't want or aren't ready to make the move to NYC or LA or Chicago. The music scene is really special due to Secretly Candadian and Jagjaguwar, labels based in Bloomington that bring in great bands. Sure, the campus is dominated by undergrads and frat boys, but the town itself is a liberal oasis dominated by late 20's early 30 somethings with a very friendly DIY attitude. When I was there, I barely noticed the greek community because of the tight-knit art community. I live in NYC now, and I go back there whenever I can.
That said, I didn't apply there because after a few years, Bloomington can feel VERY small and most of my old writing teachers are still there. I'm in at Montana and visiting Missoula in two weeks, and I hope to the find a version of Bloomington in the Rockies.
From the University of MN MFA website:
"Applicants with offers and applicants placed on the waitlist were notified on Friday, March 4."
So, safe to assume rejection for those of us yet to hear anything, yes?
thanks, eric. this information is really helpful.
@inkli:
I've heard Bloomington is absolutely amazing, with a lot of up and coming scenes (music, artistic, etc.) But more than location or anything else, I would concentrate on the faculty: which school has a faculty whose work you admire the most?
Checked my status on my Minnesota page, rejected today. Batting 1 for 7 (Montana). Just thought I'd update!
To any interested U of Idaho applicants. I just withdrew my name from their fiction acceptance list. So someone on their waitlist should be hearing something soon
Accepted to U of San Francisco this morning via phone call (CNF).
Rejected:
Iowa NWP
Accepted:
U of SF
Dunno yet:
U of AZ (assuming rejection)
SJSU (will notify by the 25th)
At least someone likes me so far. (coquettish, twirling toe in sand)
@ Seth (or anyone who knows):
I remember seeing information at some point about the University of New Hampshire and how it's a good, albeit new, program. I'd love to hear more about it. I've been accepted for non-fiction and really like how much journalism experience the faculty seem to have. I'd also like to know how it compares to George Mason.
Thanks!
Lisa,
I, too, like the journalism-friendly vibe of UNH; I'm in for nonfiction, too. Don't know much, other than a really good reputation in nonfiction. No funding for me yet, alas...
I just got my first rejection letter, from Portland State. Because I'm new to this, is it bad form to ask why I was rejected? A friend mentioned that she petitioned the admissions department when she got rejected during her undergrad years and they ended up reversing their decision (she said she knew someone else who had done the same thing). Might this work for a graduate program, too? Or is it a done deal once the letters go out?
Typo in the IWW rejection letter = somehow comforting
@ABC -- There was a typo in my PSU rejection letter, too. Unbelievable!
@Michael: Though I don't know whether it could get a decision reversed or not (though I doubt it), my personal vote is that asking why you were rejected wouldn't be particularly fruitful, and petitioning them to reverse their decision would be, at best, poor form. Besides, writing is such a subjective field, and, from everything I've heard, the decisions ad comms make is deeply tied to whom they want to work with in the upcoming years. If they don't want to work with your writing, then perhaps it's a bad fit for the program.
Besides, there are also considerations like funding (never enough) and faculty-student ratio (tryin' to keep it low) that make it seem unlikely to me that they would create an extra spot just because someone petitioned them to.
Michael,
Respectfully -- yes, it's bad form. Don't do it.
S.
@ michael
I disagree -- I think asking *how you could improve for future admission cycles* is perfectly normal (this is a little different than asking why you were rejected/petitioning for admission).
Most grad programs are used to getting this kind of question. They might tell you something directly useful like they'd like to see a stronger personal statement or an MS that shows greater breadth, or they might tell you it was strictly a matter of funding (which you can do little about). Regardless, information is always useful -- I would politely ask them how you might improve for next year, and see what they have to say.
@Michael,
I'm gonna go ahead and agree with Kat and Seth on this one. It's not that asking is completely bad form, but I don't think you'll get the answers you need. You just have to assume that either you weren't what they were looking for, or your work didn't quite make the cut. In case you want to reapply, pushing unnecessary questions on them might hurt future chances. I'd just run your work and letters and whatnot by people you trust will be honest with you, rather than the committees themselves.
Quick question - the 2011 App Response Data Bank says there was a Notre Dame fiction acceptance given by phone on March 7th - does anyone know if this is correct? I know there was an accpetance that went out for CNF on the 7th (someone posted that on this blog), but I haven't heard anything about fiction yet. Anyone else?
I talked with a woman at Notre Dame yesterday.
All the fiction acceptances and waitlists have gone out. At least that's what she made it seem like.
Someone reported a fiction acceptance on this blog.
@grinning fox and inkli_11 and anyone else wondering about portland state or u of montana
I'm a student in fiction at Portland State and was just talking with some folks about the MFA blog last night, so I thought I'd check out how it was going this year. Congratulations on everyone's acceptances. Thoughts on PSU and Missoula:
On Portland State: We're a really, really new program still working out the kinks, but we're hiring a new fiction writer and a poet right now (still not sure who) and there's just generally a lot of buzz in the department. We've got a great bunch of students here, lots of different styles and ideas about writing. And we've got a great faculty that will continue to get better. That said, departmental funding is terrible, and Portland is not as cheap a city as people think. Still, with departmental funding as bad as it is, I managed a part time gig tutoring writing for the first two terms, and, starting this spring, have an assistantship from another department. So there is some money there, you just have to look hard for it.
On Missoula: I did my undergrad there and loved every second of it. It's a hip little mountain town with a surprisingly good music, art, literature, and even film scene, considering its size. It's a very liberal town in a very conservative state, which puts strange pressure on it and makes it a fun and interesting place to live. Writing faculty typically teach one undergrad course and one grad course per term, so I was able to work with many of the faculty as an undergrad. Fiction and nonfiction faculties are tremendous, and the poetry faculty is solid as well (i didn't get to take much poetry, but most everyone I know that did had good things to say about faculty). An example of Missoula's cultural currency: Susan Orlean (arguably the US's most famous literary journalist) will be there for a reading next week. On the map, it looks like a little nowhere town. It's not.
Any other questions from the two of you or anyone else about Missoula or PSU, email me - danielmollet [at] gmail [dot] com.
accepted to University of New Mexico for cnf, with funding (3.10) via phone and email.
Reporting my acceptance to Irvine (poetry) today - a call from Michael Ryan. First acceptance for me this blistering application season, in which I've applied to 15 schools. Can I get an Amen?
Amen and congratulations!
Congrats, Summer!!!
Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to let it go for now and wait to hear from the other schools I applied to.
I applied to Columbia for poetry, has anyone heard anything from them in poetry? I saw a few people in CNF were notified and I'm starting to get antsy.
It's the only place I applied to, but I got into the New School for poetry last year and deferred, so if I get Ito Columbia, a spot at the New School will free up :)
Can anyone help me out on this? Columbia? Anything?
waitlisted at UC Davis, accepted to Antioch University :)
Congrats Summer! Do you know anything about Irvine fiction?
I *believe* there were reports of fiction notifications going out a week or two ago - not certain, though. I am going to talk to a faculty member about technical things soon, so I will ask about notifications.
@Daniel,
Man, you just got me quite excited about my likely choice of Montana. My only acceptance thus far, but it seems to be a great choice in terms of locale and general enthusiasm. Thanks for telling us what to expect and look forward to. I just saw that Susan Orlean and Rick Moody were visiting writers, which makes me quite excited for what's to come next year.
@Gil,
Yeah, it's a hell of a great place. I still travel from Portland to visit Missoula on a regular basis. Congratulations on the acceptance. I think you'll like Missoula.
@daniel
Thanks for the Portland info. I was accepted in fiction and actually I'm really excited about their nonfiction faculty too...but, yes, the funding is a big problem. That might be the big deal breaker for me. Also, the city of Portland itself looks incredible. I would love to live there! Is there any word on who the new professors might be?
As a small update:
In at Fresno with a nice GAship and a very welcoming letter.
Rejection from LSU on Friday via email.
Both of these in fiction.
Anyone else hear from LSU yet?
In at U Memphis for CNF--my last school to hear from. Found out by checking my application status ("accepted"), then emailed the program for confirmation. No details on funding yet.
So, 5 rejections, 5 acceptances, and 2 waitlists. My first round of apps in 2005 was all rejections.
Waitlisted by email at McNeese in Poetry.
Does anyone remember that weird email that came out of Arkansas earlier in the year? It said decisions wouldn't be made until the end of April. Do you think they were serious? Because, if they notify after April 15, I don't see how anyone could go there, except for people who were ONLY accepted there. Has anyone heard anything from Arkansas?
@Julie: it seems that across the board (except for Minnesota) schools have tended to notify acceptances a bit earlier than they predicted in official announcements. Perhaps late April is really when they intend to send rejection letters? Although with other schools, I think the late prediction was intended to keep anxious phone calls to a minimum, but I can't see how a late-April prediction could do anything BUT lead to worried phone calls!
@ M.
Congrats on the New Mexico acceptance! I'm currently here in poetry if you have any questions. You can reach me at adamnunez87 [at] gmail [dot] com
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