First time applying. Have a "no" from University of Arizona and a "yes" from Oklahoma State but still waiting to hear on funding. Have also applied to:
Georgia College and State West Virginia Hollins UNCW University of New Orleans LSU Iowa State University of New Mexico
Jennifer -- I'll keep you posted if I hear anything from UNCW or GCSU. In the meantime I'll be twisting my hair and trying to stay focused on ANYTHING else. Good luck!
First time applicant in poetry to Alabama this cycle, am hoping for waitlist at this point our to at least learn something from this cycle for the next.
Just out of curiosity, do most schools eventually contact the applicants who weren't accepted? I'm sure it varies from school to school, but I'm a bit surprised that I haven't heard anything either way from any of the schools I've applied to. I know Cornell and UMass, for example, have already called their accepted applicants, but if I wasn't reading this blog, I would still be waiting to hear something.
@mackie This from the admissions status page at UMass Amherst: "the Graduate Admissions Office usually mails formal letters of admission and denial within two days of the receipt of any recommendation. Notification of denial of admission will not appear on this web site for 21 days, thus allowing these decisions to first reach the applicant by mail."
@ Maria Alvarez. I've been accepted to American (poetry). I also read of an American acceptance in Fiction. A.U. is a great school with great faculty, best of luck :)
blue/jennifer: I researched Milledgeville before applying. The best thing about it (in my opinion) is that it is CHEAP to live there. found much affordable housing close to campus. also, the town is small enough that walking and biking are great modes of transportation, and there is a 6 theater cinema and several book stores, hiking and mountain biking within close proximity and a health food store in nearby Macon. That's all the stuff that's important to me anyway.
Calls and emails went out today for a couple people on the Facebook draft, acceptances and waitlists for the University of Florida for anyone who's wondering.
Unless you've heard otherwise, Cornell has yet to notify for poetry. All acceptances listed here were either fiction or genre unstated. According to the MRP, they notified on Fri., Sat. or Sun. of the third week in Feb. for the last three years. So here's to this weekend, poets!
Minnesota status changed to "Final Review." Some people on Facebook have this as well, while some have "Decision Made." Does anyone have any light to shed on this craziness??
Attention: A decision has been made on your application. Your application has been given careful consideration by the committee on Graduate Studies. On the basis of their recommendation, your application has been denied.
We wish you well in your future plans and sincerely appreciate your interest in The University of Texas at Austin.
This is your official notification. A letter will not be mailed to you.
My pessimistic mind thinks "decision made" might mean rejection and "final review" might be those on the wait list or accepted. Mine says decision made.
Fiction here, higone. Was so sure this would be the week, heart in my mouth every time I remember/pause to think about it... at the prospect of acceptance or rejection, can't tell. Probably the latter.
Anyone understand how to read Michigan's online application system? Is it the case that when the decision is made there will be more to read? As it is, all I see are links to my "credentials."
And yes, the Minnesota online system changed status. If yours says Final Review, looks like the U requires 2 days to verify something. At which point, it will change to Decision Made, which requires another day before you can see the decision. So, 1-3 days for anyone whose Minnesota application changed status.
There have been two acceptances to Wyoming in poetry on Facebook.
And if you don't se your status on the Michigan page that means there is no status. If all of your credentials are there then you're just waiting for a yay or nay. A Michigan insider on Facebook suggests that we will be waiting for another week or two as the committee are just finishing reading this week.
For what it's worth, when denied admission to Michener, I found out via my status check page. I did not receive and still haven't received an email to check my status online, which sounds different than what other people have reported.
This doesn't really matter but i'd like to set the record straight. My Minnesota has not changed actually. I got confused when I looked too quickly at it. So perhaps the decision made are actually acceptances!
I'm looking into attending a graduate creative writing program in the UK and can't seem to find any centralized online resource about funding opportunities for US students. Does anyone out there have first or secondhand experience with studying creative writing in the UK? Is it hopeless to even think about getting your tuition (not including living expenses) covered if you're coming from overseas?
Snackattack, still rooting for you, but even if it doesn't happen this year, keep writing and don't give up. You know you have what it takes. Otherwise you wouldn't have applied.
Does anyone know when Hunter notifies for acceptances? I know that people received rejections around the second week of March last year, but I haven't heard anything about the timeline for acceptances.
I know this is annoying because I assume someone would have posted it already if they knew, but did anyone's Minnesota status get updated from Decision Made to accepted or declined?
I'm sorry Anna! And so you know, I totally feel your pain. This is my second round applying in fiction and I'm still not receiving a ton of positive news. Hopefully you'll have luck elsewhere.
Were there any acceptances in fiction? I'm worried about my status because they had an issue with my application in the beginning. They thought they needed another transcript but indeed they did not.
There were two fiction acceptances to Indiana early this month. However Indiana is known for accepting like four ppl early on and accept the rest in late February and throughout march. IRS just what they do.
@magnCheese, are you going to the Alabama weekend welcome thing Feb. 28? I'm in. I'm pretty much certain I'm headed for 'Bama regardless of what Indiana says. I have research interest in the South, prior publication and family history involving the Delta, so it makes a lot of sense for me to go 'Bama. Can't complain about their funding, and 4 years sounds good to me, having worked a soul-destroying government job for the past 6 years.
@Jason No I can't go that weekend. I'm slated to visit a sick grandfather. I'm hopefully going to visit the week after AWP and I feel the same way. I'll probably end up there regardless of what my responses are from other schools. But I gotta say, Bloomington is an amazing college town.
I've been accepted at Oklahoma State. Haven't heard about the symposium, what's it about? I'm in NC, so I don't know if I'd be able to go. I've also been checking my email constantly to see anymore info on funding. Have you heard anything?
@K I was accepted February 6th. though i have the feeling I may have been accepted early bc I was eligible for a fellowship with a pressing deadline. I'm quite out of the loop and haven't heard of any other acceptances.
Just got my official acceptance letter from Pitt. Still waiting to hear from the others. (Brown, Johns Hopkins, Wichita, Boise, McNeese, Hunter, Butler). No funding, so I'm hoping someone where else might offer a little money...
The waiting is turning my stomach lining into swiss cheese!
This is my first go round in fiction. I applied to:
Vanderbilt University of Illinois University of Alabama Florida State University Indiana University University of Notre Dame University of Mississippi (Did not make it to Round 2) Southern Illinois University University of Florida University of South Florida Georgia State University University of Central Florida Florida Atlantic University University of Memphis (Accepted!) University of Miami
Congratulations to everyone that has been accepted. Good luck to those still waiting!
The symposium at OK State (2/20-23)is for undergrad research presentations. I applied to it last fall and was accepted even before I applied for the CW MFA. I talked to the folks in the dept. late last week, and they said the committee that makes the decisions on assistantships hadn't met yet. Didn't know when they would. I sure could relax a bit if I knew I had that thing in the bag. In the meantime, guess I'll get a campus tour and continue to gnaw on the inside of my cheeks. Congrats and good luck on the funding! I'll post when I know something. What's your genre?
@snackattack no poetry cornell acceptances at least on facebook. my status on the cornell activity page is unchanged also (i am guessing it will be changed to "rejected"...if that is the case? unsure). i am anxiously awaiting news, also.
Hi, Lia. It's strange because they've notified Fri., Sat. and Sun. of this weekend for the last three years. Maybe the accepted folks aren't online. Maybe they really do write all. of. the. time!
Woah, last question: did the poetry acceptance to Iowa happen via phone or email?
Good lord I need to go for a run or something. Whew!
Yeah. So far it seems that most acceptances have been offline accept for Pitt. Its nerve wrecking. Like 1 to 2 ppl from the draft were chosen this year by each school. Last year it seemed that every acceptance was online.
Anna, there's a Facebook group called MFA Draft where many people report their acceptances. Some of the posters here have been kind enough to update this blog about the activity on Facebook since some of us do not belong to that group.
Also, I know I'm really annoying about Minnesota but did they do rounds of rejections in the past? Have other people's statuses changed from Awaiting Program Decision to Decision Made? Again, I only ask because I fear that something might have messed up my application. Seems like they've notified accepted people before now in previous years.
@Hello: I'm with you. Until I see a "Denied" instead of "In Progress" after my Admissions Decision online at Iowa Isis, I'm staying cautiously optimistic.
It's like this: I can't do anything at this point about my application, but I can choose to believe I'll get in, or I can choose to believe I won't get in. I like the first. Makes me less mopey and generally more pleasant to be around. My dog appreciates it.
Haha Snackattack, your attitude is admirable. Or practical. But there are some concrete facts to support mild optimism- straight from sam chang's slate interview, they took 30 fiction students in (2011? i believe?) rather than 25, because there were just that many deserving.
What can you do but wait, occasionally panic, occasionally hope, repeat.
@Hello Thanks for the Wyoming info. Any idea when they notified fiction? I'm waiting on nonfiction ... trying to figure out if I still have a fighting chance and channelling SnackAttack's optimism.
@higone While the Facebook group doesn't show any acceptances for CNF at Wyoming, it does show a few people waitlisted, so it would appear that the rest of us are not getting in. It's an incredibly small program (I think they accept 3 CNF per year), so it wouldn't be too hard for them to make all their acceptance calls in one day.
Weird. There have been so many acceptances in poetry on Facebook from schools. Either schools have not gotten around to fiction or we Facebook fiction writers suck!
The symposium sounds cool. I looked it up on the website after you mentioned it. Congrats on getting in!
I read on the website that they usually try to notify admitted applicants about funding one to two weeks after they've been accepted, so I'm hoping to hear something this week. I'll let you know if I hear anything. Good luck to you too!
I can't do FB; I'm maniacal enough about checking this blog.
@Woah: Really? Seems I keep hearing about fiction, or no genre stated (which defaults to fiction). I have yet to hear of any poetry acceptances to my eight schools, and as mentioned I've been following this blog pretty closely...I'm thinking several will happen this coming week like Iowa, Michigan, Purdue and perhaps JHU. On or offline? That is the question.
Iowa has notified like 3 or 4 poets on Facebook already and 1 frickin fictioner.Purdue has notified one poet and no fictioners. Michigan and JHU haven't notified yet.
Thanks for keeping me/us in the loop, Woah. Last I heard there was only one poet accepted at Iowa and I didn't know any had gotten into Purdue. Go, poets!
My girlfriend is applying to the PhD programs Ohio-Athens, Utah, and Milwaukee. She doesn't want me to be looking at the forums and won't check the websites, so if anyone has any updates about those three programs, I'd love to know. I'm moving with her wherever she goes once we finish our MFAs, so I feel like I'm going through this whole process again myself! Thanks!
I have to say, I'm jealous of this Iowa anticipation. Honestly, this is the biggest thing I'm regretting right now with my applications. I was thiiiis close to sending out an application to Iowa, just to see what would happen, but decided not to at the last minute. If I could go back in time I would have tossed my hat in the ring, just to say I did, if nothing else. But can't change it now.
It's so funny. I've been panicking hardcore for awhile now and thought I was all alone. A calming mix of sadism and pathetic relief swept over me as I scanned the comments and realized I'm not alone.
Run o' the mill MFA applicant here: Fiction.
I didn't apply to too many schools, iowa, brown, uci just to name a few.
My heart sank when I read that Cornell had already sent out their acceptance letters.
A swing and a miss........ I await with horror for the next pitch.
Don't worry, you are definitely not alone. I am trying hard not to panic as well, especially because all I've received so far was 1 rejection (from KU / fiction)
It's normal, I suppose, to feel some anxiety about the application process. Hopefully some of us here waiting for good news will get a phone call next week
I keep telling myself that receiving a letter of rejection wouldn't faze me in the least bit but if I think about it long and hard I often surprise myself at how emotional I become.
It's pretty weird and quite humbling for a young man to experience such feelings of helplessness; like I'm drowning.
Since I'm apparently hijacking this and turning it into a therapy session, another thing that is very enlightening for me is that I have no regrets in regards to the quality of my application.
I felt that tinge of panic the first time I read over my stuff after I submitted it but it only lasted briefly. It's to the point that I often read over it to calm my nerves.
I wouldn't change a thing.
This brings me to the core of why I panic.
If I get rejected it means that I am not meant to do this which would hurt like hell. The reason why I say this is because there's nothing I would (could) do differently if made to apply next year.
If my best is unacceptable then I'm not meant to do it.
These are the kinds of thoughts that keep me awake at night.
As a second time applicant, I wouldn't take it too hard if this year isn't your year. This is a very subjective process, and often times it's just about finding the reader who really connects to your writing. It's competitive, it's heart-wrenching, but please don't be too hard on yourself. After my pile of rejections came rolling in last year, I told myself I wouldn't know how or why I should keep writing. Well, I did keep writing. I did keep thinking about how I could be writing better. So, hang in there, it's still early yet..and just keep on keepin' on.
@Shola, The likelihood that your current best work represents the best work you will ever be capable of is *extremely* small. I'm a frequent contributor to a certain online literary publication, and it often happens that when I send my latest piece off to the editor, I think to myself, "That is the best I can do. It's all down hill from here."
But then I read Nabokov, Melville, McCarthy, Pynchon; ecstatically I race from cover to cover-- "They are better than me! So much better than me! There is so much to improve upon! Work to be done"-- and it is that recurring realization-- and that alone-- that brings me back to try again...
...ok that was melodramatic. I acknowledge that. But I meant it.
Thought I'd drop in here because I remember well the torture of waiting with no info (I graduated last year). If any of you are curious, I was in the office at Iowa talking applications and they said that poetry acceptance calls were going out this past weekend / this week, and that Sam Chang was going to make final fiction decisions v. soon (I got the impression this week) and then she'll call. Please do be patient and extremely nice to Jan and Deb in the office--they handle it all and are really sweet wonderful people who get avalanched right about now. Unless you really need to, I would hold off on calling. It won't be a long wait now.
I thought I'd also say I'm totally willing to answer any questions anybody here has about anything. I got my MFA from Iowa in Fiction last year and served on the admissions committee; now I teach CW at the university and have a collection coming out next year. If there's anything I can answer or add insight to, feel free to fire away.
While I know there's a million and one great things about Iowa's program I worry about the class size. Does it get cliquey and competitive? Do the professors have enough time to give students the individual guidance they want?
Any insight on this would be great although... I'm not holding my breath for an acceptance.
"How many people were in your admitted class when you first started?"
Usually I believe they accept 25 fiction writers and 25 poets a year. My class was a bit strange, though, because, for a variety of reasons, they admitted something like 32. I can think of three people who didn't finish off the top of my head, so my class ended up being something like 29.
"While I know there's a million and one great things about Iowa's program I worry about the class size. Does it get cliquey and competitive? Do the professors have enough time to give students the individual guidance they want?"
Most of the people who talk to me about Iowa ask about class size. And, not to sound like a homer or anything, I think a lot of applicants think about class size the wrong way. For instance, one thing that a larger (though really, 25 is not that big, it just sounds like it in MFA world; it's like 9-11 a workshop) class size is that you have a lot more choice of instructors, seminars, thesis advisors, etc. For instance, I also got into Cornell, and that year they were going to have a class size of 4 people, with a program size of something like 8. Which meant not only did you not get a choice of workshop instructor but that you were going to be in workshop with the same 7 people the entire time. If you ask me, I'll take larger than that any day. While I was at Iowa you could've chosen to sign up for workshops with Marilynne Robinson, Ethan Canin, Sam Chang, Jim McPherson, Curtis Sittenfeld, Alex Chee, ZZ Packer, Wells Tower, Andrew Sean Greer, Michelle Hoover, etcetera, not to mention seminars. That was a lot of choice to have.
The other thing people always ask about Iowa is about the competitiveness. Different people from Iowa will tell you different things about this, but here's what I'd say: it's as competitive as you want it to be. There's always a lot of talent at Iowa, and a lot of people publishing/published, and everyone applies to the same fellowships afterwards (Stegner, etc), and if you were the kind of person who are easily drawn into thinking about things as competition, then you probably would've felt that way. However, you didn't have to. And if you hate competition it's really easy to feel relaxed at the Workshop too. Mostly, everybody gets along and is happy for each other when good things happen. The one caveat or speedbump that trips people up is the chance to get more funding your second year. You submit a MS of work you did in your first year and some people get some more money and some people don't, but nobody loses any funding at all.
The one thing I can answer pretty emphatically is that the professors absolutely have time and attention for you if you want it. There were profs who taught there while I was there that were flakes, but they'd be flakes at any program. And there were teachers like Sam Chang who are more caring and dedicated to students and student work than anyone I've ever met or heard about in my entire life.
In general the one thing I tell people about Iowa is that it's set up so you can have whatever kind of experience you want. If you're the type (like me) who needs a lot of attention, you can get it. If you're the type who'd rather disappear for two years and surface at the end with the next great american novel, you can do that too.
Could you tell us what being involved in the admissions process is like? How many people are readers? How many read each application? Do people really read every single page of each manuscript? How much debate is there among adcoms?
Sorry for inundating you with questions. Congrats on the forthcoming collection.
"Could you tell us what being involved in the admissions process is like? How many people are readers? How many read each application? Do people really read every single page of each manuscript? How much debate is there among adcoms?"
There's a limit to what I can tell you specifically, in order to honor Iowa's privacy. Some technical things I think they wouldn't mind me telling you about the fiction process: at Iowa, each application is read at least three times and often four times (two of which are two different first readers, then Sam Chang herself, who reads every application). When I did it there was a group of about 14 first readers in fiction. There is often a great deal of debate between first readers (who prepare brief comments and admission recommendations); I think part of this is because the Workshop really tries hard to get as many different viewpoints/styles/backgrounds/tastes as possible in the first readers. As far as the other stuff, I can tell you that we were very clearly instructed to read every page of each application. That being said, the first readers are human beings and if you have something that's clearly not been edited (tons and tons of typos etcetera) or that is very bad, it will get read but not in as much depth as something that is cared for and/or good. I will say that we were encouraged to think of each part of the writing sample separately, e.g. if there were three stories and the first one was horrible, to look at the second one afresh and not have the first one be held against the applicant if the others are good. I can tell you that the things that I was impressed by good writing whenever I encountered it, whether in novel excerpt or story, etcetera, that I was impressed by range, and that I was impressed by real emotion, originality, or vision--I think most of us were more or less forgiving of unpolished prose when there seemed to be a real soul pressing against the page; I definitely recommended those applications over ones that were very technically polished but seemed bloodless or uninvested.
I want to also note that I in no way represent or speak for the Iowa Writers' Workshop or the university, and that my thoughts, opinions, and experiences are only my own and could very well be misleading or wrong. This is just my perspective on things, for what it's worth.
Brown UNC-Wilmington Georgia College and State University University of Wisconsin Oregon State University University of New Hampshire - Durham University of Alabama George Mason
Hey everyone! I just received the call from Iowa for fiction!!! In a state of shock over here so I apologize if I'm incoherent. I've been quietly lurking here for weeks and just wanted to let everyone know that Sam said they're just finishing up decisions and she's starting to make calls today.
Thanks, Jeff. Good attitude. Checked Wolverine Access and it hasn't changed. Haven't gotten an email, either. I do, however, know dirty words to Michigan's fight song, having grown up in a different Big Ten family. And I'm not afraid to sing them...
In a moment of semi-sane contemplation, I realized the schools I haven't heard from yet aren't likely to announce for another 3 to 4 weeks, maybe more. Think I won't check this site again until then, and I'll post when I know something. Thanks for all the helpful info, and see you again soon. Gonna try to calm my butt down for a while. Congrats to those who've made it into their dream schools, and for everyone else: good luck, y'all!
Anyone know anything more about Vanderbilt? Looks like waitlists have been notified, but there's only one reported acceptance on facebook, and that was a week ago. Anyone know if they are all through notifying acceptances?
So, the MFA Research Project - is the data pulled from the FB group? So if there are no dates for when Wisconsin or Brown notify poets, does that mean that no one from the FB group was admitted?
Real question, anyone know when Wisconsin and Brown will notify (or have they already)?
TV, I have in my notes that Brown will notify by 3/15. Also applied there in poetry. Have heard nothing, and it doesn't seem as if their online system has a spot for admission decisions (just "application status: complete").
Here's an older post from "Where Did You Apply" that offers a bit of general notificational insight:
Slayerella said... @ Andrew: I found myself in the same situation with Riverside as you did with Rutgers. Tho finally, I did get that rejection email from them a few days ago. I find the reception I get from each school often reflects where I am in their "priority" - if an admit, it's somewhat "wine and dine". If waitlist, it's sorta optimistically ambivalent. If "invisible waitlist" or "undecided," no peep until the last moment and constant stonewalling in communications. With Rutgers, I went from no funding to partial to full funding in the space of a month and certainly, the last stage when funding was involved, the communication was constant and much more warmly embracing. I've no doubt now that I'm in, it's all in, and i feel its a perfect fit program for me, but certainly it was different degrees of reception and contact in the lead up. It's definitely been quite an experience. Good luck with UW; I'll send out good vibes for ya!
Let me start off by saying that you bunch and this blog are very supportive, helpful and show genuine caring for other wishful MFA students and I would never have guessed how helpful this blog and all you people really are.
That being said, this place is stressing me the fu!< out.
I'm a second-cycle applicant--never posted before, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the information and support over the past two years!
I got the wait list email from Southern Illinois this afternoon. (Very excited!) I see on the Facebook group that acceptances have gone out also, at least for fiction.
I almost hate to start thinking this way...but has anyone else started planning what they're going to do if they don't get in? I'm not sure I'll have the heart to apply again if I get rejected this year.
None of the schools I applied to have sent out anything yet. I'm starting to get antsy as all hell.
@ Shola - Yeah, I am punishing my lungs with bugler hand rolled cigarettes as we speak. I know the rental agreement said "no smoking", but I can almost guarantee that my landlord never applied for an MFA.
@ Meghan D. - My options at this point are... Grad school for poetry or go to work in the steel mill like everyone else in my family. I won't work in steel. I invested in a durable hiking backpack. The only logical thing I can think to do is walk across the great state of Ohio and "rediscover america". (Neal Cassady told me to do that in a dream I had. I'll just stay away from the train tracks)
As someone who applied two years ago and was wait listed at two programs but never got in, THEN panicked the next year and couldn't apply, and who has yet to receive an official acceptance this year, I have to say just keep focused on your art. I really want to get in and yeah, it sucks having jobs you don't like, but as long as your main emotional focus is moving forward with something you love to do then all will be ok. I have had two publications so far this year and I plan to keep em coming regardless of my mfa status. Everything will fall together in due time, for everyone, even me, even you.
Email from Cornell this morning re fiction (3 down, 6 to go):
Your application for admission to the Graduate School at Cornell University has been given careful consideration by the Graduate Field of English Language and Literature.
I'm very sorry to say that we are unable to offer you admission to our M.F.A. graduate program for Fall 2013. This was a very difficult decision. We received hundreds of applications for a very few places in the program, and we have had to turn down a number of very talented people with very impressive records, many of whom no doubt will go on to distinguished careers.
This email will serve as your only notification of your application results. We appreciate your interest in Cornell, and wish you success in your graduate studies.
Yours truly,
Samantha Zacher Associate Professor of English Director of Graduate Studies
I just got the same rejection email from Cornell. That's two so far (U. of Washington St. Louis was the other one). Trying not to panic but failing. FML.
Found this while drowning my sorrows. It's from some blog but I figured it would help all those that are not too happy with the way thinspgs are going at the moment.
"Tales abound of writers rejected by ten schools and accepted only at Iowa or Cornell. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why one is rejected or accepted, no quantifiable way to predict one’s chances. This means that no matter how perfect your application is, no matter how good a writer you are, it is still not just possible but likely that you will get rejected."
Got a call on my cell from a number I didn't recognize.
Hope sets in.
But that is dashed away as I hear the automated voice informing me I just won a trip to Disney World.
I don't think I've ever had more hate for an anonymous person in my life.
First time posting here; have followed for a week or so. Applied to Cornell, Brown, Vandy, and UVa in fiction. I, too, just got the same Cornell rejection email. Good info on here, folks. Thank you, all. Best wishes.
@ Jennifer -- I got the same letter from USF. I thought I would get accepted everywhere I applied and then the various schools would fight over me. Sadly, it appears that will not be happening now.
@Shola -- Congrats on winning the trip to Disney World. That's awesome! /jk/
I had the opportunity to speak to the head of one of the better MFA programs last year. He encouraged me to apply to a lot of programs because, he said, "Who knows what each program is looking for? I'm not always sure what my own program is looking for, so the more applications you send, the better the chances that you hit a program that is looking for you."
Despite the fact that applying to 16 different programs became my full-time job, drained my bank account and pissed off one of my recommenders (because he had to submit so many recommendations), I think the advice was good. There really is no rhyme nor reason to what each school is looking for in an applicant. So the more applications you can send, the better your chances.
Lou: I chose my recommenders based on their willingness to submit up to 15 letters on my behalf. (I ended up applying to 9 schools, when I realized how much that had cost me.) Therefore, my last two employers did not submit letters, because they are lawyers and a public official who don't have the time to deal with 15 requests. And I don't have the time or presence of mind to organize 45 pre-addressed, stamped envelopes for them.
I just called University of Indiana, was told that "decisions are going to committee in a couple days, notifications first few days of March." I've heard of a couple acceptances here, but those could have been the early bird "we wanted to move expeditiously to express our interest in you" acceptances.
Indiana is the last school on my list that could knock Alabama out.
Checked my voice mail for the first time in a week and found an acceptance from Kansas University, in case anyone's interested in KU news.
I want to repeat the thanks to everybody who is posting updates from Facebook and elsewhere. Such a stressful process! There were two fiction acceptances from the University of Arizona reported on GradCafe (both notified by phone on Monday). My application status remains unchanged, alas.
I wondered if anyone has gotten any news from Ohio State? In previous years they have notified in late January or early February. Would also love to hear one way or the other from Indiana and Wyoming, both early notifiers in previous years. I know there were some acceptances to both on Facebook -- anyone know if all available spaces were filled?
TV, today in an email response from Brown they said that they've made their decisions regarding poets, but have no more info to offer.
Hello, have you checked your online status at Iowa Isis? Mine still says "In Progress", and I'm holding onto that like it's the last Wonka bar in town.
222 comments:
1 – 200 of 222 Newer› Newest»First time applying. Have a "no" from University of Arizona and a "yes" from Oklahoma State but still waiting to hear on funding. Have also applied to:
Georgia College and State
West Virginia
Hollins
UNCW
University of New Orleans
LSU
Iowa State
University of New Mexico
Anyone heard from any of these folks yet?
That's nonfiction BTW.
Fiction applications:
Michener (denial via email to check the site)
UT - New Writer's
UF
FSU
UCF
USF
UM
FIU
USC
UNCW
GCSU
Oregon State
U of Oregon
Silence. Even though my notification from Michener was a denial, it was still exciting to hear something!!! Lol ;-)
Jennifer -- I'll keep you posted if I hear anything from UNCW or GCSU. In the meantime I'll be twisting my hair and trying to stay focused on ANYTHING else. Good luck!
First time applicant in poetry to Alabama this cycle, am hoping for waitlist at this point our to at least learn something from this cycle for the next.
Or*
@hamchugirl Thank you! I'll do the same :-) Best of luck to you!
welcome @llilly - good luck and keep it up!
Jennifer and hamchugirl, I applied to GCSU too. Do you know anything about Milledgeville??
Just out of curiosity, do most schools eventually contact the applicants who weren't accepted? I'm sure it varies from school to school, but I'm a bit surprised that I haven't heard anything either way from any of the schools I've applied to. I know Cornell and UMass, for example, have already called their accepted applicants, but if I wasn't reading this blog, I would still be waiting to hear something.
@mackie This from the admissions status page at UMass Amherst: "the Graduate Admissions Office usually mails formal letters of admission and denial within two days of the receipt of any recommendation. Notification of denial of admission will not appear on this web site for 21 days, thus allowing these decisions to first reach the applicant by mail."
First time applying. Poetry. Have an interview with Virginia Tech.
Brown
Cornell
Michigan
Notre Dame
Syracuse
Virginia Tech
Wisconsin
It seems like everyone has heard from university of arizona...I applied for poetry and haven't heard anything!
It seems like everyone has heard from university of arizona...I applied for poetry and haven't heard anything!
It seems like everyone has heard from university of arizona...I applied for poetry and haven't heard anything!
All Quiet on the Western Front. Third time applying to BU. First time applying to most of these schools.
American
Cornell
UVA
UMASS - Boston
BU
Emerson
CUNY - Brooklyn College
Portland State
Has anyone heard anything from Portland yet?
All Quiet on the Western Front. Third time applying to BU. First time applying to most of these schools.
American
Cornell
UVA
UMASS - Boston
BU
Emerson
CUNY - Brooklyn College
Portland State
Has anyone heard anything from Portland yet?
1st time Poetry Applicant:
-Cornell
-Brown
-Wisconsin
-South Carolina
-Va Tech.
-Michener Center
Responses so far: Finalist phone interview w/ Va Tech.
@ Maria Alvarez. I've been accepted to American (poetry). I also read of an American acceptance in Fiction. A.U. is a great school with great faculty, best of luck :)
UIUC has sent out acceptances, at least in fiction, via mail. Should be arriving to people by the end of the week.
subscribing
@ K
Is this via facebook?
No. I emailed and asked someone at the program.
I think UIUC also called. There was an acceptance in the fb group.
Vanderbilt waitlist emails have gone out. Well, at least one...
@Blue No it seems like a small town in rural GA...it was the only school I applied to that my husband was like, "I'm not moving there." Lol.
blue/jennifer: I researched Milledgeville before applying. The best thing about it (in my opinion) is that it is CHEAP to live there. found much affordable housing close to campus. also, the town is small enough that walking and biking are great modes of transportation, and there is a 6 theater cinema and several book stores, hiking and mountain biking within close proximity and a health food store in nearby Macon. That's all the stuff that's important to me anyway.
Have any of you heard from anyone who got into Minnesota for fiction?
Calls and emails went out today for a couple people on the Facebook draft, acceptances and waitlists for the University of Florida for anyone who's wondering.
Unless you've heard otherwise, Cornell has yet to notify for poetry. All acceptances listed here were either fiction or genre unstated. According to the MRP, they notified on Fri., Sat. or Sun. of the third week in Feb. for the last three years. So here's to this weekend, poets!
Iowa and Purdue both notified poets the last weekend in Feb. last year (Iowa the last two years), and Michigan seems to be anytime mid-Feb.
Felt the need to provide some info for us poets, since we are few but fabulous.
nextstopeverywhere, thanks for the update. Were those U of Florida acceptances for poetry or fiction? Thanks.
I would guess for poetry, because it looks like last year they notified poets in mid-February and fiction applicants in early March.
robjiv21, Sorry! It was for poetry.
michener poetry rejection. ooohh. ahhh. harumph.
on the waitlist at UIUC, via e-mail
shoot, still nothing from wyoming? anyone?
Minnesota status changed to "Final Review." Some people on Facebook have this as well, while some have "Decision Made." Does anyone have any light to shed on this craziness??
Another non-valentine from Austin:
Attention: A decision has been made on your application.
Your application has been given careful consideration by the committee on Graduate Studies. On the basis of their recommendation, your application has been denied.
We wish you well in your future plans and sincerely appreciate your interest in The University of Texas at Austin.
This is your official notification. A letter will not be mailed to you.
My pessimistic mind thinks "decision made" might mean rejection and "final review" might be those on the wait list or accepted. Mine says decision made.
@SnackAttack, which program at UT?
re: Haven't heard anything from Wyoming (nonfiction). Would love a valentine from them.
Fiction here, higone. Was so sure this would be the week, heart in my mouth every time I remember/pause to think about it... at the prospect of acceptance or rejection, can't tell. Probably the latter.
Anyone understand how to read Michigan's online application system? Is it the case that when the decision is made there will be more to read? As it is, all I see are links to my "credentials."
And yes, the Minnesota online system changed status. If yours says Final Review, looks like the U requires 2 days to verify something. At which point, it will change to Decision Made, which requires another day before you can see the decision. So, 1-3 days for anyone whose Minnesota application changed status.
There have been two acceptances to Wyoming in poetry on Facebook.
And if you don't se your status on the Michigan page that means there is no status. If all of your credentials are there then you're just waiting for a yay or nay. A Michigan insider on Facebook suggests that we will be waiting for another week or two as the committee are just finishing reading this week.
My Minnesota status is Final Review; here is what the system says:
"Please allow one business day to view your decision once your status below has been updated to Decision Made ."
For what it's worth, when denied admission to Michener, I found out via my status check page. I did not receive and still haven't received an email to check my status online, which sounds different than what other people have reported.
Heard from Stonecoast yesterday. Best. Day. Ever.
The phone call is one I will remember for a long time.
Fiction (but excited about cross-genre chances).
This doesn't really matter but i'd like to set the record straight. My Minnesota has not changed actually. I got confused when I looked too quickly at it. So perhaps the decision made are actually acceptances!
Hi guys,
I'm looking into attending a graduate creative writing program in the UK and can't seem to find any centralized online resource about funding opportunities for US students. Does anyone out there have first or secondhand experience with studying creative writing in the UK? Is it hopeless to even think about getting your tuition (not including living expenses) covered if you're coming from overseas?
To whomever was accepted at Michener, congratulations and happy Valentine's Day:)
To the other 400 of us, come on over. I'm making fondue.
Love,
A
Anna, you and fondue are a slice of alright in my book.
(Shocking coming from someone with the handle of SnackAttack, I know.)
Cornell has historically notified for poetry this weekend.
Anyone else apply to Purdue in poetry?
Snackattack, still rooting for you, but even if it doesn't happen this year, keep writing and don't give up. You know you have what it takes. Otherwise you wouldn't have applied.
Whoever was accepted to michener this year doesn't know it yet. They don't notify açceptances until early march:P
magNcheese! The only thing that can compete with fondue! Thank you.
What's fun is I've been looking up the schools you've all been getting into or waitlisted for. It's exciting!
I do, incidentally, have friends. But they grew tired of this topic by October.
I also have a song about Cornell to share if we don't get in...
Onwards!
Any new on UT New Writers or Texas State? I'm getting antsy :P
Or Facebook news on Southern Illinois? I think they notified around this time last year.
No news on any of those schools on Facebook yet.
Does anyone know when Hunter notifies for acceptances? I know that people received rejections around the second week of March last year, but I haven't heard anything about the timeline for acceptances.
Thanks for the dispatches, Whoahthere. You're helping to keep me sane.
Fiction, accepted at Alabama, still waiting to hear from Indiana. Anyone heard any news on that front?
Jason, there were 2 acceptances on Feb. 6th. But I'm also in for fiction at Alabama, so Holla!
I know this is annoying because I assume someone would have posted it already if they knew, but did anyone's Minnesota status get updated from Decision Made to accepted or declined?
Minnesota notifications are up for those of us whose status said "Decision Made" yesterday.
Rejected in poetry.
Feeling a little discouraged.
I'm sorry Anna! And so you know, I totally feel your pain. This is my second round applying in fiction and I'm still not receiving a ton of positive news. Hopefully you'll have luck elsewhere.
Were there any acceptances in fiction? I'm worried about my status because they had an issue with my application in the beginning. They thought they needed another transcript but indeed they did not.
There were two fiction acceptances to Indiana early this month. However Indiana is known for accepting like four ppl early on and accept the rest in late February and throughout march. IRS just what they do.
*its*
It's so cold in MN the congressmen have their hands in their own pockets.
@K, Thanks for your kind words. It helps:)
This waiting game is so yucky isn't it?
Anyhow, I'm rooting for you! Stay positive:)
Being discouraged is part of the game. Being defeated is not.
And it really is face-freezing cold in MN...whereas Austin is just too damn hot.
I am not feeling Cornell. (Fun game--name the grunge connection made by the words "MN", "feeling", and "Cornell"!)
Back to my impatient waiting for a word from Ithaca.
Yes, not defeated.
Ok so does anyone on Facebook know if people were accepted to Minnesota for fiction or were all the status changes rejections?
@magnCheese, are you going to the Alabama weekend welcome thing Feb. 28? I'm in. I'm pretty much certain I'm headed for 'Bama regardless of what Indiana says. I have research interest in the South, prior publication and family history involving the Delta, so it makes a lot of sense for me to go 'Bama. Can't complain about their funding, and 4 years sounds good to me, having worked a soul-destroying government job for the past 6 years.
@Jason
No I can't go that weekend. I'm slated to visit a sick grandfather. I'm hopefully going to visit the week after AWP and I feel the same way. I'll probably end up there regardless of what my responses are from other schools. But I gotta say, Bloomington is an amazing college town.
Has anyone else been accepted at Oklahoma State, and, if so, will you be at their symposium next week?
hamchugirl:
I've been accepted at Oklahoma State. Haven't heard about the symposium, what's it about? I'm in NC, so I don't know if I'd be able to go. I've also been checking my email constantly to see anymore info on funding. Have you heard anything?
A.m.n, were you accepted to Minnesota? No one has said so yet here. Poetry or fiction?
Do you know if all acceptances were made today? Heard of any fiction ones?
@K I was accepted February 6th. though i have the feeling I may have been accepted early bc I was eligible for a fellowship with a pressing deadline. I'm quite out of the loop and haven't heard of any other acceptances.
Thanks for the info a.m.n! And what I should have said earlier is congrats!!
Today was a mixed bag. Reject by Minnesota, wait listed at Illinois.
Just got my official acceptance letter from Pitt. Still waiting to hear from the others. (Brown, Johns Hopkins, Wichita, Boise, McNeese, Hunter, Butler). No funding, so I'm hoping someone where else might offer a little money...
The waiting is turning my stomach lining into swiss cheese!
Congrats! That's great! I'm on that list too. Also i'm currently reading the director, Alex Shakar's, Luminarium and it's awesome.
This is my first go round in fiction. I applied to:
Vanderbilt
University of Illinois
University of Alabama
Florida State University
Indiana University
University of Notre Dame
University of Mississippi (Did not make it to Round 2)
Southern Illinois University
University of Florida
University of South Florida
Georgia State University
University of Central Florida
Florida Atlantic University
University of Memphis (Accepted!)
University of Miami
Congratulations to everyone that has been accepted. Good luck to those still waiting!
Poetry acceptances to NCSU and Iowa on Facebook . I am geeked anticipating the chaos that will ensue when CNF and fiction acceptances go out.
How many poetry acceptances to Iowa have already been reported, please and thanks?
yogithecat:
The symposium at OK State (2/20-23)is for undergrad research presentations. I applied to it last fall and was accepted even before I applied for the CW MFA. I talked to the folks in the dept. late last week, and they said the committee that makes the decisions on assistantships hadn't met yet. Didn't know when they would. I sure could relax a bit if I knew I had that thing in the bag. In the meantime, guess I'll get a campus tour and continue to gnaw on the inside of my cheeks. Congrats and good luck on the funding! I'll post when I know something. What's your genre?
Only one poetry acceptance on Facebook so far.AND THERE HAS BEEN ONE FICTION ACCEPTANCE TO IOWA just now!
Thank you, Woah. You're the best.
But still no poetry acceptances from Cornell?
@snackattack no poetry cornell acceptances at least on facebook. my status on the cornell activity page is unchanged also (i am guessing it will be changed to "rejected"...if that is the case? unsure). i am anxiously awaiting news, also.
Hi, Lia. It's strange because they've notified Fri., Sat. and Sun. of this weekend for the last three years. Maybe the accepted folks aren't online. Maybe they really do write all. of. the. time!
Woah, last question: did the poetry acceptance to Iowa happen via phone or email?
Good lord I need to go for a run or something. Whew!
SnackAttack Phone call from James Galvin.
Yeah. So far it seems that most acceptances have been offline accept for Pitt. Its nerve wrecking. Like 1 to 2 ppl from the draft were chosen this year by each school. Last year it seemed that every acceptance was online.
Anyone know of any more Wyoming acceptances? Have they all been in poetry so far? Thanks!
There was a fiction acceptance to Wyoming as well.
Curious if we'll hear more Iowa news today- unless they called all approx. 60 people last night, both genres? Ain't over 'til it's over.
What does it mean to have Facebook acceptances?
Anna, there's a Facebook group called MFA Draft where many people report their acceptances. Some of the posters here have been kind enough to update this blog about the activity on Facebook since some of us do not belong to that group.
Also, I know I'm really annoying about Minnesota but did they do rounds of rejections in the past? Have other people's statuses changed from Awaiting Program Decision to Decision Made? Again, I only ask because I fear that something might have messed up my application. Seems like they've notified accepted people before now in previous years.
@Hello: I'm with you. Until I see a "Denied" instead of "In Progress" after my Admissions Decision online at Iowa Isis, I'm staying cautiously optimistic.
It's like this: I can't do anything at this point about my application, but I can choose to believe I'll get in, or I can choose to believe I won't get in. I like the first. Makes me less mopey and generally more pleasant to be around. My dog appreciates it.
Haha Snackattack, your attitude is admirable. Or practical. But there are some concrete facts to support mild optimism- straight from sam chang's slate interview, they took 30 fiction students in (2011? i believe?) rather than 25, because there were just that many deserving.
What can you do but wait, occasionally panic, occasionally hope, repeat.
@Hello Thanks for the Wyoming info. Any idea when they notified fiction? I'm waiting on nonfiction ... trying to figure out if I still have a fighting chance and channelling SnackAttack's optimism.
@higone While the Facebook group doesn't show any acceptances for CNF at Wyoming, it does show a few people waitlisted, so it would appear that the rest of us are not getting in. It's an incredibly small program (I think they accept 3 CNF per year), so it wouldn't be too hard for them to make all their acceptance calls in one day.
Weird. There have been so many acceptances in poetry on Facebook from schools. Either schools have not gotten around to fiction or we Facebook fiction writers suck!
Lol. I kid, I kid.
hamchugirl:
The symposium sounds cool. I looked it up on the website after you mentioned it. Congrats on getting in!
I read on the website that they usually try to notify admitted applicants about funding one to two weeks after they've been accepted, so I'm hoping to hear something this week. I'll let you know if I hear anything. Good luck to you too!
Also, I'm a poetry applicant.
I can't do FB; I'm maniacal enough about checking this blog.
@Woah: Really? Seems I keep hearing about fiction, or no genre stated (which defaults to fiction). I have yet to hear of any poetry acceptances to my eight schools, and as mentioned I've been following this blog pretty closely...I'm thinking several will happen this coming week like Iowa, Michigan, Purdue and perhaps JHU. On or offline? That is the question.
Boston-nada
Brown-nichts
Cornell-rien
Iowa-nothing
Hopkins-bubkiss
Michigan-Ford Pinto
Michener (rejected/denied/no tacos for me)
Iowa has notified like 3 or 4 poets on Facebook already and 1 frickin fictioner.Purdue has notified one poet and no fictioners. Michigan and JHU haven't notified yet.
Thanks for keeping me/us in the loop, Woah. Last I heard there was only one poet accepted at Iowa and I didn't know any had gotten into Purdue. Go, poets!
Neither has brown. I think there's been one acceptance in fiction to Cornell.
My girlfriend is applying to the PhD programs Ohio-Athens, Utah, and Milwaukee. She doesn't want me to be looking at the forums and won't check the websites, so if anyone has any updates about those three programs, I'd love to know. I'm moving with her wherever she goes once we finish our MFAs, so I feel like I'm going through this whole process again myself! Thanks!
@Max Thanks for the update. Makes sense, but hard to hear. Sigh.
So the facebook draft is exploding with iowa poets but no fiction today--any word, anyone?
No fiction acceptances to Iowa on Facebook today. Just the one yesterday.
I haven't received my fiction acceptance from Iowa yet, so I know they're not done notifying ;)
I have to say, I'm jealous of this Iowa anticipation. Honestly, this is the biggest thing I'm regretting right now with my applications. I was thiiiis close to sending out an application to Iowa, just to see what would happen, but decided not to at the last minute. If I could go back in time I would have tossed my hat in the ring, just to say I did, if nothing else. But can't change it now.
It's so funny.
I've been panicking hardcore for awhile now and thought I was all alone.
A calming mix of sadism and pathetic relief swept over me as I scanned the comments and realized I'm not alone.
Run o' the mill MFA applicant here: Fiction.
I didn't apply to too many schools, iowa, brown, uci just to name a few.
My heart sank when I read that Cornell had already sent out their acceptance letters.
A swing and a miss........
I await with horror for the next pitch.
This sucks.
@Shola
Don't worry, you are definitely not alone. I am trying hard not to panic as well, especially because all I've received so far was 1 rejection (from KU / fiction)
It's normal, I suppose, to feel some anxiety about the application process. Hopefully some of us here waiting for good news will get a phone call next week
@Azenn
I'm sorry to hear about your rejection.
I keep telling myself that receiving a letter of rejection wouldn't faze me in the least bit but if I think about it long and hard I often surprise myself at how emotional I become.
It's pretty weird and quite humbling for a young man to experience such feelings of helplessness; like I'm drowning.
Since I'm apparently hijacking this and turning it into a therapy session, another thing that is very enlightening for me is that I have no regrets in regards to the quality of my application.
I felt that tinge of panic the first time I read over my stuff after I submitted it but it only lasted briefly. It's to the point that I often read over it to calm my nerves.
I wouldn't change a thing.
This brings me to the core of why I panic.
If I get rejected it means that I am not meant to do this which would hurt like hell. The reason why I say this is because there's nothing I would (could) do differently if made to apply next year.
If my best is unacceptable then I'm not meant to do it.
These are the kinds of thoughts that keep me awake at night.
Ugh I'm whining way too much, I need a drink.....
:(
@Shola Adedeji
As a second time applicant, I wouldn't take it too hard if this year isn't your year. This is a very subjective process, and often times it's just about finding the reader who really connects to your writing. It's competitive, it's heart-wrenching, but please don't be too hard on yourself. After my pile of rejections came rolling in last year, I told myself I wouldn't know how or why I should keep writing. Well, I did keep writing. I did keep thinking about how I could be writing better. So, hang in there, it's still early yet..and just keep on keepin' on.
@Shola, The likelihood that your current best work represents the best work you will ever be capable of is *extremely* small. I'm a frequent contributor to a certain online literary publication, and it often happens that when I send my latest piece off to the editor, I think to myself, "That is the best I can do. It's all down hill from here."
But then I read Nabokov, Melville, McCarthy, Pynchon; ecstatically I race from cover to cover-- "They are better than me! So much better than me! There is so much to improve upon! Work to be done"-- and it is that recurring realization-- and that alone-- that brings me back to try again...
...ok that was melodramatic. I acknowledge that. But I meant it.
Azenn! I like the way you think.
Thought I'd drop in here because I remember well the torture of waiting with no info (I graduated last year). If any of you are curious, I was in the office at Iowa talking applications and they said that poetry acceptance calls were going out this past weekend / this week, and that Sam Chang was going to make final fiction decisions v. soon (I got the impression this week) and then she'll call. Please do be patient and extremely nice to Jan and Deb in the office--they handle it all and are really sweet wonderful people who get avalanched right about now. Unless you really need to, I would hold off on calling. It won't be a long wait now.
OH HELL. You are great, Arna
yippee!
Arna, could you run on over to Ithaca, Ann Arbor, West Lafayette, Boston, Baltimore and Boston and do the same thing? I'll buy you a soft pretzel.
I think I'm on Cornell's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me list.
I thought I'd also say I'm totally willing to answer any questions anybody here has about anything. I got my MFA from Iowa in Fiction last year and served on the admissions committee; now I teach CW at the university and have a collection coming out next year. If there's anything I can answer or add insight to, feel free to fire away.
@SnackAttack
You got an email from them stating you were on the wait list?
@Arna
How many people were in your admitted class when you first started?
Arna,
First off, congrats on your collection!
While I know there's a million and one great things about Iowa's program I worry about the class size. Does it get cliquey and competitive? Do the professors have enough time to give students the individual guidance they want?
Any insight on this would be great although... I'm not holding my breath for an acceptance.
It was a joke, Shola, and no.
"How many people were in your admitted class when you first started?"
Usually I believe they accept 25 fiction writers and 25 poets a year. My class was a bit strange, though, because, for a variety of reasons, they admitted something like 32. I can think of three people who didn't finish off the top of my head, so my class ended up being something like 29.
"While I know there's a million and one great things about Iowa's program I worry about the class size. Does it get cliquey and competitive? Do the professors have enough time to give students the individual guidance they want?"
Most of the people who talk to me about Iowa ask about class size. And, not to sound like a homer or anything, I think a lot of applicants think about class size the wrong way. For instance, one thing that a larger (though really, 25 is not that big, it just sounds like it in MFA world; it's like 9-11 a workshop) class size is that you have a lot more choice of instructors, seminars, thesis advisors, etc. For instance, I also got into Cornell, and that year they were going to have a class size of 4 people, with a program size of something like 8. Which meant not only did you not get a choice of workshop instructor but that you were going to be in workshop with the same 7 people the entire time. If you ask me, I'll take larger than that any day. While I was at Iowa you could've chosen to sign up for workshops with Marilynne Robinson, Ethan Canin, Sam Chang, Jim McPherson, Curtis Sittenfeld, Alex Chee, ZZ Packer, Wells Tower, Andrew Sean Greer, Michelle Hoover, etcetera, not to mention seminars. That was a lot of choice to have.
The other thing people always ask about Iowa is about the competitiveness. Different people from Iowa will tell you different things about this, but here's what I'd say: it's as competitive as you want it to be. There's always a lot of talent at Iowa, and a lot of people publishing/published, and everyone applies to the same fellowships afterwards (Stegner, etc), and if you were the kind of person who are easily drawn into thinking about things as competition, then you probably would've felt that way. However, you didn't have to. And if you hate competition it's really easy to feel relaxed at the Workshop too. Mostly, everybody gets along and is happy for each other when good things happen. The one caveat or speedbump that trips people up is the chance to get more funding your second year. You submit a MS of work you did in your first year and some people get some more money and some people don't, but nobody loses any funding at all.
The one thing I can answer pretty emphatically is that the professors absolutely have time and attention for you if you want it. There were profs who taught there while I was there that were flakes, but they'd be flakes at any program. And there were teachers like Sam Chang who are more caring and dedicated to students and student work than anyone I've ever met or heard about in my entire life.
In general the one thing I tell people about Iowa is that it's set up so you can have whatever kind of experience you want. If you're the type (like me) who needs a lot of attention, you can get it. If you're the type who'd rather disappear for two years and surface at the end with the next great american novel, you can do that too.
Thanks Arna! Very interesting. I'm definitely someone who prefers more interaction with professors so I worry about that.
That's an impressive list of workshop leaders I tell ya.
Hi Arna,
Thanks so much for answering questions!
Could you tell us what being involved in the admissions process is like? How many people are readers? How many read each application? Do people really read every single page of each manuscript? How much debate is there among adcoms?
Sorry for inundating you with questions. Congrats on the forthcoming collection.
A
"Could you tell us what being involved in the admissions process is like? How many people are readers? How many read each application? Do people really read every single page of each manuscript? How much debate is there among adcoms?"
There's a limit to what I can tell you specifically, in order to honor Iowa's privacy. Some technical things I think they wouldn't mind me telling you about the fiction process: at Iowa, each application is read at least three times and often four times (two of which are two different first readers, then Sam Chang herself, who reads every application). When I did it there was a group of about 14 first readers in fiction. There is often a great deal of debate between first readers (who prepare brief comments and admission recommendations); I think part of this is because the Workshop really tries hard to get as many different viewpoints/styles/backgrounds/tastes as possible in the first readers. As far as the other stuff, I can tell you that we were very clearly instructed to read every page of each application. That being said, the first readers are human beings and if you have something that's clearly not been edited (tons and tons of typos etcetera) or that is very bad, it will get read but not in as much depth as something that is cared for and/or good. I will say that we were encouraged to think of each part of the writing sample separately, e.g. if there were three stories and the first one was horrible, to look at the second one afresh and not have the first one be held against the applicant if the others are good. I can tell you that the things that I was impressed by good writing whenever I encountered it, whether in novel excerpt or story, etcetera, that I was impressed by range, and that I was impressed by real emotion, originality, or vision--I think most of us were more or less forgiving of unpolished prose when there seemed to be a real soul pressing against the page; I definitely recommended those applications over ones that were very technically polished but seemed bloodless or uninvested.
I want to also note that I in no way represent or speak for the Iowa Writers' Workshop or the university, and that my thoughts, opinions, and experiences are only my own and could very well be misleading or wrong. This is just my perspective on things, for what it's worth.
Arna,thank you for stopping by and filling us in! Your comments make me want Iowa even more now.
Congrats on the collection too!
Poetry here (no particular order):
Brown
UNC-Wilmington
Georgia College and State University
University of Wisconsin
Oregon State University
University of New Hampshire - Durham
University of Alabama
George Mason
Hey everyone! I just received the call from Iowa for fiction!!! In a state of shock over here so I apologize if I'm incoherent. I've been quietly lurking here for weeks and just wanted to let everyone know that Sam said they're just finishing up decisions and she's starting to make calls today.
Congratulations, Kiesha! Congratulations!!!
Congrats Kiesha! I got the call from Sam too.
Congrats Keisha and Mel.
Would it be rude to ask if youve been accepted other places? I'm on a wait list that I would live to get off of lol
No other acceptances yet. Still waiting to hear from several places. I'm on the waitlist at one school.
Congrats to you both! Both of you got the call today?
According to Face Book, University of Michigan Acceptances were sent via email today.
Jeff, is that in poetry or fiction or both? I care about poetry.
Both. No word on waitlists yet though so there is still hope. * fingers crossed *
Thanks, Jeff. Good attitude. Checked Wolverine Access and it hasn't changed. Haven't gotten an email, either. I do, however, know dirty words to Michigan's fight song, having grown up in a different Big Ten family. And I'm not afraid to sing them...
In a moment of semi-sane contemplation, I realized the schools I haven't heard from yet aren't likely to announce for another 3 to 4 weeks, maybe more. Think I won't check this site again until then, and I'll post when I know something. Thanks for all the helpful info, and see you again soon. Gonna try to calm my butt down for a while. Congrats to those who've made it into their dream schools, and for everyone else: good luck, y'all!
Hi everyone. Any word on Syracuse? Also Iowa CNF?
Does a school like Iowa call everyone regardless of acceptance or rejection?
Or do they just call accepted folks?
Anyone know anything more about Vanderbilt? Looks like waitlists have been notified, but there's only one reported acceptance on facebook, and that was a week ago. Anyone know if they are all through notifying acceptances?
@Shola As far as I know, no school will call it's rejected applicants over the phone.
So, the MFA Research Project - is the data pulled from the FB group? So if there are no dates for when Wisconsin or Brown notify poets, does that mean that no one from the FB group was admitted?
Real question, anyone know when Wisconsin and Brown will notify (or have they already)?
TV, I have in my notes that Brown will notify by 3/15. Also applied there in poetry. Have heard nothing, and it doesn't seem as if their online system has a spot for admission decisions (just "application status: complete").
Here's an older post from "Where Did You Apply" that offers a bit of general notificational insight:
Slayerella said...
@ Andrew: I found myself in the same situation with Riverside as you did with Rutgers. Tho finally, I did get that rejection email from them a few days ago. I find the reception I get from each school often reflects where I am in their "priority" - if an admit, it's somewhat "wine and dine". If waitlist, it's sorta optimistically ambivalent. If "invisible waitlist" or "undecided," no peep until the last moment and constant stonewalling in communications. With Rutgers, I went from no funding to partial to full funding in the space of a month and certainly, the last stage when funding was involved, the communication was constant and much more warmly embracing. I've no doubt now that I'm in, it's all in, and i feel its a perfect fit program for me, but certainly it was different degrees of reception and contact in the lead up. It's definitely been quite an experience. Good luck with UW; I'll send out good vibes for ya!
April 14, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Let me start off by saying that you bunch and this blog are very supportive, helpful and show genuine caring for other wishful MFA students and I would never have guessed how helpful this blog and all you people really are.
That being said, this place is stressing me the fu!< out.
But......I can't........seem......to leave.
@Shola: I feel you.
@Arna: Thank you for sharing your insights.
I heard back from Michigan and was accepted into the fiction program. Not sure if they've notified everyone, though.
I'm a second-cycle applicant--never posted before, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the information and support over the past two years!
I got the wait list email from Southern Illinois this afternoon. (Very excited!) I see on the Facebook group that acceptances have gone out also, at least for fiction.
Best of luck to everyone! It's not over yet.
has anyone heard from nyu?
First time applicant. Applying in poetry to:
Brown - (Which I assume is 100% no dice)
UNC Wilmington
Colorado State
Naropa
Butler
South Connecticut State.
Anyone here anything about these programs yet?
First time applicant -- applying in poetry to Butler.
Haven't heard anything yet. Good luck to everyone.
Saw on the fb page that UNCW will be calling Fri and Mon.
Thank you @ Jennifer Moffitt
Now I get to spend the next few days with a bottle of bourbon on call.
@Ashton
I hear you bro.
My vices are in full effect for the next 3 weeks.
Pretty sure this site is my biggest vice.
Anyone read Brian Evenson of Brown U.'s 11 tips for a better MFA application? A little late for this year, but interesting all the same.
I almost hate to start thinking this way...but has anyone else started planning what they're going to do if they don't get in? I'm not sure I'll have the heart to apply again if I get rejected this year.
None of the schools I applied to have sent out anything yet. I'm starting to get antsy as all hell.
@ Shola - Yeah, I am punishing my lungs with bugler hand rolled cigarettes as we speak. I know the rental agreement said "no smoking", but I can almost guarantee that my landlord never applied for an MFA.
@ Meghan D. - My options at this point are... Grad school for poetry or go to work in the steel mill like everyone else in my family. I won't work in steel. I invested in a durable hiking backpack. The only logical thing I can think to do is walk across the great state of Ohio and "rediscover america". (Neal Cassady told me to do that in a dream I had. I'll just stay away from the train tracks)
@Meghan
If I don't get accepted ill be forced to get a stable 9 to 5.
Probably in retail *shudder*
BestBuy maybe.
lord help me.......
Ohgodohgodohgodohgod
As someone who applied two years ago and was wait listed at two programs but never got in, THEN panicked the next year and couldn't apply, and who has yet to receive an official acceptance this year, I have to say just keep focused on your art. I really want to get in and yeah, it sucks having jobs you don't like, but as long as your main emotional focus is moving forward with something you love to do then all will be ok. I have had two publications so far this year and I plan to keep em coming regardless of my mfa status. Everything will fall together in due time, for everyone, even me, even you.
Anyone know if Iowa is finished making calls?
Email from Cornell this morning re fiction (3 down, 6 to go):
Your application for admission to the Graduate School at Cornell University has been given careful consideration by the Graduate Field of English Language and Literature.
I'm very sorry to say that we are unable to offer you admission to our M.F.A. graduate program for Fall 2013. This was a very difficult decision. We received hundreds of applications for a very few places in the program, and we have had to turn down a number of very talented people with very impressive records, many of whom no doubt will go on to distinguished careers.
This email will serve as your only notification of your application results. We appreciate your interest in Cornell, and wish you success in your graduate studies.
Yours truly,
Samantha Zacher
Associate Professor of English
Director of Graduate Studies
I just got the same rejection email from Cornell. That's two so far (U. of Washington St. Louis was the other one). Trying not to panic but failing. FML.
Cornell rejects represent!
Any of y'all in Germany? Wine party at my place if you are!
Got that letter too.
First rejection.
I don't know what to think right now.
This sucks.
Found this while drowning my sorrows. It's from some blog but I figured it would help all those that are not too happy with the way thinspgs are going at the moment.
"Tales abound of writers rejected by ten schools and accepted only at Iowa or Cornell. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why one is rejected or accepted, no quantifiable way to predict one’s chances. This means that no matter how perfect your application is, no matter how good a writer you are, it is still not just possible but likely that you will get rejected."
Got a call on my cell from a number I didn't recognize.
Hope sets in.
But that is dashed away as I hear the automated voice informing me I just won a trip to Disney World.
I don't think I've ever had more hate for an anonymous person in my life.
Rejection email from USF today (fiction). Bummer man.
Thanks SnackAttack for the info on Brown.
First time posting here; have followed for a week or so. Applied to Cornell, Brown, Vandy, and UVa in fiction. I, too, just got the same Cornell rejection email. Good info on here, folks. Thank you, all. Best wishes.
@ Jennifer -- I got the same letter from USF. I thought I would get accepted everywhere I applied and then the various schools would fight over me. Sadly, it appears that will not be happening now.
@Shola -- Congrats on winning the trip to Disney World. That's awesome! /jk/
I had the opportunity to speak to the head of one of the better MFA programs last year. He encouraged me to apply to a lot of programs because, he said, "Who knows what each program is looking for? I'm not always sure what my own program is looking for, so the more applications you send, the better the chances that you hit a program that is looking for you."
Despite the fact that applying to 16 different programs became my full-time job, drained my bank account and pissed off one of my recommenders (because he had to submit so many recommendations), I think the advice was good. There really is no rhyme nor reason to what each school is looking for in an applicant. So the more applications you can send, the better your chances.
Lou: I chose my recommenders based on their willingness to submit up to 15 letters on my behalf. (I ended up applying to 9 schools, when I realized how much that had cost me.) Therefore, my last two employers did not submit letters, because they are lawyers and a public official who don't have the time to deal with 15 requests. And I don't have the time or presence of mind to organize 45 pre-addressed, stamped envelopes for them.
I just called University of Indiana, was told that "decisions are going to committee in a couple days, notifications first few days of March." I've heard of a couple acceptances here, but those could have been the early bird "we wanted to move expeditiously to express our interest in you" acceptances.
Indiana is the last school on my list that could knock Alabama out.
Checked my voice mail for the first time in a week and found an acceptance from Kansas University, in case anyone's interested in KU news.
I want to repeat the thanks to everybody who is posting updates from Facebook and elsewhere. Such a stressful process! There were two fiction acceptances from the University of Arizona reported on GradCafe (both notified by phone on Monday). My application status remains unchanged, alas.
I wondered if anyone has gotten any news from Ohio State? In previous years they have notified in late January or early February. Would also love to hear one way or the other from Indiana and Wyoming, both early notifiers in previous years. I know there were some acceptances to both on Facebook -- anyone know if all available spaces were filled?
Thank you, Jason, for the update on Indiana!
For all of you who have applied to Colorado State for Poetry, I heard on the MFA Draft '13 fb page that letters were sent today.
Chew them nails, if you have any left to chew.
TV, today in an email response from Brown they said that they've made their decisions regarding poets, but have no more info to offer.
Hello, have you checked your online status at Iowa Isis? Mine still says "In Progress", and I'm holding onto that like it's the last Wonka bar in town.
Go Poets!
Today Syracuse notified me via email that I'm on their waitlist. That's poetry.
I'm surprised Syracuse already has made their decisions in regards to poetry.
Is it wrong to assume that the same is true for fiction?
IIRC fiction was due before poetry.
Thanks again SA. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've gotten jumpy in the last few days every time my phone rings or email notification bings.
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