Montana notified by phone. A friend also received an email, but I didn't.
@Nair:
My situation largely depends on funding. If I get funded at Montana or get off the wait list at Wyoming, I'd likely choose those schools over Hollins. Things can change though, and Hollins is much more local for me, so take all this with a grain of salt.
@Godwilling:
Yes, Chapman University. Richard Bausch is a big draw for me. Love his short fiction.
I believe that Ohio State notification was actually by website. I mention, because my own (fiction) Ohio State rejection was posted yesterday to the website, with a note that said "more details to come by mail" or something to that effect. Harumph. Still waiting on Tucson myself.
Totally, Susie. My eyes blurred the two. Arizona was by email, and OSU by website. "More details to come by mail?" Like a person needs more details as to why she didn't get in. Ha! Do those details come with a new bike?
Does anyone know anything about decisions coming from Roosevelt University, Wichita, Mills College, San Diego State University, and Butler University? Thanks!
Would anyone actually turn Cornell down? Wondering about the odds of getting of that wait-list. Please understand that by wondering I mean obsessing, and that any and all info would be much appreciated.
Barbara, I'm obsessing, too. That's why I made potato salad for my homebound neighbor while he undergoes chemo. Seriously, it gave me three hours of peace: one hour to make it, two hours to visit with him. He did me the favor, not the other way around.
I've got stacks of homemade focaccia bread approaching the ceiling.I've watched, what I believe to be, every movie known to man. Yet time, and Cornell, don't seem to be moving forward. If provided with your neighbors address, I'll gladly send some bread along. @those who were Cornell's first choices:........
@SnackAttack, if you visit JHU, don't freak entirely by what you see around campus. It's not pretty. But Baltimore, while known for its roughness, still has a lot of cool elements. I go up there every weekend 'cause that's where my friends live (grew up near there) and I do so more because it's actually down to earth as opposed to DC which while so so cool has a lot of people on a power trip. Be apprised that it is somewhat of a safety issue however - not nearly enough to jettison the option of going there.
Sorry if this is annoying but any news on NYU, Columbia or The New School, if they're done notifying?
Thanks, nairb! I was readying myself to teach in Detroit if accepted to U of M, so I guess I don't scare too easily, but appreciate your input. Thanks for the tips! Any diner picks? I love a good diner.
Can't recall if you're poetry or ficiton, and you prob already know this, but if you click "institution" it lists in alpha order schools and their notifications as posted so far: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=poetry
@SnackAttack - a friend got into Johns Hopkins for poetry last Thursday via phone, and I got an e-mail saying I'm on their waitlist (also poetry) a couple days ago. However, I have no idea if that means they've finished contacting acceptances.
Baltimore is a blast. The bad parts are terrible (I have a family member who's a detective, and I've had some colorful experiences growing up there) but each neighborhood is very distinct and many of them are just wonderful. What I've seen of the Hopkins campus is gorgeous, and Hampden, the neighborhood directly at Hopkins' west border, is one of my favorite parts of the city. The Ottobar, my favorite place to see music in the city, is just a few blocks south of campus. The whole area surrounding Hopkins is pretty safe in my experience.
@SnackAttack,knew nothing of this site...my world has changed...for the better. It kinda makes me realize that you just. don't. know when they're gonna contact you. Kinda disturbing to see the rejection posts though.
FYI for those waiting to hear from Arkansas (Fayetteville). Someone on the Facebook Draft got accepted in poetry via phone today. Another was waitlisted via email. No word on other genres.
@AlexMack Thanks for taking the initiative on CIty College. They have an open house next Friday in the City - was debating about making the trip. Agree with you about the website - you have to be a "Prince of Amber" to get to the location of desired info. Let's see who gets that reference.
Stegner hopefuls, there was a rejection posted on Grad Cafe dated 3/6 via email.
Anyone else having fun concocting a plan b? So far I've been asked to be the sternman for a fishing boat in Maine, and I've considered starting a family. Both would be smelly. And amazing. And no doubt they'd foster new poems.
Plus, I can submit my writing sample to every chapbook/first book contest I find and still come out ahead of the money I spent on transcripts and the GREs alone.
Right now I'm gonna finish my coffee, await word from my boss, and go skiing in the graveyard with my dog.
Figured I'd add my responses. Been following the blog and I know a lot of these have been covered, but who knows. These are my results so far (7 responded out of 15 applied):
Rejections: Syracuse Michigan Iowa Minnesota
Waitlists: NYU Southern Illinois University Carbondale
I thought Brooklyn College wasn't contacting anyone until mid/end of March. Congrats ZCS! I also applied for Fiction. I wonder if that means I'm rejected?
@Alex Mack Thanks for the insight! I checked because I'm crazy (this craze didn't begin until I received my SLC acceptance earlier this week... where has my usual laid-back demeanor gone?) and my enrollment status reads the same. WELL DONE ZCS!
@ZCS any idea if NYU has a short/long list system? Or if they're don'e with notifications. Or anything? Congrats on the acceptances and wailists. A relief to get in.
(I think I'm saying this more for myself than for you.)
Thank goodness for this blog, otherwise, I would have gone mad this week.
YOU'RE ALL STAR WRITERS IN MY HEART AND MIND!
Even though you're just black text on a white screen... but I suppose that's what all writers are to their readers anyway.
Oh, and about Brooklyn College... did y'all (I'm not from the South) get an email about applying for scholarships too? I think it's so strange that they want MORE recommendations. I hate bothering employers and past professors for application recs as it was, and now I have to ask again! I feel like such a pest.
Oh and @Moll, scholarship apps are due March 14th. I've already asked my boss and just told an old professor to email them whatever letter they wrote me for apps. I am going crazy until then. Less than a week is not my favourite.
Does anybody know the story with Notre Dame's prose notifications? I know of one acceptance so far. There's a rejection posted on grad cafe, a friend of mine received his rejection today, and I haven't heard anything. Do they do their rejections in waves, or is it pretty much all at once? I'm cautiously optimistic, but I don't want to read too much into anything. A big thanks to anyone with any insight.
I just received my acceptance from Notre Dame (prose) today, via an email telling me to check my status on the website. I have not yet heard from the actual program, so all I can tell you is that all the acceptances did not go out at once. So you never know . . .
After applying to several PhDs and MFAs, I'm in at one MA and waitlisted at NYU for poetry. I didn't apply to the MA, they just bumped me down from the PhD. Although I am excited and honored to be accepted, my waitlist excitement so far surpassed my reaction to my one actual acceptance that I've decided the MFA is clearly the way to go. So I'm trying to collect all info about the workings of the NYU waitlist, in the hopes that somehow it will help. To summarize: pretty please, tell me anything and everything you know about NYU's poetry waitlist, thank you!
Congrats to those who've got something. Got only rejections from everywhere so far including: Cornell, U Mass Brown Stegner Ole Miss Virginia blacksburg And Syracuse
Does anyone have news on: Iowa Alabama Florida Oregon, Eugene John Hopkins Bowling Green Brroklyn Hunter Boston
@ashish, half your "remaining" schools notified all acceptances, barring the 1% of who knows. brooklyn, iowa, florida, oregon, bowling green, all have acceptances and waitlists out. sorry.
Hi everyone! Does anyone have any information on UT Austin's New Writer's Program? Their website says they will notify by March 15th. Just curious to see if anyone's gotten a response. Thanks!
SnackAttack corresponded with Hopkins and they said letters would be mailed "within the next week" (as of Thursday). So hopefully we'll know within the next few days.
Thank you so much for your application for a Stegner Fellowship. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a place in the program. However, we wanted to let you know that your application was read with great care and appreciation. It is through the vibrancy and commitment of work like yours that the program is able to depend on an applicant pool of immense talent. Every year, after reading the submissions, all of us wish we had more fellowships to offer.
While you may not have achieved your desired outcome in this instance, we suspect that you will be successful on many future occasions in other circumstances. Furthermore, the fact that we are unable to award you a fellowship this year should not be taken as a prohibition of your reapplying, as we look forward to following your growth as a writer.
We want to thank you for your interest in the Stanford Creative Writing Program, and offer you our best wishes for your future work.
Looks like there are several of us who come to writing from Philosophy. Like some of you, I have an MA in Philosophy (analytic, which perhaps is less common for a cross-over than continental), which very much informs the kind of poetry I write and like to read.
I wonder if any of you would be willing to share some of your favorite writers/poets who you think use philosophical issues in their works. Besides the obvious choices like William Carlos Williams, Borges, Jorie Graham and Ed Hirsch, I've enjoyed lesser-known poets David Rigsbee (who did his PhD in philos under Rorty), Troy Jollimore (teaches philos at CSU-Chico; first book won the National Book Critics Circle award for poetry), and Linda Gregerson. I also think that a lot of Olson and Creely is compatible with 20th century philosophical issues (the linguistic turn, etc), even if they were not trained in philos departments.
@Tecumseh Valley - You have to check out Eugene Ostashevsky if you haven't. Start with The Life and Opinions of DJ Spinoza. He's one of my favorites and his work draws quite directly from the realm of philosophy and logic.
@Yasmin re Columbia, I'm waiting too. Lemme know if you get any updates.
@Tecumseh Valley, I'm a fiction guy myself and am unfortunately not very well versed in poetry (ha), although I just picked up Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red (she's awesome). But as for philo fiction, DFW was a philo major in college and of course it breathes through his work. But as Wittgenstein pointed out, those who understand philosophy best might just be those who surmise its paradigms and themes by themselves, and as Kant pointed out (I think it was Kant...), anything can be profound and rife with philosophical merit. I tend to read philosophically inclined fiction but not sure which of them are formally trained in such. In fact, I feel those who aren't and fall under Wittgenstein's category lack some of the annoying effete aspects of those who might have been better off as critics ;). Put simply, I'm a fan of prodigy/badass who kind of just gets it, think William Gaddis - was asked to leave Harvard because of drunken brawling but is an existential/metaphysical genius. There's the long route to my best suggestion for ya haha
Word from Hopkins is that Poetry has been notified, fiction will be notified next week.
I've heard from: VCFA: In Goddard: In UNCG: Out Columbia College Chicago: In University of Baltimore: In
Haven't heard from: Hopkins Hunter Brooklyn
I'm also from Baltimore, and love living here. It's way more affordable to live than NYC, Chicago, DC, San Fran, but still has a lot of culture, charm, and things to do.
hello! lurker here. congratulations to all who've received good news!
i'm hoping someone can share info regarding the low res programs. i applied to Bennington, WW, and VCFA. Bennington is my first choice. all three apps were overnighted to make the March 1st deadline, so they arrived on time but under the wire.
anyone know how the schools handle acceptances and rejections? timetable? calls, letters, emails? my understanding was notices around March 15-30th, but looks like a couple people have heard from VCFA.
I received an e-mail late last week from a program that said that they were unable to locate my letters of recommendation and that I please forward them over. From my understanding of the application review process, they don't look at letters of rec unless they're interested, especially this late in the process, right? Is this good news or am I just grasping at straws?
On Hopkins-- the response dated last Thursday from their office can be seen below, following my question: "I was wondering when MFA applicants might be notified for Fall 2013?"
"Good Afternoon! We are mailing letters to all applicants within the next week."
While I don't have high hopes, I do believe "all" means the same in Baltimore as other English speaking environs.
If we're going to start rumors and feed second-hand speculations, let's at least make them interesting.
I heard each Hopkins' rejection letter comes with a crab cake.
Tecumseh Valley, Elsa, and Siglikitty: I’m thrilled we’re not alone! I came from an analytic program, too, and you’re reminding me why I’m a bad poet. I spent most of my grad school time curled up in a window with either good fiction or anything by Kim and co, wondering why we weren’t asked to read more philosophers who could write cool prose. One of my students was a big fan of Borges, so I think I’ll email now and apologize for giving him mindy stuff before looking for Rigsbee. Thanks!
I am a very, VERY bad poet. Existential enthusiast. Dark humor writer. What up fellow philos?! Holla.
In regards to what fiction to read that whispers philosophy, besides the obvious ones, Sartre's "No Exit," Albert Camus, or Beckett's "Waiting For Godot" I'm not well-versed in fiction writers since I was a philosophy major and mostly theater-oriented fiction writing minor; AKA I read plays mostly. Which may be a little obvious since 2/3 of my suggestions are dramatic works. I, myself, am scrabbling to put together a list of authors and works I should read and know before September. And philo-centric suggestions are welcome from philosophied and non-philosophied backgrounded persons!
I started applying to scholarships online on all these weird sites suggested by all the schools to which I applied... but now I'm receiving calls and texts and emails from universities I don't want to apply to and it feels very... invading. Like I signed up for a scam. But these sites were recommended by the schools proper! Uggghhhh
Don't know for sure, but my advisors are telling me that it's a good sign. Has happened to me twice within the last two weeks -- One program asked for missing rec letters via email. The other program called my current university looking for McNair scholar confirmation. Neither program has announced yet. I would call it cause for hope.
"Unfortunately, we have only seven spots to offer in our incoming MFA class.
We have made our initial offers. We have also compiled a short waiting list and have contacted these applicants.At this point no one has been "rejected"—indeed, given the talent we have seen, such a term doesn't apply. We simply don't have the room to accept all the talented writers who have applied to our program."
Big congrats to the seven-plus of you who received better news!
Heck no, SnackAttack. Used to coach a Special Olympics team, and it was pretty darned clear to me that those ribbons were treasured. The WVU approach made me smile.
And now I shall eat some dark chocolate -- which also makes me smile.
This site gives some not particularly helpful info about Riverside: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=riverside+&t=a&o= There are a few acceptances/rejections when you search "UC Riverside," but genre's not always listed.
Does anyone know anything about UC Irvine? Seems like maybe they will wait til March 25th to notify...
has anyone taken a good fiction writing workshop in nyc? i've been taking classes at the writers studio and really loved it, but i've taken three classes there now and feel like i need a change. i've heard gotham is "meh," and i've taken some continuing ed fiction classes at NYU that were not the best. has anyone tried the new school's continuing ed writing program, sackett street, or 92Y? or anything else? summer's coming and i don't want to get lazy!
Does anyone know when Antioch will start notifying for Fiction? Or if they have started notifying already? I saw some acceptances on the FB Draft for CNF and Poetry but wanted to see if anyone has heard anything about fiction.
does anyone know anything about stegner acceptances? i saw there was a rejection email some got, which i didn't receive. does stegner notify rejections in waves? should i be waiting anxiously?
I've lurked on this blog in the past and made great use of some of the tips on here.
I applied to five MFA programs for fiction (Boston University, UMass Boston, Solstice at Pine Manor College, Lesley University, and Emerson). Yep, I do love Boston. But - I just received my first rejection (from UMass).
I'm on spring break right now - think it would be beneficial if I tried to get up to Boston to meet with some fiction professors/administrators? I've already met with some program directors and students - I guess I'm just panicking a bit.
Hi Folks - any new updates coming out of Hunter? Long list short list - anything? Saw an earlier post about Brooklyn notifying but have heard nothing from them except to apply for scholarships just in case. Anyone get good news from McNeese?
Thank you, Johnny and Triple B! How cool of you to say so. I'm rooting for you guys. I can tell by your writing here that you are fun and down-to-earth.
I see no reason to trudge through this process, no matter the outcome. It's sorta like a bad day fishing.
Meanwhile, another rainy, silent day here. I'm thinkin' homemade chili and jalapeño cornbread.
Looks like I missed a few ND rejections. Better late than never, to the tune of ND's fight song, the "Victory March":
Beers, beers for old Notre Dame! Bring on the whiskey, bring on the dames! Send the freshmen out for gin, Don't let a sober sophomore in. We never stagger, we never fall. We sober up on wood alcohol. All the loyal faculty lie drunk on the bar room floor.
So I bit the bullet and called Columbia and asked them what the situation was with their notifications and a very nice fellow on the phone informed me that all applicants would receive an email at the end of the month regarding their status. I will admit this troubled me because I had heard Columbia tends to call students so upon pressing further I asked if ACCEPTANCES would be emailed as well and the answer was yes so now I'm just not really sure what to expect?
All right already, Stanford. Please please please email the rest of your fiction rejections so I can get on with my life and stop obsessively checking this site, the fb page, grad cafe, my email and my admissions status. Please. Please? Thank you very much and most kindly.
@Yasmin well that sure is some equivocating news. I actually heard from somewhere that they interview too so I guess we should trust that they're not lying to us.
i.e. apparently they don't interview (I hope?) and hence the forced feelings of trust. Either way I'll take the Snack Attack approach and just act like it's all good.
So I've gotten no's so far from WUSTL, WVU and half of UT Austin (can't totally keep track of their two programs), and a yes from UNO as of yesterday (stoked!!!). There's a few programs I'm still waiting on (Columbia Coll. Chicago, which it seems like somebody else already heard back from; Denver; Vanderbilt; other Austin program) but if I can get full funding from UNO then I don't care about my other options. Poetry, by the way.
Just received a calm from The New School saying they accepted me into their Fiction MFA program! That they hope they're my top choice because they love my writing and are excited to work with me! Felt speechless on the phone, I don't think I voiced my excitement enough because I was so taken aback!
@Elsa - congrats! So which program are you leaning towards, New School or SLC?
@Celia - check out the non-matric classes at Stony Brook Manhattan. You can take MFA classes without having to officially join the MFA program (at least at first).
Only info on New School's MFA webpage says federal loans available via FAFSA completion. If they do offer assistantships/scholarships/fellowships, they'd do well to mention this online and not keep it so secret. Tuition is approx. 26k/yr.
In case there's someone here straight out of undergrad who's unfamiliar with the recent changes in federal aid, here's the info: http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized
There are no longer subsidized loans for grad students. As a grad student, you may borrow $20,500 a year at 6.8% interest with another 1% tacked on for fun. This was for the 2012-2013 school year. If anything, the interest rate will rise for next year.
Again, landing a teaching job that pays a living wage upon finishing an MFA is far harder than getting into UT's Michener Center for Writers. If hired, a recent MFA grad will likely teach two sections of first-year composition for a total of $1,900/month while working more than 40 hrs/wk.
Butler has my favorite blurb on any MFA website--elegant and true: "The MFA at Butler does not offer 'free rides': tuition remission with fellowship/assistant support. As a responsible program, we recommend that applicants receiving such support offers from other programs should attend those programs." It then goes on to explain the awards, scholarships, and financial assistance they do offer.
It costs 24k to attend Butler's program, total. It is a private school. SUNY's MFA up at Stony Brook charges nearly that for in-state tuition, and boasts about what a "deal" it is. I heart Hoosier hospitality.
Does anyone know about decisions from University of Miami, Florida International University, University of Florida, or University of Wisconsin? Already received a "no" from Michigan. Thanks!
Anyone know about decisions from University of Miami (Florida), Florida International University, University of Florida or University of Wisconsin at Madison? Already received a "no" from Michigan.
Back again. First time fiction applicant. Received my first acceptance today from Old Dominion without funding. They're my top choice but money is an issue. Still waiting to hear back from a few. Here's the current standing:
Riverside: No West Virginia: Waitlisted Old Dominion: Yes--no funding, at least as of yet Columbia: ? George Mason: ? Eastern Washington: ? Boston U: ?
Anyone heard from Columbia, Mason, E Washington, or Boston yet?
@ AlexMack Thanks Alex - confirms what I had been reading as well. That May deadline was a change I believe from 1 Feb - which is what it was when I applied in Jan. Maybe they didn't like the submissions they got.
@Sally Jane I'm leaning more towards New School, but I think I'm going to choose a school based, number one, on the funding available. If funding is both the same, probably New School. Better location and a great program.
@SnackAttack New School has a "scholarships and grants" tab:
"The New School provides a generous program of scholarships and fellowships to degree students based on need, merit, or a combination of the two. These funds, ranging from several hundred dollars to full-tuition, do not require repayment and are primarily scholarships applied towards your tuition costs. "
Good to hear. However, I don't see it anywhere off the MFA webpage itself, or any evidence this aid is tied to the MFA program specifically. Like Alex said, please do let us know what they offer. You were one of the less than 12% of applicants accepted--congratulations. I wish you the best.
Again, my experience I was accepted last year to an MFA at a prestigious liberal arts college. On their website they also said they funded the majority of students through scholarships, graduate assistantships, etc. My application was "unanimously" accepted by the ad com within a month of applying and was followed by a personal email from the program director expressing his and the com's hopes that I attend. I had been inquiring about aid from the get-go, and getting different answers from the program director and the office of financial aid. In the end, I was offered bupkiss. Waste. Of. Time. I sincerely hope no one has this happen, and share my story here in an effort to empower us.
I now pay attention only to programs that spell it out: MFA students will receive x amt. for teaching x number of classes, x amt. for a living stipend, and x amt. to hang out in the summer and get a tan.
@SnackAttack I got that info through the MFA webpage! I'm waiting on a letter/packet about financial aid and funding. I'm going to pull out as MUCH as I can from them.
and I see no "scholarships and grants" tab. Off the"Application Information" page, they offer this non-specific info found below. I'm off the blog for the rest of the day, but hope you find what you need, in writing, in that forthcoming packet.
Costs and Financial Aid
Go to the registrar for tuition and fees and to Student Financial Services for an estimate of other costs of attendance. Speak to an admission counselor if you are concerned about costs. The New School will work with you to help you finance your graduate studies. All accepted students are automatically considered for New School merit-based scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are considered for loans and grants on the basis of need. (The New School's federal school code is 002780.) You do not have to wait for an admission decision to file the FAFSA; you can file for the next year beginning January 1.
@Snack Attack or anybody who might be as wise as this anonymous person:
1. What is this MFA page you speak of?
2. I'm on the waitlist at Hollins. Hollins offers really good funding for a lot of its students, though since I'm on the waitlist maybe I won't get offered any of that. Anyways, they said they probably wouldn't have any further news for me until after April 20th. Aren't commitments supposed to be made by the 15th? I'm considering calling them and saying that I can't commit anywhere until I hear from them, and that especially if they provided funding, it's probably where I would end up. Any advice?
Stilling waiting to hear, for fiction, from Hopkins, U Florida, Irvine, and UVA (though I know the last one will be a long wait). Also waiting to hear about financial aid from U-Mass Amherst (I interviewed for a teaching fellowship). Anyone hear news on any of these fronts?
I so need to be doing other things right now, but with minimal self-control this morning, I'll post this and then really, gotta go.
Hi, Elsa. My point is simply pin them down for the truth when it comes to funding. It is not clear on their site. Your packet oughtta clear things up, and you will no doubt make an educated decision.
Hi, nairb and anonymous friend of nairb. It would be best to hear from a Hollins' admin or current student; I am neither. However, I do know about the April 15th Resolution, and notice that Hollins (and, incidentally, the New School) is absent from the list of schools that support it. Click here, then on the "Resolution" link towards bottom of page: http://www.cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution
Gotta go raise money for schools in Detroit now. Have a great day, everybody.
UT Austin New Writer's Project: there are waitlists for poetry and fiction reported on fb and grad cafe. Have people gotten in and just not reported it, or are schools really likely to notify waitlists before acceptances/ rejections?
For the folks who keep asking about UW-Madison, read this from their website - http://www.creativewriting.wisc.edu/gradapply.html
At Wisconsin, our promise is simple:
We will make our decisions by March 15th. Should you be placed on our waitlist, we will tell you up front. We won't put off giving you an answer about your status simply so we won't have to tell you you've been waitlisted. While we will tell you if you are on our waitlist, we will not discuss the nature of the waitlist, e.g. how many students are on it, where a particular student's place is. We will respect the April 15th deadline as established by the Council of Graduate Schools. Out of respect to you, (not lack of interest!) we will not call you repeatedly just to "check in with you" to see if you've made a decision. All our students are fully funded, which means we won't at any time threaten to yank or alter funding to pressure you to say yes before April 15th.
Also, after a phone call, SFSU says their decisions will start going out March 15 as well.
Nervous lurker here. Does anyone who has been through an app cycle before (or anyone with any insight, I guess I should say and not limit it like that) have any advice on how to treat your place on a waitlist? I have been waitlisted for AZ, and I responded to their initial letter with the standard thank you, politeness blah blah, still very interested in the program. However, I didn't know how often I should pipe up or if I should go out and visit (not to ask them to meet with me or give me access to anyone, but simply to send an email before my visit to say "I'm coming to check out the campus and all that"). Any thoughts? Much appreciated and best of luck to everyone else.
@Elsa, I got the call from The New School yesterday (Fiction) as well and I'm really thrilled with the program! If you find anything regarding funding let me know; I'm still waiting on my packet. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the program/location itself so this is very exciting news!
I would feel free to contact them if you have any questions. I'm also on a wait list and I have been going back and forth with people at the program and they have been more than happy to answer my questions.
Not sure about the visiting aspect. It sucks that they won't tell you how many people are on the wait list but I guess they don't want people to calculate how many of their accepted students decline their offers.
261 comments:
1 – 200 of 261 Newer› Newest»That's a no from Syracuse.Email.
Same here, @Barbara.
Any word from Columbia U, New School, Hunter, or Long Island U?
@Rosa West:
Montana notified by phone. A friend also received an email, but I didn't.
@Nair:
My situation largely depends on funding. If I get funded at Montana or get off the wait list at Wyoming, I'd likely choose those schools over Hollins. Things can change though, and Hollins is much more local for me, so take all this with a grain of salt.
@Godwilling:
Yes, Chapman University. Richard Bausch is a big draw for me. Love his short fiction.
The Grad Cafe website lists poetry rejections today from U of Arizona and Ohio State, both via email.
I'm waiting on Johns Hopkins for poetry. Any word? Would love an excuse to visit Baltimore for the first time. Hear they have great snacks.
Speaking of, it's Make Your Neighbor Potato Salad Day!
@SnackAttack,
I believe that Ohio State notification was actually by website. I mention, because my own (fiction) Ohio State rejection was posted yesterday to the website, with a note that said "more details to come by mail" or something to that effect. Harumph. Still waiting on Tucson myself.
Has anyone heard anything regarding fiction notifications for Boise, Colorado, or Colorado State?
Totally, Susie. My eyes blurred the two. Arizona was by email, and OSU by website. "More details to come by mail?" Like a person needs more details as to why she didn't get in. Ha! Do those details come with a new bike?
You can't park anywhere at Ohio State. Seriously.
(I like to diss the places that reject us. It's good clean juvenile fun.)
Does anyone know anything about decisions coming from Roosevelt University, Wichita, Mills College, San Diego State University, and Butler University? Thanks!
Brooklyn College as well. Thanks!
Dani, I'm also waiting on Butler for poetry. Not sure how they will notify candidates.
Would anyone actually turn Cornell down? Wondering about the odds of getting of that wait-list. Please understand that by wondering I mean obsessing, and that any and all info would be much appreciated.
From JHU's cordial admin today: "We are mailing letters to all applicants within the next week."
Barbara, I'm obsessing, too. That's why I made potato salad for my homebound neighbor while he undergoes chemo. Seriously, it gave me three hours of peace: one hour to make it, two hours to visit with him. He did me the favor, not the other way around.
I've got stacks of homemade focaccia bread approaching the ceiling.I've watched, what I believe to be, every movie known to man. Yet time, and Cornell, don't seem to be moving forward. If provided with your neighbors address, I'll gladly send some bread along. @those who were Cornell's first choices:........
@SnackAttack
Do you know if that Hopkins admin statement applied to the whole program or just to poetry?
Hi, Unname. It's a direct quote in response to my question, when will applicants for the MFA be notified.
Barbara, I'll take some focaccia!
Seen "Win Win"? That's a good one if it hasn't made its way into your movie rotation.
@SnackAttack, if you visit JHU, don't freak entirely by what you see around campus. It's not pretty. But Baltimore, while known for its roughness, still has a lot of cool elements. I go up there every weekend 'cause that's where my friends live (grew up near there) and I do so more because it's actually down to earth as opposed to DC which while so so cool has a lot of people on a power trip. Be apprised that it is somewhat of a safety issue however - not nearly enough to jettison the option of going there.
Sorry if this is annoying but any news on NYU, Columbia or The New School, if they're done notifying?
Thanks, nairb! I was readying myself to teach in Detroit if accepted to U of M, so I guess I don't scare too easily, but appreciate your input. Thanks for the tips! Any diner picks? I love a good diner.
Can't recall if you're poetry or ficiton, and you prob already know this, but if you click "institution" it lists in alpha order schools and their notifications as posted so far: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=poetry
Hope you hear some good news soon.
@Dani
I spoke with someone from Mills yesterday and they said to expect to hear decisions around the end of March.
@SnackAttack - a friend got into Johns Hopkins for poetry last Thursday via phone, and I got an e-mail saying I'm on their waitlist (also poetry) a couple days ago. However, I have no idea if that means they've finished contacting acceptances.
Alex, thanks man! I do believe I now have an excuse to go to Baltimore, MFA or no!
Baltimore is a blast. The bad parts are terrible (I have a family member who's a detective, and I've had some colorful experiences growing up there) but each neighborhood is very distinct and many of them are just wonderful. What I've seen of the Hopkins campus is gorgeous, and Hampden, the neighborhood directly at Hopkins' west border, is one of my favorite parts of the city. The Ottobar, my favorite place to see music in the city, is just a few blocks south of campus. The whole area surrounding Hopkins is pretty safe in my experience.
Does anyone know if there were interviews for some long list or something for Columbia? I thought I remembered reading that somewhereabouts.
@SnackAttack,knew nothing of this site...my world has changed...for the better. It kinda makes me realize that you just. don't. know when they're gonna contact you. Kinda disturbing to see the rejection posts though.
@Dani (or anyone else who applied to Wichita)- Did you receive any confirmation from Wichita St that your materials were received?
FYI for those waiting to hear from Arkansas (Fayetteville). Someone on the Facebook Draft got accepted in poetry via phone today. Another was waitlisted via email. No word on other genres.
@KyzerSozay- Yes, I did receive an e-mail that all of my materials were received. This was also all the way in November.
@Alex Mack
I didn't know Obrycki's closed!!! Tragic! I loved that place!
On a lighter note: Syracuse sent me their "no thanks" today and I can see I am in good company.
Hold tight gang!
Any word on Columbia College Chicago? I saw that one person was accepted there...
I wonder if there are finished notifying acceptances?
Ugh, I meant "they are" I'm kind of freaking out over here lol
@Trey,
I'm anxiously waiting for a poetry decision from Chapman. How did they contact you if you don't mind me asking!
@AlexMack Thanks for taking the initiative on CIty College. They have an open house next Friday in the City - was debating about making the trip. Agree with you about the website - you have to be a "Prince of Amber" to get to the location of desired info. Let's see who gets that reference.
Stegner hopefuls, there was a rejection posted on Grad Cafe dated 3/6 via email.
Anyone else having fun concocting a plan b? So far I've been asked to be the sternman for a fishing boat in Maine, and I've considered starting a family. Both would be smelly. And amazing. And no doubt they'd foster new poems.
Plus, I can submit my writing sample to every chapbook/first book contest I find and still come out ahead of the money I spent on transcripts and the GREs alone.
Right now I'm gonna finish my coffee, await word from my boss, and go skiing in the graveyard with my dog.
Happy morning, writers!
Rejection from Texas State (fiction) last night.
Wow. UMichigan's program was just given 50 million dollars... Holy hell.
@SnackAttack, I like your spirit. Just sayin'.
Figured I'd add my responses. Been following the blog and I know a lot of these have been covered, but who knows. These are my results so far (7 responded out of 15 applied):
Rejections:
Syracuse
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota
Waitlists:
NYU
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Acceptance(s):
Brooklyn College
Good luck, all.
@ ZCS - Congrats on your acceptance and waitlists! Are those for fiction or poetry?
@Emily E
Fiction! Sorry for not specifying! And thank you so much! Feels extraordinary.
Thanks, Alex! I actually got a call from the director of the fiction program on February 25th. Extremely honored!
I thought Brooklyn College wasn't contacting anyone until mid/end of March. Congrats ZCS! I also applied for Fiction. I wonder if that means I'm rejected?
@Alex Mack Thanks for the insight! I checked because I'm crazy (this craze didn't begin until I received my SLC acceptance earlier this week... where has my usual laid-back demeanor gone?) and my enrollment status reads the same. WELL DONE ZCS!
Congrats ZCS - I am waiting to hear from Brooklyn as well - like the others - holding on to that shred of hope.
I was accepted at Fresno State. I felt great. Then, I got my first rejection from UC Riverside yesterday. Three more schools to go. :)
@ZCS any idea if NYU has a short/long list system? Or if they're don'e with notifications. Or anything? Congrats on the acceptances and wailists. A relief to get in.
Guys, guys, GUYS!
Deep breaths.
(I think I'm saying this more for myself than for you.)
Thank goodness for this blog, otherwise, I would have gone mad this week.
YOU'RE ALL STAR WRITERS IN MY HEART AND MIND!
Even though you're just black text on a white screen... but I suppose that's what all writers are to their readers anyway.
Oh, and about Brooklyn College... did y'all (I'm not from the South) get an email about applying for scholarships too? I think it's so strange that they want MORE recommendations. I hate bothering employers and past professors for application recs as it was, and now I have to ask again! I feel like such a pest.
I'm in such a weird mood right now. I want to hug and kill everything.
@Moll No kidding, puddin'. MY LIFE. OUR LIVES. I'm getting my baking pans out, I have millions of "thank you" cookies to bake.
Oh and @Moll, scholarship apps are due March 14th. I've already asked my boss and just told an old professor to email them whatever letter they wrote me for apps. I am going crazy until then. Less than a week is not my favourite.
Anyone know anything about Houston?
@Godwilling:
They notified by snail mail. Later, by phone, they said they would announce fellowships next week. Hope some of this helps.
Also, any word on Arkansas fiction? I'm not a member of the Facebook group.
@Trey No word that I know of from Arkansas (Fayetteville) fiction.
@mapm
Spoke with U of Houston. They said acceptances will "probably" be sent out today via email and rejections via snail mail.
Thanks, @Leah!
hunter's decisions are on the website
@ Haley
Where? I signed in to my account, but see nothing except that everything has been submitted...help me, I'm freaking out!
@Shank, my hunter account is the same (I'm fiction BTW).
Does anybody know the story with Notre Dame's prose notifications? I know of one acceptance so far. There's a rejection posted on grad cafe, a friend of mine received his rejection today, and I haven't heard anything. Do they do their rejections in waves, or is it pretty much all at once? I'm cautiously optimistic, but I don't want to read too much into anything. A big thanks to anyone with any insight.
oooh I'm sorry, maybe it's only to select. My was at the bottom after I logged in.
No worries @Haley.
Still waiting on McNeese - fiction.
@TheIronCage,
I just received my acceptance from Notre Dame (prose) today, via an email telling me to check my status on the website. I have not yet heard from the actual program, so all I can tell you is that all the acceptances did not go out at once. So you never know . . .
Good luck!
After applying to several PhDs and MFAs, I'm in at one MA and waitlisted at NYU for poetry. I didn't apply to the MA, they just bumped me down from the PhD. Although I am excited and honored to be accepted, my waitlist excitement so far surpassed my reaction to my one actual acceptance that I've decided the MFA is clearly the way to go. So I'm trying to collect all info about the workings of the NYU waitlist, in the hopes that somehow it will help. To summarize: pretty please, tell me anything and everything you know about NYU's poetry waitlist, thank you!
Congrats to those who've got something. Got only rejections from everywhere so far including:
Cornell,
U Mass
Brown
Stegner
Ole Miss
Virginia blacksburg
And Syracuse
Does anyone have news on:
Iowa
Alabama
Florida
Oregon, Eugene
John Hopkins
Bowling Green
Brroklyn
Hunter
Boston
Please update
Hey, anyone who has received a Stegner rejection, I was just curious what it says... Could you post it??
@ashish, half your "remaining" schools notified all acceptances, barring the 1% of who knows. brooklyn, iowa, florida, oregon, bowling green, all have acceptances and waitlists out. sorry.
Does anyone here know of anyone who actually got good funding at Columbia?
More broadly, does anyone have any insights on how detrimental it could be to go to a program where students would not get a chance to teach?
Hi everyone! Does anyone have any information on UT Austin's New Writer's Program? Their website says they will notify by March 15th. Just curious to see if anyone's gotten a response. Thanks!
@Ashish,
SnackAttack corresponded with Hopkins and they said letters would be mailed "within the next week" (as of Thursday). So hopefully we'll know within the next few days.
Thanks all for the kind words!
@nairb454, No idea about the NYU waitlist. All I know is that they said the earliest I'd find out is April 15th.
Any more Hunter Intel?
@MFAgirl:
Thank you so much for your application for a Stegner Fellowship. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a place in the program. However, we wanted to let you know that your application was read with great care and appreciation. It is through the vibrancy and commitment of work like yours that the program is able to depend on an applicant pool of immense talent. Every year, after reading the submissions, all of us wish we had more fellowships to offer.
While you may not have achieved your desired outcome in this instance, we suspect that you will be successful on many future occasions in other circumstances. Furthermore, the fact that we are unable to award you a fellowship this year should not be taken as a prohibition of your reapplying, as we look forward to following your growth as a writer.
We want to thank you for your interest in the Stanford Creative Writing Program, and offer you our best wishes for your future work.
- Stanford University Creative Writing Program
Elsa
Sigilkitty
Chelsea
Looks like there are several of us who come to writing from Philosophy. Like some of you, I have an MA in Philosophy (analytic, which perhaps is less common for a cross-over than continental), which very much informs the kind of poetry I write and like to read.
I wonder if any of you would be willing to share some of your favorite writers/poets who you think use philosophical issues in their works. Besides the obvious choices like William Carlos Williams, Borges, Jorie Graham and Ed Hirsch, I've enjoyed lesser-known poets David Rigsbee (who did his PhD in philos under Rorty), Troy Jollimore (teaches philos at CSU-Chico; first book won the National Book Critics Circle award for poetry), and Linda Gregerson. I also think that a lot of Olson and Creely is compatible with 20th century philosophical issues (the linguistic turn, etc), even if they were not trained in philos departments.
Anyone else you'd recommend I read?
@Tecumseh Valley - You have to check out Eugene Ostashevsky if you haven't. Start with The Life and Opinions of DJ Spinoza. He's one of my favorites and his work draws quite directly from the realm of philosophy and logic.
Has anyone heard from Columbia fiction via Facebook/any other avenue?
@Yasmin re Columbia, I'm waiting too. Lemme know if you get any updates.
@Tecumseh Valley, I'm a fiction guy myself and am unfortunately not very well versed in poetry (ha), although I just picked up Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red (she's awesome). But as for philo fiction, DFW was a philo major in college and of course it breathes through his work. But as Wittgenstein pointed out, those who understand philosophy best might just be those who surmise its paradigms and themes by themselves, and as Kant pointed out (I think it was Kant...), anything can be profound and rife with philosophical merit. I tend to read philosophically inclined fiction but not sure which of them are formally trained in such. In fact, I feel those who aren't and fall under Wittgenstein's category lack some of the annoying effete aspects of those who might have been better off as critics ;). Put simply, I'm a fan of prodigy/badass who kind of just gets it, think William Gaddis - was asked to leave Harvard because of drunken brawling but is an existential/metaphysical genius. There's the long route to my best suggestion for ya haha
Thanks so much SBK - wow, that is a really friendly and optimistic rejection letter. Wish they were all like that :)
Does anyone know if the Stegner rejections were for poetry or fiction (or both)? Thanks!
Word from Hopkins is that Poetry has been notified, fiction will be notified next week.
I've heard from:
VCFA: In
Goddard: In
UNCG: Out
Columbia College Chicago: In
University of Baltimore: In
Haven't heard from:
Hopkins
Hunter
Brooklyn
I'm also from Baltimore, and love living here. It's way more affordable to live than NYC, Chicago, DC, San Fran, but still has a lot of culture, charm, and things to do.
@Danielle Wheeler: Thanks much for the info.
Damn, I didn't think of checking out UB's fiction MFA. Wish I'd done so.
Good to see all the Baltimore love in this thread.
New here but I thought I'd share:
Stonecoast (low res) - in (phone call)
PSU (full res) - in (phone call)
Oregon State (full res) - out (email)
----------------------------
UC Riverside - waiting
Vermont - waiting
Atioch - waiting
Eastern Oregon - waiting
These are all for fiction. Good luck everyone!
@Danielle Wheeler @Chi
My Stegner rejection was for fiction.
I received it March 6th, via email.
@SBK: Thanks and best of luck with your other apps.
hello! lurker here. congratulations to all who've received good news!
i'm hoping someone can share info regarding the low res programs. i applied to Bennington, WW, and VCFA. Bennington is my first choice. all three apps were overnighted to make the March 1st deadline, so they arrived on time but under the wire.
anyone know how the schools handle acceptances and rejections? timetable? calls, letters, emails? my understanding was notices around March 15-30th, but looks like a couple people have heard from VCFA.
thanks, everyone, and best wishes to all.
Annie
I received an e-mail late last week from a program that said that they were unable to locate my letters of recommendation and that I please forward them over. From my understanding of the application review process, they don't look at letters of rec unless they're interested, especially this late in the process, right? Is this good news or am I just grasping at straws?
On Hopkins-- the response dated last Thursday from their office can be seen below, following my question: "I was wondering when MFA applicants might be notified for Fall 2013?"
"Good Afternoon! We are mailing letters to all applicants within the next week."
While I don't have high hopes, I do believe "all" means the same in Baltimore as other English speaking environs.
If we're going to start rumors and feed second-hand speculations, let's at least make them interesting.
I heard each Hopkins' rejection letter comes with a crab cake.
Tecumseh Valley, Elsa, and Siglikitty:
I’m thrilled we’re not alone! I came from an analytic program, too, and you’re reminding me why I’m a bad poet. I spent most of my grad school time curled up in a window with either good fiction or anything by Kim and co, wondering why we weren’t asked to read more philosophers who could write cool prose. One of my students was a big fan of Borges, so I think I’ll email now and apologize for giving him mindy stuff before looking for Rigsbee. Thanks!
@Chealsa and the other philos 'round here:
I am a very, VERY bad poet. Existential enthusiast. Dark humor writer. What up fellow philos?! Holla.
In regards to what fiction to read that whispers philosophy, besides the obvious ones, Sartre's "No Exit," Albert Camus, or Beckett's "Waiting For Godot" I'm not well-versed in fiction writers since I was a philosophy major and mostly theater-oriented fiction writing minor; AKA I read plays mostly. Which may be a little obvious since 2/3 of my suggestions are dramatic works. I, myself, am scrabbling to put together a list of authors and works I should read and know before September. And philo-centric suggestions are welcome from philosophied and non-philosophied backgrounded persons!
Please let this be the week Arkansas (Fayetteville) notifies its fiction applicants.
Anyone heard from Wisconsin or Southern Illinois as far as acceptances?
Here's my list (Poetry):
Accepted:
New Hampshire
Waitlisted:
University of Oregon
Wyoming
Rejected:
Syracuse
Cornell
Minnesota
Oregon State
Got my NYU rejection this AM. Print. Place up on wall. Publish book. Prosper. Put that phrasal alliterative in the bank.
Yeah the rejection-bashing does feel kind of good. But didn't expect to get that one anyways. Still adore Zadie nonetheless.
Hope you all are faring well.
Nvm. Just re-read Wisconsin and SIUC's websites.
Wisconsin will notify by March 15th
SIUC by April 1st.
and so we wait..
NYU=New Yuck University
(Sorry, nairb. Prosper indeed.)
I started applying to scholarships online on all these weird sites suggested by all the schools to which I applied... but now I'm receiving calls and texts and emails from universities I don't want to apply to and it feels very... invading. Like I signed up for a scam. But these sites were recommended by the schools proper! Uggghhhh
@nairb454 No worries! This serves as part of the anecdote "they" will write about under the "Life" section of your future frequented Wikipedia page.
@Frisson
Don't know for sure, but my advisors are telling me that it's a good sign. Has happened to me twice within the last two weeks -- One program asked for missing rec letters via email. The other program called my current university looking for McNair scholar confirmation. Neither program has announced yet. I would call it cause for hope.
Also -- WVU via email this morning:
"Unfortunately, we have only seven spots to offer in our incoming MFA class.
We have made our initial offers. We have also compiled a short waiting list and have contacted these applicants.At this point no one has been "rejected"—indeed, given the talent we have seen, such a term doesn't apply. We simply don't have the room to accept all the talented writers who have applied to our program."
Big congrats to the seven-plus of you who received better news!
@hamchugirl
Were you poetry? My buddy just got the same email you got today, but he was fiction.
@Irritated Writer
Nope -- CNF
And, yes, yes, I must admit, it did feel a little like a special olympics ribbon.
Clearly it is not part of the McNair scholar criteria to show a lack of prejudice towards other-abled individuals.
Heck no, SnackAttack. Used to coach a Special Olympics team, and it was pretty darned clear to me that those ribbons were treasured. The WVU approach made me smile.
And now I shall eat some dark chocolate -- which also makes me smile.
Grateful for the clarification. Sorry and sad it's so easy to believe your statement was meant in a pejorative manner. So glad I was wrong.
From the Grad Cafe today:
University Of Oregon- Eugene Creative Writing- Poetry, MFA (F13) Rejected via E-mail on 11 Mar 2013 A
University Of Houston Creative Writing (Poetry), PhD (F13) Rejected via Postal Service on 11 Mar 2013 A
SUNY Albany English Creative Dissertation Poetry, PhD (F13) Rejected via E-mail on 11 Mar 2013
University Of Denver English (CW Poetry), PhD (F13) Rejected via E-mail on 11 Mar 2013 A 11 Mar 2013
Wasn't going to do this, but...
U of Oregon - Rejected
Oregon State - Rejected
Brown - Rejected
Michigan - Rejected
Awaiting response from U Miami (FL), U Washington (Seattle), Colorado State University, North Carolina State University.
This first cycle of applications has been rather humbling.
Just got a rejection UC Boulder -- Poetry -- email...
This site gives some not particularly helpful info about Riverside: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=riverside+&t=a&o= There are a few acceptances/rejections when you search "UC Riverside," but genre's not always listed.
Does anyone know anything about UC Irvine? Seems like maybe they will wait til March 25th to notify...
Out at U of Oregon (Fiction)
In at University of New Hampshire.
Bento! That's awesome news! Congratulations!
@SA: we need to get you an award. You're totally the lifeblood of this circus; definitely kept me positive.
in at Colorado for poetry, crossing my fingers on funding
still waiting on SFSU, BU, Madison, and UNLV
anyone heard from any of those schools?
has anyone taken a good fiction writing workshop in nyc? i've been taking classes at the writers studio and really loved it, but i've taken three classes there now and feel like i need a change. i've heard gotham is "meh," and i've taken some continuing ed fiction classes at NYU that were not the best. has anyone tried the new school's continuing ed writing program, sackett street, or 92Y? or anything else? summer's coming and i don't want to get lazy!
I've been avoiding this site for a long time, but alas, here I am!
WashU (fiction): waitlisted by email on Feb. 4
Iowa (nonfiction): rejected today by mail
Still waiting to hear from Notre Dame (prose) and Montana (fiction), though I'm guessing from other posters that the latter's a no.
Does anyone know when Antioch will start notifying for Fiction? Or if they have started notifying already? I saw some acceptances on the FB Draft for CNF and Poetry but wanted to see if anyone has heard anything about fiction.
Thanks!
does anyone know anything about stegner acceptances? i saw there was a rejection email some got, which i didn't receive. does stegner notify rejections in waves? should i be waiting anxiously?
Hey, all!
I've lurked on this blog in the past and made great use of some of the tips on here.
I applied to five MFA programs for fiction (Boston University, UMass Boston, Solstice at Pine Manor College, Lesley University, and Emerson). Yep, I do love Boston. But - I just received my first rejection (from UMass).
I'm on spring break right now - think it would be beneficial if I tried to get up to Boston to meet with some fiction professors/administrators? I've already met with some program directors and students - I guess I'm just panicking a bit.
Thanks and good luck to everyone!
Vince
Hi Folks - any new updates coming out of Hunter? Long list short list - anything? Saw an earlier post about Brooklyn notifying but have heard nothing from them except to apply for scholarships just in case. Anyone get good news from McNeese?
@snack - Concur with Bento - thanks for your positive vibe.
Thank you, Johnny and Triple B! How cool of you to say so. I'm rooting for you guys. I can tell by your writing here that you are fun and down-to-earth.
I see no reason to trudge through this process, no matter the outcome. It's sorta like a bad day fishing.
Meanwhile, another rainy, silent day here. I'm thinkin' homemade chili and jalapeño cornbread.
Onwards!
Looks like I missed a few ND rejections. Better late than never, to the tune of ND's fight song, the "Victory March":
Beers, beers for old Notre Dame!
Bring on the whiskey, bring on the dames!
Send the freshmen out for gin,
Don't let a sober sophomore in.
We never stagger, we never fall.
We sober up on wood alcohol.
All the loyal faculty
lie drunk on the bar room floor.
So I bit the bullet and called Columbia and asked them what the situation was with their notifications and a very nice fellow on the phone informed me that all applicants would receive an email at the end of the month regarding their status. I will admit this troubled me because I had heard Columbia tends to call students so upon pressing further I asked if ACCEPTANCES would be emailed as well and the answer was yes so now I'm just not really sure what to expect?
All right already, Stanford. Please please please email the rest of your fiction rejections so I can get on with my life and stop obsessively checking this site, the fb page, grad cafe, my email and my admissions status. Please. Please? Thank you very much and most kindly.
@Yasmin well that sure is some equivocating news. I actually heard from somewhere that they interview too so I guess we should trust that they're not lying to us.
i.e. apparently they don't interview (I hope?) and hence the forced feelings of trust. Either way I'll take the Snack Attack approach and just act like it's all good.
@SA - I've got some beer. Does that count toward the jalapeno corn bread dinner we're cooking up here?
So I've gotten no's so far from WUSTL, WVU and half of UT Austin (can't totally keep track of their two programs), and a yes from UNO as of yesterday (stoked!!!). There's a few programs I'm still waiting on (Columbia Coll. Chicago, which it seems like somebody else already heard back from; Denver; Vanderbilt; other Austin program) but if I can get full funding from UNO then I don't care about my other options. Poetry, by the way.
Just received a calm from The New School saying they accepted me into their Fiction MFA program! That they hope they're my top choice because they love my writing and are excited to work with me! Felt speechless on the phone, I don't think I voiced my excitement enough because I was so taken aback!
A *call. Good thing I'm going to grad school, maybe they can teach a thing or two to my phone about spelling
Congratulations, Elsa! That's just fantastic, and it sounds like you were an easy choice for them.
Phone call from New School Fiction: Admitted
Still waiting from Hunter & Brooklyn
Totally, Triple B!
Since I check Grad Cafe for poetry at the end of the day, here's what I found:
Florida State University Poetry, MFA (F13) Accepted via E-mail on 1 Mar 2013 A 13 Mar 2013 Accepted with a Teaching Assistantship.
New School Creative Writing - Poetry, MFA (F13) Accepted via Phone on 12 Mar 2013 A 12 Mar 2013 Phone call from Mark Bibbins.
University Of Texas Austin Creative Writing Poetry NWP, MFA (F13) Wait listed via E-mail on 12 Mar 2013 A 12 Mar 2013
Texas State San Marcos Creative Writing Poetry, MFA (F13) Accepted via E-mail on 20 Feb 2013 A 12 Mar 2013 Funding TBD by late March
Thanks @Unnameworthy !
And congrats @plainjaine! Your name doesn't suit you!
Did anyone else escape the rash of UNLV rejections that went out by email?
I'm wondering if it's a fluke or if I may have a shot at the program.
@Elsa - congrats! So which program are you leaning towards, New School or SLC?
@Celia - check out the non-matric classes at Stony Brook Manhattan. You can take MFA classes without having to officially join the MFA program (at least at first).
Has anyone heard back from Univ of Wisconsin-Madison??
Only info on New School's MFA webpage says federal loans available via FAFSA completion. If they do offer assistantships/scholarships/fellowships, they'd do well to mention this online and not keep it so secret. Tuition is approx. 26k/yr.
In case there's someone here straight out of undergrad who's unfamiliar with the recent changes in federal aid, here's the info: http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized
There are no longer subsidized loans for grad students. As a grad student, you may borrow $20,500 a year at 6.8% interest with another 1% tacked on for fun. This was for the 2012-2013 school year. If anything, the interest rate will rise for next year.
Again, landing a teaching job that pays a living wage upon finishing an MFA is far harder than getting into UT's Michener Center for Writers. If hired, a recent MFA grad will likely teach two sections of first-year composition for a total of $1,900/month while working more than 40 hrs/wk.
Butler has my favorite blurb on any MFA website--elegant and true: "The MFA at Butler does not offer 'free rides': tuition remission with fellowship/assistant support. As a responsible program, we recommend that applicants receiving such support offers from other programs should attend those programs." It then goes on to explain the awards, scholarships, and financial assistance they do offer.
It costs 24k to attend Butler's program, total. It is a private school. SUNY's MFA up at Stony Brook charges nearly that for in-state tuition, and boasts about what a "deal" it is. I heart Hoosier hospitality.
Here ends my PSA. Good-night to all.
Does anyone know about decisions from University of Miami, Florida International University, University of Florida, or University of Wisconsin? Already received a "no" from Michigan. Thanks!
Anyone know about decisions from University of Miami (Florida), Florida International University, University of Florida or University of Wisconsin at Madison? Already received a "no" from Michigan.
@snackattack - jeebums, I make more money as a substitute teacher with less hours and more freedom (zero job satisfaction).
@michael- also awaiting u Miami (fl) for fiction.
Back again. First time fiction applicant. Received my first acceptance today from Old Dominion without funding. They're my top choice but money is an issue. Still waiting to hear back from a few. Here's the current standing:
Riverside: No
West Virginia: Waitlisted
Old Dominion: Yes--no funding, at least as of yet
Columbia: ?
George Mason: ?
Eastern Washington: ?
Boston U: ?
Anyone heard from Columbia, Mason, E Washington, or Boston yet?
Has anyone heard from Univ of Wisconsin-Madison??
@ AlexMack Thanks Alex - confirms what I had been reading as well. That May deadline was a change I believe from 1 Feb - which is what it was when I applied in Jan. Maybe they didn't like the submissions they got.
@Sally Jane I'm leaning more towards New School, but I think I'm going to choose a school based, number one, on the funding available. If funding is both the same, probably New School. Better location and a great program.
@SnackAttack New School has a "scholarships and grants" tab:
"The New School provides a generous program of scholarships and fellowships to degree students based on need, merit, or a combination of the two. These funds, ranging from several hundred dollars to full-tuition, do not require repayment and are primarily scholarships applied towards your tuition costs. "
Good to hear. However, I don't see it anywhere off the MFA webpage itself, or any evidence this aid is tied to the MFA program specifically. Like Alex said, please do let us know what they offer. You were one of the less than 12% of applicants accepted--congratulations. I wish you the best.
Some dark humor for anyone in the mood:
http://100rsns.blogspot.com/2011/01/43-attitudes-about-graduate-school-are.html
Again, my experience I was accepted last year to an MFA at a prestigious liberal arts college. On their website they also said they funded the majority of students through scholarships, graduate assistantships, etc. My application was "unanimously" accepted by the ad com within a month of applying and was followed by a personal email from the program director expressing his and the com's hopes that I attend. I had been inquiring about aid from the get-go, and getting different answers from the program director and the office of financial aid. In the end, I was offered bupkiss. Waste. Of. Time. I sincerely hope no one has this happen, and share my story here in an effort to empower us.
I now pay attention only to programs that spell it out: MFA students will receive x amt. for teaching x number of classes, x amt. for a living stipend, and x amt. to hang out in the summer and get a tan.
@SnackAttack I got that info through the MFA webpage! I'm waiting on a letter/packet about financial aid and funding. I'm going to pull out as MUCH as I can from them.
That link don't get me down! Nu-uh, no sir!
I'm here: http://www.newschool.edu/public-engagement/mfa-creative-writing/
and I see no "scholarships and grants" tab. Off the"Application Information" page, they offer this non-specific info found below. I'm off the blog for the rest of the day, but hope you find what you need, in writing, in that forthcoming packet.
Costs and Financial Aid
Go to the registrar for tuition and fees and to Student Financial Services for an estimate of other costs of attendance. Speak to an admission counselor if you are concerned about costs. The New School will work with you to help you finance your graduate studies. All accepted students are automatically considered for New School merit-based scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are considered for loans and grants on the basis of need. (The New School's federal school code is 002780.) You do not have to wait for an admission decision to file the FAFSA; you can file for the next year beginning January 1.
@SnackAttack It's under "Info," and under that "Prospective Students"
@SnackAttack Click on "financial aid" and to the left are links, one of which is "Scholarships and Grants"
@Snack Attack or anybody who might be as wise as this anonymous person:
1. What is this MFA page you speak of?
2. I'm on the waitlist at Hollins. Hollins offers really good funding for a lot of its students, though since I'm on the waitlist maybe I won't get offered any of that. Anyways, they said they probably wouldn't have any further news for me until after April 20th. Aren't commitments supposed to be made by the 15th? I'm considering calling them and saying that I can't commit anywhere until I hear from them, and that especially if they provided funding, it's probably where I would end up. Any advice?
Stilling waiting to hear, for fiction, from Hopkins, U Florida, Irvine, and UVA (though I know the last one will be a long wait). Also waiting to hear about financial aid from U-Mass Amherst (I interviewed for a teaching fellowship). Anyone hear news on any of these fronts?
Yours in solidarity!
I so need to be doing other things right now, but with minimal self-control this morning, I'll post this and then really, gotta go.
Hi, Elsa. My point is simply pin them down for the truth when it comes to funding. It is not clear on their site. Your packet oughtta clear things up, and you will no doubt make an educated decision.
Hi, nairb and anonymous friend of nairb. It would be best to hear from a Hollins' admin or current student; I am neither. However, I do know about the April 15th Resolution, and notice that Hollins (and, incidentally, the New School) is absent from the list of schools that support it. Click here, then on the "Resolution" link towards bottom of page: http://www.cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution
Gotta go raise money for schools in Detroit now. Have a great day, everybody.
UT Austin New Writer's Project: there are waitlists for poetry and fiction reported on fb and grad cafe. Have people gotten in and just not reported it, or are schools really likely to notify waitlists before acceptances/ rejections?
For the folks who keep asking about UW-Madison, read this from their website - http://www.creativewriting.wisc.edu/gradapply.html
At Wisconsin, our promise is simple:
We will make our decisions by March 15th.
Should you be placed on our waitlist, we will tell you up front. We won't put off giving you an answer about your status simply so we won't have to tell you you've been waitlisted.
While we will tell you if you are on our waitlist, we will not discuss the nature of the waitlist, e.g. how many students are on it, where a particular student's place is.
We will respect the April 15th deadline as established by the Council of Graduate Schools.
Out of respect to you, (not lack of interest!) we will not call you repeatedly just to "check in with you" to see if you've made a decision.
All our students are fully funded, which means we won't at any time threaten to yank or alter funding to pressure you to say yes before April 15th.
Also, after a phone call, SFSU says their decisions will start going out March 15 as well.
Still no word from George Mason.
@SnackAttack I agree, it's not as clear as I would like, but it's much more promising than the "we can offer loans...?" of SLC. So I am more hopeful.
Any word from Arkansas fiction or McNeese anything?
Nervous lurker here. Does anyone who has been through an app cycle before (or anyone with any insight, I guess I should say and not limit it like that) have any advice on how to treat your place on a waitlist? I have been waitlisted for AZ, and I responded to their initial letter with the standard thank you, politeness blah blah, still very interested in the program. However, I didn't know how often I should pipe up or if I should go out and visit (not to ask them to meet with me or give me access to anyone, but simply to send an email before my visit to say "I'm coming to check out the campus and all that"). Any thoughts? Much appreciated and best of luck to everyone else.
Boston University expects notifications by end of March/beginning of April (I called).
@Elsa,
I got the call from The New School yesterday (Fiction) as well and I'm really thrilled with the program! If you find anything regarding funding let me know; I'm still waiting on my packet. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the program/location itself so this is very exciting news!
@3dirtybeasts
I would feel free to contact them if you have any questions. I'm also on a wait list and I have been going back and forth with people at the program and they have been more than happy to answer my questions.
Not sure about the visiting aspect. It sucks that they won't tell you how many people are on the wait list but I guess they don't want people to calculate how many of their accepted students decline their offers.
I assume there's still no word on the second round of Stegner rejections? So cruel to do it in waves!
Has anyone heard from or checked in with University of Alabama yet? I ended up never hearing from them last year, so I thought I'd ask.
Here's my thing:
Rejected:
Wyoming
Syracuse
Mississippi
Wait listed:
Florida Gainesville
Still Waiting On:
LSU
Alabama
(I applied in fiction.)
@Lauren H
Alabama already had their prospective student weekend, and I received my rejection letter in the mail a few days ago.
Regarding Stenger fiction acceptances:
Here's at least one that I know of.
http://katepetersen.tumblr.com/about
(the first line of the third paragraph)
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