Accepted: Montana (they said they were going to start calling people like a month ago. I was notified by email yesterday. So I think I must have been one of the last ones in the door.)
The New School
Still waiting to hear on: University of South Carolina Hunter Columbia
hey peeps, long time, first time. so very thankful you guys are around, even though I haven't posted before. my friends and family are super supportive but they don't quite understand the level of wound up that I have achieved just waiting for word from MFA programs. anyway, I know you all get it!
for myself (in poetry), still waiting on 3 schools, although it sounds like New School has made all their calls....many congrats to you guys who got in!!! :-)
For those of you who live in upstate NY, it's very easy to play "Sons and Daughters" by the Decemberists using D maj and G maj. When the lyric repeats, "Hear all the bombs fade away", I've changed "bombs" to "shots" for the four killed and two critically wounded in Herkimer and Mohawk yesterday. I'm sorry but I'm also a dog lover and the gunman shot and killed a police dog, too. I just keep singing it.
Figured if anyone navigated atrocity similarly, it'd be here.
@Nizzerd, which genre? No, it does not mean you suck. I'm likely going to decline there in Fiction and choose University of Baltimore as it's in my home town.
Waiting on: San Diego State San Francisco State University of San Francisco American U. of New Orleans LSU Brooklyn College
Rejected: Oregon West Virginia
Accepted: NEOMFA (Cleveland St.) New School
Does anyone know how selective the New School is? They did offer me 25% funding which is decent. Doubt I'm going to go there though, still pretty expensive.
Can anyone (veterans? second/third/etc. time applicants?) comment on waitlists in general: the timeframe for hearing back from schools, whether there is any "legal" (see CGSR) timeline, or whether we waitlisters could be waiting until August. Obviously the odds depend on the school. More interested in how prolonged the agony, on average.
Hi, Brett. Love him or loathe him, here's what good ol' Seth Abramson, author of the P & W rankings, had to say on The New School in http://www.teenwritersbloc.com/2010/12/03/nyc-mfa-students-idiots/ which was written in response to his piece here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/james-frey-and-the-creati_b_788330.html
"And I specifically singled out The New School and Columbia University because (as I said) they rank second-to-last and last in student funding in America (fact, not opinion) and are located in the highest-cost MFA locale in America, so (as the Columbia student quoted in New York Magazine said) they're in a particularly "desperate" spot. But NYU is much better funded than The New School and Columbia, and Queens and Hunter and Brooklyn College are cheaper public-school alternatives..."
and
"Of course good things are happening at Columbia and The New School; there are some good students here and there, and some students may occasionally receive funding of some kind. It doesn't change the fact — again, not opinion — that The New School MFA is the largest in the world. Yes, the world."
and
"Given that Columbia and The New School are dropping rapidly in selectivity — according to the data, not my opinion..."
and
"So of course someone living with a family in NYC should stay in NYC if they can do so financially, e.g. by attending one of the public schools or (say) an outrageously expensive place like The New School if they get funding or are independently wealthy or are being supported by someone else who is employed full-time (or other scenarios we can all imagine or relate)."
The standard 25% off tuition they offer renders the pricetag, what, 40k total? Add 6.8% interest to whatever the student borrows from the gov't. People spend that kind of money on all kinds of things. It's a personal decision.
The only horse I have in this race is a strong desire to not see struggling writers taken advantage of by a program I find irresponsible in its lack of resources for its students, and its lack of trying to find these resources in the first place. Again, I taught at a 54k/yr college, and the quality of education was no higher than the community colleges or public universities where I also taught earlier in my career. In fact, I'd say some of my comm. college colleagues were more dedicated to their students and more generous with their time.
It's not that hard to raise money for a school. I'm off to do it now.
May the best school win, as we students are evaluating them as much if not more than they are us.
@inandoftheworld i too have yet to be rejected by unlv; i didnt know they notified anyone yet. it would be cool to have a shot though life in vegas would be pretty weird
guess ill either be getting the ole "thanks but no thanks" email from madison today. or the other thing which i dont even want to consider as a possibility bu is continual wild card
good job everyone!! right now it looks like sfsu will be where i end up, they nominated me for a fellowship and were hella enthusiastic and boulder isnt really offering funding at all except being like "you can apply to teach classes" on a sketchy semester by semester basis, and id like to be in the bay. obviously other acceptances could be a game changer. ooof
Hey! Wanted to let those asking about Bowling Green know that I was accepted into the program last week (fiction). I believe all acceptances and waitlists have gone out.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what makes The New School still have a fiction ranking in the 30's if the cost is so high and and selectivity so low? Thanks.
@Matthew Denis, I received a letter from Colorado State yesterday. Quality card stock.
Here's my list
NO: The Ohio State University University of Kansas: A painful no from my soon to be alma mater. University of CO Boulder Oklahoma State: They noted that nobody was graduating from their program this spring, which seemed rather fishy.
YES: Colorado State University! University of Washington Bothell: A safety play to this new program, though I didn't realize how ridiculously small it was.
WAITING ON: Indiana Bloomington University of Montana University of Washington Seattle
I wish you all the best. It sounds like a small group of us are waiting on Montana. Anyone else apply to Washington Seattle?
@Brett Zelman You can check out the Poets & Writers' methodology section on their website, but the long story short is that the rankings are based on popularity. They survey a group (this year I think it was 640) of MFA applicants, ask them which schools they're going to apply to, and the schools that receive the most votes get the highest "rank." And that's true of the genre subcategories as well. Basically the schools that receive the most applications are the ones with the highest ranks. For other, more qualitative rankings, you would have to look at the subrankings for fellowship and job placement, funding, teaching load, and faculty-to-student ratio.
What that means to me personally is that "ranks" are self-perpetuating. Once a school gets a reputation for being a top program, a large number of applicants will probably continue to apply there, and so the school will continue to have a high "rank," even if big changes have been happening in the selectivity or funding model of the program. For a personal example: when I was visiting Ph.D. programs, I met a lot of prospectives at Johns Hopkins who said that the English department was in total chaos: 2/3 of the faculty had left over disagreements with the administration and they had only gotten 2 Ph.D. students the year before before because of the terrible morale in the department. And yet in the new U.S. News and World Report rankings, JH is still ranked #13.
That's not to say that reputation and networking don't have some real effects on your later job prospects. Or that a "top" school might not still be a great fit for you. I would just say: ask a lot of questions of current students and faculty about department morale, financial stability, placement statistics, etc. And I would also say, to second Snack Attack, that you should think very very hard about racking up large student debts for grad programs of any kind, but especially in the humanities and the arts.
Thinking good thoughts for you all, and hoping the best comes your way.
It's really too bad there aren't places that won't just pay you fifteen dollars an hour to work on your writing. Maybe it could turn into some kind of Harlan Ellison thing, and the public could see what you're working on right there. If it ever really happened you would have to include Nabisco five times, Coke seven times, and Peter Pan Peanut Butter thirteen times into your writing.
Over at the gradcafe survey response board, there's a comment section that allows people add their own 2 cents to the otherwise straightforward quantifiable data that the survey was probably designed to harvest. The comments section is where the flavor is. It's where people add to their acceptance listings things like - so-and-so famous writer called me and my heart stopped. It's also where people paste in their rejection letter, presumably so that others can compare it to their own.
But this section is also a space for exasperated applicants to challenge the department that just turned them down. One comment (now deleted) mention that with 17 published books of poetry under his/her belt, she/he couldn't understand what else it would take to get into Iowa. Others use the space to brag about everything from GPA to Pushcart nominations to prizes won.
This one is brilliant - from an applicant turned down by Brown's Literary Arts program. If it's one of you, bravo. And thanks for making me smile. "GPA 7.5, ancestors discovered/founded the city of Detroit, former infant UN Ambassador, rec letters from David Foster Wallace and Antonin Artaud, two-volume autobiography published by Penguin Classics, apprenticeship with Proust-copying Corsican calligraphist monk, Michelle Obama's badminton partner."
Holy, heart-pounding hell! Just accepted at University of New Orleans in CNF! So, here's the up-to-the-minute scorecard (all in CNF):
Accepted: OK State -- full funding, TA, etc. UNO -- funding?
Waitlisted: UNC Wilmington (rated #3 in CNF)
Rejected: AZ UNM Hollins WVU
Presumed rejected: Georgia College and State
Still waiting: Louisiana State Iowa State
Continued best wishes to all. This blog is a constant source of inspiration, encouragement, and support. Keep working to get your writing in front of the right readers. My list above is proof enough for me that this is a highly subjective thing we're doing. So, keep going! Next year if not this year, but keep going!
I've got kind of a love-hate relationship with this blog -- it's been great knowing there are other people in the same boat but it's also increased my nail-biting by orders of magnitude.
So far--
Thanks-but-no-thanks letters from: Syracuse Mississippi Missouri at Columbia
Weird unofficial waiting list limbo type deal at a 4th place that I won't mention in case they'd prefer I didn't
And still waiting on: Irvine Louisiana Boston
Anyhow the reassurance of knowing I'm not alone more than offsets the additional nervousness, so thanks yall
So, apparently Stegner rejects us twice? At least, I got another of those heart-felt, &c. &c. rejection from them this morning. It made me laugh, in a sad way.
TV is right. The comments on Grad Cafe crack me up. One rejected PhD in poetry at Houston pretended to be James Franco.
Just received a "You're awesome, but others were awesomer" in the mail from Hopkins. Thanks for all the support nonetheless. I now have several diners to check out in the Baltimore area when I do visit.
It's funny because each day I've received rejection notices, it's been snowing. And snow is one of my favorite things, to sound all Julie Andrews.
If you go to UNH, my better half and I will have to meet you in VT along the way for lunch at our favorite pub.
Here's another thing to consider when considering finances: sometimes you can work at a school and receive x number of credits for free. It's basically like being awarded a teaching assistantship, but not guaranteed. (Aye, there's the rub.)
@SA - My main concern about TAships is that I want to be able to list it on my CV when I am done with a program. Is that not the right way to look at it?
I really _really_ want to teach (it's the reason I'm going for my MFA), and I can't fathom accepting at a program until I have the notion that I will have the chance. Again, am I too idealistic?
Do you guys think that if other people got into a school (such as UNO, congrats Hamchugirl) and I haven't heard back yet probably means I didn't get in? I also know someone who got in to LSU a couple days ago and I haven't heard anything (although I'm different genre).
So, ok. The way I look at it, an MFA that offers a teaching assistantship is both a job and a program of study. I think with how rough the economy is at present and how really, really rough academia is, two-three years of a guaranteed teaching job while earning an advanced degree in something you truly enjoy is a wise way to go. Experience teaching is often if not always listed as a prerequisite in job announcements for teaching, so having that line on your CV is also smart.
I am admittedly burnt-out on teaching right now, and feel strongly about institutions relying on adjuncts so heavily and treating them so unfairly, so I hesitate to judge your idealism. We need idealism. Heck, without it I wouldn't have applied to these freaking ridiculously selective MFAs. I will say that each adjunct position I've held, I often thought to myself, this wouldn't be so bad if I could take classes towards a degree for free. This leads us to today where I am busy getting rejected by the prettiest MFAs in allll the land.
You keep doing the next right thing and it will shake out. You can always change your mind. It's the age of a billion different careers, and if you stay honest with yourself and others, you'll know what works for you.
Do you think we get along because both our names have to do with food?
Also, you will hear that a PhD is the way to go if you want to teach at the college level. The problem is that is a long road to hoe for a shrinking number of full-time jobs. Most college teaching job announcements at four-year institutions require a master's degree at minimum and a PhD for any full-time appointment. But those full-time appointments are typically temporary. Recently I saw an announcement at SUNY Albany for a full-time first-year composition professor, PhD in Communication and Rhetoric or related field required. Nine month position, non-renewable, for 40k. Albany's cost of living is nearly 10% higher than Ann Arbor's, to use the national average. In short, all that work for a temporary position for chump change. Bah.
I applied to the poetry program...They only accept 12 peeps...so wait list is good? I just didn't expect a "maybe" I figured it would be a hard "no" lol
If anyone that applied there feels like their poetry would grow at a different school...no one will judge you lol ;D
Is anyone aware of any McNeese acceptances? Over her concern for my sanity,I promised my girlfriend I wouldn't check grad cafe or the Facebook group, so I'm in the dark.
Thanks! and, no, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have been rejected. I watched and wondered as a few UNO acceptances were doled out over the last week. From what I've seen at this, my first time at the rodeo, some schools do it all at once, and some roll it out over time. Keep steady. Anything can happen. All those wonderful folks (Keisha et al)who have done this more than once and were accepted this year have been my inspiration.
I'm joining the fray. Has anyone heard from Florida State? They sent an email two weeks ago saying if they're not heard from by today, that means we haven't been rejected and are still being considered.
@ Jacqueline -- glad to know we're in the same boat! There was a first round of rejections and but I haven't seen acceptances anywhere. Vegas would be a bit weird, I think!
@Cleavon/@Susan - Heard from LSU yesterday afternoon by email (two weeks earlier than last yr) said their first round of acceptances went out on 3/8; said we wouldn't know anything before 4/15 unless someone declined their offer, then they'd let us know right away.
Houston was by mail Monday, not sure about their acceptances/waitlist
Grad Cafe shows NWP rejections and a wait list, and somebody posted an acceptance on this blog yesterday or the day before.
Earlier this week there was a message on NWP's website to fall 2013 applicants: notifications were supposed to go out by today. But that message is no longer there and I still haven't heard anything (fiction); myStatus still shows my application as pending.
Hi all. I just logged in to my Hunter account and found I was rejected...they posted it the first week of March. Could have spared myself lots of angst these past weeks if I had checked :-/
@Chelsie not everyone is funded at Montana. If you are it's $14,000 a year and a tuition waiver minus $1800 of student fees that are not waived (TA position). However, if you don't get funding it's $18,000 a year out of state, $5,000 in state. But if you take less than 6 credits per semester the first year, you can get residency for the second year. This takes an extra semester to complete though. Hope that helps.
@SA - Thanks for that. I was already considering the PhD either way. It seems like the Creative Writing doctorate is well on its way to coming of age. And, being that collegiate teaching is what I want...Well, I figure I either have to drop the poetic equivalent of the Great American Novel or get my PhD.
Hate to malign myself, but one is just more statistically relevant/likely than the other.
And yes, I think our foodie names have something to do with our sweet hive-minded connectedenss. We're like twins.
From the Wisconsin MFA page, and Queens is listed as supporting the resolution, which you can google:
Like most institutions with a graduate program in creative writing, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools and as such is bound to the following resolution: "Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution." You can see the full resolution as well as a list of council members by clicking here.
We at Wisconsin advise any applicant who is feeling pressured to accept another MFA program's offer before the April 15th deadline to simply send the program a friendly email that states, "I see that your institution is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools. As such, I believe that I have the right to consider your offer up until the April 15th deadline as established by the council. Thanks so much!" Most universities are big places where one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing. Showing them you know your rights will help ensure that your rights are respected.
Hey guys, I was accepted to the U of Arkansas program this past Friday in fiction via a phone call from the program director. Still waiting to hear back about final funding details.
Is it just me or is information on McNeese exceptionally late this year? I haven't seen any evidence of movement online, but my understanding was that decisions would be sent out early March...
@Everyone Else I'm way frustrated guys. Heard Hunter and Brooklyn have been handing out decisions for ages, and yet when I log in to my account to view the expected rejection, my application status still reads that my application is submitted and decisions are in process. What's a girl to do with all this stress? All this stress and all this mess? (I'm gonna buy, buy, buy a dress. Buy a dress 'cause all this stress.) Ok, I promise I'm finished...
Long Island University. Accepted! Voicemail left when my phone failed to express interest in the conversation and ended it prematurely. Call back in ten minutes is what she said. Yay! 3 out of 5 so far!
After three years of applying to MFA programs, I was finally accepted to one this morning. I'm in at American University for Fiction :D
I have a ton of questions regarding living in the DC area/housing/funding/quality of the program, etc. If anyone has any insight on the DC area or AU's MFA program, I would greatly appreciate it!
Looks like today has been rife with notifications. Congrats to everyone with good news!
As for me, today has yielded two rejections—Florida and Northern Michigan, both via e-mail—and one unofficial acceptance. I won't say where, because it seems as though their process is still playing itself out. Funding is TBD. Still waiting on Florida State and McNeese.
Hi Genealogy Journeys....No word yet. May I ask when you heard and how you were alerted (phone, email, etc)? What genre are you? I applied for fiction.
@Lisa Good to hear! I read on this blog that people have seen rejections by logging into the Hunter/Brooklyn sites. I thought there may have been a glitch or something for me (nothing like pessimism to pass the time...), so it's good to hear I'm not the only one whose application is still in decision mode on the website.
How many schools are all of you still waiting on? I have three more before I can start deciding where to go. I can hardly take the wait! I really hope I know by this week.
My understanding of Notre Dame prose is that anyone not contacted at this point is either somehow forgotten by their system, "in limbo" (ND language, and somehow different from wait list), or wait-listed. I'd call the Creative Writing office to investigate your status.
Hooray! Congratulations, G.J.! All three schools I applied to are great, but Bennington is my number one so I'm perfectly ecstatic! Which school do you think you'll choose?
Some have said they saw information regarding whether or not they had achieved admission by signing into their account.
I have signed in several times, and all I find is that my application was, indeed, submitted. However, I can't seem to locate any information beyond that. Could someone point me in the right direction? I'd greatly appreciate it!
G.J.- I've had Bennington in my mind as number one from the start. I've been working toward this for a couple years. I have a close friend who went there for undergrad, and she has told me over and over about what a transformative experience it was for her. It's kind of ingrained now, and I've fallen in love. Not a scientific thing at all...just a gut thing. This is exactly what I wanted, so I'm just going with the magic of seeing what I hoped for materialize. Best of luck to you! Both are excellent schools.
Applied to New School, Columbia and Hunter. Got into New School and Columbia. Yay! Still waiting to hear about Hunter. Super ecstatic about my acceptances, but man, I really want Hunter...
I wouldn't be surprised if Hunter's notifications don't get broadcasted very easily. Not necessarily that they tell their acceptances not to say anything publicly - they might - but more so that there are so few of them, there might be none of them hanging around on these threads or much of anywhere. Just a thought, and my own way of trying to start feeling ok about not getting called. I need to stop projecting on this thing...keep your spirits up people.
@nairb I count at least 5 Hunters eagerly waiting for news on here- Myself included. Hope to hear something positive soon. Really hope to hear something period.
@nairb454 and @2gun I just want to hear SOMETHING. At this point, I don't care if it's a rejection. I just want to stop obsessing so much I'm unable to write. Good luck to you guys!
@2gun You have the coolest-sounding "at." Are you from a Western or something? You sound like a sidekick that hangs around in a saloon. If we both are accepted and go to Hunter, I don't care what your real name is, I'm forever called you "2 Gun." And if your real name IS 2 Gun... all the better.
@Ann: Warren Wilson has sent acceptances (my wife, luckily among them) and asked for a commitment date of March 18. (They can violate the CGSR because students matriculate in summer, not fall.) So, my guess is that they've already filled out their 2013 class--but I do NOT know this for certain.
@Paige Sullivan: I heard from Georgia State (accepted, PhD in poetry) on March 14. The news came via an automated email from the graduate school with the subject line "GSU Application Decision Available," which led me to believe it would be a rejection, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise when I logged into the GSU system to view the decision. I have not heard from anyone in the department, however, which I take as a bad sign re: funding and the faculty's interest in their students.
Guys, is it weird that one of my pet peeves in writing is using the word "got"? I feel like the verb is better exemplified with "was" or "have become" or "received." I pause every time I read "got" in a sentence and cringe before continuing to read. I understand its colloquial use, but I just think it sounds shoddy within literature. (This may the inappropriate place to discuss this, guys, but I'm really, really curious to know if I'm just crazy or if the extensive use of "got" is a normal concern and legitimately cringe-worthy.)
As a descriptive linguist, I must say I feel very differently. I'm utterly bewildered and excited by the word "got" and its many uses. It constantly amazes me.
For anyone applying to Bowling Green...they said final decisions will be made in the next two weeks. Congratulations to those of you who have been accepted! I'm still waiting to hear something from Boise State...
I've been trying to find out info re: funding and tuition since day 1, but to no avail. If anyone could post what they know on here or point me in the right direction, I'd be very grateful. Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone!
Does it say if it was for prose or poetry? And no, I've heard nothing. Actually, if I recall correctly, people last year said that they received an email from UCI for acceptance. Wasnt that the deal with the Mr.Sammy character who said No to UCI for an unfunded stint at Columbia?...
@hales thank you! the one in Queens, NYC for fiction. still dying to hear from mcneese, hunter, and wichita state... only one more week to go though. did you apply to Queens too / have you had any luck with acceptances?
It probably wouldn't be that bad if it was George Saunders doing the rejecting. You might even come away from it feeling like you'd accomplished something great.
Chapman acceptance via snail mail for poetry! They're asking that I respond within 2 weeks but I haven't heard from university of Washington in Seattle yet! Should I call UW? Should I call chapman and ask them for more time?! What to do!
disregard whatever funding options i have, what do you guys think would be considered a better program? I'm just curious as to how they are viewed/which one would be beneficial for me in approaching the literary community at-large.
@ dirtman, I applied to queens for poetry, but I haven't heard anything. I was rejected from hunter and accepted by the new school. i'm also waiting to hear from Brooklyn and columbia.
I'd compare fellowship/job placement rates, availabilities of teaching opportunities (if you are interested in teaching at some point), opportunities to hold leadership positions on publications. I'd also look to see where alumni of the programs are today. Their success does help brand the school, as well as demonstrate the potential of the education you would receive there. Not to mention the type of students who would be workshopping your work and supporting you through creative troughs.
@Hales the MFA director gave me the sense that they were pretty much finalizing their admissions for the fall, so don't be shy about calling Nicole Cooley to check in, she's very friendly. I just got my Hunter rejection, but congrats on your New School acceptance! And best of luck w/ Brooklyn & Columbia.
General notice for McNeese applicants... John Griswold told me via email that they haven't notified anyone yet. Better than a rejection I guess? Also, anyone hear from Wichita yet?
Boise graduate admissions told me that they don't believe offers have been made (in Fiction at least). Although they made it seem as though they don't have great communication with the department.
Have you been to Alaska? Something you should seriously consider before moving there is that you will not see the sun for a large portion of the school year (unless they have a strange schedule that goes through summer? they should). In the winter you could be looking at 1-2 hours of sunlight. Or even less - Fairbanks is over 350 miles north of Anchorage.
Beautiful in the summer though, and Denali isn't too far away.
Michelle: I've lived in the Bay Area for most of my life and am very familiar with the close-knit poetry scene. Mills, Mills, Mills. And get a place to live in the Grand Lake area of Oakland--its teeming with poets!
@dirtman, I called last week and she said they were finishing up decisions this week, so I'm going to wait until Friday. DO you know of anyone else who applied or has been accepted?
also, new school kids, does anyone know if they offer teaching positions? Has anyone heard back about financial aid? 30% of $50,000 isn't really doable for me.
My daughter is living in Alaska for a year on a pd internship and is loving it - but it took some serious getting used to. AK is its own world, and the light issue took a toll. She and her friends buoyed each other up, shared a sunlamp (no joke), and are on a vitamin D regimen. Actually sometimes harder is the 22 hrs of sun per day in the summer. Alaska is wild and wonderful and solitary. But of the 6 who were working in her program, only one has chosen to stay for a 2nd year. Not what you asked about, but wanted to share.
Sorry, can't say anything about the Fairbanks program. Is it a 3yr?
You have great choices. I look forward to what others have to say... cause I am considering Mills for poetry as well. I know three people who went through their program and all had amazing experiences.
I should mention that I am born/raised bay area and live a stone's throw from Mills. Actually 3 miles exactly according to google maps.
And thank-you for the input on Alaska-- I've visited and it's beautiful but I am extremely, extremely prone to depression (as well as being ridiculously vitamin D deficient, i take it daily prescribed) so that is something I definitely am trying to consider. But ahhh living in alaska would be so amazing :-)
Was accepted to Adelphi and rejected from Hunter. Just waiting on The New School. I see a bunch of people have received their acceptances from the New school, congrats! Was that through e-mail or regular mail?
If you really want the Alaskan experience without risking a bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder, consider checking out Cool Works. They post seasonal jobs in all sorts of awesome places. Could be a cool way to spend this summer or the summer between years 1 and 2.
A good friend of mine spent a summer working as a busboy in Denali and absolutely loved it. His schedule was 4 days on/ 3 off, so he spent every weekend backpacking in the park. The nice thing about summer in Alaska is that there isn't much difference between early morning, business hours and graveyard shifts - it's sunny all the time.
@Hales copy that, good idea though I'm sure waiting till tomorrow is a real pain haha. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone in the non-digital world who's applied to MFA programs, period - pretty much feelin' like I'm on an island out here in Chicago haha
Has anyone heard from the University of South Carolina? They don't pick up their phone and they don't respond to emails? How have they not sent out decisions yet? I feel like I'm being punished for years of jokes about their state.
Also, just got rejected by Hunter. Got accepted to Montana and New School. I'm also starting to think everyone gets into the new school, judging by this board. But I guess they have to let a big amount in to make up for the fact that most of the people they accept can't afford to go there.
Anyone have any info on Wichita State (fiction). I saw there were some acceptances about 2 weeks ago. Emailed them on March 14th and they said all decisions haven't been made yet.
"Anyone have any info on Wichita State (fiction). I saw there were some acceptances about 2 weeks ago. Emailed them on March 14th and they said all decisions haven't been made yet."
I received a notification for acceptance from Wichita's fiction program on March 14th. I hope that helps!
@Annmarie Congrats! Did they call you on the phone? And did they say anything about notifications being done with? Wichita is the last school I'm waiting to hear back from. Trying to find some closure to this entire process. Might have to email them again. Thanks for the help.
I've largely been a lurker on here for the past month, but it's getting on toward crisis time and I need some advice. I've been wait listed at three top 20 programs, two of them top 10- all three with super generous stipend packages, amazing faculty, etc. I've received one full on offer, from an up and coming program (on Seth's underrated programs list) There's one writer there who I'm a really big fan of, but they still only get 150 or so applications, so I'm a little worried about the quality of the work from my fellow students, (that's probably smug of me) Given the fairly high probability that I wont get off of any of those wait lists, even though they're all short, would you, if you were me, wait another year and go through this whole nightmare again, or take the money and run. I don't want to name the programs, particularly not the one I received the offer from, but it really does seem pretty good- three years, funded with a decent stipend, 1/1 teaching load, etc. Help.
@Contessa. First of all - congratulations on all of your success! Here is my advice; take it as you will:
The good news is, there is still a lot of time between now and April 15th, and a lot of shuffling that can happen. I know it's a looming and difficult decision, but in the meantime just try to be patient. I would guess that your chances of getting off one of those three short waitlists are actually pretty fair, given that there are surely other applicants facing a similar decision as yourself, perhaps even at the same programs.
Now, if by April 15th, you still haven't heard anything from the three schools where you were waitlisted, you really just need to ask yourself if you mind waiting another year to be accepted into a stronger program. You are clearly a gifted writer and sought after applicant, given your track record, so take the extra year to publish and work and improve your resume.
Also, after April 15th, there will be even more waitlist shuffling, and if the school to which you've been accepted isn't CGSR compliant, I would imagine that you have even more time to see if you will be accepted into one of the other three programs. What kind of pressure is the school to which you've been accepted applying? Is there a specific date that you need to make a final decision for them by?
I agree with @Alex. I was actually going to ask a similar question. I'm still waiting to hear back from Coluimbia, but right now I'm looking at one acceptance and one waitlist. Both schools are great. One has biweekly 1:1 meetings with profs and is in a great location and the campus is beautiful etc etc...except it won't fund me. The one I got wailisted for of course is the more selective one, kind of sort of an up and comer but not really, with about 400 or so applicants and 5% acc. rate. It MIGHT fund me. I MIGHT get a TA position there. The outright downside, if I could call it that, is that, while the campus is beautiful and liberal and has al lot of other benefits, it's not the type of location I would prefer. No biggie though.
Anyways, onto the advice, which I myself have taken and it's worked. First of all, Alex is right. Patience is the virtue here. The fact is, you can't make a decision yet, so trying to would cheat yourself out of the very possible outcome of you getting into one of those amazing programs. But my main piece of advice is be proactive. Call the schools you're waitlisted to and express your interest, and how you really want to go there but that you have a standing offer that might get revoked if you hold out too long. The schools may very well say something like, "tough luck, you gotta do what you gotta do." But my experience has shown me that they respond very well to your interest, and though they do say there isn't much they can do until they hear from other students, they may be able to help you with your options (they tend to be very magnanimous), and I guarantee that your expression of interest will at least be in the back of their minds when it comes time to pick off the waitlist, especially if that waitlist isn't ranked.
Hope that helps. Keep us posted on where you're at.
Congrats! I myself am on a wait list that I would really love to get off so I understand your pain. The waiting is awful.
I agree with the comments above. I think you should hold out for as long as possible and then make your decision.
I do not in any way want this to come out negatively but I will share my experience as a 2nd round applicant. During my first round of applications I was wait listed at some great programs but never made it the list. This year I thought that since I had grown as a writer, (more confident/stronger voice, more published) that I would of course be accepted at those programs. Not the case. Granted, my style of writing has changed dramatically from the first round, and I would say for the better, but clearly it's not the style of those programs anymore. Also, who knows about the latest applicant pools.
Again, this is not to discourage you about reapplying next year. Being a big snobbish myself about the whole thing, I would probably wait it out. I did just want to share my experience and say that you may not get into the EXACT schools next year that you were wait listed at this year but I'm sure you will have success somewhere great.
I am also looking for advice. I applied to 10 top programs this year, and have so far gotten 7 rejections. I am, however, in at an honorable mention school with good funding. Would it be ridiculous to turn this down with the hopes that next year I can make it into a program I really love?
286 comments:
1 – 200 of 286 Newer› Newest»Just wanted to be first in something today. Go Team!
I'm going to need more yoga.
Syracuse: Rejected (#georgesaunders read my stuff)
Michener: Rejected
Virginia Tech: Rejected
New Mexico: Rejected
Wyoming: Rejected
Waiting on...
Boise State
Bowling Green
New Writers Project
I guess I'll be hearing from NWP any day now...anybody have word on Boise or Bowling Green?
Rejections: Both UTexas programs
NYU
UC San Diego
Accepted:
Montana (they said they were going to start calling people like a month ago. I was notified by email yesterday. So I think I must have been one of the last ones in the door.)
The New School
Still waiting to hear on: University of South Carolina
Hunter
Columbia
hey peeps, long time, first time. so very thankful you guys are around, even though I haven't posted before. my friends and family are super supportive but they don't quite understand the level of wound up that I have achieved just waiting for word from MFA programs. anyway, I know you all get it!
for myself (in poetry), still waiting on 3 schools, although it sounds like New School has made all their calls....many congrats to you guys who got in!!! :-)
@Alex - Thanks for the info. Best of luck to you.
If anyone out there has been accepted to Bowling Green, can you please email me at fancynancy2013@gmail.com? Thanks!
Does anyone have any information on UC Riverside? I applied in poetry.
Still waiting to hear on Brooklyn, Mills, Roosevelt, SDSU, Butler, Wichita, and BU. Best of luck to everyone!
Wait-listed at Columbia College...ugh. Does that mean I suck? Can't right? :/
A pause in MFA-land.
For those of you who live in upstate NY, it's very easy to play "Sons and Daughters" by the Decemberists using D maj and G maj. When the lyric repeats, "Hear all the bombs fade away", I've changed "bombs" to "shots" for the four killed and two critically wounded in Herkimer and Mohawk yesterday. I'm sorry but I'm also a dog lover and the gunman shot and killed a police dog, too. I just keep singing it.
Figured if anyone navigated atrocity similarly, it'd be here.
Peace.
@Nizzerd, which genre? No, it does not mean you suck. I'm likely going to decline there in Fiction and choose University of Baltimore as it's in my home town.
Anyone know a single thing about Colorado State?
Waiting on:
San Diego State
San Francisco State
University of San Francisco
American
U. of New Orleans
LSU
Brooklyn College
Rejected:
Oregon
West Virginia
Accepted:
NEOMFA (Cleveland St.)
New School
Does anyone know how selective the New School is? They did offer me 25% funding which is decent. Doubt I'm going to go there though, still pretty expensive.
Can anyone (veterans? second/third/etc. time applicants?) comment on waitlists in general: the timeframe for hearing back from schools, whether there is any "legal" (see CGSR) timeline, or whether we waitlisters could be waiting until August. Obviously the odds depend on the school. More interested in how prolonged the agony, on average.
Hi, Brett. Love him or loathe him, here's what good ol' Seth Abramson, author of the P & W rankings, had to say on The New School in http://www.teenwritersbloc.com/2010/12/03/nyc-mfa-students-idiots/ which was written in response to his piece here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/james-frey-and-the-creati_b_788330.html
"And I specifically singled out The New School and Columbia University because (as I said) they rank second-to-last and last in student funding in America (fact, not opinion) and are located in the highest-cost MFA locale in America, so (as the Columbia student quoted in New York Magazine said) they're in a particularly "desperate" spot. But NYU is much better funded than The New School and Columbia, and Queens and Hunter and Brooklyn College are cheaper public-school alternatives..."
and
"Of course good things are happening at Columbia and The New School; there are some good students here and there, and some students may occasionally receive funding of some kind. It doesn't change the fact — again, not opinion — that The New School MFA is the largest in the world. Yes, the world."
and
"Given that Columbia and The New School are dropping rapidly in selectivity — according to the data, not my opinion..."
and
"So of course someone living with a family in NYC should stay in NYC if they can do so financially, e.g. by attending one of the public schools or (say) an outrageously expensive place like The New School if they get funding or are independently wealthy or are being supported by someone else who is employed full-time (or other scenarios we can all imagine or relate)."
The standard 25% off tuition they offer renders the pricetag, what, 40k total? Add 6.8% interest to whatever the student borrows from the gov't. People spend that kind of money on all kinds of things. It's a personal decision.
The only horse I have in this race is a strong desire to not see struggling writers taken advantage of by a program I find irresponsible in its lack of resources for its students, and its lack of trying to find these resources in the first place. Again, I taught at a 54k/yr college, and the quality of education was no higher than the community colleges or public universities where I also taught earlier in my career. In fact, I'd say some of my comm. college colleagues were more dedicated to their students and more generous with their time.
It's not that hard to raise money for a school. I'm off to do it now.
May the best school win, as we students are evaluating them as much if not more than they are us.
@inandoftheworld i too have yet to be rejected by unlv; i didnt know they notified anyone yet. it would be cool to have a shot though life in vegas would be pretty weird
guess ill either be getting the ole "thanks but no thanks" email from madison today. or the other thing which i dont even want to consider as a possibility
bu is continual wild card
good job everyone!!
right now it looks like sfsu will be where i end up, they nominated me for a fellowship and were hella enthusiastic and boulder isnt really offering funding at all except being like "you can apply to teach classes" on a sketchy semester by semester basis, and id like to be in the bay. obviously other acceptances could be a game changer. ooof
Hey! Wanted to let those asking about Bowling Green know that I was accepted into the program last week (fiction). I believe all acceptances and waitlists have gone out.
@jreneecummins
well, when I called Bowling Green earlier this week, they said they were still making final decisions.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what makes The New School still have a fiction ranking in the 30's if the cost is so high and and selectivity so low? Thanks.
@Matthew Denis, I received a letter from Colorado State yesterday. Quality card stock.
Here's my list
NO:
The Ohio State University
University of Kansas: A painful no from my soon to be alma mater.
University of CO Boulder
Oklahoma State: They noted that nobody was graduating from their program this spring, which seemed rather fishy.
YES:
Colorado State University!
University of Washington Bothell: A safety play to this new program, though I didn't realize how ridiculously small it was.
WAITING ON:
Indiana Bloomington
University of Montana
University of Washington Seattle
I wish you all the best. It sounds like a small group of us are waiting on Montana. Anyone else apply to Washington Seattle?
@Brett Zelman You can check out the Poets & Writers' methodology section on their website, but the long story short is that the rankings are based on popularity. They survey a group (this year I think it was 640) of MFA applicants, ask them which schools they're going to apply to, and the schools that receive the most votes get the highest "rank." And that's true of the genre subcategories as well. Basically the schools that receive the most applications are the ones with the highest ranks. For other, more qualitative rankings, you would have to look at the subrankings for fellowship and job placement, funding, teaching load, and faculty-to-student ratio.
What that means to me personally is that "ranks" are self-perpetuating. Once a school gets a reputation for being a top program, a large number of applicants will probably continue to apply there, and so the school will continue to have a high "rank," even if big changes have been happening in the selectivity or funding model of the program. For a personal example: when I was visiting Ph.D. programs, I met a lot of prospectives at Johns Hopkins who said that the English department was in total chaos: 2/3 of the faculty had left over disagreements with the administration and they had only gotten 2 Ph.D. students the year before before because of the terrible morale in the department. And yet in the new U.S. News and World Report rankings, JH is still ranked #13.
That's not to say that reputation and networking don't have some real effects on your later job prospects. Or that a "top" school might not still be a great fit for you. I would just say: ask a lot of questions of current students and faculty about department morale, financial stability, placement statistics, etc. And I would also say, to second Snack Attack, that you should think very very hard about racking up large student debts for grad programs of any kind, but especially in the humanities and the arts.
Thinking good thoughts for you all, and hoping the best comes your way.
@Penelope Thanks for the response!
Dear Arkansas at Fayetteville,
Call me, please.
Sincerely,
TheBoo
It's really too bad there aren't places that won't just pay you fifteen dollars an hour to work on your writing. Maybe it could turn into some kind of Harlan Ellison thing, and the public could see what you're working on right there. If it ever really happened you would have to include Nabisco five times, Coke seven times, and Peter Pan Peanut Butter thirteen times into your writing.
+1 DT Fullen
Anyone heard from UC Irvine?
Over at the gradcafe survey response board, there's a comment section that allows people add their own 2 cents to the otherwise straightforward quantifiable data that the survey was probably designed to harvest. The comments section is where the flavor is. It's where people add to their acceptance listings things like - so-and-so famous writer called me and my heart stopped. It's also where people paste in their rejection letter, presumably so that others can compare it to their own.
But this section is also a space for exasperated applicants to challenge the department that just turned them down. One comment (now deleted) mention that with 17 published books of poetry under his/her belt, she/he couldn't understand what else it would take to get into Iowa. Others use the space to brag about everything from GPA to Pushcart nominations to prizes won.
This one is brilliant - from an applicant turned down by Brown's Literary Arts program. If it's one of you, bravo. And thanks for making me smile. "GPA 7.5, ancestors discovered/founded the city of Detroit, former infant UN Ambassador, rec letters from David Foster Wallace and Antonin Artaud, two-volume autobiography published by Penguin Classics, apprenticeship with Proust-copying Corsican calligraphist monk, Michelle Obama's badminton partner."
Holy, heart-pounding hell! Just accepted at University of New Orleans in CNF! So, here's the up-to-the-minute scorecard (all in CNF):
Accepted:
OK State -- full funding, TA, etc.
UNO -- funding?
Waitlisted:
UNC Wilmington (rated #3 in CNF)
Rejected:
AZ
UNM
Hollins
WVU
Presumed rejected:
Georgia College and State
Still waiting:
Louisiana State
Iowa State
Continued best wishes to all. This blog is a constant source of inspiration, encouragement, and support. Keep working to get your writing in front of the right readers. My list above is proof enough for me that this is a highly subjective thing we're doing. So, keep going! Next year if not this year, but keep going!
I've got kind of a love-hate relationship with this blog -- it's been great knowing there are other people in the same boat but it's also increased my nail-biting by orders of magnitude.
So far--
Thanks-but-no-thanks letters from:
Syracuse
Mississippi
Missouri at Columbia
Weird unofficial waiting list limbo type deal at a 4th place that I won't mention in case they'd prefer I didn't
And still waiting on:
Irvine
Louisiana
Boston
Anyhow the reassurance of knowing I'm not alone more than offsets the additional nervousness, so thanks yall
So, apparently Stegner rejects us twice? At least, I got another of those heart-felt, &c. &c. rejection from them this morning. It made me laugh, in a sad way.
Just checking in: it sounds like both U Florida (Gainesville) and Hopkins have both notified their acceptances in fiction?
Congratulations hamchugirl on UNO (and of course the others, too)!
TV is right. The comments on Grad Cafe crack me up. One rejected PhD in poetry at Houston pretended to be James Franco.
Just received a "You're awesome, but others were awesomer" in the mail from Hopkins. Thanks for all the support nonetheless. I now have several diners to check out in the Baltimore area when I do visit.
It's funny because each day I've received rejection notices, it's been snowing. And snow is one of my favorite things, to sound all Julie Andrews.
Onwards!
I will also say it's best to receive your letter of rejection after yoga.
@SA - No one is awesomer than you. Hopkins lies.
Triple B, how much is my mom paying you?
;^)
@SA - I'm just paid-forward by all your goodwill. Thanks to your positivity, my situation has been much improved.
Sitting on:
UNH - Accepted
Central Arkansas - Just closed applications
And a couple other resolving situations. I'd have lost my head by now if it wasn't for you.
If you go to UNH, my better half and I will have to meet you in VT along the way for lunch at our favorite pub.
Here's another thing to consider when considering finances: sometimes you can work at a school and receive x number of credits for free. It's basically like being awarded a teaching assistantship, but not guaranteed. (Aye, there's the rub.)
@SA - My main concern about TAships is that I want to be able to list it on my CV when I am done with a program. Is that not the right way to look at it?
I really _really_ want to teach (it's the reason I'm going for my MFA), and I can't fathom accepting at a program until I have the notion that I will have the chance. Again, am I too idealistic?
Do you guys think that if other people got into a school (such as UNO, congrats Hamchugirl) and I haven't heard back yet probably means I didn't get in? I also know someone who got in to LSU a couple days ago and I haven't heard anything (although I'm different genre).
So, ok. The way I look at it, an MFA that offers a teaching assistantship is both a job and a program of study. I think with how rough the economy is at present and how really, really rough academia is, two-three years of a guaranteed teaching job while earning an advanced degree in something you truly enjoy is a wise way to go. Experience teaching is often if not always listed as a prerequisite in job announcements for teaching, so having that line on your CV is also smart.
I am admittedly burnt-out on teaching right now, and feel strongly about institutions relying on adjuncts so heavily and treating them so unfairly, so I hesitate to judge your idealism. We need idealism. Heck, without it I wouldn't have applied to these freaking ridiculously selective MFAs. I will say that each adjunct position I've held, I often thought to myself, this wouldn't be so bad if I could take classes towards a degree for free. This leads us to today where I am busy getting rejected by the prettiest MFAs in allll the land.
You keep doing the next right thing and it will shake out. You can always change your mind. It's the age of a billion different careers, and if you stay honest with yourself and others, you'll know what works for you.
Do you think we get along because both our names have to do with food?
Well might as well get in on it. For fiction, here's my list so far.
Accepted:
Texas State
Waitlisted:
NYU
LSU (2nd yr in a row)
Still waiting on:
Virginia
Rejected:
Michigan
Minnesota (3 yrs in a row)
Houston (2 yrs in a row)
Also, you will hear that a PhD is the way to go if you want to teach at the college level. The problem is that is a long road to hoe for a shrinking number of full-time jobs. Most college teaching job announcements at four-year institutions require a master's degree at minimum and a PhD for any full-time appointment. But those full-time appointments are typically temporary. Recently I saw an announcement at SUNY Albany for a full-time first-year composition professor, PhD in Communication and Rhetoric or related field required. Nine month position, non-renewable, for 40k. Albany's cost of living is nearly 10% higher than Ann Arbor's, to use the national average. In short, all that work for a temporary position for chump change. Bah.
looking at my phone anxiously/turning up my ringtone to the most annoying possible thing... re: wisconsin
@ Tracy G
I applied to the poetry program...They only accept 12 peeps...so wait list is good? I just didn't expect a "maybe" I figured it would be a hard "no" lol
If anyone that applied there feels like their poetry would grow at a different school...no one will judge you lol ;D
Is anyone aware of any McNeese acceptances? Over her concern for my sanity,I promised my girlfriend I wouldn't check grad cafe or the Facebook group, so I'm in the dark.
@ Brett Zelman
Thanks! and, no, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have been rejected. I watched and wondered as a few UNO acceptances were doled out over the last week. From what I've seen at this, my first time at the rodeo, some schools do it all at once, and some roll it out over time. Keep steady. Anything can happen. All those wonderful folks (Keisha et al)who have done this more than once and were accepted this year have been my inspiration.
If you don't mind my asking, when did you hear from LSU?
I'm joining the fray. Has anyone heard from Florida State? They sent an email two weeks ago saying if they're not heard from by today, that means we haven't been rejected and are still being considered.
@Wayfaring Stranger, I'm also curious when you heard from Houston, if you don't mind sharing. Congrats on Texas State!
@Cleavon, I also haven't heard anything from Florida State.
@Cleavon - I actually didn't hear from LSU but a friend did yesterday.
@ Jacqueline -- glad to know we're in the same boat! There was a first round of rejections and but I haven't seen acceptances anywhere. Vegas would be a bit weird, I think!
@Cleavon/@Susan - Heard from LSU yesterday afternoon by email (two weeks earlier than last yr) said their first round of acceptances went out on 3/8; said we wouldn't know anything before 4/15 unless someone declined their offer, then they'd let us know right away.
Houston was by mail Monday, not sure about their acceptances/waitlist
Damn, B.
Thanks for the quick response. It's appreciated. And congrats on Texas State. Fingers crossed on your wait lists.
Any acceptances from UT New Writers Project?
Interesting. @Susie Derkins, did you also get that email at the end of February giving the two week timeframe?
Interesting. My guess is that doesn't bode well for us. Oh well. Good luck with the rest of your decisions.
heard on the mfa draft facebook group that wisconsin has notified their acceptances and waitlists already
@April
Grad Cafe shows NWP rejections and a wait list, and somebody posted an acceptance on this blog yesterday or the day before.
Earlier this week there was a message on NWP's website to fall 2013 applicants: notifications were supposed to go out by today. But that message is no longer there and I still haven't heard anything (fiction); myStatus still shows my application as pending.
Not sure what to make of all this.
Yup...was expecting some notice today from NWP. Maybe tomorrow or Monday. Could it be that the NWP staff is at SXSW?
Stayed away from this site for a while. But I finally caved.
My list:
Iowa (no)
Michener (no)
Michigan (no)
Syracuse (no)
Wyoming (no)
Minnesota (no)
Montana (yes )
UNCW (yes)
Oregon State (wait list)
Florida (nothing yet)
Oregon (nothing yet)
Fiction, that is.
Hope you are maintaining your sanity better than I. Best of luck to all.
+Accepted:
Montana - Does anyone know anything about their funding? Their letter didn't say anything about it.
+Wait-listed:
Ohio State
Arkansas
+Waiting to hear from:
Alabama
LSU
S. Carolina
+Rejected:
Minnesota
Wyoming
Oregon
Oregon St.
Hi all. I just logged in to my Hunter account and found I was rejected...they posted it the first week of March. Could have spared myself lots of angst these past weeks if I had checked :-/
Good luck to everyone else.
@chelsie
Poetry or fiction?
@TheBoo Fiction
My remaining schools don't notify till April. Good luck and write on.
@Chelsie not everyone is funded at Montana. If you are it's $14,000 a year and a tuition waiver minus $1800 of student fees that are not waived (TA position). However, if you don't get funding it's $18,000 a year out of state, $5,000 in state. But if you take less than 6 credits per semester the first year, you can get residency for the second year. This takes an extra semester to complete though. Hope that helps.
@Caladrius
Where did you sign in? I've signed into the account I made to apply but there's nothing there but the option to view my application.
Thanks, @Modi. :)
@ZCSo
That's probably a good sign. The link was right underneath the options to view my application, so maybe they're considering yours.
@Cala I'm sorry :( When I log into my Hunter account it just says my application has been submitted...
@SA - Thanks for that. I was already considering the PhD either way. It seems like the Creative Writing doctorate is well on its way to coming of age. And, being that collegiate teaching is what I want...Well, I figure I either have to drop the poetic equivalent of the Great American Novel or get my PhD.
Hate to malign myself, but one is just more statistically relevant/likely than the other.
And yes, I think our foodie names have something to do with our sweet hive-minded connectedenss. We're like twins.
Maybe not.
Anyone know if there's any list out there where people post fellowship responses?
Does anyone know if Warren Wilson has started calling poetry yet? I've been accepted at Queens and only have until the 1st to decide.
wheatslohr:
From the Wisconsin MFA page, and Queens is listed as supporting the resolution, which you can google:
Like most institutions with a graduate program in creative writing, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools and as such is bound to the following resolution: "Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution." You can see the full resolution as well as a list of council members by clicking here.
We at Wisconsin advise any applicant who is feeling pressured to accept another MFA program's offer before the April 15th deadline to simply send the program a friendly email that states, "I see that your institution is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools. As such, I believe that I have the right to consider your offer up until the April 15th deadline as established by the council. Thanks so much!" Most universities are big places where one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing. Showing them you know your rights will help ensure that your rights are respected.
Anyone know when UVA notifies??
Hi nogrownups, I heard from the program assistant that it'll be March 25th.
Any of the fiction admits at Amherst heard anything about financial aid packages or fellowships yet?
Thanks! It's the last school on my list. All the best to you all.
Hey all,
Did anyone apply to SCSU? I am going a little crazy waiting for a response...
Anyone else waiting to hear from Arkansas (Fayetteville) for fiction?
@Theboo,
Me. CSU also.
@Megan
This week is their spring break. Think we have any chance of hearing this week?
Good luck!
Hey guys,
I was accepted to the U of Arkansas program this past Friday in fiction via a phone call from the program director. Still waiting to hear back about final funding details.
@Mary
Congratulations! Did they say how many they are taking? I guess I'll hope for the waitlist;)
Is it just me or is information on McNeese exceptionally late this year? I haven't seen any evidence of movement online, but my understanding was that decisions would be sent out early March...
@Mary
Congrats! Apparently they only take five. Good job!
@Mary Congrats!
@Everyone Else I'm way frustrated guys. Heard Hunter and Brooklyn have been handing out decisions for ages, and yet when I log in to my account to view the expected rejection, my application status still reads that my application is submitted and decisions are in process. What's a girl to do with all this stress? All this stress and all this mess? (I'm gonna buy, buy, buy a dress. Buy a dress 'cause all this stress.) Ok, I promise I'm finished...
A SCHOOL JUST CALLED TO ACCEPT ME AND MY PHONE DIED AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SCHOOL IT IS
Long Island University. Accepted! Voicemail left when my phone failed to express interest in the conversation and ended it prematurely. Call back in ten minutes is what she said. Yay! 3 out of 5 so far!
@Elsa Where have you heard about Hunter handing out decisions? My status is the same as yours, just says submitted still.
After three years of applying to MFA programs, I was finally accepted to one this morning. I'm in at American University for Fiction :D
I have a ton of questions regarding living in the DC area/housing/funding/quality of the program, etc. If anyone has any insight on the DC area or AU's MFA program, I would greatly appreciate it!
I'm seeing fiction results for Iowa State on Grad Cafe. Anyone on FB seeing anything from Iowa State re: CNF?
@Mary
@Elsa
@Maria
Congrats! Congrats! Congrats!
Just saw an Indiana fiction acceptance on grad cafe.
Looks like today has been rife with notifications. Congrats to everyone with good news!
As for me, today has yielded two rejections—Florida and Northern Michigan, both via e-mail—and one unofficial acceptance. I won't say where, because it seems as though their process is still playing itself out. Funding is TBD. Still waiting on Florida State and McNeese.
Congrats to all who've received good news!
Anyone hear from the low res schools? Bennington, WW, VCFA?
@elsa congrats! also, your little ditty gave me a chuckle.
VCFA
Were you accepted, Genealogy Journeys? If so, congratulations.
Rejected from NWP this evening via email...booooo
Congrats to everyone who got in somewhere today. I got rejected to LSU. Oh well. 2 in, 3 out, 5 to go.
Ann, yes, accepted to VCFA. Thank you. Any news for you?
Hi Genealogy Journeys....No word yet. May I ask when you heard and how you were alerted (phone, email, etc)? What genre are you? I applied for fiction.
Congratulations, again!
Ann, I heard yesterday by phone. My impression is that acceptances are made by phone. I applied in fiction. Good luck!
@Lisa Good to hear! I read on this blog that people have seen rejections by logging into the Hunter/Brooklyn sites. I thought there may have been a glitch or something for me (nothing like pessimism to pass the time...), so it's good to hear I'm not the only one whose application is still in decision mode on the website.
How many schools are all of you still waiting on? I have three more before I can start deciding where to go. I can hardly take the wait! I really hope I know by this week.
Paging SnackAttack; we need some dry wit in this MFA martini.
Also, congrats to all who have posted acceptances!
Thanks for the info, Genealogy Journeys! I'm happy for you. :)
Katherine,
My understanding of Notre Dame prose is that anyone not contacted at this point is either somehow forgotten by their system, "in limbo" (ND language, and somehow different from wait list), or wait-listed. I'd call the Creative Writing office to investigate your status.
Just called. Wait listed!!!!
Did they say how long it was/whether it was ranked/where you were if so?
...and good luck!
Triple B! We keep losing power due to a nice spring snow. Also, my remaining schools don't notify till April. You hang in there!
Genealogy Journeys- no word from VCFA, but I got a call from Bennington today! so happy!
Me too! Congratulations!
Hooray! Congratulations, G.J.! All three schools I applied to are great, but Bennington is my number one so I'm perfectly ecstatic! Which school do you think you'll choose?
Has anybody emailed J. Griswold @McNeese yet? Homeboy is wayyyy late on his timetable
A question regarding Hunter-
Some have said they saw information regarding whether or not they had achieved admission by signing into their account.
I have signed in several times, and all I find is that my application was, indeed, submitted. However, I can't seem to locate any information beyond that. Could someone point me in the right direction? I'd greatly appreciate it!
Gracias all,
Shank
Ann, I don't know yet. Both seem wonderful. How did you choose Bennington as number one?
G.J.- I've had Bennington in my mind as number one from the start. I've been working toward this for a couple years. I have a close friend who went there for undergrad, and she has told me over and over about what a transformative experience it was for her. It's kind of ingrained now, and I've fallen in love. Not a scientific thing at all...just a gut thing. This is exactly what I wanted, so I'm just going with the magic of seeing what I hoped for materialize. Best of luck to you! Both are excellent schools.
Applied to New School, Columbia and Hunter. Got into New School and Columbia. Yay! Still waiting to hear about Hunter. Super ecstatic about my acceptances, but man, I really want Hunter...
Just got my first acceptance! Mills College for fiction :) A huge relief after four straight rejections.
I got off of MFA Draft '13 weeks ago, because it was terrible for my anxiety, so I'm wondering if poetry folks have heard from:
Alabama
Florida
(I know FSU has started notifying)
Georgia State
UNC-Greensboro
Thanks, writers!
Received word of my first acceptance yesterday. UNLV. Keep up the high spirits, team!
@Roberta When did you hear about Columbia and are you a Fiction applicant?
I was accepted to New School too! Yay, New School buddies!
I wouldn't be surprised if Hunter's notifications don't get broadcasted very easily. Not necessarily that they tell their acceptances not to say anything publicly - they might - but more so that there are so few of them, there might be none of them hanging around on these threads or much of anywhere. Just a thought, and my own way of trying to start feeling ok about not getting called. I need to stop projecting on this thing...keep your spirits up people.
Anyone heard from San Diego Stat, San Francisco State, University of San Francisco or University of New Orleans?
@nairb I count at least 5 Hunters eagerly waiting for news on here- Myself included. Hope to hear something positive soon. Really hope to hear something period.
@nairb454 and @2gun I just want to hear SOMETHING. At this point, I don't care if it's a rejection. I just want to stop obsessing so much I'm unable to write. Good luck to you guys!
@2gun You have the coolest-sounding "at." Are you from a Western or something? You sound like a sidekick that hangs around in a saloon. If we both are accepted and go to Hunter, I don't care what your real name is, I'm forever called you "2 Gun." And if your real name IS 2 Gun... all the better.
@Paige - I got my rejection letter from Alabama last Saturday. (poetry)
@Ann: Warren Wilson has sent acceptances (my wife, luckily among them) and asked for a commitment date of March 18. (They can violate the CGSR because students matriculate in summer, not fall.) So, my guess is that they've already filled out their 2013 class--but I do NOT know this for certain.
@Paige Sullivan: I heard from Georgia State (accepted, PhD in poetry) on March 14. The news came via an automated email from the graduate school with the subject line "GSU Application Decision Available," which led me to believe it would be a rejection, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise when I logged into the GSU system to view the decision. I have not heard from anyone in the department, however, which I take as a bad sign re: funding and the faculty's interest in their students.
@elsa
I'll tell you all about it when we're at Hunter. Not Western exactly but from time in Southwest Asia.
Guys, is it weird that one of my pet peeves in writing is using the word "got"? I feel like the verb is better exemplified with "was" or "have become" or "received." I pause every time I read "got" in a sentence and cringe before continuing to read. I understand its colloquial use, but I just think it sounds shoddy within literature. (This may the inappropriate place to discuss this, guys, but I'm really, really curious to know if I'm just crazy or if the extensive use of "got" is a normal concern and legitimately cringe-worthy.)
and @2gun I look forward to it!
@Elsa
As a descriptive linguist, I must say I feel very differently. I'm utterly bewildered and excited by the word "got" and its many uses. It constantly amazes me.
Thanks, y'all!
@letters
No, they didn't :/.
Damn, yea. Right after you posted, I got the email. So. Good luck us.
For anyone applying to Bowling Green...they said final decisions will be made in the next two weeks. Congratulations to those of you who have been accepted! I'm still waiting to hear something from Boise State...
Accepted by phone at Queens College today!!!!
I've been trying to find out info re: funding and tuition since day 1, but to no avail. If anyone could post what they know on here or point me in the right direction, I'd be very grateful. Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone!
P.S. McNeese is killin' me with this wait!
Facebook group mentioned someone got a call from UCI on March 15. Anyone else hear anything?
Facebook group mentioned someone got a call from UCI on March 15. Anyone else hear anything?
Accepted at Mills, MFA Poetry! Also at Sierra Nevada College, received a personal call from Brian Turner, very nice.
Waiting for Irvine and SFSU. Torturous.
@Laurie - Love Brian Turner.
Whimsy,
Does it say if it was for prose or poetry? And no, I've heard nothing. Actually, if I recall correctly, people last year said that they received an email from UCI for acceptance. Wasnt that the deal with the Mr.Sammy character who said No to UCI for an unfunded stint at Columbia?...
@dirtman, CONGRATS! the one in Queens or in Charlotte? also what concentration?
@hales thank you! the one in Queens, NYC for fiction. still dying to hear from mcneese, hunter, and wichita state... only one more week to go though. did you apply to Queens too / have you had any luck with acceptances?
Has anyone ever been rejected via phone? That would be so brutal...
It probably wouldn't be that bad if it was George Saunders doing the rejecting. You might even come away from it feeling like you'd accomplished something great.
Chapman acceptance via snail mail for poetry! They're asking that I respond within 2 weeks but I haven't heard from university of Washington in Seattle yet! Should I call UW? Should I call chapman and ask them for more time?! What to do!
I need help deciding!
mills college
or
University of San Francisco
or
Alaska Fairbanks
disregard whatever funding options i have, what do you guys think would be considered a better program? I'm just curious as to how they are viewed/which one would be beneficial for me in approaching the literary community at-large.
Any insight would be very helpful :-)
POETRY
@michelle Masti
The only insight I have is "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair".
Hope that helps.
Just received an email from Hunter asking me to check the status of my application for the decision on my admission and there's is a big, fat NO.
That's ok, 3 yeses and 3 nos ain't so bad! (2 more to hear from)
@ dirtman, I applied to queens for poetry, but I haven't heard anything. I was rejected from hunter and accepted by the new school. i'm also waiting to hear from Brooklyn and columbia.
Michelle,
I'd compare fellowship/job placement rates, availabilities of teaching opportunities (if you are interested in teaching at some point), opportunities to hold leadership positions on publications. I'd also look to see where alumni of the programs are today. Their success does help brand the school, as well as demonstrate the potential of the education you would receive there. Not to mention the type of students who would be workshopping your work and supporting you through creative troughs.
Be careful what you wish for - like Elsa I got the same result from Hunter. Oh well - onward
@Hales the MFA director gave me the sense that they were pretty much finalizing their admissions for the fall, so don't be shy about calling Nicole Cooley to check in, she's very friendly. I just got my Hunter rejection, but congrats on your New School acceptance! And best of luck w/ Brooklyn & Columbia.
General notice for McNeese applicants... John Griswold told me via email that they haven't notified anyone yet. Better than a rejection I guess? Also, anyone hear from Wichita yet?
Boise graduate admissions told me that they don't believe offers have been made (in Fiction at least). Although they made it seem as though they don't have great communication with the department.
@Michelle
Have you been to Alaska? Something you should seriously consider before moving there is that you will not see the sun for a large portion of the school year (unless they have a strange schedule that goes through summer? they should). In the winter you could be looking at 1-2 hours of sunlight. Or even less - Fairbanks is over 350 miles north of Anchorage.
Beautiful in the summer though, and Denali isn't too far away.
Michelle: I've lived in the Bay Area for most of my life and am very familiar with the close-knit poetry scene. Mills, Mills, Mills. And get a place to live in the Grand Lake area of Oakland--its teeming with poets!
Just got emailed out of Hunter memoir. In with my fiction at New School. My Brooklyn on-line status (fiction) shows I'm being reviewed...
@dirt
Thanks for the McNeese Update!
@dirtman, I called last week and she said they were finishing up decisions this week, so I'm going to wait until Friday. DO you know of anyone else who applied or has been accepted?
also, new school kids, does anyone know if they offer teaching positions? Has anyone heard back about financial aid? 30% of $50,000 isn't really doable for me.
@Michelle
My daughter is living in Alaska for a year on a pd internship and is loving it - but it took some serious getting used to. AK is its own world, and the light issue took a toll. She and her friends buoyed each other up, shared a sunlamp (no joke), and are on a vitamin D regimen. Actually sometimes harder is the 22 hrs of sun per day in the summer. Alaska is wild and wonderful and solitary. But of the 6 who were working in her program, only one has chosen to stay for a 2nd year. Not what you asked about, but wanted to share.
Sorry, can't say anything about the Fairbanks program. Is it a 3yr?
You have great choices. I look forward to what others have to say... cause I am considering Mills for poetry as well. I know three people who went through their program and all had amazing experiences.
thank-you guys for your input so far!
I should mention that I am born/raised bay area and live a stone's throw from Mills. Actually 3 miles exactly according to google maps.
And thank-you for the input on Alaska-- I've visited and it's beautiful but I am extremely, extremely prone to depression (as well as being ridiculously vitamin D deficient, i take it daily prescribed) so that is something I definitely am trying to consider. But ahhh living in alaska would be so amazing :-)
I applied to:
Adelphi
Hunter
The New School
Was accepted to Adelphi and rejected from Hunter. Just waiting on The New School. I see a bunch of people have received their acceptances from the New school, congrats! Was that through e-mail or regular mail?
@Michelle
If you really want the Alaskan experience without risking a bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder, consider checking out Cool Works. They post seasonal jobs in all sorts of awesome places. Could be a cool way to spend this summer or the summer between years 1 and 2.
A good friend of mine spent a summer working as a busboy in Denali and absolutely loved it. His schedule was 4 days on/ 3 off, so he spent every weekend backpacking in the park. The nice thing about summer in Alaska is that there isn't much difference between early morning, business hours and graveyard shifts - it's sunny all the time.
@Michelle
I say stay in SF and in the summers rent a room in Alaska and write your heart out.
Life is full of (great) compromises.
@Hales copy that, good idea though I'm sure waiting till tomorrow is a real pain haha. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone in the non-digital world who's applied to MFA programs, period - pretty much feelin' like I'm on an island out here in Chicago haha
Has anyone heard from the University of South Carolina? They don't pick up their phone and they don't respond to emails? How have they not sent out decisions yet? I feel like I'm being punished for years of jokes about their state.
Also, just got rejected by Hunter. Got accepted to Montana and New School. I'm also starting to think everyone gets into the new school, judging by this board. But I guess they have to let a big amount in to make up for the fact that most of the people they accept can't afford to go there.
Haven't ever commented before, but love this blog. I'm on my second year of applying, so far heard from these folks:
Michener - rejected
University of Oregon - rejected
NC Greensboro - rejected
Michigan - rejected
Iowa - rejected
Minnesota - rejected
New School - accepted
University of New Orleans - accepted
Indiana - still waiting (but hopes not high, as per looks like they've sent their acceptances out already).
We'll see!
I saw on gradcafe results that someone was accepted to UC Irvine via phone today for poetry ...
Guess I can hope for waitlist?
Anyone have any info on Wichita State (fiction). I saw there were some acceptances about 2 weeks ago. Emailed them on March 14th and they said all decisions haven't been made yet.
"Anyone have any info on Wichita State (fiction). I saw there were some acceptances about 2 weeks ago. Emailed them on March 14th and they said all decisions haven't been made yet."
I received a notification for acceptance from Wichita's fiction program on March 14th. I hope that helps!
BU anyone? Anyone? Any leads or intel?
Minnesota State got back to me today re funding: 3 year TA position, 1/1 freshman comp. Booya.
@TheIronCage that's great, congrats!
@Annmarie Congrats! Did they call you on the phone? And did they say anything about notifications being done with? Wichita is the last school I'm waiting to hear back from. Trying to find some closure to this entire process. Might have to email them again. Thanks for the help.
I've largely been a lurker on here for the past month, but it's getting on toward crisis time and I need some advice. I've been wait listed at three top 20 programs, two of them top 10- all three with super generous stipend packages, amazing faculty, etc. I've received one full on offer, from an up and coming program (on Seth's underrated programs list) There's one writer there who I'm a really big fan of, but they still only get 150 or so applications, so I'm a little worried about the quality of the work from my fellow students, (that's probably smug of me) Given the fairly high probability that I wont get off of any of those wait lists, even though they're all short, would you, if you were me, wait another year and go through this whole nightmare again, or take the money and run. I don't want to name the programs, particularly not the one I received the offer from, but it really does seem pretty good- three years, funded with a decent stipend, 1/1 teaching load, etc. Help.
@letters: BU is end of month beginning of next month, according to their office when I called.
@Contessa. First of all - congratulations on all of your success! Here is my advice; take it as you will:
The good news is, there is still a lot of time between now and April 15th, and a lot of shuffling that can happen. I know it's a looming and difficult decision, but in the meantime just try to be patient. I would guess that your chances of getting off one of those three short waitlists are actually pretty fair, given that there are surely other applicants facing a similar decision as yourself, perhaps even at the same programs.
Now, if by April 15th, you still haven't heard anything from the three schools where you were waitlisted, you really just need to ask yourself if you mind waiting another year to be accepted into a stronger program. You are clearly a gifted writer and sought after applicant, given your track record, so take the extra year to publish and work and improve your resume.
Also, after April 15th, there will be even more waitlist shuffling, and if the school to which you've been accepted isn't CGSR compliant, I would imagine that you have even more time to see if you will be accepted into one of the other three programs. What kind of pressure is the school to which you've been accepted applying? Is there a specific date that you need to make a final decision for them by?
@Contessa
I agree with @Alex. I was actually going to ask a similar question. I'm still waiting to hear back from Coluimbia, but right now I'm looking at one acceptance and one waitlist. Both schools are great. One has biweekly 1:1 meetings with profs and is in a great location and the campus is beautiful etc etc...except it won't fund me. The one I got wailisted for of course is the more selective one, kind of sort of an up and comer but not really, with about 400 or so applicants and 5% acc. rate. It MIGHT fund me. I MIGHT get a TA position there. The outright downside, if I could call it that, is that, while the campus is beautiful and liberal and has al lot of other benefits, it's not the type of location I would prefer. No biggie though.
Anyways, onto the advice, which I myself have taken and it's worked. First of all, Alex is right. Patience is the virtue here. The fact is, you can't make a decision yet, so trying to would cheat yourself out of the very possible outcome of you getting into one of those amazing programs. But my main piece of advice is be proactive. Call the schools you're waitlisted to and express your interest, and how you really want to go there but that you have a standing offer that might get revoked if you hold out too long. The schools may very well say something like, "tough luck, you gotta do what you gotta do." But my experience has shown me that they respond very well to your interest, and though they do say there isn't much they can do until they hear from other students, they may be able to help you with your options (they tend to be very magnanimous), and I guarantee that your expression of interest will at least be in the back of their minds when it comes time to pick off the waitlist, especially if that waitlist isn't ranked.
Hope that helps. Keep us posted on where you're at.
Well said Nair. And great point about being proactive. Contessa, definitely express your interest to the schools that wait listed you.
@Contessa,
Congrats! I myself am on a wait list that I would really love to get off so I understand your pain. The waiting is awful.
I agree with the comments above. I think you should hold out for as long as possible and then make your decision.
I do not in any way want this to come out negatively but I will share my experience as a 2nd round applicant. During my first round of applications I was wait listed at some great programs but never made it the list. This year I thought that since I had grown as a writer, (more confident/stronger voice, more published) that I would of course be accepted at those programs. Not the case. Granted, my style of writing has changed dramatically from the first round, and I would say for the better, but clearly it's not the style of those programs anymore. Also, who knows about the latest applicant pools.
Again, this is not to discourage you about reapplying next year. Being a big snobbish myself about the whole thing, I would probably wait it out. I did just want to share my experience and say that you may not get into the EXACT schools next year that you were wait listed at this year but I'm sure you will have success somewhere great.
I am also looking for advice. I applied to 10 top programs this year, and have so far gotten 7 rejections. I am, however, in at an honorable mention school with good funding. Would it be ridiculous to turn this down with the hopes that next year I can make it into a program I really love?
Sorry for the typos. Cranked the comment out secretly at work.
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