Does anyone else worry about specific writers that they respect hating their samples? I have a morbid fantasy of Lorrie Moore (prof. at Wisconsin) being annoyed by my sample. God, writers are weird...
Also, how's everyone doing on the anxiety dream front? Last night I had a dream that I got an email from Wisconsin saying I was no longer being considered because I was missing a transcript or LOR or something. And no, I did not wake up in a cold sweat, but it was still pretty nerve-wracking.
I had a dream that was just the opposite... I dreamed that I got an email that said, "Congratulations, you've received our second acceptance!" Then I woke up and was irritated with my optimistic subconsious. :)
Man, I think that one might be the absolute worst. It's like the grad school equivalent of dreaming about Leonardo DiCaprio taking you to the golden globes...not that I ever had that dream ;)
I'm considering alternate options as well...especially since I really only applied to one school I definitely want to go to, and even that school is not particularly known for its funding. The job market is bleak, but what else would I really want to get a degree in? I think I'm just going to have to try my luck and maybe apply to more MFAs next year.
Oh man, I had an MFA dream, but it wasn't even a fun one. I had a dream about the NUMBERS. I was dreaming that all these schools got 1600 applications. Also Seth added information about exactly what time of day calls when out so I kept checking the times of day.
Yeah, I never had a Leo dream, but I was reminded of a recurring dream I used to have where the Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn, including Aleister Crowley who was, in a Rasputin-like twist, still alive, managed to reverse the aging process on Jimmy Page just so he could come teach me to play guitar on a date. I feel the odds are similar. :)
Yay! I'm glad to be of service. I can't remember how I found the program - think my eyes flicked across it in some NYU pdf I downloaded and I thought, "Oh, that's interesting." (... Whilst enviously eyeing off the March application deadline.) I'm intrigued by the fact that such a huge chunk of America's population speaks Spanish. In Australia, where I live, there are big Mandarin/Vietnamese/Arabic/Italian speaking communities, but no single language-other-than-English dominates.
Sadly, I don't speak any Spanish at all. But thanks to the wonder of babel fish, I can politely decline your offer. No swapsies for me, yet. I'm still too close to my samples. I had to leave the room when my best friend was proofing my SOP... Shakes head and sighs. Oy.
I had a dream that in order to get into one of these programs, I had to sort all of the applicant paperwork into nice, neat files. I had piles and piles of papers, and as I kept organizing things, more would fall like rain from above. Well, more like a torrent of heavy hail. And then all of the labels would change on the files, and I would get different requirements from above on how I should organize them. As more papers fell.
I woke up, drooling on a poem I had been revising, resolving to be more patient as a kindness to those who have to deal with what I inflicted upon them by appplying.
GRWKLNJSULIEWHUAISLKJNSFS--> the sound my brain made when it collided into a three-car pile up with my stomach and heart, upon receiving that Memphis application email. Alas, just an acknowledgment.
RE: Spanish language, literature and community service, it's not an MFA but perhaps an alternative should one need a plan B.
http://www.casaxelaju.com/literature/
I studies Spanish language at this school several years back. Julio is amazing. His family helps him run this school - he resides in Minneapolis. I met him on the plane on my way down to Guatemala. He was with his American wife and their baby girl. He hijacked me into going to his program in Quetzaltenango - and man, was I glad. 20 years later, he has bookoo opportunities for community service while offering a spectrum of spanish language study (and indigenous Quiche', BTW) from studying literature to just getting started with learning the language.
Here's my testimony on the quality instruction: when I speak with anyone from Central or South America, they say my diction is perfect.
Hope this is helpful. And, it goes without saying, that I hope none of us need a "Plan B." If it weren't for my dog, I'd consider spending a year down there, for sure.
Every time I've talked to Iowa they've stated that they do contact applicants if anything is missing from the departmental application.
Their grad assistant is probably the most overworked soul in the world right now, but she's been very nice about checking up on my status now and again. So just tread lightly and be polite if you need to contact them to check in.
Did you apply to Queens College (CUNY)? They have two options for the MFA: just the creative writing track, or the creative writing and translation track. It looks like you take translation workshops alongside the writing workshops, and some other classes specifically about translation. I didn't apply because I don't speak any other language fluently, but it did sound really interesting for someone who is interested in translation.
If you didn't apply but are interested, the deadline is late -- March 1. :)
I confirm - just got an email from Iowa. A LoR (not the one from my drama last week either!) and my transcript (WTF! I put that mother right under my sample!) are needed.
Wanted to share the good news (mainly because I'm still at work for the day, and haven't shared with co-workers that I'm even applying) — I just got a phone call from the director at Wyoming, and I'm in for nonfiction!
Fingers crossed for good news for you all today — here's to February!
@ Brandi Wells, if you do contact Wisconsin re: your missing transcript, it would be a kindness to all of us to ask about that email.
@ ruth the sleuth, Lorrie Moore isn't on the committee this year. I was at one of her readings this fall and during the Q&A someone asked her about Madison's program, etc., so you can eliminate that specific morbid fantasy.
I'm not having any MFA dreams YET, but I did have a pretty bitching Battlestar Galactica dream. Lucy Lawless showed up as Xena, the warrior princess, though and not as a cylon. She threw her little razor frisbee thing and cut a base star in half.
Congratulations Katie! I have now felt the panic of one of my schools notifying. It is intense. I applied in fiction, however. It's nerve wracking, but I'm still excited for you!
Congrats to everyone who has received good news so far.
At first, when I heard some of these acceptances, I felt relieved for the new students and didn't feel like it affected me much. But as we get closer to the wire, I just feel my blood pressure spazzing out because I loathe the day when someone announces that they heard from a fiction program that I applied to.
Ugh. Dread.
I think I need to pick up new hobbies. I might teach myself how to make tamales. Hundreds and hundreds of tamales.
I'm pretty sure this is an MFA dream though it has nothing to do with emails, etc.
I was treading water in the ocean at night. Lily Tomlin--who I've been using as partial inspiration for a character in my novel-in-progress--is also treading water but starting to tire, and I must open a restaurant-supply-size can of peaches (also floating nearby) if she is to survive. As I wrestle with how exactly to open the can (though I conveniently have an opener) while staying afloat, I notice a large shadow coming up from the depths and instinctively know it is a great white shark. I have a terrible shark-phobia (very easily managed in the Midwest) and decide to do a dead man's float, close my eyes, and pray either for a quick death or a happy ending, Lily's survival included. I woke up in a blind panic before either occured.
Yeah, that was this morning.
Forget apartments and whether they accept pets; I'm checking CL for shrinks.
Jamie, don't get me started on sexy vampires. Eric from True Blood was in my rotation before they made Charlaine Harris' books into a show... Yes, that is one of my guilty indulgences. :)
@Jamie — You know, I think it may be my first choice! I've felt a certain kinship with the Wyoming program since I started reading up on it... I also e-mailed with a few professors early on who were so, so kind. Plus, there's an opportunity to double major with the Environment and Natural Resources program, which was my undergraduate background. And it's Wyoming! If I'm going to uproot my life and move to a strange part of the country for two years, what could beat that?
I'm curious to see what happens with my other programs, but back when a former professor asked me about which school I was most interested in at the time, I think we were both surprised when "Wyoming" popped out of my mouth.
Hey Team, I'm sending out a flood of good vibes to everyone on this blog! Let the good news roll. The director of Wyoming also called me this morning..I'm in for Nonfiction as well!
Katie, congrats!! There's not as many of us NF peeps here. Where else did you apply?
Man...do you guys think there is any chance that Wyoming HASN'T notified for fiction yet? It seems unlikely...since both poetry and nonfiction were notified this morning. But I don't know how these things work...I am officially freaking out.
Jessica, did I miss something? Where did somebody say they were in at Wyoming for poetry? It is always possible and it is still today. They may not be done with all of their calls. We'll just have to wait it out and see. In the past, Wyoming has called first for fiction, but with such a huge increase in applications this year (89 to 185), I wouldn't be surprised if it took them a little longer to get through fiction especially. Then again, there's a good chance they called today. Who knows? I've already calmed down enough to remember that I only need to get into one school. Wyoming would be great, but... I won't die.
Sorry! In my frantic panic, I read John's post wrong. I thought he said that he was notified as well. I feel slightly better, if it was only nonfiction notifications today.
Surely there is someone on the board that applied to Wyoming for fiction and got in and will tell us!
@Luling - Congratulations! I have nothing but warm fuzzies for Wyoming today.
I also have applications out at Iowa, Iowa State, Portland State, Arizona, New Hampshire, Hollins, UNC-Wilmington, Goucher, and Minnesota. Which seems sort of like an insane mouthful now.
Would love to talk Wyoming, NF, other schools, etc. with you sometime.
I think I'm glad I didn't apply to these early notifiers. It would be really tough to live with that first rejection for a month+, waiting to hear back from other schools.
Just checking in to say ... This is very hard. I mean, if a school to which you applied notified, and you didn't get the call, it is certainly a 'probable rejection' -- I mean, odds are against being on the waitlist.
I am trying to make myself accept this situation. Rejection sucks. And yes, it does feel very personal. We all put so much of ourselves into this process.
Congratulations to those hearing good news -- I am sure it was very much deserved. I am really really pulling for all of us :)
Congrats big time! I'm one of the nervous applicants who also applied to Wyoming... but in fiction.
Where did you do your undergrad? My major was in Natural Resources too. Actually, it was Recreation Resource Management, but everyone thinks that means I want to be a park ranger, so I usually say Natural Resources or Forestry instead.
It seems to make sense that CNF would be notifying first. I seem to remember Seth writing about an overall 6:3:2 ration for fiction:poetry:CNF, so if you applied to Wyoming in fiction or poetry, I guess you get to keep holding your breath.
Now I wonder why poetry has gone first in places.... Oh, well. More obsessive speculation.
What can I say? I'm a realist. I blame Raymond Carver for setting off the chain reaction that left me defenseless against the kind of pessimism that reading contemporary American literature left me with.
I feel its only fair to us that as soon as the schools notify acceptances, that they upload the writing samples of those lucky few MFA soon-to-be-candidates on a website so that we can see who the seat went to.
It'd make me feel a lot better if I could SEE that I wasn't rejected because that other kid's story made my head implode.
Anyone else up for implosion?
(Also, about the tamales, I was only half kidding. If anyone in the PDX area really wants to try to make tamales with me, holla acha girl!)
I can't help but wonder if applications to schools with less than full funding are down this year. I don't think this would apply to the big schools in New York and California. I am specifically thinking about Montana, though I'm also thinking of UNCW, Notre Dame, Colorado, New Mexico. I think funding was more serious this year than any other, given the economy and the P&W rankings.
Passing along a message I received from Wyoming today (yes, I do have direct contact with programs!): the upshot is that they have begun notifying in nonfiction and poetry but it may take a few days; fiction notifications will begin by the end of this week.
And a Wisconsin update: decisions are not imminent. I think it's entirely possible the desired February 14th date will be hit by the program, I just don't want people having a dreadful next two weeks thinking every day a response might come. I think it'll be two weeks at least (which is still pretty darn impressive; with 629 apps, to have responses in February, if it happens, is a minor miracle and a real testament to how amazing the faculty here is, and how dedicated).
I'm totally with Frankish. It's a lose/lose to see what other people got in with.
I realize, I only want/need one thing: To get accepted somewhere with funding. I just need ONE acceptance. I am trying to focus on that. I can accept lots of rejections if I get just one 'yes' ... Right?
Need to go find my inner 'happy zen place' now :) This is just the beginning of this stressful season for all of us. Perspective, perspective ...
Seth, Thank you! Odds are against me, but it's nice to know I'm not out of the running yet. I really appreciate that Wyoming and certain other schools have kept you in the know!
Thanks for the update. Does that mean the email they sent out was using Feb 14th as a notification date rather than a date to see your application status? The email was rather ambiguous.
The only school I applied to that doesn't have full funding is Notre Dame. I'm not sure how this has affected applications for the program though. Last year, many people still believed that ND was fully funded until the application season roundup article by Seth clearly stated otherwise. Crossing my fingers though. ND is definitely a big question mark if I don't get one of the few TA positions or additional fellowships.
Hi Katie-Jane, sorry for not posting earlier, I can't post at work (they block all blogs)
DISCLAIMER: Do not read if this does not pertain to you. It's very long! But, I think it might help whomever is interested in using their humanities degree for teaching high school.
Okay, so about teaching high school... there are a few things you and anyone interested should know:
1). your first year will SUCK. No matter how many classes you took in college/student teaching experience you have. Students will test you and so will parents. Administration will unload you with a TON of work, mostly superfluous. Even if you are fresh out of college, you will be expected to act/behave/think like a fifty year old mother of five, because you are thrown into a completely adult environment. Remember, as a teacher, you are raising children. Lots of children.
2). You might be called names. I have had people tell me that I am "fucking retarded" for giving them a detention, I have had a student tell me he was going to "break my neck" if took his sun glasses from him (he wasn't allowed to wear them, but insisted). Students talk behind my back, make snarky comments, argue, laugh at me, among other things, mostly on a daily basis. It sucks.
3). You are not saving the world, as much as you want to believe you are. You will impact some of their lives, but most of them will not listen to you and will not care about you as they leave the school. Sorry to sound so negative, but it's true. You are making a difference, but it's njust not as big as everyone thinks.
This is not coming from someone who overreacts and yells all day. Quite the contrary, I joke around with my students and try to balance discipline with praise. It's really tough, though. Many students don't care how nice you are to them, they will be fighting you no matter what. Others will fight for a little bit and change. Some will give you no grief at all.
Positives: I do love 99.99% of my students, even when they annoy the crap out of me. I love being a part of their lives and their family's lives, I love summers off. It's steady pay. I love my faculty (for the most part ;) ). But, it's tough, tough work. And a lot of it. If you are a tough cookie who is super organized, good with discipline, and in the right environment (ie. right school), teaching might be tolerable. I'm none of those ;0)
An anecdote: after finishing a lecture in class today (I was on fire too, I was interesting, coherent, everyone was quiet, and I thought, listening). A student raises his hand. I'm thinking, yes someone is interested, someone's going to say something intelligent! He said "I watched a youtube video about skateboarding accidents. You should check it out." I almost cried... :)
I also teach high school English, but ruled out teaching at public schools from the outset (too many hoops to jump through to qualify, no flexibility in curriculum). The parents where I teach can be real pains in the neck, and the kids every so often, too. But I've never experienced much of what you're getting at.
I have taught at two different high schools, and while I loved teaching at one and loathed teaching at another, both have all the things you mentioned, albeit on a sliding scale.
Still, I love being a teacher. It does take a specific type of person to love it, and teachers owe it to the kids (and our society) to love doing it enough to do it well. Teachers who run out the door as soon as the last bell rings are damaging to all of us.
P.S. I don't think private schools are necessarily the answer. The private school near here has worse behavior than any other in the county. There are good and bad places to teach in both realms.
I had an MFA nightmare about a week ago. It was one of those realistic, anxiety-filled nightmares that people tend to start having in adulthood. Personally, I prefer the nightmares of my childhood. You know, the kind of nightmare where killers chase you with knives. Instead, I always dream that I screwed up at work or I let my family down. Those nightmares are much worse because I can’t write them off when I wake up. Anyway, this MFA nightmare is based on some silly fears, so I was reluctant to share it. But here goes...
I'm in a classroom full of MFA applicants. We're waiting to hear the admission results from all the schools. It's like election day with open laptops and ringing red phones and shuffling paper. My old lit prof stands in front of the class. He's running things, but he's completely scatterbrained, and he doesn't understand how important this is to us. He has all the results scrawled out on college ruled sheets of paper that he's torn out of spirals. He writes down a college name on the chalkboard, and then he writes down a couple of acceptances, but then he pauses and talks about literature for a few minutes while we all squirm. Afterward, he forgets what he was doing and then starts with a different college and keeps pausing every couple of seconds to give us his thoughts about books he's been reading.
As he writes the acceptances on the board, people start jumping up and down. I'm genuinely happy for them, but I'm getting nervous that I'm not getting in anywhere. My non-writer friends are in the room, and originally I thought they came to support me, but then I realize they’re all getting accepted.
Afterward, my friends ask where I got in. I tell them I didn't get in anywhere, but that's okay. I'll be fine. And they're like, "I'm really excited about this MFA thing. So that means I get to write short stories, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, I've never written a short story before. It sounds like fun."
Believe it or not, I work for a private school, lol (I'm laughing at my own embarrassing situation). We are broke. So, we need all the tuition dollars we can get, which means that when a student threatens my life, he'll get a one day suspension and a slap on the wrist. My administration does NOTHING. Truly, nothing. Except of course, give us a ton of work to do that has nothing to do with teaching. Also, the F* retarded comment and the death threat came from students who were kicked out of public schools and sent to us. Again, we took their money and that's all that matters.
I really think that I wouldn't dislike my job if I was at the right school. I'm not like Ms. Discipline here, but I would like to find a school that has my back a little bit more. I'm actually glad to hear that you guys don't have those problems! It makes me hope for the future! It's one reason that I want a Master's. I had a degree in philosophy, no education classes, and no teaching experience. I was desperate for a job, and that desperation worked against me.
One other thing that I forgot to mention: I am 5'4 and look pretty young. I have a lot of issues with boys in particular who don't like some youngin' telling them what to do. It doesn't help being a girl.
Burlaper - is this private school you speak of in Florida??? Haha, I'm joking. You are *absolutely* right though, it depends on the school and the philosophy. You have to find the right fit :)
thanks everyone for all the well wishes!! i really appreciate it. every time my boyfriend catches me glued to this blog in the middle of the night poring over hundreds of comments, he's like oh my god, STOP IT STOP IT! GO TO SLEEP! but i crave this community. it's my fix. i'm glad seth has that open line to the programs to confirm what intuition might suggest- given the sheer number of fiction applicants, it will prob take longer to hear... i'm glad there will be tamales to munch on in the meantime!
@katie, we have some overlaps, drop me a line luling (dot) osofsky (at) gmail.com
@pencore: I'm a pdxer and would LOVE to make some tamales, and maybe drink some beer, so as to get a night off from this crazy worrying. or maybe worry together? either way.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I had a Latin teacher who wasn't much bigger than you are and he once told me that he couldn't teach at public schools because the students would stuff him down the toilet. I also had a math teacher who was shorter than you albeit with muscles about to rip through his shirt that everyone feared. At least your students aren't SO rowdy that they are getting physical. I think the San Francisco Bay Area has schools at both extremes. My dad called the high school I went to, "The Panty School" (i.e. sweater vests were cool and our idea of misbehaving was driving off campus to smoke cigarettes).
I've certainly heard all of those complaints. I simply don't have the firsthand experience yet. I'm also biased because of the stories my father used to tell about his mother, my grandmother, who was a high school English teacher in a textile mill town. I'll grant you she was a tough lady, but stories about people who went straight into the mills from high school, yet would approach her at football games and pull out old pieces of paper from their wallets with literary quotations she had read them sort of get to you. Again, plan A is to get into grad school. We'll see. :)
Yes, I am VERY lucky to not have any physical altercations. Teaching is weird, because, well, teenagers are weird :) They are irrational, emotional, crazy little beings who overreact about a lot of things. Today was a struggle (they wouldn't shut up!!), but tomorrow, they might be perfect and I might go home thinking about how cool my job is. There are MANY ebbs and flows, you just learn to battle when you need to.
Katie and luling -- Congratulations! That's awesome!
Farrah -- I also have a deep and irrational fear of sharks! I used to dream about them all the time until I wrote a bunch of shark poems, which I now think of as some of my best work. So hey, sharks are good for something after all ;)
@luling Congrats! Belated at this point. Just super news. I hope you're just sitting back and basking in all of these warm wishes. Really. It must feel swell.
RE: sharks, here's a great article someone shared with me 16(?!) years ago. "How To Swim With Sharks." Obviously memorable. Enjoy. (WARNING: while it is humorous, it's also quite cynical.) http://www.apor.org/html/how_to_swim_with_sharks.htm
@farrah-- I don't know if I'd put myself between a shark and lily tomlin, but there's a distinct possibility that I would. especially now that I've seen her in "Nashville."
well, thank god for small favors (re: the lorrie moore thing.) However I'm sure my brain will be able to cook up plenty more morbid fantasies now that I can't rely on this one anymore.
This MFA adventure is an experience in frustration. I could've applied several years ago, but my writing was not as mature. Now, when I'm at a point where I think I'm competitive in my writing, MFA application numbers are at an all-time high (and corresponding acceptance rates at an all-time low)!
RE: the teaching conversation.. I'm a high school English teacher, and I just now got an email from admin all about this 'special project' I'm apparently going to be making my journalism students do because it will make the district look good. I was not asked if I'd be interested in involving my kids, I was told that I would be using class time to do this starting now.
Never mind the fact that we are already working on a different project and I've already planned the entire semester... I guess that doesn't matter!
UGH! MFA, RESCUE ME!!!!!!!!!!
I'm breaking open my delicious bottle of $3.99 sangria from Global Foods.
@ Laura, Mine is so bad that if I even see a picture of a shark, I start shaking. I know it started with the Jaws paperback my parents had on our coffee table when I was a kid. My Blockbuster started selling movie posters a few years ago and had a 2'x3' one of Jaws that caught me unawares . . . I totally spazzed out. I'm glad you found a use for your phobia; I'm still searching for mine.
hey guys quick question - i am on vacation and wondering if i should visit one of my nearby schools or not. i haven't gotten in or anything but i am wondering if, while i am here, i should try to get a vibe at the very least...now, it's also a HUGE university so i am not sure how much these campus tours are just geared towards high school seniors etc., or if i should email someone from admissions to ask? i am afraid of stepping on toes...anyone have any experience about this? thanks!
They'll show you around. But they probably won't offer the Program Director's time to you, and this is usually the sort of thing you'd want to avail yourself of if you've been offered admission.
If you're trying to figure out if you'd be into the area/campus, go for it. Beyond that, you probably won't be offered too much access to the program itself.
@SeaMoreGlass I understand the dilemma, since these programs have not been open to visiting their programs. Jeez, you're there. Why not at least walk around, check out the cafeteria and library. You could check out loads without really being intrusive. And if it feels right when you're their, see if an inconspicuous walk into the departmental offices is doable. I think they just don't want to be disturbed, and have to open workshops to 600 applicants. Understandable. Ya know? You might get a bad vibe, and have some answers from that. That's what I would do. And I'd be very careful about making my presence known, but would, if it seemed ok. Even if it was just to say "hello" to the front desk person. It could answer so many questions for you. But, ya know, toes in ice cold water first. Your obvious and real disclaimer is that you are in town for a few days. Good luck.
I don't have any experience in this realm, but I would definitely check out the campus if I were you, if only for fun. You don't have to take an actual tour if you don't want to- just find a campus map and go exploring. You could check out the English department building, the student union, anything you're interested in. Also, if you're comfortable approaching people to ask questions, go for it. This once happened to me in undergrad when I was in the English department building- a potential student just came up and asked if she could talk to me for a few minutes about my experience with English classes. I was happy to oblige her. I don't see any harm in doing so. Good luck!
I had great visits at Sarah Lawrence and Queens. SL I arranged beforehand and set a time. I talked with two people in the office, one a former student. Talked about classes, financing an MFA, living in Bronxville. Great visit. At Queens I just went and walked around. I happened to see the English building (recognized the address from mailing my app) and decided to wander in. I ran into one of the fiction professors who was incredibly nice and talked with me for about 30 minutes. I'd say give it a shot. The worst that could happen is what happened with my visit to Columbia - found the building and floor, just no one was there. At least I got to take a peak at the classrooms and get a feel for the place.
I still can't believe that Vanderbilt has surpassed UT as the most selective school in the country. I mean, I get that the application fee is waived, but the funding just doesn't compare to Texas. It almost seems unfair in a way. Not like I don't respect the hell out of Vandy, I applied there, but it's crazy, you know?
Have I mentioned how reassuring it is that almost none of you have applied to Ole Miss? Maybe not... I know Nick has, but he also applied last year, then went Fulbright, and I get the feeling it's not his first choice... may be wrong, Nick, but you're poetry, anyway, right? I keep thinking... don't know if anyone else is having similar justifications, but I keep thinking... surely if there aren't that many applying here, where all serious MFA applicants are, then I must be top of the pile, Ma! When first I appear I seem mysterious... after a while, I'm nothing serious...
STEELERS! YES! How could you withhold? If it weren't for MFA app season, I would have had nothing to distract me from my huuuuuge disappointment at missing the playoffs, and my huuuuuuger frustration watching a bunch of lackluster AFC teams that I know we could have beaten if we'd made it. (Probably would have lost to the Colts, I acknowledge.)
Anyway, re: trying to finagle some joint acceptances, we're just applying to the same areas, not the same schools. One thing we are considering, should one of us not get into programs we like a lot, is telling schools we did get into that we'll choose them if they can find the significant other a job. Ethical? Maybe not. Necessary for our stability? YES.
I applied to Ole Miss! In fiction...but I haven't heard of too many people on here that have applied in any genre. All I have to say is...Oxford flipping RULES--I could go on and on. And the faculty is top notch...lucky for us, I guess!
And don't get me started on Oxford, because I have had WAY too much time to research just how awesome every aspect of the area is... I mean from real estate to local events to local history to close drivable weekend trips, etc., etc., ad nauseum ad infinitum. :)
Heh, that's funny. I never understood why the aliens in Signs could travel through space but a locked door would stop them in their tracks. Maybe they had those automatic sliding doors in their spaceships, so when they encountered a doorknob they were like, "WTF? How does this work?"
I just recently learned that the story about him walking into his fiction class and pointing a gun at his students to teach them how to write fear was only a myth. Very disappointing to hear. It was one of my favorite workshop stories.
the email thing is for the main reason that your email can't get spammed that way. a lot of spammers search emails using engines that can search various sites, esp. blogs or anything googleesque and find an email in normal format. if you take out the original format, you can't google your email address, basically. if you write it straight out, you could, technically.
Yes'm, I am indeed in poetry and, honestly, I'm not really sure what my top picks are at this point. I'm very curious to see what happens this year with Ole Miss and UNCG (where I was accepted last year, as you know, but had to turn down the offers). Even though I got in last time, I know there's still a great possibility that I won't necessarily get in this year because of (a.) the new applicant pool, (b.) the what is probably vastly increased applicant pool, and (c.) the possibility that the faculty like my new sample less than the old one (not to mention the fact that I may not have been a first or even second round pick for them--who knows?). Time shall tell! But I do wish whoever has applied to these programs lots of luck. If you get in and I don't, I'm going to be totally stoked for you. Seriously.
When is it a good time to call a program to make sure they've received your application materials? Because according to their application check list portal...things, neither San Diego State nor University of Maryland has received much of anything from me. I emailed SDSU on Friday, and I emailed Maryland today (Maryland in fact has a stern note to wait three weeks until after you send your application to contact them).
I'm afraid of being annoying, but UGH, I don't want to be overlooked because of some silly postal error.
Pencore, make me go back in time where you didn't send me that Grind Time link. I think i've spent like 4 hours watching that stuff and looking up Kid Twist videos. I should really go read my book now.
Dude, you need to watch the Dumbfoundead vs PH (Pumpkinhead) battle! PH has been in the game forever, and he called out DFD for a battle and well... you just have to see what happens.
I'm a huge DFD fan, he's got some awesome punchlines. But I'm a big fan of the Fresh Coast stuff all day! Oh! Another one is Soul Khan vs Dirtbag Dan! A jewish kid from the valley of socal vs this half mexican bearded white dude.
Like I've said before, there are lots of GT references that you might not get (but gets big audience reactions). Holla acha girl if you need clarification!
I liked DFD's Kid Twist battle. I think Kid Twist is my favorite so far, but I like Fresco too even though he sounds like a mild ripoff of ktwist.
My favorite thing about this blog is its diversity, by the way, and I'm talking about content. It's gotta be among the most random discussions that isn't an "actual" forum, but a blog comment list.
SeeMoreGlass, I'm a little late to chime in but I would say definitely visit! can't do any harm and like the others have said, it's valuable just to check out the feel of the place. i had a great visit in Tuscon, and it really changed my impression of the both the program and the city. I was randomly there on a trip and emailed the program coordinator to see what the protocol was for visiting. It happened quite last minute, but she was able to schedule me 30 mins with the director of the program and gave me the contact info of two students willing to meet up and chat with me. They were super friendly, and it shed so much light on the program; we had coffee for over 3 hrs, I picked their brains. So while it's probably a really busy in the dept right now, I can't imagine they would be turn away a prospective student. At least they could give you the email addresses of students that would be willing to talk to you- and/or invite you to a reading, or to check out their facilities, which is what happened with me at UA, even though I was a mere prospective. That was a long post. Long story short, you're already there- don't be shy!
wow, so many typos. apologies. i blame the wine. always the wine. ps sorry if this is superficial, but i think fresco is so cute!! kid twist isn't bad either and he can definitely drop the rhymes
Another Ole Miss fiction applicant here. Don't know much about Oxford (other than rents seem to be a third of what I'm paying in San Diego) but it sounds awesome and the funding plus Barry Hannah unarmed or not make it one of my top choices.
Congratulations to Katie and luling! Wow, Wyoming! To have an option like that, already, must make this process easier. Because anything after this will be extra good. Cheers to an awesome application season to you both!
Very odd email this morning from UMass Boston. Subject was "Missing Evaluation Requirements," then the usual "these items must be received in order to complete your file, your application will be considered upon receipt of all required materials..."
I expected another missing transcripts/recommendations fiasco, but under the list of missing requirements, it said only: "Bachelor's Degree (Upon Graduation." Um...? I'm graduating in May. Does this mean my app won't be considered because I haven't graduated yet?! That seems kind of crazy. Or does it just mean that I need to prove to them in May that I graduated? So confused.
I would assume that it means the latter and that it's just a form email that plugs in a field header from their database. Don't panic; it's nothing a quick email or phone call can't clear up.
I'm a longtime Cardinals fan, and so naturally I was thinking I'd cheer for the Saints so that I could say my team lost to the champions. But then it hit me: I have to cheer for the Colts! It's only logical. I applied to two schools in Indiana, and their logo is a lucky horseshoe. I have to cheer for them so that the luck rubs off and so that I build up good karma with the beautiful state of Indiana!
This is a little delayed, but could you share more about what Lorrie Moore said re Wisconsin's program? Does the fact that she's not on the committee this year mean she won't be teaching in the program next year? Or something? I'd love to hear more of what she said at the Q&A as the possibility of working with her was a reason I applied to WI.
Does anyone else sit on this blog instead of doing their writing? (Dumb question, right? lol)
I'm having a difficult time getting started on a scene. I've been here before - it's where I feel like I am standing on the edge of an abyss and my material is way way way down there........
So, should I disappear for awhile, you'll know where I went. And if I don't disappear, you'll know where I didn't go. (sigh)
I love meeting every one here, though. It's a nice community, supportive. OK, I must dive. Hasta.
Oh, @Gena and others, my copy of Copenhagen came in the mail. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the rec.
Got one of those spam phone calls this morning where no one's on the other end. It came from an area code I didn't recognize. Needless to say I was more annoyed by the call than I usually would be.
yeah, I guess it's OSU-despair time. Ugh, that's SO LAME. I'm sort of numb right now, but everytime my phone makes any noises I start freaking out. I can't imagine the kind of wreck I'm going to be if I don't hear anything by the end of the week. And yeah, bartending is totally lame.
Ah, the power of persuasion. jk, jk... I hope you like it. It's a quick read, but the form is fascinating. Which always makes for a happy reader, over here.
@ cb, no worries, Lorrie Moore will be there teaching. I went to WI many years ago, when she was just starting out in the English dept, and though I didn't take a course from her, I have two close friends who did, and they both RAVE about her as a teacher. She didn't say too much about the program specifically, except that students in workshop have gotten much nicer than they used to be. (The support on this site is certainly representative of that.)She is utterly delightful. So charming and funny.
@ pencore, sorry I should know this by now, but are you fiction or poetry? I'll swap fiction samples . . .
Yep, crappy retail job. Hate it. What saves my sanity is being at school so often (still an undergrad) that most of my focus is on reading/writing/studying and not my job. But when I am working, I tend to get this awful panic about what if I don't get in this year and what if I can't find a better job after graduating and ahhhh. Then I have to pretend to be friendly to all the customers while I am actually having a panic attack. It's easier to think more positively when I am at school and surrounded by people who are encouraging and think I'll get in... instead of being at my job, surrounded by customers who think I am an idiot, pretty much.
Thank you! I called the admissions office and the woman there said that it will be fixed within the next couple of weeks. Apparently they haven't processed my transcript yet, and they need to enter my upcoming graduation date into the system...? Anyway, I'll just keep checking it and call again if it doesn't get updated.
Just wanted to warn everyone about another another false alarm: Oregon sent me a packet of residence info. So if you claimed residency on the online app, beware!
I'm wishing I had ANY job right now to keep me distracted, even a crappy one! As it is, I've been unemployed for seven looooong horrible months, and it's impossible not to obsess all day long and refresh this blog about a million times to check on acceptances. There's only so much housework/errands/reading/writing to do before the Internet demon comes a callin'. It's quite the time suck, and I can't wait for a few months from now when it's all over.
But, I believe in good energy, so I will end my rant and send out some chill, positive vibes instead. (You can't see it, but I just sent them.)
Wandering Tree, I nearly spat up my tea reading that. I am going to assume you were having a bad day rather than suppose pithy retorts to the fairly obvious is a natural disposition of yours.
DigAPony, dear, I eat. I'm in your situation (technically, though, I do have a job - I'm just not allowed to go in). Anyway, I eat. When I get worried, anxious, obsessive, depressed, manic (choose your compulsion) - I eat. It's satisfying, consoling and fills out the dermis nicely.
Yesterday was an eating day for me, too! I jumped on BART to San Francisco for some delicious vegan won ton soup. :-D Then, I went to maggie mudd's for a gigantic vegan banana split. I also bought to-go cake, which I had for breakfast this mornin'. :-X
i'm also an Ole Miss fiction applicant...Oxford is like two and a half hours away from where i live here in loueasyana so for me it was a no brainer...Oxford is incredible btw... i'm just glad, and blown away, that the saints are still alive and playing in the big one...gives me something to look forward to this week...that fleur de lis tat i got 12 years ago is finally getting some use to...to steal from bill murray, so i got that goin for me...
I'd like to think I'm pretty good natured most the time. In fact, previous housemates have described me as "zen". I'm only going to subscribe to the whole "the customer is always right" BS up to a point. On that particular day, I had several morons and a-holes walk through the door. The line never seemed to get any shorter. One guy even brought his own thermometer b/c he wanted his coffee to be EXACTLY a certain temperature.
If I weren't in the middle of working off 30 pounds of quitting-smoking weight, I'd be all over your recommendation. :) (Must we be totally vice-less these days? Jeez.)
WT:
I once had a very irate old man demand a full refund on his breakfast because his eggs weren't cooked properly. Except he had eaten the entire plate. It was difficult not to laugh in his face/tell him to go f---.
Come on, I'm sure we've all worked shitty food service jobs- stories, anyone?
This is purely speculation, but I would think that Moore wouldn't want to advertise to people that she's an adcom even if she were. A writer of her celebrity probably wouldn't want prospective grad students putting her in a weird spot while she does readings or book tours.
Does anyone know how often she actually teaches? I'm just guessing she doesn't have to teach that much. Maybe 1 or 2 classes a year?
Getting tipped out $2, and have the prep cook who handed you the piddly $2 say, "You're only supposed to get one dollar, but I thought I should give you two."
Also having said prep cook trying to get me to come over to his apartment so he could smoke me out, and ostensibly lose my mind and, like, make it with him or something. He was also a rapper.
Years ago I worked in a food co-op. (Yinz in Pgh know the food co-op?) Anyway, this lady was having a meltdown because we were out of sea salt. Granted, sea salt is a staple that should really always be there, but sometimes deliveries are late -- a fact that is sometimes lost on people who have never worked a service job.
She wouldn't stop giving me a hard time about it. (Health food stores can be the worst for fanatical customers who are really, really attached to every detail of their diet.) I finally just said, "I could cry onto a paper plate and let it dry in the sun for a few hours if you like." No comment. She left.
I sort of got in trouble for that one because some hippie told on me for not being nice. But my boss thought it was so funny that she was laughing when she told me to try not to do that again.
When I was a historical tour guide on a "boat car", I had several interesting customers.
1) 30 little girls from incredibly wealthy families. One girl said to me, "You're doing too much talky talky and not enough of this *gesture to suggest zipping my mouth shut*" Then she took away my microphone and started saying things like, "My mother says that the only nutritional part of a doughnut is the hole in the middle"
2) Really drunk guy and his really drunk girlfriend telling me I would have hell to pay (i.e. an ass kicking) if I didn't stop the bus so they could pee. I left them on the side of the road and we left them.
3) A middle-aged man sitting about 2 ft from his family asking me where he could get a " full massage" in San Francisco.
4) Steven Segal doppelganger laughing at EVERYTHING I said even when I wasn't making a joke. (He gave me a 20 dollar tip)
Point: I worked at Barnes & Noble for a year. A woman asked me once if we had a book called "Animals." I asked if the book had a subtitle. "The book is called 'Animals.'" I told her there were over five hundred search results in our system for a book with that name. Did she know the author? "'Animals.' It's on your website." I asked if it was a children's book, a science book, or a work of fiction. "You don't know what the hell you're doing." She left feeling very angry and very sure I didn't know what I was doing.
Counterpoint: Deepak Chopra came in a different day wearing sweatpants, sandals, and sunglasses and was nice and decent and presumed I knew what I was doing when I led him to the Self Help section to sign copies of his books.
Conclusion: I remember better the times I was treated horribly, but my guess is they happened as much as the times I was treated well.
Am I the first official rejection of the year? Ugh. Just got an email from University of British Columbia saying I was not offered a spot. Which I guessed when someone from here heard and I didn't but, still a downer and not how I wanted to start the season. =(
Tiny bit of relief at knowing something, and I applied to lots of programs, so... meh.
Sorry to hear that, Coreyann. But it is still early.
And I hope the schools that I've applied to are timely with rejections. It seems much kinder to let people know once the programs know rather than to wait until April 15 or whenever and leave people on pins and needles until then.
Those of you lucky enough to already have acceptances:
Have the schools basically said, "You're accepted. We'll let you know about funding later," or do you already know your funding options? Is it rude to respond to an acceptance phone call: "Oh thank you thank you thank you! Oh, and do I get funding?"
Sorry about the rejections. But I agree with frankish.
It sucks being rejected; however, at least now you can (hopefully) move on from that program and focus on the others. As weird as it might sound, I think getting an early rejection would be a bit more comforting than languishing forever on a wait-list or having to deal with a program that sends out late rejection notices.
999 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 800 of 999 Newer› Newest»Does anyone else worry about specific writers that they respect hating their samples? I have a morbid fantasy of Lorrie Moore (prof. at Wisconsin) being annoyed by my sample. God, writers are weird...
Also, how's everyone doing on the anxiety dream front? Last night I had a dream that I got an email from Wisconsin saying I was no longer being considered because I was missing a transcript or LOR or something. And no, I did not wake up in a cold sweat, but it was still pretty nerve-wracking.
I had a dream that was just the opposite... I dreamed that I got an email that said, "Congratulations, you've received our second acceptance!" Then I woke up and was irritated with my optimistic subconsious. :)
Man, I think that one might be the absolute worst. It's like the grad school equivalent of dreaming about Leonardo DiCaprio taking you to the golden globes...not that I ever had that dream ;)
@the little poet:
I'm considering alternate options as well...especially since I really only applied to one school I definitely want to go to, and even that school is not particularly known for its funding. The job market is bleak, but what else would I really want to get a degree in? I think I'm just going to have to try my luck and maybe apply to more MFAs next year.
Oh man, I had an MFA dream, but it wasn't even a fun one. I had a dream about the NUMBERS. I was dreaming that all these schools got 1600 applications. Also Seth added information about exactly what time of day calls when out so I kept checking the times of day.
Yeah, I never had a Leo dream, but I was reminded of a recurring dream I used to have where the Order of the Thelemic Golden Dawn, including Aleister Crowley who was, in a Rasputin-like twist, still alive, managed to reverse the aging process on Jimmy Page just so he could come teach me to play guitar on a date. I feel the odds are similar. :)
@Trilbe:
Yay! I'm glad to be of service. I can't remember how I found the program - think my eyes flicked across it in some NYU pdf I downloaded and I thought, "Oh, that's interesting." (... Whilst enviously eyeing off the March application deadline.) I'm intrigued by the fact that such a huge chunk of America's population speaks Spanish. In Australia, where I live, there are big Mandarin/Vietnamese/Arabic/Italian speaking communities, but no single language-other-than-English dominates.
Sadly, I don't speak any Spanish at all. But thanks to the wonder of babel fish, I can politely decline your offer. No swapsies for me, yet. I'm still too close to my samples. I had to leave the room when my best friend was proofing my SOP... Shakes head and sighs. Oy.
I had a dream that in order to get into one of these programs, I had to sort all of the applicant paperwork into nice, neat files. I had piles and piles of papers, and as I kept organizing things, more would fall like rain from above. Well, more like a torrent of heavy hail. And then all of the labels would change on the files, and I would get different requirements from above on how I should organize them. As more papers fell.
I woke up, drooling on a poem I had been revising, resolving to be more patient as a kindness to those who have to deal with what I inflicted upon them by appplying.
GRWKLNJSULIEWHUAISLKJNSFS--> the sound my brain made when it collided into a three-car pile up with my stomach and heart, upon receiving that Memphis application email. Alas, just an acknowledgment.
@MostlySwell: Vicarious thanks! :)
For my part, I have no problem playing the supportive wife role, so rejections just don't seem so scary right now.
RE: Spanish language, literature and community service, it's not an MFA but perhaps an alternative should one need a plan B.
http://www.casaxelaju.com/literature/
I studies Spanish language at this school several years back. Julio is amazing. His family helps him run this school - he resides in Minneapolis. I met him on the plane on my way down to Guatemala. He was with his American wife and their baby girl. He hijacked me into going to his program in Quetzaltenango - and man, was I glad. 20 years later, he has bookoo opportunities for community service while offering a spectrum of spanish language study (and indigenous Quiche', BTW) from studying literature to just getting started with learning the language.
Here's my testimony on the quality instruction: when I speak with anyone from Central or South America, they say my diction is perfect.
Hope this is helpful. And, it goes without saying, that I hope none of us need a "Plan B." If it weren't for my dog, I'd consider spending a year down there, for sure.
Marinara,
Every time I've talked to Iowa they've stated that they do contact applicants if anything is missing from the departmental application.
Their grad assistant is probably the most overworked soul in the world right now, but she's been very nice about checking up on my status now and again. So just tread lightly and be polite if you need to contact them to check in.
@Adam
Yeah, I get it. And Chicago is a swell city (as is Pittsburgh.) I didn't say before, but I grew up in Bethel Park. HOMEY!!!!! Go Stillers!
(I know, I should've told you before. Forgive me, oh please, forgive me.)
@Adam
And have you two considered negotiating for dual acceptances? It might be worth an inquiry, no?
Trilbe,
Did you apply to Queens College (CUNY)? They have two options for the MFA: just the creative writing track, or the creative writing and translation track. It looks like you take translation workshops alongside the writing workshops, and some other classes specifically about translation. I didn't apply because I don't speak any other language fluently, but it did sound really interesting for someone who is interested in translation.
If you didn't apply but are interested, the deadline is late -- March 1. :)
I had a dream that Wisconsin sent me a personal e-mail that said:
Please stop writing.
Hey y'all. Are the application numbers on TSE for this year or last year? It says 2010. But no one has mentioned it here. Just curious.
Lucas,
The info above the list states that very few of the numbers are from 2010. Most are from 08 and 09.
I confirm - just got an email from Iowa. A LoR (not the one from my drama last week either!) and my transcript (WTF! I put that mother right under my sample!) are needed.
Still, glad they contacted me.
Wanted to share the good news (mainly because I'm still at work for the day, and haven't shared with co-workers that I'm even applying) — I just got a phone call from the director at Wyoming, and I'm in for nonfiction!
Fingers crossed for good news for you all today — here's to February!
Congratulations Katie!
Congratulations Katie!
Looks like they are notifying a little earlier than they did last year. Maybe some other programs will, too.
Congrats Katie! Thats awesome/inspiring news!
oh, and @Marinara (again)- My comment about ISIS might be useless, because that only shows what the graduate school has received, and not the WW.
Congrats, Katie!
Good luck everyone else!
@Katie
Congrats!!!!!
whoa, and you can't even shout and leap up n' down, cause you're at work.
head's in the clouds, though, eh?
Congrats.
It looks like Wyoming notifies all genres around the same time. I applied in poetry...
Congrats, Katie!
Congrats, Katie!
SO MUCH Congrats to Katie but cue me feeling completely nauseous. aaaah one of my schools is notifying....
Congratulations Katie! Come on, Wyoming! Who's next?!
congrats!
another school already accepting people to worry about!
Congrats, Katie!
@ Brandi Wells, if you do contact Wisconsin re: your missing transcript, it would be a kindness to all of us to ask about that email.
@ ruth the sleuth, Lorrie Moore isn't on the committee this year. I was at one of her readings this fall and during the Q&A someone asked her about Madison's program, etc., so you can eliminate that specific morbid fantasy.
Congrats, Katie!
Why won't any of my schools notify now?
re: dreams
I'm not having any MFA dreams YET, but I did have a pretty bitching Battlestar Galactica dream. Lucy Lawless showed up as Xena, the warrior princess, though and not as a cylon. She threw her little razor frisbee thing and cut a base star in half.
Congratulations, Katie! Let's hope this is a trend for those who share our name.
Congrats, Katie!
And thanks, Danielle and Dreux, for the help. :)
@Rose
Your dream is sad and hilarious! So sorry. :(
@Katie
Great job! Congrats! You rule.
Congratulations Katie!
I have now felt the panic of one of my schools notifying. It is intense. I applied in fiction, however. It's nerve wracking, but I'm still excited for you!
Congrats to everyone who has received good news so far.
At first, when I heard some of these acceptances, I felt relieved for the new students and didn't feel like it affected me much. But as we get closer to the wire, I just feel my blood pressure spazzing out because I loathe the day when someone announces that they heard from a fiction program that I applied to.
Ugh. Dread.
I think I need to pick up new hobbies. I might teach myself how to make tamales. Hundreds and hundreds of tamales.
I mentioned in my email to wisconsin that their email was very unclear, but I didn't ask specifically about it.
They told me not to worry about missing just one rec letter and if they needed anything from me they would contact me.
Jessa,
You are a lot braver than all of us!
@pencore
Making tamales is time consuming and distracting! I recommend it, especially since the results will be delicious. :-D
RE: Oh would, if we could all be standing together around a large kitchen island making tamales instead of blogging! Alas.
Congrats, Katie!
Congratulations, Katie!
yay, katie! congratulations!
@Katie - what great news!
Was that your first choice?
re: dreams
I'm pretty sure this is an MFA dream though it has nothing to do with emails, etc.
I was treading water in the ocean at night. Lily Tomlin--who I've been using as partial inspiration for a character in my novel-in-progress--is also treading water but starting to tire, and I must open a restaurant-supply-size can of peaches (also floating nearby) if she is to survive. As I wrestle with how exactly to open the can (though I conveniently have an opener) while staying afloat, I notice a large shadow coming up from the depths and instinctively know it is a great white shark. I have a terrible shark-phobia (very easily managed in the Midwest) and decide to do a dead man's float, close my eyes, and pray either for a quick death or a happy ending, Lily's survival included. I woke up in a blind panic before either occured.
Yeah, that was this morning.
Forget apartments and whether they accept pets; I'm checking CL for shrinks.
No MFA dreams here. Just sexy vampires.
Jamie, don't get me started on sexy vampires. Eric from True Blood was in my rotation before they made Charlaine Harris' books into a show... Yes, that is one of my guilty indulgences. :)
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
@Jamie — You know, I think it may be my first choice! I've felt a certain kinship with the Wyoming program since I started reading up on it... I also e-mailed with a few professors early on who were so, so kind. Plus, there's an opportunity to double major with the Environment and Natural Resources program, which was my undergraduate background. And it's Wyoming! If I'm going to uproot my life and move to a strange part of the country for two years, what could beat that?
I'm curious to see what happens with my other programs, but back when a former professor asked me about which school I was most interested in at the time, I think we were both surprised when "Wyoming" popped out of my mouth.
Hey Team,
I'm sending out a flood of good vibes to everyone on this blog! Let the good news roll. The director of Wyoming also called me this morning..I'm in for Nonfiction as well!
Katie, congrats!! There's not as many of us NF peeps here. Where else did you apply?
Luling, congrats!
luling, Congrats to you too! What an awesome piece of news.
I wish I knew if fiction calls had gone out yet, though.
@ luling - congrats.
If I haven't been accepted anywhere, at least I blog with those who have.
Farrah, that was hilarious..
thanks for the vibes, luling! Congrats to you, and to all the Wyoming people.
Congrats luling! I guess today's Wyoming Day.
Man...do you guys think there is any chance that Wyoming HASN'T notified for fiction yet? It seems unlikely...since both poetry and nonfiction were notified this morning. But I don't know how these things work...I am officially freaking out.
fantastic news, luling. congrats to you, too!
Jessica,
did I miss something? Where did somebody say they were in at Wyoming for poetry?
It is always possible and it is still today. They may not be done with all of their calls. We'll just have to wait it out and see.
In the past, Wyoming has called first for fiction, but with such a huge increase in applications this year (89 to 185), I wouldn't be surprised if it took them a little longer to get through fiction especially. Then again, there's a good chance they called today. Who knows? I've already calmed down enough to remember that I only need to get into one school. Wyoming would be great, but... I won't die.
For those of you looking for alternatives for the fall - MLIS programs are still by and large accepting applications, I believe.
Congrats to those who have heard! I have the advantage of having a lot of alternate paths I could take next year, but no acceptances here yet.
Ashley,
Sorry! In my frantic panic, I read John's post wrong. I thought he said that he was notified as well. I feel slightly better, if it was only nonfiction notifications today.
Surely there is someone on the board that applied to Wyoming for fiction and got in and will tell us!
Does anyone know how many students Wyoming takes in each genre?
@Luling - Congratulations! I have nothing but warm fuzzies for Wyoming today.
I also have applications out at Iowa, Iowa State, Portland State, Arizona, New Hampshire, Hollins, UNC-Wilmington, Goucher, and Minnesota. Which seems sort of like an insane mouthful now.
Would love to talk Wyoming, NF, other schools, etc. with you sometime.
Yay for the Wyoming people! Congratulations!
John,
Wyoming takes 3-4 per genre.
I think I'm glad I didn't apply to these early notifiers. It would be really tough to live with that first rejection for a month+, waiting to hear back from other schools.
@Katie & @luling, big congrats to both of you.
hope i didn't miss anyone else who got in to Wyoming today!
@Dreux, not hearing from an early notifier isn't a sure rejection yet. there's still lots of time for people to be called off the waitlists.
@pencore ... i love the image of us all making tamales in the kitchen somewhere!
@ Katie & Luling
Congrats, friends!
NM
Dreux...always with an encouraging word. :D
Hi, everyone.
Just checking in to say ... This is very hard. I mean, if a school to which you applied notified, and you didn't get the call, it is certainly a 'probable rejection' -- I mean, odds are against being on the waitlist.
I am trying to make myself accept this situation. Rejection sucks. And yes, it does feel very personal. We all put so much of ourselves into this process.
Congratulations to those hearing good news -- I am sure it was very much deserved. I am really really pulling for all of us :)
@ Katie
Congrats big time! I'm one of the nervous applicants who also applied to Wyoming... but in fiction.
Where did you do your undergrad? My major was in Natural Resources too. Actually, it was Recreation Resource Management, but everyone thinks that means I want to be a park ranger, so I usually say Natural Resources or Forestry instead.
Anyways, cheers!
Congratulations, Katie and Luling!
It seems to make sense that CNF would be notifying first. I seem to remember Seth writing about an overall 6:3:2 ration for fiction:poetry:CNF, so if you applied to Wyoming in fiction or poetry, I guess you get to keep holding your breath.
Now I wonder why poetry has gone first in places.... Oh, well. More obsessive speculation.
What can I say? I'm a realist. I blame Raymond Carver for setting off the chain reaction that left me defenseless against the kind of pessimism that reading contemporary American literature left me with.
I feel its only fair to us that as soon as the schools notify acceptances, that they upload the writing samples of those lucky few MFA soon-to-be-candidates on a website so that we can see who the seat went to.
It'd make me feel a lot better if I could SEE that I wasn't rejected because that other kid's story made my head implode.
Anyone else up for implosion?
(Also, about the tamales, I was only half kidding. If anyone in the PDX area really wants to try to make tamales with me, holla acha girl!)
Woops, that's supposed to say "was rejected".
I can't help but wonder if applications to schools with less than full funding are down this year. I don't think this would apply to the big schools in New York and California. I am specifically thinking about Montana, though I'm also thinking of UNCW, Notre Dame, Colorado, New Mexico. I think funding was more serious this year than any other, given the economy and the P&W rankings.
@pencore - That's funny. I don't think I would derive any comfort from reading those writing samples:
If they were mind-blowing, I'd worry about all the great talent out there and that I might not get in anywhere.
If I thought they sucked, I'd be bitter that I wasn't chosen.
It's lose/lose.
Tamales, on the other hand, are win/win. Do you ship?
Hi all,
Passing along a message I received from Wyoming today (yes, I do have direct contact with programs!): the upshot is that they have begun notifying in nonfiction and poetry but it may take a few days; fiction notifications will begin by the end of this week.
And a Wisconsin update: decisions are not imminent. I think it's entirely possible the desired February 14th date will be hit by the program, I just don't want people having a dreadful next two weeks thinking every day a response might come. I think it'll be two weeks at least (which is still pretty darn impressive; with 629 apps, to have responses in February, if it happens, is a minor miracle and a real testament to how amazing the faculty here is, and how dedicated).
Best,
Seth
Seth, I think you just saved my life. What would we do with out you!
I'm totally with Frankish. It's a lose/lose to see what other people got in with.
I realize, I only want/need one thing: To get accepted somewhere with funding. I just need ONE acceptance. I am trying to focus on that. I can accept lots of rejections if I get just one 'yes' ... Right?
Need to go find my inner 'happy zen place' now :) This is just the beginning of this stressful season for all of us. Perspective, perspective ...
Thank you, Seth, for a WI update!
And a belated congrats for luling!
@Luling
Congratulations!
@pencore
Please email me some tamales.
@Farrah
Hilarious dream
Seth,
Thank you! Odds are against me, but it's nice to know I'm not out of the running yet. I really appreciate that Wyoming and certain other schools have kept you in the know!
@Seth
Thanks for the update. Does that mean the email they sent out was using Feb 14th as a notification date rather than a date to see your application status? The email was rather ambiguous.
Ashley,
The only school I applied to that doesn't have full funding is Notre Dame. I'm not sure how this has affected applications for the program though. Last year, many people still believed that ND was fully funded until the application season roundup article by Seth clearly stated otherwise. Crossing my fingers though. ND is definitely a big question mark if I don't get one of the few TA positions or additional fellowships.
Wait, can we do this tamale thing?
I'm hungry.
Congrats you guys!! And think of it this way, in mere weeks, we'll probably all know something!
RE Wisc: I believe it was the 12th...just FYI.
Dude. Seth. Like totally. You rule.
Always with the right information at the right moment. That's somethin' special.
Congratulations to luling! Geez, gotta love the happy news.
Hi Katie-Jane, sorry for not posting earlier, I can't post at work (they block all blogs)
DISCLAIMER: Do not read if this does not pertain to you. It's very long! But, I think it might help whomever is interested in using their humanities degree for teaching high school.
Okay, so about teaching high school... there are a few things you and anyone interested should know:
1). your first year will SUCK. No matter how many classes you took in college/student teaching experience you have. Students will test you and so will parents. Administration will unload you with a TON of work, mostly superfluous. Even if you are fresh out of college, you will be expected to act/behave/think like a fifty year old mother of five, because you are thrown into a completely adult environment. Remember, as a teacher, you are raising children. Lots of children.
2). You might be called names. I have had people tell me that I am "fucking retarded" for giving them a detention, I have had a student tell me he was going to "break my neck" if took his sun glasses from him (he wasn't allowed to wear them, but insisted). Students talk behind my back, make snarky comments, argue, laugh at me, among other things, mostly on a daily basis. It sucks.
3). You are not saving the world, as much as you want to believe you are. You will impact some of their lives, but most of them will not listen to you and will not care about you as they leave the school. Sorry to sound so negative, but it's true. You are making a difference, but it's njust not as big as everyone thinks.
This is not coming from someone who overreacts and yells all day. Quite the contrary, I joke around with my students and try to balance discipline with praise. It's really tough, though. Many students don't care how nice you are to them, they will be fighting you no matter what. Others will fight for a little bit and change. Some will give you no grief at all.
Positives: I do love 99.99% of my students, even when they annoy the crap out of me. I love being a part of their lives and their family's lives, I love summers off. It's steady pay. I love my faculty (for the most part ;) ). But, it's tough, tough work. And a lot of it. If you are a tough cookie who is super organized, good with discipline, and in the right environment (ie. right school), teaching might be tolerable. I'm none of those ;0)
An anecdote: after finishing a lecture in class today (I was on fire too, I was interesting, coherent, everyone was quiet, and I thought, listening). A student raises his hand. I'm thinking, yes someone is interested, someone's going to say something intelligent! He said "I watched a youtube video about skateboarding accidents. You should check it out." I almost cried... :)
ALSO: congrats, luling and katie!
Kaybay,
What kind of school do you teach at?
I also teach high school English, but ruled out teaching at public schools from the outset (too many hoops to jump through to qualify, no flexibility in curriculum). The parents where I teach can be real pains in the neck, and the kids every so often, too. But I've never experienced much of what you're getting at.
Another high school English teacher here. Much of what kaybay says is true about public schools, but I have to say that getting to teach creative writing has been the highlight of my career as a public educator. Opening my students' minds to modern short fiction, poetry, and CNF (yes, we do all three!) is one of the coolest things I've ever done. There's something about being in a room full of people who want to write that really sparks my own desire to write, too. The old cliché about teaching being a great way to understand something better: completely true. Getting to work with the creative writing class helps me overlook some of the detriments to teaching in a state where education isn't a priority (like making less in my fifth year of teaching than my first.)
I'm just hoping that if I get a full suite of rejections, the budget doesn't take the class from us.
Kaybay -
I know exactly what you're talking about.
I have taught at two different high schools, and while I loved teaching at one and loathed teaching at another, both have all the things you mentioned, albeit on a sliding scale.
Still, I love being a teacher. It does take a specific type of person to love it, and teachers owe it to the kids (and our society) to love doing it enough to do it well. Teachers who run out the door as soon as the last bell rings are damaging to all of us.
P.S. I don't think private schools are necessarily the answer. The private school near here has worse behavior than any other in the county. There are good and bad places to teach in both realms.
re: dreams
I had an MFA nightmare about a week ago. It was one of those realistic, anxiety-filled nightmares that people tend to start having in adulthood. Personally, I prefer the nightmares of my childhood. You know, the kind of nightmare where killers chase you with knives. Instead, I always dream that I screwed up at work or I let my family down. Those nightmares are much worse because I can’t write them off when I wake up. Anyway, this MFA nightmare is based on some silly fears, so I was reluctant to share it. But here goes...
I'm in a classroom full of MFA applicants. We're waiting to hear the admission results from all the schools. It's like election day with open laptops and ringing red phones and shuffling paper. My old lit prof stands in front of the class. He's running things, but he's completely scatterbrained, and he doesn't understand how important this is to us. He has all the results scrawled out on college ruled sheets of paper that he's torn out of spirals. He writes down a college name on the chalkboard, and then he writes down a couple of acceptances, but then he pauses and talks about literature for a few minutes while we all squirm. Afterward, he forgets what he was doing and then starts with a different college and keeps pausing every couple of seconds to give us his thoughts about books he's been reading.
As he writes the acceptances on the board, people start jumping up and down. I'm genuinely happy for them, but I'm getting nervous that I'm not getting in anywhere. My non-writer friends are in the room, and originally I thought they came to support me, but then I realize they’re all getting accepted.
Afterward, my friends ask where I got in. I tell them I didn't get in anywhere, but that's okay. I'll be fine. And they're like, "I'm really excited about this MFA thing. So that means I get to write short stories, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, I've never written a short story before. It sounds like fun."
"Yeah."
Believe it or not, I work for a private school, lol (I'm laughing at my own embarrassing situation). We are broke. So, we need all the tuition dollars we can get, which means that when a student threatens my life, he'll get a one day suspension and a slap on the wrist. My administration does NOTHING. Truly, nothing. Except of course, give us a ton of work to do that has nothing to do with teaching. Also, the F* retarded comment and the death threat came from students who were kicked out of public schools and sent to us. Again, we took their money and that's all that matters.
I really think that I wouldn't dislike my job if I was at the right school. I'm not like Ms. Discipline here, but I would like to find a school that has my back a little bit more. I'm actually glad to hear that you guys don't have those problems! It makes me hope for the future! It's one reason that I want a Master's. I had a degree in philosophy, no education classes, and no teaching experience. I was desperate for a job, and that desperation worked against me.
One other thing that I forgot to mention: I am 5'4 and look pretty young. I have a lot of issues with boys in particular who don't like some youngin' telling them what to do. It doesn't help being a girl.
Burlaper - is this private school you speak of in Florida??? Haha, I'm joking. You are *absolutely* right though, it depends on the school and the philosophy. You have to find the right fit :)
thanks everyone for all the well wishes!! i really appreciate it. every time my boyfriend catches me glued to this blog in the middle of the night poring over hundreds of comments, he's like oh my god, STOP IT STOP IT! GO TO SLEEP! but i crave this community. it's my fix.
i'm glad seth has that open line to the programs to confirm what intuition might suggest- given the sheer number of fiction applicants, it will prob take longer to hear...
i'm glad there will be tamales to munch on in the meantime!
@katie, we have some overlaps, drop me a line
luling (dot) osofsky (at) gmail.com
@pencore: I'm a pdxer and would LOVE to make some tamales, and maybe drink some beer, so as to get a night off from this crazy worrying. or maybe worry together? either way.
Kaybay,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I had a Latin teacher who wasn't much bigger than you are and he once told me that he couldn't teach at public schools because the students would stuff him down the toilet. I also had a math teacher who was shorter than you albeit with muscles about to rip through his shirt that everyone feared. At least your students aren't SO rowdy that they are getting physical. I think the San Francisco Bay Area has schools at both extremes. My dad called the high school I went to, "The Panty School" (i.e. sweater vests were cool and our idea of misbehaving was driving off campus to smoke cigarettes).
I've certainly heard all of those complaints. I simply don't have the firsthand experience yet. I'm also biased because of the stories my father used to tell about his mother, my grandmother, who was a high school English teacher in a textile mill town. I'll grant you she was a tough lady, but stories about people who went straight into the mills from high school, yet would approach her at football games and pull out old pieces of paper from their wallets with literary quotations she had read them sort of get to you. Again, plan A is to get into grad school. We'll see. :)
Yes, I am VERY lucky to not have any physical altercations. Teaching is weird, because, well, teenagers are weird :) They are irrational, emotional, crazy little beings who overreact about a lot of things. Today was a struggle (they wouldn't shut up!!), but tomorrow, they might be perfect and I might go home thinking about how cool my job is. There are MANY ebbs and flows, you just learn to battle when you need to.
Katie and luling -- Congratulations! That's awesome!
Farrah -- I also have a deep and irrational fear of sharks! I used to dream about them all the time until I wrote a bunch of shark poems, which I now think of as some of my best work. So hey, sharks are good for something after all ;)
@luling
Congrats! Belated at this point. Just super news. I hope you're just sitting back and basking in all of these warm wishes. Really. It must feel swell.
RE: sharks, here's a great article someone shared with me 16(?!) years ago. "How To Swim With Sharks." Obviously memorable.
Enjoy. (WARNING: while it is humorous, it's also quite cynical.)
http://www.apor.org/html/how_to_swim_with_sharks.htm
@farrah-- I don't know if I'd put myself between a shark and lily tomlin, but there's a distinct possibility that I would. especially now that I've seen her in "Nashville."
@ farrah PART THE DEUX:
well, thank god for small favors (re: the lorrie moore thing.) However I'm sure my brain will be able to cook up plenty more morbid fantasies now that I can't rely on this one anymore.
ruth!
Are you a fiction applicant? Wanna swap writing samples? And then see if we respect each other's writing enough to make tamales together?
Ha! I kid about the last part. If you wanna swap, I'm at amylinjl [at] gmail [dot] coms.
This MFA adventure is an experience in frustration. I could've applied several years ago, but my writing was not as mature. Now, when I'm at a point where I think I'm competitive in my writing, MFA application numbers are at an all-time high (and corresponding acceptance rates at an all-time low)!
RE: the teaching conversation.. I'm a high school English teacher, and I just now got an email from admin all about this 'special project' I'm apparently going to be making my journalism students do because it will make the district look good. I was not asked if I'd be interested in involving my kids, I was told that I would be using class time to do this starting now.
Never mind the fact that we are already working on a different project and I've already planned the entire semester... I guess that doesn't matter!
UGH! MFA, RESCUE ME!!!!!!!!!!
I'm breaking open my delicious bottle of $3.99 sangria from Global Foods.
Sorry Emily S, I hear your frustration :(
@ Laura, Mine is so bad that if I even see a picture of a shark, I start shaking. I know it started with the Jaws paperback my parents had on our coffee table when I was a kid. My Blockbuster started selling movie posters a few years ago and had a 2'x3' one of Jaws that caught me unawares . . . I totally spazzed out. I'm glad you found a use for your phobia; I'm still searching for mine.
@ Ruth, I agree about Lily wholeheartedly.
It just occurred to me how hilarious it would be if schools notified us through text:
"cngrats! u b MFAer @ iowa 2010. welcum! srsly! ttyl."
Or the dreaded:
"tx 4 app. but sry, only 3 spots. :( n-e-ways, gd lk!"
@ pencore
hahahahaha!!! Though if I got notified via text, I wouldn't believe it for a second :)
hey guys quick question - i am on vacation and wondering if i should visit one of my nearby schools or not. i haven't gotten in or anything but i am wondering if, while i am here, i should try to get a vibe at the very least...now, it's also a HUGE university so i am not sure how much these campus tours are just geared towards high school seniors etc., or if i should email someone from admissions to ask? i am afraid of stepping on toes...anyone have any experience about this? thanks!
Seemore,
They'll show you around. But they probably won't offer the Program Director's time to you, and this is usually the sort of thing you'd want to avail yourself of if you've been offered admission.
If you're trying to figure out if you'd be into the area/campus, go for it. Beyond that, you probably won't be offered too much access to the program itself.
@SeaMoreGlass
I understand the dilemma, since these programs have not been open to visiting their programs. Jeez, you're there. Why not at least walk around, check out the cafeteria and library. You could check out loads without really being intrusive. And if it feels right when you're their, see if an inconspicuous walk into the departmental offices is doable. I think they just don't want to be disturbed, and have to open workshops to 600 applicants. Understandable. Ya know? You might get a bad vibe, and have some answers from that. That's what I would do. And I'd be very careful about making my presence known, but would, if it seemed ok. Even if it was just to say "hello" to the front desk person. It could answer so many questions for you. But, ya know, toes in ice cold water first. Your obvious and real disclaimer is that you are in town for a few days. Good luck.
@ SeeMoreGlass:
I don't have any experience in this realm, but I would definitely check out the campus if I were you, if only for fun. You don't have to take an actual tour if you don't want to- just find a campus map and go exploring. You could check out the English department building, the student union, anything you're interested in. Also, if you're comfortable approaching people to ask questions, go for it. This once happened to me in undergrad when I was in the English department building- a potential student just came up and asked if she could talk to me for a few minutes about my experience with English classes. I was happy to oblige her. I don't see any harm in doing so. Good luck!
I had great visits at Sarah Lawrence and Queens. SL I arranged beforehand and set a time. I talked with two people in the office, one a former student. Talked about classes, financing an MFA, living in Bronxville. Great visit. At Queens I just went and walked around. I happened to see the English building (recognized the address from mailing my app) and decided to wander in. I ran into one of the fiction professors who was incredibly nice and talked with me for about 30 minutes. I'd say give it a shot. The worst that could happen is what happened with my visit to Columbia - found the building and floor, just no one was there. At least I got to take a peak at the classrooms and get a feel for the place.
I still can't believe that Vanderbilt has surpassed UT as the most selective school in the country. I mean, I get that the application fee is waived, but the funding just doesn't compare to Texas. It almost seems unfair in a way. Not like I don't respect the hell out of Vandy, I applied there, but it's crazy, you know?
Have I mentioned how reassuring it is that almost none of you have applied to Ole Miss? Maybe not... I know Nick has, but he also applied last year, then went Fulbright, and I get the feeling it's not his first choice... may be wrong, Nick, but you're poetry, anyway, right? I keep thinking... don't know if anyone else is having similar justifications, but I keep thinking... surely if there aren't that many applying here, where all serious MFA applicants are, then I must be top of the pile, Ma! When first I appear I seem mysterious... after a while, I'm nothing serious...
Ole Miss is on my list and near the top to boot.
Hey Kati--
I applied in fiction to Ole Miss, but you're one of the poetry crew, no?
Oh, nevermind-- you were commenting that Nick was poetry. Ah well. I wish all three of us (Kati, Dreux, yours truly) luck.
@Mostly Swell:
STEELERS! YES! How could you withhold? If it weren't for MFA app season, I would have had nothing to distract me from my huuuuuge disappointment at missing the playoffs, and my huuuuuuger frustration watching a bunch of lackluster AFC teams that I know we could have beaten if we'd made it. (Probably would have lost to the Colts, I acknowledge.)
Anyway, re: trying to finagle some joint acceptances, we're just applying to the same areas, not the same schools. One thing we are considering, should one of us not get into programs we like a lot, is telling schools we did get into that we'll choose them if they can find the significant other a job. Ethical? Maybe not. Necessary for our stability? YES.
PS I'm from New Kensington - Arnold!
Kati,
I applied to Ole Miss! In fiction...but I haven't heard of too many people on here that have applied in any genre. All I have to say is...Oxford flipping RULES--I could go on and on. And the faculty is top notch...lucky for us, I guess!
Jessica, Gena and Dreux... I hope we are all in workshop together this time next year. :)
And don't get me started on Oxford, because I have had WAY too much time to research just how awesome every aspect of the area is... I mean from real estate to local events to local history to close drivable weekend trips, etc., etc., ad nauseum ad infinitum. :)
@LAswede
Heh, that's funny. I never understood why the aliens in Signs could travel through space but a locked door would stop them in their tracks. Maybe they had those automatic sliding doors in their spaceships, so when they encountered a doorknob they were like, "WTF? How does this work?"
I drank the best milk of my life in Oxford. Brown Family Dairy--which just happens to be owned by the son of the late (great) Larry Brown.
Re: Ole Miss
Is Hannah still working there? Or is he retiring?
I just recently learned that the story about him walking into his fiction class and pointing a gun at his students to teach them how to write fear was only a myth. Very disappointing to hear. It was one of my favorite workshop stories.
mostly swell,
the email thing is for the main reason that your email can't get spammed that way. a lot of spammers search emails using engines that can search various sites, esp. blogs or anything googleesque and find an email in normal format. if you take out the original format, you can't google your email address, basically. if you write it straight out, you could, technically.
@Ryan
Thanks for that tidbit. I figured there was something impt about it.
damn spammers. spam that!!!
As far as I know, Hannah is will still be there next year.
@Kati-Jane
Yes'm, I am indeed in poetry and, honestly, I'm not really sure what my top picks are at this point. I'm very curious to see what happens this year with Ole Miss and UNCG (where I was accepted last year, as you know, but had to turn down the offers). Even though I got in last time, I know there's still a great possibility that I won't necessarily get in this year because of (a.) the new applicant pool, (b.) the what is probably vastly increased applicant pool, and (c.) the possibility that the faculty like my new sample less than the old one (not to mention the fact that I may not have been a first or even second round pick for them--who knows?). Time shall tell! But I do wish whoever has applied to these programs lots of luck. If you get in and I don't, I'm going to be totally stoked for you. Seriously.
All best to all who give their best,
NM
An FIY about distractions:
The New Yorker does a podcast where authors read the short stories of other authors. Great stuff.
UGH another day, another crisis!
When is it a good time to call a program to make sure they've received your application materials? Because according to their application check list portal...things, neither San Diego State nor University of Maryland has received much of anything from me. I emailed SDSU on Friday, and I emailed Maryland today (Maryland in fact has a stern note to wait three weeks until after you send your application to contact them).
I'm afraid of being annoying, but UGH, I don't want to be overlooked because of some silly postal error.
Pencore, make me go back in time where you didn't send me that Grind Time link. I think i've spent like 4 hours watching that stuff and looking up Kid Twist videos. I should really go read my book now.
Rosie, if Maryland said wait, I would wait (sometimes the people inputting things into the online system take an exorbitant amount of time to do so).
My little poet friend,
Four hours? That ain't shit!
Dude, you need to watch the Dumbfoundead vs PH (Pumpkinhead) battle! PH has been in the game forever, and he called out DFD for a battle and well... you just have to see what happens.
I'm a huge DFD fan, he's got some awesome punchlines. But I'm a big fan of the Fresh Coast stuff all day! Oh! Another one is Soul Khan vs Dirtbag Dan! A jewish kid from the valley of socal vs this half mexican bearded white dude.
Like I've said before, there are lots of GT references that you might not get (but gets big audience reactions). Holla acha girl if you need clarification!
I liked DFD's Kid Twist battle. I think Kid Twist is my favorite so far, but I like Fresco too even though he sounds like a mild ripoff of ktwist.
My favorite thing about this blog is its diversity, by the way, and I'm talking about content. It's gotta be among the most random discussions that isn't an "actual" forum, but a blog comment list.
Hey poet,
Might you consider GT as a Plan B?
(Not assuming you'd need a plan B, of course!)
SeeMoreGlass,
I'm a little late to chime in but I would say definitely visit! can't do any harm and like the others have said, it's valuable just to check out the feel of the place. i had a great visit in Tuscon, and it really changed my impression of the both the program and the city. I was randomly there on a trip and emailed the program coordinator to see what the protocol was for visiting. It happened quite last minute, but she was able to schedule me 30 mins with the director of the program and gave me the contact info of two students willing to meet up and chat with me. They were super friendly, and it shed so much light on the program; we had coffee for over 3 hrs, I picked their brains. So while it's probably a really busy in the dept right now, I can't imagine they would be turn away a prospective student. At least they could give you the email addresses of students that would be willing to talk to you- and/or invite you to a reading, or to check out their facilities, which is what happened with me at UA, even though I was a mere prospective. That was a long post. Long story short, you're already there- don't be shy!
wow, so many typos. apologies. i blame the wine. always the wine. ps sorry if this is superficial, but i think fresco is so cute!! kid twist isn't bad either and he can definitely drop the rhymes
@Kati, Jessica, Dreux, Gena
Another Ole Miss fiction applicant here. Don't know much about Oxford (other than rents seem to be a third of what I'm paying in San Diego) but it sounds awesome and the funding plus Barry Hannah unarmed or not make it one of my top choices.
Congratulations to Katie and luling! Wow, Wyoming! To have an option like that, already, must make this process easier. Because anything after this will be extra good. Cheers to an awesome application season to you both!
Very odd email this morning from UMass Boston. Subject was "Missing Evaluation Requirements," then the usual "these items must be received in order to complete your file, your application will be considered upon receipt of all required materials..."
I expected another missing transcripts/recommendations fiasco, but under the list of missing requirements, it said only: "Bachelor's Degree (Upon Graduation." Um...? I'm graduating in May. Does this mean my app won't be considered because I haven't graduated yet?! That seems kind of crazy. Or does it just mean that I need to prove to them in May that I graduated? So confused.
@Laura T
I would assume that it means the latter and that it's just a form email that plugs in a field header from their database. Don't panic; it's nothing a quick email or phone call can't clear up.
I'll be curious to learn if Wyoming has wrapped up the CNF calls, or if there are more to come Tuesday. I hope the latter is true.
Concerning the Super Bowl:
I'm a longtime Cardinals fan, and so naturally I was thinking I'd cheer for the Saints so that I could say my team lost to the champions. But then it hit me: I have to cheer for the Colts! It's only logical. I applied to two schools in Indiana, and their logo is a lucky horseshoe. I have to cheer for them so that the luck rubs off and so that I build up good karma with the beautiful state of Indiana!
Simple logic.
@Xataro
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. There's a special place in my heart for New Orleans.
@Farrah
This is a little delayed, but could you share more about what Lorrie Moore said re Wisconsin's program? Does the fact that she's not on the committee this year mean she won't be teaching in the program next year? Or something? I'd love to hear more of what she said at the Q&A as the possibility of working with her was a reason I applied to WI.
Does anyone else sit on this blog instead of doing their writing? (Dumb question, right? lol)
I'm having a difficult time getting started on a scene. I've been here before - it's where I feel like I am standing on the edge of an abyss and my material is way way way down there........
So, should I disappear for awhile, you'll know where I went. And if I don't disappear, you'll know where I didn't go. (sigh)
I love meeting every one here, though. It's a nice community, supportive. OK, I must dive. Hasta.
Oh, @Gena and others,
my copy of Copenhagen came in the mail. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the rec.
@MostlySwell: Had a bad bout of writer's block a few weeks ago. Usually reading good stuff is the cure for me to getting inspired. =)
So...to despair over Ohio State? Or not to despair?
Any other folks working in crappy retail/food service jobs, fantasizing about acceptance letters during really bad shifts?
...Or despairing over not getting any acceptances and wondering what they're going to do to get out of working said job?
Got one of those spam phone calls this morning where no one's on the other end. It came from an area code I didn't recognize. Needless to say I was more annoyed by the call than I usually would be.
@Elissa
That's me in a nutshell. I'm tired of folding clothes! Not to mention selling store credit cards. :(
@ Elissa:
yeah, I guess it's OSU-despair time. Ugh, that's SO LAME. I'm sort of numb right now, but everytime my phone makes any noises I start freaking out. I can't imagine the kind of wreck I'm going to be if I don't hear anything by the end of the week. And yeah, bartending is totally lame.
MJ, it sounds like OSU folks who haven't heard were not accepted.
However, it sounds like OSU folks who haven't heard still have a shot at the waitlist, as no waitlisters have been notified.
Will someone help to alleviate my boredom at workies? Writing sample swap please?
amylinjl [at] gmail [dotters] com
@Mostly Swell--
Ah, the power of persuasion. jk, jk... I hope you like it. It's a quick read, but the form is fascinating. Which always makes for a happy reader, over here.
@pencore: I'm game. check your inbox.
@ cb, no worries, Lorrie Moore will be there teaching. I went to WI many years ago, when she was just starting out in the English dept, and though I didn't take a course from her, I have two close friends who did, and they both RAVE about her as a teacher. She didn't say too much about the program specifically, except that students in workshop have gotten much nicer than they used to be. (The support on this site is certainly representative of that.)She is utterly delightful. So charming and funny.
@ pencore, sorry I should know this by now, but are you fiction or poetry? I'll swap fiction samples . . .
@Elissa,
Yep, crappy retail job. Hate it. What saves my sanity is being at school so often (still an undergrad) that most of my focus is on reading/writing/studying and not my job. But when I am working, I tend to get this awful panic about what if I don't get in this year and what if I can't find a better job after graduating and ahhhh. Then I have to pretend to be friendly to all the customers while I am actually having a panic attack. It's easier to think more positively when I am at school and surrounded by people who are encouraging and think I'll get in... instead of being at my job, surrounded by customers who think I am an idiot, pretty much.
@ Xataro,
Thank you! I called the admissions office and the woman there said that it will be fixed within the next couple of weeks. Apparently they haven't processed my transcript yet, and they need to enter my upcoming graduation date into the system...? Anyway, I'll just keep checking it and call again if it doesn't get updated.
Laura,
You're a better person than I am.
A scene many years ago (location: a Barnes and Noble cafe with a line out the door):
Customer: What's in the Pesto and Chicken Sandwich
Me: Well, let me think about that for a minute. Hmm . . . Pesto and Chicken I suppose.
[It only went down hill from there]
Fellow anxiety cases,
Just wanted to warn everyone about another another false alarm: Oregon sent me a packet of residence info. So if you claimed residency on the online app, beware!
Hey Farrah,
No worries. I'm fiction all day! Geah! Looking forward to reading!
Re: jobs
I'm wishing I had ANY job right now to keep me distracted, even a crappy one! As it is, I've been unemployed for seven looooong horrible months, and it's impossible not to obsess all day long and refresh this blog about a million times to check on acceptances. There's only so much housework/errands/reading/writing to do before the Internet demon comes a callin'. It's quite the time suck, and I can't wait for a few months from now when it's all over.
But, I believe in good energy, so I will end my rant and send out some chill, positive vibes instead. (You can't see it, but I just sent them.)
Wandering Tree,
I nearly spat up my tea reading that. I am going to assume you were having a bad day rather than suppose pithy retorts to the fairly obvious is a natural disposition of yours.
DigAPony, dear, I eat. I'm in your situation (technically, though, I do have a job - I'm just not allowed to go in). Anyway, I eat. When I get worried, anxious, obsessive, depressed, manic (choose your compulsion) - I eat. It's satisfying, consoling and fills out the dermis nicely.
@Cratty
Yesterday was an eating day for me, too! I jumped on BART to San Francisco for some delicious vegan won ton soup. :-D Then, I went to maggie mudd's for a gigantic vegan banana split. I also bought to-go cake, which I had for breakfast this mornin'. :-X
If my phone doesn't ring, it's Iowa. :P
i'm also an Ole Miss fiction applicant...Oxford is like two and a half hours away from where i live here in loueasyana so for me it was a no brainer...Oxford is incredible btw...
i'm just glad, and blown away, that the saints are still alive and playing in the big one...gives me something to look forward to this week...that fleur de lis tat i got 12 years ago is finally getting some use to...to steal from bill murray, so i got that goin for me...
uh, some use TOO, lo siento...
Cratty,
I'd like to think I'm pretty good natured most the time. In fact, previous housemates have described me as "zen". I'm only going to subscribe to the whole "the customer is always right" BS up to a point. On that particular day, I had several morons and a-holes walk through the door. The line never seemed to get any shorter. One guy even brought his own thermometer b/c he wanted his coffee to be EXACTLY a certain temperature.
A thermometer? Please tell me said customer was Nile Crane.
Niles*
Nah, he was just another dot.com yuppie.
@ Cratty:
If I weren't in the middle of working off 30 pounds of quitting-smoking weight, I'd be all over your recommendation. :) (Must we be totally vice-less these days? Jeez.)
WT:
I once had a very irate old man demand a full refund on his breakfast because his eggs weren't cooked properly. Except he had eaten the entire plate. It was difficult not to laugh in his face/tell him to go f---.
Come on, I'm sure we've all worked shitty food service jobs- stories, anyone?
Re: Lorrie Moore
This is purely speculation, but I would think that Moore wouldn't want to advertise to people that she's an adcom even if she were. A writer of her celebrity probably wouldn't want prospective grad students putting her in a weird spot while she does readings or book tours.
Does anyone know how often she actually teaches? I'm just guessing she doesn't have to teach that much. Maybe 1 or 2 classes a year?
Getting tipped out $2, and have the prep cook who handed you the piddly $2 say, "You're only supposed to get one dollar, but I thought I should give you two."
Also having said prep cook trying to get me to come over to his apartment so he could smoke me out, and ostensibly lose my mind and, like, make it with him or something. He was also a rapper.
Two-effin'-dollars. Yeah right.
@digapony
I gained 25lbs in one summer after I quit smoking. How did I lose it? I started smoking again. :(
Oh, forgot to mention, I was a dishwasher.
Prettiest dishwasher ever (a server said that!)
Years ago I worked in a food co-op. (Yinz in Pgh know the food co-op?) Anyway, this lady was having a meltdown because we were out of sea salt. Granted, sea salt is a staple that should really always be there, but sometimes deliveries are late -- a fact that is sometimes lost on people who have never worked a service job.
She wouldn't stop giving me a hard time about it. (Health food stores can be the worst for fanatical customers who are really, really attached to every detail of their diet.) I finally just said, "I could cry onto a paper plate and let it dry in the sun for a few hours if you like." No comment. She left.
I sort of got in trouble for that one because some hippie told on me for not being nice. But my boss thought it was so funny that she was laughing when she told me to try not to do that again.
When I was a historical tour guide on a "boat car", I had several interesting customers.
1) 30 little girls from incredibly wealthy families. One girl said to me, "You're doing too much talky talky and not enough of this *gesture to suggest zipping my mouth shut*" Then she took away my microphone and started saying things like, "My mother says that the only nutritional part of a doughnut is the hole in the middle"
2) Really drunk guy and his really drunk girlfriend telling me I would have hell to pay (i.e. an ass kicking) if I didn't stop the bus so they could pee. I left them on the side of the road and we left them.
3) A middle-aged man sitting about 2 ft from his family asking me where he could get a " full massage" in San Francisco.
4) Steven Segal doppelganger laughing at EVERYTHING I said even when I wasn't making a joke. (He gave me a 20 dollar tip)
Topic: Retail debases you.
Point: I worked at Barnes & Noble for a year. A woman asked me once if we had a book called "Animals." I asked if the book had a subtitle. "The book is called 'Animals.'" I told her there were over five hundred search results in our system for a book with that name. Did she know the author? "'Animals.' It's on your website." I asked if it was a children's book, a science book, or a work of fiction. "You don't know what the hell you're doing." She left feeling very angry and very sure I didn't know what I was doing.
Counterpoint: Deepak Chopra came in a different day wearing sweatpants, sandals, and sunglasses and was nice and decent and presumed I knew what I was doing when I led him to the Self Help section to sign copies of his books.
Conclusion: I remember better the times I was treated horribly, but my guess is they happened as much as the times I was treated well.
Am I the first official rejection of the year? Ugh.
Just got an email from University of British Columbia saying I was not offered a spot. Which I guessed when someone from here heard and I didn't but, still a downer and not how I wanted to start the season. =(
Tiny bit of relief at knowing something, and I applied to lots of programs, so... meh.
Weird feeling. Hope there's good news soon.
Sorry Coreyann :( someone's going to post good news soon, it might be you!
Still early in the game, Coreyann.
Sorry to hear that, Coreyann. But it is still early.
And I hope the schools that I've applied to are timely with rejections. It seems much kinder to let people know once the programs know rather than to wait until April 15 or whenever and leave people on pins and needles until then.
Good luck with the rest of your applications!
Those of you lucky enough to already have acceptances:
Have the schools basically said, "You're accepted. We'll let you know about funding later," or do you already know your funding options? Is it rude to respond to an acceptance phone call: "Oh thank you thank you thank you! Oh, and do I get funding?"
@Coreyann
Sorry about the rejections.
But I agree with frankish.
It sucks being rejected; however, at least now you can (hopefully) move on from that program and focus on the others. As weird as it might sound, I think getting an early rejection would be a bit more comforting than languishing forever on a wait-list or having to deal with a program that sends out late rejection notices.
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