Time for a new official mailbag, dontcha think?
Also, here are some links, just 'coz.
Seth's Open Letter To Poets Who Hate the Creative Writing MFA
Jim Shepard on the art of close reading. Good prep for all those heading into programs next fall, and essential advice for any writer.
April, by Louise Glück. Yes, it's bleak. But great. Balm to those applying again next year, or does it just inflame you? Responses in the comments, please.
761 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 600 of 761 Newer› Newest»@Nathaniel - Wow! You dedicated two whole lines to me. Three would've been better but I'm not complaining.
I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday.
@ Chrissy
Jim did say I could defer my acceptance until next year in the hopes that there will be more money then, which means I would only have to semi-reapply - no application, no fee, but I'd have to update my sample and LOR and an in would not be entirely guaranteed.
Let me first say that I love UNCG. I think Jim is awesome. I visited the campus last year and was impressed. I would go in a heartbeat if I could get funding.
Now, here's the deal:
I am in that exact "deferment" situation. I got in last year and "semi-applied" this year. I also, thinking UNCG was in the bag, applied to only four other programs. Had I known the program was going to be hit so hard this year with funding problems, I would have applied to way more schools. I got waitlisted at Wisconsin and in (again) at UNCG, so I think I might have actually had a chance of going somewhere this year.
Instead, it looks like I'm staying right where I am now: home. I don't think any of us out-of-state people are going to get funding and the in-staters might have to pay tuition anyway.
So I'm not saying to keep them in mind for next year, but don't exclusively count on getting in (with funding).
That last sentence should read:
"So I am saying to keep them in mind for next year, but don't exclusively count on getting in (with funding)."
@ Lucas
Thanks for the advice - it's good to hear from someone who's going through the same thing. I only applied to 4 schools this year (I had no idea what I was doing) but after reading this blog and everything Seth has said, I have a much better idea about how this whole MFA thing works and how to increase my odds of getting a funded acceptance next year. I'll reapply to UNCG, but I'm also planning to apply to a bunch of other schools.
I hope you get in somewhere wonderful! I hope we all do!
I found out I was accepted to OSU from the waitlist yesterday (CNF.) Even though I had already decided to attend UNCW it really threw me for a few hours. I mean, duh, it's fully funded. My pragmatic side was whining at me. However, I am so excited about UNCW and how gosh-darned nice those people are that I managed to squelch the pragmatic side(with wine) and turn down the spot at OSU. No looking back! And this means that someone in CNF is about to get grat news from OSU!
so yesterday i got a surprise waitlist email from virginia. apparently they mistyped my email address when they sent out the intial notifications. i really, really didn't expect any sort of positive response out of them, so it was kind of a nice way to round out the season.
also, i just accepted my spot at george mason (poetry). i'll be declining spots shortly at montana (unfunded) and temple (presumably unfunded) and jumping off the waitlist at nyu.
good luck to everyone still waiting. if anyone's headed to mason in the fall and wants to chat, you can email me at mk(dot)wlsh(at)gmail(dot)com.
Nathaniel, you rule.
@ Phillywriter: YAAAAAY! I think your news made me the happiest of all the blog news I've read!
@ nathaniel: good night & good luck!
@ Mary Kathleen - see you next fall, indeed! Don't be afraid to shoot me a line before then if you want to. :)
I have loved reading where everyone is headed. :)
@ NYC people interested in workshop
Anyone on here interested in workshopping this summer? I"m starting my program this fall, but would love to workshop with people in New York City if anyone wants to. I write nonfiction, but have been in many fiction workshops as well. If you're interested, let's swap e-mails. I'm trying to avoid having to pay for a workshop class, and my sense is there are enough serious writers here to workshop with!
Wow, Nathaniel, I made the poem! Awesome! And such distinguished company too...
@Phillywriter,
My favorite response (so far) to your late-night acceptance bears repeating:
PHILLYWRITER FUCK YEAH
For real! Awesome awesome news :)
@Henry,
I'm 40 already and also unwilling to wait, and am attending without funding. I rationalize this in lots of ways, but I am super lucky to have no debt at all right now -- no school loans, no credit cards, nothing. So I feel I'm in a better position than many with undergrad loans. I'm attending in-state. And I also tell myself I'm going to work myself to the bone and be super awesome and get myself some funding for next year. Since I have some really stressful locational constraints, I just have to deal with reality and not let it upset me too much.
Anyway -- I'm done pouting over this stressful process. I'm so ready to get back to some real writing and get started on my MFA :)
@Nathaniel,
Loved the poem!
I totally predicted that "Goodnight Woon" was going to be at the end :)
For any interested poets still making decisions...
I'm about to decline offers from University of Washington (no funding) and Western Washington (full funding-MA).
I'll be attending CSU next fall! I visited a few weeks back and thought the world of it, and them. Good luck to all the decisions and those persevering with patience.
Seth and anyone else out there - I really need you guys to help me out regarding BGSU vs UNLV. I am an international applicant so I have less information regarding the more finer details of the programmes?
Can I survive on 1100 $ in Las Vegas?
Anyone whose been accepted in fiction at UNLV and could help me out please email me at little_lulu(at)yahoo.co.uk.
@perpetua
i don't know anything about bgsu or the area, but what i can tell you about vegas is this:
rent is really cheap (at least by california standards). the cost of living is pretty low for its proximity to the coast. yes, it's the desert, so you will experience triple-digits (and snow in the winter, which a lot of people don't realize) but, as they say, "it's a dry heat" -- so true, & it makes all the difference in the world. i'll take 110+ degrees with no humidity over 80 degrees & 70% humidity any day.
also: nevada charges no state income tax, which is a pretty nice bonus.
oh, & did i mention in-n-out?
SDSU Update for all:
Since San Diego State has been my top choice, and I've been watching those email acceptances filter slowly in, I broke down and inquired of my status today. Was told applications are still being processed and they'd have a better sense of my status toward the end of the month.
So, yeah. Someone had previous said they hoped to email acceptances today. But if you don't hear back from them soon, it might not mean you've been rejected.
@Perpetua - yeah UNLV! Could you tell us, $1100 per what? If that's per month, then yeah, I think you can do it! :) I'm not sure about rent rates IN Las Vegas (I don't imagine they'd be terribly high), but I do know once you get 20 miles out, it gets wicked cheap. So, if you've got a car, that MIGHT be an option?
Also, I just wanted to chip in about the heat... dry 105 degree heat really is livable. I mean - even comfortable, walking around town, once you get used to it. I wouldn't've believed it (I grew up in Seattle!) but then I spent four years in the California desert, and when I visited Las Vegas from there the heat just felt nice. Because you don't get sticky, you know, walking around? I really think it just takes some time to adapt. I HATED heat beforehand!
I hope you get to go to UNLV :) What an awesome school and place. That would be an adventure, eh? Congratulations!
SDSU Update for all:
Since San Diego State has been my top choice, and I've been watching those email acceptances filter slowly in, I broke down and inquired of my status today. Was told applications are still being processed and they'd have a better sense of my status toward the end of the month.
So, yeah. Someone on here had previously said they hoped to email acceptances today. But if you don't hear back from them soon, it might not mean you've been rejected.
How good is the UNLV programme? Anyone know the publishing rates of the UNLV alumni?
No go on UNCG. Jim Clark says he tried a few "Hail Mary passes" yesterday to get more funding, but they didn't work out, so they're all finished with acceptances. He was super nice, though, very complimentary about my sample, and supportive even. I find myself completely without bitterness.
So...
I just officially accepted my offer at NC State! In four months I'll be in a workshop with Jill-freaking-McCorkle! I'm really excited!
I'm so glad this is over. Or that it's beginning. Or whatever. I'm just glad.
Whew.
@phillywriter, CONGRATULATIONS!! that's the stuff dreams are made of! :-)
@Nathaniel, i love the poem! :D
@ everyone, damn, i'm sad it's all winding down :-( well, not sad for the wind-down, but sad for us all drifting off and the goodbyes and all.
@Perpetua - I know that, in the early 2000s at least, UNLV was one of the few schools in the west to show up on various magazine's "top 10" lists. When I was applying, my mom said, "Promise me you'll apply to at least one fancy school!" (haha, oh my mom) and I told her that would be UNLV :) Granted, I am no font of information when it comes to MFAs... but I do know for sure that the Atlantic Monthly at least thinks their program is pretty excellent.
Congrats again, and good luck choosing!
Sorry to hear about UNCG, Henry. NC State sounds really sweet. Good luck to you! Btw, did Jim email you this evening to let you know? I'm still in limbo and waiting for him to get back to me with a decision. From what you said, it sounds as though I should now assume that it's a no-go for me as well. Thanks!
Yay! Just got the email with the names of the other 5 Vandy people for next year. Thought you all might like to know that of the three poets, two of us were first waitlisted there of those attending. Hooray for waitlist successes!!!
Perpetua, I feel like you're in poetry, but I'm not sure. That's the only thing I can speak to. If you are, UNLV has a solid program, though Aliki Barnstone is no longer there, which is one of the main reasons I didn't end up applying there. The international option is freaking bad-ass. If you think you can live in Vegas, I say do it.
And, Nathaniel, big congrats on Boston. I think I forgot to congratulate you on ning, though I certainly meant to!
Amanda I'm in Fiction. I have till May 1st to make a decision and right now I just feel confused. Very very confused!
T.G.,
No, I had to email him first, a few hours ago, to get an answer.
But I did get the impression that they're done notifying folks You should probably contact him yourself, just to make sure. I don't want to bear the burden of someone else's news, bad or good.
@Lucas/Chrissy
Jim mentioned something about deferring my application for next year too. If this is relatively common practice at UNCG, then it sounds like lots of strong candidates (i.e., ones accepted w/o funding or near-misses like myself) stay in the churn year-to-year, so yeah, it seems like it would not necessarily be any easier the following year.
That said, if I were reapplying anywhere next year, I'd happily apply to UNCG again, but also to a dozen or so other schools.
Good luck to all.
@phillywriter, Holy MFAs, batman!! Congrats!!!
@Henry, I hear ya 'bout the age thing. I'm 46 and don't want to wait any longer.
@Nathaniel, I'm going to have to print your poem and save it.
@all my "definitive answer by the end of the week" is stretching. I think the end of the week is here, yet I'm no closer to closure. They must be waiting on some folks who haven't yet made up their minds, and I'm swinging in the wind.
Seth and Anyone else who can help -email address is little_lulu19(at)yahoo.co.uk. Can't believe I gave the wrong email address DOH! I'm just really confused.
And thank you to the people who are taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate it.
just got a nice call from steve tomasula at notre dame...i was number one on the waitlist, and...
didn't get in. all offered accepted. so congratulations to all those on the board who got great spots....
to all those who got in at notre dame and took it, i want to say fuck you, but i'll settle instead to say a reluctant congrats...
don't know if i'm doing this again next time around, so maybe i'll see some of you, maybe i won't...til the next go around, cheers
@Perpetua ... thanks ... i was just about to post to say my mail to you had been rejected as "user does not exist"
@LA Swede, sorry about ND. :-(
it's cool...but thank you for your condolences ;)
hi all. i just got notice that Brooklyn accepted me into their poetry program...but to be honest, don't actually know much about this program. Does anyone have any info? thoughts? links?
FUCK YES PHILLYWRITER.
In other good news, Columbia called today and nearly doubled their fellowship money for me. Guys... I think I'm going in. Holy effing eff.
Admitted students day is next Thursday, hopefully I'll see some of you (the lovely Trilbe?) there!
Congrats, Hilary!
PHILLYWRITER! LSU! BOTH OF US! RESCUED OFF THE WAITLIST!
Hellz yeah, baby! Keystone represent!
adamcatkinson@gmail.com
Let's do this.
Oh so this is where y'all been hiding!
Have entered a new phase of freaking out, but: major congrats to everyone who's got good news!
Henry--so cool! I'd kill to work with Jill mccorkle! There's a lot of contemporary writing that is mystifying to me, but she makes sense. Probably my main short story role model.
Hey all. So if anyone enjoys giving feedback, I'd love some right about now. Here are the details:
Applied - Boise State
Accepted - Boise State
And the conundrum:
I applied solely to BSU after moving to Boise six months ago. After five months of job hunting, I landed a great position - writer at an ad agency. Good benefits, good people, engaging work, and a lot of potential in terms of promotions and pay. The question: Is it wise to leave a position with a lot of positives (and very few negatives) to go back to school? I'm realistic, so I understand that upon finishing school I'll be searching for a regular job to supplant my writing anyway. So what are the reasons for delaying that job hunt? The opportunity to write? The potential to become a better writer? I can't complain about being in such a position - it's been a dream - but I do hope to make the best choice. Again, if you have some words of wisdom, I'm open to hearing them.
And for the purposes of statistical analysis (after I grilled the prof who offered me a spot): BSU had about 60 applicants in fiction this year, they only admitted two writers, and they're offering a tuition waiver and a modest stipend.
@joel wayne
if i were you, & depending on how approachable your boss/supervisor is, i'd test the waters to see if working part-time during the academic year would be an option. it doesn't always have to be all-or-nothing, & given the nature of your work, they might actually encourage you to pursue an advanced degree. you get to strengthen your writing, they get to pay you a fraction of your current salary while reaping the benefits, seems like a potential win on both sides.
@hilary - Congratulations! I'm going to Columbia for fiction this fall too--hopefully I will meet you there!
Lol. UVa just sent me their second rejection via email. It's so hilarious! They warned that there'd be another, I think, but I still think it's funny to be rejected a second time...
@ Joel Wayne
I'd jump on the Boise offer if I were you, especially considering you're already in the area. I was really impressed with their program, and had they told me sooner that I'd be getting off the fiction waitlist (before I committed to Oregon State), it would have been EXTREMELY difficult for me to decide between the two. Their stipend is higher than other schools in the area, they offer full tuition waivers instead of just instate, etc.- I think it's a great opportunity. The students I communicated with had great things to say. Unless you're at your dream job, I'd head to Boise.
But then again, I'm a random stranger who's had several margaritas in the last few hours, so what do I know? Good luck with your decision making!
@ megan
cool, thanks! likewise! i think janine is compiling a list of new student emails so we can get in touch.
@ henry and mommyj
i'm a bit older as well, currently debt-free and taking an unfunded offer. i can't imagine doing anything else with my time right now. i've only ever gone into debt for my education, and i think it's worth it.
I hope I'm not too late to join this party. ;)
Anyway, my incredibly short list ended up as follows:
Accepted:
UNLV (All applicants receive GAships which cover tuition and $1100/month as someone else mentioned above)
Old Dominion (No funding)
Rejected:
UC-San Diego
Columbia
I'd been waitlisted at UNLV and just got the call today that I'd been accepted. So needless to say, I'm super-stoked. :)
@Leslie,
Thanks! I'm crazy excited for the fall...
...AND I'm going to Jill McCorkle's house THIS FREAKING AFTERNOON for a end-of-year party for current MFA students, so that I can meet everyone! (I only live a couple of hours from Raleigh now, so John Kessel invited me!)
I think I'm gonna throw up. Hopefully not on anyone.
@Mary Kathleen,
Yep. If you're gonna do debt, do it for the right reason. As painful as owing money can be, letting the years slip away can be a thousand times worse.
Good luck to you!
Henry--tell her I say Hi!! =D
Phillywriter!! Awesome!! I'm so happy for you!! What a cool story :)
LASwede - super bummer. I'm really sorry to hear that. One thing I will say though, is that it really isn't completely over for you at ND. There is a chance that one of the acceptances will drop out late and you could get an acceptance late in the game. It happened to one of my co-workers (MFA in film something or other). He was accepted to Miami off the wait list in June! So, plan for Plan B, but keep yourself open. You're still the next person in line. But seriously, very sorry to hear that.
And where's my email from Tomasula :( I didn't get nothin'
@Hilary and Alexandra
I'm headed to Columbia too (for fiction)! I've got a prior commitment so can't make the students night, but I look forward to meeting and working w you both in the future.
@ Joel Wayne
I'm currently looking into part-time/flex time at my job. The HR-speak keyword to search is "alternative work arrangement." There are some very helpful articles out there. You're in a very good position bc you could leave your job entirely and still have a livable income, health care, etc. So you actually like the job (it seems) and want to maintain a relationship - that's valuable to an employer. Also, since you don't need your job's benefits (I'm assuming), you can work as few hours per week as suits you, work as a freelancer for them, etc.
From your manager's perspective, the issue is probably workload, ie do they need to hire someone else to do the work you can't? The way to get ahead of this is to assess your current workload, then draw up several options - how could you benefit yr company by being a part-timer or freelancer? Maybe you'd be a floater? Maybe you'd work for less than current freelancers do? Let them know you'd see the part-time/flex-time as a benefit, part of your compensation, and that you want a long-term relationship with them (ie extending after school). Say let's do it for six months, then reassess and see if it works. Put the whole thing in writing, and be very detailed and numerical (ie, x number of hours for class, for teaching, for your job) so your manager knows you're trying to see things from their perspective. You are making a sales pitch (in an ad agency, too!), after all, so do the work and wow them with your presentation. DON'T suggest any dollar figures - you might be surprised how valuable your employer considers even part time work from you, plus it's their role to make the first offer. And before you do anything, make sure you understand HR policies/procedures for this sort of thing. Even if you're not successful, this kind of negotiation will be a very useful professional experience for future jobs.
Well, if anyone wants proof that things do happen after the 15th, I will just add my voice to the chorus:
I was getting ready to coach the boys lacrosse team at the school where I teach yesterday (4/16_ when my phone rang with a Las Vegas number.
It was Richard Wiley (holy shit!) calling to offer me a fully funded spot at UNLV.
I hope whoever got the call after I turned it down (the 15th had passed, I had already committed) took it. UNLV is an awesome school, their program is unique and interesting, and it's going to be an awesome couple of years for whoever was next on Wiley's list.
As for me, I was just super bummed out to not have a few moments to explain to him how cool I think their program is, and how much I admire his utterly incredible writing. It was a real privilege to pick up my phone and hear one of my favorite author's voices on the other end (all my other acceptances this year came via email).
Alas, I was surrounded by sweaty, screaming high schoolers and it wasn't the right time for that conversation.
Anyway, congrats to whoever got a similar call recently. Go, go, go to UNLV. And tell Richard Wiley that Dreux says thanks a million for the vote of confidence.
I know its getting cliche now since April 15th has passed but I figured I'd do a last post! I can honestly say it's been a joy to watch everyone receiving late good news! This blog has been a complete lifesaver for me during this crazy time and everyone's support and silliness (most especially silliness) has been fantastic!
I will be heading to San Francisco to attend CCA in the fall and couldn't be more thrilled! If anyone else is headed in that direction feel free to drop me a line at jepaslay AT gmail DOT com
@ Seth
hope it's not too late, here's my list for poetry:
George Mason
VCU
Va Tech
Vanderbilt
Houston
Cornell
LSU
BU
Iowa
got into GMU and VCU, both funded, 98% sure at this point that I'll be at VCU next year
Congrats to Dreux, Iridescent Dragon, and anybody else I missed.
Though it is a bit interesting to see Dreux's willingness to get exciting and open about UNLV with all those other "solid funded offers" sitting around. :)
OMG, OMG I am in SUNY Albany's PhD program with creative dissertation!!! I'd be screaming and crying and jumping up and down except I am waiting at my daughter's dance class now. One of the other moms said "I've never seen anyone so excited about more school."
thank you to EVERYONE for their good wishes and crossed fingers.
I will be in a cohort that includes people with their MFAs and a former Stegner fellow.
I was sitting here going throught my email on my phone, reading all the MFA blog posts, deleting the junk emails, and up pops "It is with great pleasure that I send you this notification of your acceptance" ... at which point tears welled up.
And I have one great huge raspberry for whomever it was who told me I had no chance of admission because the creative doctoral programs go to those who already have MFAs: pthbbbbbbbbbbt!!
@Seth, finally my final list!
PhD
SUNY Albany--accepted and attending
MFA
UMass-Amherst--rejected
Yes! Congrats MommyJ!
AWESOME Mommy J!! You rock! Congrats, I'm really happy for you :)
Way to go, MommyJ! I'm not a frequent commenter, but I've been rooting for you all along. What fantastic news — you've earned it!
YAY MOMMYJ!!!! That's amazing and I'm so happy for you!
@ AB,
Well, UNLV is a favorite of mine. I've lived in remote international locations working for NGOs more than once in my life thus far, and that's kinda what I like to do. I've always said that the Peace Corps will probably be my next stop after the MFA.
So getting a call from a favorite author who works at a school that requires students to go abroad and that will help them get placed in the Peace Corps AND waive the 3rd year of coursework in favor of sending the student off to the Corps is pretty awesome. It's right up my alley.
Really bummed about the timing, but these things happen.
Philly gets in (congrats!), MommyJ gets in (congrats!)...you guys going to Disneyland or what?
Yay MommyJ! I'm so excited for you! What fantastic news!!
MommyJ!!!!!!!!!! That is so fantastic, ohmygod what a relief! Big congratulations!!!
And dreux! I missed your return in the last mailbag. I didn't apply to UNLV, even though the Peace Corps angle was very appealing to me. I'm a documentary photographer also and would really like to get hooked up with and photograph for NGOs sometime. But I just didn't want to do two years in Vegas.
Where are you headed in the fall?
Congratulations MommyJ!!! Yeah! :) That's fantastic - I agree about Disneyland, I hope you're celebrating now!
Re: Peace Corps
Anyone interested can read my Peace Corps blog here.
It's pretty censored, as per Peace Corps rules, but it has a few decent entries in there somewhere.
@MommyJ,
CONGRATULATIONS MOMMYJ FUCK YEAH
That is super awesome news! So so so so happy for you! I know how it feels to be unable to spread the net wide due to locational constraints. I've totally been rooting for you.
Do you get funding?
@LASwede - it's interesting what ND told you. I know that Wandering Tree turned down his offer at Notre Dame. In any event, I wonder if these MFA officials know that we talk to each other on the blog. I've already counted about a half dozen instances of outright lying by MFA faculty during the wooing process. Some might call it strategic gamesmanship; others, lying and deceit. It's a blurry line between the two. I'm not making a judgmental statement, just an observation of the MFA landscape.
My favorite punctuation mark is the semi-colon, followed closely by the dash.
Oh Woon. Iknew it! We're punctuation soulmates!
I'm partial to the interrobang: ‽
Anybody going to Tin House in July?
@M. Swann - No, you're not. You're just a 92 yr old desperately clutching to modern generation's hipness.
I've got a sore throat. Gargled with hot water and lemon. Then took Daytime Cold Tylenol so that I can operate heavy machinery. Phlegm.
Woon,
My grandson sometimes posts without my permission. You would not BELIEVE the angry words I fax him.
For the record, my favorite punctuation is the tilde; reminds me of Grace Kelly's (THERE was a dollface) arched eyebrows.
@M Swann - Grace Kelly is okay. I prefer Joan Fontaine (Rebecca), Deborah Kerr (From Here to Eternity), and Susan Hayward.
I used to have such a CRUSH on Lillian Gish back when she was big. I used to tap the theater organ player on the shoulder and tell him to PIPE down LOL; I wanted to take in all her silent beauty haha!
wooooooon
oh, i am definitely aware of a bit of a discrepancy there as i received my initial phone call two days BEFORE the w.t. statement, so i'm not quite sure what's going on...but, ya know, not really anything i can do and dr. tomasula was nothing short of gracious with me for the past month, sending emails and calling every now and again...shit happens sometimes...if i was 23 or 24 (no offense to those who are...i'm saying when I was 23,24...), i'd be pretty upset. but i'm not, so i'm, well, not...i know some things that occur at EVERY program because i've been informed of it from several people, and we just have to take it sometimes and go on our way...i put up a gross and unfortunately true story about such stinkeye situations last year, and i'll post it again if anyone wants...sorry for the ambiguity here, but just looking out for myself a bit...
here is my final (for poetry):
accepted:
emerson
waitlist:
george mason (accepted)
syracuse (accepted, attending)
rejected:
austin
v-tech
carbondale
urbana
indiana
alabama
if anyone is attending syracuse, feel free to email me (david@davidwojo.com). i actually did my undergrad there 2 years ago...will be strange to be back.
David: Congrats on Syracuse, that's fantastic!
Woon: Are you ever going to tell us where you're going?
Jennifer: I was accepted to Tin House, but can only go if the miracle of a scholarship occurs. Have no idea how keen the competition is, but would absolutely love to participate. Are you in fiction or poetry?
@ Seth,
Here is my full list
Accepted:
Georgia State (funding pending)
Louisville (funding unlikely)
Rejected:
Texas
Wisconsin
Syracuse
Indiana (waitlist, does that count for anything?)
Michigan
MOMMY J! Hell yeah! Huge, huge congratulations! You came up with a killer Plan B and then NAILED IT. I hope you have a great weekend full of celebration!
That goes for everyone else, too!
MommyJ--I was very happy for phillywriter, but your good news is absolutely the best thing I've read here on MFAblog.
Gives me new hope for older, have-families-and-obligation writers!!!
Huge congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS MOMMYJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO HAPPY for you!
Hmmmm, is nobody else gonna ask LA Swede to post the stinkeye situation from last year? My nosiness is getting the best of me.
LA Swede - are you saying I should avoid Notre Dame next year???
@Amanda
I'm fiction. I probably won't decide about Tin House until after I hear back from Sewanee and Bread Loaf, but I'm kind of leaning in the direction of Tin House because I've never been to the Pacific Northwest.
Definitely email me when/if you plan on going. My email is on my profile.
MommyJ, I'm absolutely thrilled for you! I was rooting for you. Congratulations!
Thanks, all, for the well-wishes. I'm still in shock that I'm going to LSU. I thought I'd be doing this whole process over again next year!
Congratulations to everyone! I intend to come back on the blog from time to time next application season to see how things work out for those of you reapplying - and to let you know how LSU is going.
Congratulations to Dreux and MommyJ!
Alexandra and Jamie, I'll look forward to meeting both of you - I'm in poetry, but I'm sure our paths will cross :)
Eight dating mistakes women make (according to Yahoo!):
1. Being too available
2. Trying to rehabilitate a bad boy
3. Looking for perfection
4. Feeling sorry for yourself
5. Rushing to bed
6. Being too selfish in your relationship
7. Believing in The One
8. Forgetting your manners
For the most part, I think women don't know what they want. The Flake Factor. That should be #9.
kaybay...
NO...this had NOTHING whatsoever to do with notre dame...honestly, with NO sarcasm, that place was as nice as could be...but since you ask...
this other story dealt with another person i know (seriously someone else...not trying to be sneaky and talk about me!)
to make a long story short, this cat was rejected by everyone across the board. the head of the department WE were in (and i'll be honest. i'm a douchebag. really. and this other fella was a grade a ass-sucker) got a certain well known poet in a new england school to, no shit, OPEN up another spot for him--and drop a fiction person btw--because they were old friends. this motherfucker was horrible, and because of his stanknose, got in and someone DESERVING lost a spot.
gross.
again, this is truly not what happened to me, but i know it happens because i witnessed it. how can i be so sure, you ask. the head of the program got liquored up one night at the bar...i happened to be there...and while giggling and telling me this story, i wanted to drill him in the face.
that's just one tiny incident. now tell me it doesn't happen 100 times a year elsewhere. gladhanding and quota shit happens and happens frequently.
this country is a crazy place!!
and it's stuff like that and the much less awful situation that happened to me this year that makes it difficult to want to do it again next year.
but i'm sure i will.
i'm a sucker for punishment, i suppose.
hell, i'm married and i'm a teacher, so that gives that last statement away!!!
Yuck. Hmmmm, a little disenchanting. That stuff makes me sad. It's everywhere though, I guess. Hell, there's some yucky corruption at the high school I work for.
LA Swede - are you applying to Notre Dame next year?
yes ma'am.
and you better be too!!
I am :D
On a side note, is anyone else totally creeped out by that Michelin commercial with the ran over zombie animals that reanimate but have tire tracks all over them and are totally cool with it?? WTF.
I guess nobody else finds that commercial odd, haha. It's weird, though! There's a bunch of animals that lying on the ground with their bodies mangled after being hit by cars. Another animal is just about to get hit by another car when the Michelin man comes and throws new tires on it and saves the animal. Then, the other animals, with tire tracks still on them, get up and start dancing. CREEPY!
For Seth:
Accepted:
Texas State
George Mason (committed)
Rejected:
Michigan
UNCW
Hollins
American
Wisconsin-Madison
Adieu, application season 2009. You were only sort of terrible.
Congrats to everyone who got an 11th hour acceptance and good luck to those applying for next year!
If anyone's headed to Colgate or Skidmore for conferences see you there! I turned down my spot at Sewanee (no funding, ugh) a couple weeks back.
Also, AWP 2011 -- Washington DC. Woon, you better be there!
@kaybay, i most definitely think that sounds creepy!! hehe - yikes.
has anyone gotten their official rejection/waitlist from BU?
Alright, so despite the 16 applications it would seem I will not be attending school this fall. In the meantime I shall return to the school of write a lot, read a lot.
It is possible I am imagining this, but was someone starting a group of people who were reapplying? It might have just been an email group, but it seemed its purpose was critique/ help with round 2 of the app process?
Next, anyone have any suggestions for summer/early fall writer's retreats or the like? If price were reasonable and it's not too late, I could definitely add it to my preparations for application season. I live in Seattle, but I am pretty handy with cheap airfare so location isn't terribly important. I'm just curious if anyone can recommend anything, or any advice at all about reapplying would be most appreciated.
@jenpopa-Iowa summer writing festival has weekend and week long segments that you can combine. anyone can attend and they have fabulous teachers. i've done three years in a row and made some great connections.
http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/iswfest/
subscribing, again
@jenpopa
I second what Sud said. I have attended the Iowa Summer Writing Festival twice in the past and enjoyed it. If you want to work on a short story for your applications I recommend Rick Hillis's workshop. If you are interested in something a little more competitive, I believe Sewanee and Tin House are still taking applications.
On the "short waiting list" for Poetry in Sarah Lawrence College.
Who's there with me?
nikay (underscore) p (at) yahoo (dot) com
@Jamie
Thanks for your advice. I think at this point, for my own sanity, I'll definitely need to approach my work about the whole situation. Maybe there's some way I can give the program a year, work a little on the side, and see if it's the right thing for me. Otherwise, I fear I'll be saddled with that "what if" feeling for a long time.
@Lisa
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I think I'll definitely be talking to my boss in the next few days. Fingers crossed, something will work out.
Congratulations to everyone whose gotten in. And to those waiting - have faith.
I'm still struggling with my decision but am going to bite the bullet and just decide!
My final list (Are these still being compiled?):
Temple (Accepted--Full Funding--committed)
UNCG (No Funding, Declined)
UNCW (No Funding, Declined)
Maryland
Florida
Florida State
Penn State
Virginia
Hollins
oh, and for fiction.
Finally received a rejection email from Hollins (CNF) on 4/16. Bleh.
But called George Mason regarding my waitlist status, and the woman told me she will most likely be offering me an acceptance early next week, but it will be unfunded.
What should I do if I DO get accepted? The funding doesn't bother me, but I want to be a teacher after the MFA program, so I want the experience DURING. Should I reapply? Or should I accept and try to find alternate means of getting experience?
@ the Chrissy who got into but didn't get funding from UNCG -- check the email associated with your blog.
This is my official signoff, folks. Thanks for the lively discussions -- they've been a welcome distraction during the notification period. The blog, of course, has also been invaluable for the incredible collection of information that everyone here helps Seth to compile.
Anyone who wants to know more about my final outcomes or who wants to stay in touch from here on out can email me at
++drew.richard+++AT+++goddard+++dot+++edu
@Jillian Lauren
FWIW, at George Mason there is the opportunity (or at least there has been for the last couple of years) to apply for a TAship again--in the spring of your first year for a TAship for second year. I know two first year fiction students got them for next year. It is a highly competitive process though, and so can't be counted on. That is pretty much all I know about it, but if you want to email me, my email is on my profile.
@ LASwede
I think the thing with Notre Dame was that when Tomasula said you were #1 on the waitlist, he meant you were, at that point, next on the list. I say this because a couple days after the first acceptances showed up, I got a call that said the same thing--that I was #1 on the fiction list and that they were just waiting for someone to turn them down, which a day later someone did.
It's a misleading way to phrase it no doubt and I'm sorry that your number never came up, but I don't think it was his intention to mislead.
Congrats to Mommy J! You're definitely the best story of the season!
Just another line out to those left on the curb. A few of us have started a workshop to prepare for the next round, whenever that is. If you're interested in joining, just shoot me an email (click my screen name to find the link to my email) and I'll send you an invite. Now that all the waiting is almost over, I hope to get us really digging in and producing some kick-ass writing.
Jillian Lauren -- I got into George Mason off the waitlist this week. Email me if you want to talk about stuff (especially TAs in the second year. I got lots of good info about that). CJWid87(at)hotmail(dot)com.
@Nikay...
I am there with you...
@jenpopa,
Another option would be to take an online course or workshop offered at places like Stanford, UCLA and Harvard. Many schools offer an online curriculum, and they correspond to the academic schedule -- summer, fall, etc.
Nathaniel, your poem rocks!
It captured the spirit of the MFA blog so well and I loved all the rhymes. :] Congrats on UMass-Boston; hope you and the duchess keep compiling those awesome playlists, too, and keep sharing your musical as well as literary taste throughout the online world!
just wanted to let everyone know that I got off the notre dame waitlist, and I've accepted the spot :) that means there will be a spot opening up at calarts, if anyone is waiting for one!
@ MommyJ
Big congrats! You were the one on this board I was really pulling for... Go get 'em!
Final list for Seth... sorry I'm late..
Rejected:
University of Texas - Austin
Virginia
Iowa
Hollins
Syracuse
Cornell
Brown
Alabama
Florida
Uni. Massachusetts-Amherst
No response:
Oregon
Waitlisted:
Louisiana State Uni.
Bowling Green State
McNeese
Got emails from both BGSU and McNeese saying I was next up on the list. Crossing fingers..
@mary Kathleen:
See you in New Hampshire. It's going to be a long and hard road all the way from the south, but I am so excited about the program!
@Jillian Lauren
I hope you get an offer from George Mason! I think if you're in a place in your life where you're ready and WANT to go to an MFA program, then go. GMU is great for CNF. I too want the opportunity to teach in school and while Hollins did not offer me a taship, there is a chance I could get one the following year. Still...if I don't get one the second year, I can help a professor in a freshman english class with teaching and have a sort of assistant type role. Obviously that position does not include a tuition waiver nor will it be paid, but still I can have the experience on my resume and hopefully I will be learning how to teach. It's defintiely a risk to bank on the taship in the second year, but speak to the program director and see if, in the event that you don't get the taship the second year, you will have a chance to teach in some capacity. I think it's worth a discussion if it's that important to you, as in keeping you from not going to a great program-- you never know what could pop up. I'm hoping it works out!
-nonfiction Courtney
Um, don't know if this is an appropriate spot to do this, but we will have an empty room in our house near Boston for any BU-Emerson-UMass people looking for housing. My boyfriend is a math person, and one of our roommates is a math person, so I want a writer to balance it out. Plus, I miss all my writer friends from undergrad.
For more info, email me at trokee (at) gmail (dot) com.
And congrats to everyone!
@Mila
I am in at McNeese, so if you have any questions feel free to send me an email....benjaminpsutton (@) gmail (.)com
Hi All,
Can anyone tell me what the creative writing program for Oxford University (in the UK) is? I can't find a damn thing on it! I can't even find when it was established- which makes me think it's new. I got into both Bennington and the Oxford Program, and Bennington's deposit is due, but I just can't make up my mind. Bennington has a great program and a great rep, but Oxfordhas the name Oxford, a placement program in publishing houses and a interdiscplinary approach. Both appeal to me, but I don't want to end up going to Oxford (like my heart secretly wants) because I'm impressed with the name, only to find out that it doesn't have the best rep in the writing community. Can anyone help? I'm at my wit's end!
Final list for Seth...
Lesley University (accepted, this is where I'll be going!)
California College of the Arts (accepted)
Mills College (accepted)
University of San Francisco (accepted)
SFSU (rejected)
Stonecoast (rejected)
Antioch (waitlisted)
Bennington (assumed rejected)
I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments and hearing everyone's successes and plans going forward, even though I haven't participated...
Thought this might be of interest to anyone applying next year (I don't know anything about it beyond what you see below, but it sounded promising):
This summer, One Story will be offering an intimate 6-day writers workshop to help answer the question our editors get asked most often by emerging writers: Should I get a Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) degree?
The week will include morning workshops, afternoon craft lectures, and evening panels with writers, editors, agents, and MFA directors. All events are designed to give students the practical advice they need to either apply for an MFA or launch their career outside of academia.
We are crafting a unique experience, both practical and creative, for writers who hope for a career in fiction writing. Students will leave with:
-A workshopped portfolio they can use as their writing sample
-Advice from MFA directors about what they look for in an applicant
-A full understanding of the range of MFA and non-MFA options
-Insight about what an MFA can offer a writer
-A breakdown of the financial implications of an MFA
-A community of writers at the same stage of their career
-Access to One Story editors and authors
-A look at the wider publishing world from literary agents, editors, and writers
Applications are being accepted between now and May 31, 2010. To learn more, click here.
Advice needed!
Brooklyn College or George Mason U for poetry?
I'm reapplying to schools again for fall 2011 admissions as I was not accepted/funded anywhere this time around. Brooklyn is ranked higher than I would've guessed in the PW top 50 list, but GMU seems like it has a longer-standing reputation and funds a bit better. Also, diversity of students/faculty is a big consideration to me, but they both seem about equal there.
I'm a novice here. Any advice folks have to pass along would really help.
@cornflake girl
gmu fully funds 1/3 of its students, which i'm pretty sure is more than "a bit better" than brooklyn's. brooklyn is cheap if you're in-state, but my understanding was that chances for full funding there were remote, if not non-existent. i could be wrong about that, though.
@all
Just a reminder to all that Driftless House offers better, quicker, more comprehensive, and more timely services to young poets and applicants than One Story at literally a fraction of the cost (apart from them charging around three hundred percent what DH does, you get less one-on-one time and have to pay for your own room and board)!
I hope anyone considering a costly summer workshop will seriously consider what numerous folks have already said here and elsewhere--that it's substantially more cost-effective to get personalized, one-on-one feedback in a much less expensive virtual setting.
Full DH services are detailed here, and the Driftless House "spring special" is described here.
My sincere congratulations to all those who heard good news during this application season!
Best wishes to all,
Seth
thanks to seth, phillywriter et al for the workshop/app feedback suggestions. another idea i came across today is to take adult ed or continuing ed courses in creative writing at a local university. many schools that don't offer MFA programs have summer courses, and some are pretty cheap. i found one course from a top 10 u with a cornell MFA grad as teacher, 5 hours for $275! deals are out there~have a great summer!
was anyone here on the wash u waitlist? i just got an e-mail from them saying "We have now accepted five students in poetry for Fall 10. Thank you for your patience. We wish you the best of luck with your writing." this sounds like a 'the waitlist is now closed' message, but this is the first i've heard from them since january.
Lookylooky - that sounds like the wait list notification I got from UF. I hadn't heard a peep from them (well, except for rejection letter they sent me (????)), then out of the blue they said "hey, we filled all of our spots, but we liked you so we put you on a wait list." In the words of Adam Sandler's character in the Wedding Singer, sounds like something that should've been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!! Maybe you were in a "waiting pool," (not to be confused with the wading variety), where you were not on the official wait list, but were "good enough" to be kept in case acceptees and wait listees all declined. A "just to be super duper careful" group. I don't know, I could be wrong, but that's my pie in the sky theory :D
@kaybay
that's what i thought at first when i didn't hear anything from them. but on the 15th i found out i'd been waitlisted at virginia. apparently they mistyped by email address when the official notifications went out and didn't realize what happened until the waitlist closed up. my email address is weird, so now i wonder if that's what happened with wash u.
it doesn't really matter at this point. i'm just sort of curious. also, i should change my email address.
@Jennifer and others
I'll be going to Tin House in July if anyone wants to chat ahead of time. My workshop leader is Karen Russell (!).
@ Tin Housers
I should have added my email for anyone who wants to chat before the festivities begin.
dannigirl_elessar [at] yahoo
Woon/LASwede
One thing that did rub me off about ND was that after I turned down the offer, I was sent a rejection notice a couple of weeks later. I think ND could be a really strong program. They definitely have the reputation of the overall university going for them, but at this time, it seems like the university isn't going to bat for the writing program as much as it could or should. Until ND can fund ALL of its students (w/ both tuition remission and stipends), the program will continue to suffer. Hopefully sooner or later the administration will get the hint due to the writing program losing their 1st round picks to other programs.
And that's not to say that ND still isn't a strong program that is home to talented writers. I just think that if more and more programs are making a commitment to provide terminal degree level financial support, an acceptance from ND w/out a fellowship will have stiff competition.
@Carrie- I applied to Oxford, too, but didn't get in. I thought a lot about it ahead of time and knew it would be tough to say "no" to the Oxford name, and I liked the multi-genre approach, but if you look at the way the course is structured, you'll see that the packets of writing you turn in are not very big...page limits, etc. And they are due before each residency, and that is when you receive feedback. I think you'll get much more attention from Bennington. A lot of great writers have come out of there. Just my two cents.
@lookylookyyonder
Where are you getting it that GMU funds 1/3 of its students? I'm at GMU and I don't think that you are right 100 percent right about that. It can get complicated, because some students get TAs second year and some get fellowships 3d year, so perhaps one third of each class is funded by the third year, but our first year fiction class started off with 3 TAs out of a class of 17.
@lookylooky
Well, I looked at the GMU website and sure enough it says it funds "about" a third of its students with TAs. I guess if it says that, it does. Maybe I'm just unfamiliar with the total number of TAs because I am unaware of how many poets/cnf people got them.
@jennifer
yeah, i got all that from the website.
apparently there are 34 ta slots to go around for everyone in the program, which covers roughly a third. like you said, it gets complicated when you factor in fellowships and second year students applying. assuming the number of slots is constant every year, it's possible that some years they end up with fewer slots available for incoming students. that's my guess, anyway.
to clarify: i mean that it's possible that some years so many second year students apply for and receive ta positions that there are fewer slots available for incoming students.
@ ktb
wonderful! can´t wait to begin...
I just got a notification from UVA that a decision has been made and can be viewed on the website. I know it's five days after April 15, and the UVA office told me I was denied when I called them, but still... what if? I'm afraid to look.
Nyah.
@ phillywriter
Holy shit!!! Congratulations on LSU! Fuck yeah! I'm so happy for you. Seriously, I've been checking back here hoping, and the last time I checked must have been right before you got the offer -- I admit I'd almost lost hope. You are an inspiration. Your picture is next to "tencity" in the Webster's Dictionary. Seriously. I just looked it up.
Regarding TAships at GMU, I've been given the correct numbers from my program. GMU is able to offer 10-11 TAships to incoming students across all three genres. They shoot for a total class size of about 36 students. So there is indeed funding for about a third of the incoming students each year. Some second years get TAships as well in addition to this.
Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.
I was accepted to Columbia for fiction a few weeks back and am still trying to decide what to do. I live in another country and my only access to information re: reputation of schools is through this blog. For this reason I ask for anyone and everyone's (reasonably) objective opinion regarding Columbia's fiction program. I am aware that the poor funding means fewer applicants, but has that effected the program so much that it is no longer competitive? And the faculty look hugely impressive on paper, are they somehow all duds in the teaching sack? This blog has left me to believe that the whole program is a sham and a has-been. If anyone can shed some light I would be most appreciative.
@stateofconfusion
at first glance, the three primary reasons i see to go to columbia for fiction are (1) jonathan lethem, (2) nick laird, & (3) gary shteyngart.
that being said, it looks like of the three, only gary shteyngart actually taught this year. so that's something to bear in mind. the faculty is stunning, but will you actually be in a class with them? you may want to check out the spring 2010 & fall 2009 course listings to get a better idea of the program.
@stateofconfusion
you have to read this blog with a grain of salt re: columbia. this blog contains a lot of useful information, but it should not be your only means of evaluating programs, particularly columbia.
i would call the admissions office or e-mail them if you are not in the same time zone and ask to speak with some students. i have done this and was able to speak with people right away and get their firsthand thoughts on what the program is actually like.
good luck on wherever your decision takes you!
I have a couple of unfunded offers and will likely be deferring to next year, when I'll likely apply to a handful of programs. I haven't heard much about Oregon lately. I am quite unfamiliar with this program as well. Can anyone inform me?
@Holly Heterodoxy,
First, your nickname is cracking me up. My girlfriend and I often call things (movies, TV shows, etc.) "hetero-fantastic" when we really mean we did not like how "hetero" the thing was. Haha.
Anyway. Hopkins. Were you accepted? If so, congratulations!
Here's the common knowledge about Hopkins: The program is considered pretty academic, as opposed "studio" or "workshop" oriented. There is a foreign-language requirement that puts a lot of people off because many of us would rather spend our time in a program writing, not conjugating French verbs.
There is also a feeling that Hopkins has slipped somewhat from its former position as one of the very strongest programs. But -- having said that -- it's still an excellent, sound program.
I personally looked into applying there, since my ex-husband grew up in Baltimore and I knew that's one place I could have convinced him to move (trying to keep us all together -- ex, the kids, etc.)...But anyway. I was rather put off by the website and by the application process. I got a very very "cold" feeling. In the end I chose not to apply.
I can tell you the area in Baltimore where the campus is, is awesome. I LOVED Baltimore (I lived there for 10 years). I can not say enough good things about that city. I miss it very very much.
Anyway. Best of luck to you!
Unsubscribed.
I don't believe you.
You don't need to post to unsubscribe!
@stateofconfusion-
Well, you could sort through a years-long war on this blog re:Columbia and probably find enough material to write a 1,000 page research paper, but as I understand it the answer is this:
Pretty sweet program and the name's gonna look good on paper, but man, probably not worth $100,000 in debt.
I'm sort of at the middle of the argument, btw. I did not apply to Columbia and would never pay that much personally, but have a close friend who attends there and thinks highly of it.
Hope that helps.
The funding at Columbia isn't as bad as everyone thinks, it's just on a case by case basis, apparently. They are willing to fund some students to a point (for some that s full tuition, others half) and others not at all.
Hi all,
Question -
Has anyone applied/been accepted to Roosevelt University in Chicago?
I'm trying to get some info on this program. I know it's not highly rated or anything, but I'm sure there's more than that. Is it considered to be any good? etc.
Thanks :-)
ACCEPTED AT GEORGE MASON OFF THE WAITLIST THIS MORNING!!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!
It is an unfunded spot, which is fine, but I want to be a teacher when I graduate. Can I get words of advice from someone? (Thanks to the two who have already given me their thoughts.) Just thoughts on other ways I can get teaching experience or whether or not I should wait one more year...
Jillian,
When I visited GMU, I thought the workshops were too large (20 poets) and the fact that it's a largely commuter school makes it harder to maintain an artist commuity. The students seemed to be in cliquish groups of twos and threes instead of having a community. Traffic in DC and Fairfax, VA is awful. It took me 45 minutes to get from downtown Fairfax to the campus (less than 2 miles).
On the whole, though, the students' writing seemed to be pretty good.
RE: Columbia (not a 1,000-page research paper, but still a pretty long post)
While I mostly agree with Seth's take on Columbia -- too big, too expensive, not enough funding, no guarantee of teaching, stronger cohorts elsewhere, etc. -- I suddenly found myself becoming excited about the program earlier this week. (FYI, I'm applying for fiction this fall.)
Certainly for the near future, and perhaps indefinitely, Columbia will attract attention and applicants due to, among other things, its Ivy League cachet, rigorous curriculum, industry connections, distinguished faculty and alumni, and amazing location. There are just too many reasons that the program will remain an MFA destination, even if its ranking slips somewhat over time. So, for better or worse, the back-and-forth debates over Columbia will likely continue on this blog and others for years to come, unless by some chance most or all students begin to receive full funding.
Getting into Columbia is a Catch-22. On the one hand, it's flattering, even if gaining admission is relatively "easy" due to a large entering class and low selectivity. Acceptance from Columbia (or any other top MFA program) is validating: it tells a writer that his/her work isn't bad; it might even be good. On the other hand, there's the money. Without aid, costs can run in the range of $120-140K for the two-year experience, including tuition and living expenses. From what I understand, some admittees get no monetary assistance at all. In such a case, you need to be rich or willing to take on a ton of debt and/or work part time or even full time. However, I do want to acknowledge that there is a brightening financial spectrum based on what Columbia's website says about fellowships, what Ben Marcus indicated in his blog exchange with Seth, and, especially, what several posters have recently mentioned regarding partial or full tuition remission. Here is where temptation takes hold (and why I've considered Columbia anew): some people, probably not very many, get most or all of their tuition covered the first year and then get all of their tuition covered the second year (for teaching composition) plus a stipend, which I understand is modest. This possibility, albeit slim, makes me think, what if I were one of the select few? Then Columbia might actually be financially feasible (because I have some money saved and wouldn't mind working while in school).
Even if you don't want to teach (I do), which is no guarantee at Columbia, everyone wants time to write. It's why we're pursuing this path. As much as I admire Columbia's course offerings -- workshops, craft classes, lit seminars, etc. -- and could see myself learning a great deal, I think there are too many credits required to graduate. The 60 units translate to about four courses per semester. Then maybe the first year you have an internship. Maybe the second you're lucky enough to teach composition. Say you also have to work both years at a bar, in an office, freelancing, etc. to make ends meet and/or reduce the amount of loans you require (or to avoid taking out loans at all). Where is the time to write? This is the killer for me. I'm all for being entrepreneurial, creative with my livelihood and budget, but there are only so many hours in the day. Writing takes time; revision takes more. Pursuing an MFA at a great Ivy League institution, rubbing elbows with accomplished writers and agents, being inspired by NYC's vitality -- it all appeals to me, deeply excites me, but not at the price of my writing time. My classmates, my instructors, and the city in which I live and study are important. Nevertheless, the number one reason that I want to get an MFA is so that I can take my work to the next level. The more undisturbed blocks of writing time I have, the more I stand to improve.
Sorry, Columbia. Despite the vitriol directed your way, your lure remains powerful, but I'll pass on applying. I want your space but need my time (to write).
Hi all--can I ask for a bit of advice?
I got into one program this year, which I really like. I also signed up with a really good agent in January; we hashed out a premise for a commercial novel and I’m about a quarter of the way done. The MFA program had said that I could defer to finish the book, and my chances of funding would be better next year (Fall 2011). I have enough money socked away to make it until then. Easy enough, right? Just defer.
But then the program found funding for me for this year (starting Fall 2010). I’m really bad at multitasking and wanted to take a year to get the commercial book done so I could focus on literary writing at the MFA. There’s also some personal factors that make it easier to do the MFA starting 2011. But then funding isn’t guaranteed. So…is deferring crazy? Should I just go this fall and juggle things? I’m worried I’ll be so busy I’ll shortchange the commercial book and the literary writing. Any thoughts much appreciated.
Jillian:
George Mason was my second choice school (I ranked Houston above it, but GMU was equally important to me because it is close to my brother's family), but I ended up choosing Idaho instead. Since I have a bit of money saved and don't really want to teach, funding had something to do with my decision but it wasn't the end-all factor.
I visited both the schools, and I'd be happy to share my experiences with you via email. In short, my experience at GMU was of the not-so-great variety. Just provide your email.
Are you fiction or poetry?
Publicly, I should add, though, that Jennifer Atkinson was wonderful. I'm so sad that I won't get to hang with her in the fall.
@pdg:
I did my undergrad at Oregon. Are you fiction or poetry? I'd be happy to answer any questions. I know the faculty pretty well, and I know all there is to know about Eugene, OR.
I can also email you some faculty work. I have some of it saved on my computer.
In my opinion, Oregon has an excellent program.
What's your email?
-Laura
Laura,
I know that post was directed at Jillian Lauren, but would you mind sharing your GMU experience with me as well? I just got in last week. Email me at cjwid87(at)hotmail(dot)com.
hi laura,
i would love to hear your info!
jillianlcollett at gmail dot com.
thanks!
@jillian lauren
re: teaching experience at gmu - it's not at all guaranteed, but a number of students get ta positions in their second year. i know two people who've done it. if teaching is really important to you and you make that known, the administration will do what they can to get you a position.
i also visited gmu, and i'll be there in the fall. if you have other questions you can email me at mk(DOT)wlsh(AT)gmail(DOT)com.
i'm still not sure what ppl are talking about when they say columbia is "easier" (even "relatively easier") to get into. it may not have a 1% acceptance rate, but it's less than 10%. this year, probably closer to 5%. those aren't exactly easy odds. and part of that is due less to selectivity than the size of the class, which for some applicants is a plus. i applied to some small programs, too, but i couldn't really get into the idea of having the same 5 ppl in a workshop every class. as for cohort, it's less strong than what? the 3 or 4 schools in the country that the ppl getting into columbia might choose over it? so it *might* not be as strong a cohort as michigan, iowa, and virginia? wow, it must be terrible then. not trying to inflame anyone, just putting things into perspective.
@laura
I'd love to hear anything about Oregon. I've not heard a peep about it lately, but I'm not on here much. I am fiction, and my email is phlgrlnd at gmail dot com.
I would love to read the faculty's work! I am a huge David Bradley fan!
I would also love to hear what you think of Eugene.
(formerly posting as pretzel)
I was accepted to Stony Brook Southampton this morning by email! This is my only acceptance of 12, so I'm pretty excited. Finally, some affirmation about my writing! Does anyone have any information on the program or the area?
Repeating my question from earlier:
Does anyone know anything about Roosevelt University? Is the program good enough to choose over the well-knowns due to low tuition?
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!
I've accepted my offer at NYU (poetry) and have been scanning to see who else from the blog will be joining me this fall.
Anyone out there accept their spot at NYU?
YAY! I got off the waitlist at McNeese... omg Louisiana... I freaking love Louisiana.... *victory lap*
Congrats Mila :) are you fiction or poetry, out of curiosity?
Has anyone heard from the New School (in poetry)?
I love this blog -- I wish I would have discovered it sooner in the application process!
@sharste
over at driftless house, it looks like someone was notified for poetry from TNS by mail on 4/1.
@kaybay
poetry!
@HR
I'd finish the book, honestly. It sounds like a great opportunity and the MFA program will still be there next year (and the year after that, etc). And maybe you won't get funding at that same school, but I'd say that's an okay risk to take. And it sounds to me like this book was something you wanted to get done first. Moreover, I think the timing for publishing is probably a lot more sensitive than the timing for the MFA...
That's how I would approach it anyway. They're both fantastic opportunities, so I don't think you can go wrong either way! Congratulations. :]
@NellieV
Have you heard from SLC lately? Please e-mail me if you do.
nikay (underscore) p (at) yahoo (dot) com
Best of luck to us!
@Nick
Wow, I think that was one of the best things I've read sizing up Columbia's program. I have to say the writing-time issue was weighing on my mind as I decided to go there, but I ultimately rationalized it away (mostly...) by thinking about how inordinately much time I spend on class prep and grading when I'm teaching--because I'll probably take on a normal-person job while I'm in the program, I'm hoping that when I leave it my mind will be free as a bird.
Does anyone have other suggestions on how to make more time for writing, or make the most of what you do have?
Re: Columbia (@Susan).
I hate to be that guy in the conversation who injects "facts" (ugh!) into the conversation, but still, no -- we're not going to go back to the bad old days of 2004 and 2005 when there were no facts available and anyone who wanted to could make any claim they wanted to make and be believed.
So, here are the facts: In the context of the American MFA system, yes, Columbia University is easy to get into. Only 80 programs in the U.S. have known acceptance rate figures, and of those 80 programs Columbia ranks 64th out of 80 in selectivity. (All large-size and "RSN" selectivity numbers are available at TSE and have been since January of 2007). Given that there are 145 full-residency programs, if all 145 programs' acceptance rates were known we would expect Columbia to be ranked 116th nationally in selectivity. The program is, in American MFA terms, essentially non-selective. In terms of the larger U.S. system of higher education, of course, we would still call it quite selective -- its 14.17% acceptance rate is much lower than nearly any college or university in the U.S. But compared to the other programs in its field it is not a selective program. Period. This is not my opinion -- this is what the numbers simply tell us.
So when Susan says the acceptance rate is "less than 10%...this year, probably closer to 5%," that is flatly wrong. How do we know? We know because the data I provided above comes from the Columbia University website.
Selectivity cannot be divorced from class size. A larger class size means more students who wouldn't have gotten in were the program smaller and more selective -- again, this is simply how educational admissions works. While the top students at Columbia might be quite strong, one also assumes that if they had a funded option anywhere else they would have taken it. So "strong" is again a relative term.
Columbia's cohort is nothing like Michigan's. I mean, crikey -- do people realize that Columbia's acceptance rate is 1,461% that of Vanderbilt's...? Not 146.1%, folks -- 1,461%.
All right, having said all that, Nick is also correct that Columbia has its Ivy League pedigree, distinguished faculty and alumni, and an amazing location (I question whether a "rigorous [academic] curriculum" is what MFA applicants are after, so I don't add that in). It is for these reasons that Columbia's poetry program won't drop out of the top 50 until 2012 (instead of in this year's rankings, where it's #47), won't drop out of the top 25 in fiction until 2012 (it's #23 now), won't drop out of the top 25 overall until 2012 (it's #25 now), and won't drop out of the top 50 overall for perhaps another decade. Were it any other program I think some or all of these things would have happened already (just as they are about to happen to Sarah Lawrence College, which is about to fall off the top 50 map in its overall, poetry, and fiction rankings).
I think there are only two flaws in the first part of Nick's CU theory: 1) the number of people getting the funding he's described is believed to be about 5% of the incoming class (i.e., 0.71% of those who apply in the first instance [5% of 14.17%]), making a funded spot at Columbia a harder task than admission at any MFA program in the world -- by a lot -- and 2) once you get in, you discover the cohort is generally weak, so if you're expecting to do a lot of your learning from peers rather than faculty that's a potential issue. Generally, though, Nick has put his finger on my problem with Columbia -- it's not just the cost, it's that the program is in no way designed to deliver what MFA applicants want (time to write, not tons of academic requirements and the near necessity of a part-time job).
S.
P.S. The reason we have to speculate on how many CU admittees get the funding Nick was referring to is because Ben Marcus refused to say when I asked him point-blank on this blog. In fact, he vanished from the conversation as soon as he was pressed about how many people get the "good funding" he was trying to tout as a possibility for admittees. That's not a good sign -- when a program refuses to reveal any hard data regarding the funding packages it's trying to crow about. Literally: all we know is that someone, somewhere, sometime got a full ride to Columbia. Try to figure out how many folks get that sort of treatment and you'll get the equivalent of what everyone on this blog got from Ben Marcus on that fateful day -- hung up on.
The most generous (to Columbia) speculation of what Columbia's funding looks like is actually my own, and you can still find it on this blog. When Ben Marcus came on this blog to dispute the numbers I'd provided based on the information I had available to me, the generalized recitation he launched into made the funding at CU sound worse than what I'd been speculating. Which I said to him at the time.
S.
@HR
I think it is a really, really tough decision that only you can make.
That said, if it were my decision, I'd finish the book. And it sounds like you are leaning that way, anyway?
Hi,
Is anyone from the blog (the regular's) in and around Forest Grove Portland in June..I'm coming for the Pacific Low Residency program there and I'd love to meet up for a coffee or beer....
cheers
Nef
@ Alexandra
I'm going to Columbia too, and had similar questions re time to write. I chose Columbia in part for the extra courses (which are craft seminars taught by MFA faculty, not academic lit courses - a difference worth noting). In the past I have found such a load more stimulating to my work than a drag on it; I'm probably less inclined by nature to the open-prairie model of writing time. If given hours upon hours, I would likely just freak my shit.
I currently write in NYC, work a full-time job, and study music. I get up at six each day, write for two-plus hours, then it's off to work, then practice some music in the evening. Getting my writing done first thing each day has been very key for me. I'm fresh, I put my best energy into it, and I don't have to "find time." Whatever else I do in a day, I've written something (usually). Regularity - no matter how hung over, etc., I show up at my computer - has also been key. That's what's worked for me, and I'm pretty confident that it's a good starting point when I change my schedule around for Columbia.
I would also point to another aspect of NYC that hasn't really been mentioned so far. That is, yes your time (like your space) is more constrained here than it is in other places. The upside of this is that you have to be very purposeful with how you use your time. My pressing schedule forced me to be disciplined w my writing time (both in making it and in not working on too many projects at once). It's a very weird, counter-intuitive thing - maybe not everyone experiences it. Oddly, once I did start being very disciplined with writing time, I became much much more productive in how I approached my day job and my music - the exact opposite of what I expected would happen.
Sheesh, that's a lot of words. But my main advice is, make the time and make it your priority. The rest really will fall into place and will even help you, keeping you actively making and using your writing time, not taking it for granted or letting it diffuse out onto the steppes. Again, not for everyone, but that's my approach.
@ Jamie,
I'm also going to Columbia, and I just wanted to say that I really relate to what you've written. I always felt that free time makes me very wasteful. A tight schedule has always made me more focused and determined.
Also, great advice on writing in the mornings! I'm going to give it a try.
See you in the fall :-)
@ Everybody -
Does anyone have any information on Roosevelt University in Chicago? Anything at all. Please.
@ Yarduni
Thanks. Look forward to meeting/working w you too!
I don't want to enter into the Columbia discussion at all — but I did want to share an interesting essay with anyone who wanted to read it:
Meghan Daum, "My Misspent Youth"
I read this shortly before graduating from college, when my friends were making the mass exodus to New York, and it definitely made me take a step back and reconsider the impulse to head for the city. It's a fantastic essay, no matter where you come down on the New York/Columbia/debt discussion.
@Katie - Just this morning I read an article about the woman who wrote "My Misspent Youth" in the latest issue of Poets and Writers. How timely!
@Yarduni,
I don't know much about the program itself, but there was a point this season where I looked into applying (emailed/spoke with someone on the phone). I was sort of turned off by the lack of organization, for instance, in order to get additional information, I had to send away for it (it was not available on the website) which took upwards of 4 weeks to arrive.
What I know about Roosevelt in general is that it's a commuter campus in a great location and that it's a small, very diverse university. I know very little about the MFA, but the requirements and course listings seem pretty standard.
Like you said, it isn't "highly rated or anything," but it has a good faculty, similar courses to many other programs, a 30 year old lit magazine and a seemingly impressive reading series (although they listed Maxine Kumin and “Maxine Kumis” on their website). I don’t know anything about funding, and I didn’t end up applying, but it seems like a nice option to have.
@ seth and everyone
BU's website makes it seem as though its a really strong program with a history of graduating successful writers. Why is it so low in the rankings?
@Julia & Jennifer--thanks so much for the advice. I wanted to make sure I wasn't being completely nuts. I think I will take the time and give both book and MFA their due.
@em yeu anh
probably because it's only a one year program.
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