<p>I'm new to this forum, so I hope I'm doing this right. Anyway, does anyone have any information on the MFA in creative writing? Is anyone else looking to apply to this kind of program? I have a few questions about it.</p>
<p>First of all, how selective are these programs generally? Are they usually difficult to get into? I'm curious about low-residency programs; are these considered as good as "regular" programs? Which MFA programs are generally considered to be at the top? How important are the GRE exams? Some of the programs don't even require them, so I'm guessing that they're not the most important part of an application, but I'm a little worried because I'm not the best standardized test taker and haven't taken a real math class since I took calculus in high school. Lastly, how important is a person's GPA? I'm a junior and have roughly a 3.55 at a selective and rigorous LAC (English major). For what it's worth I got a A in the one creative writing class I took in college. (My school doesn't offer many writing classes, although I'm slated to take one next semester and hope to take another next fall.)</p>
<p>I hope to concentrate in either fiction or nonfiction (probably nonfiction). My plan is to write an honors thesis during my senior year to show that I am capable of doing graduate level work. I've won a couple of writing awards, one large national one in high school and another smaller one at my college that doesn't really mean much. </p>
<p>The schools I'm considering right now are the following ones in New England:
-University of New Hampshire
-Emerson College
-Lesley University
-Vermont College of Fine Arts
-Bennington College
-University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Does anyone know anything about the programs at these schools?</p>
<p>I know only a little about MFAs, so I'll offer you what info I've got, and maybe somebody else can fill in the blanks or correct me if I'm wrong. The first thing I can say is that you should really, really go talk to the person who taught your creative writing course: that person will have a strong sense of where you might fit in, what the top programs are, and--frankly--whether you have a shot. The second thing is that getting in to MFA programs is pretty different from getting in to other graduate programs: your numbers will be less important, while your recommendations and in particular your writing sample will be more important. In a sense, it's more like applying to a conservatory program (for music) or a fine arts school (like RISD or Pratt) than it is like applying to a four-year university. The third thing is that most MFA programs are brutally competitive to get into: acceptance rates tend to be in the low single digits, and may be below 1% for the top programs. For this reason as much as any other, you will want to build strong relationships with your creative writing faculty: you need awesome recs.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry much about an honors thesis unless you can write a creative thesis (like a novel or a group of poems): some schools will let you. An academic thesis won't hurt, but it won't help much. Instead, try to spend as much time as you can improving your creative work: like, at least two to three hours a day writing creatively. Submit stuff to journals. Get feedback from writers you respect. Take your writing really seriously.</p>
<p>Finally, I've heard that there's a really active blog community around the process of applying to MFAs. I don't know anything about it myself (a friend of mine, applying to MFAs this year, was talking about it) but you might do some googling and see what you can find: you could probably pick up a lot of basic info that way. </p>
<p>Finally, how and why did you pick these programs? Most of them are not terribly strong universities, and I haven't heard about any of them as having a strong MFA program. Then again, one or more of them might be a real powerhouse: as I said, I'm hardly an expert. I'm just curious how you made your list.</p>
<p>Yes, the honors thesis I'm planning would be a creative nonfiction thesis. (Of course, it has to be approved first, but I know that my school does allow creative writing theses.) </p>
<p>As for how I selected my list, well, I didn't think I had a shot at the top programs to be frank. Also, I'm not even sure what the top programs are. I mean, I know, say, Iowa is at the top, and I assume prestigious schools such as Brown and Johns Hopkins (both of which I believe have MFA programs) would be ranked high, too, but I figured I couldn't get into any of those. Basically I just picked schools in New England that I knew had MFA programs (I'm not too keen on traveling too far away); I really don't know if they're any good or not. I'll see if I can get in touch with my creative writing professor. Also, I might ask my adviser about programs. He has a PhD and not an MFA, but he has published several books of poetry, so I'm sure he has some knowledge in this area.</p>
<p>Wow, I had no idea that MFA programs were that competitive! It sounds like I have a tough road ahead of me. I've already started working on my writing sample and have shared my first draft with someone I know who teaches writing at a local university (and maybe she'll show it to a friend who might show it to a friend and so on), and it looks like I've started just in time!</p>
<p>No problem; I wish I knew more to tell you. One thing to remember about those stats is that a lot of the people who apply are not really super-serious writers, so you can beat out a hefty percentage of the pool just by investing time in your craft. Don't be too intimidated. </p>
<p>There's a new book on Amazon about MFAs in Creative Writing that is getting a lot of good reviews: it might answer a lot of your questions or at least help you decide where to start looking. It's called <em>The Creative Writing MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students</em>.</p>
<p>If you're looking at MFA programs in New England, you might want to check out Southern Connecticut State University's new MFA program. This university has offered an MA and MS in English with a creative writing concentration for years but just got approval for an MFA. The creative writing faculty is dynamite, the program should remain small, for more personal attention, and the university is in New Haven, which is a great college town. Check it out: Southern</a> Connecticut State University News: m.f.a. in creative writing approved</p>