<p>Well first, thanks for reading. I'm not sure if this is in the correct forum.</p>
<p>I just finished my sophomore year at a USNWR top 20 university. Though I first entered intending to major in political science and then go to law school after I graduate, I quickly realized that political science is not my cup of tea. Now I'm a double major in English and history right now, and I'm enjoying them very much, and though I guess law school remains a solid option, for whatever reason law school does not seem as attractive a destination than it once was to me. My GPA is 3.525 as of now, and it'll probably stay around there.</p>
<p>Here is my conundrum. If I do not go to law school, my career options lose most of their luster. A Bachelor of Ars degree in English and history is not exactly lucrative, and I am not really sure what I could do with them. For the past year or so, I've really developed an interest in creative writing, and I've been doing a little bit of research, and the results are more than a little intimidating. The good English M.F.A. programs have acceptance rates that fall below 5%. Moreover, I really have no formal experience with creative writing (fiction writing to be more specific), as I've never taken a class in it, and the earliest I can do so is in the spring of my junior year because I'll be studying in London this fall. I certainly am not one of those people who won a bunch of writing awards in high schol, but I do know that reading and writing are the two things that I enjoy most. Between now and my senior year, I'm going to be working on developing a portfolio, most likely two short stories, and getting some good recommendations.</p>
<p>However, I really want to be prepared. A very high percentage of people who apply to English MFA programs are not accepted, and I really have no gauge for how good my [creative] writing is, so in all likelihood, I probably will not end up being an English MFA student. If this is the case, I am willing to accept it and move forward in other endeavors, but I am not sure what other options I have.</p>
<p>So, assuming I do not get into an English MFA program, what career or academic pursuits (other than becoming a professor or teacher) do you think are available to me?</p>
<p>The possibilities are infinite. There are more job titles out there than you can imagine, and no one can list them all for you.</p>
<p>You need to do the brainstorming yourself. Start by visiting your university’s career center. Get some exposure to the various industries out there, and go on some informational interviews with people who work in areas you find to be interesting.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that finding a career is not always a straight path, secured by acquiring specific training. Life is actually much more fluid and accidental than that!</p>
<p>An M.F.A. in Creative Writing won’t make you any more marketable than an A.B. in English. Yes, you will be qualified to apply for tenure track teaching positions, but unless you also have a strong publication history, you have little chance for the few open spots. You should also be aware that very few professional writers can support themselves solely through the publication of their work, a major reason why so many teach or are doctors and lawyers. And contrary to popular belief, an M.F.A. is not a path toward publication. Yes, it helps improve your writing, and it teaches a scholarly approach toward technique and craft, but you’ll still be struggling to get noticed unless you attend a top program and work with a top advisor who is willing to promote you to his contacts over all his other students.</p>
<p>So . . . if you’re still reading, here’s what you need to know about applying to M.F.A. in Creative Writing programs: admittance is based mostly on the writing sample. Know the faculty of the writing programs before choosing the work to submit. Most M.F.A. programs prefer somewhat experimental work over conventional, although some are more experimental than others. Your fiction (I’m assuming you’re going for fiction and not poetry, although the same advice pertains) needs to be literary, with strict attention to the language, characterization, and thematic development, and not genre-based (in other words, not a thriller or a romance or mystery). As long as your grades and GREs are solid, then the decision will be based a little on your SOP and the rest on the quality and originality of the piece you submit. Letters of recommendation can help if you attend a university with some well-known writers on the faculty with whom you’ve taken courses; otherwise, just get English professors to write them. You don’t have to major in creative writing. Although it helps if you take a class or two so the adcom knows that you’re aware of the workshop structure of upper level courses, not having taken any won’t be a factor if your sample is first-rate. </p>
<p>As for other careers open to you: you could take a couple of marketing/advertising courses at a community college, and go into one of those fields. In fact, a few business courses, combined with an English degree from a top university, might open a few doors. You could work for an association or lobby firm in DC. (My sister had a degree in education, and started off working right out of college for an association as an assistant events manager. That experience led to a fairly lucrative career in managing outsourced services at a major company.) You could work at a university in admissions or alumni relations or development – none of which will pay well at first, but can be ways to get into better jobs. I suggest that you visit your career services center and plunk yourself down. The people there might be able to counsel you about possible career paths. Especially at top universities, there’s a fairly loyal network of alumni who want to interview recent or soon-to-be graduates. </p>
<p>People usually pursue an MFA in creative writing in the hopes of becoming a better writer. And yes, an MFA in Creative Writing is VERY competitive. I know someone who is a top graduate from a top LAC and did not get into any MFA programs this year. Not that his being a top graduate from this LAC would have helped him with the application. It is more about the writing sample and I have no idea how good/bad that was.</p>
<p>Momwaitingfornew, gives very good advice as did the poster before her.</p>
<p>This Pulitzer prize winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri (Pulitzer for short stories in 2000, I think) did not get into BU’s creative writing program the first year!</p>