The Writing Cooperative
8 min read Jan 18, 2023As the Assistant Director of an MFA program in Creative Writing for many years I saw hundreds of applications, and answered hundreds of questions from prospective students. So many came to the process without a good understanding of what they were getting into. Others were very savvy and did their homework before applying.
I wrote a whole article on 10 Considerations Before You Apply to an MFA Program as a guide for those just trying to figure out if they want to get an MFA at all. People make a lot of assumptions about what an MFA will do for them, so I wanted to clear up some common misapprehensions and show people some alternatives if you’re not ready to shell out $30K on a degree.
Maybe by now you’ve decided to actually apply to an MFA program in Creative Writing. Hopefully you’ve researched lots of programs and know where you want to apply. You don’t need to apply to 10; in fact, I would say, apply to no more than 3–5. The application fees can add up, for one thing (although they may be waived if you call the Admissions office and cite financial hardship). Also, it can be time-consuming, since each program will have slightly different essay questions to answer or other hoops to jump through.