{"id":16,"date":"2017-11-12T14:54:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-12T22:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.laverne.edu\/creative-writing\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2024-09-24T15:21:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T22:21:47","slug":"mfa-checklist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/artsci.laverne.edu\/creative-writing\/mfa-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Handy Getting-Ready-to-Apply-to-an-MFA Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you wondering – what is grad school in creative writing? And: why do it?<\/p>\n

Most programs are MFAs (Master of Fine Arts) in which you go to school for 2-3 years, taking primarily workshop classes but also (depending on the program) contemporary and canonical literature classes. Strong programs cover your tuition (really!) and even give you teaching experience, for which you get a modest stipend (10-25K\/year range); these are competitive and hard to get into. But they’re are a lot of them, especially outside California.<\/p>\n

You spend most days in grad school reading, writing, thinking about writing, and talking with other people about writing \u2014 it\u2019s an immersive experience that can be productive, educational, and fun. It gives you time to focus on writing, basically, and maybe a little teaching (or, at some programs, editing) experience.<\/p>\n

Research Creative Writing programs.<\/h2>\n

First: considering spending all of $4.99 for a very helpful guide<\/a> to choosing an MFA. (Or ask your program, as we might have a copy!)<\/p>\n

The next best place to go is a guide from the Association of Writers and Writing Programs<\/a> to its member creative writing programs. This is a searchable database of MFA programs, and it lets you read about any and all MFAs in the country by location and program type (2-3 years, residency\/non, genre, etc). As you read through the results, you should pay special attention to and take notes on these categories: faculty, application deadlines, necessary application materials, and financial aid information.<\/p>\n

A much more subjective (but still helpful) guide is an old\u00a0ranking of MFA programs<\/a> put out by\u00a0Poets and Writers<\/em>. Don\u2019t pay too much attention to the overall or genre rankings (the \u2018stats\u2019 they use are iffy), but do pay attention to these categories: funding rank\/full funding, job placement rank, cost of living, and student\/faculty ratio.<\/p>\n

Use the information on these two sites to create a list of 10+ potential programs (plan on applying from anywhere between 6-10). Your search criteria are up to you, of course, but really keep in mind the quality of the faculty, the type (genre\/residency\/length) of program, tuition\/financial aid, and success of graduates.<\/p>\n

Discuss potential graduate programs with adviser.<\/h2>\n

In early fall semester of your senior year — or, better, in late spring of your junior year — set up an appointment with your major adviser and talk about the programs that have caught your eye; this can help clarify any questions you have or any things that might not have occurred to you, and it\u2019ll help hone your list as you get ready for the application process.<\/p>\n

Make a fall checklist\/timeline.<\/h2>\n

Grad school applications are usually due sometime between December and February. They are complex, so it\u2019s crucial you\u2019re organized. Make a list of what you\u2019ll need for each program you\u2019re applying for, gather that information, and give yourself dates by which to complete all the various tasks. Those will include (but not be limited to):<\/p>\n