Now that it’s January, we’ve started to see some applications again for our low-residency MFA program for another year. This has me thinking about all the advice I’ve given to applicants over the years. If I could give one piece of advice on how to apply, I think it would be to just be you.Continue reading “MFA Application Advice 2024”
Category Archives: MFA application
Returning to the Statement of Purpose
Over the years, I’ve written quite a bit about how to write your statement of purpose for a low-res MFA program. That advice is still valid, but I felt it was time to return to it again and to update it somewhat. I’m curious about the things most applicants leave out of their statement, andContinue reading “Returning to the Statement of Purpose”
Meet me at #AWP23
Next week, I’ll be headed to Seattle for the annual AWP conference. If you don’t know that acronym, it’s the Association of Writers’ and Writing Programs, an annual gathering of thousands (often over 10,000) writers, teachers, publishers, etc. Virtually everyone is a writer, but we all wear a number of hats. I’ll spend most ofContinue reading “Meet me at #AWP23”
Ranking MFA Programs in Creative Writing
It’s that time of the year again — the time when writers everywhere get serious about looking for an MFA program. It only makes sense, with many application deadlines coming due in December or January, if you want to be in an MFA program a year from now, you’ll want to get serious about lookingContinue reading “Ranking MFA Programs in Creative Writing”
Advice on Writing Letters of Recommendation for the MFA in Creative Writing
Advice on writing the letter of recommendation: don’t sweat the adjectives, but do give plenty of specifics.
Celebrate National Scholarships Month by Searching for One
I’ve recently received a notice about Sallie Mae’s scholarship search tool for graduate scholarships, so I wanted to mention it here. Finding funding for grad school can be a challenge, unless your program is fully funded. Having a search tool like this could be a game-changer for some. Their $20,000 Bridging the Dream Scholarship wouldContinue reading “Celebrate National Scholarships Month by Searching for One”
Three Questions for MFA Applicants
It is that time of year when those who are deciding whether and where to apply to an MFA program in cretive writing are busy preparing their applications or deciding where they will actually apply. Whether you’re in the final stages or just getting started, here are three questions I think you should ask yourself.Continue reading “Three Questions for MFA Applicants”
Do You Need an MFA to Be a Writer?
This morning WordPress showed me a link to this post: You Don’t Need an MFA to Be a Writer by Roxanna Coldiron. Though I direct a low-residency MFA program, I couldn’t agree more. I liked the post, but there was no way to comment, so I decided to write my response here. In her post,Continue reading “Do You Need an MFA to Be a Writer?”
MFA Applications Advice 2020
Over the past five years, I’ve been writing advice for MFA applicants. Here’s my latest post and links to more.
The MFA Writing Sample: How long?
Sometimes the best advice is the most practical advice, so with that in mind, I want to revisit the MFA Writing Sample to ask a question about optimal length. Those of us who teach undergraduate writers often make paper assignments that are 5-7 or 8-10 pages. In those cases, hitting the minimum is required, but toContinue reading “The MFA Writing Sample: How long?”
Kendall Dunkelberg 