Naturally, this topic will have different answers for different people. The best way to afford an MFA degree depends a lot on you, your schedule, and your finances, so the the best answer will be different for everyone. What I want to do in this post is to present a few scenarios that will help students navigateContinue reading “How to Afford Your MFA in Creative Writing”
Category Archives: MFA application
Another thought on Grad School Funding: Ask Your Boss!
This past week, I spent at #AWP15, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs’ annual convention. There, I got lots of valuable information and had a great time running into writers I know from the Welty Symposium or from AWPs past. More on that in a later post, I hope! What I wanted to mentionContinue reading “Another thought on Grad School Funding: Ask Your Boss!”
How to Afford Grad School
First, a disclaimer! As anyone who reads this blog can tell you, I am not a financial planner. My idea of debt management is not to go into debt. Seriously. My only major loan was on our house. I pay off my credit cards and have never had a car loan. I thank my parentsContinue reading “How to Afford Grad School”
Are All MFA Grads the Same?
This is a follow-up post to my last one about what a Creative Writing MFA should do for you. In the wake of describing some of the goals for MUW’s new low-residency MFA, I’ve been thinking about that old saw that MFA programs have ruined literature. The idea, which has been around almost as long asContinue reading “Are All MFA Grads the Same?”
What can (should) a Creative Writing MFA do for you?
As many people will tell you, you don’t need an MFA to be a good writer. Many writers, even since the MFA became ubiquitous, have proven that point (not to mention the greats that somehow managed it before MFAs existed). So why bother (or pay for) getting a degree? The traditional wisdom used to be thatContinue reading “What can (should) a Creative Writing MFA do for you?”
Letters of Recommendation for MFA in Creative Writing
Recently, after posting on this blog about the Letter of Intent and the Writing Sample, I received a question about who should write letters of recommendation for a program in creative writing. I thought it might make sense to elaborate on that answer here. Let me preface my comments by saying that I can only discuss how IContinue reading “Letters of Recommendation for MFA in Creative Writing”
Thoughts on the MFA Writing Sample: What are we looking for?
As I begin to review writing samples submitted for The W’s new low-residency MFA in Creative Writing, I’ve been thinking about what it is, exactly, that I hope to see in them, and how I will make my final decisions. The writing sample is the main ingredient of the application packet; everything else either confirms whatContinue reading “Thoughts on the MFA Writing Sample: What are we looking for?”
What to say in your Statement of Purpose? (for an MFA Creative Writing)
Okay, so you’ve decided to apply to an MFA program in creative writing, and you are saddled with the unenviable task of writing a “statement of purpose” or “letter of intent” as I decided to call it in our new low-residency MFA program‘s application requirements. You’re undoubtedly flummoxed, thinking what the heck do I say,Continue reading “What to say in your Statement of Purpose? (for an MFA Creative Writing)”
Low-Residency MFA — What is it?
I’ve been working on our proposal for a new Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women, and it occurred to me that it might be worth blogging about what one is. So let’s start with the most obvious question. What is an MFA? To non-academics, the acronyms we use can sometimes be confusing.Continue reading “Low-Residency MFA — What is it?”
Kendall Dunkelberg 