[Welly Wu]

I have finally decided to do something with my life and one of those things is to apply for a Masters of Fine Arts degree in English Creative Writing at these fine schools:

1. Columbia University deadline January 2nd, 2007 $100 USD
2. Cornell University deadline December 15th, 2006 $70 USD
3. New York University deadline December 15th, 2006 $80 USD
4. Hunter College at CUNY deadline February 1st, 2007 ?$ USD
5. Brooklyn College at CUNY deadline February 1st, 2007 ?$ USD
6. The New School for Social Research deadline December 15th, 2006 ?$ USD

I may decide to add two or three more schools in increase the probability of getting accepted. My anticipated entry into classes will be the Fall or September 2007.

I would like to know if any Head-Fi members are currently attending these schools for the MFA in English Creative Writing degree or are graduates. Heck, if you know someone who was, then please post. I am carefully reading Poets & Writers forum as they have the best information freely available, but I thought to ask here as well.

Since I was 12 years old, one of the only things that I ever wanted to do well was to become a writer and poet. The only classes that I cared most deeply about were my writing classes. I excelled to say the least. Hell, the only thing that people ever commented about me was the quality of my writing and my competitive shooting skills. Otherwise, I am just a regular guy like everybody else.

I earned an associates degree in Liberal Arts from Essex County College with a 3.68 GPA - magna cum laude. I was accepted with a full scholarship to Montclair State University and I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in English Creative Writing with a 3.15 GPA. I took the Graduate Record exam and I scored a 5.5 out of 6.0 on the two analytical writing essays and I scored a 570 out of 800 on the verbal and a dismal 470 out of 800 on the math.

90% of the decision making process will be on the quality of my creative writing portfolio. I am required to submit a 10 - 20 page poetry portfolio in addition to a 25 - 30 page fiction portfolio. I have started work on the poetry portfolio and I have to begin working on the fiction portfolio soon. 10% of the decision making process will be on my standardized exams, undergradate transcript, letters of recommendation, and their gut feeling about my personal statement of purpose letter.

I know I can get in if I get obsessed like Head-Fi style. When I get obsessed with things, I produce results. Just like this Wadia 302 or the US Postal Service Exam 473, I won't give up until I get exactly what I want. Honestly, I would love to go to any one of these MFA programs in NYC, but my highest preference is Cornell University. I know it is very highly competitive, but not impossible. They offer a full endowment which covers everything. Amazing. I know how hard it is to make it as an author to get your work seen by publishers and published let alone the rat race to climb up the New York Times Bestsellers List.

But, if I accept it all. I am 29 years old. If I don't try to do something with my life that will make me feel like I am making use of my education or talent or passions, then I will just be unhappy as I am now. Music and high-end audio can only do so much to distract me from my longing to become an author and poet.

So, if you know somebody or are a graduate or are going to these schools for this specific program, then post. If you are attending these schools for different programs or know somebody who graduated, post. What better way for me to get obsessed than to read it on Head-Fi.

 

[viator122]

Ask Scrypt.....

Do any of those schools offer night classes? That might be a way for you to pursue your dream without feeling too much of a pinch in your wallet.

 

[JahJahBinks]

what do you do for living?

 

[radrd]

I don't know about any of these schools, but if you haven't done so already, make sure you research your long term goals after the MFA.

Assuming you are good enough to be accepted into an MFA program, and I have no reason to believe you aren't, make sure the MFA will be worth the time and effort. If your goal is to be a college professor, then an MFA, coupled with being a published author is definitely the way to go. On the other hand, if your one goal is to become a successful writer ($$), an MFA could be a waste of time and money. Your time might be better spent at a real job while you bust your ass writing in your free time.

I'm not saying a MFA won't make you a better writer, because it will, but make sure that you have realistic expectations. Making money as a writer means being able to tell an entertaining story and while an MFA might make you proficient at telling that story, the only way you are going to get paid is if people want to read that story/poem.

Make sure the degree will produce the tangible results you are looking for or you might find yourself worse off than you are now when you finish the program.

 

[Welly Wu]

I am adding the New School to my list. Cornell has a full endowment if I get accepted. Hunter and Brooklyn usually offer 75% or more in terms of scholarships, grants, teaching assistant stipends, etc. It is not unusual for a lot of people who get accepted to the Ivy schools to go to Hunter or Brooklyn because they want a full ride instead of taking on debt.

radrd:

Good advice. It really depends on who you talk to in the biz so to speak as to whether or not an MFA is worth it. Like creative writing, it is just sooooo subjective (even more so than high end audio or music critiques). Some people say it was worth the experience, worth the education, and worth the debt (if any). Some say you can make it without a degree as an author or poet. Some are still struggling to pay off the debt while getting their work in front of publishers. Your mileage, it seems upon perusing the Poets & Writers forum, may vary very greatly. Hmmph. A major purpose why I want to apply and earn my MFA is so I can spend the next two years learning my craft in a formal structured environment with professionals. I can only concentrate and learn so much on my own by having to go through trial and error. It could take me more years to get up to speed with other authors and poets through that method. I just realized that is a probable outcome if I don't apply. Damn.

I have to prepare for the worst. I am taking multiple US Postal Service 473 exams. I expect to get the job sometime late this year or within the first half of next year right before hearing word on my applications next April 2007. I know how tough it is to get a lucky break and get my writing noticed and published especially in the creative writing arts. So, it looks like I will still keep taking these USPS 473 exams so I can have a decent and very secure paying 5 AM - 4 PM job to pay for rent, clothes, pay off my USDOE student loan debt, save up, etc. If I can take exams in the NYC area or nearby Ithaca, NY (where Cornell University is located) and I can coordinate job and school, then that will have to be my strategy.

I know I can't afford to go to MFA school on Barnes & Noble hourly pay, but I also know that I can't afford high end audio, yet here I still am. I have to be honest: this is far more consequential and important to me than music or audio. Right now, I can afford the application fees without any problems while still paying off debts and saving up emergency cash.

I have to revise my 2006 and 2007 goals. I also have to set a writing schedule: 1 month for poems, 1 month for fiction, 2 months for revisions, and 1 month for all of the application paperwork. If I get obsessed with this entire process and getting into one of these schools, then I will do everything to make it happen. That is my key. I have always dreamed about getting my work published under my name. Now is the perfect time to get busy and quit dreaming and start producing. I have to do this. I am getting older and I have realized that everything I am doing is not nearly as satisfying as doing what I have the talent and was born to do. Everything else is just wasting away my time. That is my leverage.

 

[Welly Wu]

Most of the schools in NYC do offer night classes.

Scrypt, reply to this thread if you have some tips or information that I could learn early on. Thanks.

 

[radrd]

Quote:

I know I can't afford to go to MFA school on Barnes & Noble hourly pay, but I also know that I can't afford high end audio, yet here I still am. I have to be honest: this is far more consequential and important to me than music or audio. Right now, I can afford the application fees without any problems while still paying off debts and saving up emergency cash.

The cliche says, Where there is a will, there is a way. That might not be entirely true, but regardless, I've learned something very recently: To succeed you need to be inspired, not obsessed. Whether you believe it or not, I really do wish you the best.

 

[Welly Wu]

radrd:

thanks for the support.

 

[tjkurita]

Welly,

I am a graduate of NYU's MFA program in fiction. I am working on my first novel right now.

I recommend NYU wholeheartedly. It is a great place to learn. When you apply to NYU (and I think the same goes for most MFA programs) you will find that they require you to focus on either poetry of fiction. In fact, in most cases at NYU students in the fiction program are not allowed to take poetry classes and vice-versa.

I didn't start writing until about a year before I decided to apply to an MFA program. I didn't have the been-at-it-since-I-was-twelve level of comfort with story and structure and pace, etc. As a result I personally found the environment and the guidance of great teachers and writers invaluable. I wouldn't know what I wanted to do if I hadn't done the MFA. The teachers have a great deal of experience and they are able to quickly point out things that don't work and provide suggestions about how to fix things. In the best cases, they offer general solutions to specific problems in writing.

I don't really know who should go and who shouldn't go. I know that you should take a chance if that's what you want to do. You'll meet good friends and mentors at an MFA program, schools would be willing to hire you with an MFA. It's good to have a higher degree and it is a two year program rather than a four year so you will only be 31 when you finish. I would encourage anyone with talent and interest to attend an MFA program, provided that they don't have to go into debt (and maybe even if they did).

If you are concerned about paying for it (and you should be!

) you might want to apply to all of the schools and see which one offers the most money. I don't remember how much application fees are, but it might be worth it if you can get into a good program and not have to worry about tuition. And don't forget Iowa. They are the gleam in many eyes.

Also, I must respectfully disagree with radrd about inspiration and obsessiveness. During his first lecture every year, one of my teachers says to his students "The only thing all successful writers have in common is that they write every day." I would add that all of the successful ones have a healthy obsession with writing and don't wait for inspiration to take hold. My teacher continues: "You must write when you are too angry to write, when you are too sad, or tired, or bored, or happy, or in love. You must write every day even if you've got nothing. It comes with patience and habit." I'd add that sometimes it comes full blast, but that's only for about 5 minutes and you've usually got to re-write that stuff anyway because you were so damned impressed with yourself you stopped focussing on the writing.

And here's Ernest Hemingway on that subject: "I have to write to be happy whether I get paid for it or not. But it is a hell of a disease to be born with. I like to do it. Which is even worse. That makes it from a disease into a vice. Then I want to do it better than anybody has ever done it which makes it into an obsession. An ovsession is terrible. Hope you haven't gotten any. That's the only one I've got left."

Good luck. I hope it all works out for you.

John.