Is anyone familiar with applying to grad Creative Writing programs?

[roger_st]

If I don't get into any of the schools I applied to, I was thinking of applying to Creative Writing programs, the only problem is I never took any of those types of classes as an undergrad.  Is this the norm or are the majority of people who apply for Creative Writing degrees come from an English and/or Creative Writing background?  Any suggestions

Comments

[midnightglobe]

many MFA programs are as competitive or more competitive than MA and PhD programs.

[elorie]

You don't have to have an English or Creative Writing background; my bachelor's degree was in Anthropology. Everything depends on your portfolio, pretty much.

But as the other folks said, it's not exactly a back-up plan. My MFA program is new and not "top ranked" but got 150 applicants for 6 slots in their first year; by contrast, the PhD program I applied to got 50 applicants for 5 slots the same year. If you're thinking that writing is "easier" than whatever else you were thinking of doing, you are definitely barking up the wrong tree. On the other hand, if you were applying for other things out of some sense of pragmatism and writing is what you really want to be doing, go for it.

[tisiphone]

That is not a backup plan, it's a parallel plan. Entrance to any MFA worth going to is going to be as or more competitive than any PhD program you get rejected from. What classes you took won't necessarily matter so much, but you'll need to have a very strong portfolio ready. If you need to take the classes to hone your writing skills, definitely take them, but you don't need them for your transcript.

[notbettydraper]

Like others have said, MFA programs are quite competitive, and the portfolio is the most important part. No, you do not need to have taken creative writing classes -- HOWEVER, a number of your competitors will have taken workshops and been advised by top writers in the genre, which is why those classes sometimes put those students at an advantage. It's not that you can "learn" how to write a poem in a course OR that not taking creative courses makes you a "bad" writer (neither of those things are true!), but rather that the students who have taken classes with top-notch folks will have had the opportunity to receive the feedback of those instructors -- and will have the chance to get letters of recommendation from them. (A decent chunk of them will have published some, too

[ithinkheaven]

I wonder if I might ask; since you seem to know what you're talking about--why DO people get MFAs? To teach?

I'm in a similar position to the OP; I'm a psychology major, but I'm not absolutely convinced I want to go to grad school--yet. However, I have loved books and writing since way before psychology and my only wish in this life is to write a couple of good books. So, if I were going to go to grad school for anything, it would be writing; but then I've been thinking of how unnecessary it actually is.

By the way, when you and other mention portfolio, do you mean just a sample of work? Or does it have to be work done during classes/workshops, with comments, grades, etc. on it? Or does it have to be PUBLISHED, most importantly? (I mean, I have tons of work, but nothing published...)

[roseofjuly]

I'm not in creative writing, but it's my understanding that portfolios don't have to published and that leaving grades and comments on them is not recommended. Rather, it's several samples of your best work, sometimes in different styles to showcase your range of talent

[ithinkheaven]

Thank you for your thoughtful response. Yeah, I guess I'm just feeling pressured because it seems like everyone around me has a clear plan: going to law school or veterinary school, etc. I know it's useless to compare and contrast, but I feel so directionless at this point in my life, and I'm 21! I feel like it's time I grew up lol. Anyway... I know I hear A LOT about people waiting a year or more between undergrad and grad, but how on earth do they manage to get recommendations? Do their old professors really still remember them? And do they still have to take the GRE and stuff? I mean, it seems like it lowers your chances significantly, but I don't know if stuff like a better SoP or work experience just sort of makes up for all that other stuff...

[julietavalon]

I might be jumping in a little late, here, but I read some of the posts, and I just wanted to add a bit of info that might help.

Try an online writing course. It will give you the alloted writing time with critiques and support. It might help you decide whether paying more for a degree is worth it.
If you wanted to teach, you might find it very difficult to be in a classroom. I think the online route is the best way to go.