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labazro

Oct 5, 2009, 9:51 AM

Post #2076 of 2528 (8477 views)
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Re: [jayd] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

yeah, I got a great vibe from pacific as well. i very much struggled over that decision. Looks like a great program.

I think you're right, all these programs are great. I keep telling myself i will end up where I belong.

My gut, besides liking Vermont, wants this part over with. I'm ready to look forward to something instead of trying to figure out what to look forward to.

I think I'll write VC now. So is it Queens or Pacific for you?

jayd

Oct 5, 2009, 9:58 AM

Post #2077 of 2528 (8476 views)
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Re: [labazro] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I completely agree. I've had a knot in my stomach since I sent out my applications. I can't wait to finally make a decision and begin preparing for the residency.

I accepted Pacific when Queens called me. Through my various conversations with them and my research my gut keeps telling me QUEENS QUEENS.

I'm going to call Pacific today. I need a few more days to decide.

labazro

Oct 5, 2009, 10:22 AM

Post #2078 of 2528 (8466 views)
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Re: [jayd] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I think it came down to reading the faculty for me. I want to work with writers and so that was the best (potentially imperfect) way to see where I should go. This is why I struggled with Pacific as the faculty's writing was awesome.

VC's long history made a difference to me as well. Also, I read about every blog, post and reference I could on all the programs I applied to and the volume and consistency of VC's praise impressed me.

I grew up on the west coast and have never been to vermont, or that area of the country. this also felt relevant to me--being someplace completely new. this was also hard as Oregon is an amazing state.

There were some financial considerations that made a difference for me. With Pacific you have to buy all your dinners and take care of breakfast. The residency fee was higher as well. With VC, a lower res fee and all meals included. When I crunched the numbers I realized that was worth considering.

Sorry--just rambling now. Anyway, I just wrote VC. This board has been really helpful to me. What did people do before the internet to make decisions--burn themselves with cigarettes and cry probably.

htherien

Oct 5, 2009, 11:20 PM

Post #2079 of 2528 (8395 views)
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Re: [labazro] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

This is my first post, but I've been a reader for some time. I'm waiting to hear from Warren Wilson (fiction). Actually, I called them today around noon and spoke with a very nice woman in the office. Somehow I was under the impression she might give me a ring back to let me know sometime today...but ugh, nothing. Those of you who called WW already---what was the time frame? Did they let you know immediately, or was it a "We'll get back to you" situation? I am making myself insane, trying to read way too much into very little information.

jayd

Oct 6, 2009, 10:36 AM

Post #2080 of 2528 (8368 views)
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Re: [htherien] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

When I called I told them that I was on deadline with another school. They emailed me the rejection letter two days later.

dsanchez377

Oct 6, 2009, 2:53 PM

Post #2081 of 2528 (8339 views)
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Re: [jayd] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

New poster, longtime reader here too. I applied for the first time this year for the January 2010 semester and I'm currently in late stages of freaking out. Maybe I shouldn't be but that's my personality. Already heard from WW and VC (both yes) and still waiting on Bennington and Pacific.

Reading through some of your responses worries me. It sounds like Bennington is telling people to prepare for the end of October and both WW and VC have given me till mid-October to decide.

Any suggestions? VC already extended their decision deadline for me by request. Don't know if they'll do that again.

I'm getting gray hairs...

jayd

Oct 6, 2009, 3:09 PM

Post #2082 of 2528 (8328 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I completely get the stress.

You should call both schools and tell them your situation. They understand that we are given deadlines.

htherien

Oct 6, 2009, 4:09 PM

Post #2083 of 2528 (8316 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

dsanchez, what genre did you apply in?

Congratulations on your acceptances! Good luck with the big decisions.

dsanchez377

Oct 6, 2009, 4:16 PM

Post #2084 of 2528 (8315 views)
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Re: [htherien] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi, sorry I missed the end of your question above. I heard from WW (fiction) last thursday, 10/1. They called me, as I was too nervous to pick up the phone and check in. From what I hear, they take a long time to inform people but are also very friendly. It all seems pretty random, though. I hear stories from friends who applied to the same place, both got in, but heard weeks apart.

Best of luck to you!

labazro

Oct 7, 2009, 9:07 AM

Post #2085 of 2528 (8267 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

First, congratulations on being accepted to WW and VC. That's awesome. I only wanted to add that at this stage it might be a good idea to try to figure out where you want to go. In my situation, I started researching a program I was waiting on and realized that even if they said yes I'd go with the program I already heard from. This simplified the waiting process quite a bit.

Don't know if that helps. Good luck

peacewillcome

Oct 7, 2009, 10:56 AM

Post #2086 of 2528 (8250 views)
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Re: [labazro] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

peacewillcome

Oct 7, 2009, 11:01 AM

Post #2087 of 2528 (8249 views)
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Re: [mattfried] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

very difficult to get a sense of what program will fit best. Vermont
gave me time to decide. Bennington put pressure on to make a decision within 2weeks of acceptance without having heard from all schools. While undestandable, it placed me in a very difficult situtation. All programs seems good with different emphasis.

299 broadway

Oct 7, 2009, 12:46 PM

Post #2088 of 2528 (8229 views)
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Re: [peacewillcome] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

peacewillcome -- you've been contacted by bennington? when did they call? thanks

peacewillcome

Oct 7, 2009, 3:24 PM

Post #2089 of 2528 (8192 views)
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Re: [299 broadway] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

about mid-september

299 broadway

Oct 7, 2009, 3:25 PM

Post #2090 of 2528 (8190 views)
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Re: [peacewillcome] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks for letting us know!

srohrbach
Shawn Rohrbach

Oct 8, 2009, 2:22 PM

Post #2091 of 2528 (8089 views)
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Re: [fallingalice] Looking for Grads & Students of Low-Residency MFAs [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Just found this thread! YEAH for those of us embarking on a great new journey.

Honestly when I applied to programs I never thought I would be accepted. Surprisingly I was, to Antioch, Naropa and New England but I still haven't heard from WW or Pacific University.

Overall, I am really excited about the possibility of studying at Antioch. I love their focus on Social Justice.

I do wonder if anyone has any specific comments on Antioch or Naropa.

Having attend and completed my MFA at Naropa, one would think Iwould be a raving fan boy, but there are some things to consider. Overall, the program was excellent. In my day, it was still divided into Prose and Poetry concentrations, and I did not want a poetry concentration. I worked very well with my profs and got a lot from them. They were excellent, well published authors/teachers. The academics were challenging and focused on good work that could be published, knowing full well some students were there with no intention of publishing and that is just fine. On the flip side of this is the summer program which has not changed or grown (in context) in almost two decades. I was there in 98-2000, and the same people who had appeared in the summer program in 80'-90'swere there in 98-00 and were listed last summer as well. It's one thing to have a heritage, it's quite another to move forward. As long as the summer program is mandatory for graduation, as it was for me, I would ask about the general artisitc tone and direction of it.

Shawn Rohrbach
www.shawnrohrbach.com

dsanchez377

Oct 9, 2009, 6:11 PM

Post #2092 of 2528 (8012 views)
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Re: [299 broadway] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the responses, guys. It's nice to know there are so many of us in the same boat.

I continue to be freaked out. Contacted Pacific today and was told I'd get an answer before the end of the day. I did. It was a NO. I'm reminding myself that everything is subjective and two other fine schools have already said yes.

Contacted Bennington as well but got voicemails all around at the Writing Seminars office. Looks like I'll have to wait till next week for that one.

Best of luck to everybody!

299 broadway

Oct 13, 2009, 4:00 PM

Post #2093 of 2528 (7862 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi All - still waiting to hear from Bennington. Suspect the ship has sailed.

dsanchez377

Oct 13, 2009, 4:12 PM

Post #2094 of 2528 (7856 views)
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Re: [299 broadway] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Don't give up hope!

I just heard from them yesterday that I was on the waiting list. Don't know what the odds are there but at least the fight's not over yet.

Did you apply anywhere else?

299 broadway

Oct 13, 2009, 4:16 PM

Post #2095 of 2528 (7853 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hey that's great for you. I hope -- if this is where you want to go -- that you get in. I had applied to a couple of top flight full time programs last winter. Thanks for letting us know you heard from Bennington.

sin

Nov 3, 2009, 5:29 AM

Post #2096 of 2528 (7402 views)
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Re: [dsanchez377] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

For what it is worth, you had several factors working against you at Pacific this semester.

1) Last residency's class was MASSIVE, unintentionally so. They deferred enrollment for a large number of students as a result. So the amount of spots for winter were already cut down drastically.
2) The readers at Pacific are notoriously subjective. It all depends on who gets your application first. Some of the readers are a bit picky and prickly - woe unto your application if sent to one of them first! There's a lot of luck involved in these things as I imagine is true for most mfa programs. At least that is my experience at Pacific.

Warren Wilson is an excellent school, I would jump at the chance were I you.

esined

Nov 5, 2009, 5:17 PM

Post #2097 of 2528 (7323 views)
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Re: [sin] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

dsanchez377: Warren Wilson is indeed both friendly and excellent. I'm in my second year of the program now and am very happy with my decision.

bardberry

Dec 18, 2009, 4:57 PM

Post #2098 of 2528 (6937 views)
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Re: [esined] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I was recently accepted to VCFA. I'm curious about how it stacks up against WW and Bennington (aside from the Atlantic rankings in 2007).

jlgwriter
Jeanne Lyet Gassman

Dec 18, 2009, 5:01 PM

Post #2099 of 2528 (6935 views)
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Re: [bardberry] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

What genre? I'm graduating from VCFA at the January residency. In fiction. It's been a fantastic experience.

Jeanne
http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com
http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.com

http://www.jeannelyetgassman.com
http://jeannelyetgassman.blogspot.com

bardberry

Dec 18, 2009, 10:20 PM

Post #2100 of 2528 (6906 views)
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Re: [jlgwriter] Anyone Heard? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Fiction also. Congrats on graduating! Can you tell me a little about your experience?

If there are any alums of Bennington and/or WW, please feel free to chime in on your experiences as well.

Thanks!

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