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Taryn_S

Mar 7, 2008, 4:28 PM

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Taryn_S

Mar 7, 2008, 4:32 PM

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annie0

Mar 7, 2008, 6:16 PM

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Re: [Taryn_S] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Has anyone who was accepted into Iowa for Nonfiction been notified yet as to their funding/TA status?

My email on Feb 15th said I would hear from them "over the next several weeks" as to whether they would be able to offer me an aid package.

I have a strong suspicion I won't be receiving anything. If anyone has any info, I would love to hear it!

Thanks!

(This post was edited by annie0 on Mar 7, 2008, 6:17 PM)

jdavis

Mar 7, 2008, 6:38 PM

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Re: [annie0] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Annie, I haven't heard any final word on NWP funding yet either, but I did have a little email exchange with Robin Hemley about it the last week of February. I asked him for a date so I could get a time-specific extension from another school that wanted me to make a decision -- he said they were waiting to hear from the Dean of Arts and Sciences how many sections of composition/gen ed lit were going to be available before they could do any allocating, and that they were running slow this year so it could be a while. Kind of vague, but it made me stop holding my breath.

Also, are you (or any other NWP people) planning to go out there for Visitor's Week?

annie0

Mar 7, 2008, 6:56 PM

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Re: [jdavis] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the heads up, JD! I had a similar email exchange with Robin for the same reason. My other schools have all told me about funding, and a few were sort of pressuring me to decide. I was really hoping for some concrete info from him, but I understand that it's sort of out of the department's hands at the moment. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

I am planning on heading up to the visitor's week. I'm pretty excited about it! Are you going too? Do you know if you'll be staying with a student while you're there?

jdavis

Mar 7, 2008, 7:18 PM

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Re: [annie0] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

I do love the waiting. Actually, I was a little encouraged by the latest email inviting us out there -- there were not a lot of names on the e-list. Maybe a small class = funding for all!

As for Visitor's Week, mind if I visit vicariously through you? I'm in northern Idaho at the moment, which might as well be Mars as far as the travel industry is concerned, so it doesn't look like I'm going to make it. It sounds like an awesome schedule, though. How long are you planning to stay?

annie0

Mar 7, 2008, 9:20 PM

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Re: [jdavis] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yeah, I too counted the names on the email list. Amazing how attuned we all are to finding the tiniest shreds of information about this crazy process.

As for visitors week, I will totally be your proxy. I am staying for the whole week (I have a good friend in Iowa City), and am really looking forward to it. Iowa City seems like an awesome place. I'll let you know how it goes!

forthedogs

Mar 10, 2008, 12:10 PM

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Re: [Bertworld] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

not a yes, but i was waitlisted by letter today. feels pretty great. except for: who turns down iowa? heh.

anyone else on the "very short waiting list for admission"? or know anything about it? i'm really curious about how big it is, if people get in, etc.

golic

Mar 10, 2008, 1:27 PM

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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

J Whelan,

You're probably right. I don't think anyone in their right mind actually turns down Iowa. If you get in, you basically have to go. But strange things do happen, and sometimes people make decisions based on other facotrs--like maybe there's some geographical reason they need to stay in another part of the country: their spouse's job, proximity to family, etc. In other words, I don't think it happens often, but I do think it probably does happen. And from what I understand, Iowa's waitlist is pretty small, probably because they just assume that everyone they accept will go, so there's that too. It's not like a twenty person list is what I'm saying, so if you're on the list I think that's a great sign. Here's hoping someone drops out. And congratulations for even making the list. That in itself is a major honor.

forthedogs

Mar 10, 2008, 2:55 PM

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Re: [golic] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

hey, golic,

thanks for the response and encouragment! being on the waitlist at all is pretty rad. i wouldn't turn down a flat-out acceptance there either.

i talked to the IWW and the waitlist is very small and also unranked. i was told that it varies from year to year as far as wait list acceptances. sometimes all the waitlisters get in, sometimes none of them do.

i have no idea how this affects funding or TA possiblities or anything like that, though.

anyway, thanks again, golic!

j

Stroudb

Mar 10, 2008, 4:35 PM

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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

For what it's worth, some students do turn down Iowa. Some of the students (in fiction) where I'm at turned down good money offers from Iowa to come here. It's worth noting that the landscape of MFAs is changing, and has been for the last few years. That is, it's not so much that Iowa has decreased in anyway, but that other programs have risen, which is a roundabout way of saying that not everybody who gets into Iowa actually goes (I personally know of five people who turned Iowa down) because Iowa is no longer seen as so far ahead of everyone else, as the obvious choice, etc.
So, if you made the waitlist, I'd say, don't give up yet!

reality writes

Mar 10, 2008, 4:41 PM

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Re: [Stroudb] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Stroudb, where do you go to school? That speaks highly for your school's reputation!

phillywriter

Mar 10, 2008, 5:56 PM

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Re: [reality writes] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

JWhelan, I'd like to extend my congratulations as well! You're kicking butt! And I'm with golic. I don't think most rational people would turn down Iowa, though I'm sure it does happen. Not everyone has the same set of priorites, and for a lot of people the prestige of going to the top program in the country isn't as important as say getting a certain amount of money or studying with a particular writer or getting to live in a particular part of the country. Everyone's just different. And like Stroudb said, other programs are emerging, though I don't think any are quite in the same realm as Iowa just yet. This year, for example, Iowa received 920 applications for fiction alone, while other top programs like Michigan, Cornell, UVA and UC Irvine typically receive around 200-300 for fiction. I think that says something about where Iowa still stands, though it does make me happy that other programs are starting to emerge. And for the record, I got my rejection from Iowa this week. Bitter, yes, but I still admire the heck out of the program. Cheers!

(This post was edited by phillywriter on Mar 10, 2008, 6:36 PM)

martis

Mar 10, 2008, 6:01 PM

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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

J.Whelan--

muchos kudos! i'd probably sacrifice one of my limbs to be on the waitlist at iowa. what did you get in for-fiction or poetry? i got my rejection for poetry via mail a few days ago. slowly coming out of my depression. thinking about applying next year, even if i end up somewhere else. i hope things work out for you!

Lynn Costes

Mar 10, 2008, 6:28 PM

Post #290 of 462 (7653 views)
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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Big props for making the waitlist J.Whelan! That's beatin' some serious odds...

Stroudb

Mar 10, 2008, 9:19 PM

Post #291 of 462 (7584 views)
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Re: [reality writes] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Oh, Michigan (which got 500+ applications for fiction this year, not at Iowa's amount, but Iowa admits twice as many, too). Anyway, this is an Iowa thread, so, yea Iowa!

ellen362

Mar 10, 2008, 10:36 PM

Post #292 of 462 (7545 views)
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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

Congrats on getting on the Iowa fiction waitlist. Last year, I was the person who got in there off the waitlist. It does happen.

All I did for weeks was eat. Hence I call it the 'weightlist.' Hang in there!

Ellen362

forthedogs

Mar 11, 2008, 6:08 AM

Post #293 of 462 (7486 views)
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Re: [phillywriter] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks, phillywriter! it's kicking my butt right back. i kind of just want to know where i'm going now. i think you're right about people not turning iowa down. i don't know if i would either. that'd be a tough call. i get the impression that money sometimes does draw people to smaller, richer pastures.

we'll see.

forthedogs

Mar 11, 2008, 6:36 AM

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Re: [Lynn Costes] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks, lynn. i appreciate it!

forthedogs

Mar 11, 2008, 6:39 AM

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Re: [ellen362] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks for the note, ellen362. good to know it does happen.

i think it'll be the weightlist for me too. this whole process is driving me to drink!

when did you find out?

ellen362

Mar 11, 2008, 10:08 AM

Post #296 of 462 (7442 views)
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Re: [JWhelan] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

I was waitlisted on 3/24, and admitted on 4/19. So don't drink too much! It could be awhile.

There's a good chance someone will turn down a spot because of funding, etc. I'll cross my fingers for you!

Ellen362

forthedogs

Mar 11, 2008, 11:16 AM

Post #297 of 462 (7420 views)
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Re: [martis] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

hey, martis,

thanks for the good wishes. i'm in fiction.

hope things work out for you for this year (and next if you decide to apply to iowa again).

j

forthedogs

Mar 11, 2008, 11:28 AM

Post #298 of 462 (7411 views)
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Re: [ellen362] Iowa [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks, ellen. yeah, that's a lot of straight days of drinking. maybe i should try the gym or something.

ecletters

Mar 11, 2008, 1:30 PM

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I know you're out there [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hey people admitted to Iowa in either fiction or poetry, don't forget we have the blog where you can ask questions of the current first year students. The site is....www.iowamfa.blogspot.com

ellen362

Mar 13, 2008, 10:15 PM

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Re: [ecletters] I know you're out there [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Hey people admitted to Iowa in either fiction or poetry, don't forget we have the blog where you can ask questions of the current first year students. The site is....www.iowamfa.blogspot.com

The current controversy at Iowa surrounds whether MFA students will have to sign away their thesis rights to a Google open-access site in order to graduate. We are all against having our stuff published free on the Internet. New admits, please inquire about this.

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