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Caroline W.

Feb 25, 2008, 2:58 PM

Post #201 of 462 (10964 views)
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Re: [martis] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

hi everyone. i'm new here, but lovin' this messageboard (can't believe it took me so long to find it!)

so, i'm a senior in college right now, graduating (hopefully!) in may, and only applied to one program, iowa, for poetry. my plan was actually to wait a year and then apply to like twenty schools or something, but i figured i might as well apply to iowa now, and on the outside chance they took me i'd obviously go. kind of like buying a lottery ticket. but now i'm starting to wonder if this was a stupid plan. if i get rejected this year with a writing sample that's inferior to what i'll have next year, will it hurt me that i applied before? has anyone had this experience?

for the record, i'm not rejected yet, but i'm not holding my breath either...

peace, and good luck to all of you!

monarca

Feb 25, 2008, 3:12 PM

Post #202 of 462 (10941 views)
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Re: [Caroline W.] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

From what I understand, I don't think it'll hurt you. If you apply with a new and improved writing sample, that's the only thing that the decision will be based on. I haven't had your experience, but I've spent a lot of time on these boards and other blogs and that would be my guess.

pongo
Real men bake bread.

Feb 25, 2008, 3:56 PM

Post #203 of 462 (10894 views)
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Re: [monarca] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

If they even remember the failed application (if it fails), they'll look at the new one and be impressed by how much progress you've made. (Of course, if you haven't made any progress, it won't help.)

Poetry: It's not just for sissies any more.

Difficult Listening, Sundays from ten to noon (Central time), at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

http://home.comcast.net/~david.m.harris/site/

Caroline W.

Feb 25, 2008, 4:21 PM

Post #204 of 462 (10866 views)
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Re: [pongo] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

thank you both. this is helpful. it's weird, after i sent off my aplication i pretty much put it out of my mind. i told myself "don't think about it" but now that people are starting to find out that they got in i can't STOP thinking about it. here's hoping you all get into iowa or wherever else you applied. goodluck!!!!!

kdolenz

Feb 26, 2008, 12:14 AM

Post #205 of 462 (10734 views)
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Re: [Caroline W.] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

So in addition to checking the threads in the speakeasy compulsively every five minutes and losing hope with every new post about a phone call from James Galvin, I've been trying to find out everything I can about the Iowa program, which makes me all the more desperate to get in there and all the more convinced I won't. So today I was checking out the Iowa Wikipedia page-and I know, I know, Wikipedia is not the most reliable source on the web, etc, etc, but I still like it and find it "mostly" reliable, and plus it's a good distraction--so I'm checking it out, and I mean, I knew that a lot of famous poets went to Iowa and stuff, but man, it was like the friggin' contemporary canon. So here's just a few of the ones I wrote down to send to my friend (who's in the same boat): Robert Bly, Rita Dove, Donald Justice, Mark Strand, James Tate, Philip Levine, Galway Kinnell, Jorie Graham, Charles Wright, W.D. Snodgrass, Stephen Dobyns, Robert Dana, Norman Dubie, Marvin Bell, Thomas Lux, etc, etc, etc . . . ridiculous, right? Just thought I'd share, since this discovery made me on the one hand kind of excited, and on the other hand kind of freaked out. Is it bad luck for me to be doing this type of thing? Vaguely masochistic? I don't know. There's not much else to do, and not much else I've been thinking about, except the one other school I've heard from, which has forunately accepted me.

Ok, time to go sleep. Think I've done enough stressing out for today. Hope all of your MFA dreams come true, folks.

martis

Feb 26, 2008, 12:27 AM

Post #206 of 462 (10723 views)
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Re: [kdolenz] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Kdolenz,

thanks for the info. i had no idea mark strand there, but i guess that makes sense. i've been doing the same type of compulsive research on the palces I've applied, so I know where you're coming from. sometimes the stuff you find out is kind of humbling, especially when you're talking about a place like iowa. I don't know if it's healthy, but it's probably no worse than lurking around here, which is basically all i do lately. hope you can sleep. i'll probably be up another few hours checking the messageboards.

golic

Feb 26, 2008, 1:12 AM

Post #207 of 462 (10700 views)
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Re: [martis] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm starting to wonder about the one reported phone call from Iowa for fiction. Why only one??? I realize not everyone who gets in reports it, but if they presumably call everyone at once, wouldn't more people have reported it? Anyone else wondering the same thing as me?

(This post was edited by golic on Feb 26, 2008, 1:14 AM)

monarca

Feb 26, 2008, 9:09 AM

Post #208 of 462 (10630 views)
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Re: [golic] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Haven't there been a few (between here, Seth's blog and Godfrey's)? I know, on Seth's blog, there were three (Fiona, am, and hmm...) and I think there's been one or twon on this board.

Iowa is the only I'm holding out hope for even with other acceptances going out. They take their time and call some people and others just get a letter in the mail. I'm freaked out, though. So far I've only got one rejection, from Cornell. I feel like that doesn't give me any idea of what my other applications will turn out like. SO many great people get rejected by Cornell... but then again, so do lots of mediocre or bad writers. What will Iowa think? I have no idea!

Come on, Iowa! Call me! I know you have my number!

riddlefish

Feb 26, 2008, 9:47 AM

Post #209 of 462 (10599 views)
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Re: [monarca] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm in the same boat. I wish I had a better idea of where I stand so I can be more realistic about my expectations. Even if I were waitlisted at Iowa, at least I'd know I have somewhat of a chance with some of my other schools...

I immediately threw away my Cornell rejection letter; I suppose I could have been more creative. Perhaps I'll put my future rejection letters to better use. What did everyone else do with theirs?

phillywriter

Feb 26, 2008, 10:06 AM

Post #210 of 462 (10583 views)
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Re: [riddlefish] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yeah, yeah, until I get or see something official, I'm going to assume I'm still in the running. This whole process is wacky. The more I read, the more that becoes evident. But yeah, Iowa is probably the only one I really care about. Any other rejection will be disappointing, but a rejection from Iowa will hurt.

monarca

Feb 26, 2008, 10:43 AM

Post #211 of 462 (10547 views)
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920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Did anyone else see on Seth's blog that there are 920 applicants to Iowa this year, in fiction alone?

WOW.

Surprisingly, that makes me feel ok. I'm already scared and nervous, but it might make a rejection go down a bit easier knowing that there are 896 other writers (minus, I suppose, the waitlist) feeling that same sting.

phillywriter

Feb 26, 2008, 9:07 PM

Post #212 of 462 (10420 views)
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Re: [monarca] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

920 for fiction alone!?! Boy, that's scary. I guess the only positive is that it won't sting so bad if/when I get rejected.

golic

Feb 26, 2008, 9:18 PM

Post #213 of 462 (10408 views)
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Re: [monarca] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

monarca,

Where did you see that number? I looked everywhere on Seth's blog, but couldn't find it.

ecletters

Feb 26, 2008, 10:24 PM

Post #214 of 462 (10359 views)
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Re: [golic] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

For anyone who is interested, I'll confirm for you the 920 number, I was at the reading when Ethan Canin said it. I don't know if this helps but I applied to Iowa, Michigan, Calif Coll of Arts, UVA, Columbia and Brown. I only got in to Iowa and CCA.

martis

Feb 27, 2008, 12:07 AM

Post #215 of 462 (10308 views)
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Re: [ecletters] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

You're kidding. 920 Fiction applications! Anyone know the numbers for poetry?

monarca

Feb 27, 2008, 9:09 AM

Post #216 of 462 (10238 views)
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Re: [golic] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Golic, he made a comment way down on the string of comments on the accpetance entry (in response to someone else). The text of it is:
"Seth Abramson said...
Hi Kristin,

You're in luck(!)--this website has the largest compilation of application-number data that (I'm pretty sure) there is. Almost fifty schools, including most of the top fifty programs, are listed. It's on the right-hand sidebar, at the top, where it says "acceptance rates." In the table for acceptance rates is the data for numbers of applications per school (the most recent data I could find, and in many cases the only data I was able to find anywhere). Keep in mind these numbers do fluctuate from year to year; for instance, NYU has gone as low at 650 and as high as 900 in just a four-year span, and Iowa had 920 in fiction this year, an increase of 170 over just last year (when they got 750).

To everyone else,

I'm so happy for all of you who've received good news, and am pulling for all those still waiting(!) Best wishes and good luck to all,

Seth"

Taryn_S

Feb 27, 2008, 4:52 PM

Post #217 of 462 (10102 views)
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Re: [martis] 920! [In reply to]	Can't Post

When I spoke with James Galvin about my poetry acceptance @ Iowa, he quoted me a # between 500-600 for poetry apps if I remember correctly.

eek311

Feb 28, 2008, 12:03 AM

Post #218 of 462 (9939 views)
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iwoa MFA [In reply to]	Can't Post

i'm in for poetry. was called on the phone last sunday 2.24. still hoping to hear from brown, but that sounds like a pipe dream at this point. in any case, iowa's a great program and it sounds like i'll be well funded.

abardaglio

Feb 28, 2008, 5:11 PM

Post #219 of 462 (9765 views)
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Re: [riddlefish] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

hi all,

for any nonfiction iowa applicants out there who weren't emailed on the 15th (i'm in this boat)--i called to check about a missing transcript (little late on that game i guess) and they said letters are going out in the next week or so.

danceanielle
Dani

Feb 28, 2008, 6:18 PM

Post #220 of 462 (9705 views)
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Re: [abardaglio] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

abardagalio- does this mean there are more nonfiction acceptances on the way via postal mail, or that the letters will all be denials?

abardaglio

Feb 28, 2008, 6:25 PM

Post #221 of 462 (9692 views)
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Re: [danceanielle] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

wish i could tell you! i didn't push the question.

good luck

danceanielle
Dani

Feb 28, 2008, 6:26 PM

Post #222 of 462 (9690 views)
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Re: [abardaglio] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Either way, you have given me a beautiful little sliver of hope, so thanks!

martis

Feb 29, 2008, 3:21 PM

Post #223 of 462 (9530 views)
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Re: [danceanielle] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Any new poetry accepatances or rejections from Iowa reported?

monarca

Feb 29, 2008, 4:47 PM

Post #224 of 462 (9446 views)
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Re: [martis] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Anyone gotten accepted by postal mail, yet? Or just with phone calls? (At this point I'm holding out hope to be one of the ones notified by mail. I haven't heard a word.)

vmoore

Feb 29, 2008, 5:27 PM

Post #225 of 462 (9408 views)
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Re: [monarca] isis updates [In reply to]	Can't Post

Unable to stand the suspense any longer and tired of checking my mailbox, I called Iowa this morning to ask when fiction acceptance letters were going out. I told the woman on the phone that I knew some folks had gotten acceptances over the phone already, and asked whether everyone accepted is supposed to get a call. She was nice, but she kind of cut me off gently and said that the people who got called were called because they were missing something, like a transcript or rec, etc. So then I was like, "No, no, these people said they got IN," and she kind of stumbled a bit and repeated her point: "Well, yes, but also they were probably missing something." Then I said, "So...just because I didn't get a call yet, I shouldn't assume that I didn't get in?" And she said that's right, and that the letters would go out Mon or Tues. Sounded rather like damage control to me, but I can understand why. She was very cordial and I appreciated her taking the time to answer my question anyway; I'm sure they're completely swamped over there. So...I guess that means the rest of us uncalled folks should hopefully get something in the mail by the end of next week? (Note: I only asked about acceptance letters, not rejections, so I don't know whether those will also be mailed on Mon or Tues. Although I kind of wonder...maybe acceptance letters already went out this week--though no one seems to have reported as such on the Speakeasy or the blogs--and what's actually going out on Mon or Tues are the rejections? Who knows...) Here's to holding on to the last shreds of hope! :O

Vivian E. Moore

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