FWIW, I think Columbia is indisputably a first-tier program, if you can afford it.

That may not be the case three years from now (for reasons of cohort), but it is at the moment.

S.

Hi Raysen,

If you look back at the threads from last year, you'll see a full discussion of this issue--but I don't necessarily want to open that can of worms again. As I said in my post above, I think it's a question of cohort (i.e., as a function of decreasing or stagnating selectivity, yield, and applicant pool size). Mind you, many others here and elsewhere don't agree with me, so this is merely one man's opinion of moonlight.

I'd also note--separate from the Columbia issue--that the First Tier of programs (which includes twelve schools) is so stunning at this point (across-the-board: reputation, funding, faculty, et. al.) that even schools which slip into the mid-second or high-third tier must be considered top-notch U.S. MFA programs. Keeping company with the likes of Johns Hopkins, University of Houston, Washington University at St. Louis, University of Washington, University or Oregon, University of Minnesota, and others of that ilk is absolutely nothing whatsoever to sneeze at.

Best,

Seth

Will having an undergraduate minor in education help at all to be considered for teaching assistantships?

How do we decide how competitive we are as applicants? I'm curious because it seems the only programs I'm interested in are very competitive, and I'm a little afraid. I'm applying in fiction mostly.