Identifying... and Applying

Warren Wilson
Bennington College
Antioch University in LA
Lesley University

Queens College
University of British Columbia
University of Southern Maine
Vermont College of Fine Arts

I often read blogs and comments on the MFA Blog website. It seems that a common approach, when seeking admission to an MFA program, is to apply to as many schools as is humanly possible. The very idea of this makes me nearly puke. That approach offends my financial realities and threatens to assault my over-extended life.

Even before I applied I knew I would spend an exorbitant amount of time on every application. Schools want different information in their essays. Some schools want two essays. Some schools allow candidates to apply in more than one genre and I write in three genres! And of course every piece of writing would have to be worked to death. Therefore, I needed to submit very strong applications to a very few programs that I felt sure would be just right for me.

To support this approach, I did a lot of research, created a shot list, and then worked to shorten it. Above are the names of the schools that made up my initial "short list." As I researched each program, I gained a more clear idea of that for which I was looking, and that for which I was not. I share some of what I learned because if you're trying to find some schools, some of this information may help you. The very thing that turned me away from any of these schools could be what you find most appealing.

I loved the idea of Antioch and Queens. Their locations were so fabulous. I love warm and hot weather, abhor cool and cold weather. Traveling across the continent to LA would be extensive and expensive, but I liked the idea of being in LA, possibly going to a venue or two and killing it on stage while I was there, enjoying the warmth of the weather. Queens being in Charlotte, a nice warm place, full of culture was also soooooo appealing. They topped my list at first. But of course, as much as I wanted to pretend otherwise, I cannot choose a school based on the weather.

The program at Queens, which includes semester long critiquing of other students work and receipt of feedback from these same students, seemed too much, at least for me. I'm all about workshopping during the residency - of course - but to maintain a virtual workshop experience all year round, critiquing the work of a group of other students from where ever in the world they are, while balancing my home life with my own reading and writing requirements, seemed pure sabotage - the structure of my life being what it is. I let that program go.

Warren Wilson
Bennington College
Antioch University in LA
Lesley University

Queens College
University of British Columbia
University of Southern Maine
Vermont College of Fine Arts

Antioch seems to have a strong focus on literary critique. This, I believe, is important. The writer supports the maintenance of standards and recognition of brilliant work in the world, through her written critical evaluations. However, I am not going to an MFA program to focus on literary criticism. In fact, that's the reason I want to pursue an MFA and not an MA, which generally seems also to have literary criticism built in.

I am going to school to focus on the creation of original work in the three genre's in which I write, strengthening my craft and my ability to identify the best in my own writing. I intend to grow as a critical evaluator through the process of critiquing my work and the work of my peers, through workshops and lectures and discussions around my reading. I believe that, particularly in the writing of non-fiction (my chosen focus, remember?) developing the skills necessary to write literary criticism are an inherent part of the workshopping and writing process. And let's not forget that I can also take workshops on literary criticism later in my career.

Warren Wilson
Bennington College
Antioch University in LA
Lesley University
Queens College
University of British Columbia
University of Southern Maine

Vermont College of Fine Arts

Warren Wilson was on my list because I held the program in such esteem. It hurt me that the program doesn't offer a Non-Fiction concentration. I thought maybe I'd apply there in fiction or poetry, and decide later. But I couldn't do that. Even if I chose to focus on one of those genres, I absolutely intend to study non-fiction.

Warren Wilson
Bennington College
Antioch University in LA
Lesley University
Queens College
University of British Columbia
University of Southern Maine
Vermont College of Fine Arts

I couldn't really get a sense of the program at Vermont College from their website. So I removed them from my list. The University of British Columbia, however, seemed very interesting. They expressed outright that they did not focus on literary criticism. They also required that each student work in three genres. Hey! I write in three genres! Pretty awesome. However, UBC has only one residency each year. Not so appealing to me. That alone was enough for me to cross them off the list. But in addition, they offered too much flexibility for my taste.

Residencies are recommended, but not required. Students can go full or part time, and can take up to 5 years to complete the program. This may seem negligible, after all - I don't have to make use of these allowances. But I also look forward to becoming a part of a literary community, to studying with, and being exposed to, members of that same community over two years. I know there will be constant transition, new students and graduating students every semester, but there will, for the most part, be a group of students with whom I go in, along with other students with whom I willl gather, write, and grow, and from whom I will learn, over the course of my career at my school. This is important to me.

Warren Wilson
Bennington College
Antioch University in LA
Lesley University
Queens College
University of British Columbia
University of Southern Maine
Vermont College of Fine Arts

The University of Southern Maine requires that students choose one of three areas of emphasis and complete a project related to that emphasis for their third semester. Were I only studying one genre, many of the six choices they offer as areas of emphasis would actually be pretty interesting to me, as would this aspect of their program. One of these areas, "the craft of writing," would be of particular interest to me. However, because I have three genres in which I write, and I want to have the chance to explore all three and to at the same time focus on non-fiction, I am hesitant to dedicate a semester to anything other than the creation and development of my own original work. This is particularly true because I know that the craft of writing is empasized throughout the entirety of any MFA program.

I do want to address a breadth of issues related to being part of the writing community, existing as a writing professional, and living as a writer who is part of the global community. I just don't want that to be the primary focus of an entire semester in my two year program of study. So I crossed USM's program off my list and rewrote my list as follows:

Lesley University
Bennington College

These schools focus on writing, allow for the study of multiple genres, and have solid structure to their programs that I can understand. I am familiar with some members of the faculty at both programs. Although Lesley has a new program, they have talented faculty, some of which have taught for significant time periods at other well established programs. Lesley is known to have a solid and respectable program with a faculty and student body that is diverse. The program director has a clear sense of direction for the program.

Bennington has a well established program and has earned an awesome reputation. I'm excited about the work of the faculty, how far they reach for their visiting faculty, and they're focus on diversifying as well. I also like the country writer's retreat feel I get when I look at pictures of the campus.

So, with Bennington and Lesley I found I could identify... and apply.