A writer needs to learn to deal with rejection. EVERY writer deals with it, whether they are a big name or not. It’s no different in applying to schools. While I applied to six programs in 2010, I only received an acceptance at on: the University of New Orleans. Sadly, I was not able to attend because there was no funding available to help with my tuition and I was not in a place to be able to independently pay for the program or to go into debt to do so. In 2011, after moving to Minneapolis, I reapplied to the program here but was once again not accepted. It’s disappointing, but I will not stop writing and I will likely look into other programs to apply to when I am back in the Northwest in a year or two. In the meantime, I also hope to utilize some of the other tools available to grow as a writer: community classes, lessons offered by the local literary center, and writers groups. While rejection can be hard, I will use these opportunities to keep growing and see them as stepping stones along the path toward ultimate success as a writer. And I can rejoice in the meantime in knowing that I was at least once accepted to one creative writing program, for which I am grateful. 15 months ago