Get an MFA in creative writing

I work for a college that offers this…soon I will be able to do it for free if the program accepts me!

I just learned last week that the University of the South (refer to Goal #26) offers an MFA in Creative Writing. It’s a summer program of six weeks, and completion would require four to five summers. I’d love to try to get my foot in the door of that program, but it would require a total career adjustment to free up that much time in the summer. It’s not something I could pursue anytime soon.

I should clarify that I never finished college. Started, though. Now I’m taking basic math over again. Need at least three classes, maybe four, to get my BA. Here’s hoping.

Just in terms of time and money, I won’t be able to submit any applications until 2009. But I’ve been doing my homework and I think I know which programs I am interested in. I’ve got about four that I like so far. That is all.

...reasonable driving distance from me will kick off a low-residency MFA program in August 2008. Of course, I won’t be finished with my M.S. program by then. I’m wondering how insane it would be to get into the MFA program while still taking one class per semester on the M.S.

...I’d like to have some significant publications BEFORE I enrolled in an MFA program. Otherwise, I’d have to wonder how much was me and how much was the influence of the school. Of course, I need to finish the Master’s program I just started before I can even think about an MFA.

Does anyone know where you need to be in your writing to go into an MFA program?

I don’t even know where to start. I’ve purchased two books listing out MFA programs and colonies and residencies. One was a crap listing of stuff that was pretty much the same stuff I’ve been reading about on the Internet. The other provides listings, insights and guidance about choosing. But it doesn’t give me any guidance about what I should have accomplished before applying.

I’ve started a new forum for young writers to post writing, where other people who visit the site can email comments/criticism if wanted.
I will be screening it (we all must have a standard) but I’d really love to see some submissions – I know I can count on those who want to do an MFA!
email homelesswriters@googlemail.com
or go to
http://homelesswriters.googlepages.com/
to see what it’s all about!

i understand the problem with educating hundreds and hundreds of people to be writers every year, but we can dream can’t we? i can’t possibly do the program unless i get into one that offers tuition remission, but am considering trying to find something that gives me an english ma at the same time…any suggestions?

To-do list:

• hammer out the last of my undergraduate coursework to graduate on time
• cement working relationships with at least 3 professors for recommendations
• decide whether to pursue fiction or poetry
• produce new work and revise old work to form a portfolio
• organize list of top 10-15 choices for grad school
• land an internship for the summer
• study for and take the GRE