Full funding, stipends, and healthcare for writers!
Hi friends, The 2018 application season is fast approaching! Many of you are creating a list of schools and starting to think about the personal statement and what work you might send out. In working with writers over the last eight years, I've accumulated an abundance of helpful tools and advice on crafting the personal… Continue reading 2018 Application Season!
The personal statement is an opportunity to present yourself in a straightforward and authentic way. It's like sitting down one-on-one with a faculty reader for 5-10 precious minutes. The personal statement features your voice, background, interests, facility with language, and creative heart and pursuits. It may sound generic but this is your chance to illuminate your… Continue reading How to Write a Personal Statement
This month, I was interviewed by The Writer Mag about Affording the MFA and its offerings for its May/June issue. But it got me thinking about the minimum stipend, which was set at $9K in 2012 to include a broader listing of schools. Since 2012, more programs have cropped up, and stipends have increased, even… Continue reading A New Minimum Standard?
Many of you submitted your first round of applications yesterday. Fantastic work and congratulations! For the past few months, you've been writing and revising, wrangling recommenders, and tracking transcripts and GRE score reports. But now that the first submissions are in, I'm sure that there is a sense of completion and possibly curiosity (or worry) about your… Continue reading Revisions (and the feedback you need)
If you've been admitted to a program-- or perhaps more than one!-- you'll want to consider a few questions once you've gotten the offer. What other funding opportunities does the school offer? Some schools offer competitive scholarships in addition to the full funding. And there may be additional teaching opportunities, too. During my MFA studies,… Continue reading You’re Admitted: A Few Questions to Ask
In my experience with applicants, the question of how to choose schools often arises. The most important question to ask is really what is important to you. You may be open to any city in the United States, or you may be unwilling to live in a big city or a remote area. You may value… Continue reading School Selection: Questions to Ask
Hi All, Affording the MFA is undergoing a comprehensive update to provide current links, and up-to-date news on funding, faculty, tuition costs, application information, and admission rates. I will also be preparing to interview program directors and administrators to offer you direct insight and information about schools. If you find Affording the MFA helpful, please consider making a… Continue reading School Updates & Questions
As admissions and rejections are being sent out, you may be wondering how your manuscript fared. If you would like some feedback on the novel excerpt, story, or stories you sent, contact me. My fees are listed here. It's good to see the strengths and weaknesses in your manuscript since those waitlist and rejection letters likely… Continue reading The Manuscript You Submitted
Take a break from the chaos of holidays and MFA applications with a few Abramovic Method exercises. See the video here.
Dear Writers, November is fast approaching, and so are many school deadlines. If you would like an expert review of your manuscript, now is the time to find a reader you trust to give you constructive feedback. Having a set of expert eyes in the final stage of your writing can be really helpful in elevating… Continue reading Holistic Fiction Manuscript Review
Affording the MFA 