Vanderbilt University (Nashville)

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Two-year program (48 credits)

Funding: Every student in the MFA program receives full-tuition remission, health insurance, and a stipend in addition to the salary they receive for teaching. First and second year students spend ten hours a week working in the Writing Studio. Second year students have the opportunity to teach a beginning creative writing workshop for one semester.

“Our current stipend amount is $26,000.” -Rene Colehour, Program Assistant [May 2017]

Faculty: Beth Bachman, Piyali Bhattacharya, Kate Daniels, Tony Earley, Rick Hilles, Mark Jarman, Lorraine M. Lopez, Lorrie Moore, Justin Quarry, Nancy Reisman, Sandy Solomon

Application (Deadline Dec. 15):

1. Manuscript: 20-25 double-spaced pages for fiction; 10-15 pages  for poetry
2. Statement of purpose: 3-5 double-spaced pages
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. Official copy of transcripts
5. General GRE scores (Institution: 1871, Department: 2501)
6. No application fee; $40 only if applying by mail

Admission rate: “We admit only 6 students per year, 3 poets and 3 fiction writers. We average from 650-700 applicants, more applying in fiction than in poetry. That makes an admission rate of 1% or less.” -Kate Daniels, Director of Creative Writing [July 25, 2013]