Getting into an MFA program gives one an excellent opportunity to study their craft, learn about themselves as a writer, make excellent connections, and put a great accolade under their belt. Sometimes there are even perks like scholarships, being able to attend a program for free, and gaining useful experiences as an assistant or lecturer.
With an MFA being an excellent opportunity, it remains highly competitive and upon acceptance, the 2-3 years of work is very strenuous and time consuming.
Here are 15 questions to ask yourself when applying to an MFA program.
- Are you ready to write daily?
- Are you ready to have fresh material to hand in every week?
- Are you ready to read multiple books a week?
- Are you ready to disconnect yourself from family, friends, and partners in order to allow yourself the time to grow with your art?
- Are you ready to stick to a writing schedule in order to be making daily changes to your writing practices?
- Are you ready to dedicate hours of craft both in workshop and out of workshop?
- Are you ready to be unemployed for 2+ years? To only work part time because the MFA will take up 35-40 of your hours?? To work a full 40 hour a week job plus the many hours you’ll be putting into studying for your MFA???
- Are you ready to be the active poet while at the University? Meaning that you’ll still be submitting manuscripts and applying for residencies, retreats, etc?
- Are you ready to participate in mandatory MFA events?
- Are you ready to represent an MFA program? Meaning that you are that MFA program on the paper, in your communities, and in the general literary world?
- Are you ready to take a serious manuscript leap?
- Are you ready to be able to describe your work and walk others through it cohesively?
- Are you ready to sit with a professor for countless hours? Trying to find the perfect something that will possibly be good enough for publication?
- Are you ready to be accepted into the fold of elitist poets where you’ll need to start considering your social responsibility as an artist?
- Are you ready to network? One of the many benefits of an MFA program is the potential of building strong relationships with your peers, your professors, and staff at your institution.
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