On My Way to an MFA
I’m going back to school!
My bachelor’s degree is in music. I’ve been out of school for a few years now while I figured out what my next steps were. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Does anyone really know?
When I first graduated, I planned to take a gap year and then go to law school to become an immigration lawyer. I took practice LSATs. As much as I loved helping others and volunteering in my community, it dawned on me that being a lawyer wouldn’t be the best fit. In 2021, I applied to be an English Teaching Assistant to Spain through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Unfortunately, I wasn’t chosen. I did make it to the semi-finalist round, a huge achievement considering there were over 800 applicants for Spain alone!
I started researching master’s programs. After publishing my first novel back in 2021, I knew I wanted to write more books. I also didn’t have the best undergraduate experience, which is why I wanted to be selective. So, I settled on pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing!
I applied to online and low-residency programs. A low-residency MFA is basically distance learning with some instruction done in person. During the residencies, students convene on campus or an off-campus location and attend presentations, workshops, readings, and other events. The residencies usually take place at the beginning of the semesters (summer/winter). Low-res MFA programs are a good fit for people who work full-time, people with children or other commitments, etc. They are designed to help you fit writing into your schedule. Doing the program can help you build better writing habits, improve your craft, and figure out how to fit writing and reading into your busy day.
The Poets & Writers MFA database assisted me with finding programs. You can filter by state, degree type (MA, MFA, and PhD), and residency. Here are the six programs I applied to:
Cedar Crest College (Allentown, PA)
Format: Low residency
Number of residencies: 3
The Pan-European MFA at Cedar Crest College is a two-year program (48 credit hours) that consists of three residencies to Dublin, Vienna, and Barcelona. Genres offered are poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and travel writing. Partial funding and assistantships are available.
Concordia University (St. Paul, MN)
Format: Online
Concordia University has a two-year program (36 credit hours) that can be done completely online. Courses include workshops, novel writing, poetry, creative nonfiction, publishing, and more.
Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
Format: Low residency
Number of residencies: 3
FDU’s (60 credit hour) program offers concentrations in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, writing for young adults and children, and literary translation. Residencies are held in New Jersey and Wroxton, England. Partial funding is available.
Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO)
Format: Online
Lindenwood’s (48 credit hour) program offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and young adult and middle grade writing. There are a wide variety of courses, including flash fiction, travel writing, contemporary poetry, scriptwriting, publishing, and literature.
Salve Regina University (Newport, RI)
Format: Low residency
Number of residencies: 5
The Newport MFA at Salve Regina is a two-year (48 credit hour) program that hosts residencies in Rhode Island with the option to do a winter residency in Cuba. Genres include fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and historical fiction. Scholarships are available.
University of Nebraska (Omaha, NE)
Format: Low residency
Number of residencies: 5
The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s MFA in Writing (60 credit hours) has many concentrations, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, and young adult. Residencies take place at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City. They have many funding options (fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, etc.) available.
I was accepted to all programs, which made my decision incredibly difficult. After weighing my options and making pros and cons lists, I ended up deciding on attending Fairleigh Dickinson University! The first week of August, I completed my first residency in Madison, New Jersey. Now, I’m fully immersed in my writing and reading. In January, I’ll be heading to Wroxton, England! Stay tuned for updates as I complete the program. Hope to have more books out in your hands soon!
Fairleigh Dickinson University
I took many walks around FDU’s Florham campus. Lots of nature, wildlife, and cool things to observe. :)