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Writers Workshop

Where Should I Get an MFA?

So you know deep in your heart that you want to study creative writing—due in part to my previous piece on this very topic, Should I Get an MFA? You’ve decided that getting an MFA is the best way for you to develop your writing, meet likeminded folks, and broaden your professional horizons. Okay, great. Next question: where should you go? There are a few things to consider when looking for schools and programs. Probably the most important are location, expense, faculty, and the quality of the program.

Location.

Most people I know, due to familial or financial obligations, chose to look in their own backyard. Indeed, this is what I did. I had gone to school in New York for a couple of years and had vowed never to leave my beloved East Bay again. I knew there were only two MFA programs in the Bay Area at that time: San Francisco State and Mills College. Having earned a bachelor’s from the English department at Mills already, I knew the faculty there and had already taken some creative writing classes. I knew the program from the inside–it was a strong English department and in workshops students were supportive and strong writers. However, in the case that I did not get accepted there, one of my professors suggested I go over to SFSU to sit in on one of the MFA workshops. This is very easy to do. Just call the program and tell them you’re interested in applying. They should be more than happy to let you sit in on a workshop. If they’re not, this is a message to you; interpret it as you will.

You get a lot of information about a program when you visit a workshop. For one, you see how the students interact with each other. Do they treat each other respectfully? Is the caliber of their work inspiring? Two, you see how the professor treats student writing. Again, does s/he treat it respectfully? Does s/he take the class seriously? Is s/he prepared? Is s/he guiding the students and the discussion in a productive manner or in a manner you personally respond to? By the end of a three-hour workshop you will likely either be compelled or not to apply to the program. If you feel unsure either way, talk to students after class–in fact, do this anyway. Exchange email addresses. Drill these folks like the curious writer you are about everything you want to know about their program and their experience there. You have a big decision to make and you need answers. Don’t let this opportunity slip by.

If you are looking outside of your region, then you are going to ask yourself the questions everyone asks when they consider moving elsewhere. You know, stuff like climate, cultural events, rents, childcare, and the job market. Is this a place you can live for two years? Is this a place you can write? Find other writers? Go to readings and generally immerse yourself in the world of writing and reading? Whether you want to live in a glamorous city or a rural community, there are MFA programs in every kind of locale. And again, you can visit their workshops before you sign on the dotted line.

Consider, too, the beauty of communications technology. Low-residency MFAs–a program of study requiring very little to no time spent on campus–are becoming more popular. They fill the needs of students who simply can’t travel to a program a few times a week or move near the school. These programs often pair you with a well-known writer who works with you via email and phone. While I don’t know anyone who’s actually done this, I would imagine this could be a very fruitful arrangement if you absolutely can’t get to the program. However, I will say that this option should be a last resort as one of the most rewarding aspects of your MFA will be the relationships you develop with fellow students.

Expense.

Let’s face it, it ain’t gonna be cheap. Unless you are gifted enough to get a scholarship (it could happen!) or can attend a state school, getting an MFA can be pricey. What you want to look for here is the availability of financial aid in the form of work. Remember that work means experience. Many programs offer teaching assistantships or other positions related to writing that offset the cost of tuition, housing, etc. Often you can turn this experience into a job post-MFA. For example, you are awarded a one-semester financial award that pays for tuition if you devote twenty hours per week to editing the college’s literary journal. Fantastic! When you graduate, you can parlay that valuable experience into landing a job with a literary agent, magazine, or publisher. Or, you’re granted a teaching assistantship where you teach freshman composition. After graduation you will qualify to teach composition at the college level.

In the meantime, know that it is possible to do your teaching assistantship, attend classes and produce quality writing, and work full- or part-time outside of school for additional income. I worked full-time in a hotel my first year (my classes were at night) and part-time in a hospital the second. Friends of mine worked in corporate offices, coffee shops, bookstores, or any place that allowed for a flexible schedule. It can be done and you (and your pets and family) won’t starve. Later, when you’re a bestselling novelist, you’ll tell witty anecdotes sprinkled with references to your hard work and unrelenting devotion to your craft during this long-ago period of your life. It’ll be fun.

Faculty.

Read their books. Find some interviews on the Web. Call them up and chat or, if you’re looking near home, take them out for coffee on campus. Ask questions and generally get a feel for the outlook and personality of these writer-teachers. Afterward, ask yourself if you like their work and like them as people. You are going to spend two years under their tutelage. From your experience with them, does that sound appealing? You will hear repeatedly as you go along that there are some great writers that make poor teachers and vice versa. This is a truism. Believe it. So, again, you want to talk to students and sit in on a workshop.

I loved my professors, particularly Elmaz Abinader. She is everything a great creative writing teacher should be: involved in the writing community, passionate about teaching, helpful to students, and a publishing author. If we had questions, Professor Abinader had answers or pointed us to someone who did. I can’t say enough about her. Remember that it’s the faculty that drives and shapes your program. You want them to be engaged and committed teachers. You’re there to learn, not rack up autographed copies of Pulitzer Prize-winning books by big name faculty.

Program Quality.

This one is a little fuzzy because quality is hard to measure and depends on what you’re looking for. You might consider the following when determining a program’s quality:

Whether and where the graduates of this program have published (if publishing is important to you).

You can get this information by simply calling the department and asking for it. They should have this at the ready because they are proud of their graduates and their program. If, for whatever reasons, they don’t have it on hand, call the chair of the creative writing program directly.

The college’s literary journal.

Do they have one? If not, could you see yourself starting one? That could be a great experience after all, and a resume-builder to boot. If they do have one, are you impressed by it? Is it nationally recognized? If not, could you see yourself trying to make it so?

Faculty achievements.

Personally, I’ve had too many experiences that have taught me that this is actually a smoke screen. While programs tout the achievements of faculty and that’s all good, what you are looking for, or should be looking for, are good teachers. I had a professor at a school that shall remain nameless who was known as one of the best teachers on the faculty. Students were utterly and absolutely devoted to this person. This person was committed to my work personally and taught me an incredible amount. This person was denied tenure because his/her work was published by a press deemed "not good enough". Let that be a lesson to you, a guiding principle as you evaluate faculty achievements. Again, teaching quality is what you’re looking for. And it is sooooo easy to find out if someone is a good teacher or not. Just ask around. Get those email addresses of alumni and current students. They’ll be more than happy to blab blab blab about their professors.

Program coursework.

Again, this one depends on what you’re looking for. Do you want to write and only write? Or do you want to study literature as well as write? Most programs pair a writing workshop with a literature course each semester. My program also had a teacher training/pedagogical theory requirement that I found helpful since I figured I would go on to teach post-MFA.

There are programs for students who only want to write and for students who want a broader experience. If you only want to write, investigate the MFA programs offered through art institutes as they seem to have a strong focus on writing and the workshop. If you want the broader experience, then it will be important to know if the department offers literature courses that appeal to you. No Asian Lit courses? No Faulkner seminar? Investigate what the department offers by looking at their course catalog.

Program quality also has to do with the specifics of your writing. If you write language poetry and want to continue studying it, then you’ll want to find a program with some great language poets. If you want to write experimental flash fiction, same drill. My friend, Drew Cherry, wanted to study in LA because of the film and television industry there. Here’s his take on location and program quality:

"For anyone even remotely interested in the fields of film or television, there's simply no other place than the Master’s in Professional Writing at the University of Southern California. Hollywood's on your doorstep, the film school's around the corner, and there are more film studio jobs, production company internships and personal assistant gigs than you can count.

Being a USC grad student carries some clout in the town, and can open some surprising doors. Outside of Los Angeles, however, the USC MPW program may not have the literary cachet of some of the more marquee MFA schools. I knew that when I applied, but where I'd spend my two years of grad school–and what opportunities I could explore–was equally important to me as what name was on my diploma. I also knew that whatever school I chose to attend, I'd be surrounded by talented writers that would inspire and challenge me, the ultimate aim of any writing program."

Finding the programs.

How do you find the programs? The best place to look is The AWP Official Guide to Writing Programs. Here you’ll find important information about each program–the teacher to student ratio, current faculty, and program philosophy. In addition, the Poets & Writers Web site maintains a list of writing programs with links directly to each department.

So go out there and find the program for you. Write your best. Polish, polish, polish, and apply. If you don’t get in, keep writing anyway. Spite can produce some great work.

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This is a three-part series by Melanie Jennings

Read Part One:
Should I Get an MFA?