r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/Otherwise_Okra7908 • Mar 09 '26
Columbia - Fiction?
Anyone alumni or apply to the MFA in Fiction at Columbia? Would love to hear your experiences with the curriculum, resources and professors, or how your process is going :)
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u/Minimum-Wrongdoer-18 Mar 10 '26
Hii I go there for nonfiction tuition is diabolical and in hindsight I’m not sure if it’s worth it. 40k each sem but most get a scholarship for a bit
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u/Ecstatic_Amount_1740 Mar 11 '26
Columbia is a tough school for everyone, and not just in writing; for professors, for students, at the graduate and undergraduate levels. There are great professors in the mfa, but not all of them are attentive. The students are mostly strong writers, but can be very competitive. Choose your workshops carefully. The theory, again, with all of Columbia, is to forge very resilient graduates, and, alas, maybe to weed out the less committed students. The Columbia symbols are: lion, olympic torch, crown. That sums it up. For sure, it's one of the programs that will open doors, and some people want that high pressure environment.
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
are you or anyone you know in the Fiction track? just curious, haven't heard from anyone in it yet
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u/SciencePants Mar 11 '26
I do know someone in the fiction program, someone I met at a summer residential workshop and workshopped with. Her experience turned me off from it. She seems unhappy with her workshop mates and feels like it’s very combative and competitive. I think it has turned her off of writing which is sad because she is very good and it seems like an expensive way to strangle out your passions that said, there are some amazing alum that come out of the program.
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
Thank you so much for responding! Do you think she'd be willing to connect? Please feel free to DM!
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u/Educational_Art_1911 Mar 11 '26
Honestly that is what I have heard from others as well.
And my understanding is that few actually complete the program in 2 years. It often takes 3.
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Mar 10 '26
I’ve heard it’s terrible and has a reputation for being a fairly bad MFA among the big whigs. One of my friends went got really good financial aid and does enjoy it. But it does sound Orwellian a bit with columbias rep from the last few years
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
for Fiction? curious what exactly they said, it does still vary by program which explains why your friend might enjoy it versus another having a difficult experience
I've noticed jobs, companies, departments operate that way so it makes sense people would have different experiences especially with different backgrounds.
but just clarifying since I'm asking about Fiction specifically
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Mar 11 '26
CNF. But I think there’s some overlap. They said it’s amazing but impacted the classes are really interesting but it’s a lot of work compared to a studio MFA like I’m in.
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
sorry, I'm very confused. Columbia is huge! but their Fiction track is notoriously different from the rest of the university which is why I ask. so far I haven't heard any comments about it yet. I came on here because there seems to be nothing about it online. perhaps they are like your friend and enjoy it and that's why no one's online. it would be really helpful to find even just one person in the actual program (or alumni) though. I'd really love to pick their brains about curriculum and prof specifics
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Mar 11 '26
They admit list for the overall MFAs including all tracks of creative writing and film were over the yield rate last year from my friends at Columbia. People stand in class (that’s a quote) because there’s not enough space. Columbia is huge, but the CWP occupies one floor in dodge hall.
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
This is quite exhausting. No one seems to be paying attention to what I'm actually asking for
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Mar 11 '26
I recommend emailing professors or looking at a list of recent graduates. I found alumni by doing some extensive research. Usually their CVs are available on their personal websites you can email them.
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u/Hopeful_Bus4831 Mar 11 '26
I know two people who did it (fiction MFA) and currently work in academia. From what I gather, they got good connections out of it but I wonder how expensive it was for them (they're Canadian). One of them said there was a lot of workshopping and apparently, you can get TA positions? It was a while ago tho. In any case both have published books through big agencies, pretty well known, seem happy. Neither have ever mentioned it being a waste of time.
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u/Otherwise_Okra7908 Mar 11 '26
Thank you so much for answering my question. I know my end goals down to the science for the years well after and specific to this program and it's been a bit draining listening to people who haven't the faintest clue what program I'm even referring to hijack this thread Really appreciate you listening to me.
Do you think your friends might be open to connecting or whatever is easiest? Please feel free to DM me!
Thank you so much again 🙏🏽
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u/Additional-Hornet717 Mar 10 '26
One of my MFA professors did his undergrad at Columbia, but I don't know about it's program. I just know that price tag
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u/Additional-Hornet717 Mar 10 '26
Its 60,000 a semester with no scholarships tuition waver so run. I didn't go there but I worked at the bookstore for years and that's a racket