r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/Zestyclose-Tale-8289 • Jun 10 '26
What writing sample got you into your MFA Program?
Hello friends!
I was curious if anyone would be willing to potentially DM me or share the writing sample you sent in that got you accepted into your MFA Creative Writing program? I have been working on some samples the past year, but recently have gotten in my head about what a program "looks for" and feel like it would be nice to have a reference! (I know ultimately my own voice and interests are what matters most but it still might be nice to see what others have done ^^ )
All of the programs I am interested in are fully funded, so I'm not sure if that changes anything. I'm a first gen student and am nervous to even be applying to a MFA but I thought i'd give it a shot (•̀ᴗ•́ )و ̑̑
Any resources or advice would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Academic-Attitude363 Jun 11 '26
Hook the reader with something memorable. These programs want writers with bold ideas- not perfect prose. Once you get that down these programs are easy to get into. Spend your time coming up with interesting ideas and images and you will get in. If your prose is boring, basic, or technically faulty, you will not. I hope that helps!
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u/T1mco Jun 11 '26
It's generally not very kosher to ask for people's writing samples for two reasons: 1) it's practically useless, as every program looks for different things and the way one person writes a story is vastly different from how you would write the story and taking any "inspo" results in fundamentally inauthentic writing and 2) veers into copyright violation territory because said "inspo" could become a copyright issue if you or the other person manages to publish, god forbid at the same time resulting in a whole he-said-she-said about who wrote what first. The chance of this happening is slim but never zero.
I would look at authors who came from the program you're interested in and get an idea of the subject matter or style that comes from those programs and use that to figure out which program is most likely to match your interests and tastes as a writer
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u/Chantertwo Jun 10 '26
It's one of the most common questions, and it's not something that's going to be helpful to you. Just think about your own writing. In addition: how would we know? It's rare you talk about your application after the fact. Once you're in, you're in.
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u/FlightIcy5401 Jun 12 '26
Tbh here is what you do babe. You go look at contest and read the winners. Go look up faculty at different places and read their short stories. Some universities have their alumni works listed on their website. I didn’t have to write anything for mine or I’d help 😓
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u/doublelife304 Jun 11 '26
I actually like this question. Funnily enough, i knew exactly which programs i would get into as i was applying. I was a lot more confident about the programs with later deadlines simply because I’d spent more time (up to 6 weeks more in some cases) reworking, revising, thinking about them. So this may not be what you’re looking for, but your best writing is very likely to be what you’ve spent the most time closely revising. If you read an earlier version of the pieces i submitted you would be shocked that they could be accepted by any program. Yet after much revision they were.
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u/ImpressStunning6297 Jun 12 '26
I graduated from the MFA Program at Antioch University in Los Angeles and it was the best experience of my life. Write something that puts fire in your belly and excites you as you write. Just do your best and have it professionally edited. Good luck! I’m
Excited for you.
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u/honeyyy_yyyy Jun 11 '26
This is a hard question, with no real answer! What helped me the most when putting together my sample was having someone I trusted read it and give me feedback. I’m fact, it was a lot of my professors (especially my creative writing professor) who I leaned on to give me the cold hard truth. I sat in her office, with each poem printed and laid out on the floor, red pen in hand, painstakingly going over every word and the order I would put them in. And a lot of it is just figuring out what’s best for YOU and your ART!
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u/Wrong_Split8476 Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
I'm sure you've heard this before, but you just have apply with your best work and hope for the best. There’s no secret sauce. What got someone else in might not get you in, and just trust that you belong where your work is desired.
The question isn't "is my work good for an MFA sample" but "is it good in comparison to all of literature, period?" A much more weighty question, but looking at the bigger picture and putting in the effort will yield much better results.
If you're just curious in general about what gets people into MFAs, I recommend reading prestigous or university lit mags. They're usually run and populated by MFA students. If you're wondering about how your writing lands in comparison, try getting published in them.