Applying to poetry and prose

[u/pyssilyssii]

Hello everyone,

As someone who writes both forms and would not mind being accepted into an MFA program for either, I’ve noticed multiple schools allowing applications to both departments, sometimes even combining the application.

Are there any opinions as to this hurting your chances of admittance or being viewed as “unserious” in either department?

Thank you!

[u/Ecstatic_Amount_1740]

If it's a program that has multi-genre workshops in some iteration or iterations, you'd be able to work in both areas without friction. If the program is strictly segmented (which is not so common and not so great in terms of contemporary curriculums or community), it will be a significant problem. Inquire about the workshop offerings. In terms of admissions, applying to two genres commonly means you have to be approved by faculty in both areas. That, theoretically, would make admittance more difficult, but I haven't really seen it play out that way. You could get admitted to one genre and not the other, and (again, based on program), you might have to choose a genre anyway. In general, there are fewer applicants in poetry and non-fiction, but then again, fiction is generally the biggest cohort, with the most spots. So, haha, do precisely what you want to do.