So you've decided to pursue creative writing in graduate school, but which MFA program is right for you?
Attempting to make a life as a creative writer is an extremely difficult undertaking. More and more, aspiring writers are considering MFA programs as an opportunity to meet other writers, make contacts, and allow themselves time to do nothing but write - something that is not available to most people in the everyday world. But when it comes to applying, the process can seem just as daunting as writing itself. Ever year more and more institutions are creating their own MFA programs, and knowing which place would be a good fit can be nigh impossible. Still, there are some ways to narrow down the options.
Which MFA programs you choose to apply to depends on a host of factors. Some of the most important are the location, size, cost, reputation, faculty, and theoretical bent. The order of importance of these factors depends mostly on your preferences, so a good idea is to sit down and write out exactly what is important to you.
LOCATION
Don't underestimate the importance of location. Where a program is located can make all the difference to a writer, especially if his or her writing is heavily influenced by the environment. If you are a novelist of the city, for example, you may want to consider a graduate program in an urban environment, where you will be immersed in the settings for your stories on a consistent basis. Cities provide a more kinetic feel as well; some writers believe the energy and bustle of millions of people provide them with more inspiration than a bucolic university setting. Others, though, may get distracted by this noise - and avoiding distractions are precisely the reason many people go to these programs in the first place.
SIZE
Make sure to find out the size of the program you are considering applying to. Both small and large programs have advantages and disadvantages. Smaller programs are often more selective and tend to have a consistently higher level of quality in their students. Faculty members can work more closely with their students, and each story you write will get more attention. At the same time, smaller programs can become suffocating for some people, especially if they don't get along or aren't on the same page as their classmates. Smaller programs can breed more intense competition, as well. Larger programs, on the other hand tend to have a watered down level of talent across the board - there are certainly going to be a lot of quality writers there, but along with them will be those who probably aren't going to make it as creative writers, and probably won't help you too much in your journey either. Still, many of these people go on to become editors and agents, and a larger program does afford you the opportunity to make a wider net of contacts in the literary world.
COST
A big complaint that people have with MFA programs is their prohibitive cost. Fortunately, most of the better programs fully fund their students, either through fellowships or assistantship positions. Remember that an MFA is not going to be getting you any high-paying jobs afterwards, so think carefully before going to a school that is going to saddle you with debt.
REPUTATION
This is a category which most people place a great deal of emphasis, though that is not necessarily a good idea. It is true that an MFA from one of the premier programs is going to raise eyebrows on your manuscript cover letter, but for the most part, outside of a very select few institutions, your writing matters more than the school you went to. Still, schools garner reputation for a reason, and this is often because they only accept higher quality students, have well-known faculty, or their graduates publish on a consistent basis. Talk to any writers you know who have gone to MFA programs, or who are familiar with them, and ask their opinions. Various publications come out with ranking systems of programs every year or so - these are usually done by surveying professors and administrators at MFA programs themselves, so they can be a valuable tool in getting a general sense of which programs are considered elite. However, it is important to keep in mind that the school's reputation is only part of what you should consider when choosing a school.
FACULTY
Who is teaching at an MFA program is an often overlooked but important part of the decision making process. The school may seem perfect in every way, but if you can't find a faculty member who shares your writing sensibilities, it may be a long couple of years. In the same way, the opportunity to work with some of the best writers in the country is extremely valuable. Think about the contemporary writers you admire. Chances are they teach at a university somewhere - find out where and consider those schools. Also, most universities have web sites listing their faculty members - if you are considering that program, read whatever you can by those authors, and think about whether their writing style is similar to yours, or if they write in a way you admire and can learn from.
THEORETICAL BENT
This is a tricky aspect of analyzing programs, because most schools claim that they don't lean one way or the other. Instead, they will say, they give each individual writer the room to write in whatever style they choose. Unfortunately, this claim is often not borne out by the facts. Most graduate programs do tend to produce writers who publish certain kinds of writing, so if you favor a particular school of writing - say, postmodern, experimental - then you might want to look at schools that encourage that style. You can learn which programs these are by reading the work published by their faculty members, and even better, the work written by their current and former graduates. Most new authors (especially if they are published in literary journals), if they hold an MFA, will list it in their bio. Read as many literary journals as you can, and take notice of where these people went to school. Soon you'll be able to get a sense of what types of writers went to which programs.
Deciding to pursue an MFA is a big decision, and should not be taken lightly. Most likely you'll be putting your life on hold for a couple of years for a dream that may never come to fruition, so you want to make sure that the place you spend that time is ideal for you. But regardless of where you go, the crucial thing to keep in mind is that you only get what you put into it. The greatest teachers in the most prestigious program are not going to help you if you aren't willing to put everything you have into those two or three years.
