Instructor: Gabriel Packard
Dates: April 17th & April 24th
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up MONDAYS 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $125
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample of your writing if available.
By the end of this two-week master class, students will have (1) a first draft of their MFA application, or a more polished draft, if they’ve already begun, (2) a personalized shortlist of MFA programs to apply to, and (3) strong insights into what MFA programs are looking for and how to deliver this.
Topics will include:
*Inside the mind of the MFA gatekeepers. Who are they? What are they looking for? How do you find out?
*How to be a good applicant (beyond the application form).
*How to select which (and how many) MFA programs to apply to.
*How to approach and write the personal statement.
*How to select, edit & order your writing samples.
*Resumes, GREs, etc. Do they matter?
*What to do when you receive an offer, or multiple offers.
*How financial aid works.
Session 1 will include a checklist of action items to help you write a solid first draft of your application or polish an MFA application you’ve already begun, before Session 2.
Session 2 will include a dedicated Q&A where students and ask for advice about the action items.
This class is intended for writers who are applying to (or considering applying to) MFA graduate programs in creative writing.
Gabriel Packard was Hunter College MFA’s Associate Director for 10+ years. His writing been published in The New Yorker; his novel, The Painted Ocean, was published by Little, Brown; and he wrote a chapter in The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs. He has guest lectured at colleges and universities including Yale, Cornell, U. Penn, Princeton, Dartmouth, NYU, Oxford and Cambridge. And he previously worked as a researcher for Jonathan Franzen and E.L. Doctorow.