By Linda Formichelli
Originally published in The Writer, January 2005

In the November issue, we gave tips on choosing the right graduate program. But now that you've found the program of your dreams, how do you get in when you're competing against thousands of other starry-eyed aspiring writers?

We spoke with representatives of MFA programs across the country to get the scoop on how you can ace your writing sample, essay and application, and then we boiled down their advice. Here's what they had to say:

Don't get fancy with your writing submission "Occasionally, we receive poetry that is illustrated or otherwise decorated, and we discourage that sort of effort," says Sharon Oard Warner, associate professor and director of creative writing at the University of New Mexico and founding director of the Taos Summer Writers' Conference. "We would counsel applicants to spend their time and energy on refining the words themselves."

Know thy program Applying for an MFA program because it has an impressive name is a big no-no. Do some research to find out what the program is all about and whether the university offers courses in your areas of interest. "It's important to our faculty that students who apply are familiar with our program and what we have to offer," Oard Warner says. "We accept students who seem best suited to the strengths of our faculty and our program. For instance, we're unlikely to admit a student who is writing fantasy because none of us work in that genre. Perhaps the biggest mistake is applying to programs on the basis of reputation and not on the basis of research for fit."

Get personal Admissions officers can smell a generic essay or letter of intent from a mile off. "While I understand that students apply to a number of programs - and they should - I also strongly encourage applicants to individualize at least the last section of the letter of intent, where they might discuss briefly whether they're interested in working with a particular faculty member, whether they are interested in being part of the literary magazine, say, or in working at the Taos Conference," Oard Warner says.

Read, read, read "Our MFA degree does require significant coursework in literature classes, and students who enter the program must be prepared for - and enthusiastic about - working with and reading a broad range of literature," Oard Warner says. "We feel strongly that writers must first of all be readers, and knowledgeable readers at that." Barbara Ann Rodman, associate professor of English and chair of the Creative Writing Division at the University of North Texas, adds, "[Read] contemporary writers in small magazines, anthologies such as the Best American Stories/Poems/Essays series, Pushcart Prize books, etc."

Get recommended "Recommendations should be from persons familiar with their past academic records, ambitions for the future, and personal strengths and weaknesses," Rodman says. If you've been out of school for ages and lost touch with your professors, try taking some classes as a nondegree student, or you can also ask your employer or even another writer to write a recommendation. "A student who is making a career change or whose undergrad record is weak should find people who can attest to the applicant's ability and motivations to change," Rodman says. An example would be an employer who can vouch for the applicant's work ethic and future goals.

Avoid genre writing samples "Generally, we'd advise applicants to avoid genres (i.e. science fiction, romance, epic poems, etc.) and to choose work that represents their best efforts," Rodman says. "We look for mastery of basic skills, ambition and an awareness of audience."

Be qualified If your undergrad degree is in, say, physics, you maybe lacking some required courses for the MFA program of your choice. Find out what the program requires and do your best to get those courses under your belt.

Write, write, write You need to be familiar with the writing process, including critiques and revisions, so take writing classes, join writing groups, attend a writing workshop. "A student who's never taken any kind of workshop or spent a concentrated amount of time working on revisions is going to find it hard to compete with those who have," Rodman says.

Take the test If an MFA program you're applying for required Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, "take them in time to get your scores reported when your application arrives," Rodman advises. "And if you don't do well, take them again. We do turn down students with acceptable scores because they are still lower than other qualified applicants. Most colleges and universities now offer free or low-cost preparation courses - take them! These scores, in combination with GPA's, are extremely important." FYI: many programs only look at the English scores, so don't freak out about your math.

Play nice "Applicants who are rude to secretaries and office assistants may be rejected by faculty who overhear the exchanges," Rodman says.

Be proactive We're talking a few years of your life here, so thoroughly check out any program you're considering. "I do think applicants should try and visit the campuses, if possible, asking for help arranging a homestay with a student and the opportunity to sit in on classes," Rodman says.

Get real don't wax poetic in your essay about your great American novel or your bestseller dreams, and don't try to impress with your flowery prose. "We are turned off by too much fantasizing about fame and fortune or any kind of tub-thumping about changing the world," says J. Madison Davis, a professor in the Professional Writing Program at the University of Oklahoma. "The biggest mistake is to turn in a writing sample that is intended to impress us as a staggering work of genius. It often makes us stagger, but never impresses us. Good, clean writing with genuine feeling and control is what we want to see."

Follow directions "Applicants can seriously slow down our decision process by 1) sending the materials to the Creative Writing Program rather than to Admissions; 2) not following up on their undergraduate transcripts and their recommendations; and 3) not submitting their work in triplicate, as the application guidelines require," says Steven Cramer, head of the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Lesley University. "Finally, applicants often neglect to put their names on their writing samples, which makes more work for us and could result in the loss or misfiling of a writing sample."

Get published Try submitting your work to literary journals, writing contests, anthologies and other writing venues. "Having published is important," Davis says. "Recently, a student applied who had written and directed a movie in his native land. Of course we'd want him as a screenwriting student! If the applicant belongs to a writing group that has some sort of competitive entry, it would be noted." Not that being unpublished is a black mark. Rodman assumes students are just beginning to work toward publication. "We look for potential or what is sometimes called 'teachability.'"

Write your essay like a story "Good personal essays must be interesting, as much as good fiction, and must demonstrate skill with the same crafts - dialogue, scene, plot, pace, voice, etc." says Mary Troy, director of the MFA program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "Very good ones look outside of themselves to the world at large."

Don't stop at just one "Writers wishing to enter an MFA program should apply to more than a few," Troy says. It may cost $50 to $100 for each, but the more applications you send, the greater your chances of getting accepted