MFA Application

All applications to the MFA program must be submitted via the VCU admissions portal.

This includes creative writing portfolios and graduate assistantship applications. Admission to VCU’s MFA program in Creative Writing is quite competitive, with roughly 200 applications received yearly for only 8-10 spots. Added to this competitive process is the fact that typically we only admit full-time positions with graduate teaching assistantships. That said, every year we also admit a select few part-time MFA students (Note: Most if not all graduate coursework is offered in the evening hours) and while still highly selective, it behooves such applicants who are seeking part-time enrollment to self-identify early in the application process (see actual application for more details).

The VCU admissions portal contains most of the information you need on application requirements, applying for in-state tuition, application fees (and waivers), and much more. Below are application details specific to MFA in Creative Writing applicants.

Deadlines

Traditionally, the general MFA program application deadline is February 1. However, if you are interested in becoming a full-time student and want to be considered for possible graduate assistantships, we recommend you submit your online application materials by January 15 of the year in which you are applying.

Statement of Intent

As a part of the general online application, the School of Graduate Studies asks that you write an essay addressing “your reasons for seeking graduate education,” emphasizing such areas as goals, aptitude, awards, and honors. The creative writing program asks that you focus more on the following: your reading habits; your writing habits; your experiences with criticism of your own work and the work of others, in workshops, perhaps, but in the study of literature as well; as well as what you see as your responsibilities in the community of writers of which you are a part.

Letters of Reference

Three letters of reference are required for each program and should be submitted online by your recommenders. Instructions for how to do so are included in the online application. Letters should address your academic and professional abilities and preparation for graduate study, especially in a creative writing program. (If you are applying for a graduate teaching assistantship, at least two of these should specifically address your qualifications for an assistantship.)  Note: The names, titles, and email addresses of your recommenders should be included in the VCU online application. Once your application has been submitted, VCU will contact your recommenders directly for an online letter of reference.

Creative Writing Portfolio

• Fiction concentration: Applicants should submit 20-50 pages of fiction.
• Poetry concentration: Applicants must provide of 8-10 poems.
• Dual genre concentration: Your portfolio may also consist of a combination of both of these main genres (poetry and fiction) or should you wish, a portion of your portfolio may feature a work of creative nonfiction. Be certain, however, that it includes only your best work.

Test Scores

GRE scores are no longer required for the MFA program.