|
I dropped out of an MFA program in Creative Writing.
Later in life, I might go through a low residency MFA program at a school like Goddard College. But the program I was in wasn't for me.
Generally speaking, I do not find the MFA to be very helpful or necessary to do what you want to do as a writer. With some effort, you can join or create a writer's workshop to have your own cohort. You can subscribe to Poets & Writers or whatever other trade magazines there are. You can read voraciously. And you can purchase lots of books that have agents listed.
I self-published my first novel about two years after I dropped out.
My concern for you is because you are young (as I was) without a high GPA (just like me).... getting an MFA could be a serious waste of money, as very few programs will give you grant money if you had less than a 3.0.
IF I WERE YOU..... and if I had to do it all over again....
I would look for MA programs in English that have either a concentration in creative writing or creative writing classes you can take to exclusively fill up your electives. That way, you can still fulfill your desire to write, be on a college campus, etc., BUT have a degree that does NOT terminate at the Master's level, have the option to get a PhD in English and then be EXTRA marketable and teach on many college campuses.
Once I got into the program, I realized that having an MFA would credential me ONLY to be a teacher of creative writing on the collegiate level... and how many colleges nowadays are hiring English professors with less than a PhD?
Anyway, I hope that all made sense.
|