Back to school....

[CrimsonLadybug]

I graduated with my Bachelor's in English in 2004. Technically, the whole degree was English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in professional writing. For three years now I have been kicking around the idea of returning to school but I don't know what for. I have considered both an MFA in fiction and a second undergrad in ....well....something. Maybe graphics design, maybe web programming.

I'm looking for some first hand experiences, and a little advice. Who has done it - taken a few years off and gone back, either for a masters or doctorate or for a second (or third or forth) bachelor's? If you went for a second Bachelor's was it something totally new or something to complement or enhance what you already had?

Also, what would I need to do to improve myself in the eyes of a grad school admissions committee/board? My major GPA at time of graduation was a 2.6 and my overall was 2.3 (I have a few regrets about some of the skating I did through college ). Generally speaking, can (should) I go back and retake some of those C classes to try to get a better grade before even applying?

[Senusret I]

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.

[Senusret I]

I just realized I didn't answer a single one of your questions.

I'm sorry. I just got caught up in making sure you didn't repeat my mistakes.

[CrimsonLadybug]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I just realized I didn't answer a single one of your questions.

I'm sorry. I just got caught up in making sure you didn't repeat my mistakes.

No, you did. I was looking for first hand experiences. And you're right. Most colleges don't hire professors without a PhD. I know my creative writing professor, who later became my advisor when I added the emphasis, only had his MFA but he had also had couple of chapbooks published and was at one point considered for Poet Laureate (I think he was like choice #99 out of 100 possibilities but still his name was in the pot). And my Lit Crit professor had only gotten that far as well but that's only two out of a faculty of twenty or so.

If I did decide to go for the MFA I would be doing it with the goal of teaching creative writing, either at a community college or adult education center, or possibly high school level. Somewhere the students are in it for enjoyment and not because they have ultimate designs on an MFA.

[Senusret I]

One more thing to consider.... if you want to teach high school English, the MFA would be GREAT! Just don't forget that you will still have to become a certified teacher... so you might want to combine the MFA with an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) if you're so inclined. Or somehow get enough education coursework to count toward the No Child Left behind standards.

If you considered a low-residency MFA program, you might be able to do regular grad work in another field. That might require a lot of discipline, but hey, who knows.

Good luck with everything!

[CrimsonLadybug]

I've considered the low-residency program option. Naropa, one of the schools I was considering, only offers "Creative Writing" as an LR. They have an in-resident program called Writing and Poetics as well but the actual creative writing program isn't. I don't know if I would enjoy it as much as actually being in the classroom. Banter is one of the best parts of a creative writing program, IMO.