MFA APPLICATION ADVICE

S THE former director of a graduate writing program, I’ve fielded my share of questions about going to school to study the craft of writing. Usually when people ask me if they should apply to an MFA program, I say, “Don’t.” It’s not that I want to be discouraging; my aim in saying this so bluntly is to make it clear that an MFA is not the only way to grow as a writer. Going to graduate school costs time and money. Even if you’ve been accepted into a fully funded program, you may have to move or give up a stable job to attend. Writing requires you to spend a lot of time alone, taking you away from work and leisure and friends and family. There