Frequently Asked Questions
How many applications do you receive for the spots available in your program?
For the 2024-2025 academic year, we received 659 applicants for 10 spots in fiction and 8 spots in poetry.
Do I need to have a bachelor’s degree in English or Creative Writing?
No. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree by the time you register at BU, you are eligible to apply. In the past, we have accepted students with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, music, and philosophy.
Do you require the GRE?
No. If you’ve already taken the test, you’re welcome to send your scores. Our GRE code is 3087.
Does your program accept letters of recommendation through Interfolio?
No. Letters of recommendation should be submitted via our application portal.
Where do I send my application materials?
Please upload all materials into the online application portal. Do not mail anything to the Creative Writing office.
Do you require official transcripts?
No, unofficial transcripts are fine for the application. If you are accepted, we will ask you to send official transcripts.
Do you schedule department tours or on-campus interviews?
Because of our high volume of applications, we do not require interviews. Boston University schedules official campus tours here: http://www.bu.edu/admissions/visit-us/#campustour. However, note that these tours are not specific to the Creative Writing Program. If you have questions about the program that aren’t addressed on the website, you are welcome to send them to crwr@bu.edu.
The Graduate School lists an earlier deadline than yours; which is right?
The Graduate School Admissions website lists general deadlines and departmental deadlines. Please adhere to the Creative Writing Program’s final deadline (January 9) which can be viewed on our website and on the departmental deadlines link through the Graduate School Admissions website: http://www.bu.edu/cas/prospective-students/graduate-admissions/apply/application-requirements-and-deadlines/
Do I need to submit a separate application for financial aid?
No. All students will be considered for aid. For more information about our department’s financial aid, please visit http://www.bu.edu/creativewriting/about/letter/financial-aid/.
Do I apply for a Global Fellowship now, or after I’m admitted?
Our Global Fellowship application process occurs in winter and is exclusively for MFA students who have already matriculated. For more information about the global fellowships, please visit http://blogs.bu.edu/world/.
Must I choose one, fiction or poetry, when I apply? Can’t I apply in both?
We ask that you choose one genre when you apply. If admitted, you’ll take four (two in fall, two in spring) writing workshops in your concentration, with your cohort of eight to ten fiction or poetry students. You and your small group go through the intense workshop experience together and become quite close.
What should I include in my writing sample, and how should it be formatted?
You should include the pieces that you consider to be your best writing. For fiction applicants, we strongly recommend sending two or three stories (a maximum of forty pages) so we can see your range. Please include page numbers, use clear, 12-point font, double-space your prose. Poets should send ten poems, formatted as they would wish for the admissions committee to encounter them.
What should I include in the personal statement?
We’d like to know more about you: why you write and/or why you’re choosing to pursue an MFA in creative writing, what writers and works have influenced your writing, what you hope to do at BU (and beyond), and why the BU creative writing program is the place for you. This document should be double-spaced with a 12pt, easy-to-read font.
For any and all other questions, please contact our administrator Annaka Saari at crwr@bu.edu or visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ FAQ page or Admissions website: