is getting an MFA worth it?

thoughts from a recent graduate

After years of deliberating, debating, talking myself in and out of the idea, in Spring 2022, I applied for an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults program. It was my therapist at the time who convinced me to do it. I didn’t have to go, just apply. It sounded like a safe enough bet because who knew if I even had the chops to get accepted? At least I would know, and I could stop tormenting myself about it!

fun on the hamline campus

Here is what else I knew:

• I wanted a master’s degree.

• It wasn’t going to be cheap.

• It would put me in more student loan debt.

• I wanted a low residency program because I was working full-time. There was no way I could take 2 years off to be in classrooms all day.

• Even with that, I wasn’t sure if I’d have time for the residencies.

  • They’re a total of 11 days including weekends, and taking 7 days off from work can be tricky for a lot of people.

• I loved learning about the craft, and I wanted something to show for it instead of only taking workshops or watching SkillShare here and there.

• I was ready to really go deep, challenge myself, and level up my writing.

I applied to 2 schools, one of them being Hamline University. Within weeks, both schools accepted me and both schools gave me scholarship money. So of course, now that I was in, I was going to go! The decision was hard, but ultimately, I went with Hamline University. The faculty was more diverse, the cost was significantly cheaper, and the director was able to offer me even more scholarship money. I wrote my first workshop piece and submitted it that November. And in January of 2023, off I went to my first residency.

first day on campus

A lot of people expressed this sentiment: “You’re already published—why are you getting your MFA? What do you want to get out of it?” I wanted to build more confidence in my work. I wanted to try new things. I wanted to push myself. And I wanted to meet likeminded people.

Here is what I know now:¹

• You will be challenged, and encouraged to try new things. While in school, I tried writing picture books, a verse novel, and fantasy.²

• You will be supported…and if you don’t feel supported, all you have to do is speak up.

• It is absolutely not cheap. Not only is there tuition, but there are the costs of residencies (travel if you don’t live locally, room, food, warm clothes—the winter residency can get brutally cold), and of course, university swag. (The swag probably isn’t necessary, but I don’t regret my million Hamline shirts. They pair nicely with my Ohio State shirts.)

  • Plus there are student discounts available for anything from new glasses to clothes to Apple products! Every little bit helps.³

• You will make friends with some of the most special people you’ll ever meet.

• During residency, you will be surrounded by writers who love story and care about kids as much as you do, and that is unparalleled.

• You will also start making traditions with some of these people, like visiting the art store or getting drunk at Gabe’s at least once. 👀

• When you graduate, you will feel so, so, so proud of yourself.⁴

  

  community

So, is getting a master’s degree worth it? Well, it depends on what you plan to get out of it. If you’re only looking for a surefire way to getting an agent and getting published, then getting an MFA might not be the right path for you. Because the degree does not guarantee either of those things. If you’re looking to deepen your craft, work closely with highly respected industry veterans, make amazing friends, and grow out of your comfort zone, you might consider it. In addition, this degree is a terminal degree, meaning you can teach if you decide to go that route.⁵

graduation day!

As for me, I got all of that and more. I have memories that I will always cherish. I got to learn a lot about craft and process, but most importantly, I generated a lot of pages. I learned to write (a bit) fast(er) and not overthink (as much) when drafting. I never thought that I’d love doing something so much, even when it was challenging, even when it felt like I’d be buried in packets and endless reading forever. Even when I sat there in my first lecture, intimidated and worried I was in way over my head. And especially when I saw the third-semester students give their critical essay presentations and thought “how in the world am I going to be able to do that?” And then not only doing it, but winning an award for it besides. So for me, yes. 100% this was worth it. It’s one of my most favorite things I’ve ever done and I have no regrets at all.

I did it!

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Thank you thank you for sticking around until the end! If you enjoyed, I hope you consider sharing with a friend. If you have any questions about graduate school, particularly this program, go ahead and reply to this newsletter! In the meantime, please feel free to follow me on any or all of the social media platforms listed here: instagram • threads • pinterest • bluesky

Sending you love and light! ✨

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1. Your mileage may vary.

2. The fantasy experiment did not go well, but I’m willing to try again. Before grad school I’d have hung up the towel and decided to never try it again.

3. ID.me and Student Beans. If you’re a current student, check them out.

4. It’s been almost 2 months and I still look at my degree and smile because I did that!!

5. People have asked me if I’d ever consider being faculty for one of these programs and I absolutely would.