Meeting with Career Services

 First post! Here we go! Hopefully this blog supplies readers with some interesting insights :)

I finally had my graduate school appointment with Pat Taylor at Marist Career Services. One comforting thing she said: “your heart is in the right place.” She was an extremely helpful resource for this stressful time. I showed her my narrowed down list of colleges and she told me to open it right back up. I’d been doing my homework since the summer, looking for schools with programs that offer the genre of creative writing that I want to work within.

                 

“Don’t narrow down your search,” Taylor told me. “Cast your net wide as this will also leave you open for some juicy funding options.” Taylor also informed me that the leg work is up to me. I need to search through these programs and ask the hard questions. I need to ask where their alumni have gone after the programs and I need to look into the classes they have to offer. “Don’t look at the school, like you did when looking for undergraduate schools,” Taylor said. “You really need to look at the specific program, your area of study.”

               

In a later post, I will elaborate upon my visit with Dr. Lea Graham, who was a tremendous help as well. However, she steered me in the direction of creative nonfiction. I love nonfiction. I would love to continue working in it. However, I still have a love for fiction writing. I have yet to really write fiction pieces, other than in my introductory creative writing class and play writing class. The problem comes in because Syracuse is one of the top programs I am looking at. Taylor agreed with me that maybe I should wait a little while before applying there since I might really want to be in their fiction program after taking the course here at Marist.

               

There are many variables that go into this process. Some schools require a GRE to be sent in. It’s a standardized test, much like the SATs, but with a more specific purpose. 

Here is a link to the site that allows students to register and learn more about the GRE:

http://www.ets.org/gre

Taylor helped me figure out where to take one and how to prepare for it. She highly recommended buying the prep book, popping in the disk and practicing multiple times. She compared it to Carnegie Hall: “practice, practice, practice.” Also, I had been worried about the personal statement that is meant to accompany my portfolios. Not only did she tell me to e-mail my statement to her for review, but told me to come back in for another appointment to speak about it.

               

Taylor also put emphasis on how my portfolio is one of the main aspects in my application. The programs will be looking for strong, well done portfolios. Another reason not to rush into just any program and to do the homework in researching what each program offers and expects from their students.

                 

The main purpose of this post is to emphasize the importance of school services. Marist Career Services helped me breathe a sigh of relief. I have someone to turn to. Taylor told me how she loves to read and how she would be my eventual audience. She told me she was supporting me and wants to see me placed in an appropriate program. This meeting encouraged me to continue working and seeking out the program where I would fit best. I am still considering a few Low Res Creative Writing M.F.A. programs such as Fairfield, Pine Manor, and West Conn. However, I have added, alongside Syracuse, University of Pittsburgh. There will hopefully be more to come as I continue to research. This process is ongoing. I’m still completing writing samples and working on my personal statement. But there are resources to help and smooth this stressful process. The best thing to do is just talk to someone.  Start looking early, be thorough and don’t rush!

Here’s a link to Marist Career Services site. The best thing I have done as of yet, was to send them an e-mail to set up an appointment:

http://www.marist.edu/careerservices/