I had a new program come to my attention a little late in the game. The University of Pittsburgh was a suggestion from Dr. Graham. I map quested the area as soon as I got home, which was bad (DO NOT DECIDE SOLELY ON AREA), and concluded it may be too far away.
Then I actually went to Pittsburgh to visit Paul, who is on co-op at a company in the city. I fell in love with the area. I’m NOT a city person. I actually hate it. But the housing is reasonable and the area around the school is actually really cool. I saw a runner while I was there, big plus for me as I run a lot. And there is a ton to do. It’s a sport city too. That is fine by me. Paul and his housemates drove me around the different areas and I found myself just staring out the window and liking it all. There were maybe a couple things I didn’t like, but they weren’t deal breakers. I just don’t know how I would deal with being so far away. But as my mother said, “Now is the time to do this stuff. When you’re young.” Thanks, Mom. I probably wouldn’t be able to be that far from home for this long, but the program still drew me in based off the city culture and what the nonfiction classes had to offer.
I had to research the program further. I already knew there was a strong nonfiction program, which is perfect for me. So I got down to adding them to my list after searching out the details.
The website provides its viewers with a way to explore the city via their website. There are links to all the popular attractions. I visited several when I was there. The zoo isn’t far from where I stayed in Morningside. But I also toured South Side, the strip, Shadyside (which was BEAUTIFUL, but sadly, a poor college student probably cannot afford to live in that section) and of course, the airport. I got a good mix, I felt. I wanted to see more, which always makes me want to trust my instincts and look into things further, such as a grad program in an exciting city.
Here is the program overview:
“Ours is a three-year degree providing students with the time and opportunity to produce a book-length final manuscript. Our graduate writing faculty have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally through numerous publications and awards. They include poets Toi Derricotte, Lynn Emanuel, and Dawn Lundy Martin; fiction writers Fiona Cheong, Chuck Kinder, and Irina Reyn; and creative nonfiction writer Jeanne Marie Laskas. Each year we also welcome a number of distinguished visiting faculty.”
So this program is a little longer than the other ones I have looked at. However, I really like that they offer nonfiction. I also really like that they name successful faculty that I can go look up if I don’t know them. Which I don’t.
I then looked up the requirements of the nonfiction program. I should also note, DO THIS FOR EVERY SCHOOL YOU LOOK AT. Search through their website, make phones calls or send e-mails if you need clarification. The Pittsburgh site was pretty clear. Being a Journalism major, I was really interested to see the term “literary journalism” appear less than halfway down the page.
Straight from the website: “The terms “creative nonfiction” and “literary journalism” should serve as indicators of the intent of our program. We expect students to work in any of a wide variety of styles and subgenres, such as autobiography, biography, history, speculative or personal essays, new journalism, investigative reporting and analysis, and feature writing of the quality that appears in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, and literary quarterlies.”
The section ended with a description of the final manuscript. I really want to try and have something published, so this is another aspect of the program that really appeals to me. I would be able to receive feedback on my first big work. Not to mention, this feedback would be the well-aimed criticism I would hope to receive that would help me take a critical look at my own work.
There is a con to this program. All the others DO NOT REQUIRE the GRE’s. Pittsburgh does. So I would have to wait an entire year before I could apply (they do not have a spring semester admission time), which is fine. I need to search now anyways.
For their statement of purpose, they clearly state in the FAQ section: “Your statement of purpose should tell us about yourself and what brought you to this program. Why did you choose the University of Pittsburgh’s MFA program? What do you expect from your time in the program? And what are your aspirations as a writer?”
I browsed some course offerings and what the program’s goals are. Great. So now I need to remember to get all my application elements prepared and be signed up for the GRE’s early enough that, if I do decide to go with Pittsburgh, my application would be completed in time for the December 9th deadline.
Pittsburgh also asks for much more in the application process. I would have to submit the full 50 pages of writing samples, three letters of recommendation, and a two to three page writing sample.
My main reason for this post is to just prove to KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN. I had previously turned my nose up at Pittsburgh without really looking into the program and what it could offer me. I’ll be honest, I still really like the Fairfield program best (the low-res), mainly because it would be much more cost effective and provide me with an excellent writing experience. I still have work to do in terms of deciding which samples to definitely send and I have a revision to complete on my personal statement.
Pittsburgh also keeps potential students and alumni up to date with a news section. I browsed this to see some of the accomplishments of the faculty and students:
They also offer a section of their 21 admitted students in the various genres and they each have a brief write-up about what they’re focusing on and where they came from. I found this really helpful.
Link to the program: http://www.creativewriting.pitt.edu/graduate
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