Okay, maybe I’m an uppity 20-something, but according to Jane Austen, I’m on the wrong side of 20 (with a baby!) So, I’m kind of also not one perhaps? In any case, this list is for people who are interested in pursuing a Master of Fine Arts but do not have three years of their lives to pledge to an institution. Which is not to say that’s all that traditional M.F.A.s are. They are worthwhile and can be wonderfully life-changing if you can get into one (preferably one that’s fully funded) and show up consistently.

The reality is that many people come back to creative writing or start getting into it long after crossing their post-BA eras. They’ll have families, full-time jobs, and households to maintain. But they still want to write! And they still seek community and instruction. This is commendable and beautiful. This is also where the low-res MFA comes in.

So we’re all on the same page, this is how Wikipedia sums up “low-residency”:

A low-residency program (or limited residency program) is a form of education, normally at the university level, which involves some amount of distance education and brief on-campus or specific-site residencies—residencies may be one weekend or several weeks.

I’ve collected five of the best such programs here that provide just that for all you word-lovers out there. There are details on application requirements, deadlines, faculty, the affiliated college or university, notable alumni, and much more!

Let’s dive in!

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY— Writers Workshop in Paris

Over two years, students and faculty convene regularly in Paris for five intensive ten-day residency periods held biannually in January and July (click here for a sample residency calendar). While in residency in Paris, students participate in a vibrant community engaged in all aspects of the literary arts, including workshops, craft talks, lectures, individual conferences and manuscript consultations, as well as a diverse series of readings, special events and professional development panels. During the intervals between residencies, students pursue focused courses of study, completing reading and writing assignments under the close supervision of individual faculty members. These ongoing dialogues with faculty are tailored to specific student interests and needs; students are mentored by a different professor each term and work closely with four different writers during the two-year program.

Deadline: February 12, 2024

Application Fee: $110

Waiver: More information here

Duration: 2 Years

Enrollment: 10-20

Funding: https://vcfa.edu/admissions/tuition-scholarships-financial-aid/

Financial Aid: More Information Here

Tuition: ~ $34,500 per year

Housing: Students must arrange their own accommodations in Paris during the residency periods.

Faculty: Catherine Barnett, Ken Chen, Meghan O’Rourke, Nicole Sealey, Katie Kitamura, Darin Strauss, Brandon Taylor, Alex Dimitrov

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• 3.0 GPA minimum
• Transcripts (official transcripts required)
• up-to-date CV

3 Letters of Recommendation: Recommenders should be chosen from people who know your academic qualifications and are most familiar with your former studies, research interests, or work — preferably in the field in which you expect to study.  If you have been out of school for some time, a letter from an employer or supervisor should be provided. We do not accept letters of recommendation via Interfolio and other credentials services.

Statement of Purpose: In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Personal History Statement (Optional): The purpose of this optional essay is to get to know you as an individual and as a potential graduate student, and how your lived experience will significantly contribute to our goals of equity, inclusion, and academic excellence at the Graduate School. Please describe how your personal background has motivated you to pursue a graduate degree. Please note that the Personal History Statement is not meant to be a general autobiography. The statement is optional and should not exceed two double-spaced pages. It should not duplicate the Statement of Academic Purpose.

Portfolio — 10 pages of poetry / 25 double-spaced pages of prose

Lit Mag — Washington Square Review

VERMONT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS — MFA in Writing

Information Session on February 15 at 6:30-7:30 PM EST

One-on-one mentoring is the backbone of VCFA’s unparalleled writing program. Students work individually with teachers who are also esteemed working writers, bringing each student’s talent into full bloom. Through this collaboration, students’ art, craft, and aesthetic evolve exponentially. More than any other program—low-residency or traditional—our MFA in Writing offers study options for students who wish to explore the intersections of various forms and disciplines, as well as the opportunity to concentrate in a single genre. And, we offer a rarity in low-residency programs: an MFA in Literary Translation.

Deadline: April 1, 2024

*This deadline is for the Summer Residency which runs from July 13-21, 2024 in Colorado Springs, CO (Colorado College Campus)

Application Fee: $75

Waiver: VCFA offers need-based application fee waivers. To request a fee waiver, please email your program's Associate Director of Admissions or email admissions@vcfa.edu.

Duration: 2 Years

Enrollment: 20-30 per semester

Funding: https://vcfa.edu/admissions/tuition-scholarships-financial-aid/

Financial Aid Info Session: https://apply.vcfa.edu/portal/fa

Tuition:

Semester tuition (6 months):  $11,882.00

• Housing & Meals (double-occupancy room):  $1,050.00
• Total (per 6-month semester):  $12,932.00

Estimated 2-year program cost is $53,711.00.

Faculty: Richard Jackson, Philip Metres, Tomás Q. Morín, Natasha Sajé, Betsy Sholl, Leslie Ullman, Nance Van Winckel, David Wojahn

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• 2.5 GPA minimum
• Transcripts (official transcripts required)
• up-to-date CV

2 Letters of Recommendation: Letters should describe your qualifications for master’s level study and your aptitude for independent learning.

Personal Essay

Submit 2-3 double-spaced pages addressing the following:

• How long have you been writing seriously?
• What is your previous study in writing and literature?
• Do you have additional experience relevant to your application?
• Are you prepared to use direct criticism of your work?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your writing?
• Are there any challenges that may prevent you from devoting 25 hours per week to study or corresponding regularly with your faculty advisor?

Portfolio — 10 pages of poetry / 20-25 double-spaced pages of prose

Optional: You may also submit a list of workshops/classes you have taken and a list of awards/publications you have achieved. Publication is not required for admission, but an applicant’s publishing history is helpful information for the faculty reviewers.

Lit Mag — Hunger Mountain Review

BENNINGTON COLLEGE — Bennington Writing Seminars

One of the top low-residency programs in the country, the Bennington Writing Seminars is a two-year, rigorous exploration of craft. You commit as much to reading as to writing and critical literary analysis. You create bold new works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and may work in a dual-genre. You finish with a polished thesis and a critical paper. All this with the expert 1:1 guidance of acclaimed authors who develop a stake in your work. Our alumni, faculty, students, and staff publish work at the highest levels.

Deadline: March 1, 2024

*This deadline is for the Summer term residency from June 6-16, 2024

Application Fee: $70 / $100 if applying for two genres

Waiver: Though there is no information on the website, if you require a need-based fee waiver, you can try to ask for one using this Google Form.

Duration: 2 Years

Enrollment: 25-30 each term

Funding: More Information Here

Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens may use federal student loans to help finance their studies at Bennington. When applying for admission, interested students should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the online Bennington College Application for Financial Aid. More information available here.

Tuition: $11,734 per term (includes room and board)

Faculty: April Bernard, Michael Dumanis, Randall Mann, Craig Morgan Teicher, Mark Wunderlich

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• no minimum GPA requirement
• Transcripts (official transcripts emailed)
• Resume/Work History (optional)

3 Letters of Recommendation: These should be from people who are familiar with your writing and/or your ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Essay: A 2-3 page double-spaced (essay discussing your reading life and your engagement with the literature of other writers is required.

Portfolio — 10 pages of poetry / 20 double-spaced pages of prose

Lit Mag — Bennington Review

ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY— MFA in Creative Writing

Antioch University’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing program is devoted not only to the education of literary and dramatic artists but to community engagement and the pursuit of social justice. The program features one-on-one mentoring with a variety of successful publishing writers and includes instruction in craft, revision, and critical reading and thinking skills. The rights and ethical responsibilities of creative writers are also addressed, along with practical career concerns related to the business of writing and publishing. The MFA program prepares students for careers and meaningful lives as writers, editors, teachers, and engaged literary citizens.

Deadline: March 1, 2024

* The 1st Residency will take place from June 13-22, 2024

Application Fee: $50

Waiver: YES if you attend an information session. Inquire here.

Duration: 2 Years

Enrollment: 22

Funding: More Information Here

The MFA Program has numerous scholarships available for students based on factors such as merit and need. Once you are accepted into our program, you will receive additional information about how to apply for these scholarships. We offer one full scholarship (The Rainbow Pineapple Foundation Scholarship) for LGBTQIA+ students (currently for an incoming December 2023 student), two $10,000 scholarships for UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Certificate holders, three to four $10,000 merit and need-based scholarships, along with other scholarships of varying amounts through the Eloise Klein Healy Scholarship Fund.

Tuition: $44,822

Cost of Attendance Components

Faculty: Victoria Chang, Lisa Locascio

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• no minimum GPA requirement
• Transcripts (official transcripts required upon admission)
• Resume/Work History (optional)
• 2 Letters of Recommendation

Portfolio — 10 pages of poetry maximum (single-spaced and one poem on each page) / 20 double-spaced pages of prose

Lit Mag — Lunch Ticket

LESLEY UNIVERSITY — Creative Writing MFA

Lesley University's celebrated low-residency MFA program nurtures and challenges your creative potential. Attend nine-day residencies in the literary mecca of Cambridge. Pursue interdisciplinary study as a spur for fresh ideas. Cultivate mentor relationships with prize-winning writers. Graduate with the work and connections to publish, win literary prizes and fellowships, and find teaching positions or work related to your writing.

Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Priority Deadline) | March 15, 2024 (Standard Deadline)

*For scholarship consideration, please submit your application by the priority deadline.

If you wish to apply and be considered after the deadline, please contact Graduate Admissions at 617.349.8300 or email luadmissions@lesley.edu to discuss a late application.

Application Fee: $5–$10

Waiver: N/A

Duration: 2 Years

Enrollment: 16

Funding: https://lesley.edu/academics/guide-financial-aid-scholarships-graduate-doctoral-students

Tuition: $48,550

Faculty: Erin Belieu, Steven Cramer, Joan Houlihan, Adrian Matejka, Kevin Prufer

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• no minimum GPA requirement
• Transcripts (official transcripts required upon admission)
• Resume/Work History (optional)

2 Letters of Recommendation: Include 2 recent recommendations from those you’ve worked with closely in an academic or professional setting.

• At least one of your recommendations should come from a present or former supervisor.
• If you’re in school or are a recent graduate, one recommendation should come from a professor.
• We don’t accept recommendations written by friends or family, or that were written more than 2 years before your application date.

Within your online application form, include the names and emails of the people writing your letters of recommendation. They'll receive an email from you with an electronic recommendation form, and they can upload a letter if they choose.

Personal Statement

Your written personal statement gives us insight into your motivation, purpose in pursuing a degree program, writing skills, and communication style. It’s an important part of our review process.

Write a 750-1250 word (2–3 page) personal statement.

Use a narrative form and address the following questions:

1. Discuss the work of a writer, in any genre, who has profoundly influenced your writing. Additionally, discuss several of the most memorable books you've read in the last year.
2. What have you done creatively and critically to prepare for a master's program?
3. What do you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of your work?
4. What are your goals for your writing, and what do you hope to accomplish in the program?

Portfolio — 10 pages of poetry / 20 double-spaced pages of prose

We hope this list was useful for you. We will continue to put out more such lists and individual MFA program deep dives. The ONLY POEMS staff also offers MFA Application Consultation and Review Packages. You can email us to inquire about those here: editors@onlypoems.net!