Confused about applying to MFA or PhD programs in Creative Writing?

Creative Writing News recently hosted two exclusive webinars designed to guide aspiring writers through the graduate school application process. Our expert panels featured successful writers like Tega Oghenechovwen, Ugochukwu Damian Okpara, Samuel Kolawole, Jane Kalu, Chijioke Onah, Kasimma, Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam, Chibuike Ogbonnaya, and more. All the writers are either currently enrolled in or recently graduated from top English Literature and Creative Writing programs.

Whether you are looking for tips on crafting a standout personal statement, gathering recommendation letters, or choosing the right writing portfolio, our panelists share firsthand advice to help you clear every hurdle.

Watch the full Creative Writing News MFA and PhD Application Webinars below:

Tips For Applying to MFA In Creative Writing Programs.A Panel Discussion by Creative Writing News.

Tips For Applying to MFA In Creative Writing Programs (Part 2)

Is A PhD in Creative Writing Worth It? Tips for Applying For A PhD in Creative Writing & Eng Lit.

Here are some additional articles to help you with your Creative Writing MFA journey.

• Article on MFA Scholarships
• Pros and Cons of an MFA Scholarship
• How to write a Statement of Purpose

 

Speakers

 

 

Ugochukwu Damian Okpara (he/him) is a Nigerian-born writer and poet. He is the author of the poetry collection In Gorgeous Display (Fordham University Press, Sept 2023) and the poetry chapbook I Know the Origin of My Tremor (Sundress Publications, 2021). A 2023 Lambda Literary Fellow and an alumnus of both the Tin House Summer Workshop and Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus Trust Creative Writing Workshop, his work has appeared in POETRY, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Greensboro Review, and other publications. Currently, he is an MFA candidate in poetry at the University of Mississippi. Website: www.ugochukwudamian.com

 

Chibuike Ogbonnaya‘s fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Green Mountains Review, The Forge Literary Magazine, Black Femme Collective, and other publications. They were a 2023 Lambda Fellow for Fiction and a 2024 Anaphora Writing Resident. Their writing has received support from Pen America and the University of Notre Dame. Chibuike was recently awarded the Nicholas Sparks Fellowship from the University of Notre Dame, where they earned their MFA in Creative Writing.