Decision Made! April 17, 2009

As of this week, I was able to accept my offer from UNC Greensboro – with no regrets!

A few days ago, Texas State came back to me with a small scholarship that would knock my out-of-state tuition down to in-state. I was glad to hear they were trying to entice me more, but as I stated before, I really wasn’t in love with this program. Part of me was worried, though, that this would be the best funding offer I’d get. (I should say, however, since my post about them in which I mentioned some negative stuff, their director contacted me and was nothing but nice and welcoming. I really respect them more now. And after finally getting my hands on some of their alumni’s poetry, I have no doubt that they’re a top-rate MFA program.)

So, I went back to UNCG and told them about the offer Texas State was giving me, and the director told me to hold tight because he and the poetry faculty  were going to do every thing they could to find me some money. Along with that email came some more incredibly sweet words about how much they really wanted me to be there – words that made my heart swell to 3 times its size – and that may have been more valuable than all the rest of it!

I spent a few days in agony, waiting to hear if things would fall into place. Then yesterday, I got confirmation from UNCG that they’d found me a Research Assistantship job in their English department for my first year – a job that will pay for all of my tuition but $800 in fees and will give me a stipend of $13,500!

I am beyond happy, beyond thrilled, beyond overjoyed! And I’m eager to get my butt up there, but I’ve got to work out the next few months here – finishing my job, packing up and closing my life here in Charlotte.

Thank you to all of you who have watched me through this journey and sent your words of support. I really appreciate the encouragement and also the vehicle to express all the insane amount of emotions that went through me as I took on the task of applying to MFA programs.

I don’t see the MFA as the end-all-be-all, and I know being a writer isn’t about a degree or school of thought. I am just as much of a writer now without it. But, as my dad said on the phone with me tonight, it’s a new chapter of my life and one that I worked hard to get. And for that, I’m thankful and excited to see what comes next!