How many applications do you receive for the spots available in your program?
For the 2025-2026 academic year, we received 635 applicants for 10 spots in fiction and 8 spots in poetry.
Do I need to have a bachelor’s degree in English or Creative Writing?
No. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree by the time you register at BU, you are eligible to apply. In the past, we have accepted students with academic and professional backgrounds in chemistry, music, finance, and philosophy.
Do you offer fee waivers?
Domestic applicants can find information at this link after October 1, 2025 outlining fee waiver policies; please note that we do not offer fee waivers on the basis of departmental recommendation to domestic students. International applicants can send their personal statement and writing sample to crwr@bu.edu with the subject line “Fee Waiver” between September 1, 2025 and November 1, 2025 to be considered for a fee waiver based on departmental recommendation. We are not able to consider fee waiver requests that arrive before September 1, 2025 or after November 1, 2025, and decisions cannot be appealed.
Do you require the GRE?
No. If you’ve already taken the test, you’re welcome to send your scores. Our GRE code is 3087.
Does your program accept letters of recommendation through Interfolio?
No. Letters of recommendation should be submitted via our application portal; documents sent via other methods will be discarded.
Does it matter if my letters of recommendation aren’t from writers or English professors? Who should I ask to write for me?
Your letter writers should speak to your abilities as a writer, your capability for undertaking graduate study, and your actions as a community member — our faculty want to see that you’re dedicated to your craft, able to participate meaningfully in upper-level courses, and are committed to being a good literary citizen. Letters can come from former writing or English professors, professors in other subjects, work or research supervisors, co-workers, members of a writing group, or any other source that doesn’t constitute a conflict of interest.
Where do I send my application materials?
Please upload all materials into the online application portal; documents sent via other methods (email, post, etc.) will be discarded.
Do you require official transcripts?
No, unofficial transcripts are fine for the application. If you are accepted, we will ask you to send official transcripts.
Do you schedule department tours or on-campus interviews?
Because of our high volume of applications, we do not require interviews. Boston University schedules official campus tours here. However, note that these tours are general and are not specific to the Creative Writing Program. If you have questions about the program that aren’t addressed on our website, you are welcome to send them to administrator Annaka Saari at crwr@bu.edu. We do not offer tours or faculty conferences for prospective students unless they have received an offer of admission.
Another website lists a different deadline than yours does; which is right?
Please adhere to the Creative Writing Program’s final deadline (December 15, 2025).
Do I need to submit a separate application for financial aid?
No. All students will be considered for aid. For more information about our program’s financial aid, please see here.
Do I apply for a Global Fellowship now, or after I’m admitted?
Our Global Fellowship application process occurs in winter and is exclusively for MFA students who have already matriculated.
Can I apply to both genres (fiction and poetry) at once?
We ask that you choose one genre when you apply.
What should I include in my writing sample, and how should it be formatted?
You should include the piece(s) of original writing that you consider to be your best work. For fiction applicants, we strongly recommend sending two or three short stories (although our faculty will also consider novel excerpts) so we can see your range; be sure to respect the page limit (no more than forty pages of fiction). Please include page numbers, use a 12-point, easy-to-read font, and double-space your prose. Poets should send ten poems, formatted as they would wish for the admissions committee to encounter them; there is no page limit for poetry.
What should I include in the personal statement?
We’d like to know more about you: why you write, why you’re choosing to pursue an MFA in creative writing, what writers and works have influenced your writing, what work you hope to do at Boston University (and beyond), and why the Boston University Creative Writing Program is the place for you. This document should be double-spaced with a 12pt, easy-to-read font.
If I’m re-applying, may I re-use application materials from a previous attempt?
If you are re-applying for Boston University’s MFA in Creative Writing, you may no longer re-use application materials (transcripts, test-scores, letters of recommendation, etc.) from your previous attempt. Please apply again using our online application system.
Do international students have to fill out additional application forms?
International students must supply additional paperwork, including certified English translations of all transcripts/academic records and, in some cases, scores from an approved English proficiency exam. Please consult with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Tragedy has befallen me; can I submit my application late?
We are unable to accept late applications under any circumstances. We strongly suggest that applicants submit their applications before the day of the deadline in order to avoid tech errors, power outages, and other unscheduled happenings that may result in an inability to submit on time.
Who evaluates my application?
Initial review is completed by a group of alumni of the program (three in each genre). Once they have read every application, their top-ranked candidates are passed along to the faculty in their genre for review. Faculty members then evaluate the applications passed along to them and take action as they see fit.
When will I receive an answer about my application?
We make every effort to return decisions as soon as possible; however, decision-time relies on the amount of applications received, the reading speed and schedules of application reviewers, and the time taken by faculty to make a decision. We hope to have communicated with all applicants (either with news of a rejection, waitlist, or acceptance) by March. You are welcome at any time to inquire with our administrator about the status of your application; however, if you have not received communication stating otherwise, your application is still under consideration.
For any and all other questions, please contact our administrator Annaka Saari at crwr@bu.edu or visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ FAQ page or Admissions website: