Admissions FAQ

The Fall 2026 application deadline is December 1st, 2025. Your Online Application, application fee, and supporting application materials must be submitted by the deadline. We allow a grace period for receipt of transcripts and letters of recommendation until January 1st.

Please note that it can take up to 3 days after submitting the online application to receive access to MyStatus, where you will be able to upload supporting documents. For this reason, we recommend submitting your online application at least a week in advance of the deadline. 

Applications for Fall 2026 entry open in August 2025. 

No. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot confirm the receipt of nor manage your application materials. You are responsible for ensuring all applications materials are submitted by their respective deadlines. This is accomplished via your MyStatus "To-Do List."

We typically respond to applications by March 15th.

No, the New Writer’s Project does not require GRE scores. 

No. The UT Graduate School certifies all test scores independently of our program. If you have questions about the validity of your TOEFL/IELTS, please write to giatest@austin.utexas.edu.

No.

Only if your college or university uses the electronic SPEEDE or Parchment delivery service. Please do not mail official transcripts or paper copies of your transcripts before you are offered admission. Sending paper copies of documents will significantly delay the processing of your application. Transcript submission guidelines can be found here.

Our admissions committees are looking for nothing in particular—except writing that is particular. We favor no style or school or tradition; we read with open minds to find work and writers who excite us. Submit the work you most believe in and that you consider finished. We're interested in a diversity of perspectives and approaches. 

No. Please adhere to the length guidelines listed on our application guidelines.

Your writing sample can be published or unpublished work. Whether or not it has been published will not affect the admissions committee's decision.

Yes, as long as your writing sample adheres to the set length guidelines.

Your statement of purpose should be a short, single-spaced essay (1-2 pages), that gives us an idea of you as a person and a writer and why you're interested in pursuing an MFA. You can discuss your specific areas of interest and professional goals, your personal history of becoming a writer, and/or why you want to teach. You can also talk about published work that has been meaningful to you or life experiences that have had an effect on your writing. We're not looking for formal or academic writing. Don't take general advice from the internet about "good" statements of purpose: we want to hear about you, particularly.

Please upload your Statement of Purpose and other supporting documents via MyStatus.

Applicants will be at a disadvantage with only two letters of recommendation. 

No. Evaluators spend a great deal of time reviewing all supporting materials of your application packet. More letters of recommendation could be interpreted as a lack of confidence. It is better to choose three strong recommenders than four adequate ones.

No. Your recommenders must submit their letter of recommendation via the email invitation sent to them from the Graduate School.

You can resend the invitation email via MyStatus. Click on the "Manage your recommendation requests" link in your "To-Do List" and follow the prompts to resend the email.

Yes. You can edit your recommenders in MyStatus. Click on the "Manage your recommendation requests" link in your "To-Do List" to add a new recommender.

No. 

We are more concerned with your GPA in English (and related) courses.

Yes—but you will be required to present evidence of your graduation before you join our program the following fall.

No. All admitted students receive funding, which includes a mix of teaching assignments and fellowships.

No—but only if you have properly submitted all the materials reasonably under your control (e.g., personal statement, writing sample, etc.).  We offer a two-week grace period for receiving letters of recommendation.

The department does not provide fee waivers directly. However, students who qualify can request a fee waiver from the Graduate School. Please visit the Graduate School's website for more information. The information is listed under the section titled "Fee Waivers."

Yes! In addition to the MFA in Creative Writing offered by the New Writer's Project, there are a number of creative writing MFA's at UT–Austin.

The Michener Center for Writers offers an MFA in Writing; the Department of Theatre and Dance offers an MFA in Playwriting; and the Department of Radio, Telivision and Film offers an MFA in Screenwriting.

Each program has a unique degree program, faculty, setting and admissions process. We encourage you to research each program individually.

Yes. Concurrent graduate applications are welcome. Applicants must submit separate application materials for each program. When applying concurrently, applicants only pay the application fee on their first graduate application.

The New Writers Project offers a three-year MFA in Creative Writing with tracks in Poetry and Fiction. All students are fully funded through a combination of TA appointments and fellowships. Program details and information can be found here.

The MIchener Center offers a three-year MFA in Writing with tracks in Poetry, Fiction, Screenwriting and Playwriting. All students are fully funded through a Michener Center Fellowship. Program details and information can be found here.

Admissions for each program are conducted separately, and the programs each have their own unique degree plan and structure, among other differences. The two MFA programs share core faculty, and students have access to workshops and seminars offered by both programs. Students are generally invited to attend both programs' speaker events and professional development programming as well.

Yes. Each MFA program's admissions process is completely separate. Applicants are to submit a separate application for each program. Upon logging into MyStatus, applicants should submit separate writing samples and personal statements for each program. Be sure to include the program name in the header and file name of all supplemental materials to ensure your documents are forwarded to the intended admissions committee.

No. When submitting your second online application, select the option that says, “I will pay The University of Texas at Austin directly.” Once the second application has processed, the graduate school will automatically waive the application fee.

“Creative Writing” is the New Writers Project application.

“Writing” is the Michener Center for Writers application.

The two MFA programs’ admissions processes are completely separate. The content of your writing sample and statement of purpose is up to you. The New Writers Project is interested in what you consider your best work, why you wish to study in our program, and/or which faculty you are most excited to work with. 

While MyStatus may show your documents on both applications, you still need to upload separate documents for each program using the Document Upload System (accessed in the right-hand menu of MyStatus). Be sure to include the program name in the header and file name of all supplemental materials to ensure your documents are forwarded to the intended admissions committee.

No.

No.

Yes. 

We do not conduct interviews. Students who are accepted to the program are typically invited for a campus visit.