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; we are not able to consider fee waiver requests that arrive after November 1, 2025.
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.
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: http://www.bu.edu/admissions/visit-us/#campustour. 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.
The Graduate School lists an earlier deadline than yours; which is right?
The Graduate School Admissions website lists general deadlines and departmental deadlines. Please adhere to the Creative Writing Program’s final deadline (December 15, 2025) which can be viewed on our website and on the departmental deadlines link through the Graduate School Admissions website: http://www.bu.edu/cas/prospective-students/graduate-admissions/apply/application-requirements-and-deadlines/
Do I need to submit a separate application for financial aid?
No. All students will be considered for aid. For more information about our department’s financial aid, please visit https://www.bu.edu/creativewriting/about/letter/financial-aid/.
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. For more information about the global fellowships, please visit http://blogs.bu.edu/world/.
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.
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: