Application deadlines are September 1 for the winter semester and March 1 for summer semester. Students can expect a response within four to six weeks of the deadline.

An application for admittance to the MFA Program For Writers should give evidence of one's preparation in literature, a background in the humanities, the ability to complete independent study, and an applicant's readiness to receive and use criticism. Publication and workshop experience are given consideration but not weighted heavily.

Students are admitted to the Program primarily on the basis of an original manuscript. An applicant's manuscript should indicate sufficient quality of work, level of commitment and sophistication of skills to suggest the applicant is ready for graduate work in writing and literature. Manuscript submissions are read by faculty panels to determine not the likelihood of publication,  but rather a sense of energy, excitement in the language, ambitious intent, and some understanding of form. Manuscripts submissions will not be returned.

An application fee of $70 ($85 if applying in both poetry and fiction) is required before an application is processed. The application fee cannot be waived or refunded. Manuscripts are read by members of a faculty panel and are discussed, in conjunction with the other application materials, by a committee of Academic Board representatives. Applications to the Program are processed upon receipt of all materials and are considered by the Board twice a year (March and September).

The program currently accepts approximately 10-15 percent of its applications. In making admissions decisions, the Board tries to gauge compatibility between the student's abilities and the program design, but does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, creed, national origin or handicap. Comments made in response to application manuscripts are intended for the program's internal use and are not made available to applicants, nor can the Program supply individual evaluations to those applicants who are denied admission.

Although some writers work in more than one form, our experience has shown that students benefit enormously from concentrating on one genre during their tenure in the Program. Thus, applicants are accepted to do work in either poetry or fiction. If they have submitted manuscripts in both forms, the Board will conclude which is the stronger work.

Students are admitted into the Program for a specific residency (January or July of a given year). The application form asks applicants to indicate which initial residency they prefer, and preferences are usually granted. Occasionally, however, because of the program's liberal Leave of Absence policy for matriculating students, applicants may be accepted into the subsequent semester. Upon acceptance, the student pays a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $1000 which insures a place in the residency and is applied toward the first semester's tuition. Students admitted into a particular semester may, upon remittance of the enrollment deposit and before the deposit deadline, request that their admission be delayed to the following semester. Usually we are able to accommodate timely requests, although subsequent admission is not guaranteed. If the request is for more than one semester, students will be required to reactivate the application by submitting new material for consideration.

The program accepts a small number of students without Bachelor's degrees but these applicants must prove exceptional. The Board takes into account the amount, nature and quality of undergraduate study completed, the extent of previous workshop and other experience with criticism, and indications of sophisticated understanding of language and form. At the same time, many students enter the Program having already completed previous graduate degrees. Neither these degrees nor graduate credit toward a degree can earn the student acceleration through the Program nor reduce the four semesters required for the Master of Fine Arts degree. The growth of each student's writing is our primary concern, and we believe two years is a necessary minimum period for significant change and development to be made manifest. Writers with a completed MFA degree in writing may, however, apply to participate for one or more semesters as non-degree students.

The program often has requests from those who wish to attend only the residency period without undertaking a semester of study. A limited number of such applications may be admitted, at the Program's discretion, as Residency-Only Students who participate fully in all residency events. If a candidate for admission as a regular student has demonstrated unusual talent but does not seem ready for graduate work in writing, the Academic Board may invite that candidate to attend a residency as a Residency-Only student. While this option often helps to prepare a student for graduate work and results in successful reapplication to the program, participation carries no guarantee of subsequent admission to the program. Although additional application fees are not required, Residency-Only students who reapply must undergo the usual process (with new or revised manuscript and essays) and are evaluated by the same criteria used for other applicants. (See Residency Only Students for details).

The Master of Fine Arts degree at Warren Wilson represents the study of literature from within the writer's perspective. It is not, however, a technical or narrow degree. The reading and analytical components of each Semester Project, and the variety of classes and workshops offered during the residency periods, provide opportunities for unusually well-integrated, humanities-based curricula--without sacrifice of direct manuscript, work and criticism.

The Program's commitment to active teaching and active learning is unshakeable. While the balanced study of literature and the craft of writing does make its graduates attractive candidates for teaching positions, no one should apply to the Program if he/she seeks the degree mainly for employment purposes. Likewise, while our graduates publish their work widely, no one should apply seeking only an editor for projects in progress. Our goal is not to supply credentials or technical support, but to assist students with their education and their development as writers.