An application fee of $70 if applying in one genre, or $100 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.