Applications for Fall 2025 are now open!

Deadline for admission: January 15, 2025

We are thrilled that you are interested in the Creative Writing MFA Program at Boise State University! Please use this page as a resource as you move through the application process. If you have additional questions about the MFA Program or application, please email us at creativewriting@boisestate.edu

You can read more about the required application materials on the Graduate College website. At Boise State we strive to answer all the questions you may have before you decide to come to us for higher education. The graduate college has come up with this handy guide for frequently asked questions that may save you a phone call.

MFA Application Steps and Requirements

Important Notes

• All applicants to the Creative Writing MFA Program must fill out and submit the online Boise State Graduate College application.
• We cannot process your application until all of the materials listed in this guide have been received.
• Applicants who do not satisfy one or more of these requirements may be admitted with provisional status. They will be advised as to what steps they need to take to qualify for regular status.
• All domestic applicants must pay a non-refundable $65 application fee.
• All international applicants must pay a non-refundable $95 application fee.
• The Boise State Graduate College does not offer application fee assistance for the Creative Writing MFA Program at this time.

Required Application Materials

Transcripts

• You may submit unofficial transcripts of all United States-based post-secondary institutions you have attended beyond high school. If you are accepted to the program, you will then need to submit official transcripts.
• Important note: Transcripts from all non-US universities MUST be submitted as official documents, both from domestic and international students. Find guidance on what the Graduate College will accept as official and how to submit those documents.

Transcripts may be submitted by mail, electronically, or by fax.

Mail

Institutions may send official transcripts to: Graduate Admission and Degree Services Room 307, Riverfront Hall Boise State University 1910 University Dr. Boise, ID 83725-1110.

Electronic Transcripts

Official transcripts may be submitted as a secure PDF through an approved transcript services provider to graduatecollege@boisestate.edu. Approved Transcript Services:

• Credentials eScript-Safe (formerly known as Script-Safe International)
• Credential Solutions TranscriptsNetwork and TranscriptsPlus

• National Student Clearinghouse
• Parchment Exchange (formerly known as Docufide and Avow Systems)

For more information about official transcripts visit the Graduate College Transcripts page. The Boise State University Graduate College and the English Department require a minimum 2.75 GPA on undergraduate work or a 3.0 for final sixty credit hours.

Writing Sample

This is the part of your application that bears the most weight with the Admissions Committee. Send your best work. Please submit a manuscript consisting of either 20 – 30 pages of fiction (double spaced) or 15-20 pages of poems. Limit your writing sample to items from your chosen genre. For fiction, you may submit an excerpt from a longer work or complete short stories. You will be prompted to upload your writing sample in the online Graduate College application.

Personal Statement

A 500-word essay explaining your goals in pursuing graduate study in creative writing at Boise State University. Your personal statement should address why you wish to pursue graduate study in fiction or poetry, and why you believe Boise State is a good fit for your goals. You will be prompted to upload the essay in the online Graduate College application as part of your resume/CV.

Resume or CV

Upload a current curriculum vitae or resume that includes education, publications, work and teaching experience, plus any awards and honors. Your resume or CV should be part of the same document as your personal statement.

Letters of Recommendation

In your online application, include three letters of recommendation from professors who are familiar with your academic work, teachers who can speak to your writing, or employers who can speak to your work ethic. Please follow the instructions in the online graduate application. Please do not mail the letters to the creative writing department or send them by other means (Interfolio, etc.)

Transferring to the MFA Program

The policy regarding students who wish to transfer into the MFA, whether currently enrolled at BSU or elsewhere, will be to accept up to three courses, upon approval of both the advisor and program director. No writing workshops will count for transfer credit. Those who are already accepted and enrolled in the MA in English at Boise State University and are in good standing who wish to transfer into the MFA in Creative Writing program will be required to write a letter of intent and to provide an appropriate manuscript for consideration. If you have questions about transferring to the program, please email the Creative Writing Program: creativewriting@boisestate.edu

International Students

The Creative Writing MFA Program welcomes applications from qualified students from around the world. If you are an international student interested in applying to the MFA Program, please be aware of the following policies:

• All international applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of $95. The University does not offer fee waivers or assistance at this time.
• If you are submitting transcripts from a non-United States college or university, they must be official transcripts
• The Boise State International Admissions Office is a terrific resource for all questions. Their website contains useful information regarding the application process and requirements, as well as student visa requirements. You can read more on their website here.