Application Materials Needed
We're interested in getting to know you as a person, as a writer, and as a reader.
Tell us about a book that changed you in some way, even if you hated it. How does
it fit with what you write and, perhaps more importantly, with how you write? What
do you want to get out of this major? Statements should be 1-2 pages in length.
Submit 10-15 pages of your creative work. This can be fiction, creative nonfiction,
poetry, or a combination of genres. Aim for quality over quantity. It's better to
submit one strong 10-page short story than two weaker seven-page stories.
If you have a teacher or mentor who can speak directly to your work as a creative
writer, you can have them submit a letter on your behalf.
Who's Applying
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample
- Letter of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample
- Letter of Recommendation
Submit by May 1st (for Fall semester) or November 1st (for Spring semester) through the Stony Brook portal.
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample
- Letter of Recommendation (sent to creativewriting_bfa@stonybrook.edu)
Submit by May 1st (for Fall semester) or November 1st (for Spring semester) through the SBU student application form.
Formatting:
- Submit as a single PDF. Place your Statement of Purpose at the beginning. The Statement of Purpose does not count toward your page count for the writing sample.
- Use 1-inch margins, 12 point font (Times New Roman or similar).
- Prose, including the Statement of Purpose, should be double-spaced.
- Poetry can be single or double-spaced.
- Put page breaks between poems and, if you are submitting multiple stories, between each story.
Questions? Email us at creativewriting_bfa@stonybrook.edu.