Comments on: A Message to the Applicants for Clarion 2009

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:21:51 +0000

I told myself I wouldn’t do this, that I would wait and find out when I found out and not bother with checking to see if anyone else had heard.

Obviously, I’ve failed.

But it’s nice to have company.

Good luck everybody, and thanks for sharing your experience, E.J.

By: Jordan Lapp

Jordan Lapp — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:20:23 +0000

Thanks Eugene, I kinda figured that out after I left the comment Sometimes my fingers are faster than my brain.

I’m totally going to check out those other entries. Thanks for pointing me to them!

By: Tracie W.

Tracie W. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:31:20 +0000

Eugene,
Thank you so much. I linked to you from Emily’s blog. I appreciate grads taking the time to give us all this encouragement; it shows that Clarion WAS a valuable experience, and that we are not wrong in wishing for that opportunity.

JC, you are not predictable! Just part of a special group of people on the same wavelength. I also did exactly what Eugene describes, and I was still working on the second story on the day of the deadline. I was freaked out when I submitted and put itty-bitty one-liners in the habits and publication parts. But I’m hopeful. It’s made me a better writer already by demanding something of me.

Has anybody seen a site where applicants (accepted/not accepted) are gathering?

By: Scott Baker

Scott Baker — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:36:03 +0000

I am in the opposite boat. My West application went in so early I can’t remember whether it was Dec. 2008 or Jan. 2009. It makes the wait to hear very long.

My East (still funny that Clarion East is in San Diego) application has been in long enough to feel like an ancient tome. Every time the phone rings, my heart skips a few beats. It’s always my mother.

I have been scouring the net for evidence of others like Jordan who have been accepted. So far he seems to be alone, the number one draft choice. I don’t mind going in round seven, I just want to get in. *cross fingers*

By: Eugene Fischer

Eugene Fischer — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:59:50 +0000

Jordan: Congrats on your acceptance! And just to be clear: I’m not an applicant this year, as I went to Clarion last year. I’m just interested in the new crop of applicants and students. Several of last year’s grads put up encouragement notes about our own application/attendance experiences for this year’s applicants. There are links to their blogs ~~in the sidebar~~ on my links page, if you want to read more about it. Damien and Emily in particular both posted “what you can expect at Clarion and how it will change your life” notes.

By: Jordan Lapp

Jordan Lapp — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:39:50 +0000

Howdy, I applied and heard back already. I’m in! Have you heard anything yet?

By: JC

JC — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:53:19 +0000

Wow, I feel so… predictable.

However, I sent in my application in January on the theory that applying to Clarion was like paying a bill. If I didn’t do it right away, I’d forget then they’d turn off the electricity and kick me out of my house.

By: NJM

NJM — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:48:23 +0000

I sent my application in so late, I had to rely on the earth’s rotation to get it in on time. I sent it in on March 2, from Asia. I consider it a mental feat to have applied and still feel that I have a shred of a chance to get in. I have received lots of rejections with my stories so it won’t be the first time if I do get (gulp) rejected, but I am preparing a fresh sacrifice to offer to the Clarion Gods just in case.

By: ejfischer

ejfischer — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:11:14 +0000

I wouldn’t worry about having rushed the habits/purpose stuff. I did those at the last minute too, affording them only a few sentences each, and I still got in. I don’t have any insider knowledge of how the applications are judged in this regard, but I suspect that the people looking at your app will understand that the writing you put the time into getting right is in the stories, not the online form. So long as your statement of purpose didn’t include any phrases like “opportunity to floss with the veins of published authors,” you are probably okay. It’s the stories that really matter.

By: Jenne'

Jenne' — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:14:19 +0000

I submitted my stories with 18 minutes to spare. lol. I’m now feeling like. What have I done? It’s so funny cause I had the first part of the application filled out perfectly. Then, when I went to upload my stories, I realized it had logged me out! It had erased my statements and wouldn’t let me go back. With almost 30 minutes to deadline, I had to rewrite my habits and purpose from memory. I was so upset because the new version was rushed and shorter than the first. I should have saved those in another program before like I had done with my stories. Ah well–what’s done is done. I’ll shoot you the stories I submitted if you’re interested.