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[quote=Anonymous]I got an MFA at George Mason (in fiction) when I was about ten years younger than you are. I have also worked at AWP (so I've seen the sausage being made with regard to MFA programs). This is my advice -- don't bother with it. I can expound it you want, but you have probably already heard that advice?

At any rate, the most welcoming programs for writers of 50ish are going to be the low-res programs. You can easily Google and figure out which ones are the most respected. But I absolutely do not recommend them, they are cash cows for the schools so there is little to no funding. If you feel you just absolutely must get an MFA apply to only fully funded programs (you pay no tuition and you get a stipend for attending). This isn't just about wasting money on tuition (I see above you have money in a 529 to throw at this?) -- writers who are fully funded are a lot more respected than those who pay tuition. A lot more. And schools that fund some people but not others? That can be an ugly scene with resentment brewing all around (again, it's not just about money, it's about respect, it's about who is considered good).

If you just want to workshop your writing there are other ways. The big writers' workshops for instance -- have you applied to Bread Loaf, Tin House and Sewanee? I've been to both Bread Loaf and Tin House and many of my workshop mates have gone on to have very, very successful books published. [/quote]

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