MFA Writing Sample: How Many Pages by Program

MFA Writing Sample: How Many Pages by Program

There is no standard MFA writing sample length. At the 11 programs we checked, fiction caps run from 20 pages (Virginia) to 80 pages (Iowa), and poetry from 6 poems (Arizona, Florida) to 25 pages (UT Austin's Michener Center). Four programs count fiction in words, not pages, so a page count alone can mislead you.

Our view: do not build one manuscript per school. Build three fiction packets and one poetry core, sized to the tightest limits, and cut rather than pad. Several programs say what happens to extra pages. Virginia says exceeding its maximums "could result in your application being denied." Cornell says "Excess pages will not be reviewed." Wisconsin says "We will not read any poems beyond the tenth page." Sending more is never the safe choice.

This page covers the manuscript only. When your packets are set, draft the statement from our creative writing MFA statement of purpose examples and check it against our MFA rubric. PhD and MA academic writing samples follow different rules; see PhD writing sample length by field.

Every program page below was checked on October 29, 2026. Several state no cycle year. Limits can change between cycles, so recheck each page in the month you submit.

Fiction, poetry and nonfiction limits at 11 programs

A dash means the page we checked lists no sample for that genre.

Two other programs change this cycle's list. Wisconsin admits poets and fiction writers in alternate years. Its page says the poetry deadline is December 15, 2026, for fall 2027, and "the next application deadline for fiction is December 15, 2027, for admission in fall 2028." Boston University says "we will not accept applications in Fall 2026 (for 2027-28 academic year)." The Iowa, Brown, Virginia (limits), Washington University and Indiana limits sit on pages, or page sections, that state no cycle year.

Words or pages: which cap is really the smallest?

Michener, Cornell, Indiana and Florida cap fiction in words. The other fiction limits are in pages. Indiana gives both: "5,000 to 7,500 words (25 - 30 pages)." That pairing works out to 200 to 250 words per double-spaced page (our arithmetic: 5,000 ÷ 25 = 200; 7,500 ÷ 30 = 250). Your own pages may run longer or shorter, so count a real page of your manuscript in the required format.

Using Indiana's ratio, here is how the caps compare (our arithmetic):

So the tightest fiction cap in the table is Virginia's 20 pages, not Florida's 6,000 words. Florida's ceiling is also Cornell's floor. A 5,500-word story fits Florida's total and fails Cornell's minimum.

Three fiction packets and one poetry core

This is our recommendation, built only from the limits above. Check each packet against each page before you send it.

Fiction packet A: about 5,000 words, at most 20 pages. For Virginia, Vanderbilt and Florida. At exactly 20 pages it also meets Washington University's floor. Florida lists the forms it accepts: "two stories, part of a novel or longer narrative, or a story and part of a novel or longer narrative." A single story is not on that list.

Fiction packet B: 6,000 to 7,500 words. For Cornell, Michener and Indiana, and for Washington University if it stays within 30 pages (Wisconsin's 30-page fiction cap applies only in its fiction years). This band meets Cornell's floor and Indiana's ceiling at once.

Fiction packet C: 30 to 40 pages, two or more pieces. For Brown and Iowa. Iowa asks for "at least two short stories, or two or more sections of a novel, or a combination of novel excerpts and shorter work."

Poetry core: 10 poems in 10 pages, each poem starting on a new page. That fits 9 of the 11 programs: Iowa, Arizona, Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington University, Cornell, Michener, Vanderbilt and Florida (our count from the table). Brown (15-20 pages) and Indiana (12-15 pages) need an extended version. Virginia allows single-spaced poems and Wisconsin asks for them. Cornell requires exactly 10 pages.

The countercase: if your strongest work is one long story, packet A forces a hard cut and packet C needs a second piece you may not have. In that case apply where your best work fits as written, such as Brown or Washington University, and do not send a weaker story just to meet Iowa's two-piece rule. Indiana says it will consider samples "just outside the preferred range," so a few hundred words over there is not worth wrecking an ending.

One manuscript, four packets

Constructed example: cutting one manuscript for four programs

Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant's manuscript. Context (invented): Priya Nair has two pieces. One is a story of 5,400 words that runs 22 double-spaced pages in her format. The other is a novel opening of 3,700 words that runs 15 pages. She thinks the story is stronger. She applies to Florida, Virginia, Cornell and Iowa.

All sums are our arithmetic: 5,400 + 3,700 = 9,100 words, and 22 + 15 = 37 pages. Her four packets map onto the three fiction sizes above, with one extra because Florida's form list rules out her Virginia packet.

Two choices in that table follow program language, not instinct. At Virginia she keeps the stronger story and cuts it, which matches Wisconsin's advice in its FAQ: "if your best story is 20 pages long, and your second-best story is 30 pages long, you should still submit the 20-pager." At Florida she checks the form list before the word count, because a packet can fit the number and still not be a listed form. If she wanted to send the story to Florida, the right move is to ask the program, not to guess.

Cycle and format traps to check before you print

1. Is your genre open this year? Arizona is "accepting applications in nonfiction and poetry" for Fall 2027. Wisconsin is reading poetry only. Boston University is not reading at all for 2027-28.
2. Does the program take your genre at all? Iowa says "nonfiction prose, screenplays, or critical writings, though of some interest, are not acceptable as the basis for admissions decisions." Indiana offers "tracks only in poetry and fiction."
3. Does it want paper? Iowa requires a "printed, unbound manuscript" by mail, postmarked by December 15, and its page says "The digital upload DOES NOT replace the mailed hard copy."
4. One genre or several? Michener takes a sample "in your proposed primary genre only." Brown and Arizona accept more than one genre with a separate sample for each. Indiana requires separate applications and fees for poetry and fiction.
5. Original language? Cornell says "All writing samples must be originally written in English. Translated work will not be accepted."
6. Spacing and font? Fiction is double-spaced at every program that specifies spacing, though Brown allows "an alternative format if integral to the work." Cornell allows 12- or 14-point type, Michener sets "12pt minimum," and Wisconsin asks for poems in "eleven- or twelve-point font."
7. Name and numbering? Wisconsin wants your name on each page and each page numbered. Florida wants your full name on the first page.

Questions about MFA writing samples

How many pages should an MFA fiction writing sample be?

There is no single number. At the 11 programs we checked, fiction caps run from 20 pages (Virginia) to 80 pages (Iowa). Several caps are in words: Florida 6,000, Michener 9,000, Cornell 6,000 to 10,000, Indiana 5,000 to 7,500. If you need one starting point, build a 20-page packet and a 6,000 to 7,500-word packet, as above.

How many poems should an MFA poetry sample include?

Six of the 11 programs set only a page limit for poetry. Of those that count poems, Arizona and Florida ask for 6 to 10, Iowa and Washington University for 10 to 12, and Michener for "at least 10 poems." Ten poems in ten pages fits 9 of the 11 programs.

Can I send a novel excerpt?

Yes. Every program in the table that reads fiction accepts an excerpt in some form. Virginia accepts "a section of a novel," Vanderbilt a "novel excerpt," Cornell "an excerpt from a larger work," and Michener "a novel excerpt." Iowa wants at least two pieces or "two or more sections of a novel," so one chapter alone does not meet its rule.

Is it worse to send too little than too much?

Cornell sets a floor: a fiction sample under 6,000 words does not meet its rule. Brown suggests 30 to 40 pages, and Iowa says fiction manuscripts "typically range" from 30 pages up. Going over is the bigger risk at the programs that state a consequence: Virginia may deny the application, Cornell will not review excess pages, and Wisconsin will not read poems past page 10.

Get a free review of your MFA statement of purpose

Get a free Quick Review of your MFA statement of purpose against GradPilot's MFA and creative practice statement rubric. Once your packet is fixed, it checks whether the statement sets up those pages: it reads for how you frame the submitted work, your artistic purpose and direction, program fit and your part in a peer creative community. For other master's statements, start from our master's SOP review.

More guides for MFA applicants:

• Creative writing MFA statement of purpose examples: three constructed statements built to real limits.
• MFA statement of purpose and artist statement guide: structure and common mistakes.
• PhD writing sample length by field: page and word limits for academic writing samples, a different document from a creative manuscript.
• Graduate school essay guides: every master's and PhD guide.

Sources

Retrieved October 29, 2026, except where noted.

• University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, How to Apply (no year stated): poetry and fiction lengths; two-piece rule; mailed hard copy postmarked by December 15; nonfiction not accepted as a basis.
• Brown University Literary Arts, Admission (no year stated): suggested lengths by track; single-genre samples; multiple tracks.
• UT Austin Michener Center for Writers, Apply (Fall 2027): 9,000-word fiction cap; poetry 10 poems to 25 pages; primary genre only.
• Vanderbilt University, M.F.A. Admissions (fall admission, deadline December 1, 2026): 25-page fiction and 15-page poetry limits.
• University of Arizona, Apply to the MFA Program (Fall 2027): nonfiction and poetry only this year; 6 to 10 poems; nonfiction up to 30 pages.
• University of Virginia Creative Writing Program, Apply (autumn 2027 entry; the limits are not dated): 20-page fiction and 12-page poetry limits; single-spaced poems; possible denial.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, MFA Admissions (fall 2027 poetry; fiction next for fall 2028): ten single-spaced pages; nothing read past page 10; fiction rules and the 20-page advice.
• Washington University in St. Louis, MFA Program (no year stated): fiction, poetry and nonfiction limits.
• Cornell University Literatures in English, MFA in Creative Writing Admissions (Fall 2027): 6,000 to 10,000 words; 10 pages of poetry; excess pages not reviewed; no translations.
• Indiana University Bloomington, How to apply to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing (no year stated): 5,000 to 7,500 words (25 to 30 pages); 12 to 15 pages of poetry; samples just outside the range considered; poetry and fiction tracks only.
• University of Florida MFA@FLA, Apply to Our Program (deadline 15 December 2026): 6,000-word fiction total and accepted forms; six to ten poems.
• Boston University Creative Writing, Admissions: no applications in Fall 2026 for 2027-28.