The only thing that's a bigger scam than the MFA are writing conferences. I started attending these regularly around 2011. Exorbitant prices, and then they hook you into paying agents to chat for 3 minutes; some of them act excited as if they really think you've got something special. Agents get paid to attend. The book publishing industry gets to make money by 'teaching' people about The Biz. Classes on query letter writing, how to approach agents, the editing process, book contracts, etc. Meanwhile the attendees spend way too much money, the hotel hosting the conference makes a killing, agents and editors and speakers come out well, the conference organizers make a killing, and most writers get nowhere. I'm not saying I never learned anything. I met the agent I ended up interning for at a conference. I also later taught classes at conferences myself. But the overall feel to me was always: cheap car salesmen. The whiff of easy money. Leading the blind by promising alluring success which will never happen. Don't get me wrong: People have scored agents at conferences. But it's rare. It's a hustle. The publishing industrial complex.