<p>Which is best overall, which is best for the visual arts, and why? They both seem like very similar schools but I need to pick one.</p>
<p>have you visited both schools? They felt pretty different to me when I was looking, but I have to say that I only visited Marlboro once and I visited Bennington several times, and ultimately ended up there. I felt like the differences, in terms of the feel of the campus', were these: I liked them both but felt that Bennington was prettier, bigger, and ultimately not as isolated feeling. It is true that Marlboro is close to Brattleboro, a bigger town than Bennington, but to get to the campus you had to drive and go far back in to the woods. At Bennington it is possible to walk to some civilization. Also, while the town of Bennington itself is small, it is close to many other towns including Williamstown and North Adams MA, for culture, and Manchester VT for shopping and restaurants (all about 20 minutes away). In terms of Social life and academics I can only really talk about Bennington. I believe it is twice the size of Marlboro, so there are certainly more options. I have found really good friends and I feel like there is always something to do on campus. Marlboro is run by town meeting, I think, which sounds kind of cool, but I am not sure how it comes out in actual practice. Academically, my sense is that they are both excellent, particularly if you want them to be. I know they have different strengths, and I would say that Benningtons are: the visual arts, dance, and literature/writing. Languages are strong, and so is education. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions, particularly about Bennington.</p>