Colleges/Universities with exceptional writing programs?

<p><a href=“Hopwood Program | U-M LSA”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/hopwood&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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No need to google; one could get more than enough info just from using the search engine on this site. This question has been asked dozens of times over the years, and nearly every viable option has been recommended at least a few times. </p>

<p>Several of the usual suspects have been hit above, but you’ll find plenty more in past threads (Hollins, Denison, Grinnell, Warren Wilson, Michigan, Brown, New School, Emerson…the list goes on and on). </p>

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There are plenty of majors and careers that require an extensive amount of writing. Be open to other paths.</p>

<p>Many (and perhaps most) successful writers majored in fields other than writing, and a background in a subject can shape and inform your writing. A major in history or classics, for example, can be handy for writing historical fiction novels. The backgrounds of my favorite authors are extremely varied (military science, environmental science, political science, law, Egyptology, marine biology, and English). </p>

<p>I recommend first figuring out what type of college you’d like. Big or small? Rural or urban? Which region of the US? Selectivity and cost are obviously important factors as well. Once you have a few criteria, you can create a list and start narrowing down based on the availability of writing courses. Students primarily hone their writing skills in seminars and small classes, so LACs and universities with small classes are often a good place to look. </p>

<p>OP, it’s a little unclear from your post - are you applying from overseas? Do you have any constraints such as cost, etc.? You need to be realistic about your stats, the admissions profiles of the places you are interested in, and where would be a good fit for you.</p>

<p>As for screenwriting, it is a really challenging occupation. Persistence and good contacts mean everything. So the universities with great film departments in New York and California are obvious places to look. But small liberal arts colleges have produced individuals successful in the field as well: J C Chandor and Duncan Jones are graduates of The College of Wooster. Josh Radnor, John Green and Paul Newman went to Kenyon. Jennifer Garner, Steve Carrell, Hal Holbrook and Allison Janney all went to Denison (there must be something in the water in Ohio).</p>

<p>You might also want to look at R I T in Rochester (the home of Kodak). D toured the campus last spring and they do some amazing things with film there.</p>

Hamilton College is the only U.S. college that can be positively cross-referenced between a U.S. News & World Report category, “Writing in the Disciplines,” and a USA Today article, “The 10 Best American Colleges for Writers.”

Great to hear @merc81‌. So glad my kid got in and is going there. That’s why they call it “A national leader is teaching students to write.”

Regarding Hamilton College, the USA Today link concludes, “[it would be] a challenge to find a better place to study the English language.”