So it’s commitment month, and I haven’t been thinking about both these colleges for very long because I didn’t think I would get in to either based on my transcript (because of special-ed 504 and IEP changes the “rigor” dropped off half-way into Junior year).
Emerson is going be somewhat more expensive than Purchase, but Emerson also has far more internship and career opportunities, as well as job opportunities with plenty of TA jobs offered to students and just jobs in Boston.
But my bigger concern is the quality of the education I’d be receiving.
Emerson’s creative writing program has publishing mixed in, which many alumni have said helped tremendously. Purchase has some publishing in their senior-level courses, but it’s just less and is barely talked about.
Another concern though is the quality of the writing taught within the major. Purchase requires a portfolio of writing, and the program is said to be very selective. Emerson does not require writing samples, because they want to open the major up to anyone, not just writers (that’s what they say, but I think it’s because they want more money from tuition). I heard some of the writing from the prospective students at Emerson on the Accepted Students day, and it was just bad. I don’t know about the prospective Purchase students, but I think the talent would be higher based on the selectiveness.
Lastly, Emerson College’s writing program is somewhat renowned, and many websites have it on one of their Top 10 lists. SUNY Purchase’s is not on any list.
Thanks
Hi,
First off, congratulations on your acceptances! As someone who is familiar with Purchase College I am happy to answer some of your questions about the Creative Writing Program at Purchase College. I am not able to shed any light on Emerson’s program but can try to clear up some of the confusion about Purchase’s writing program.
Purchase does require a portfolio which is looked at very closely during the admissions process. The goal is to make sure that all students accepted to the program are at a certain level in their writing and are looking to grow as writers. Because of this requirement, you do have students in the program that are very serious and dedicated fiction writers and poets. Classes are small and students have a lot of opportunities to receive feedback on their work from both classmates and their professors. The program also has resident writers that work with students (I believe more at the upper level) and also provide feedback and mentorship to students. There are also a lot of readings and conversations with prominent writers and poets throughout the year.
In regards to publishing opportunities at Purchase College, there are opportunities to learn about different areas of publishing while you are a student in the program. In addition to many campus wide publications, creative writing students also have their own literary magazine, Italics Mine, which puts out fall and spring editions each year. Students taking the class Editing and Production Workshop work on editing this publication each year. There is also a class offered to all creative writing seniors called Special Topics in Creative Writing which hosts a series of mini-workshops, guest speakers and other activities that are all focused on what is trending in the writing industry. This is another class that exposes students to areas such as editing and publishing.
Purchase also has a very strong internship program that all students are able to utilize through Career Development. While an internship is not required, it is strongly encouraged and something many students will complete prior to graduation since Purchase is about a half hour train ride away from NYC. There are also internships available on campus depending on what a student’s interests are. I mention this because it is another opportunity for you to gain exposure in certain areas such as publishing.
In regards to Purchase College’s reputation and ranking, Purchase is regularly ranked by Princeton Review as a top liberal arts college and one of the nation’s “Best Value” colleges. It is also consistently named on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Best Value College List which looks at strong academics and great economic values.
Students accepted to the program are encouraged to visit and the creative writing faculty are great about letting accepted students sit in on a class. They have an upcoming spring festival that all accepted students will be invited to attend.
Let me know if you have any additional questions. It’s a very strong program and the Purchase Community is a welcoming one that encourages and fosters creativity.