I’m considering studying writing as well as art history and/or ethnicity studies and I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with the writing programs at Pratt, the New School, and Barnard! I’ve been deferred from Barnard, accepted into Pratt’s writing program and accepted to Eugene Lang College at the New School. Any insights on the programs at those schools or other schools in NYC?
I’m considering NYU as well (because of their Native Studies program), but the cost is a hinderance.
Maybe Eugene Lang?
http://flavorwire.com/409437/the-25-most-literary-colleges-in-america
@portlynhh, I don’t have any personal experience with creative writing at Pratt, but they have a terrific faculty of working authors including James Hannaham who wrote the wonderful Delicious Foods. I’d suggest you find out how much latitude you have to pursue other disciplines under the BFA curriculum.
A little farther afield but still accessible to NYC: Bard, Sarah Lawrence and Vassar.
Sarah Lawrence, especially, can be reached easily from NYC. You can read about its program (as well as NYU’s) in this interestingly written article: https://contently.net/2014/11/06/resources/tools/training/10-best-colleges-creative-writers/. If Barnard had been your first choice, then SLC would seem to naturally align with your preferences.
You may also want to consider Brooklyn College – cheaper and it has excellent writing program. Campus is pretty. Brooklyn is cool.
SLC and Barnard are vastly different schools. It’s worth visiting both before deciding. Also they have very different sorts of aid. Mostly: Barnard has aid and SLC has precious little to give. It’s an expensive school. Barnard is only need-based aid, though, so if you’re wealthy, the SLC might be the cheaper choice.
SLC – 3 courses per semester, mostly taught tutorial style with mentors, students are super-duper arty, though close to the City, few actually go in that often. When we toured, the tour guide mentioned that SLC runs buses each Saturday to the front of the Met Museum. He went on the bus like once in his whole time there (!!!). A train also runs from Bronxville to Grand Central all of the time. Like all of the time. Still it feels like the suburbs up there and the City feels far away. Also expensive. And it’s not a super structured school. Some people thrive on that. For others it’s a little too loosey-goosey.
Barnard – structured, focused, in the city, excellent writing programs. More courses but taught more traditionally.
New School – also the aid problem – it’s an expensive school too! If you’re worried about NYU costs The New School is far worse! Average cost for NS is $35K for the poorest sector to $48K for the wealthiest sector. For NYU in comparison the range is $25K for the poorest sector to $55K for the wealthiest.
Barnard is $6K for the lowest income sector to $45 for the wealthiest. A huge difference.
Brooklyn College – 12 credits at OOS prices ($600 per credit) is $14,000 tuition. Housing in the residence hall is $10K. If you were to live in NYC for a year and work before attending college there, then the tuition would go down to $7,000 for the entire year, you’d cut the cost by $7K per year. The total cost as OOS per year would be $24K plus incidentals and if you get in-state status then it would be $17K per year plus incidentals. Here are the rules for getting in-state tuition at CUNY. Basically you need to reside in NYC for 12 months prior to signing up for classes. http://www2.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/university-tuition-fee-manual/iv-residency/
Eugene lang is the same thing as the new school. FYI @merc81 New School she’s already considering.
Depending on your stats, you may want to consider also Bard or Vassar. Both schools have amazing creative writing programs. Bard is on the Amtrak line directly to the City. Vassar is on Amtrak and the commuter line (Metro north) and is an easy day-trip to the City. Both schools are chock full of NYC kids also coming in all of the time.
Other schools with NYC connections and good writing programs are –
Muhlenberg (lots of NYC kids go here, it’s a creative school, aid available, and fun)
Connecticut College–on Amtrak line to City
Wesleyan U-- much like Vassar but no direct train line to NYC – but lots of NYC kids returning home
Mt. Holyoke – further afield but the Five Colleges area has lots of NYC students attending–excellent merit and need-based aid; has nexus program for journalism.
Hampshire – Part of Five College Consortium – aid not terrific and has graduated many fine authors
Smith – Part of Five College Consortium – has graduated many fine authors – has merit and need-based aid
UMass Amherst – Part of Five College Consortium – OOS tuition but if you’re in another Five College Consortium school you can take classes offfered here.
(Here is the search engine for the Five Colleges to research what creative writing classes are offered in all of the schools. You can cross register at any of them once you’re in one of them. – https://www.fivecolleges.edu/academics/courses )
Syracuse – again there’s a dedicated bus that goes to NYC and it has a good writing program/ communications school.
@Dustyfeathers : The OP asked for distinctions among her current group, hence my suggestion of Eugene Lang (New School) through a supporting link.