<p>There is an alumni connection at Wesleyan. Otherwise, agreed, it's a big stretch.</p>
<p>We need more of the matches and safeties... Would Goucher be a safety or more of a match?</p>
<p>St. John's College? The definition of 'Funky'!</p>
<p>Middlebury.</p>
<p>SBmom, I haven't read the entire thread, but I'd have him look at Eugene Lang (the liberal arts school at The New School University) in NYC. Their writing program is wonderful (my D is in her 2nd year there, and said the writing classes are inspiring). My D marches to a different drummer and loves the smaller classes too.</p>
<p>SUNY New Paltz - it meets the funky requirement and has a good Creative Writing dept.
State</a> University of New York at New Paltz: Undergraduate Catalog - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences: English - Major</p>
<p>Great ideas, thanks!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I would look at the LAC, colleges that change lives because they do. I would throw out any preconceptions and look for a school where there is enough student-faculty interaction where you can sit back and turn them loose, a place that will work with a creative kid and bring them through.</p>
<p>overseas, I agree. I will be very happy to turn this one loose! :)</p>
<p>How about Drew, SUNY Geneseo, and Cornell College (not cornell university but one in Iowa). All have writing majors/minors/tracks within the English department and are pretty funky. Drew has a LOT more women than men, and is probably a safety school as a result. Cornell teaches one course at a time, which might be helpful if he's not a great multi-tasker. And SUNY Geneseo is the rising star of NY state schools--it may be hard to get in from out of state with so many more kids applying this year (it's super cheap if you're from NY, and not bad at all even if you're not) but his SAT score, at least, puts him in the middle of the pack.</p>
<p>If he wants something with better weather, New College of Florida might be worth a look.</p>
<p>Sorry about the GA. Actually know someone who went there and whose daughter is going there. Not a big name here on the east coast, but a fine school from what I hear and read.</p>
<p>Bennington.</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence</p>
<p>Vassar will be as much of a reach as Wesleyan. What about Clark?</p>
<p>Don't know much about Clark. Vassar and Wesleyan are big reaches. Kenyon might be a reach, their average SATS scores are quite a bit higher. Also be aware that you can't take creative writing as a freshman at Kenyon. You then apply to writing courses as a sophomore and only 25% are admitted to any writing class, and if you are admitted it might not be in the discipline you want. (Say you want to write fiction, you might be put in a non-fiction/memoir class or poetry). He/you should look carefully into any of the writing programs, because some others may be the same. Some kids are fine with that, others want to start writing right away. I am fairly certain you can do that at Sarah Lawrence, but check. I would add that Middlebury is a high reach. I would agree with other posts regarding Bennington and Bard. Also you might want to check into Carnegie Mellon's writing program, don't know how selective that is. Good luck!</p>
<p>ah, i would echo the suggestions of bard and bennington. i also want to recommend the college i attend, drew university. located in madison, new jersey, it's forty-five minutes away from nyc. roundtrip via train is approximately fifteen dollars. </p>
<p>i am planning on majoring in english, with an emphasis in creative writing. yusef komunyakaa just came to drew to read as well as some other established poets. this happens on a monthly basis. the campus is absolutely beautiful. lives up to its title as the "university in the forest." drew just received the archives of the dodge poetry festival, the largest poetry festival in the country. </p>
<p>my first year seminar is contemporary american poetry. i have been impressed by the instruction of the class as well as the other students. they seem to be motivated and inspired. next semester, i am taking a class entitled "literary brooklyn from walt whitman to mos def" - as you can see, not just the run of the mill classes.</p>
<p>the kids range from quirky to your typical college student. everyone can find someone sort of like them. the freshmen this year have come from places like california, kansas, missouri, and even as far as afghanistan. i think for your son, this school would be a safety. i am sure he would be able to gain admission and good merit aid. drew has a hefty price tag but gives out about twenty-one million dollars in fin aid. </p>
<p>other schools i would recommend would be knox college in galesburg, ill (very strong undergrad creative writing), ursinus college, and suny purchase. good luck!</p>
<p>To the OP,</p>
<p>I'm a senior at UC Berkeley, but I have also sojourned at UCR to study creative writing (I'm also applying to MA English and MFA Writing Programs if you have any questions regarding that). In any case, if he is a pure creative writer, I would definitely recommend UC Riverside--the faculty is phenomenal: Chris Abani, Andrew Winer, Reza Aslan, Susan Straight, the list goes on. Most of these professors have won many of the big awards yet they are also wonderful teachers. Feel free to PM me if you would like me to elaborate as I don't frequent the parent's board much.</p>
<p>UNC Chapel Hill OoS would be quite a stretch given his stats, but if he is a truly amazing writer, he should at least consider the Thomas Wolfe Creative Writing Scholarship, which awards a full-ride based on artistic and literary merit -- Introduction</a> to the Thomas Wolfe Scholarship</p>
<p>How about UNC Asheville?</p>
<p>I know EK4 already mentioned Reed, but it was also the first school that came to mind. Reed really LIKES idiosyncratic kids.</p>
<p>For an alternative to state University, look at Iowa. There are several competing programs for creative writing. Iowa is also the center for writers of all genres. Famous authors can sometime be found in the cafeteria in some iowa universities. Downside is they are big and that can be a stumbling block unless accommodated.</p>