<p>For the Skidmore suggestions- Skidmore is minutes away from my house, and much as I absolutely love the school and Saratoga in general, it would quite literally be like taking classes in my backyard. I'm trying to get a little farther away than that (and I'm sure almost all the teenagers out there will agree with me).</p>
<p>Hanna- I really do love Smith and all the programs it offers (in all honesty, the opportunities I can receive through Smith may push past Bryn Mawr's) but my impressions of the college seemed to be much more liberal than what I'm used to, and obviously since I've only been on campus twice, I could easily be getting the wrong impression. I hold Bryn Mawr highest on my list (although I probably shouldn't, given that nothing is guaranteed with colleges these days) because of the unbelieveable personal fit I found there. Both are amazing schools and I am not comparing them on my personal list by educational or political means, but Bryn Mawr felt much more <em>me.</em> There's no other way I can describe it.</p>
<p>Obviously, this is your decision, and I don't have any interest in pushing you toward one school or away from another. I just wonder whether you got a full snapshot of Bryn Mawr if you did NOT get the impression that it is very liberal. Maybe Mawrtyrs express their liberalism in a way that's more palatable to you than the Smithie way, in which case, great. But since that seems to be a real sticking point in your impression of Smith, you should just go forward knowing that the median Mawrtyr is very liberal, and a moderate Democrat there may find herself on the right-wing side of political debate.</p>
<p>Oh, I got a VERY liberal vibe at Bryn Mawr, but I didn't feel that it was as active and integral a part of the campus as it was at Smith. And I have no problem with that. I feel as though I made a mistake earlier by using the word 'moderate'. I embrace some VERY liberal ideas and sit far left of the spectrum, but I find that in today's day and age (or at least in my upper-to-upper-middle-class white community...gag me) most people hear 'liberal' as a title and think of it as an extreme point, and I wanted to clarify that I am not as extremely liberal as other. I think now that I made a mistake in using that exact word, as now I am becoming in people's minds a little more Hillary and a little less Barack (not good comparison points, but to use in practical terms...). I apologize.</p>
<p>However, thank you very much for the clarification. I will definitely do a lot more investigation into Smith to clear up my anxiety and fall in love with the school all over again. Not like it will take much- the education, the location, and the fabulous opportunities sell themselves.</p>
<p>I just wanted to second some things people said earlier:<br>
I also was wondering about your impressions of Bryn Mawr being less liberal than Smith, as I think that is not the case at all, though perhaps it is a little less radically and aggressively pc. I, however, think that going with your gut instincts about a place, in terms of fit, is a really important factor.
As has been mentioned, Sarah Lawrence is an excellent writing school, though I am not so sure about creative writing specifically, and again, it has a VERY liberal vibe and student body.
You should take a look at Bennington. It is 65% women, so it has a very non-macho vibe, and it puts out an inordinate number of writers for it's size. Also, you would have the opportunity to play your instrument.
My last thought is about Hampshire--very liberal for sure, but if the independent study academics is what might hold you back, you should talk to current students. One of their big complaints is that much more structure has been put in to place in the last several years, and that the school is much more traditional than it used to be. They feel there is not enough independent study!
Good luck with your search.</p>