I'm looking for a college that may not exist

Parents Forum
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<p>Hello everyone!</p>

<p>First time post, here, but I'm truly flummoxed, and I've spent a LOT of time researching colleges both for my son (who has graduated) and my daughter, who will be applying within about 1.5 years. </p>

<p>Here's the issue. Everyone in this family is a published writer, but my daughter, at 16, can run verbal circles around us. When it comes to writing, she has ninja juice. If she wants to write novels for a living, she will quite certainly succeed, assuming she actually has the discipline to finish enough of them. This isn't just my opinion, but the opinion of every professional writer who has read her stuff.</p>

<p>She's also very academically adept, but doesn't care much for being around most other academically adept kids -- at least not in this community where that sort of intelligence brings great cachet and its own sort of social/intellectual snobbery. So far so good, right? Wrong. She's also becoming extremely frustrated in her alternative school because she's shouldering most of the burden of her team assignments, and classroom discussions are ... well ... she finds them a bit low level these days, and wants something with a bit more depth if she can find it. Luckily, we can send her to the local major university to finish out at least some of her high school classes, and that should hold her until she outgrows that, too.</p>

<p>What she wants in a college has these characteristics:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Lots of artistic, quirky, unusual, and very diverse kids from all sorts of ethnic and economic backgrounds. Basically, she's not only looking for friends, but for characters for her books.</p></li>
<li><p>A vibrant metro area (probably) with lots of quirky, unusual, and very diverse people (recognize a pattern, here?)</p></li>
<li><p>Classes filled with super, super smart students who really care about their classes and work hard, contributing brilliant insights during class discussions, but not at a school that takes itself too seriously, like the U of Chicago where her brother matriculated (can you feel the tension mounting?).</p></li>
<li><p>Writing classes that make her work hard at writing by forcing her to write a lot (she doesn't really care about the quality of the writing classes, so much, and she's been advised not to go to a famous creative writing school).</p></li>
<li><p>Great liberal arts classes to expand her horizons, as well as great fine arts classes.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>So, here are some schools I've thought might fit at least some of those criteria:</p>

<ol>
<li> SUNYs that are close to NYC.</li>
<li> CUNY (especially for diversity, though I would think the brilliant students thing might vary a bit from class to class)</li>
<li> Columbia (diverse city but not so diverse student body, perhaps, and perhaps too much like Chicago in its intense, intellectually serious mode)</li>
<li> Northwestern (see "Columbia," only with even less diversity)</li>
<li> ?</li>
</ol>

<p>Well, you can probably see my dilemma. It's tough to find ALL of those things, and I've told her that she may just have to rely on extracurricular clubs to meet some of her requirements while counting on the school, in general, to meet others.</p>

<p>Any ideas? She's relatively close to publishing her first novel, her grades are pretty much straight As, and her SATs (judging by PSATs) should be in the top 1% or so. That should give her a lot of options.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>Brandeis in Waltham, MA, which is just outside Boston.</p>

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<p>Reed or Bard?</p>

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<p>Wherever she goes, she should look at doing some study abroad time. I would think that would be interesting for her.</p>

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<p>Does she want big, or small school? Since she wants such diversity, I am wondering if a great state school with a great honors college would meet her needs? Offer her lots of different types and socioeconomic students, but also offer her honors classes with top students. Something to consider.</p>

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<p>I wonder whether she might like Barnard better than Columbia. The Columbia Core Curriculum might be a bit restrictive for a student of this sort.</p>

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<p>Wow - you do have specific criteria you need to find! </p>

<p>I don’t have info on the writing programs specifically, but have you checked out the Claremont Colleges? [The</a> Claremont Colleges](<a href=“http://www.claremont.edu/]The”>http://www.claremont.edu/) All right next to each other with course privileges to all and a different vibe on each campus.</p>

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<p>Barnard? The writing program has an outstanding reputation.</p>

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<p>There’s no a priori reason to believe that Northwestern’s student body is any less diverse than Columbia’s. </p>

<p>Would the presence of a vibrant artsy / theater / screenwriting contingent be of interest? I recognize she herself is not writing for the stage or screen, but there are enough people at NU who are doing so, and certainly enough artsy / quirky people, that might satisfy some of her desires. Having said that, she’ll also get the pre-professional crowd and the engineering crowd there. Maybe they can be the sidekicks in the novels.</p>

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<p>How about Swarthmore? (Don’t know if it might be too “intense/intellectually serious” for her, but otherwise could be good…)</p>

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<p>One thing that strikes me is that everything she’s looking at is large metro area. On one hand, I get that, but on the other hand, you can often find more character, more story, in a smaller town. There are still many, many college towns that offer tons of vibrancy, quirkiness, and back stories, so I would urge her not to get too hung up on NYC and Chicago specifically.</p>

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<p>Sarah Lawrence, Hampshire, Brown, Mt Holyoke… stop me when I bore you.</p>

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<p>It sounds like she is the type that needs a challenge. College can be that way even for the most well-prepared student. You don’t want her to be bored or wasting her talents. She is going to need well-respected professors she can learn from who will also guide her. She will need to be willing to listen to criticism as she furthers her art and her passion. That is a tough bill to fill. I agree with the other posters and feel either Barnard or NYU.</p>

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<p>Take a look at the creative writing info for Wesleyan, in CT. Probably about an hour to NYC. But, a very good program.
She may accomplish more by looking at summer programs like Breadloaf- the problem with many undergrad cr wr depts is you’re limited to the faculty there, their particular perspectives and the quality of peers (not always destined for greatness.)
<a href=“http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/index.html[/url]”>http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>A young relative did writing at SUNY Albany- I don’t know the rigor, but he enjoyed it. I suspect, as a writing family, you will be able to judge the programs you come across. Will you keep us posted? Good luck.</p>

<p>fwiw: <a href=“http://education-portal.com/best_creative_writing_schools.html[/url]”>http://education-portal.com/best_creative_writing_schools.html&lt;/a&gt;
Some really focus on the grad opps for intensive writing, but worth a look.</p>

<p>Btw, agree that you don’t need a big city to find characters. It’s all about observation.</p>

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<p>Smith. Vibrant small city (NINE independent bookstores, at last count.) No distribution requirements. Intellectually exciting students, but quirky. Lots of writers in the community. Highest percentage of low-income students of any LAC. 10% older students (up to age 70). Good (and large) fine arts department. Lots of famous writers as graduates.</p>

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<p>maybe Vassar</p>

<p>It is near NYC</p>

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<p>I know it’s not in a large city but Ithaca is “quirky”. Have you heard of the Park Scholarship program in the communications school at Ithaca College. 15 FULL scholarships awarded to 15 incoming freshman per year! Room, board, tuition, even living expenses! Sounds like the whole enviorment may fit your daughter: [Park</a> Scholar Program - Ithaca College](<a href=“http://www.ithaca.edu/parkscholars/]Park”>http://www.ithaca.edu/parkscholars/)</p>

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<p>

She’s looking for ethnic and economic diversity, but not intellectual diversity? If she’s REALLY looking for “characters”, your criteria are too narrow IMHO.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Wow! An amazing number of replies in an amazingly short time. Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions here. I really, really appreciate it.</p>

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<p>This is self-contradictory. Super-smart students who fill their classes with their brilliant insights almost always take themselves too seriously.</p>

<p>But getting back to the college question, I’d say Reed meets most of your criteria. </p>

<p>One school I know next to nothing about but might be worth taking a look at is Kenyon College. For a tiny, not-so-well-known LAC in the middle of Ohio, it has produced an astonishing number of successful writers and poets. They must be doing something right there.</p>