Looking for English & Creative Writing Friendly Schools...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a Junior, so I know I have some time, but I need to start visiting soon, so... Thanks for your help. :)</p>

<p>I write, and I want to go to a college that's really strong in English and/or Creative Writing. Like, which schools are best at that? I wouldn't mind going to a small school, by the way. And I don't want to go to a huge school. As far as politics go, I don't really mind what the school leans towards, but I'm pretty liberal. I'd like to stay in the Northeast. Just not New York City. Oh- and I don't need the school to be like insanely prestigious, but I don't want to go to a bad school that happens to be okay with English. Like, I'm looking for a good school that has one of the best English/Creative Writing programs.</p>

<p>I know that on paper, I seem to be more inclined to math/science, but I really love writing, and not to brag, but it's something that I'm good at. Everything else is just stuff I like to do on the side.</p>

<p>Oh- by the way- I love writing everything, but I focus mostly on short stories and prose poetry. I'd like to write longer pieces, but I haven't really had time to yet. </p>

<p>Thanks! </p>

<p>Basic Stats: - In case you need them
Ethnicity/Gender: Hispanic Female
unweighted GPA: I don't know, but it's around 3.7/3.8/3.9... A-/A
I'm not ranked, and I haven't taken the SAT's yet, but I average around a 2300 on practice ones.</p>

<p>I go to an excellent school in nyc where nobody gets 4.0's. It's pretty much impossible. I'm in all honors, though. </p>

<p>Main Extra Curricular Activities:
*Piano (since the age of 5)
*Hockey (9th, 10th, 11th-captain)
*Chorus (9th, 10th, 11th)
*School Newspaper (9th, 10th) - I stopped this year because it became corrupt. The Editor-in-Chief made me Jr. Editor last spring, and the new editor took me out this september and put his sister in my position...
*School Magazine (9th, 10th-asst. Editor, 11th-Editor-in-Chief)
*Math Team (10th, 11th)
*Chinese Club (11th-President)
*Science Research (11th) - intensive science program through school.
*Translation Magazine (11th) - founder and editor in chief (I speak 6 languages)
*Girls Write Now (11th) - yearlong creative writing program outside of school
*NY Science Fair (11th)</p>

<p>Summers:
after 9th - girls sleepaway camp & self-studied alg.2 & trig
after 10th - took advanced creative writing at columbia university and did translation there, too. I was the only person in the whole program to translate from two languages. I also got a really good recommendation from the teacher. It was fun. :)</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

2

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=243044%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=243044&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=220386%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=220386&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=195992%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=195992&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>I want to study the same things. :) Of course you can look for creative writing programs soley on prestige or rankings, but, this is only my opinion, "good writing" is not something that can be taught; it can/has to be developed. Thus, if I were you, I'd really focus on researching the actual programs to find which really tailor <em>your</em> personal needs as a writer. I personally love the outline of Brandeis' program, and even if they're not particularly known for that, I know what's best for me-- Yale and Johns Hopkins are for the MFA later.</p>

4

<p>definitely check out connecticut college, vassar, wesleyan.</p>

5

<p>Brandeis University
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Johns Hopkins University
Oberlin College
Sarah Lawrence College
University of Pittsburgh</p>

6

<p>University of Montana is very highly ranked for creative writing and journalism. And you won't find a more beautiful place.</p>

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<p>I don't know if a Hispanic female would quite fit in there...especially if she wants a liberal school...</p>

8

<p>Porpoise, I’m sure that many colleges will find you a person of interest. Your challenge in the next year will be to identify a good range of schools that meet your criteria. Most colleges that have good academics have strong English departments. I can’t think of any that don’t. </p>

<p>Creative writing can either be an adjunct of the English department – often taught by a writer or poet on staff and supplemented by visiting professionals -- OR it can be a separate major or program that leads to a degree specifically in creative writing. A case could be made for you either way so at this point I wouldn’t eliminate based on the way the school is structured; just be aware of the differences.</p>

<p>Based on your exceptional aptitude with language you may also want to look at the schools’ comparative literature offerings as well.</p>

<p>What I’d suggest you do is try to narrow in on the type of school you’d like. Small to medium size, fairly liberal, Northeast is a very good starting point, but even within those parameters there are a couple of dozen that come to mind with very strong English departments. The next level of differentiation might be whether you want urban/suburban/rural, sororities, sports focus? After you begin visiting you’ll have a better idea of what suits you.</p>

<p>In addition to the schools already listed, you could take a look at Amherst, Williams, Middlebury, Skidmore, Bard, Wellesley, Smith, Hamilton, Brown, Yale just to start. </p>

<p>Because Williams is the school I’m the most familiar with I’ll mention that they particularly like kids who are multifaceted – creative, musical, athletic. You would find many performance opportunities for piano and it would be fairly common to find double majors between English and sciences. They don’t offer creative writing per se but they have several talented and well known writers on their faculty (e.g. Karen Shepard, Jim Shepard, Lawrence Raab) as well as visiting professors who also teach creative writing. This year it’s Andrea Barrett.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Momrath and everyone else! That was really helpful! </p>

<p>By the way- I've heard of comparative literature before, but I don't really know what it is. What is it, exactly? Is it like English but with books from other countries/languages? </p>

<p>I'll definitely look into those schools. Yale is actually my dream school, but I feel like I wouldn't get in (like it's a high, high reach) so I'm trying to compile a list of other schools to visit. I think I'm probably going to take a look at Williams, Wellesley, Swarthmore, Brown, Yale, UPenn (does anyone know what penn's like for English?), Sarah Lawrence, maybe, etc. I don't really have a full list yet of places to visit or inquire about, but that's the tentative list... Thanks!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
What is [comparative literature], exactly? Is it like English but with books from other countries/languages?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think this course description from the Williams catalog explains it well:</p>

<p>GERM 210(S) From Voltaire to Nietzsche (Same as Comparative Literature 211) </p>

<p>"The 130 years from Voltaire's Candide to Nietzsche's Anti-Christ were a period of astounding literary and philosophical development in Europe, with French and German writers not only playing leading roles but also intensely influencing one another. The course will examine French-German intellectual achievements and relations against the backdrop of the political and social metamorphoses of France and Germany from the reign of Louis XV to Bismarck's creation of the Second Reich. Readings will be drawn from the works of Voltaire, Lessing, Rousseau, Kant, Goethe, Condorcet, Schiller, Madame de Staël, Novalis, Nerval, Büchner, Baudelaire, Marx, George Sand, and Nietzsche. All readings in English translation, but students with competence in French and/or German will have the opportunity to read some works in the original."</p>

<p>This is just a random example. You could substitute any number of languages or cultures.</p>

<p>I think your initial list is a good starting place. Yale is a super reach for everyone. At this point it's okay to have two or three in that category, just be sure to investigate some more less selectives as well -- like Skidmore, Smith or Conn College.</p>

<p>Once you start visiting you'll get a better idea of what you like in ambience and it will be easier to focus your list.</p>

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<p>Ooh. I like comparative literature.</p>

<p>Yeah- the list above didn't really include safeties, but I'll definitely make sure to include them in my college visiting.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

12

<p>I know it's not small or a school typically looked at by people from the northeast, but the University of Arkansas has an excellent creative writing program. It would be a safety for you and most likely a free ride with merit aid. While the southern frat stereotype does apply, there are also politically active liberals there as well. It's not huge by land grant university standards, but big enough to find the right niche of like-minded students. If money is at all a concern it's worth a look.</p>

13

<p>Beloit? Reed? Lawrence? yeah I know these aren't on the Northeast, but I've heard they're really good for creative writing, and at Beloit at least you'd probably get in with a huge merit/diversity scholarship.</p>

14

<p>I think that Bard College would be an excellent match for you. They have a strong creative writing program and they are building their science department. Next spring they will be opening a brand-new science building that is gorgeous. It is left leaning and only a $12 train fare into NYC.</p>

15

<p>even though its out of the Northeast....Northwestern is very focused on writing (Medill school of Journalism) and is well ranked. Think about Columbia University for graduate school</p>

16

<p>Yeah, I actually really want to go to Columbia for grad school. </p>

<p>I don't want to stay anywhere near NYC for undergrad, though. I need to get out. I know it sounds sort of ironic, because so many people dream of Manhattan, but it's different if you live here. It's so small, and you can't do anything without seeing someone you know, and I want to experience another kind of place.</p>

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<p>Regarding the comments upthread:
Actually, UMontana is quite liberal and has a lot of international students, so it isn't a "white out," so to speak.</p>

<p>You sound a lot like me academically, btw. I know UM doesn't have a comp lit department (though they do offer comp lit courses), but I've been impressed with what I've seen of the English department, and I'm taking creative writing next semester, so I'll see how that goes. They offer a bunch of foreign languages (Arabic, Irish [Gaelic], Italian, Persian, French, Russian, Spanish, German, ASL, ancient Greek, Latin, Chinese, and Japanese). I've heard good things about the Chinese and Italian departments [though both are said to be a lot of work], and the Arabic profesor is, from personal experience, excellent. I've been disappointed in the Japanese department, sadly, but was ridiculously spoiled by the`Japanese department in my high school.</p>

<p>You would be a serious contender for a near full ride, too. Just something to consider.</p>

18

<p>DEFINITELY think about Sarah Lawrence. Their writing program is one of the strongest in the country. It's also a very liberal school and is near NYC so you can travel there on a quick train ride, BUT it's far enough away that you feel totally secluded from the NYC madness. </p>

<p>Good luck in your college search! =)</p>

<p>BTW I'm the same way. I live in NYC and I just have to get out for college. And I will be applying to SLC, even though besides Hunter Honors it is the closest school I am applying to, it didn't FEEL close, ya know?</p>

19

<p>U of Arizona has a creative writing program as well as a high percentage of Hispanic students.</p>

20

<p>Hamilton College</p>