<p>I just completed two years at Bard College, and while I enjoyed the classes, I never really felt like I fit in with the student body or enjoyed the kind of experimental stuff they were looking for in the writing and film departments. I applied to a few colleges as a transfer and got accepted at Sarah Lawrence and Bucknell. Given that I want to focus on writing, and am not too big on the 'hipster' culture, which college do you think would be better for me?</p>
<p>Bucknell and Sarah Lawrence are very different in size, setting, academic programs, and atmosphere. It’s hard to imagine they would be equally appealing to the same student.
Have you visited both schools?</p>
<p>Bucknell is ~3X larger than Sarah Lawrence. How do you feel about Lewisburg (central PA) versus New York City? Princeton Review characterizes Bucknell as having “lots of beer”, “lots of Greek life” and “little race/class interaction”. It also has a pretty big Patriot League sports scene (with 25 Division 1 teams). ~40% of Bucknell students are in fraternities or sororities (a very high number especially for a LAC). Bucknell’s most popular majors include economics and business administration. It also has highly-ranked engineering programs. The student body has slightly more women than men.</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence has a student culture more like Bard’s.
Princeton Review characterizes it as an “LGBT-Friendly” place for “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians” who are oblivious to sports. It apparently has no fraternities or sororities. All SLC students are liberal arts majors (it has no business or engineering programs). More than 70% of SLC students are women.</p>
<p>Here’s a short profile of SLC on a “Most Literary Colleges” list:
[The</a> 25 Most Literary Colleges in America ? Flavorwire](<a href=“http://flavorwire.com/409437/the-25-most-literary-colleges-in-america/7/]The”>http://flavorwire.com/409437/the-25-most-literary-colleges-in-america/7/)
SLC also shows up on the following list:
[Colleges</a> for the Creative Writer | CollegeXpress](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/lists/list/colleges-for-the-creative-writer/170/]Colleges”>Colleges for the Creative Writer | CollegeXpress)</p>
<p>For an aspiring writer who prefers a more conservative culture, I might have suggested Sewanee.</p>
<p>I can’t help you much but I wanted to congratulate you on making the decision to transfer (it’s not easy to decide that and it’s good you’re ahead of Bard’s “concentration” decisions) and getting accepted to two excellent schools!</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence has an excellent writing program and a beautiful campus a short train ride from NYC, but it is overwhelming female and probably quite hipster (my daughter attended a high school summer writing program). I don’t know much about Bucknell’s writing program but I believe it’s more preppy than hipster, at least it used to be, and it’s pretty remote, if that matters to you. Have you tried posting this on their respective forums here? You might get some more info.</p>
<p>Good luck whatever you decide!</p>
<p>My child is a sophomore at SLC and I can generally confirm the points made above. It is a great place for writing, of all sorts: fiction, poetry, screenwriting, etc. Proximity to NYC is a major strength, opening up all sorts of cultural and intellectual connections. While there are no distinct “majors” (all graduate with degrees in “liberal arts”), many take a minor in “Brooklyn.” Very downtown bohemian. You should visit before making a decision.</p>
<p>I agree with everything tk21769 said, but keep in mind that, for a writer, having SOMETHING to write about is important. Not sure perfect experiences inspire interesting writing! ;-)</p>
<p>Bucknell, given its size and appeal to a lot of STEM and business students, is no doubt more conventional than either Bard or Sarah Lawrence.</p>
<p>This particular Bucknell English professor has gotten a fair amount of press of late for her new collection of short stories. (She just won the Dylan Thomas Prize.) She struck me as VERY cool and INTERESTING. Maybe shoot her an email?</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.bucknell.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/english/faculty-and-staff/claire-watkins.html[/url]”>https://www.bucknell.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/english/faculty-and-staff/claire-watkins.html</a></p>
<p>[Book</a> News: Claire Vaye Watkins Wins The Dylan Thomas Prize : The Two-Way : NPR](<a href=“Book News: Claire Vaye Watkins Wins The Dylan Thomas Prize : The Two-Way : NPR”>Book News: Claire Vaye Watkins Wins The Dylan Thomas Prize : The Two-Way : NPR)</p>
<p>Thank you, guys! Your comments are really helpful! The thing is, I’m an international student. I took a semester off from college and am in India right now… so I haven’t been able to, nor will I be able to, visit the college campuses before I make my decision. All my research was done on the internet… which is why I have an unclear idea of what is best suited for me. But your comments have helped a lot! Thanks :)</p>
<p>According to [Bucknell’s</a> common data set, section J](<a href=“https://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/InstitutionalResearch/CDS_2012-2013J.pdf]Bucknell’s”>https://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/InstitutionalResearch/CDS_2012-2013J.pdf), only 2.6% of bachelor’s degrees are in visual and performing arts, and only 5.7% of bachelor’s degrees are in English (nothing listed for communication/journalism).</p>
<p>[Sarah</a> Lawrence’s catalog](<a href=“Disciplines and Programs of Study | Sarah Lawrence College”>Disciplines and Programs of Study | Sarah Lawrence College) indicates that writing is one of its focus areas, while there is a decent number of film courses in various departments. Other visual and performing arts, literature, and psychology are other focus areas there.</p>
<p>^ The best of these options might be to stay at Bard. Better the devil you know. :)</p>
<p>Agreed! Neither.</p>
<p>I agree that you might be best off staying at Bard. Sarah Lawrence would have a student body that is probably more “hipster” than Bard and Bucknell is largely a engineering/business school with a big Greek life.</p>
<p>Bard is probably no longer an option for the OP as they must “apply” to get into their concentration (major) towards the end of Sophomore year and if they are rejected they either need to switch majors (concentrations) or schools. Bard’s writing and film department are two of the most competitive concentrations to get into so I’m guessing it’s no longer an option.</p>
<p>amtc - One can apply later than sophomore year to moderate into a program at Bard. Some students try multiple times, if they’re not accepted at first, and may not even moderate until the end of junior year. Also, many students who are not accepted into Written Arts choose a literature major instead - which is equally rigorous, and full of amazing professors. I just got back from a visit to my son at Bard and went to a party at a professor’s loft. Spent half the night talking to a novelist from Somalia! Just wished I could have stayed hours longer to have equally deep conversations with the other fascinating professors (and students) around me. Members of the Academy of Arts and Letters. Critics for the New York Review of Books. Novelists. Poets. Classicists. Musicologists. It was pretty amazing - and we were in a small town in the Hudson Valley.</p>
<p>The school has a very large international student body - I can’t imagine they’re all hipsters! Certainly they’re not in the Conservatory. I would recommend either that the OP go back to Bard and make an effort to find like-minded friends, or choose to go to a more conventional writing program. Which would not be Sarah Lawrence. Are the only two choices Bucknell and SLC? This is for Spring semester? It may not be too late to apply to a big state university to transfer, but perhaps financial aid for international students is an issue?</p>
<p>I would absolutely go to Bucknell. They have a writing minor, and you will find a completely different student body and campus culture. As an international, I think you will find it interesting to experience a different slice of American student life. Sarah Lawrence will be more like Bard in terms of student body.</p>
<p>While Sarah Lawrence is known for its writing program, what a writer really needs to do is sit down and write, and have sensitive editors for their work. I can’t imagine that if Bucknell has a creative writing program it won’t provide that kind of environment. To me, having the OP broaden their life experience and knowledge of American culture will be more beneficial to their work as a writer. Hence: go to Bucknell!</p>