<p>I definitely want to study creative writing in college, I don't really mind if its as my major or just a minor, or even an English major with a focus on creative writing. I've looked at other threads about what the best schools are for creative writing, but most of them seem to talk mainly about Ivies and other top private schools, which I'm not sure I could get into. I have a 3.8 GPA, although it could go up to 4.0 after this semester. I got 2320 on the SAT and 730 on the Literature subject test(I still need to take US History and Math II). My extracurriculars are mainly drama, Freedom From Hunger, and a lot of community service working with kids at various art camps and classes. I know those aren't terrible stats, but I'm worried about the number of B's I've gotten and the fact that I haven't taken Calculus(I did Intro and then Stats) or Chemistry(I did Physics instead).</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest schools that have strong creative writing programs AND that I would have a good chance at getting into?</p>
<p>University of Iowa</p>
<p>NYU, Johns Hopkins, Bard</p>
<p>What can your parents afford?</p>
<p>I’ll definitely need financial aid for a private, but we should qualify, my brother is at Princeton and gets about $15,000 each year in grants. If I don’t get any scholarships or aid then I’ll have to go to one of the University of California campuses.</p>
<p>Bucknell
Kenyon
Cornell</p>
<p>Princeton is one of the more lenient schools for grants. I don’t know the calculations Princeton uses but I would guess your family pulls in more than $150K. With 2 students in college you will qualify for some FA but not much except at Yale, Harvard, P’ton. Any chance you will make NMF?</p>
<p>More info needed! Size and location (rural/urban and west/midwest/etc.) would particularly help.</p>
<p>Denison and Knox would be safeties for you and are extremely generous with merit aid. Both have very strong creative writing programs. Perhaps Beloit as well, though it has become somewhat stingier recently.</p>
<p>U Redlands has arguably the best undergraduate program in California and would be a safety. I’m not sure how generous with merit aid it is.</p>
<p>If you don’t have your heart set on the Ivies, consider:</p>
<p>[Canisius</a> College - Creative Writing](<a href=“http://www.canisius.edu/creativewriting/]Canisius”>Creative Writing | Canisius University - Buffalo, NY)</p>
<p>Would your parents have a problem with “yeah, DS1 is at Princeton, DS2 is at mumble, mumble”?</p>
<p>My parents really don’t care where I go, as long as I go somewhere.</p>
<p>As for size, location, and setting, I’m not sure at all! California is definitely the only state I’ve spent any considerable time in, but I’d be willing to go anywhere. I do prefer warm weather though, so no where too far north. Also I’m leaning away from urban campuses, just because my experience with big cities(SF and LA) is that there’s enough cigarette smoke and pollution to suffocate you.</p>
<p>University of Iowa has a great creative writing program, as someone else mentioned. Not sure how much it is geared to undergrads, so worth some research. My D is heading there from California this year(not creative writing). It may not be right for you since you prefer “not too far north”, and the Iowa winters are not exactly balmy. You can get into a lot of places with your grades and test scores…good luck!</p>
<p>If you decide to go to one of the UCs, UC Irvine has a well-known graduate writing program. It probably means that the undergrad program is quite good, also.</p>
<p>I’ve heard very good things about Hollins’ creative writing program. It’s a women’s college in Virginia, which may or may not work for you. I would also definitely second Iowa.</p>
<p>By the way, Iowa is also very reasonably priced for OOS, relatively speaking (Fiske Best Buy), and they are better about merit financial aid than most. They have a list of merit scholarships given out by Admissions available here:
[Scholarships</a> for First-Year Students - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Iowa](<a href=“http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/scholarships/first-year.htm]Scholarships”>http://www.uiowa.edu/admissions/undergrad/scholarships/first-year.htm)
and this is their general scholarship site:
[Scholarships</a> - Types of Aid - Office of Student Financial Aid - The University of Iowa](<a href=“http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/aidtypes/scholarships/index.shtml]Scholarships”>http://www.uiowa.edu/financial-aid/aidtypes/scholarships/index.shtml)
for info on other available aid.</p>