Strong literary/arts community?

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They exist if you know where to look. Arguably the most notable is Susquehanna, which has an excellent program in communication, including specializations in journalism, mass communication, broadcasting, and similar things. Washington & Lee also has a decent journalism program. There are others, of course.</p>

<p>The previous posters are correct that many LACs provide a strong foundation in writing. I agree with the suggestion of Kenyon and would add Denison, Oberlin, Beloit, and Knox among midwestern LACs. Franklin & Marshall, Bard, Hamilton, Wheaton (MA), Sarah Lawrence, and Middlebury are quite good for creative writing and should provide decent preparation for journalism as well.</p>

<p>Among slightly larger schools, Elon and U Redlands are excellent for writing, communication, and journalism.</p>

<p>Emerson is undoubtedly the best option among small colleges for someone interested in writing and journalism. Its location in Boston would probably appeal to you as well. The drawback to Emerson is that it focuses entirely on communication, albeit including fields as disparate as theatre, film, dance, and writing.</p>

<p>All of the universities on your list are good options; I particularly like Brown and Northwestern. I would also include Carnegie Mellon, which has about 6000 undergraduates and excellent programs in professional and technical writing. Ithaca College is definitely also worth a look and has a superb communications school. If you’re willing to consider larger schools, UVA, Pitt (probable merit aid), and Michigan are all possibilities, and I strongly second the suggestion of UNC Chapel Hill.</p>

<p>Most of these would be safeties or safe matches for you, but it wouldn’t hurt to look into them for possible merit aid. Many of them are admittedly not in bustling areas, however.</p>