<p>I love creative writing, and I definitely want to major in it in college. I was wondering if anyone could make some suggestions.</p>
<p>I've been to the Sewanee Young Writer's Program and I'm going to Kenyon Young Writers' this summer. I have a 3.75 and my SATs should be somewhere between 1880 and 2000. I'm really looking for a school with an actual creative writing major, not just an english major with an emphasis in writing. I also would prefer if acceptance into the major was determined by a portfolio, not just the application to the school. I want a reasonably small school, preferably with picturesque campus and some sort of body of water(ideal for writing).</p>
<p>in addition, from Rugg's Recommendations:
Bard
Middlebury
Beloit
Barnard
Bennington
Brown
Carnegie Mellon
Columbia
Creighton
Denison
Eckerd
Emerson
Fla St
Grinnell
Hamilton
Hobart
U Iowa
John's Hopkins
Kenyon
U of Michigan
SUNY New Paltz
NC State
Northwestern
Oberlin
U Oregon
U Pitt
Redlands
San Fran St
Sarah Lawrence
Susquehanna
Sweet Briar
Temple
UVA
Wheaton (MA)
Wittenberg</p>
<p>School U. S. and World Report Ranking for graduate creative writing programs
1. University of Iowa 4.5
2. John Hopkins University (MD) 4.2
3. University of Houston (TX) 4.2
4. Columbia University (NY) 4.1
5. University of Virginia 4.1
6. New York University 4.0
7. University of California, Irvine (CA) 4.0
8. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (MI) 4.0
9. University of Arizona 3.9
10. Boston University 3.8
11. Cornell University 3.8
12. University of Massachusetts, Amherst (MA) 3.8
13. University of Montana (MT) 3.8
14. University of Washington 3.8
15. Washington University (MO) 3.8
16. Brown University (RI) 3.7
17. Indiana University, Bloomington (IN) 3.7
18. University of Arkansas (AR) 3.7
19. University of Utah 3.7
20. Arizona State University 3.6
21. Emerson College (MA) 3.6
22. George Mason University (VA) 3.6
23. Hollins College (VA) 3.6
24. Sarah Lawrence College (NY) 3.6
25. Syracuse University (NY) 3.6
26. University of Florida 3.6
27. University of Maryland, College Park (MD) 3.6
28. University of Pittsburgh 3.6
29. Warren Wilson College (NC) 3.6
30. University of California, Davis (CA) 3.5
31. University of Southern Mississippi (MS) 3.5
32. University of Texas, Austin (TX) 3.5
33. Iowa State University 3.4
34. University of Missouri, Columbia (MO) 3.4
35. University of Oregon 3.4
36. University of Southern California (CA) 3.4
37. Bennington College (CT) 3.3
38. CUNY--City College of New York (NY) 3.3
39. Florida State University 3.3
40. Ohio University 3.3
41. Ohio State University 3.3
42. Penn State University, University Park (PA) 3.3
43. University of Alabama (AL) 3.3
44. University of Denver (CO) 3.3
45. University of North Carolina, Greensboro (NC) 3.3
46. San Francisco State University 3.2
47. University of Cincinnati 3.2
48. University of New Hampshire 3.2
49. Western Michigan University (MI) 3.2
50. American University (DC) 3.1
51. Colorado State University (CO) 3.1
52. Eastern Washington University 3.1
53. Georgia State University 3.1
54. New Mexico State University (NM) 3.1
55. Saint Mary's College of California 3.1
56. San Diego State University 3.1
57. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (IL) 3.1
58. Temple University (PA) 3.1
59. University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) 3.1
60. Virginia Commonwealth University 3.1
61. Wichita State University (KS) 3.1
62. Brooklyn College (NY) 3.0
63. California State University, Fresno (CA) 3.0
64. Mills College (CA) 3.0
65. SUNY, Albany 3.0
66. University of Georgia 3.0
67. University of Hawaii, Mano (HW) 3.0
68. University of Illinois, Urbana--Champaign (IL) 3.0
69. University of Minnesota (MN) 3.0
70. Vermont College of Norwich University (VT) 3.0
71. SUNY--Binghamton (NY) 3.0</p>
<p>collegehelp, many of the schools you listed do not have creative writing as a major. Grinnell, for example.</p>
<p>Depending what state you're from, I'd be tempted to check out University of Iowa. Iowa is known for it's creative writing program and is in the middle of one of the most vibrant, relaxed and liberal cities (Iowa City). I live about thirty minutes away and find myself downtown at least once a month because there's so much to do. The university is located on a nice campus spread out through a nice Midwestern city. There's also a pretty good honors program with a lot of resources and leadership opportunities.</p>
<p>In my opinion, Iowa provides a great environment to grow as a person.</p>
<p>oh, and I forgot to mention that Iowa has a creative writing living community, which is nice.</p>
<p>what you may not like at Iowa are that it's a Big Ten school, so there's definitely an emphasis on sports, but that can be avoided. There's a lot of partying, too.</p>
<p>I think the OP wants an undergraduate program in creative writing. The Iowa Writer's Workshop (University of Iowa), one of the best in the nation, is a graduate program leading to an MFA degree. From the UIowa web page "Beginning Fall 2008, the Department of English will offer undergraduates a selective Creative Writing Track within the English Major."</p>
<p>
[quote]
I want a reasonably small school, preferably with picturesque campus and some sort of body of water(ideal for writing)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I lived 30 miles from Iowa City for 20 years, and UIowa might fall a tad short in these areas. Still worth a look.</p>
<p>Hi, I'm doing creative writing at Iowa next year and living in the writer's community. The writer's community is in Stanley hall which overlooks the Iowa River (I think they did that on purpose). That being said, the rest of the campus is practically urban and not really picturesque. Also, no writing must be submitted to enter the program. Iowa uses a mathmatical formula to calculate admission and admission is practically guaranteed if your instate in the top 50% and do well on ACTs/SATs</p>
<p>I suggest you take a second look at Kenyon because it seems to fit your interests the most. Denison has an incredibly beautiful campus, but I think I heard that Greek life is big there and i don't know if you're looking for that. Hope I helped. Good luck!</p>
<p>I suspect that any undergrad cw program will be greatly influenced by the grad program. For example, the professors will typically teach some undergraduate courses and the competitive grad students who were admitted to the grad program may teach undergrads as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your replies. Kenyon and Iowa are incredible schools for writing, but I'm not sure if I can get in if they don't ask for a portfolio. My credentials are decent, but my portfolio would be better, show more of who I am. I figure I might be able to get into a better writing program if they consider me on more than the standard application, but I'm not sure if there are any schools like this besides Susquehanna. I will definitely apply to Kenyon though (iowa is a little bit too far away), and see if I can get in.</p>
<p>Submit a sample story with ANY application as supplemental materials. Some colleges offer an arts supplement, which often must be submitted as much as a month before the official application deadline; these supplements almost always include creative writing as an option.</p>
<p>Please be careful about selecting a university that has a strong graduate (MFA or PhD) program since you WILL be taught by graduate students. </p>
<p>If you want to get into a program mostly on the basis of your writing portfolio, you'll have to look at BFA, not BA, programs.</p>
<p>I'd take a look at JHU. Its creative writing department (The Writing Seminars) boasts incredible professors and small classes. You're only taught by graduate students as a freshman; after that, you have the same access to professors that grad students enjoy.</p>
<p>I don't think the program requires a writing sample, but if you're serious about applying, consider emailing one of the undergraduate advisors. Hopkins has a long history with the Sewanee Writers' Conference (and by extension, the SYWC), so I'm sure someone would take a look at your work.</p>
<p>Do look at Denison. Their undergrad creative writing program is one of the best in the country, and they have an impressive visiting writers series as well as a summer young writers workshop too. A very supportive and smart program.</p>
<p>Also very good: Oberlin, Williams, Carnegie-Mellon.</p>