<p>• Creative Writing
• English
• English Composition
• English Literature</p>
<p>I also wish to minor in courses such as … </p>
<p>• African-American Studies
• European History
• Far Eastern Studies
• Psychology
• Screenwriting</p>
<p>… in case the above majors belittle me in finding a satisfactory career for the future.</p>
<p>Kenyon is a small rural college with very strong English and creative writing programs. Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) is a small college with strong film studies and (I think) good far eastern studies.</p>
<p>UPenn is a fairly large urban research university with strong English, writing, and psychology programs. </p>
<p>[The</a> 10 Best Colleges for Writers - College Degree.com](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/library/college-choice/The-10-Best-Colleges-for-Writers]The”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/library/college-choice/The-10-Best-Colleges-for-Writers)</p>
<p>What other criteria are important to you?
Cost?
Location?
Size?
Etc.</p>
<p>Oh, yes. I’ve definitely heard of Kenyan and Wesleyan, but haven’t considered UPenn before.</p>
<p>I’ve always dreamed of attending Cornell University for its world-renowned rankings in all of the categories mentioned in my previous post, but my grades are nowhere near good enough to apply for such a prestigious school (not to mention that I’m only an honors student).</p>
<p>Then, I discovered the University of Iowa, a school famous for its excellent creative writing program and high acceptance rate, and it’s been my 2nd dream college ever since. But seeing as though it is only ideal for creative writing majors and not necessarily others, I’m ambivalent about my college choices now. Amherst is also on my top ten list.</p>
<p>As of now, factors such as cost and location serve of minor importance to me. What’s most integral at the moment is finding a college best suited to my interests. However, I do find small classes more preferable; it allows for closer experience between the students and the subject.</p>
<p>Thank you for the recommendations; I will be adding them to my CollegeBoard list!</p>
<p>There is a massive difference between MFA programs and UG ones. Generally, funded MFA programs admit only people that have demonstrated they’re strong writers while the UG program tends not to differentiate between people who have real potential and people who have money. That being said, Iowa likely offers more comprehensive programs in the other fields you listed than most LACs. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for a selective school near a city with strong humanities and social sciences I’d highly recommend Emory University.</p>
<p>Realistically many colleges offer perfectly servicable to outstanding programs in the fields you listed. English and psychology are among the most common majors in the US and the competition for tenure track positions means that even the lowliest of programs often have some outstanding faculty.</p>
<p>How much can you afford? What’s your home state? What are your stats (GPA/SAT)? I just noticed you said you won’t get into Cornell which likely means Emory won’t be feasible unless you go the Oxford College route (although it still rejects around 60% of relatively self selected applicants).</p>
<p>I see. Thank you so much for the information.</p>
<p>The last time I looked into MFA programs (which was also my first time), I only found a ranking of the top fifty schools that offered them. But now that you’ve explained the difference between MFA and UG, things make much more sense (and I now wish to be admitted into an MFA grad program in the future). It’s evident that my writing skills are severely lacking, but I aspire to become a dedicated author nevertheless. So, for sure, I’m going to apply to UI at one time or another.</p>
<p>I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to get accepted into Emory; I’ve only heard major raves about its writing program. However, like I stated earlier (and you acknowledged in your latter post): My grades aren’t the best, and I doubt I’ll receive the opportunity to take AP classes until senior year. It’s reassuring to know that there are so many colleges with great English programs, though; I’d always thought math and science were the only subjects anyone was interested in anymore.</p>
<p>There’s also my school to consider: It’s full of smarties that can easily pass with straight As, even while taking Calc AB during freshman year (not to mention that this is a prestigious high school with competition everywhere you go). I’m nowhere close; I would actually be listed in the “Stupids” category. It’s already my sophomore year and I’m only taking honors and reg. courses; this is frustrating me to no end. The counselors continue to stress the importance of earning good grades this year, and as of now (although it’s only been a month since school started), I’m having trouble maintaining high As. </p>
<p>Last year, though, was an absolute disaster. The transition from middle to high school hit me hard, and not just because of the extra workload, but also because I discovered the real definition of a bad teacher: Geometry hurt me so harshly that I ended up getting straight Cs for the year (sans 1st quarter, where I actually tried and managed a B). She cussed at us and didn’t know how to teach; it didn’t even feel like I was alive. To make things worse, Geometry is not my thing — at all. That was the year I earned my first E (equal to an F, if you don’t use Es) and had my self-esteem lowered to a degree where I started to earn Bs in my other classes. I was surprised when I found out that my perfectionism was still tightly intact at the beginning of sophomore year; I guess all I needed was a chance to start anew (and so far, I’m feeling a lot better than last year).</p>
<p>Final GPA (Freshman Year): 3.14</p>
<p>I’m joining a lot of clubs this year, but not because I want to spice up my college resum</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the college search too much in your current stage of high school career… Focus more on enjoying the experience. Join activities that you enjoy and work on your grades for your own sake - not for acceptance to some college in the future. One thing colleges do like to see is improvement over the years. Work hard this year and get all the help you need, through tutoring/counselors, so you can really put out your best work.</p>
<p>There are always opportunities out there for anyone who tries their best and has a sincere interest in their field of choice… don’t add this issue to your burden, and when the time comes around you’ll be excited to figure it out.</p>
<p>If you are worried about a career - Creative Writing or any English variant do not have good job prospects at all. Do it because you love it, but do not expect a good job, unless you decide to take the teaching route. A minor will not make a major viable</p>
<p>To be honest, I still daydream about becoming an author like Sarah Dessen or John Green: just nowhere near as successful. I’m a person that trusts my instincts more than rationale, therefore I’m more than sure that my main focus will be concentrated on my interests. However, it is true that I’m trying to earn good grades for the future; I constantly think ahead to no avail.</p>
<p>I generally prefer not to interact with counselors only because they’re usually unhelpful and unwilling to help. Fortunately, I have a rare one that is actually willing to help, but she appears annoyed by students that repeatedly go to see her for assistance with future plans. Furthermore, tutoring is definitely not my thing; I have fixed opinions that I’m unwilling to give up for another person that works closely with me (one-on-one).</p>
<p>Can you elaborate when you say that “a minor will not make a major viable”?</p>
<p>If you get a major in a field like such, adding a minor in something else generally won’t give you the chances for a better job. The field you have chosen is not one people pursue for the money, but for personal interests. A major in English with a minor in let’s say, Far-eastern studies or any of the others would not really get you a better job. If you do plan on pursuing English or a related field, its best you focus on your major itself. The minors in this sense are more for your own education. They may help you do a job better, but they will not really improve your chances of finding a better career.</p>
<p>Well if tutoring, counseling doesn’t help, I don’t know? Find another way to have some help with your grades? It may actually require seeking out other people and letting them share knowledge with you. You don’t need to not have “fixed opinions” to have someone help you understand a subject better.</p>
<p>Regardless, this is a college search thread. The truth is, a lot of people are interested in English - but the only somewhat reliable career that I see in English nowadays is teaching. This shouldn’t stop your dreams, its just important to know what you’re going into so you aren’t surprised when reality hits.</p>
<p>There are a few things you have to answer to help the members find a match
<p>Anyway, the reason I say its not too good to focus on it now, is that your opinions may change… since I started thinking about what I wanted to do in life sophomore year my career desires have changed 5+ times, and I expect to continue to do so… Even in college, I think the average student will change his or her major 3 times or something. Don’t get too attached to the idea yet</p>
<p>The University of Iowa has several courses in African American studies, enough to offer a major and a minor in the subject. It also has plenty of courses in European history and psychology. Also, African American studies, Far Eastern studies, psychology and screenwriting don’t offer significantly better career options than English or creative writing.</p>
<p>Honestly, most solid undergraduate programs that offer courses in these areas will offer courses that are good enough for what you want to do, so you probably should focus more on location and cost than the exact majors. The only caveat to that is that creative writing is not a major everywhere, but English certainly is.</p>
<p>If Illinois is your home state, there are several Illinois colleges that can suit your needs:</p>
<p>UIUC, of course, is a great university and actually has a creative writing major (known as Rhetoric there: [UIUC</a> Creative Writing Program](<a href=“The Creative Writing Major | English at Illinois”>The Creative Writing Major | English at Illinois)). They also have a top-notch department of African American studies, a top psychology department, and a good history department where you can easily take classes in European history.</p>
<p>UIC also has a concentration in creative writing in their English department, as well as a department of African American studies and a great psychology department.</p>
<p>Nothern Illinois University offers a certificate in creative writing alongside their English major.</p>
<p>Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is actually a top research university and offers majors in Africana Studies, English, Psychology, and History. The English major has a concetration in creative writing.</p>
<p>Illinois State University has a major in English with a minor in writing, that has several courses in creative writing.</p>
<p>@Ctesiphon I understand now. Teaching and editing are jobs that I will definitely pursue; thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>In all honesty, I have no clue how much I’m able to spend on tuition: My parents refuse to let me know how much our annual income is. However, I recently overheard my dad asking my mom something along the lines of, “What if I end up earning only earn $100,000 a year?” My mom replied by saying that we wouldn’t be able to survive. We are a family of five, so I suppose it would be difficult to support all of us earning only $100,000 a year. Furthermore, my mom’s looking to find a job by taking English classes (she’s an at-home mom); whether this is due to the shutdown or personal reasons is not to my knowledge.</p>
<p>I really don’t mind going anywhere as long as it’s within the country; the opportunity to study abroad would be nice, however (not that it’s mandatory). Same with universities/LACs: I’m fine with either. But it is preferable that I attend separate colleges for undergrad/grad school.</p>
<p>Just yesterday, I dumbed down my list of desired colleges to two: Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Iowa. Sarah Lawrence I plan on attending for my undergrad, but I know it is somewhat selective and has the most expensive tuition rate in the country. Therefore, Kenyon, Amherst, and Bard are my alternatives. UI I’m aiming for grad school, but Emory I’m also very interested in attending (despite my extremely low chances of getting in). I chose SLC and UI simply because they interest me; not for their prestige as writing schools. I like the idea that SLC accepts people that are DIFFERENT and bases your chances of being accepted on your essay and not your SAT/ACT/AP scores. As for UI, their MFA program sounds very interesting; the idea of writing workshops brightens my mood instantaneously.</p>
<p>Thanks for reminding me not to stress out. I know that my interests are highly subject to change; I originally wanted to be a teacher, then a dictionary editor, then a veterinarian. However, to this day, English has stuck with me as my favorite subject. As a result, I am seriously considering attending liberal arts colleges, although I don’t really care if the school’s a university, either.</p>
<p>@juillet Thanks for reminding me about the amazing amount of good colleges when it comes to majoring in English/History/Psychology. UI will definitely remain a dream college of mine.</p>
<p>I didn’t think much about colleges back in Illinois because whenever I think about The Prairie State, industrial work immediately comes to mind. Thanks for the great recommendations, though; I’ll be sure to check them out. However, I’m not actually sure whether I can consider it my “home state” anymore: I’ve lived in three different states preceding my current one, all of which I’ve made a considerable amount of memories in.</p>
<p>“Home State” refers to the state where you currently reside. Residents in a certain state pay in-state tuition for public schools there, while those from another state will pay the school’s out of state tuition (which is significantly higher). Study abroad opportunities are prevalent with almost all colleges. There are varying arrays of programs, some of which you go for a few weeks in the summer, others you may go for a year. Some require knowledge of the language, others don’t. </p>
<p>You may or may not know, but Amherst, Bard, and Kenyon are fairly selective schools. (15-30% acceptance rate or something of the sort) so they’d be pretty high reaches for you. I’d find some safeties that you KNOW you can afford, that you KNOW you can get into. U Iowa accepts about 80%, so it’s a good choice. Keep in mind that it’s a bit of a party school, so I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Oh; I’d always presumed “home state” meant “the state that you consider home”. Thank you for the correction. I currently reside in Maryland.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m aware that Amherst, Bard, and Kenyon are even more selective than SL itself. But all have such great English programs that I can only opt for said colleges. Otherwise, my last (satisfactory) resort is UM College Park, or, if that doesn’t work out, UMBC. But if my grades do prove failing in the end, I’m looking towards going to HCCC (Howard County Community College), which I’ve heard is quite nice for a community college.</p>
<p>If you’re still in Maryland by the time applications roll around, you should check out St. Mary’s College of Maryland if you want/can afford a four year residential school.</p>
<p>Towson U and St. Mary’s College are both MD publics, pretty good for some of the fields you’re interested in.</p>
<p>^^ if you reside in Maryland, as whenhen said, St Mary’s College of MD is the state’s public honors college and it’s strong in English.
UMBC is mostly for science, not for the majors you listed.
Look in Knox, it’s ok selectivity-wise but its creative writing program is superb.
Hamilton, of course, is one of the references (with Kenyon) for English/writing, so it may be too much of a reach.
Agnes Scott, Clark, Earlham, Ithaca, St Lawrence, Wheaton (MA), Colorado College. Ursinus even has a special scholarship where the winner has Salinger’s room in addition to the scholarship. :)</p>
<p>You’ve still lots of time to think about applying to colleges. But look into Bard College’s new admissions option. One needn’t submit ANY grades or test scores, or list of EC’s or teacher recommendations. All that is required is that you write four 2500 word research papers chosen from a list in three subject areas - all the background material for which is accessible online. If the papers receive a grade of B+ or better, you’re admitted, as long as you submit a character reference from your school. [The</a> Bard College Entrance Examination offers a new way to apply to Bard](<a href=“http://www.bard.edu/bardexam/]The”>The Bard Entrance Examination) You might be just the kind of student who would be well served by applying this way.</p>
<p>That’s a really interesting way to get into a school.</p>