Hi! My daughter has gotten it o Bard, Oberlin, Kenyon, Bennington, and Sarah Lawrence and wants to major I creative writing. She’s leaning toward Bard—just loves it. But she will go look at Oberlin. Anyone know which might be better for a quirky D and D type?
I suspect she’ll be very happy at Bard. It’s been a few years since we looked, but they had phenomenal writing profs. It happens to be close to where many choose to live. There is so much about this school to like!
She only has good options!
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This student will likely fit in at all the schools on the list.
A note about the Oberlin Creative Writing major…it is gated. Meaning they limit the number of students who can major in CW, students have to apply to the major with admissions being holistic. Not everyone is accepted. It can also be difficult to get into Creative Writing classes because of their popularity, so students must be comfortable doing all the things they must…understand the registration process, login immediately when your registration slot opens, advocate with professors if the student is on a waitlist, etc. I don’t know if parents can join the Oberlin parents facebook page before committing, but if you can you should. Then, search posts for Creative Writing major to get recent feedback.
Good luck.
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This older article discusses two of your daughter’s choices, Oberlin and Sarah Lawrence:
However, due to the absence of a creative writing major, the notably literary Kenyon may have been excluded from consideration.
This appears to be the case for much of the length of the Hudson Valley, which maintains a New York City connection.
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Congratulations to your D on all of her acceptances!
If she’s going to travel to visit Oberlin, I’d also recommend a visit to Kenyon since it’s only about 90m away.
I will say that this sounds very promising for Bard!
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I’m sure you are familiar with Bard, but my understanding is that you have to be accepted into Written Arts through a “moderating” process sometime second semester in sophomore year.
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You have to be accepted into every major through moderation at Bard.
I like the intentionality of this approach, btw.
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Glad she’s visiting Oberlin and second the recommendation to visit Kenyon while there. Both are phenomenal schools. I appreciated how cosmopolitan Oberlin felt, considering the size of the town (I think this is due to colocation w/ a world-class conservatory). Great, accessible restaurants, bookstore, etc. right amid campus. Kenyon was otherwordly – serene, gorgeous, a bit remote (but close to a nearby town and the most essential shopping can be done in the village in the middle of campus.) They have an unusually high concentration of English majors.
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I know that it’s not a top choice for your daughter, but why not Kenyon?
Here is, IMO, the best list, even though it’s a bit old. It as created by a literary magazine, rather than a college consulting company.
Kenyon is also home to the Kenyon Review, a top literary magazines magazine.
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We both have a real fondness for Bard. Why is it that everyone has heard of Oberlin and Kenyon but relatively few people have heard of Bard? Sometimes people, if not giving us a blank look, kind of sneer when we mention it. It seems like a fantastic program, great professors, a real connection to the New York intellectual world . (And why does t it draw more of a national student body—like Oberlin?)
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I vote Bard, but my husband and I are alums so I am not impartial. There is a good chance my quirky, D&D kid will end up there depending on how the super reach schools turn out. Our kids could be friends.
We are very pro-Bard. It is not for everyone, but for some it is a transformative experience. The Language and Thinking Workshop you start with in August is like a writing summer camp. Amazing way to start college, get to know the campus, really learn to write and meet people.
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Thank you! What kind of kids is it not for? I’ve read so many different things about it. Seems about a fifth off the kids there hate it (according to Niche or Unigo). Is this because maybe they were hoping to go elsewhere and Bard was their safety school?
I am not sure. I don’t think people necessarily use it as a safety school in the traditional sense. It is a bit of a niche school. It has of course been a long time since I went there. I hate to perpetuate stereotypes, but there is a bit of an intellectual cynicism among some people. I think many Bard students are people who question things so by nature may be critical, even of a place where they thrive. I personally knew very few people who transferred, but the ones I remember wanted either a more traditional college experience or they wanted more of a city. I never pictured myself wanting a rural experience, but I loved the immersive college experience. It was great for scholarship kids like my husband and I because we could go long stretches without spending money because we had what we needed on campus and less pressure to go out all the time. That being said, i took advantage of shuttles into NYC and other places off campus. Some people spent more time off campus than others. There are more transportation options than there used to be. But it is rural.
Many of our Bard friends did not love high school. On the surface, I fit the public high school student mold and did the things I was supposed to, but I did not feel comfortable in my own skin until I got to Bard. Being immersed in a setting where people want to talk about ideas and question things in such a thoughtful way was transformative. My husband felt the same. Many of our friends felt it was the first time they really felt they belonged. I learned to write and think and express myself. The professors were amazing. We were incredibly close to them. They treat you like intellectual equals. We do not push it with our son because I want it to be his decision. We had worried that we just romanticized it, but going back for the open house we were sold on it. If anything we feel it is even a better fit for our kid. Sorry long response. This is just our experience.
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These are all great schools for writing. (One of mine went to Bennington.) I would choose based on factors other than writing since creative writing is strong at all of them, unless I am mistaken. Looking at size, location, curriculum, gen eds, and especially vibe seems important here. Maybe reading some of the works by professors as well.
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Just wanted to add that there are plenty of D and D type kids at Kenyon. My daughter was one of them, and most of her friend group.
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S25 was accepted at Bard and a dear friend who is a writing professor elsewhere said Bard’s Written Arts program is “legendary”, but we are full pay and she has trouble recommending we sign up for that price tag.
We are planning to go to admitted students day 4/5, but my thrifty kid thinks the cost of attendance is ridiculous. He’s also not drawn to NYC at all.
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Just popping in to concur with the others that you should visit Kenyon if you’re visiting Oberlin anyway. C24 (a quirky D&D kid) went to both of their admitted students events and ended up at Oberlin, where they’ve been extremely happy. Kenyon wasn’t their vibe, but it was a gorgeous school that seemed to have great professors and a very scholarly feel.
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So awesome you both are alums!
For D25, the 3 wèek freshman program is what put Bard on the radar for us. Once you see a school put forth a program like that, its a wonder thats not the norm for all smaller size schools. Its a no brainer, literal orientation to college - not 3 days of hello and dropped into the academic pool!
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This is what stood out to DS as well when we were looking. Bard - which definitely has a vibe that won’t suit everyone – has been quite willing to do things in a way that they think is best and isn’twhat everyone else is doing, from their alternative application process, to their freshman programs, to moderation, to kitchens in all the dorms. Fwiw, this was the one DH wanted to attend after revisit days. I was getting worried that we’d have 2 in college --DS and DH!
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My oldest graduated from Oberlin in 2023. Fantastic school and creative writing program! The personality you describe definitely fits with Oberlin; that wasn’t my daughter, but many of her friends, and her roommate. I’d say “quirky” and creative describes a good portion of the student body. Beautiful campus, community and professors.
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