<p>i’m having trouble narrowing down my list of schools. i’m interested in english and writing, and will probably be looking into graduate school in later years.</p>
<p>after a while, every college starts to look and sound the same. is there any way to tell which schools will help me become a better writer without actually visiting every college in the midwest? it seems like english is always just another point on a bulleted list. engineers, nurses, lawyers, artists, and architects all have their specialized schools and programs, but i haven’t been able to find any english or writing programs that sounds unique in the least.</p>
<p>anyone have any knowledge or experience that could point me towards some really exceptional programs?</p>
<p>Great English Departments in the Midwest include these schools:</p>
<p>Carleton
Grinnell
Macalester
Oberlin
DePauw U
Denison U
Lawrence U
Kenyon
College of Wooster
Beloit </p>
<p>This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but the schools mentioned are noted for their English departments. The list also has a range of admissions diffiuclty. Hope this helps your search a bit. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>It is easier to get more personal attention, which is good for developing writers, at a smaller school. Sometimes there is a wider variety of writing courses at a university however. Blaineko has a good list of LACs and most Big Ten universities have solid programs in this area. Of the LACs Blaineko lists I’d favor Carleton and Kenyon and add Knox.</p>
<p>Knox College in Illinois - which Reid has already mentioned - has a wonderful creative writing program. St. Olaf in Minnesota also has a very strong English department. In terms of Universities, the University of Iowa is very strong in both English and creative writing.</p>
<p>Both Calvin and Wheaton (in Illinois) teach liberal arts in a Christian framework. I don’t know about the English departments at either school, but I think that to attend either, you need to be comfortable with the conservative Christian mission. Just off the cuff, it seems to me that a student who would be happy at Calvin or Wheaton would probably be unhappy at some of the other schools on your list. For example, Oberlin is a very liberal school, and DePauw has a strong Greek presence and active party scene.</p>
<p>Both Wheaton and Calvin are fine schools. Wheaton is a bit more selective than Calvin. </p>
<p>Ryanweb, are you interested in a college with a religious emphasis? If so, then you may not be comfortable at some of the schools previously recommended. Kenyon, Carleton, Macalester, Grinnell, Beloit and Oberlin are all pretty secular places, while Knox, Dennison, DePauw, Lawrence and Wooster are not generally thought of as being particularly religious places.</p>
<p>You are lucky in that if you want to concentrate on English and writing programs, there are many fine liberal arts colleges in the Midwest where English and writing is a strength. </p>
<p>Other schools that you may want to look at would include Taylor (a school with a strong English program and a religious emphasis), Hanover, Wabash, Wittenberg, Hope and Kalamazoo. While the last 4 I mentioned are not particularly religious (well Wittenberg has the reputation of being pretty religious), they all tend to attract somewhat more conservative and outwardly religious students. Kalamazoo, in particular, may be a good match (lots and lots of writing – the students are known to be serious and hard workers).</p>
<p>If you are looking for a school with a religious bent, do take a close look at St. Olaf in Minnesota. They have a wonderful English department. The school is lutheran and a many students attend daily services BUT there are also a mix of non-religious students so you still get a diversity of viewpoints. St. Olaf is a bit larger than most LACs (just under 3000 students) and has one of the most exceptional study abroad programs I’ve seen ANYWHERE. It’s really a very good, nuturing school.</p>
<p>By the way, Calvin and Wheaton are both excellent schools. You might also add Hope College in Michigan to your list if you are interested in Christian schools.</p>