[College Decision] Bard vs. St. Lawrence Univ. vs. UConn vs. SBU for English major or Creative Writing

[knowmore]

I like to hear some advice from all of you CCers for my D, a wannabe author.
She got accepted into the schools as follows: Bard College, St. Lawrence Univ., UConn, SBU, and SUNY Albany along with other CUNYs.

Visited Bard a half day months ago for the interview.
Visited SLU a week ago for the accepted student event.

Not yet FAs from all schools, so it is not easy to compare COAs at this moment. As of now, she got a full-ride offer from Bard and 30K merits only from SLU, which makes her lean toward Bard, SLU, UConn, and SBU.

Regardless of COAs, I recommend LACs to my DD for close-knit relationships with professors and student-to-teacher ratio, though.

Since I do not know much about SBU or UConn’s English or Creative Writing Programs, I came to add this thread for further consideration: Bard vs. SLU vs. UConn vs. SBU.

Thanks in advance!

[murray93]

Do you have twins? Both your children were offered full rides at Bard?

[gardenstategal]

Bard has a great reputation for writing and a lot of great creativeenergy on campus. It also has a very different vibe than the others. It really depends on what your D is looking for in the next 4 years.Beyond that, can’t offer much.

[merc81]

@murray93

Do you have twins?

It seems that way:

@knowmore

Like my D, my S did not yet receive most FAs from most accepted schools,

[murray93]

Wow kinda wild they both got full rides. Honestly that would be part of the equation for me.

[tsbna44]

I’m sold at wannabe author and full ride - that’s the best ROI for a wannabe author.

You recommend the LACs but have UCONN and Stony Brook on the list - what does she want?

And then what can you afford and what do you want to afford?

I assume from the big schools, you already know merit. I assume you are from NY - do you qualify for the TAP program - otherwise you’ll know your cost and I wouldn’t expect need aid from UCONN.

In the end, while the LAC might seem right for all the reasons on paper, if it’s not right for the student and you are willing to pay for the larger, you can go with that.

But I’d be hard pressed to pass Bard…and that money can be used in other ways, perhaps to help her self publish a book or perhaps to help her at grad school or just with living expenses if struggling after college.

[knowmore]

Sincerely thanks to all the commentators. @tsbna44, @murray93, @merc81, @gardenstategal

Due to a health issue, my D took a gap year. It began with a severe migraine and progressed into a complex of digestive failure and habitual vomits. As a result, the decision to take a gap year was unavoidable and was a must, significantly impacting her GPA.

This is why she had no alternative but to cast a wide net in her college applications. She applied to more than 30 schools, including her dream ones; with no consideration for size or location.

Regarding her writing, my daughter has been writing novels since 4th grade. She has won Scholastics for five years at the state level but has not received any national awards.

I considered her lack of national awards due to her circumstances. She attended a writing club in middle school only for months but has since worked independently, developing her unique writing style and voice. In the past, I viewed many of her Scholastics submissions as tragedies, unlike those of her peers.

Reflecting on her writing style and voice, I once advised her to derive valuable lessons from life experiences while collaborating with others, rather than solely from books or inspiration.

Last year, my daughter expressed her desire to pursue publication opportunities for her novels, most of which are more or less 150,000 words.

She is a night owl, creative and smart like an artsy kid, calling her need for time and space for her writing. And, she recognizes that Bard has wonderful authors and seminar-style lectures on its teaching students in class.

Below are my thoughts.
College learning is a cornerstone for one’s life journey. Rather than focusing solely on acquiring skills or techniques, I hope my kids will learn from experience, specifically through reflection on experience to fully embrace and maximize their college experience, fostering personal growth, discovering new insights, and achieving self-realization.

I see this concept in SLU’s “DISCOVER THE NORTH COUNTRY.” Similarly, I see the same principle in Bard’s “ALL FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A COMMON CURRICULUM.”

The decision will be my D’s, not mine. I like to give her some credit for making a good decision. Thank you for sharing your advice and I deeply appreciate your consideration.

[MWolf]

As a general rule, Liberal Arts colleges put more emphasis on writing than do research universities, so I would put SLU and Bard at the top. Since Bard is also full-ride, it really seems to be the best choice.

[anapm]

Bard seems like a good fit for your daughter. Congrats on the full ride!