Hi, all,
My daughter would, ideally, like a small liberal arts college that has the following characteristics: A great Creative Writing Program (as contrasted with Communications, Journalism or English Lit with a few writing courses), a student-run radio station, professors who are involved, a flexible curriculum, high standards, and a campus sense of cooperation and engagement rather than competition. A smaller community within a larger University would also be okay (say, an Honors College or Residential College.) She’d like to graduate with a portfolio of finished work in addition to a B.A. This list is her ideal wish-list, of course – not every school can do everything!
Thx!
Susquehanna University. Sewanee also offers a certificate in creative writing within the English Department.
Colleges from a few online articles which will suit most of your criteria:
The 10 Best American Colleges for Writers / USA Today
Hamilton
Colorado College
The 10 Best Colleges for Creative Writers / The Freelancer
Hamilton
Oberlin
Sarah Lawrence
Sewanee
The 25 Most Literary Colleges in America / Flavowire
Pomona
Wesleyan
Sarah Lawrence
Oberlin
Williams
Smith
Colorado College
Hamilton
Sewanee
Vassar
Bennington
Of the colleges listed, I know Hamilton and Smith to have flexible curricula.
Larger schools such as the University of Iowa, included as well in a couple of the articles, could also be places to look.
Don’t forget Kenyon College, great LAC for writers.
Emerson is good, if she wants a more focused college. It’s not as strong in some other, traditional, liberal arts areas.
What are her stats? Hard to advise without knowing where she’s qualified…
Knox College is an amazing gem of a school with a fantastic and varied creative writing program. It fits all your criteria although I’m pretty sure but not positive that it does have a student run radio station.
Denison University (in Granville, OH) is a liberal arts college with a terrific creative writing program that meets every one of the criteria on your list – student-run radio station, 4 tenured creative writing professors who teach only undergrads, small classes, flexible curriculum, high standards. Great school, lots of merit-based aid. Seniors do a full-year, small-group creative writing project supervised by a professor, so she’d not only have a portfolio but a book-length independent work. There’s also lots of funding for internships, study abroad, etc.
Another vote for Kenyon.
Another vote for Denison if it’s not too late haha
-Beloit College
-Capital University
-Emerson College
-Franklin & Marshall College
-Macalester College
-Ohio Wesleyan University
-Valparaiso University