# Teaching > General Teaching >  Best colleges for future writers

## rcharney

My granddaughter is a senior and ever since middle school has always dreamed of being a writer. I have read some of her short pieces and I believe she some talent. She is adamant with this goal. What are the colleges that you would recommend? Or should any college or community college will suffice. She took the ACT as a junior and was in the 95th percentile.

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## Lilyandrews

Creative writing degrees tend to be graduate level. You can get an MFA in creative writing, but first you need a BA in something else. English Lit is a great place to start, or Journalism, or business writing. Any of these area of undergraduate study will help her to learn the tools of the trade: Grammar, punctuation, syntax, etc, plus exposure to a lot of great writers Then when she has her BA she can go into a Masters program.


I wish her well!

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## jon1jt

> My granddaughter is a senior and ever since middle school has always dreamed of being a writer. I have read some of her short pieces and I believe she some talent. She is adamant with this goal. What are the colleges that you would recommend? Or should any college or community college will suffice. She took the ACT as a junior and was in the 95th percentile.


first choice, Emerson College in Boston, one of the premier writing colleges in northeast. ACT doesn't test logical/critical thinking, just rout memory information gleaned in high school. i've consistently experienced students who scored high on ACT and low on the SAT, so i don't know how much of an indicator that is as it pertains to your granddaughter. and ACT doesn't require writing sample. did she do one? 

i also highly recommend St. John's College in New Mexico or Maryland.

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## SleepyWitch

The University of East Anglia School of Literature and Creative Writing. it's in Englandk, though.
http://www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/hum/lit

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## Nossa

I have a question..can you get a degree in creative writing after finising university?! I mean is there a degree in creative writing?! I never knew that!

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## dramasnot6

> i also highly recommend St. John's College in New Mexico or Maryland.


that's my dream college  :Smile:

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## Virgil

> My granddaughter is a senior and ever since middle school has always dreamed of being a writer. I have read some of her short pieces and I believe she some talent. She is adamant with this goal. What are the colleges that you would recommend? Or should any college or community college will suffice. She took the ACT as a junior and was in the 95th percentile.


Best creative writing program in the United States has historically been the University of Iowa. Here is a site that lists and ranks them: http://www-as.phy.ohiou.edu/~rouzie/...University.htm





> I have a question..can you get a degree in creative writing after finising university?! I mean is there a degree in creative writing?! I never knew that!


Yes, in the US we have creative writng programs. I took several classes when I was an undergraduate. Even if you are not a creative writing major, I recommend taking a class or two. They are fun and challenging and really gets you to understand literature much better. Literature is not about some intellectualized puzzle to crack open by a student, but a work of art to be appreciated. Creative writing programs get you to think like a writer, not like a literature professor.

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## Nossa

> Yes, in the US we creative writng programs. I took several classes when I was an undergraduate. Even if you are not a creative writing major, I recommend taking a class or two. They are fun and challenging and really gets you to understand literature much better. Literature is not about some intellectualized puzzle to crack open my a student, but a work of art to be appreciated. Creative writing programs get you to think like a writer, not like a literature professor.


I totally agree with you. Love how you put the last sentence.. :Smile:  I'm currently searching for creative writing programs, hopefully I'll find something that works...thank you!  :Biggrin:

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## Virgil

Sure Nossa. Even just a class or two I think would make a world of difference. I really think you would like it. I'm not sure about majoring in it, though. I'm not sure what kind of jobs it would lead to.

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## jon1jt

> that's my dream college



Go dramas go!  :Thumbs Up:

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## sithkittie

Personally, I would suggest a minor is some kind of writing, to help her get the mechanical foundations, but a major in another subject for a couple of reasons. One, practically speaking, writing is not a paying job for the vast majority of writers, and creative writing even less so until/unless you make it big. As a liberal arts major who's been scraping buy to pay off my loans (majored in Japanese, minored in writing), I strongly recommend getting a degree that will actually help in getting a "real job" that will pay the bills. Secondly, it's my experience that creative writing classes don't show you the real world, not to offend any creative writing undergrad majors here (and graduate is an entirely different story). If it wasn't for my Japanese major I would have stayed in my hometown and not experienced a fraction of what I have in the last five years. This is entirely personal opinion, but I think having a separate field as well as writing helps broaden one's view on the world and life, which in turn adds flavor to one's writing.

Best of luck to your granddaughter.  :Smile:

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has an _amazing_ English department.

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## AngelFaye

:Confused:  I was homeschooled, I got my GED really early. I didn't take SAT's or ACT's. I work full time. I want to go to college, but at this point I have to find an online college. Is there any worth my time that can offer me these same courses?

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## Calidore

My cousin graduated from U of Iowa's program and is currently dropping jaws around the family with her stuff (said family including her father and mine, who have also written and edited professionally).

I've also heard good things about SIUE's English program from one of my best friends, who's a professor at the school (not of English, btw).

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## TheChilly

> My granddaughter is a senior and ever since middle school has always dreamed of being a writer. I have read some of her short pieces and I believe she some talent. She is adamant with this goal. What are the colleges that you would recommend? Or should any college or community college will suffice. She took the ACT as a junior and was in the 95th percentile.


As a writer, I don't really look too much at a college's Creative Writing program to influence my dream to be an author, but the books I try to surround myself with to gain both inspiration, insight, and influence. 

If a college has a strong English department (i.e.: California State University, San Bernardino), all one needs is an extensive knowledge and will to read more every day in order to be inspired to find one's voice.

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## Jason Cardona

Best college for a future writer? The Public Library.

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