Sunday, February 24, 2008

Decision time!

Well, after I heard from Lesley University, I decided it was time to make a choice.  (I still haven't heard from Hamline, but at this point I've decided I don't want to go out to Minnesota in the winter!)  So it comes down, for me, to Lesley and Vermont.  They are both excellent, well-respected programs.  Here are the main differences as I see them:
1.  Vermont is in Montpelier-a quintessential New England town; Lesley is in Cambridge-an amazing city, close to Boston, and surrounded by Harvard and Boston Art Institute.
2.  Vermont's mfa degree is in writing for children and young adults, which means that everyone there would be focused on writing children's books; Lesley has several genres in it's mfa in creative writing program (fiction, screenwriting, poetry, etc) where I could focus on writing for children, but I would be very exposed to other genres.
3.  Vermont uses the well-established program for it's mfa-one that most of the low-residency schools currently use; Lesley also uses a similar program, but add an independent study component on top of it.  
I have decided, based on these three differences, that the best school for me is Vermont College writing for children and young adults.
Now I just have to send them a check!
Please drop me a note if you currently, previously, or some day will, attend Vermont College!

2 comments:

Molly said...

Decisions like this are so tough.

Minnesota winters aren't too bad. :) I'm currently in my millionth at this point. I didn't apply to Hamline though... U of MN.

Vermont College is on my list, but I still have yet to hear back from way over half the programs I applied to, so it will be a while before I decide. The only one I know that has a deadline is Emerson and that is May 1st.

Dawn Buthorn said...

Molly, being from the east coast, I am not used to the frigid temps or amount of snow you've seen this winter. The last thing my hubby wants is for me to be stuck out there because of a blizzard during residency (for purely selfish reasons, of course! He can't handle the 3 kids for any longer than he needs to!)
What other schools did you apply to, and in what genre?