Harvard vs. Brown: Which Is Better for Undergraduate Creative Writing?

The biggest practical difference is structure: Brown has a standalone Literary Arts concentration built around creative writing, while Harvard places most undergraduate creative-writing study within its English program and a broader liberal-arts curriculum. Brown’s Open Curriculum can make it easier to devote substantial time to fiction, poetry, and workshop courses without navigating extensive general-education requirements.

At Brown, Literary Arts students can concentrate specifically in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, digital/cross-disciplinary writing, or playwriting, with workshops and craft-focused seminars at the center of the program. The department’s undergraduate focus and ties to its graduate writing community create a clear path for sustained work on a manuscript and close engagement with practicing writers. Brown also has a notably active student literary culture, including publications and readings.

Harvard provides strong writing instruction, distinguished visiting writers, the Harvard Advocate, the Harvard Review, readings, and access to the resources of the greater Boston literary community. Its Creative Writing and Literature option within English can be excellent for a writer who also wants deep study of literary history, criticism, and other fields. The scale of Harvard also creates abundant extracurricular opportunities, though students may need to be more self-directed in building a writing-centered course plan.

For an undergraduate whose primary academic goal is to develop seriously as a fiction writer or poet, Brown is the more directly tailored choice because Literary Arts is an established, dedicated concentration and the Open Curriculum protects time for sustained creative work. Harvard is the stronger fit for someone who wants creative writing embedded in a wider English and liberal-arts experience while taking advantage of a very large university’s literary resources.