<p>All right, so far I've been accepted to all of the seven colleges I applied to including:
Sarah Lawrence
Oberlin
George Washington
Pitzer
Bard
American University
Boston University</p>
<p>I am now weighing my options. As an aspiring journalist, I would like to go to a school strong in writing, but I'm not sure that I want to enroll in a college specifically because they have a stellar journalism program. I am very happy that I was accepted to GW because I've heard such great things about it and the students I know that go there love it. The problem, it costs 37,000 and we haven't gotten any information from them on finaid.
I like the idea of going to a liberal arts college but I don't want to be secluded from the rest of the world and I feel like Oberlin and Bard might be too secluded. Sarah Lawrence is close to NY but I saw a video interviewing the students there and they didn't seem to be my type.
Am I jumping to conclusions too fast?
I know that I need to travel to see these colleges firsthand but I was wondering if anyone had information that would help me make my decision.
I am also very concerned about Finaid because I haven't gotten ANY money from ANY of these schools. I know. It's wierd.
Anyone want to help me out here?</p>
<p>Don't know much about the schools you mention, except for 3. Sarah Lawrence is a good writing school, but my understanding is that it emphasizes creative writing more than journalism. BU has a good program, but I have to say that GW's journalism program is the best of the 3 schools I know. GW is fine with cross registration, so if you are accepted into one school, you have fairly easy access to classes in other schools, so you are not committed to all journalism all the time. People I've spoken to who go there tell me the journalism profs are truly stellar. You have the right idea to go and visit all of them and get a feeling for where you're comfortable.</p>
<p>GW and BU are both great for journalism...but what exactly do you consider to be your type? My cousin went to SLC, and she felt a bit like an outsider as a biracial lower-income student, but still made a ton of friends and had a lot of fun. She's now a senior editor at a magazine, less than 10 years after graduating. So if you have more questions about there I could ask her.</p>
<p>The only ones on your list that have accredited journalism programs are GW, American and BU, any of which would be a fine option.</p>
<p>From what I am aware, though, I don't think that any of the schools on your list are known for being extrmeely generous with financial aid, and if $ is an issue, that might cause big problems for you.</p>
<p>If you end up having to take a year off for financial reasons, lower cost places with good journalism programs are University of Missouri-Columbia (one of the country's top journalism programs), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (probably the top journalism program, though tough to get in for out of staters), University of Maryland, U Florida, and Arizona State and University of Arizona.</p>
<p>a journalism degree isn't a requirement for a journalism career. you'll learn more of what you need to know by doing the work -- on your college paper, during summer internships, which can lead to permanent a permanent job after college.</p>
<p>Back when many of the parents here were young, it was relatively easy to get into the journalism field whether or not one had a journalism degree or any experience at all in journalism - even at one's student newspaper.</p>
<p>Things have changed since. The major newspaper companies, for instance, will look for interns at top colleges like Ivies that have daily newspapers but don't have undergrad journalism programs, but those same companies are unlikely to hire nonjournalism majors from lesser ranked colleges.</p>
<p>Indeed, the only reason the companies will hire students from places like Harvard is that the students who get hired have had experience at their excellent college dailies that is the equivalent of having worked for a professional newspaper.</p>
<p>The ticket to journalism jobs after graduation is getting internships -- paid or unpaid -- while in college, and those internships must involve doing real work -- writing, editing, taking pictures, designing. The exception is the internships in broadcast, which typically aren't paid and also require a lot of go-fer work. The unpaid internships in broadcast are still very difficult to get. </p>
<p>Places like the major networks in NYC can get literally hundreds of applications from stellar students who are willing to spend several weeks working for nothing in order to get contacts that will help them get an entry level job.</p>
<p>it's hard for anyone to get a job at a top (large-circulation) paper, even with years of experience and/or an ivy league degree. but there are thousands of daily and weekly papers that are great places to start your career and learn the business.</p>
<p>Even those very small papers are hiring people out of journalism schools and who have had internships. For instance, I know someone who was editor in chief of the daily newspaper at a Big 10 college that doesn't have a J school. She had not had any internships. It took her months to get a job after graduation. </p>
<p>While it's hard to get a job out of college at a top circulation paper, places like The Washington Post tend to hire several Ivy graduating seniors as summer interns, and to offer at least a couple jobs at the end of their internship. </p>
<p>As for the very small newspapers, many have had major cutbacks in staff due to the penny pinching of major media companies (who have been purchasing small daily and weekly papers). In addition, many newspapers have shut down: Witness the paucity of cities that have two daily newspapers. I doubt that there are as many entry level newspaper jobs as there were 25 or so years ago when many of us were coming out of college.</p>
<p>the large (top 20) paper I work for hires plenty of interns in various newsroom capacities -- some journalism students, many not, and from a wide variety of schools. i think it's largely about impressing the managing editor doing the interview.</p>
<p>I have been on hiring committees for a top 10 newspaper's interns, so I know what they look for. I also have helped recruit interns for a major media company.</p>
<p>When it comes to major metro daily newspapers, what gets students hired are previous internships (preferably at a good daily) plus extensive college newspaper experience, preferably that has resulted in major awards such as Hearst awards.</p>
<p>Interviews didn't count for very much. What counted was published articles and experience. There are lots of glib talkers who can't write, copy edit or shoot their way out of a paper bag.</p>
<p>The reason I say that the interview must have been the clincher was because we've had so many interns who couldn't write, copy edit or shoot their way out of a paper bag!</p>
<p>Is this the exact same process for magazine internships? I am from Philadelphia and my <i> dream </i> is to work for a magazine and work my way up. I want to go to school in New York, is that where the most internships are?</p>
<p>The best way to get into magazine journalism is through learning copy editing or design. Magazines will hire people on their staffs to do such things. </p>
<p>Magazines now have very few staff writers. They get most of their articles through freelancers, which cuts magazines' costs since they don't have to pay benefits.</p>
<p>There are not very many magazine internships. Many people now get into magazines after working for newspapers, including doing summer newspaper internships (but don't tell the newspaper company that your real goal is to work for a magazine!).</p>
<p>Do most schools have classes for copy editing/design..or is that a completely different major? </p>
<p>Do you know of anything I can do now. I am a junior in Philadelphia. I am sorry if I am troubling you but my school gc is not really much help. Also, I am not going to find out if I made penn. gov. school for creative writing until May 2nd...so if I don't make it, my summer is looking dismal.</p>
<p>Again, thank you. </p>
<p>p.s. Can I take copy editing classes/ design at some community college during the next school year to get a head start? I took community college creative writing classes and received credit the last two summers.</p>
<p>okaaay. Good answers. I definitely plan on getting an internship. I'm Opinion editor of my newspaper (in HS) and I began this year with a bang: I actually got one of my articles printed in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, one of two national-circulation papers in Seattle. Now, I feel like I'm going to be playing catch-up the rest of my life. I'm a good writer, however, and I think I have the ambition to get those quality internships.
My ultimate dream would be to be an editor at the New York Times Magazine. I love writing, but I love coming up with article ideas almost as much.</p>
<p>You can buy a copy of the AP style book. Read the back section, which goes over the major points of copy editing. </p>
<p>E-mail the copy desk chiefs at Philly's excellent daily newspapers. Tell them about yourself, and say you are interested in a copy editing career (do not mention "magazines."). Ask if you can come in and shadow them some weekend or evening. More than likely, they'll be thrilled. There's always a demand for copy editors. Copy editors like to help others get into the field.</p>
<p>Do a web search for the organization "ACES," which is the national copy editors organization. See if it has chapters in your city. If so, join it, and go to the meetings, and meet the copy editors. Shadow them, take their training, etc. I am sure they'll be delighted to see you.</p>
<p>Copy editors tend to be shy, but very nice people!</p>
<p>Also do an internet search for "Dow Jones Newspaper Fund". E-mail or call them for info about careers. Call Temple U and see if Ed Treys (I think that's the spelling) is still doing a summer Dow Jones Copy editing workshop for college students who will be doing copy editing internships. If so, make an appointment to talk to him about copy editing. See if he'll even let you sit in on some of his summer classes. He is one of the top people in the country when it comes to training copy editors. If you are enthusiastic and hard working, he'll probably help you out. </p>
<p>If your h.s. has a newspaper or magazine, volunteer to help copy edit it. With good skills and that experience, you might even be able to get paid employment at a small community weekly newspaper.</p>