Best College Choices based on future plans as Writer and/or in Fashion Marketing

College Search & Selection
1

<p>It's a bit late for this question since my D is a senior and has completed her apps and received decisions, but I'd like to get your thoughts anyway.</p>

<p>Career goals/interests/aspirations: fashion marketing, desire to write for a fashion magazine, desire to write her own novels, desire to some day own her own magazine.</p>

<p>Stats: Black female, GPA 3.8, top 15% grad class, not so good SAT/ACTs. Good, but below the standards for Merit $$ (side note: it really bugs me that colleges require BOTH a min. GPA AND a min SAT/ACT. Personally I'd take a good GPA over good SAT/ACTs any day. Good GPA shows a faithful worker, SAT/ACT just shows you did/do good/bad on standardized tests...sigh...I'll get off my soap box now...).</p>

<p>Interested majors: English, Journalism, Creative Writing, Fashion Marketing, Marketing
Interested minors: Spanish, leadership studies, any of the above</p>

<p>Acceptances: Emerson College (Writing, Literature, Publishing)
Ithaca College (Journalism)
Christopher Newport University (English, Minor: Leadership)
Longwood University (English)
Hollins University (English/Creative Writing)
University of Mary Washington (English)
Bridgewater College (English)</p>

<p>Educational goals: As far as she can go...to PhD</p>

<p>She's gotten 'decent' financial aid offers. Apart from scholarships/grants they all include $5,500 in student loans and leave a balance of anywhere from $10-15k for the freshman year...ugh...</p>

<p>Based on this information, which school(s) above would be her best choice(s)? Are there other schools she should have considered? She was looking for small/mid-size. She may consider larger size for grad school or if she decides she doesn't like wherever she goes for undergrad and transfers.</p>

<p>Another question, if she decides to transfer (one of her concerns has been 'what if I choose the wrong school?') How hard is it to transfer into these schools? I imagine there's a much smaller pool of available spots for transfers and I imagine aid could be more limited as well?</p>

<p>Thanks for any/all feedback.
Signed...mom that's looking at all angles...</p>

2

<p>Emerson is a great school and seems like a good fit for your daughter’s interests.</p>

<p>If she wants to be in fashion marketing or journalism, why would she want a Ph.D.? What good would that do her? Is it just a generalized desire to get the highest level degree possible for bragging rights? If so, her desires are too undefined to figure into her undergraduate college decision. Also, most budding novelists would be going for M.F.A. programs, not Ph.Ds.</p>

3

<p>NJSue - Thanks for the feedback. PhD - yes, to go as far as she can educationally. What’s the difference between a M.A. and an M.F.A.? She’s got a lot of interests. If her goals change Emerson may not be the place for her. One thing she’s considered is minoring in foreign language which is not an option at Emerson. So, if she doesn’t go there it will be primarily do to their limited offerings even though it is in line with her goals at the moment.</p>

4

<p>M.F.A = Master of Fine Arts. An M.A. is a Master of Arts; it could be in several disciplines. Writers (novelists, poets) seeking academic credentials generally go for the M.F.A. Of course, you don’t need a degree to get published at all.</p>

<p>The only reason to get a Ph.D. is if your daughter has a strong love for, nay, obsession with, an academic discipline and is seeking an academic or research career. There are other kinds of doctorates in professional fields (i.e. nursing, education) but these are sought by people who have already established careers in these areas, and these degrees are credentials for job advancement there. An advanced degree without a goal or context is pretty worthless. There’s no point to it. I say this as a Ph.D. myself.</p>

<p>You’re right to be concerned about her outgrowing her opportunities at a given college. Spanish would be a plus in a business or journalism career. Of the list you provided, Ithaca is also a well-regarded college.</p>

5

<p>“Are there other schools she should have considered?”</p>

<p>These schools have good programs in her areas of interest, but they are larger schools than she was looking for, and the FA might not be too good:</p>

<p>North Carolina State:
[Undergraduate</a> :: College of Textiles :: North Carolina State University](<a href=“http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/undergraduate.cfm]Undergraduate”>http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/undergraduate.cfm)
[Department</a> of English](<a href=“http://english.chass.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/]Department”>Undergraduate - Department of English - NC State)</p>

<p>U Wisconsin:
[Textile</a> & Apparel Design Major - UW-Madison Design Studies Department](<a href=“http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/etd/undergrads/TAD.html]Textile”>http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/etd/undergrads/TAD.html)
[Design</a> Studies Internship Programs - UW-Madison Design Studies Department](<a href=“The School of Human Ecology – UW–Madison”>http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/etd/undergrads/internships.html)
[Retailing[/url</a>]
[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/]School”&gt;http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/]School</a> of Journalism & Mass Communication | University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“The School of Human Ecology – UW–Madison”>http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/new/undergraduates/major-retailing.html)
<a href=“http://www.english.wisc.edu/major.htm#Creative_Writing_emphasis[/url]”>http://www.english.wisc.edu/major.htm#Creative_Writing_emphasis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Kent State:
<a href=“http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/CollegesPrograms/CA/UG/FM.cfm[/url]”>http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/CollegesPrograms/CA/UG/FM.cfm&lt;/a&gt;
[News</a> - B.S.](<a href=“http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/CollegesPrograms/CI/UG/NEWS.cfm]News”>http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/CollegesPrograms/CI/UG/NEWS.cfm)
<a href=“http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/collegesprograms/as/minors/wrtg.cfm[/url]”>http://www.kent.edu/catalog/2010/collegesprograms/as/minors/wrtg.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Indiana U:
[Retail</a> Design + Merchandising Group | Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design | Indiana University Bloomington](<a href=“http://design.iub.edu/rdmg/]Retail”>http://design.iub.edu/rdmg/)
[Undergraduate</a> Academics Indiana University School of Journalism](<a href=“http://journalism.indiana.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-academics/]Undergraduate”>http://journalism.indiana.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-academics/)
[Department</a> of English: The English Minor in Creative Writing](<a href=“http://www.indiana.edu/~engweb/creativeWritingMinor.shtml]Department”>http://www.indiana.edu/~engweb/creativeWritingMinor.shtml)</p>

6

<p>The PhDs I know are professors, scientists and venture capitalists.
The fashion industry professionals I know have BAs, but did not continue past that…it’s just not part of the career path.
What she will need is industry experience in the summers to land a great job after college. She should talk to the career centers of the colleges now about their placement for summer internships.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all the great information! I appreciate the time and candid answers.</p>