Confused about the admission process...please help me!!

<p>I'm going to apply for some Journalism-Schools/Communication programs (Graduate) and because I'm not from the US, I'm a bit confused by the whole admission process. It'll be great if somebody could help me..</p>

<p>I'm a little insecure on how my chances are. I'm currently doing my bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies at one of the top universities in my country (Germany), I studied Japanese in Tokyo for 1 1/2 years, did several internships (one of them in China), I am working as a freelance journalist for a newspaper for over 3 years now, got several articles published in other newspapers, worked for my school's paper, got mentioned in an article about my work as a freelance journalist, currently working on a thesis about media in Japan,...
Do you think I have chances? Of course, I'll need a good TOEFL result and outstanding essays. I already got two awesome letters of recommendation (editor-in-chief, prof)
I did an internship at the marketing department of a huge company in China, but I'm not sure if I should send this letter of recommendation since it doesn't have a journalistic focus. What do you think?</p>

<p>I heard so much about volunteer work and awards, but in Germany it is a little bit different, we hardly get any awards (except if you're into sports...), the only one I got was for a writing contest.</p>

<p>I'm really insecure if I should try it at all.. What do you guys think?? </p>

<p>And is it really important to apply very early?</p>

<p>Thanks SO MUCH for your help in advance!!!!</p>

<p>Your grades and GRE scores will be the most important factor along with ability to pay.</p>

<p>Thanks for your answer.
I don’t need GRE or any other test (except TOEFL) for the journalism programs I want to apply for. My overall average grade is “B”. Do you think that’s a big drawback?</p>

<p>My parents would support me financially, but does this really matter regarding the admission procedure?</p>

<p>What programs are you applying to? A B won’t help at top programs.</p>

<p>Internationals need to prove they have Funding. Americans can borrow, but intnls can not without an American cosigner.</p>

<p>J-Schools Columbia and Berkeley are my first choices, but there are a few others I’m interested in.</p>

<p>Do you mean a B is too bad for top schools? </p>

<p>No no, I will prove my funding.</p>

<p>A B average is not good enough for top programs.</p>

<p>So I need an A everywhere…?! Isn’t it about work experience, essays,… as well?</p>

<p>With jobs in journalism dying at a fast clip, these programs are not as competitive as they once were. A B will make it tough, but I’d try, especially if you have good work experience.</p>

<p>You’re applying to graduate school in a specialized field. I strongly recommend that you plan a trip (soon) to the United States and visit the schools of interest. Send a note to the department heads asking for a meeting/discussion. See if you can attend a class or two at each of the schools. My sense is that this is the only meaningful way for you to get the information you are looking for.</p>

<p>You may want to post your questions on the Grad School Forum. Click on “Discussion Home” in the upper-left of this screen and then scroll down to find it.</p>

<p>You also will find lots of good information at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) After reading through that website, make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to you. There are several in Germany [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Germany]EducationUSA”>Germany | EducationUSA) Journalism is a specialized field, and graduate admissions is very different from undergraduate admissions. If the counselors at your immediate EducationUSA office don’t have enough expertise to help you, they can put you in touch with colleagues in other offices who can advise you.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

<p>Thanks for your help, that’s very kind.
I’ll post this on the grad forum as well, let’s see what happens there… ;)</p>

<p>It’s just that I’m afraid whether there is any way for me to get into grad school with a B. It might be tough for ivy league schools, but I can’t believe there’s no such thing as a B-student…</p>