<p>My daughter is wanting to go to a school that has a strong journalism program. She has recently become interested in Northwestern, but we have concerns about whether she would even have a chance. Her school is going through major issues with being academically unacceptable, and so they have eliminated almost all AP classes. There are no advanced math classes. She is taking advanced biology this year, but there are no advanced chemistry or physics classes. She is taking advanced English, and it appears there will be advanced classes in English next year. The school has no newspaper, and she is not interested in working on the yearbook. We are not in a position where she can change schools, but do have the option of taking dual-credit classes at the local community college once she is a junior. She is a 9th grader, and had a rough adjustment to high school because she never had to study before. Her semester average for French was 79, Geography 82, and advanced biology was 79. She has learned how to study and made straight A's this six weeks. If she keeps her grades up, will they hold her first semester against her? Right now she ranks in the top 15% of the class. She has long-term involvement in Girl Scouts, 4-H and the Relay for Life, so we think her EC's will be fine.
Any imput on her chances or how to improve them would be very appreciated.</p>
<p>I think that most colleges look at h.s. GPA, also looking at whether grades improve over time. (i.e. if she's making mostly A's soph or jr. year that will help the sting of 1st semester). Some colleges don't look at freshman year grades, but all of my D's apps did. They also look at course selection at the high school (i.e. did she take the most difficult classes offered?) in the face of few AP courses, did she take what she could?</p>
<p>While aiming at Northwestern is great, don't get wrapped up in the whole CC frenzy---there are hundreds (thousands) of great schools available that don't have the cut-throat competition to get in as the top schools that mostly get talked about here. If you look at most of the kids here on CC, they do NOT represent the typical college student in America. Good luck. (and stay away from CC until her junior year---it's WAY to easy to get addicted)!</p>
<p>top notch journalism program thats much easier to get into is syracuse's... many think syracuses (newhouse) is better than northwesterns</p>
<p>but how can she already be planning on journalism if shes never done newspaper stuff in high school? also is it really wise to this early have a college major decided?</p>
<p>^^I definitely agree about being cautious when you're choosing a college major as a ninth grader. When I was a high school freshman, I had my heart set on neuroscience and possibly medical school - I was sure of it. Now, I'll be going to NU next year for journalism and gender studies. Imagine that.</p>
<p>IMO, your daughter really should join a newspaper staff or at least observe the environment around one if she wants to consider journalism as a major. Nothing prepares you more than actually experiencing what it's like to write for a paper and have deadlines, etc. And not to mention, a great majority of the people applying to NU's journalim school have years of experience working on their high school paper, and still more are the Editors in Chief. I'd say at least half of the people on the 2011 Medill Facebook group are Editors of their papers.</p>
<p>If your daughter can get to the top 10% of her class GPA-wise and obtain leadership positions in her EC's, she should certainly apply for NU when the time comes. But if she would like to apply to the journalism school, IMO, she should definitely have some writing experience under her belt.</p>
<p>Generally high school transcripts show year end grades for freshman, sophomore and junior years so if your daughter pulls her grades up second semester, they'll never see the weaker fall semester.</p>