I have no idea where I belong. Someone help?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>After basically 2 years of reading these message boards, I figured I might as well post... </p>

<p>I need to find some schools. I'm open to any and all suggestions.</p>

<p>I'm really nothing more than average, but now I'm realizing that I should've tried harder and that this is the year that I'll have to pay for my lack of effort. I'm not saying that I didn't try, but I think I could've done much better than I did.
So I figured that my options are slightly limited at best. I want to go to an Urban school, like NYU, that has a well respected or atleast decent department for journalism, particularily broadcast journalism.
But very importantly, I'm looking for something in a large city that's relatively intertwined with the community.</p>

<p>But back to my "lack of effort" tangent: Here's what I'm looking at:</p>

<hr>

<p>Class of 2010
Caucasian Male from Maine
Family is pretty well off financially (I'd like to stay under 45k a year though)
Large Public High School
GPA: 3.2 (has been mostly consistent, junior year was the best. The lowest grade on my transcript is a B-)
SAT (march '09): 1760
ACT (april '09): 27 (11 writing)
Class Rank: Top 40% (65th percentile)</p>

<p>AP Classes: AP English (11th, 12th) AP US history (10th, got a 3) AP Environmental Science (10th, got a 4) AP Biology (10th, got a 3) AP Government (11th) AP Microeconomics (11th) AP Chemistry (11th) AP Psychology (11th) AP Physics (12th) AP Statistics (12th) AP Spanish (12th)</p>

<p>Honors Classes: Honors Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Pre-Calculus, Honors Europe History, Honors Spanish 2, Honors Spanish 3, Honors American Civilization</p>

<p>Part Time Job @ Ben & Jerry's (20-25 hours a week)</p>

<p>Junior Varsity Cross Country (7th-12th)
- Co-Captaining this year </p>

<p>Varsity Swimming (9th-12th)
-Captain 08 & 09</p>

<p>Varsity Baseball (8th-12th)</p>

<p>Percussionist in the Concert Band (which requires an audition to get into)
- Was first Chair last Year
- Suggested a method for our fundraiser that we actually used</p>

<p>Volunteered for 50 hours at an Assisted Living Facility during Winter & Spring break of Junior Year</p>

<p>.....And that's it, unfortunatuily.</p>

<hr>

<p>I've been looking into Emerson College, and it's basically the only place that's tripped my trigger so far. So I'm open to a lot more suggestions.</p>

<p>Thanks in Advance!</p>

2

<p>Brett - I heartily endorse your decision to escape Maine for college. I’m not sure that Boston is distant enough, but at least it’s not Orono. Have you considered cities further away? Chicago perhaps? Your profile is interesting, but you’ll have some difficulty getting into the “local” city universities: BU, NYU, GWU. Good luck with the search!</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I did look at Loyola-Chicago and I didn’t like it at all. Plus, everything in that city is really expensive and probably too competitive to get into. (UChicago, Northwestern)</p>

<p>But you’ve got the right idea with the big city thing.</p>

<p>Seattle, perhaps? Anything decent there? I know UW is probably too hard to get into.</p>

4

<p>Honestly just visit a couple college and you will get a feel for exactly what you want. I love Northeastern and the co-op program and I’m going there this fall! The co-op there would allow you to have many opportunities in journalism. Look into them, and do not be scared applying to NYU. You never know unless you apply…</p>

5

<p>Well, for Chicago I was really thinking of Depaul. Your stats make you a match. In Seattle UW would be a reach (stat-wise) but you should apply if you like the university otherwise. The considerably smaller Seattle University would be a match for your stats. Half of its students are OOS.</p>

6

<p>I think you may like Lewis and Clark in Oregon or Evergreen State in WA.</p>

7

<p>Syracuse comes to mind.</p>

<p>[Welcome</a> to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications](<a href=“http://newhouse.syr.edu/current/undergrad/broadcastJournalism/program.cfm]Welcome”>http://newhouse.syr.edu/current/undergrad/broadcastJournalism/program.cfm)</p>

8

<p>Your initial thought of Emerson is a good one - I think you’d be happy and successful there. BU and Northeastern in the Boston metro area, as suggested earlier, are also good choices.</p>

<p>Other schools you might consider (each further afield) are Temple (Philly), Marquette (Milwaukee), and Gonzaga (Spokane). Different vibes to each of those cities and schools, though all have a religious affiliation (but not particularly religious schools or environments). Belmont in Nashville could also be considered, but only if you fit the religious profile (you’d be uncomfortable otherwise).</p>

<p>As a reach, Syracuse would be an excellent choice for broadcast journalism, but it might be tough to be admitted to that department.</p>

<p>Though not an absolute, it’ll be easier to get a job in the general vicinity of where you go to school, so keep in mind where you’d like to be when you graduate. And of course, make it be a place you’d enjoy being for the next 4 years!</p>

9

<p>Syracuse and Mizzou have the best journalism schools in the country, and it may not be tough for you to get admitted to those schools, but there’s a chance it would be tough for you to be admitted to those stellar programs. </p>

<p>Mizzou
[Missouri</a> School of Journalism](<a href=“http://www.journalism.missouri.edu/]Missouri”>http://www.journalism.missouri.edu/)</p>

<p>Syracuse
[Welcome</a> to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications](<a href=“http://newhouse.syr.edu/]Welcome”>http://newhouse.syr.edu/)</p>

<p>Also consider a few safeties that are still known for excellent journalism schools.</p>

<p>Arizona State
[The</a> Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication](<a href=“http://cronkite.asu.edu/]The”>http://cronkite.asu.edu/)</p>

<p>Oklahoma State
[OSU</a> Journalism and Broadcasting](<a href=“School of Media and Strategic Communications | Oklahoma State University”>http://journalism.okstate.edu/)</p>

<p>Georgia
[Welcome</a> To Grady College](<a href=“http://www.grady.uga.edu/]Welcome”>http://www.grady.uga.edu/)</p>

<p>Oklahoma
[Gaylord</a> College at OU](<a href=“http://www.ou.edu/gaylord/home.html]Gaylord”>http://www.ou.edu/gaylord/home.html)</p>

<p>Texas
[School</a> of Journalism](<a href=“http://journalism.utexas.edu/]School”>http://journalism.utexas.edu/)</p>

<p>Indiana
[Indiana</a> University School of Journalism](<a href=“http://journalism.indiana.edu/]Indiana”>http://journalism.indiana.edu/)</p>

<p>I don’t know about the rest of those but OU’s has an amazing brand-new facility that houses its own PR firm as well as a campus TV station (definitely a program on the rise), OSU’s is becoming part of the legacy of Paul Miller, the president of the AP and the guy who built the Gannett media empire and they have the only sports journalism program in the nation and one of the best collegiate newspapers, and UT’s is known for being where most of Texas’ top reporters come from but it’s hard for OOS to get into UT. I don’t know much about Syracuse, Indiana, Arizona State, and Georgia but I’ve heard great things about all of those schools.</p>

10

<p>If you are looking at Syracuse, your best bet would be to apply to the College of Arts and Sciences or another part of the uni and then try to transfer into Newhouse after your first year. Average GPA/SAT scores of incoming Newhouse people was something like 3.9/1400 (out of 1600) last year, but I know plenty of people that made good grades their first year at SU and were able to transfer into the program.</p>

11

<p>You are at the lower end for BU and Northeastern. Emerson seems to be a match and i would apply to Suffolk University as a definite safety</p>

12

<p>UGA wouldn’t be a safety if the OP’s GPA is just a 3.2 and OOS. It would be a reach to me, but maybe I’m wrong. Indiana has a great journalism program and you should get in. Arizona State has a program where you can get a BA/MA in 4 years in journalism. You may like it and you could be in the honors program, your GPA is high for them.</p>

13

<p>What do you guys think about UMN-Twin Cities? It seems like the kind of place that I’m looking for, and it looks like it has a good program.</p>

<p>Same with U of Illinois, but I don’t wanna spend 4 years out in the boonies…</p>

<p>…And for the person who suggested suffolk, I do plan to apply there.</p>

14

<p>Your can have an impressive application, and your GPA is overall good. Northeastern could be a match if you expressed interest as a top choice. Visit, as it is an amazing area, terrific co-op and might just be what you are looking for. Make sure your essays stand out, visit the schools, interview if you can, talk to other students, get a feel for the city, school, program, etc. and express a passion in your essay for attending the one(s) you think will be a match for you. Go for it.</p>

15

<p>To correct something in my above post, OSU is no longer the only school with a sports media program. I looked it up and Texas started one two years ago and IU and UMD started one last year. There are a few tiny private schools that nobody cares about that are also starting one.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>3.2 won’t get you into any school’s honors program, but it should get you into most schools’ regular programs. I don’t really know if there is a huge advantage in doing the honors program…maybe a snazzier degree and a little bump for grad school consideration, but beyond that, I doubt there’s any huge difference. I wouldn’t do it.</p>

16

<p>Try Case Western, U of Cincinnati (actually a really good match for you, and merit money is likely, too), Pitt, Ithaca (sounds crazy, but check it out. Media program is great), and SLU. Good Luck!</p>

17

<p>If you liked Emerson, you might like Columbia College in Chicago.</p>

<p>Also, check out American University in D.C. and I think U Minnesota would be worth looking into, too.</p>

18

<p>What’s the OP’s weighted GPA. According to Princeton Review the average GPA is a 3.8: [University</a> of Georgia](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/UniversityofGeorgia.aspx]University”>University of Georgia - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews). </p>

<p>A 3.2 wouldn’t be a safety then, lol.</p>

19

<p>As I was reading your description, Emerson immediately came to mind.</p>

20

<p>You work a lot of hours per week for a high school junior. As far as major goes, I suggest that you broaden your search. A lot of great undergraduate colleges don’t have well-known journalism programs or journalism at all, but you don’t need to major in journalism to be a journalist. In fact, a lot of journalists will tell you NOT to major in journalism. In any case, the most important thing to journalism is developing your writing to its very best and getting experience writing, and in your case, broadcasting – so what you really want to look for are universities and colleges with good daily newspapers, other solid periodicals, and a good radio and/or television station.</p>

<p>early_college is right – Georgia wouldn’t be a safety, but it wouldn’t exactly be a reach. I’d say maybe a “high match” for an OOS student?</p>