Hello! I am having a problem that may come across as snooty-I promise I am not. I just finished attending AAJA JCamp. I had the time of my life and am absolutely beyond grateful. Yet, now I am facing the question of, now what? JCamp is the mecca of journalism camps. Now, I don’t know what to apply to. I am a rising sophomore in high school applying to TASS for sure. Are there any other prestigious journalism camps?
Also, I can answer any questions about JCamp. I literally got back yesterday.
How hard is it to get into JCamp? Basically, how did you get it?
So sorry I never saw this. JCamp is looking for originality. They need a new and diverse group of people every year, so really try to have a strong hook. Also, be personable. Journalism is a career of connections, and JCamp wants to know that you can make those connections.
What was it like?? I’m going this year and I don’t know what to expect. I only have experience in print journalism. How much experience do they expect you to have- in general and in specific areas? How much interaction do you have with other students? Does it seem clique-ish or is it easy to make friends? Do you have partners or groups or roommates? Does it feel like a lot of people? How much free time is there? Do you get to explore the city at all? Is there time to network? Do you get any swag? What gear do you get to use while there (computers- what type?, cameras-also what type, audio recorders?) And any other advice you have!
@karebear387 Hello! First of all, congratulations on J Camp! It still stands as one of the best weeks of my life. There is a large experience range in J Camp. I was one of the younger people there, so I didn’t have a ton of experience with journalism outside of broadcast. There were seniors in attendance who had four years of experience and internships at their home towns. However, it is a really supportive environment and everyone wants to assist one another (that still stands today in out group chat). There is little free time at J camp. My year, every night from 9:30-10:30, most of us went to the basement and played games ranging from hide and seek to never have I ever. You get really close, because everyone is passionate about news and the world. We got one night to explore Georgetown, and that was really fun. If you’re a girl, you have three roommates. Boys (due to less quantity) have two. You are split up into sections based on what kind of journalism you are specialising in and you are assigned a partner for your portfolio project, which you’ll learn more about when they send out the assignments about one week before. It doesn’t feel like many people at all and everyone is super social, so there aren’t really cliques. You get really cool swag and get to pick the minds of the greatest in the business. Also, all of the leaders are really excited about student journalism, which fosters a really welcoming environment. You use Macs, phones and cameras. (at least my year at George Washington, we did). As for advice, the week goes by incredibly quickly. Take advantage of all there is to offer, get to know everyone, read the newspaper (you’ll understand when you get there) and recognize that you are the future of journalism. You’ll go to sleep tired and wake up excited. Also, bring a jacket if you get cold at night because they give you tiny blankets that are sized for elves. Have fun and reach out if you have any more questions.