Journalism at UMD College Park or GWU?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I want to study journalism--or at least, I think I do. I don't know where to go. I think Maryland's program is technically better because it's accredited, but it seems a little iffy. Like, when I went to the open house they said to this girl who wanted to do PR but got into the journalism school that she should stay in the journalism school (where she couldn't take actual PR classes because the Com school & journo school cannot overlap at all) and then just intern at PR places. The curriculum is also so journalism based. I know I would miss liberal arts classes and I think you have to have a strong liberal arts background to be a good journalist. Doesn't GW offer that? If I go to GW, I might just minor in journo and do something else as a major. But I don't know. UMD's curriculum seems pretty customizable. They say you just tell your advisor what you want and they get it for you. But that also seems really unstructured. I want to get educated in journalism, not just trained. I also only want to do writing, and more blogs/columns/magazines than really quick turn around stuff or investigative reporting. EVERYTHING at UMD is either sports, broadcast, or sports broadcast.</p>

<p>Also, EVERYONE there is doing sports journalism. I don't want to do sports journalism. At all. Most opportunities revolve around that. When I asked about social and political journalism, no one even mentioned social journalism in their responses. As for political--well, isn't that better at GW? Can't I even get a better experience with that being even closer? And no one even talked about photojournalism. I haven't been to a specifically journalism GWU open house or anything yet, so if you know about that, could you tell me?</p>

<p>Then about the school: I love the city campus. Honestly, I hate the traditional college campus feel of UMD. I love being in DC--I live pretty close by to it now. However, people say GWU kids are rich and snooty. I've heard that about UMD too, but with so many people, I'm sure I can find people who aren't snooty. All the journo kids seemed so nice at UMD. Also, I'm not caucasian, so I like a little diversity--though too much can be just as bad as none at all (trust me, I know). I've visited GWU once though not as an admitted student--I'm going soon. </p>

<p>Also, I don't want to have a community bathroom--which is why I like GW. But I've also heard that thing about their dorms falling apart? But that was only the summer ones though. And Thurston seems like a nightmare, and also they're so expensive. I would probably move out soon or become an RA. But on the flip side, UMD's dorms don't all have AIR CONDITIONING. How gross? People complain and admit the bathrooms are disgusting.</p>

<p>Also, I eat vegetarian, and really, really healthy. I haven't eaten fast food ever. I just don't like it. UMD is crawling with fast food. Is GW's food any better? More vegetarian varieties? Can anyone say?</p>

<p>Okay, last thing. Money: my family's tight, we got a lot of money from both. I'm paying in state at UMD, but as long as I can still get the same amount of money from GWU every year, I would only have to pay 5,000 more dollars p/year to go there. I did get a lot of money from them. But for a better experience? I'd pay. But I'm scared I'll be stuck in rotting dorms with snotty rich people (clearly, I'm not rich) and a terrible journo program taught by TA's just to live in the city. So I don't know. Help. I need it, clearly.</p>

2

<p>Major in political science at GW and take a journalism minor, or join the combined BA/MA program.
How would you pay for the 5,000 difference though? Would it be with federal loans? Your parents’ contribution?</p>

3

<p>My parents’ contribution would cover the extra. I’ve been doing a lot of other research and most people seem to hate GW with a burning passion, because it’s snooty, costs so much, and isn’t top tier. I don’t know if GW is worth going to just for the location.</p>

4

<p>You must be reading some websites where disgruntled students or (often) rivals come and post without check. Use the university-specific forums on this website and voice your doubts on the GWU forum to see how current students respond. GW is top tier, and in the elite for political science (top 10 out of the 3,700 universities in the country, do the math :D) which is a top major to have for journalism, not to mention the connections and networking. Now, it sounds like you have a certain level of discomfort with both schools. Have you attended an overnight at both? You really should spend some time on campus at both before you make your decision. The atmosphere is indeed quite different and you should figure out immediately whether one is “for you” or not.</p>

5

<p>I ended up choosing GWU. The deciding factor for me was the environment, because I absolutely hated the typical college campus feel of UMD–I felt suffocated. To me, GWU’s campus was the most perfect, beautiful place to be, and I wanted to be in the middle of a city anyways–I didn’t want to be disconnected from the world around me while in college, especially studying something like Journalism.</p>

<p>After I visited GWU during their accepted students days, I also felt alot better about choosing their Journalism program, even though it wasn’t accredited. They specifically said that they chose not to be accredited because they like having a strong liberal arts background for their Journalism students, and they couldn’t have that if the program wasn’t housed in the liberal arts college (which therefore disqualifies it from being accredited). They also said they’d never heard of anyone not getting a job on the basis that the person’s school hadn’t been accredited, and that knowledge basically just solidified my decision to go there.</p>

<p>Lastly, I feel that going to an expensive private school on a huge scholarship has some serious advantages. They tend to provide amenities for their students, and have a standard to keep up, which in the end benefits me, as I’m barely paying for it. So, that’s the main reason why I chose to go where I’m going. There are other, smaller, reasons as well.</p>

6

<p>Congrats on the decision, normally I’d have said to go for the state school but if GWU is really only slightly more money, it seems like a good deal. And there’s definitely a lot of opportunity in DC.</p>

7

<p>thanks for the update. It’s very useful to all the rising juniors and seniors thinking about their choices! Your post is especially useful because it’s very detailed :slight_smile: Thanks!</p>

8

<p>Either is fine. It’s your internships and your participation in the school paper that will give you journalism skills. You would be fine at either school.</p>