<p>Howdy all--</p>
<p>I've finally gotten my acceptance from NYU's News and Documentary program. That now puts me in a conundrum.</p>
<p>My end goal is to be a foreign correspondent; with that in mind, I've gotten into Missouri, NYU and Northwestern and was waitlisted at Columbia. I've already turned down Mizzou, since their program lasts 2 years. Medill's program is 4 quarters, 12 months, and NYU's program is 3 semesters, or about 18 months. As it stands right now, I'll be receiving $10,000 in aid from Medill, and nothing from NYU. </p>
<p>My question is: weighing reputation, cost of living, and potential internships/contacts, would I be better served going to Northwestern or NYU? Personally, I think I'd prefer to live in New York for school, based on the my visits to both and knowing that Northwestern isn't exactly in Chicago, but it probably isn't a great idea to be over $100,000 in debt when I graduate. I'm not sure what to do. In addition, there's the outside chance I could get off the waitlist at Columbia--but I will not be holding my breath over that one. Reaaaallllly not gonna hold my breath over that.</p>
<p>Lastly, though this may not make a huge difference--but I'm also strongly considering doing a second master's in IR, specifically abroad, as I don't want to work in academia and would prefer to get an outside perspective.</p>
<p>Anyone who wants to weigh in on things would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to figure it all out. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>medill will cost you $70,000 before living expenses (according to the acceptance package they sent me last year). so the $10,000 aid is a drop in the bucket. all told, your expenses at NYU, which is surprisingly slightly cheaper than northwestern, will be about the same as medill’s package with the 10K in aid.</p>
<p>medill is very, very interested in training students to learn to market themselves to media outlets. it is more about the business of journalism than the craft or civil service element of journalism. columbia is at the other end of that spectrum, focusing more on the craft and ethics of journalism than “how to make sure you get a job at NBC.” granted, with a degree from columbia, you don’t really need to know how to market yourself that well. NYU falls in between these two extremes. the “business model” of medill’s program turned me off, but if that’s what you’re looking for (any many people are), then that might bump them up in your estimation. if that’s the sort of thing you really want to avoid, then that might take them out of the running. just a fair warning.</p>
<p>NYU has a global journalism program. dual degree with journalism and one area studies department. i had applied for journalism and latin american studies. that sort of thing may be something you’ll want to transfer into some time in your first year at NYU, if possible (talk to an advisor at NYU) and will help you get that IR-related edge you’re looking for. i don’t think medill has anything comparable to this. the dual degree “glojo” program takes 2 years instead of 1, but you graduate with an MJ and an MA in latin american studies, or french studies, or islamic studies (i think), or whatever other region you focus on.</p>
<p>StrangeLight–</p>
<p>I had considered applying to the GloJo program at NYU, but I didn’t feel their programs fit me well. I speak fluent Spanish and am working on my French, but I didn’t think the Caribbean and Latin American Studies dual degree fit with my career goals; I would ideally like to report on the EU. They are pushing through an IR dual degree, but I didn’t feel comfortable applying to a program which at the time didn’t really exist.</p>
<p>Not that I’m questioning your veracity, but may I ask where/why you developed this opinion of Medill? I know their Medill 2020 focus has turned some people off, but I didn’t think it was that extreme. Columbia was my first choice, unless I got a full ride at one of the other schools, and that didn’t happen, and I got waitlisted at Columbia. Ugh.</p>
<p>Where did you go to school? Has Medill’s reputation really turned that bad? I still thought they were considered top 3 in journalism. Let me know.</p>
<p>my opinion on medill is somewhat biased. the head of the news and documentary concentration at NYU and the dean of admissions at columbia’s j-school also agreed with my assessment, however, when i spoke with them in person. columbia in particular seems to be rather critical of the direction medill has taken.</p>
<p>also, i work with a freelance television producer who used to teach journalism courses at columbia and NYU, and currently teaches at the university of british columbia. he felt similarly about medill and told me that their program is currently in something of an upheaval. he was friends with a few people that had been at medill before the change and are not there afterwards, to put it mildly.</p>
<p>medill is good if your aim is to sell your journalism. that’s what they teach you and that’s how they help you start your career. it’s a business. and that’s a fine model if that’s what people are looking for, but it definitely wasn’t what i was looking for. they probably are considered “top 3” in journalism, in an official ranking capacity, but there are people who really like the changes they’ve made and people who really hate them and not a whole lot whose impressions fall in between.</p>
<p>i was accepted to columbia, NYU, northwestern, boston u, and the university of british columbia. only berkeley gave me my walking papers. i ultimately decided to reject them all and instead i’m pursuing a PhD in latin american history. i’d already been leaning in that direction, and NYU’s joint program was supposed to be a sort of buffer if i changed my mind and decided not to pursue journalism, but NYU didn’t offer me a full ride (though i was offered partial funding) and i wasn’t terribly impressed with their journalism grad program after making a visit.</p>
<p>also, i’m of the opinion that three years working from the bottom in journalism will get you as far as a columbia degree will, only you won’t have all the debt. while i haven’t ruled out pursuing journalism full time in the future, after i’d applied to schools (but before i’d received any acceptances), i’d come to realize that it was, for me, a complete waste of time and money to go to journalism school. i can talk to you more about that if you want to, but i’m not trying to crush any dreams, so you can feel free to ignore this as well. :)</p>