Journalism Graduate Schools - HELP!

Graduate School
1

<p>I could really use some help in choosing a graduate program for journalism. I've been accepted to a few schools and have thought of pros and cons for each o them. If anyone has any advice, input, or experience with the schools, I'd really appreciate it.</p>

<p>Stanford:
Pros: Amazing school, great name and would obviously impress employers. I'm thinking of going into teaching (journalism at the college level) and think this would be a great option for this path. Presitigious, small, and well-respected program.
Cons: Seems a bit old-fashioned/too theoretical. I can't help but wonder if Palo Alto is the right place for someone who wants to work in national media. Also, I don't love the idea of a suburban setting or living on the west coast.</p>

<p>NYU:
Pros: Highly ranked program, AMAZING connections/work oppurtunities. Great faculty, being in NYC is absolutely ideal for a journalist.
Cons: I've been accepted to the magazine concentration, which might pigeon hole me. I'd love to experience multi media and broadcast journalism as well. Also, NYC terrifies me.</p>

<p>U of Maryland:
Pros: Highly ranked program, very modern/high-tech. Proximity to DC is great.
Cons: Not as impressive, name-wise, as the other schools. May not impress employers too much. Also, it's not IN the city, which would make it hard to intern at a national publication.</p>

<p>USC:
Pros: I was accepted for broadcast, and it's one of the top (if not the top) programs. LA is also a great place (and I want to go into arts and entertainment journalism.)
Cons: If I'm going all the way to the West Coast, I feel like it should be for Stanford.</p>

<p>Georgetown:
Pros: Such a great school with an amazing reputation. I'd love to live in the DC area after school, and I'd be able to work and establish myself in the world of DC media if I went here. the program is SO customizable, and it gives you a little bit of experience in all areas of journalism (like video editting, web techniues, stuff like that.)
Cons: Not at all a well-known program. I thought it sounded great but I've never seen anything about Georgetown on any lists of top journalism programs. I didn't even know the program existed until very recently. Also, seems a little too geared towards political reporters. Most of the other options have journalism/communication schools, but Georgetown only has the School of Continuing Studies.</p>

<p>PLEASE advise me! Also, please don't tell me that J School is a waste of time and money. I don't want to hear it.</p>

2

<p>I know nothing about J School (except a little about NU’s Medill program in J and Marketing), but just from reading your pro’s and con’s, there seems to be an inherent excitement about Georgetown that I’d look into further. All these schools are top-notch brands and anyone in your industry will be able to recognize it (be sure to discount the layman prestige). You’re in an enviable position and it’d be difficult to make a ‘wrong’ choice with this consideration set. You know what you want to get out of graduate school more than any of us here, so go where you’ll be happiest – from what I can tell, you want to avoid the West Coast (no Stanford nor USC), you want to be in a city (definitely not Stanford nor UMD), and you want options (not NYU), which leaves a strong impression on Georgetown.</p>

<p>I have no ties to any of these schools and I couldn’t care less where you go really, but it does sound like you’d be happiest at Georgetown, even if it’s a smaller ‘brand name’. Remember, there haven’t been any real J School rankings (by USNEWS or other) since 1997, so take that with a grain of salt. Ask your professors or employers about the name recognition and I’m sure they’ll support my claim that all these school are well-known for graduating successful students.</p>

3

<p>You’re right on pretty much all counts.</p>

<p>Georgetown is by far the weakest of your options. You haven’t heard about it in the context of journalism studies for good reason. </p>

<p>You’re also right about Stanford. A small, niche, highly academic program very different from the rest and a good choice if an academic career is in the offing. And, yeah, it’s still a Stanford degree no matter what you do.</p>

<p>USC is a great broadcast (less great writing) program but Stanford’s near antithesis - very pragmatic and very connected to the industry in SoCal. Not a very large class, school historically has done very well by its graduates in placement locally.</p>

<p>NYU is a pretty strong program but a place where you can find yourself lost in the crowd. NY market is great to have at your feet but there’s a lot of competition everywhere around you and you have to share the school’s connections big-time.</p>

<p>Maryland is, I believe, a better program than NYU in an obviously smaller market. Pretty pragmatic place with fair connections - not as strong as USC.</p>

<p>Personally, I’d head west. USC if drawn to broadcast and interested in staying in the SoCal market. Stanford if possibly interested in academics or looking for work in markets outside Cal.</p>

4

<p>QUESTION: Do you want a job when you graduate?</p>

<p>ANSWER: If you want to actually work in news media, go to USC. If you want to teach or end up doing something else, go to Stanford. This is a non-issue for you, really.</p>

<p>It’s a bad idea to go into magazine writing at NYU considering the magazine world is dying. Make sure the program you choose is really immersed in the digital world. (Can’t speak for Stanford, but I know USC is.)</p>

<p>If it’s any help, most broadcast journalism students from USC I know are working as professional anchors, whether in TV or radio. You want to do entertainment journalism? Why are you even considering anything BUT a school in LA?!?! (Maybe Columbia, but you didn’t mention them.)</p>

<p>I’m from the area around Palo Alto. It’s not only the suburbs, but it’s the rich, snooty suburbs. If that’s your thing, then OK. Thought you should know.</p>