<p>A couple of my nieces are incoming HS seniors. I recently talked to one of my them about her list. She thinks she wants to limit her applications to Oregon, California and Washington State. She is instate for Ca. Does not want any overly religious schools. I don't know the breakdown but her combined SAT scores are 1850 with the lowest score being Math. Strong B + student. She is an excellent writer. She will probably not qualify for need based aid due to some inherited investments that one of the parents have. One of those cases where the asset has worth on paper but is really not sellable. The parents have no clue about college admissions. I think they are presently focusing on instate public schools and schools that participate in WUE.
Present list-
Sonoma State
San Francisco State- I think this is a terrrible fit
Cal Poly SLO
UCSC
UCSB
UC Davis
Portland State U
Univ of Oregon (they know it is not WUE for Ca residents)
Aside from Sonoma all these schools are large. I think they should consider some smaller schools. My niece would be more suited for small classes.
Looking for some smaller schools that she might qualify for merit aid. The merit aid needs to bring the cost down to what a UC would cost. approximately 30,000
She wants to study journalism.
Thank you</p>
<p>USC has an excellent journalism department. She should at least look at it.</p>
<p>These would be reaches:</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO
UCSB
UC Davis</p>
<p>For publics, CSU Fullerton and Chico State have a journalism major.</p>
<p>If she wants private with a fair amount of merit, she could check out:</p>
<p>Whittier [IHS</a> Journalism Internship Program | Internships @ Whittier College](<a href=“Private Site”>Private Site)
Chapman
University of the Pacific</p>
<p>She may want to consider the womens colleges.
A journalist needs more perspective and attending school on the opposite coast from where she is living could help with that.
Also, my observation is that they are flexible in how they consider parental assets for aid.</p>
<p>mom60 - I know you said smaller schools, but a couple other Cal State Schools to consider with journalism majors are SDSU and San Jose State. I’m not sure if your niece would get into SDSU unless she is in the area, but these were just two more suggestions with her intended major.</p>
<p>She thinks she doesn’t want southern Ca. I am pushing her to expand her geographic area due to the fact that her list has a few safe schools and the rest reach schools but really no match. I would hate for her to have her decision come down to Sonoma and SF state.
Chico was on her list but she had a friend go last year who was not happy.
UCSB is her first choice and she knows it is a reach. She has only taken the SAT once with no prep and will take it again in the fall in hopes of getting her Math score higher.
She comes from a small central Ca town.She is local for Cal Poly but I don’t know if they give any preference for that. I think as a English major Cal Poly is not as much of a reach. She would prefer to go further from home. She is pretty naive and not the most street smart aware. Plus totally ADD. I just don’t see her in SF. She is a free thinker a bit bohemian.
Sonoma is probably the best fit for her on her list.</p>
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<p>Scratch my USC recommendation, then. Doesn’t sound like a fit.</p>
<p>Possibly Pitzer.</p>
<p>Moonchild- Pitzer would be great. My concern is the cost. I don’t want to suggest schools that they have no way of affording. I don’t think Pitzer gives merit aid.</p>
<p>SF State might at least be worth a visit, as they do offer a journalism major. SF culture is changing, influenced by the huge influx of young techies. In fact, it may be less “Bohemian” now than UCSB (Isla Vista) which has no journalism major. U Oregon is popular with Californians, has a beautiful campus and also offers journalism. Time to visit campuses!</p>
<p>WSU has the Edward R. Murrow College that has a highly respected journalism program. WWU up in Bellingham also has journalism but is not quite as well-known. I would suggest either of these over Portland State.</p>
<p>WSU does not technically participate in WUE but gives many OOS scholarships to make up for it.</p>
<p>Magnetron - I have suggested Western Washington and the Fairhaven program. I think that might be a good fit. Will also suggest they look at Wahington State.
I don’t know why she likes Portland State.
I am trying to have them think beyond the journalism major. I think they will not Any visits outside of Ca until she gets in.</p>
<p>Silly question from a foreigner …</p>
<p>Why does she need to go to college to become a journalist? Can’t she find an internship with newspaper with her HS diploma? I always thought that journalism is a gift, you either have it or not.</p>
<p>ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism has small classes. ASU is big, but the Cronkite School is at the downtown Phoenix campus, which is small. (ASU gives a tuition break for students from Cali.)</p>
<p>Not in CA but nearby…check out Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism (w a beautiful new building).</p>
<p>haha cross post!</p>