<p>Hi: I have a rising senior who is finalizing her college list. After spending much time researching communications as a major I am still unclear how to help her find the best fit program.
The dilemma is that she wants a school that has a curriculum that would help her broadly explore communications as a potential career. Schools like U Maryland, BU, U Miami and Tulane as well as UMichigan are on her list. She is attending the summer program at Northwestern called Cherubs and while Northwestern may be the best fit it also may be out of reach for her stats. She has a B+/A- average not sure yet of final GPA and ACT 32 with strong ECs in radio, film/video production but from very competitive school in northern New Jersey. School does not rank but probably in top third of class.
So I am trying to round out her list with other types of schools such as smaller LAC's where she can get a great education and follow her interests. She is a strong writer and also would thrive at a school like Colgate. My concern is whether she would have enough specific opportunity at a LAC to understand what an eventual career in the field would be like. THis may be more the dilemma of preprofessional program versus traditional liberal arts program and I see the value in both. Not sure what is better for these times with jobs so difficult. Also want to make sure she makes the connections she needs that internships provide that could lead to jobs in the field.
She seems to prefer staying in the northeast but also has USC on her list.
Thanks for any input from those who have had experience guiding their child who may have had similar interests.</p>
<p>It sounds as if she’s aiming more for the radio/tv side of the field rather than the writing/journalism side? Does she want to be behind the scenes or in front of the camera?</p>
<p>Some other schools to take a look at in the northeast would be Quinnipiac, Ithaca, maybe Syracuse, Emerson, maybe Marist.</p>
<p>And your hunch about internships is spot-on! In this field, it’s all about getting out there and having hands-on experience. Campus TV and radio stations have been the starting point for many, many careers.</p>
<p>In terms of coursework, I would definitely recommend the preprofessional programs. Have a D at Newhouse (SU) and she has greatly benefitted from the very hands-on courses as well as the extra curriculars. In terms of internships, it has been fascinating to me how many of the interns are from high level liberal arts programs in her programs, rather than specific communications programs. She has had no problem getting great internships in NYC but that has not been the case for some of her friends. If she wants a broader experience, she could also investigate some of the dual degree programs in communications and liberal arts or business.</p>
<p>stradmom: one problem is she is not sure what part of the field she wants to major in. She was thinking of film and loves writing but recently said she wants an opportunity to explore all facets of the field such as advertising. I am confused also by the need to choose at some schools like Northwestern where there is the School of Communications for film/radio and then Medill and integrated media. How the heck are they supposed to know at this point which to choose!</p>
<p>Twoparent: I loved the Newhouse program but D was turned off by Syracuse as a place to live. I thought it was a perfect fit but her strong reaction put it off the list. What liberal arts programs have you heard are sending interns to the same programs as Newhouse students? That would be interesting to know.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments! It really is hard to know what is the best direction for having an optimal experience as a student is this field.</p>
<p>My DD is a Communications major with a concentration in journalism at Fordham, Lincoln Center campus. I don’t know exactly how Fordham ranks compared to the other programs you mentioned, but you can’t beat the location for internships and opportunities. She’s just a few blocks away from CNN and all the tv stations.</p>
<p>I would like to validate your concern about the lack of course options at smaller liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>I tried to major in computer science at a LAC. I was expecting technical/preprofessional coursework and I was very surprised that many of the courses were typical liberal arts courses, like “Gender and Technology” and “The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence.” Many prospective CS majors were also disappointed by the frequency at which classes were taught: technical core courses were offered on a two-year rotation, and we never had more than 2 upper-level electives in any given semester. That meant that we got no input whatsoever into the specialties that we wanted to pursue. My cohort was offered a sequence of graphics and game design courses. Wanted to study networking or high-speed computing instead? Too bad. Take two gap years and try again.</p>
<p>Long story short: Do not rely on a course catalog that lists all classes that have ever been taught. You really want to know if a class is taught every semester or once a decade.</p>
<p>To respond to your question about the liberal arts college interns at the top communication internships - they include all of the top schools like Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Colgate, Villanova, Colby, Tulane,Bucknell, etc. There was also usually at least one representative from each of the well known comm programs like UMiami, UMaryland etc. She is not in TRF or broadcasting and these internships may be more closed.
Too bad your D got turned off by the living situation at SU - I think that’s how everyone feels about it at first but the university just becomes the center of everyone’s life. She should at least visit and get the specific Newhouse tour.</p>
<p>Just so you know, that Comm is a HUGE major in many campuses and the jobs, particularly in print, are declining rapidly. Thus, they can be extremely competitive. Much better to be less preprofessional and more liberal artsy, IMO.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to look for a University setting where she could find a bunch of other coursework to take. Boston College, for example, puts its Comm major in the liberal arts school, where all students must complete the Core. (Just using BC as an example, but I think it would be a stretch given your D’s rank.)</p>
<p>Colgate is a reach as well, unless you ED and are full pay.</p>
<p>As an add-on to what twoparent posted: My D is a Newhouse grad who completed two paid internships in her field last summer and the previous summer with large multinational adv agencies…</p>
<p>She also remarked that there were alot of liberal arts kids working with her but there was one HUGE difference:</p>
<p>they all got their jobs because they or their parents knew someone at the company…</p>
<p>The kids she worked with who came out of UMiami, BU, Newhouse etc comm schools were all recruited or applied to the positions outright without connections…</p>
<p>So, if you have connections in the industry, your student can literally attend any school in the country…we didn’t</p>
<p>net-net: it is ALL about connections, networking and, alternatively, alumni…</p>
<p>If one does not have those previous connections, the alumni networks are crucial…and have proved very valuable…</p>
<p>To the OP: we had a similar issue with Northwestern and realized it prior to even applying to the Cherub program…USC has a similar issue as their school of comm is separate and distinct from their TV/Film in the school of Cinema arts…</p>
<p>note: all accredited communication schools REQUIRE either a 2nd major or minor in liberal arts OR require a certain # of credits outside of the school of comm…every kid I know at Newhouse is a dual major or has one or two minors/ younger D is at Elon School of Comm and everyone has to do oodles of liberal arts credits and have a minor…</p>
<p>Quinnipiac and Marist as Stradmom suggested are good choices. The students seem to have opportunities for internships. Fairfield University seems to offer a broad selection of classes with internship programs. UM may be a reach school.</p>
<p>I agree with the pre-professional recommendation. There is a huge difference in emphasis between studying the academics of communication versus the doing of communication. One of my kids went to BU Comm, which is a large “college” within the university with something like 2k in all the programs. It’s organized around majors that essentially split off film & tv. I can speak to that more than the others, but I know the advertising and PR programs are heavily into actual doing - working for clients in some classes - and internships in Boston media. </p>
<p>Film/tv at colleges tends to be more personal, more about finding your vision and your artistic sense. Film/tv in the pre-professional setting is about lighting, sound, camera, script, editing. The extreme is NYU; you can go to Tisch to become a sound engineer. (which I think is kind of odd given the cost of the school, but anyway). I know a number of people who went to colleges and small universities for film/tv who now say they didn’t really learn anything useful in school. Some of them stuck with it and, frankly, that plus talent is more important than schooling in those fields anyway. </p>
<p>Advertising and PR have career tracks. Journalism is kind of a mess now but it has had career tracks. Film/tv is more about work, work, work as they drive away most of the people who want to be in the business. Here’s a small, small taste: if you work on a network TV show, you get laid off each spring. If you’re union, you get paid daily or weekly so they simply don’t pay you. If you’re contract, you go through a severance interview, get handed a check for your unused vacation and sick pay and then have to worry about having your job when the layoff ends in July, assuming of course your show is picked up. People then work extra jobs or file for unemployment. So imagine you have a reasonably stable job working for a production company, meaning you’re likely a studio employee, but you have 2 or more months a year without pay when you have to beat the bushes for work. Try raising a family like that.</p>
<p>NYU Steinhardt is a good choice too.</p>
<p>Emerson has very good placement rates.</p>
<p>The preprofessional schools (like Newhouse) are also excellent.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons. DS’s friend majored in communications at UNC. His lifelong dream was to be a sportscaster. He did get a job in the field and decided he hated it. He is back to square one with no idea of what he wants to do.</p>
<p>Had he loved the job, this route would have been perfect for him, but it just didn’t work that way for him.</p>
<p>Both of my kids changed fields after graduation, but their well-rounded liberal arts education prepared them for this.</p>
<p>I think both routes, preprofessional school and liberal arts colleges, have pros and cons. It is really up to your D which is better for her.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments…After reading them I am now thinking that similar to many other instances in life the key is about finding a place where you feel a happy energy so you can thrive. Then maybe the rest takes care of itself as long as you have a strong work ethic and passion. She does best when the work is meaningful to her; she is not a kid who enjoys the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. That may argue for the more hands on approach of a preprofessional program. </p>
<p>However even more important it sounds like what most of you are saying that the best programs should involve honing skills in critical thinking, writing as well as more specific technical skills (depending on the area of communications). This would be a preprofessional program that requires a double major or minor in a liberal arts field. My D has expressed an interest in double majoring or minoring in Spanish and/or creative writing and I think that would be helpful. </p>
<p>Third I understand from the comments that the school she decides to attend should be helpful in making connections to internships and jobs. Maybe that means making solid connections with faculty who could be mentors. It would be hard to predict where to go based on that alone. Of course forming solid relationships is key to most careers but maybe with this one in particular one needs to do it earlier? </p>
<p>I wonder if a smaller LAC experience would help with networking opportunities because of the opportunity to be more that a mass of students looking for experience. I am thinking of the larger programs like U of Maryland where with so many students it may be harder to stand out. Also I can see that being close to a media market like NY would be a big plus. D however refuses to even consider schools in the city and is looking for more of a traditional campus experience.
SIGH…hoping to have given her what she needs to make the right decision for her!</p>
<p>She could easily do internships during the year at local media outlets (could be an advantage if they really need the help!) and on-campus stations, and pick up the large market experience over the summer (where you’ve got the name recognition for the resume but may end up being one of a number of interns).</p>
<p>Bennington in VT comes to mind.</p>
<p>Champlain College in Burlington VT might have a pre-professional program. Burlington College has a film major, but that is a tiny school.</p>
<p>Ithaca College’s Park School of Communication offers 15 FULL scholarships to each incoming freshman class. This is tuition, room, board, & lap top. I think this is one of the best kept secrets in this major : [Park</a> Scholar Program - Ithaca College](<a href=“http://www.ithaca.edu/parkscholars/]Park”>The Park Scholar Program | Ithaca College)</p>
<p>^^good catch csdad: D was a finalist for the Park Scholar back in 2008 but chose Newhouse. Great, great program…</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, Ithaca did not have the liberal arts component but that may have changed…</p>
<p>Couple of additional points:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You don’t only take PR classes if you’re in a PR program. At a good school, you also take classes in standard academic subjects. My kid minored in Anthropology and maybe Chinese. At BU, a number of kids “double degree”, meaning they qualify for degrees from more than one college in the university. I’d say the two largest double degree groups with communications are the arts & sciences college and the business school. </p></li>
<li><p>Every school has a different weighting of classes in and outside a major or college. NYU Tisch takes up more time than most other schools. Just something to check, not a concern.</p></li>
<li><p>I suppose the “best” networking might be to go to a rich kid school where you get to know a lot of moneyed kids who want to help. Other than that, I can’t see how a small school does that better than a large one. It’s really a question of personal fit and how the finances work.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>or DePaul in Chicago</p>