I’m currently a second-year student attending a community college in Southern New Jersey with the hopes of transferring to the Medill School of Journalism for complete my bachelors degree for the Fall 2020 term. As of now, I’m majoring in Political Science (referred to as the Law, Government, and Politics option here) and Communications. I have an interest in International Affairs and Journalism and I’m hoping to combine the two. Now, I believe that my prior experience in journalism could help me gain admission to NU.
Since the Summer of 2017, I’ve been writing for a basketball blog based in Europe. A friend from high school wrote for them and asked him if I wanted to do the same stateside. I live in South Jersey, so on a weekly basis, I attend 76ers games as a member of the media. My tasks mainly consist of speaking and interviewing players, coaches, team staff, and more. I’ve also had the opportunity to cover games at MSG in New York and the TD Garden in Boston. Up until now, I’ve interviewed over 40 players and I’ve also done an exclusive, one-on-one interview with two players from the 76ers last May; for those who want to see this and more content, please message me. My work has also be published on notable sport websites based in Europe, such as FIBA.com, Marca (Spain), El Mundo (Spain), L’Equipe (France), and NBA.com/ES (the official NBA website in Spain.)
Grade wise, I currently have a 3.1, but hopefully after this semester, it could be around a 3.4-.3.5. I’m looking to retake two courses this Summer, which could also boost up my GPA. Academically, I have turned it around. In the Fall, I got a 3.75 GPA while taking five classes, working part-time, and also writing and reporting for the basketball blog. With all of this said, would I have a realistic chance of transfer admission to Medill? I have left a few things out, so feel free to ask me in this thread or message me. Thank you.
It sounds like your first year CC GPA was not good so I would think that a highly selective program might not be interested in you. But others schools might be.
hey, @CheddarcheeseMN. Absolutely, my first year at CC wasn’t the best. I struggled with personal issues and such, which I’m going to write about in personal statements. I was thinking about applying to Ivies as well for Journalism as well, but what other schools do you think I could have a chance at?
@Publisher MSU does seem like a great option. However, I’m not sure what they’ll provide in aid. It’s OOS and I don’t think the aid and merit if I do receive any, won’t be enough to cover a majority of the tuition. Most likely, my family and I wouldn’t be able to afford it. This is why I’m looking at schools that meet nearly 100% of financial need.
So they might see you as a special case because of your experience so make this your one or two reach schools then apply to matches /safeties. Did you have a act Sat score?
Personally media etc can be funny. Your already doing it. Maybe a summer internship with a company if not already secured? If you made connections doing this and your instate, that might be your best situation so you can keep going if this is the direction you want to go in. If you go OOS you might lose connections you worked hard to obtain. Just something to think about
You have a very interesting EC activity which is great. Now, I hope you can polish your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. If you can pass the first screen process and have them look at your passion and all the work you have been doing, you have a true and real chance.
However, I recommend you to at least get a 3.5 and 33 ACT to be a relatively strong candidate. At the end of the day, every low GPA students are going to find good reasons for their grades. Getting high scores may not guarantee admission, but doing so will give admission officers confidence in your academic ability, which is essential for transfers.
@Mwfan1921 Absolutely. Back in the Fall and even now, TCNJ is my target. They have great programs regarding International Relations and Journalism. Tuition wise, I am a NJ resident, so it should be affordable for my family, especially if I do receive good aid from them. EFC, is that how much my parents make yearly?
@Knowsstuff For sure. Northwestern, Georgetown, Penn, and Princeton are my reach schools. I have made connections in Philadelphia regarding the 76ers, which is why I wouldn’t mind staying on the East Coast. Though no matter my location, I can cover any NBA team I want. For example, if I get admitted to Georgetown, I can begin to cover the Washington Wizards due to my location. My network is lenient when it comes to this. No one, who writes for our network, covers the Wizards, so that spot is already open. The same goes for Northwestern. If I do get admitted and decide to enroll, I can begin to cover the Chicago Bulls due to my location.
@zslama Abosutely, I will update this thread after my grades for the Spring comes out. I did take the ACT back in 2014, when I was in high school, and am willing to retake it. Though, I have been going back and forth on this, though ultimately, I think I will retake it in the end. I’m also looking to do more exclusive interviews with players in the future, hopefully.
EFC stands for ‘expected family contribution’, which is what the FAFSA calculates. Your parents’ income is one of the FAFSA inputs. Run TCNJ’s NPC to see an estimate of your net cost.
I am also a transfer student and a huge sports fan, especially NBA. I got my acceptance on May 1st and I just clicked in when you said you are a NBA reporter and sports writer. COOL STUFF.