<p>So I've been accepted to both UCLA and Medill at Northwestern and I'm having a problem deciding between the two.
I'm pretty serious about journalism, but I was thinking of getting a communications degree instead so that I could perhaps expand my potential job opportunities pool and work in marketing/advertising/etc.</p>
<p>Being the anal, list-lover I am, I decided to make a short pro/con list between the two, but at this point I'm so confused and over-my-head that I really just need some second opinions.</p>
<p>The pros for UCLA is that it is cheaper (especially since I'm from CA), warmer, in the middle of LA (and therefore a myriad of job opportunities), and that the Daily Bruin is a pretty respectable paper.
The cons are that I don't know how prestigious/favorably-looked upon their communications program is.</p>
<p>The pros for Northwestern is that I would get a degree from Medill, be able to write for North by Northwestern/the Daily Northwestern, and I wouldn't have to live in a triple like at UCLA.
The cons for that though is that I may be stuck in journalism for the rest of my life (and what if I end up hating it? I've heard a lot of stories from bitter, ex-Medillans about how they realized journalism wasn't for them and they basically spent all that money for nothing), the cold, and the inflexible curriculum. </p>
<p>I am not sure what you mean by “inflexible curriculum”; Medills students take 14 courses at most in the journalism school. That means almost 70% of their classes are outside the journalism school and they are almost like free electives. Most Medill take advantage of this and double-major in a liberal arts field. </p>
<p>That being said, the cost difference is a valid concern.</p>
<p>Like Sam Lee said, the Medill is a great setup for exploring other interests as well as journalism. NU lets you do three major/minors if you wish. You could always attempt a double major in journalism and communications at NU, as both programs are quite good. You have more than enough room to do so, and you would be prepared for multiple tracks you are interested in studying.</p>
<p>Or, alternatively, if you were interested in grad school, you could get an undergrad in communications at either school and pursue a top J-School (UNC, Mizzou, Columbia, UC-B, or even NU as well) for a graduate degree? I’ve grown up in Columbia, MO, so I’ve seen plenty of people come to Mizzou for their grad degrees after going elsewhere for undergrad in something else they enjoy.</p>
<p>Granted, UCLA is a great school, too. Both schools would get you name recognition (if you plan to stay out West, UCLA would probably get you more - midwest and on the East coast, I imagine they name recognition would be fairly equal), and from what I can tell, the UCLA department is pretty cool, if not as widely recognized as NU’s. Here’s a neat review I found:</p>
<p>I was under the impression that CA’s budgetary problems (i.e., disaster) have have taken a toll on the quality of the education at the UC schools.</p>
<p>My DD had UCLA vs. NU choice, too. Different major, however. One of the criteria she used was the size of the classes. After spending 4 years in a large public high school in an urban location, she was looking forward to a smaller school. She felt that there was a greater chance of finishing her course work in 4 years at NU than at UCLA. Given the state’s cutbacks, this may be even a bigger issue now.
CONGRATULATIONS! on getting into both Universities!!</p>