<p>The title is pretty self-explanatory... All advice will be highly appreciated :)</p>
<p>If you’re interested in journalism, I don’t really know why you’d go to Stanford… It doesn’t have an undergraduate journalism program, does it? Maybe I’m wrong.</p>
<p>I suppose one can be a journalist without getting a BSJ, but I don’t know why you’d pass up the top j-school in the country if you’re serious about journalism. </p>
<p>The only reason I’d choose Stanford is for the weather xD</p>
<p>northwestern really does have some of the top programs in the nation, medill being one of them. last year someone turned down yale for the theater program here.</p>
<p>First of all, most journalists will say that being a journalism major is unnecessary for a career in journalism. It does help to a certain extent, because for classes you’re usually required to write articles and intern and all that - so you are guided in the right direction in terms of creating a portfolio. Also, there are classes that help you build literacy with online journalism, web-design, and things like that, which are becoming increasingly important in the news world. If you got into Stanford and NU, though, my guess is that you’re pretty self-directed and would join the school’s paper, seek out internships yourself, take classes to help build your familiarity with the online world, or otherwise not need the hand-holding a journalism program would provide. Also, the stress of a journalism program combined with a science major or engineering major might be difficult…and these kinds of majors are hugely helpful for a career in science-specific journalism, for example. </p>
<p>I think the best way to prepare for journalism is to major in something you’re interested in/want to write about, and then do a lot of journalism ECs (newspaper, etc.) on the side. Does Stanford have a daily paper? Daily papers are really important for building your resume. If you’ve examined Stanford’s opportunities for writing and building your resume, and you think they’re adequate, the two schools verge closer.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t pick a school based on the journalism program alone. Think about what other subjects you’re interested in majoring in (even Medill students must take a certain number of credits outside of the journalism concentration in an area of their interest), think about if you can handle the cold, and in general ask yourself where you’d be happiest.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I have heard some interesting things about the Medill setup. Because most people only take so many classes on their track (the number in my head is 14; the one in reality may be a bit more), many Medill students take up a double major because they have the time to do so. Thus, they seem to easily take to two subjects. So that’s something to consider, too.</p>
<p>I think you need to look over the Medill curriculum in detail and decide whether this appeals, whether this is something you want as part of your academic experience in the next four years. The curriculum is not dense. 2nd majors, minors and certificate programs are very common and encouraged (about 2/3 of kids choose to pursue them).</p>
<p>In particular, look at the 1 term Journalism Residency - this in NOT a summer internship experience. You will be doing newpaper, magazine, online or broadcast as the equivalent of a new hire. No fetching coffee, no collating and copying. From day one, you’ll be handed assignments and held to the same standards as those journalists working full-time around you. The preparation Medill offers is unmatched and it’s no secret to those in the industry.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice everyone!! </p>
<p>I definitely get what was said above about how the better choice might be to go to Stanford and build up journalism experience outside of the classroom. </p>
<p>But at the same time, Medill, despite being a journalism school isn’t ALL about journalism, and in fact, that’s one of the things that appeals to me the most: the fact that Medill is a combination of a liberal arts education and some of the best internships available to college students in the nation. But then Stanford has got to have fantastic internship opportunities as well… </p>
<p>I appreciated all the great insights about journalism - that’s definitely a field I’m interested in. But what if I wanted to go to law school?</p>
<p>i think northwestern has more opportunities.</p>
<p>“this in NOT a summer internship experience”</p>
<p>Actually, what you described does sound like the typical summer internship experience (actually writing news, held to standards of new hire, etc.) for anyone who has had good daily clips at any university with a well-respected paper. I really don’t think newsrooms have the money to hire a kid to fetch coffee these days haha.</p>
<p>While NU has the upper hand in journalism if you’re looking for that kind of directed experience, in terms of law school the two have got to be on pretty much equal footing. Law school admissions are virtually a straight-up GPA+LSAT combo, plus whatever passions you show (which shouldn’t vary too much depending on your college choice hah) and both are super good schools.</p>
<p>I mean, all else being equal (you like the campus vibe of both, the location of both, blahbalh) you might as well go to NU. You ultimately may not like the experience at Medill and/or feel it’s unnecessary to your success as a journalist, but then at least you were able to try it out at all. Stanford has more “name” recognition but honestly both schools are well into the Top 20 and doing well at either is going to lead you to good things.</p>
<p>“Actually, what you described does sound like the typical summer internship experience”</p>
<p>Not even close. </p>
<p>“…for anyone who has had good daily clips at any university”</p>
<p>These are professional newsrooms (Newsweek, Business Week, San Jose Mercury News, WGN…)</p>
<p>“I really don’t think newsrooms have the money to hire a kid to fetch coffee these days haha”</p>
<p>Unfortunately true. That’s why they don’t hire. Welcome to the sad reality of the unpaid internship.</p>
<p>“Not even close.”</p>
<p>Er, maybe if you’re comparing HIGH SCHOOL summer internships to the program…</p>
<p>“These are professional newsrooms (Newsweek, Business Week, San Jose Mercury News, WGN…)”</p>
<p>Yes, the students I know with good clips are working in professional newsrooms over the summer for their internship experience. Newsweek is pretty impressive and sure, not everyone gets to work there, but I think that’s the case for NU students as well. </p>
<p>“Welcome to the sad reality of the unpaid internship.”</p>
<p>I’m getting paid for mine…</p>
<p>Northwestern can help, because it is very directed in a sense that you will be forced/thrown into opportunities to get good clips, forced/thrown into opportunities for internships, etc…but pleeaaase don’t lie to this poster and say that as a Stanford student with good clips he/she is going to most likely end up fetching coffee in a “fake” newsroom/for a “fake” paper. This is hugely untrue for the typical student serious about writing for the daily paper and searching for an internship. Ultimately papers are looking for smart kids who know how to write a story. I think a Stanford student can handle himself.</p>
<p>Again, all else being equal, OP should give NU a chance. But all things NOT being equal, it really depends…what about Stanford appeals to him? Can NU offer the same thing, or not? If it can’t, how important is that aspect of Stanford to the OP? Etc.</p>