<p>I am a current Portland Community College student who has way to many credits (126-ish). I want to get into a journalism program (Berkley, Ohio University, any other suggestions?), but I'm worried that I don't have any writing samples and that I haven't done any journalism work. I would just take some journalism classes, but I can only pay for them with loans since I have so many credits (I have a lot of debt already, I took out student loans to pay my mothers rent, and I want the rest of my limit for my BA and potential JD grad plan in the future). </p>
<p>How likely is it that I'll get into a good journalism program without samples? Should I just try to pay out of pocket for journalism classes before I go (this would significantly delay my acceptance to a university because of the timing of application). I don't have much money, so this would be pretty difficult. What are some other ways I can get some work done? I write often, I just really don't how to start writing journalistically, but I am a news junkie and I'm about 99% sure I'll love writing it.</p>
<p>BTW, I have so many credits because I was once in a audio engineering program when I was much younger, and I quit when I realized that it wasn’t a viable career. That, and it took me a while (just two terms ago) to settle on journalism.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley does not have an undergraduate journalism program. Also, you’re unlikely to be admitted there, based on your GPA and the fact that non-California community college transfers are highly competitive.</p>
<p>As a transfer student of modest means, your absolute best bet is to attend an in-state public school. Why aren’t you looking at the University of Oregon? UO has a very well-respected journalism program and you’d be paying in-state tuition.</p>
<p>However, you’d have to move to Eugene… so if you can’t afford that, you need to think about finishing at Portland State University.</p>
<p>I think I’m confusing it with SFSU, sorry. I’m super overwhelmed by the amount of research I’ve been doing, and it’s finals week. :p</p>
<p>I’m going to apply this summer, but it’s further down the list of preferred schools for me. It’s a personal thing–I just don’t really like Eugene, and I would like to live somewhere completely different for a while.</p>
<p>How do you expect to afford “to live somewhere completely different”? Where does that money come from? I expect that you might be able to be admitted to SFSU (though their admissions requirements have been getting more stringent), but how are you going to pay full out-of-state tuition and rent/living costs in an expensive area?</p>
<p>You can only borrow $7,500 per year in student loans, and if you have been borrowing significantly already, you may be nearing the aggregate undergraduate Stafford limits - $31,000.</p>
<p>That’s a good question. If accepted to “somewhere completely different,” the idea is to move there as soon as possible, job hunt like crazy, find a place to live, etc., then possibly wait a few terms to hit residential status in that state (assuming it’s a year of working/living in that state, seems to be a standard). I have a pretty good resume, and I currently have a job that I can start working full time after finals.</p>
<p>I can live on a pretty meager budget and be fairly happy.</p>
<p>Doesn’t work that way. You would have to move to California, wait a year, then and only then apply for admission. If you applied as a non-resident, you’d be considered a non-resident.</p>
<p>Ohio U. charges $18,800 per year for OOS students. Not exactly “cheap” and more than double what you can borrow.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be a downer here, but you first need to build a budget and figure out what colleges you can afford, then decide which of those you want to apply to.</p>
<p>Interesting. So, that part of the plan is out, but that still doesn’t leave me totally broke. I have a pretty good case for scholarships I believe, so that might be able to supplement my tuition, etc. (I’m pretty green on scholarships–you request, you write letters, you wait, am I missing something?). I have been low-income my whole life, take care of my mother, and I’m first generation half-korean with a disabled vet for a dad who-wasn’t-around. </p>
<p>My main question is the likelihood of getting accepted without writing samples and if I should just stick it out another year in Portland and take journalism classes, try to find internships, etc…</p>
<p>Another thing to add to the list-of-things-that-make-this-unlikely: I never went to HS, got my GED, and I haven’t really done and EC work. I volunteering with the Bus Project Foundation right now, and I might be blogging for them this summer.</p>
<p>Yes: the actually getting money part. Which is the hard part.</p>
<p>There are few private scholarships of any meaningful size and vanishingly few that are open to transfer students. Ones that do exist are going to be extraordinarily competitive. You cannot count on getting any significant amount of money from them.</p>
<p>The most likely sources of aid for you are going to be from your state government, and those are generally tied to in-state schools. Your state has the Oregon Opportunity Grant, and you should look at its requirements.</p>
<p>Didn’t mean to sound naive, I’m definitely not under the opinion that people are just going to rain scholarship dollars all over my college career.</p>
<p>I do qualify for the OOG. I received it the past two years. It’s trying, you have to get your taxes and finaid forms completed by the 25th-ish (changes each year) of January each year to get it. </p>
<p>I know that you really want me to stay in state but for hypothetical purposes, let’s let a brother dream big </p>
<p>Anyone have any thoughts as to the chances of universities accepting me without writing samples or extensive EC work, or should I suffer yet another dark, damp winter in Portland and take a few more classes and snag an internship or two/</p>
<p>Sorry, but it doesn’t make sense to “dream big” if you’re going to go broke trying to pursue that dream. Transferring to some expensive school you can’t afford and running out of money after one semester is a nightmare, not a dream.</p>
<p>I have a journalism degree, so take it from me: trying to spend tons of money for a BA in journalism would be nuts, given the extreme lack of jobs and low pay in the field.</p>
<p>You would be a much more competitive transfer candidate anywhere with internships and writing samples. Unfortunately, most schools have closed their admissions for the fall, so if you are interested in transferring after this semester, you would need to find a school with rolling admissions.</p>
<p>I’m looking for next year, either Spring or Fall 2013. I plan to take the time in between to make sure I write carefully on the essays, and to apply for a ridiculous amount of scholarships. I found a few that work for transfer students, but we’ll see. The delay I mentioned would happen if I decided to stay to work on writing samples and internships I wouldn’t be able to apply until after I did so, and aside from the possibility of this summer somehow being extremely productive, I’m sure I’d have to wait till next year to apply for the 2013-14 year if that was the case.</p>
<p>I know the school doesn’t really matter in journalism, but with the combine interest in wanting to experience other parts of America and getting into a program that is a little higher on undergrad j-school lists, I really desire to go out of state. I’m not saying that I will. I understand I included some financial stats about myself in my first post, but I did so to explain other circumstances. I just really want to know if not having writing samples prior to applying is common or if I should take my time and get some writing out. I really do appreciate your insight though, it probably saved me from future financial aid/finance posts.</p>
<p>Ok, so let’s say I’m reasonable, and I decide to apply to transfer to University of Oregon, what would my chances be with a 3.2, no writing samples, and no EC, except volunteering at the Bus Project and possibly blogging for a summer?</p>
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