<p>I have a 3.6, I am a Junior. SATs were taken as a Junior and I only got a 1770. I'm taking them again (obviously) this Junior year and want to try for the 1900s. I have a lot of extracurriculars, play tennis, community service, work a job, and will be going to Europe next Summer with People to People, where I will become a student ambassador.</p>
<p>What school (preferably in the Northeast and in a city) are good for Public Relations (or something of that sort) that I could possibly get into?</p>
<p>Check out American University’s degree program in Public Communications. The Washington DC location would be an advantage for internships. Your current scores are a bit low for AU but if you can raise them you may have a decent shot.</p>
<p>I actually am trying to avoid the D.C. area. I personally just don’t like the kind of atmosphere or the city itself. But thanks for the suggestion!</p>
<p>And yeah, I was looking into Emerson a little while ago. I wasn’t sure if they had a good PR thing or not, but I’ll definitely check it out!</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about any PR kinds of things at Northeastern?</p>
<p>Whenever I think of Northeastern, I think about the Co-op program, because that is so crucial to the whole experience there. When we visited Northeastern in 2008, our tour guide was a Marketing major, who talked about her co-op placements. She knew she wanted to do her co-op at a PR firm, and she went prepared to the co-op placement office with the list of the top PR firms in the Boston area. She told us that the office had placed co-ops at many of them, she was able to work at one she wanted, and after the full time 6 month coop ended, she continued to work at the firm part time. The next co-op she wanted was in a different Marketing area, she was waiting to hear.</p>
<p>Also, I am not sure what you don’t like about DC, but American’s communications program is outstanding and the internships are great. AU is on the Maryland border, doesn’t feel like a city to me.</p>
<p>You should also look in to Boston University - they have some distinguished graduates of their communications program.</p>
<p>They said that they would be willing to pay about 9,000-10,000 a year. My Dad is the only parent working in the family though and there’s three kids, including myself, in my family so they can’t put anymore than that amount towards my college. I’m honestly going to be taking out a lot of loans.</p>
<p>you get a career in PR going not by the college you go to or the major you pick, but by what you do outside of the class. This is an election year; have you been volunteering in a political campaign? This is an example of taking advantage of opportunities. In college you need to get jobs, internships, etc. to build a network and get some practical experience so you’re an attractive candidate when you graduate.</p>
<p>One person I know who pulls in something like $250-$300K in his mid-40’s started exactly this way. He impressed the campaign staff with his hard work and enthusiasm, which led to a part-time job in the office after the candidate won. Making connections there, this led to a series of jobs with other politicians, with lobbying firms (because he knew the politicians and their staff personally after working for several on the city and state level), with companies that hire lobbyists and wanted to have someone in-house to do work, etc. Round and round it went, every few years bringing healthy raises and job titles.</p>
<p>Now maybe this isn’t the type of PR you want to do, assuming you know which sub-fields interest you. But the point is that waving a degree around in the PR field is going to get you nowhere; its the work people have seen you do and the network you build that are going to create your future. And its never too early to start, nor is it something that while in college you can put on the back burner.</p>
<p>There is no real major or program necessary to make it in pr. You just need excellent writing and communication skills which you can demonstrate with a wide variety of majors. mikemac mentions something important – in this tough economy the thing that will start you on a p.r. career is experience – internships, volunteer positions, ecs that involve writing - newspaper, newsletters etc.</p>
<p>*I’m honestly going to be taking out a lot of loans. *</p>
<p>Students can’t take out a lot of loans. You don’t have the income/assets to qualify. The federal limits for Stafford student loans are…</p>
<p>frosh year $5500
soph year $6500
Jr year $7500
Sr year $7500 </p>
<p>To borrow more than those amounts would require your parents to co-sign. Since they have a few kids, I doubt they’ll co-sign for loans. Ask them.</p>
<p>(Besides, borrowing a lot of money for college is VERY risky. New grads don’t make that much money.)</p>