<p>Hi,
My daughter is finishing her junior year in high school. She thinks she might be interested in majoring in communications to prepare for a career in something like TV production (not actually working the cameras, but sort of being involved in putting together TV shows or documentaries or even broadcast journalism). </p>
<p>Most of the schools with well known communications programs seem to be big urban schools like Syracuse or Boston University or Emerson. She wants a small-ish, somewhat rural school with a beautiful campus. We live in New Hampshire, but she wants to go south, to someplace with milder winters!</p>
<p>We will be full-pay wherever she goes and money isn't a huge issue. She's got about a 3.9 weighted GPA and a 1940 composite SAT score (she'll be taking the SATs again to try to improve that a bit).</p>
<p>Elon University seems like it might be a great fit. Does anybody have any other suggestions?</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about that area of the major, so I’m wondering if the type of school that can have all the stuff that is involved with broadcasting and producing would be a larger school and/or in a city?? I’m thinking that the equipment would be very expensive and could mostly be justified by a larger school and/or a school in a city.</p>
<p>Would she tolerate larger/city setting if the school was beautiful and warm?</p>
<p>I think small to her means less than 5000 students. If the campus itself had lots of trees and green spaces, I think she could tolerate a more urban atmosphere. </p>
<p>I know that small and rural doesn’t fit particularly well with broadcasting and production, which is why we’re having a little trouble finding schools, and she knows she might have to make some compromises. </p>
<p>If you have any suggestions at all, we’d be much obliged. Thanks!</p>
<p>Chapman University might be a great fit. It’s a small school, in the weather-wonderful city of Orange County, has a great Broadcast Journalism major, and is home to top-notch facilities.</p>
<p>My son turned down 7 schools including Syracuse and American to start at University of Miami this fall. He will be majoring in Communication-Electronic Media. UM has the feel of a smaller school even though it has 9500 undergrads. The campus is well maintained and easily walkable. My son was impressed with the COM facilities which boast 3 TV studios. The location is actually the posh suburb of Coral Gables-not urban but close enough to enjoy Miami. It is ranked in the top 50 universities in the US and top 150 in the world.</p>
<p>Chapman University is a very good recommendation…small and nice-looking and good program…(maybe not “pretty”…I don’t remember it having lots of grassy areas…but it’s been a few years since I’ve been on it’s campus…I more remember it to be kind of cramped…kind of land-locked).
However, it should be on your D’s list.</p>
<p>Orange County (I’m a native) definitely has mild-climate which would be a big plus for your D.</p>
<p>There are also some large campuses that are stunningly beautiful, with grassy areas, bordering rivers/lakes, that have good film/production depts as well.</p>
<p>Beside the academic aspects…what else does your D want in “campus life”? Does she want a spirited campus with sports to watch? Would she want to join a sorority? Would she want nearby water sports? hiking? biking?</p>
<p>Thanks very much for the good suggestions. </p>
<p>My daughter does not particularly care if the school has a big sports program. She might join a sorority, but could go either way, I think. She does want a really good study abroad program so that she gets to travel a lot.</p>
<p>Pretty, green campus, bright serious students (but not TOO serious), study abroad, and mild winters seem to be her biggest concerns at the moment.</p>
<p>Now is a good time to sit down with your daughter and let her know how much you can contribute towards the u/g degree, before she starts to fall in love with programs that you cannot afford.</p>
<p>Rollins in Florida, has a communications major and SMU in Texas has its major housed in the schools of arts. Chapman too as someone above mentioned. All 3 schools are very pretty and have warm weather most of the year.</p>
<p>both seem to fit the bill with accredited communications schools that attract recruiters from all over the country…</p>
<p>biggest difference is environment and student culture:</p>
<p>Elon: suburban; most activities occur within the campus community,rather than in the surrounding towns (except for occasional concerts/clubs in Greensboro/Winston Salem)</p>
<p>UMiami: not a city campus, but obviously near a city and ALOT of student activity occurs on South Beach as well as on campus…</p>
<p>May want to visit both to see which type she prefers…</p>
<p>fwiw, none of the other schools mentioned have actual Schools of Communication that offer as much variety and experience…they have majors though…</p>
<p>full disclosure:</p>
<p>I have one daughter entering her senior year at Newhouse@ Syracuse and the other entering Elon in the fall as a comm major</p>
<p>between both kids, we looked at alot of the schools on this thread…</p>
<p>Maybe check out eckerd. It’s a small school in Florida. Not sure about their programs buy you should check it out. My friend went there and loved it. It’s basically on the beach.</p>
<p>My H and I have Comm degrees and still work in the business 25 years after graduating. We were both impressed with Elon’s program and facilities.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that a school need not necessarily have a great program in Communications for your daughter to be successful in the field; internships (usually in cities, of course), writing and interpersonal skills, and general ambition are the most important factors in securing a job in broadcasting or journalism. </p>
<p>There are several small schools that have a supportive, community environment but are still close enough to major cities. Since your daughter wants pleasant weather, she might want to look into American University, Bryn Mawr/Haverford/Swarthmore, and Mills, all of which are small schools near major cities in which she could likely get plenty of experience in her field.</p>