<p>...that one of my long-term goals is to attend Columbia's J-school. I'm only a pre-frosh, so I'm bound to change my mind and won't take this exercise very seriously, but try to indulge me anyways:</p>
<p>What are some things I should do -- from the moment I arrive on-campus to the date of my commencement -- to make this goal happen? It's a given that I want to contribute to the Cornell Daily Sun; here I'm looking for ways to go above and beyond the journalistic call of duty. I know Ithaca isn't the best place to sniff out big stories (Headline: New Kind of Cow Spotted), so I'm at a disadvantage compared to, say, NYU or Columbia students, who have the city's resources at their disposal. Considering the Ithac-adversities I will face, what are some things I could accomplish as a Cornell undergraduate to make myself an attractive Columbia applicant four years down the road? And again, I know it's almost certain that my aspirations will change just as soon as I'm exposed to new and groovy courses and people, but I'd still like to play out this scenario in my head. </p>
<p>Any thoughts? Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>(I cross-posted this thread in both the Cornell and Parents forums; I figured you guys, being older and wiser, might offer me a different perspective.)</p>
<p>A few things come to mind (I'm not a journalist, but I am familiar with Cornell):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Try not to let your academic work slide. The Sun may end up dominating your life, but you do need to study at least occasionally if you're aspiring to a prestige program like the Columbia J-school.</p></li>
<li><p>See if you can obtain some summer internships related to journalism. The Cornell Career Center may be able to help you out here.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider doing Cornell's semester program in Washington and trying to get an externship with a journalism-related component. It might be interesting, for example, to work in publicity/public relations for some sort of nonprofit or lobbying group to get a little insight into what journalism looks like from the other side of the press release, as it were.</p></li>
<li><p>As you get involved in working on the Sun, you might want to consider trying for an editor's position, rather than a reporter's position, at some point. Things may be a bit duller than you would like in Ithaca on the reporting front, but I think you would learn as much in an editor's position there as anywhere.</p></li>
<li><p>If the Sun doesn't work out for you or if you'd like to try something different, see if you can get a job working on one of the university's publications. For example, there are numerous newsletters and glossy magazine-like things aimed at alumni that are published by various entities within the university. I just received one today from CALS. Each of these publications seems to have a few students on its staff. You might want to be one of them. That kind of job would give you some insight into areas of journalism and writing that you might not have thought about before.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't limit your course choices to your own college. Remember that you can take electives in other parts of the university. For example, even if you aren't in CALS, some of the courses in the CALS Communications Department may be of interest to you.</p></li>
<li><p>Forget the cow-college stereotype. You're going to be living in a small but surprisingly sophisticated community and attending one of the country's leading research universities. I think you'll find plenty of opportunities to explore your interests.</p></li>
<li><p>Brush up on your headline-writing skills. The title of this thread told me absolutely nothing about its content. I almost didn't click on it. ;)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Marian provides some excellent tips. Some more ideas:</p>
<p>The Crimson has several students covering different sports. I assume the Cornell Daily Sun has something similar? I've met a journalist who specializes in science (this has become quite a big topic). In other words, you don't have to live in a place where lots of things happen (and you may be thankful for that!) in order to hone your skills as a journalist.</p>