<p>Direct admission to the Journalism program at U MO will probably require a higher SAT score, unless your class rank is above 10%. You can be admitted later, after a couple of semesters in A&S, assuming you meet requirements, but there is no appeal for direct admission if you do not meet the requirements as stated here:</p>
<p>[Missouri</a> School of Journalism: Admissions](<a href=“http://journalism.missouri.edu/undergraduate/admissions.html]Missouri”>http://journalism.missouri.edu/undergraduate/admissions.html)</p>
<p>How much does the feel of the college town matter to you? Columbia, MO is a very nice college town, quite under-rated (I’ve lived in several). The journalism school operates its own print newspaper and runs its own television station, so there are a lot of opportunities for local experience. I don’t really know how easy it is to connect with larger markets for summer work, but the J-school has been around a very long time and is reputed to be well connected.</p>
<p>Work on that SAT score, no matter where you plan to apply. (BTW, Mizzou currently is not considering the essay portion.)</p>