amg1322
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Posts posted by amg1322
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Hey!
Similar predicament, except the two programs that I applied to were pretty much in the same areas (they created a new program to serve a specific applied learning experience). If your interests are multi-faceted, such as ones that can overlap on more than one program or field, there is no harm in applying to two programs within the same university. Not to mention, this may open doors for internal collaboration between departments (if they are close), and give you the chance to feed off of the content from different areas.
Of course, make sure you know the bureaucracy that may underlie your situation. In mine, for example, there was a lot of delicate decisions that I had to keep in mind. Ultimately, I only received an offer from one of the two programs and chose a different university entirely.
Be careful, but also take advantage of this situation to meet your interests!
thanks for the input! they definitely do overlap a bit. I'm very interested in both so I would be more than happy to be accepted to either. I will actually be visiting the university and the programs in a couple weeks and meeting with the programs so hopefully I can gain some more insight on if i'm going to be brave enough to apply to both. I am also thinking it may be wise to quickly throw it in there and ask the people I am meeting with about doing so.
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I will be 26 when I hopefully enroll for Fall 2016
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I am very interested in 2 programs offered by one of my top choices. One is offered through the school of journalism and the other offered through the school of art and design. The two concentrations are very much related. Does it look bad to do something like this, would they frown upon something like this? I have read that it could potentially make you look unfocused or unsure of which direction you want to go in and therefore causing the university to deny you. But I have also heard that some schools don't particularly care. Does anyone have any experience with this or any advice to share?
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I took an internship over a summer break. It's a free time, so I was not worry about work and school assignments at the same time. I am not sure about your plan, but I prefer to use my last semester for re-applying/searching/preparation or maybe take another project to work on.
I'm actually take a full load of classes all summer but am not working so I thought maybe I could try to take advantage over the summer. I also thought maybe since I can add that to my applications it might make me look like a bit of a better prospect? I'm very to new to all of this. I agree about having the last semester to prepare for new things or moving or reapplying
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so I have about 3 semesters left, but I am not sure when the best time to do an internship is. Should I wait until right at the end? Or should I try to do one over the summer now? I have a flexible schedule either way I am just not sure what looks best or when the right time is. Since grad apps have to be out between Oct-Jan would it be better to do it before then? Any advice would be great, thanks everyone
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So far, as a sophomore at UMBC, I have:
- one reporting internship for a local newspaper that I'm currently in
- one contributing writer position to an independent arts magazine (small start-up)
- one staff writer position with the campus paper, promoted last week
- three references, two from reporters from international companies
- proficiency in French (I hope to go into int'l journalism eventually, specializing in francophone countries)
About the references:
- One is from the faculty advisor for the campus paper: I'm low-key one of the star writers for the campus newspaper; last week they wrote "Go [my name]!" on the board during a meeting. Only been on the paper for three months now!
- One is from my editor with the local newspaper; since it's real journalism I'm learning a lot and still making mistakes, but he says I'm doing great for someone my age. Currently working on a long-term investigative piece; we'll see how that goes.
- One is just from the editor-in-chief from the arts magazine.
I'm hoping the list will grow as I take more journalism courses at UMBC and pick up more internships. I have some references on the back-burner from English professors and campus paper editors who can attest to my writing skills.
My plan for the next two years:
- editing position at the campus newspaper
- research fellowship with a start-up website based in DC this summer; it'd be a paid editorial writing position. They're currently overlooking applications; I hope I get in.
- paid internship with the City Paper
- my uni's journalism award; it's a small scholarship prize they give to a student for outstanding journalistic work and I think I'm a shoo-in next semester if not this one!
- fluency in French
- one prestigious journalism internship with either the WaPo or HuffPost; both very hard to get into but I think I'm on the right track??
That's all I have so far, but I have no idea what more I need to do to get into my dream school.
I want to go Columbia's j-school because it's one of the best; a degree from there is my best chance at the New York Times.
What else should I be working on? I've heard that experience is your best friend as a journalism student (don't worry, I'm not majoring in Journalism) but I feel like in order to get to the better positions you need more, y'know?
wow! really impressive resume! I have just returned to school and am working on building a journalism school resume. good luck!
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A big part of any journalism application is going to be your portfolio. Typically, portfolio pieces go hand in hand with major aspects of your resume. So when you intern with the local paper and write a piece about the depth in the secondary, your time there goes on your resume and your article goes in your portfolio. So to build both, you just need to get involved somewhere. Anywhere is better than nowhere. Journalistic research looks good on resumes and can produce some great clips, but it can be kind of hard to come by. My interests are diverse, but one of them is tech journalism, so I applied to work in a Drone Journalism lab at my university. It was a great experience. Any time you can be writing for a real audience (like the school paper, a special blog, or anything like that) will be good. You need to be active on social media and show that you are continuing to follow the news and produce thought provoking reactions, even if it's just a couple of tweets. A lot of journalism interviews start with "Where do you get your news?" and that type of question. Just be aware of news around you.
That was rambling and probably redundant, but I hope it helps! Feel free to pm me if you have any more specific questions.
wow thank you! that was a really helpful advice. I will definitely be sending you a message soon to talk a bit more if you don't mind. I am working on a couple connections that might be able to help me get into an internship with a local paper. How soon is too soon to do an internship? Should I wait until I have more writing under my belt or is it a learning experience at any given point? I have started looking into getting involved with my schools paper. I would really like to stay on the photojournalism side of things, my photography portfolio is quite vast, but it's my writing samples that are far behind. I am working on creating a social media presence for myself outside of my freelance photography. But I do realize that's not enough to put on a resume. I can't help but feel that I'm so far behind from students who have been working on this since their freshman year or even before, unlike students like me who are starting at the midway point.
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It's perfectly normal to ask to talk to grad students, but make sure to schedule your meeting(s) with them enough time in advance of your visit.
Finding a POI is ususally done based on your research experience (which professor's work have you incorporated in your papers/ based your research on/ found interesting during your studies) and/ or by combing through departments faculty pages to see whose work you relate to the most.
You might also want to look into where you coulf live with a dog as many on-campus housing options don't allow pets...
thank you for that information. I wasn't sure what the situation was regarding asking to speak with grad students. I already have my meetings scheduled with the departments I would like to visit so I will go ahead and send an email about speaking with a grad student and see if they can help me arrange something. I definitely need to start working on the POI situation though. It's not something I've had to do before so I'm a bit lost on the situation. And yes sadly I have realized on campus housing does not allow pets. The search for dog friendly apartments has begun!
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I'd suggest running a search on previous questions like yours, concentrating in particular on the Interviews subforum: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/84-interviews-and-visits/. There are lots of relevant advice threads you could learn from.
thank you, will do
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wow! I am preparing to start visiting schools and this was extremely helpful. I will not be moving with children (just boyfriend and dog) but am curious about the area for them to feel at home as well. I am just beginning my grad school process (have not applied yet) but will be visiting next month for the first time and am trying to find out as much info as possible. I have set up appointments at both schools while I am visiting the city. Is it normal to ask if there is a current grad student they can set you up with to ask questions? how does one go about finding a poi? there are so many things to consider, its a bit overwhelming..
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this is my first attempt at getting ready for the gre. did anyone have a particularly good experience with a certain book or step of study materials? any advice is welcome!
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I am just starting out with the graduate school process. I am visiting my top 2 choices next month. I am applying for admission for fall 2016. I am visiting to see the schools and the areas. I have meetings with the department heads from the programs at each school when I visit. Any advice for while i'm there? Questions I should make sure to ask? Anything I should make sure to check out? any input is welcome, thanks everyone!
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I am just getting started with the entire process. I will be visiting my top 2 choices next. I will be applying for fall admission for next year. Just wanted to say that this entire thread has been extremely insightful and full of advice. can any one recommend a good way or a way to go about finding or speaking with a poi? is there a certain strategy to it all? thanks everyone.
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hi all! so after a bit of a hiatus I have returned to school. My initial degree is in exercise science and I was on track to study to be a pt. After realizing that creativity made me far happier than everything I have come back to school. Initially i thought I would go in the direction of graphic design, but I am a freelance photographer and really want to get into communication design or photojournalism. My resume reads full of sports industry related jobs and activities and clubs. I'm basically starting over now. I have about a year left of undergrad and will be apply for 2016 admission to grad programs. Can anyone offer some advice as to what kinds of things look good on a journalism resume? What clubs or programs should i be trying to get into at school? Any activities that would stand out? Sorry I know i'm asking a lot and its long, but I'm new to this whole world and really just a bit lost..any advice is welcome. thanks everyone!
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On 3/24/2015 at 11:31 PM, GeoMex said:
I've been tempted by far west, but I really don't like that I'd do 40 minutes commure or more to my school at the UT.
Is google maps right or is it just in the worst case scenario?
Also, how difficult really is to find parking near the UT (UT pass), is there any schedules where you can find one spot easily or is it always full?
yea i don't mind having a bit of a commute. but I really would prefer not to have to commute 40 minutes to get to school.
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Current UT grad student:
As far as living in Austin, there are many places grad students live. Hyde Park which is about 1.5-2 miles north of campus is a popular neighborhood for grad students with easy bus transit to campus and the city. It has a mixture of affordable apartments and houses with families. Far West is another area I've been told is popular for housing, but it's further removed from town and campus. East Austin is a very growing, but gentrifying, artsy neighborhood with new residences, but costs are going up there. West Campus, where undergrads tend to live is probably a place to avoid as it's particularly expensive and noisier.
One of the best first steps is to contact an apartment/property finder here, there are a lot of them to choose from. Providing them your needs (furnished; bedrooms/efficiency, etc) and price range, they can find a few suitable locations with no commitment (they get paid through leasing office if you sign). Also have known students finding housing and roommates through Craigslist, but that requires a little more effort and forethought. While one can find affordable single-person apartments, the majority of people elect to have a roommate to split costs with and rent come out a little under living alone.
There's a lot to see and do in Austin; there are graduate student organizations, but not too many. Met other students primarily through just going to campus events and through cohort and also volunteering in the city.
Hope this helps answer some of you questions.
Thank you so much for your response! I have been reading through the whole thread and it has been very helpful but has truly left me very overwhelmed. I am very excited about coming to ut austin and joining the graduate community.
I have read in a couple places to use an apartment/property finder. can anyone recommend one? where do i go about finding a good one? I will not need a roommate as I am moving to austin with someone and with our dog. we have a monthly rent budget of about $1000-1200 From what I have been reading that should be able to find a nice apartment, even if it just a one bedroom, but when i search the internet what I find is way above that. Perhaps I am just searching the wrong neighborhoods.
Also, does anyone know of any buildings or places that have lofts for rent? I would absolutely love to find a loft rental for apartment use. I will be bringing a car, but would love to live somewhere that I can bike sometimes to things, even if it's not everyday but at least sometimes. I am moving from Miami and I can't do anything without getting in my car, I would love to be able to walk or bike or even take the bus sometimes instead.
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That's great! Here are some basic things about the towns and the universities.
UT: Big school (often biggest in the country), relatively inexpensive, well-funded. Austin is a great town that is growing at an incredible rate. Traffic is pretty dreadful but the buses are pretty good and they just started running a light rail system a few years back. You'll have lots of resources there for interactions with professors, library holdings, the legislature, state archives, etc. It's also the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World."
Texas State: Decent sized school, San Marcos is a very college town. It's only about 20 minutes from Austin and 40 minutes from San Antonio (where I live now) so it's easy to get to bigger cities. I can't speak to the funding but it's a land grant school in Texas so it probably has a lot of oil money as well. Very walkable town with a campus bus system. Far cheaper to live there than in Austin.
I can't speak to the quality of either journalism school, though if I had to put money it, I'd almost guarantee UT is ranked much higher. Are you interested only in a master's or would you consider a PhD down the road? If you want a PhD I suggest applying for it now as you can get funded for it. Hope this helps.
Thank you that really did help! In terms of living I will most likely be in Austin. But if accepted to Texas State I don't mind the drive. Thanks for your info though, it was great!
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I think it depends on lots of factors. I'm from Texas and went to my undergrad at UT. I have some questions that may help me give better advice.
1. What program are your interested in?
2. Will you be working on a MA or a PhD (or a professional degree)?
3. Have you been accepted by both or are you looking to apply?
4. If you have been accepted, what type of funding packages are they offering?
Please let me help you.
I would love your insight, thank you for helping. I am interested in Masters programs at both. Both are journalism programs. I am applying to both but trying to find out any information any locals or students who have attended have to offer. Would really appreciate anything you have to offer, thank you!
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both offer great programs. has anyone had to make a decision between the two? what helped you pick one or the other? any advice or thoughts anyone has on the schools/surroundings and all that would really help!
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Hi all,
Anyone out there from Austin or the Austin area (San Marcos) ??
I am seriously considering both UT Austin and Texas state for grad journalism programs. I have visited Austin and loved it. But does anyone truly live in the area and have any advice for moving to the city? or any advice on the two colleges and their campus/campus life and all that?
I would really appreciate any help, thank you!
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If it means anything to you, I was just accepted to Stanford's Journalism MA program for '15 with a C+ in one of my high-level reporting courses and a C in photojournalism, which were both part of my last 60 credits. My writing samples, LoR's and SoP were strong enough (apparently!) to compensate for one or two professor's opinions of my work. My overall GPA was still >3.5 and my grades in other journalism courses were excellent. Still relevant though!
thanks that does help a bit. So far my last 60 credits have been very strong. What worries me is that several years ago fresh out of high school when I started college I really slacked off. So my college academic record at first isn't even close to decent. I know I've shown a serious trend of improvement and will have a strong gpa but I'm worried about how much all that slacking is going to cost me now.
I've come across maybe two programs that say they focus more on your gpa from your last 60 credits than your first 60 but I'm worried how factual this actually is. Has anyone else had the same issues with their grades?
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Grades are not important as far as you reach a minimum GPA. What´s really important is your essay, work samples and resume. Schools do not have to validate how another school(your undergraduate institution) grade you. Their standards are not the same ones as those of the grad school you are applying. If you are good show them that through your writing and experiences. Grades are not important even thou school do not say that explicitly.
really? When reading requirements they always place such a strong emphasis on grades and high gpa that I'm worried my chances will be hindered. My overall gpa and gre scores are good, I have strong references and am working on my personal statement. I'm just worried about how much my chances will be affected by the track record of the first couple years.
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So I am just starting out on my grad programs research. To say that my first couple years and 60 credits weren't stellar is an understatement. I know that some programs point out that they focus more on grades and gpa from last 60 credits. Has anyone come across these programs? Or have you been in a similar situation? What programs did you end up applying to?
I would love some help on finding more programs like this to check out. Thanks for your help!
best time to do internship
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I have narrowed down my list of potential programs and made a chart of requirements and application necessities for each program. I am in the process of beginning to gather all of the necessary supplements for these applications. Thank you for the advice, I am definitely beginning to feel the pressure and stress of getting these applications ready. Hopefully I can put together a good enough resume to get noticed and be able to find a summer internship for myself. I'm just worried that I don't have enough knowledge in my field yet to keep up.