vars98

Hey everyone! Congrats to all of you who've gotten the call, and best of luck to those still waiting! As it stands, I am attempting to make a decision between Columbia and Berkeley. I have started a thread about this, and I would really appreciate your inputs on this too. Please add in your comments, I'm sure they'd be really insightful. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I have received admits to both these schools for the Fall '22 batch, and I'm now in a massive fix. On one hand Columbia seems to have a very clear lead in terms of its reputation and connection to industry. It is also located in NYC, which is a great place to be for a journalist. On the other hand, Columbia is working out to be more expensive for me than Berkeley and is a 1 year program. I can still afford it, though it may be a slight stretch. Berkeley on the other hand is more affordable, and also is a 2 year program. It is however not connected directly to a major city. I am wondering now if the reputation of Columbia is worth the extra money. Will it help me out in the long run, 10-20 years down the line too? I have heard that being a part of their alumni circle has lead many people to great jobs through the connections they've found. It is hard to say no to the school that gives out the Pulitzer. For those who have been admitted to both, please let me know what your factors are in considering your choices between the 2. How are you making this decision?

Just got a congratulatory phone call from Berkeley! I've been accepted

Thank you! I applied for NewsDoc at NYU, hopefully they have a similar timeline.

I got my acceptance from Columbia 2 days ago! Haven't heard from NYU yet though. Also still waiting on Berkeley.

I was contacted by NYU for the NewsDoc program near the end of January. Had a 30 minute interview/conversation with a current grad student working under Prof. Marcia Rock. Also had my Berkeley interview on the 22nd of Feb.

I haven't heard yet either. Had my interview on Feb 22nd and they said I'd hear back in early March.