brancan
-
Posts
51 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by brancan
-
-
Interesting post. I'll be moving to a small city in the midwest (from Toronto) in a few weeks, right before my 28th birthday. Since the city (Columbia, MO) is about a quarter undergrads, I'm a bit worried about my dating prospects for the next four years. There are grad students and people not affiliated with the university, sure, but I'm scared. I'm also gay and, even though there are two gay bars, I'm not really optimistic about the LGBT scene. I mean, it's hard enough to date in Toronto - where there are tens of thousands of homosexuals and I live in the gay village.
Anyway, what I was trying to say is that I've already started to look at my list and attempt to decide which things are deal-breakers and which are negotiable. Age is negotiable for me, but only to a point. I don't think I would date anyone under 25. And that's actually a compromise, because my ideal man would be between 27 and 35. That said, I think I'd reconsider if I met a 24-year-old who blew my socks off. This guy obviously blew your socks off within an hour, so I say go for it. And then tell us how it goes!
-
Having lived in Syracuse for a year, I'd say move to Boston or Los Angeles. But, that said, I chose a program in Columbia, Missouri, over one in Chicago. For me, I decided I needed to follow my gut instinct, and choose the school that felt like the best fit (both academically and financially). And, from your post, it seems like BU is where you want to go.
-
Not particularly. My undergrad was actually in poli sci, though political journalism is not something I was interested in pursuing. My best advice would be to network your butt off. Join ED2010 if you haven't already and if you end up moving to NYC, go to their events. They offer helpful information and you will meet a ton of people. They also regularly post jobs on their website and they are sometimes jobs that are not posted elsewhere yet.
Beyond that, I'd say to keep involved with campus publications. If you can get paid freelance work, that would be awesome for your resume too. And intern. Ninety percent of the journalism students I know (who actually work in journalism) got their first job because of an internship. They either interned at the publication that hired them, or they made a connection through which they found a job. Plus, internships offer experiences you won't get in school. I did four and my program was only 12 months.
-
-
Also, I should not that none of my professors had advanced degrees. And they TAUGHT journalism, both newspaper and magazine. It's all about experience and portfolios. And connections.
-
Lyndsey, save yourself a lot of time and money and don't go to grad school! I have an MA in journalism (from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University) and it has done nothing for me that a BA could not have. More than half the people in my program don't work in journalism. They are teachers or work in corporate editing jobs or PR. The ones that do work in journalism make the same crappy pay as everyone else. An MA will not change the pay of your first few gigs. If you ever make it to the top, it might come in handy, but even then, it's not something that is important. Hell, half the people working in journalism don't have a formal education in the field.
The reason I got my degree was because my undergraduate one was in another field. If you are already studying journalism, you're good to go. All of the undergraduate students I met at Syracuse have been a lot more successful. The key is networking and building your portfolio. I currently work as a blogger/writer, and it's a tough road. I wouldn't suggest investing anymore into it than necessary, financially-speaking. Unlike MBA or law degrees, an MA in journalism does not pay itself off.
-
heya - this thread is dead. time to revive it!
is anyone else waiting to hear back from USC? I checked my application website and it says I will receive notification of my admission decision soon via postal mail. this is an update since the last time I checked my app status (I think it was last week, the days sort of blur together these days
).i was hoping to make a decision by the end of the month, but it could be a game time decision.
From the information I have gathered, that pretty much means you have been rejected. They notified admitted and waitlisted candidates a while ago, and I too have been unable to get a straight answer from them. They said I would hear back by the end of March, but I gave up waiting for the official rejection. The writing was on the wall, you know?
-
Well, I just heard I have been waitlisted by American. That's awesome. But I have already made a decision, anyway! I was deciding between the University of Missouri and UIC, but I chose Mizzou in the end. I don't think I have seen anyone else on the board mention the program there, but please feel free to message me if you're also moving to the middle of Missouri. I'm kind of freaking out about that.
-
Has everyone who has been accepted to/rejected from NYU's Culture and Comm. heard back? I haven't heard anything from them yet. Still waiting on LSE, American.
I'm waiting on American, too. I just e-mailed, though, because they told me I'd hear by the end of the week. Two weeks ago.
-
I have just received an email from the program director at USC that I have been put on a waitlist and most likely will know the results within the last few days before the April 15 deadline. He told me he sent out notifications for the waitlist today, so I hope many of us have heard something from him. I'm actually glad to at least hear something. I have already assumed a rejection, and made plans to consider my offers after hearing from GWU decision next week. Since USC is one of my top two choices, there's nothing I can do but hold off accepting other offers until I hear the definite yes or no from them.
Thanks for the update! I already assumed rejection, so now I guess I know. Since they don't answer my e-mails at USC, at least someone is keeping me informed.
Congrats on the waitlist. I don't think I could wait until April 15 to decide, but that's just me. I want to make a decision soon, let the school know, get my immigration paperwork started, and start looking for somewhere to live. Another month of indecision might have killed me, so perhaps it's for the best I didn't get this e-mail!
-
Brancan- I had a program I really like give me a courtesy deadline. I've heard from all programs, still waiting on funding from one. I plan to tell them that I am strongly considering their program, but I don't feel comfortable making a decision until I hear from all schools regarding funding. I also plan to include any outcomes that would affect my decision to attend that school (e.g. a giant fellowship offer from another program).
Thanks for this. I think that's a really good way to go about it.
-
Agreed- and they charge a pretty hefty app fee don't they? That's what prevented me from applying, I had run out of money and chose two schools with lower fees instead of the one with a high fee.
Meanwhile, Northwestern and Madison- what the heck is taking them soooo long? I keep getting paranoid that they've informed the accepted candidates and everyone's being real secretive about it.
Yale too, I know they've sent their acceptances out last month but cant be bothered to let the rejects know.
I have to agree with you (and Saviya) on USC. I'm really disappointed by the way the department has handled things. When I applied there for my MA, I don't recall having any issues. But maybe that's because I was admitted.
Since people here have confirmed that acceptances have gone out, I e-mailed to confirm that I was indeed rejected. No reply. I e-mailed again. No reply. Is that the kind of service a massive application fee gets you? I understand that it's a busy time of year, but to not reply altogether is (to me) very rude. I'm unimpressed.
And it definitely makes me appreciate the departments that have been responsive and kind, and continue to be as I go through this process.
Oh, one more question. How do people feel about courtesy deadlines? I was given one by a school that admitted me and I'd really like to honour it for them by responding by the end of next week. Unfortunately, I have a couple of schools that haven't gotten back to me with a decision yet. And three of the four (the fourth being USC) have confirmed that I'm still under consideration. It feels weird to make a decision before hearing back from absolutely everywhere, especially given the fact that I spent $1200 on applications, but I also don't know if I can both honour the courtesy deadline and wait for each school. It seems like 95% of people have heard back by now, so I don't know why/how I find myself still waiting!
-
Are there others out there who are still waiting on USC? I saw two acceptances on the results survey, but I haven't heard a peep.
Also, my Indiana application says something like "thanks for adding your name to the waitlist; we can't admit you." Does that mean waitlist or rejection? I assume rejection but no one has responded to my e-mail. Annoying.
-
@brancan my roommate last year was from around Toronto-- she always thought it was funny that Missourians get nervous driving on a few inches of snow, haha.
The Greens is on the north side of town, which is farther away from campus. A lot of people who use the bus system live in The Reserve-- I believe it's right on the line. It's also around several other apartment complexes (Copperbeech, Grindstone Canyon).
I really liked living in Providence Court because it was all inclusive and the rental agency, DBC Rentals, was great. They have two locations-- both on South Providence. The one farther south is the nicer of the two complexes. I know there's a bus stop nearby.
Cable and internet is just a money pit in the Midwest-- and I assume that's the case for most of the U.S. There are so few companies who provide the services in each area that there's almost no competition to keep prices down. I watch most of my shows online. I do get my internet for only $20/month from Mediacom because they were having a special.
As for utilities-- they vary greatly depending on which services you're getting from the city and whether you're paying for gas and electric or just electric. Each complex you talk to should be able to tell you the average utility payment for the different sized apartments. The utility companies also have that information. Ballpark figure for one person would be between $60 and $80.
I think it's smart to take an in-depth look at the area where you might live. It'll help you make a better decision in the end!
Thank you so much!
That's funny about your roommate, because I'm originally from Ottawa (and did my MA in Syracuse) and laugh at people in Toronto who complain about the snow. So I'm sure Missouri winters will be a breeze. I'm definitely not worried about that.
A poster above had reservation about The Reserve, so that kind of scares me. I'm also not so into the furnished apartments that seem to be EVERYWHERE in Columbia. I have a lot of stuff, and I also don't like the idea of using someone else's bed. It would make me feel like I was back in residence, and that didn't go too well the first time.
I have been looking at Providence Hill (versus Providence Court), which would make it the less nice of the 2 locations. I hope it's still nice. It's on the night shuttle route from campus, which makes it very attractive. And the all-inclusiveness is awesome. I will keep looking around, as it's still very early.
Thanks again for the info. I'm sure I will be back with more questions (especially if I decide to go and have to make the move!)
-
@brancan-- I've lived in Columbia for 7 years now (but a few of those were on campus) and have lived in several different apartment complexes, as well as a few houses. Prices are all over the map. I'm paying $600 for a 2 bedroom right now on the south side of town-- but that's a pretty sweet deal. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in Providence Court (which includes all utilities+ cable+ washer/dryer) for about $900 a month. A three bedroom house can be anywhere from $850- $1200, not including utilities. Most landlords assume their tenants will have roommates.
Most people get cable through Mediacom and much like every other cable company, it seems to cost more than it's worth. We actually only pay for the "basic" cable and internet, so our bill is only $45 a month. Full cable and internet can run you about $80-$100. There are a few other options in town, Mediacom just has the widest service area.
We do have a bus system. I don't personally use it so I can't attest to its reliability. There are apartment complexes which have their own shuttle services, mainly Brookside which is on the south side of town. Living there is kind of pricey-- but if transportation is important to you, it might be worth it. As for living close to campus, there are a lot of older houses east of campus known as "East Campus" (very creative).
Shop around, and feel free to PM me if you want any input. I would start looking now, as rentals and renewals are in full swing by March around here.
Thanks for the info. I've been looking at places online, but I haven't made a decision on schools yet, so that's kind of tough. I'm still waiting to hear from a few programs. I did look at Providence Court. Or their duplexes, at least. I'm a single person, so they seem to have places for $680-710, inclusive. That's WAY cheaper than here in Toronto.
Surprisingly, though, I pay less than you for cable and internet. I was hoping it would be cheaper, but a lot of places seem to include it, so maybe I will take advantage of that. I believe Brookside only has two-bedrooms or more. Have you heard anything about The Courtyard, Columbia Crossing, or the Greens? How about The Reserve? I'm not so into the idea of a furnished place, but it seemed okay.
I know that I'm getting ahead of myself by looking now before I've even decided on a school, but the apartment hunt is the thing that's stressing me out the most. I'm only from Canada, but I'm still an international student, and Missouri is really far from home. And very foreign to me.
Thanks again for your help! I'm assuming Providence apartments/duplexes were okay?
Also, what are utilities like? I know that I was shocked by how much electricity was in Upstate New York. I don't pay much now, so I'm trying to get a feel for how much that would go up with the move. I've seen some ads on craigslist that say it's $100 for utilities for 2 people, but I saw another that said it's $75-150 EACH for 3 people. That's an exaggeration, right?
-
Any updated information on Columbia? In particular, I'm looking for word on housing. I am considering Mizzou and would like to know about apartment complex that are affordable, nice, and close to campus (I won't have a car). Also, any word on what utilities/cable and internet cost would be really helpful when weighing my options.
Thanks!
-
In other news, I wish more schools would give funding decisions with their offers. It would make things so much easier...
Agreed. I'm unable to consider an offer - no matter how I love the school - without funding details. I hate that money is such a large consideration, but it has to be, given my outstanding student debt and my international status (that will bar me from working off-campus). If only I were independently wealthy...
-
I seem to be in the minority in having applied to Albany, but today (Feb 20) is FINALLY the application deadline so I hope to be hearing from them very soon. The saddest part is that I'm already leaning toward another school I've been accepted to, but I don't want to make a decision until I have all of the information in hand, and I know I'd be upset if I went ahead and committed elsewhere and then an offer finally came from Albany that was good. Ah! I would love to know why they have such a late deadline, especially since they don't do rolling admission reviews. It seems to me like it would put them at a disadvantage, since many of the people they extend offers to probably have already accepted elsewhere.
Anyway, that's where I am!
American also had a February deadline. I have no idea why schools do that!
-
@Brancan - My UMass status is still "applied" as well and I haven't heard anything else. I don't know if that's helpful to you or not, but you're not the only one in limbo there.
Thanks, MediaMom! I don't like how some schools seem to admit people on a rolling basis. If you're in by the deadline (and my materials were in months early), everyone should hear at once. This is torturous!
But I do feel better than there are others like me. Perhaps the PhD result on the survey is actually another MA and they have yet to get to PhDs. The other two results were MA ones. In any case, let's hope we hear soon - especially because a lot of my schools don't seem to let people know until early March/late February at the earliest.
-
@brancan - good luck on the interview! Just be yourself, not who you think they want you to be. After all, any place that you are going to be spending as much time as you will in your graduate studies, you want to be able to be yourself. We'll all be thinking of you. Post afterwards to let us know how it goes!
Thank you, S@lly! The interview went well, I think. I was pretty confident straight after, though I have been overanalyzing everything for the last couple of hours. I was pleasantly surprised by how casual it was and how the professor seemed genuinely interested in my interests, my choices of schools, and my considerations. He wanted to know more about what is important to me in a graduate program more so than my research interests, which he had already read about. Overall, I think I did well. I still won't find out for a month or so (and longer for funding decisions).
-
Out of curiosity, is the person who got into the PhD program at UMass on the board? I'm curious about the e-mail you received. I just checked the website and I'm still listed as "applied." But I did see three decisions on the results page (1 admitted PhD, 2 rejected MA). I don't know what to think. Indiana and Michigan also seem to have sent acceptances and I've yet to hear from either. I've convinced myself I've been rejected from those two schools, but I guess there's a slight possibility that the door hasn't closed on UMass yet. Maybe my decision has to go through an international office or something. I don't know. I really would rather hear something, even if it's negative, than be dragged along.
-
@saviya- I identify with feeling neurotic...as I too have not heard anything from the 8 schools I applied to. But, the reality is that it is still really early, despite it seeming like everyone else is being admitted... It is really in February and March that most offers are made. Also...it is true that many schools consider and make offers to international applicants separately from domestic applicants.
@brancan and @fanon_fanatic - if you know you are going to school in the fall, then don't be picky about a job...take anything you can get even if it has nothing to do with your career interests. What is most important is to make money and save before school. You will regret it if you don't take advantage of the time you have to do so. I dont know what stage in life you are at, whether you have had to support yourself or if you still have other sources of support, but the funding that comes with most offers is not a lot of money. You (or your parents or your spouse) will be grateful for a small emergency fund.
Ha! Good advice, in theory, but I'm still not sure I'm going to be going to school. I mean, I need to get in first. And then it will depend on whether or not I'm offered funding, and how much. Most of my schools guarantee funding but not all of them do. So I've been a bit picky on the job front. I do actually have a job, but I'm self-employed and I'm looking to add another job into the mix. So I'm still earning money and paying my bills. I'm just not saving much. But once I know if I'm going to school for sure, and where, I'll probably take your advice and take anything I can get for a few months. I don't mind working 60-80 hour weeks.
-
I'm actually job HUNTING right now, so I keep asking these questions to myself. I'm making an okay living freelancing but could be making so much more with a full-time job on top of my work now. But since I don't know if I will get into school (or get enough funding to go), I don't just want to take a job anywhere. It's kind of a conundrum. It's not like it's a good time to find a job, anyway, so who knows if anything will come up. I've been looking for a long time, though I've been somewhat picky (and even turned down a job a month ago).
I'm very much trying to prepare for all scenarios. At least I'm contracted as a writer/blogger until the end of September.
-
At the school I work at, they do receive revised documents, but they don't replace what you sent in. They just give both versions to the admission council.
I REALLY hope your school is an anomaly.
Changing Careers - Getting a Grad Degree and Need Insight
in Communication and Public Relation Forum
Posted
My background is in journalism and I'm starting my PhD in Communication shortly, so keep the faith. One word that I heard a lot from the schools that accepted me was "potential." I think I did a good job of showing how my past work experiences related to communication - even if it wasn't what I studied - and how my interests have shifted over the years. I also made sure to emphasize my fit with a few faculty members, as well as the general research orientation of the program. I think that there are a lot of ways to connect the work you are doing with the work you want to do. Get creative.