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Just figured I'd start a thread to see who's on the same boat! I'm applying to Columbia, NYU (Cultural Reporting and Criticism), CUNY, Boston University, Northwestern (Magazine Specialization), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (New Arts Journalism), and possibly The New School's Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism if I have the time. Top choice is NYU CRC, but I'm not getting my hopes up because it seems as if people who have gotten into these programs already have bylines or internships at major, nationally recognized publications and/or are established journalists. I also opted not to take the GRE, even though it says "optional but strongly preferred", even though I acknowledge this may hurt my chances. I have a theatre/creative writing major (I know, hence grad school), my minor was in journalism, and my GPA is 3.7, Magna Cum Laude, Dean's List every semester. I interned for a major city magazine with a circulation of about 300,000, a nationally syndicated broadcast tv show, a non profit political organization, and I've written for three relatively well known fashion magazines. For my letters of recommendation, even though I'm applying to journalism programs, I opted to use my creative writing professors over my journalism professors. This is because I did better in their classes, because it was my current major and what I was more focused on at the time. Plus, they've known me longer and we have closer relationships. Maybe I'm overanalyzing things, but my one professor said they're planning on writing one letter and sending it to different schools, but wouldn't it be better if they customized the letters for each program? Not really my place to correct them I assume, as they've very busy and doing me a favor. None of my journalism professors have time to look over my SOPs, so I may have to go somewhere else (currently frantically emailing people). I was just hoping for one of them, because they seem to know the most about what these programs are looking for. But I'll take whoever I can get at this point. I also still need someone to look over my resume. As for my writing samples, I'm pretty confident in which ones I'm going to use. I'd ask my professors for their thoughts, but they've already dealt with me enough, and I should probably trust my own instincts on this one. As you can see, I'm really enthusiastic about going to J-School. I just feel like everyone I know who's gotten into these programs has been a Fulbright Scholar or something. Anyway, more comments to come, as I have a lot of thoughts. What J-School Masters are you applying to?

Hello! Have any of the 2018 J-School applicants heard from the school - interviews, writing tests? It looks like that they start sending out invitations in December.

Hi foks! I just received my acceptance letter for UBC's Journalism Master's program and my letter came with the following note: "Note: there is an earlier deadline for notifying your program that you are accepting your offer. Please check with your program." I am still waiting on a few other programs, so I'm not ready to accept this offer immediately, but I can't find the deadline to send this in anywhere. Does anyone know what it is or where to find this information? Thank you!!

Just wondering to which specializations/deadlines people applied? How did interviews go (if you had one)? How is everyone feeling about their admissions generally w Medill? I know Berkeley is pretty topical on the forum at the moment— also happy to discuss that. NYU, USC, Columbia, etc. as well! But I just wanted to lead with Medill seeing that a lot of people have said they’ve applied. Thoughts? I’m v curious and excited! And anxious hahaha

Hey all, I feel really fortunate to have been accepted into both the Columbia School of Journalism and NYU's Carter Institute. I'm looking to do a joint IR/journalism degree, so at Columbia that's a joint degree program with SIPA, while at NYU it's the GloJo program. I love NYU and have gotten an awesome scholarship package from them, whereas I've gotten a very small amount of funding from Columbia. Seems like a no-brainer to choose NYU in this situation, but I'd be curious to hear other people's opinions more broadly on NYU journo vs. Columbia journo.

Hi all, I'm a prospective international graduate student in the US; last year I was awarded a scholarship to do a Master's in Multimedia Communications (Interactive/Visual Documentary Production) for the upcoming fall. I've applied to several universities and I've been admitted to all of them. I'm having real trouble to choose between them, since I like all of the programs and they are very strong. Here I express my thoughts on each of them, in hopes someone who knows the schools or the campuses can offer me some insight. UC Berkeley I would have to ask for a loan at least for the first year, because the tuition exceeds by far the coverage of the grant and they haven't offered financial help since I am an international student. It's a really good school and really prestigious, but having other options where I would get full tuition coverage I don't think I'll consider asking for a loan. Also, the program is really journalism-focused and, although it has some of the best faculty in environmental journalism and new media, I'm not sure whether I'd feel creatively fulfilled. Do you think it's worthy to look into the possibility of getting a loan? UNC Chapel Hill - Visual Communication track at the MA in Journalism It used to be my first option, it's really prestigious as well. I'm also waiting for extra financial help because my current situation won't allow me to cover for the full tuition. There is really good faculty both in the journalism school and the communications school (more creative). I'd be able to specialize in environmental communication which is a plus, they have some professors which I really admire. They also have a graduate certificate that I would like to pursue. Climate wise and area wise (music, eating, going out), Chapel Hill seems a nice and tranquil place. The experimental film scene is really powerful, with the Full Frame Festival in Durham, and it's really close to Duke, where I could take workshops in documentary arts if I need something more 'experimental'. Syracuse - MA in Multimedia Photography and Design at Newhouse Here I would have full coverage for my tuition. Really top school, would look really good on my resumée. The program is free of 'journalistic pressure' and I will be able to explore creative outlets as well (although ti does seem more corporate communications-oriented). It's only one year Not really able to specialize in environmental communication, but they have many classes on cultural reporting, which is something I'd also like to explore. The problem here is that the program starts in late June, and with the current situation I wouldn't like to have to be nervous about being able to get a visa by June, or having to start my classes online, maybe even from Spain. Also, Syracuse doesn't seem a really exciting place. It seems good, though for connections in the New York area. Any thoughts on that? Indiana University Bloomington - MS in Media Production and Design at The Media School Here I would have full coverage for my tuition. In regards of prestige, I don't know how well known this school is. Anyway, I don't know if that matters much to me. Program-wise, I believe it is the one that fits my interests the most. It's a really new program so they will let me configure my own path, taking classes from interactive and web design, non narrative and experimental media, documentary, environmental affairs... being able to really explore what I want and work close to the faculty. This seems specially cool if I want to pursue a PhD afterwards, which is something that I'm starting to consider. However, the fact that it is all so new makes me kind of skeptic. There is some faculty I really I admire. Regarding Bloomington, I read that it's a very nice place, with a lot of stuff to do. There's a great music scene and film scene as well, but it's in the middle of nowhere (at least from my European point of view) and not having a car nor the intention of buying one, maybe I'll feel kind of isolated? The idea of it not being a well-known school for media production, or an isolated place are the main downsides here Please let me know anything you may know about the programs, the different areas and/or the schools in general. Anything you think can help me regarding the decision. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Starting a thread and hoping we hear back soon!

Hi! I've just been accepted to NYU for Journalism, magazine and digital storytelling concentration, for fall 2020. Anyone else accepted and/or planning on attending? Still waiting to hear back from Columbia but NYU has actually always been my first choice!

Has anyone taken the UC Berkeley Journalism Writing Test? I am not as much worried for the interview, but I'm nervous about the exam? Anyone that took it in 2020 or earlier, what were the questions you had?

Hello! I am trying to decide between Columbia and Northwestern for a master's in journalism. To give you some background, I am interested in pursing international reporting after graduation and want to attend the school that provides the best opportunities/connections to make this possible! At Columbia, I have no specialization whereas at Northwestern I picked Social Justice and Investigative Journalism. I have also included a pro/con list about the two schools below. Any insight about either or both schools would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Columbia’s Pros: At Columbia, I would not have a specialization, so my education would cover multiple platforms (audio, video, broadcast, print, online, etc.) (this may be beneficial since i have limited experience) Great international reporting department with a lot of connections. There are some great postgraduate fellowships Columbia Journalism Investigations, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Longform Narrative, funding for investigative reporting A lot of post-graduate internships that accept many Columbia grads; in particular, companies like: ABC News Broadcasting in London; Al Jazeera in Qatar, The Marshall Project (Investigative Reporting in NYC), The Reuters Institute at Oxford. Spring Career Expo (where you can have scheduled/walk-up interviews) Year long master’s project supervised by an advisor (to work on long form narrative) There is a required module on investigative journalism Students Associations: Society of Professional Journalists, Women in Journalism Ivy League Located in NYC (good for networking) A lot of students are encouraged to get published Columbia’s Cons: Slightly larger classes (15-20) and larger seminars Fewer opportunities to travel abroad while completing the degree (no established programs) No scholarship Northwestern’s Pros: Medill Explores Program: a week-long trip spent reporting on international issues and networking with local experts Global Residency Program: a 10 week program abroad with an international news organization (Time Magazine in the UK) Medill Justice Project: the opportunity to work on criminal justice cases and writing investigative stories Social Justice News Nexus: works with local Chicago news outlets to report on social justice issues Knight-Lab: focuses on emerging technology and new forms of journalism A 2 quarter class where you are trained in media technology (however, I will not be able to enroll if I do the practicum in DC) Benefits of Investigative & Social Justice Specialization: Will have stories published in Medill News Service (partners with news outlets to publish your work) There are still core courses that cover the fundamentals of reporting Practicum: a 10 week internship (instead of a thesis) in which you work with a local media outlet of your choice. It can be completed in DC or Chicago. Medill Friday events (speakers, workshops, etc) Medill Career Services Partial Scholarship Only 130 students in the program Small class size (about 10 students) Northwestern’s Cons: I had to apply to a specialization, but as I do not have a lot of journalistic experience, I am not sure if this is the field I want to stay in. Fewer media outlets in Chicago

Applied to LitRep for 2019 batch. Wait is killing me. Got into a couple of others. But if I get any aid here will give it a good consideration. I actually really liked the LitRep model, based on what the website said. Anyone else still waiting/heard back?

Wonder if that means rejection? I am crying!!

Hey all, I'm a current graduate student at Carleton University reading for an MA in international affairs (NPSIA). I'm enjoying the content of my studies immensely, but have more or less lost interest in leveraging my degree to work for the public service upon graduation. As NPSIA has a strong focus on placing students within the government, I realize that more schooling will likely be necessary to find employment elsewhere. I've been playing with the idea of pursuing a career in conflict/political journalism for some time now, and have heard good things about the Munk School's Fellowship in Global Journalism. It seems a practical course of study, with a strong focus on teaching fellows how to set themselves up for freelance careers. Given my education and interests, this sounds like an ideal fit for me. The issue lies in that most of the information that I've been able to dig up has been provided by the school itself - Obviously, U of T is going to be biased in promoting its own program to potential applicants. I was wondering whether or not anybody might have had some sort of experience with the program on these forums; I'd love to hear some anecdotes regarding the program's utility, and whether or not the sort of freelance work it purports to equip one for is a viable means of making a living in itself. If you've anything to say, I'd be extremely grateful to hear it. Likewise, if anybody has any questions for me, I'm happy to acquiesce as well. Cheers, Delidas

Hi all, I'm going down to the last minute with my decision. I'm deciding between Berkeley's Masters of Journalism program and Rutgers-Camden's Creative Writing MFA. I'm ultimately interested in pursuing some type of career in journalism, with a preference for longform, reported stories and working at magazines, websites, other platforms that do that type of storytelling. So, both programs appeal to me. Ultimately, I think Berkeley Journalism would offer a more direct path into the journalism industry via the network of alums/profs/peers from Berkeley, the ability to build a solid portfolio of journalistic clips, a concrete skill set that would make me more employable, an internship program that's required, etc. But, it costs a lot of money and has minimal funding to offer, so I'd be looking at somewhere around $40k to $50k in debt by the time I completed the two-year program. And I'd be entering an industry that doesn't pay much, especially at the entry-level jobs I'd likely be working at for the first few years. Basically, I don't know if the debt is worth it, especially, since j-school is not the only way to break into the journalism world. Rutgers-Camden's MFA is fully-funded, so total tuition remission, healthcare provided, and a $26,000/yr TA stipend. In addition to journalism, I also write poetry and creative nonfiction, which would be my main focus at Rutgers. Their program is super flexible, so it's possible I could try to do the work of longform journalism along with pursuing poetry and some other interests of mine. They have awesome professors and it seems like a great program. It's just that an MFA doesn't really lead to an concrete professional paths, and the one it most often does lead to--academia and being a professor--is both an oversaturated market and a path I'm not that interested in. It would offer me the time to focus on my writing and seek out freelancing opportunities, to try to break into journalism that way. But, ultimately, I worry that an MFA won't really get me any closer to the type of journalism I want to pursue. Any thoughts from anyone? I'm still really on the fence. In particular, anyone who has some background in journalism, j-school, an MFA program, or creative writing. I gotta decide by tomorrow!!! Eeek!!!!

I have been accepted to the dual MS program in Journalism and Computer Science at Columbia University. Columbia Journalism school has offered aid of $36,250 for 2018-19. Even if I manage to get the same amount for 2019-20, then too the remaining expenses (including tuition and living) is about $150,000. Coming from a middle class family in India, it is impossible for me to pay this much fees. I asked the office of admissions and financial aid at the J-School if they could increase the aid amount, but they turned down my request. There are certain universities like Chicago and UPenn where students can take loans without showing any collateral and the university stands as guarantor. Is a similar plan available for students at Columbia? I was going through the website of Student Financial Services, Columbia University where I came across a list of recommended lenders: http://sfs.columbia.edu/files/sfs_new/content/financial-aid/17-18-Lender-Chart-International-Grad-as-of-06-12-17-CompF.PDF I would like to know the general opinion among students about taking private loans from these lenders. I have also heard about Prodigy Finance and MPower Financing. They don't require co-signers for the loan. Which is the best option to go for? I have also read that students go for Teaching Assistantships to reduce the financial burden. It will really help if someone can clarify what the assistantships are about and how much work is involved in it.

Hey folks, I've been accepted to both Emerson and BU for an M.S. in Journalism. BU is crazy expensive, and the scholarship I was offered in my admissions letter covers ~23% of the total tuition cost. Emerson is significantly less expensive and my scholarship offer covers about 20% of the total tuition cost. When I leave Emerson, I'll be in significantly less debt than if I go to BU. There are pros and cons to both schools, and I've weighed them heavily. I attended BU's COM grad open house this past weekend, and I was genuinely unimpressed. Instead of giving us a full slate of Journalism-specific events like the other programs got, most of our weekend consisted of attending the Power of Narrative conference. Don't get me wrong. The Power of Narrative conference was incredible, but I spent a ton of money to attend the Open House and didn't feel like my concerns/questions/best interests were addressed. I haven't had a chance to visit Emerson. This is a huge decision, and I really don't want to make my decision based on price tag alone, but it seems like I'm headed in that direction. Is anyone else dealing with a similar kind of struggle?

Hi everyone, I got into really good journalism programs, and I've narrowed it down to Syracuse and Columbia. I received a highly competitive newspaper fellowship at Syracuse which includes a full tuition scholarship, $1400 monthly living stipend, health insurance, up to $1,500 to cover moving expenses to move there, $800 for travel to conferences, and up to $1,000 for books/other academic expenses. Meanwhile, at Columbia, I only got $10,000 for their 10-month MS in Journalism program. Columbia is my dream school, and I never expected to get into an ivy. However, I do not want to take out any loans, and I've been advised by all my professors and mentors that I should not be paying for graduate school. After they found out I got into Columbia, a couple have told me that I can negotiate my offer with them if I want to. Do you all think it's worth negotiating? I personally think that Columbia would not match Syracuse's offer, especially since I went through such a long interview process with other finalists to get the fellowship. I just wanted to know what you all think so I don't feel crazy. Thanks!

Did anyone apply to the double MA in journalism and international affairs at Sciences Po, Paris this year or in previous years? If someone did apply or has attended, could you comment on your application experience/subsequent studies? On a general note, how are foreign journalism degrees looked upon if one wished to find a job in the United States or elsewhere upon graduation - and does it hold a light to "top" American programs such as Columbia, Berkeley, etc.? Thanks in advance!

Anyone out there waiting to hear back from CUNY for their MA in Journalism program? I know they said mid-March but I’m refreshing my email every chance I get.

Hi everyone! I wanted to keep patiently waiting for the results to come in probably two weeks, but the recently posted result confused me. Does Columbia release all its MS decisions on the same day? Or the documentary track is released a little bit earlier? Besides, has anyone talked to the admission team and had any clue about when exactly are they going to let us know? Here: international applicant of FT MS program, not applying to the investigative or documentary program

Hi guys, I am in the middle of a crisis. I just finished my degree in journalism in London, but actually I want to study literature: I got a place for a master's degree in comparative literature at UCL, so a very good uni, but I am now thinking of refusing that and go to Lausanne and start another bachelor, in Italian, French and Spanish literature. Ultimately, I want to become a lecturer at university level. So my question is: can I still get into teaching (after a PhD), even if my bachelor is not in literature, or do I really need that qualification? Is it really worth changing? Thanks people, help in this situation is much appreciated. Peace!

Hi, all. I'm coming to you all in hopes of getting a few words of advice. I recently graduated with a Bachelor's in Sociology, minoring in Psychology. I'm 24 and it's time for me to make some serious decisions about graduate school. My "dream job" changed a few times over the course of the five years it took me to graduate but each of those jobs were in the same ball park. To make a long story short, those dreams of putting my degree to use as a Case Manger have sort of slipped into the past for one reason or another. Now, a degree in Sociology is almost useless without a lot of experience interning, job shadowing, etc.. Rather than going back to school to work toward a Master's degree in a related field I am considering switching routes and pursuing a career in Journalism. Has anyone switched from the social sciences to journalism? Have you had success? Would anyone recommend making this change?

I've been accepted into the PhD in English Language & Literature at Queen's U. My dilemma is... I'm unsure if academia is the path for me. I've become much more interested in journalism as of late. My questions, basically, are as follows: Would a PhD be of any use in a journalistic career? Would it be a good idea to accept the PhD offer, to try it for a semester/year? If I did end up leaving the program after one year, is that incredibly bad form? Would I be better served rejecting the offer and applying to journalism schools for next year? Do I even need any additional schooling (I'm in the midst of completing an MA in English), or am I better off attempting to get an internship/job in journalism immediately? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Hello, have any of you who have applied to Columbia Journalism's Fall 2017 class received an email yet regarding the writing test in January?? On Dec. 17, an email I received regarding scholarship aid contained a note saying "for M.S. applicants: Information about the admission writing test will be emailed next week." I have't heard anything yet, and was just wondering if anyone else has, as I'm hoping to have as much time in advance to figure out scheduling as I can. Thanks!

For the sake of being nosy, I was wondering if people would like to compare academic records and admissions statistics. I know it's a little early for results but I was hoping to see what the competition was like. Here's a form: Program Applied To: Schools Applied To: Schools Admitted To: Schools Rejected From: Still Waiting: Undergraduate Institution: Undergraduate GPA: Last 60 hours of Undergraduate GPA (if applicable): Undergraduate Major: GRE Quantitative Score (Percentile): GRE Verbal Score (Percentile): GRE AW Score: Years Out of Undergrad (if applicable): Years of Work Experience: Describe Relevant Work Experience: Strength of SOP (be honest, describe the process, etc): Strength of LORs (be honest, describe the process, etc): Other: --