College for Journalism Degree

Doesn't have to be a "name" program at all. College is what YOU make it.

 

It's really moot. An education in journalism is marooned on an island without tangible experience. Now that I know better, I wouldn't have stepped anywhere near the com building when I was choosing majors.

 

That's nice and utopian, but unfortunately not reality.

For every Bill Plaschke (SIU-Edwardsville) there are thousands of kids coing out of no-name schools that can't get a look.

 

Why do you want to go to J-school?

 

I agree that it does not have to be a name school. Those were just two that are off the top of my head. I currently go to a no name school and thats fine. I think really if your good at what you do it doesnt maatter. But I thought I would throw it out there.

 

Sorry, but in this job market, you need every advantage you can get.

If I had a son or daughter who wanted to go to college for journalism right now, my advice on applications would be as such:

First tier to aim at:
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
Princeton
Columbia
Duke
University of Chicago
Basically the academic heavyweights that transcend all industries.

Second tier to aim at:
Northwestern
Missouri
Syracuse
North Carolina

i.e. The big-name journalism schools

Third tier:
Michigan
Cal-Berkeley
UCLA
Notre Dame
University of Texas
USC
Vanderbilt
Boston College
Etc., etc.
i.e. Tremendous academic schools that also have big-time athletic programs (if your interest is definitely sports journalism)

Fourth tier
Indiana
Florida
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Kentucky
N.C. State
Etc., etc.
Respected schools with big-time sports

I would also urge that they double-major in something like economics and also keep their grades way, way up in the event that they want to switch course later on and go to law or business school, or pursue a PhD in something.

 

So how you gonna pay for Harvard, pops?

 

I'm an alum, so I'm biased, but Penn State really needs to be in the discussion with places such as IU and North Carolina.

Big Ten athletic programs, a strong academic school, a journalism program that really forces you to be liberally educated, a sports journalism program with a number of classes (if you're going that track), a respected daily (even if it's not on the level of the Daily Orange or some of the others).

 

My only advice would be to avoid a no-name school in the middle of nowhere. If you go to a no-name school, do it in a metro area, and do whatever you can to get in the door at the big paper in town and learn from some really good pros. I went to a no-name school, but got in at the big paper in town taking prep scores on Fridays, started getting some writing assignments, learned from some really, really talented people, and I'd put my resume up against most. Glad I received the college degree, but the classes taught me little. The work experience taught me everything.

 

In a perfect world, you find a way. Even those schools are starting to recognize that they are keeping students out who would be a tremendous asset because the price is too hefty.

You get into Harvard, in my world, you find a way. They doors that degrees from those places open pay off many times over eventually.

Think long-term.

 

Penn State certainly.There are lots of really good public universities. Thus "etc., etc." I knew I'd leave out an obvious one. Penn State is an obvious one. So is the University of Illinois, for that matter.

 

Back in July, we were discussing this subject on the Grad School thread and there was some sentiment that one could not win a Pulitzer without a graduate degree from one of the big schools. I did a little research, and I think the facts show that's not exactly true.

There is a lot of good journalism talent at Syracuse and Missouri, and some of my good friends, whose work I deeply admire, graduated from those fine institutions. But even the ones that did will tell you there got where they did because they hustled their butts off, boldly applied for jobs or begged for interviews they seemed unqualified for, and got a break based on their talent, not resume.

Pulitzer's list is fine. There is a lot of truth there. But to be honest, I think a person's success in journalism has a lot more to do with what they do while on the student paper, or how much personal attention they get from teachers. My journalism school was small, not that prestigious. We called our professors by their first names and drank with them on Fridays. I practically killed myself at the student paper, and in the end, started a Top 20 cirqulation paper right out of college based on my clips. I actually liked my j-school experience because I felt like the environment was nurturing and the people were fun and knew how to drink. I don't think I'd do it differently, though I might double major if I had to do it again.

Awhile back, Michael Lewis (of Moneyball fame) wrote a fairly scathing indictment of Columbia Journalism School, in which he pointed out how silly it was to teach "theory" instead of actual storytelling and, well, doing. It's from 1993, but it's worth reading.

http://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/MediaCultureUVM/jschool_critique.html