Need Some Advice...

I have a quick question for you guys:

I'm in the midst of a career stall after having been relieved of my job at my last paper after they folded 3-4 weeks ago. Obviously, the summer is dead and with me just a year out of college, the market isn't exactly jumping for me. So I'm considering waiting around until something opens up or waiting a month and then trying to get into J-school at UT. My question is, should I just be patient and wait until something opens up, or will it be worth it to go to J-school, develop contacts and network and all that good stuff?

Since I've been out of college, I've interned with a pro basketball team as the content writer for its website (writing up features, gamers, profiles, etc) and for the past 7 months I had been writing high school and pro sports for a local paper. I hate being out of work and I'm curious as to if J-school is worth it or should I just be patient and hope something arises?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Going back to J-School certainly wouldn't hurt, but it might not be the best approach when you consider the money you'll be spending.

If you've got some solid clips, a strong background, and interview well ... I'd take a chance now and see what happens. You'll be alright. Best of luck to you.

 

A few quick things...

1.  Going to a good grad school will definitely help you network and build some connections.  (Connections that have helped me score my first two jobs out it)

2.  I'm sure the application deadline for UT's J grad school are already well past (I believe it was January, so unless you're ahead of the game and have already applied, you're looking at Fall of 2007).

3.  UT is VERY hard to get into for grad school.  Pretty much everybody that went somewhere else for undergrad and heard about how great Austin is, wants to go there.  If UT is the only place you apply, you'd be doing yourself a disservice (unless, of course, your undergrad grades kicked ass and you scored GREAT on the GRE).  I speak from experience on this one, but ironically enough, while I didn't get into UT, I did get into another "okay"    grad school.

Anyway, hope that helps.  I'm sure you've already thought about these things, but just wanted to bring it up.  In the meantime, I'd keep applying everywhere you can.  You can always cancel grad school.

 

ChmDogg is right about the deadline at Texas being past. It was January 15. They only accept fall admits, so it'll be another year.

I'm not sure, ChmDogg, that you're so dead-on about their program being difficult to get in to. I refused to apply anywhere else (UT was the only place I wanted to go, and if I hadn't gotten in this year, I simply would have waited a year and tried again). My u-grad grades were middle of the road. GRE scores were good, but I think they valued my professional experience.

I will say it's expensive, and you're better off if you have a good reason for going. If you're just going to grad school to occupy your time while you figure out something to do (and there are a lot of people who go to grad school for that very reason), go somewhere cheaper.

If, however, you're dead set on going to UT, HOOK 'EM!

 

I appreciate all the help and advice. Helps a lot.

I'd like to believe that my clips are strong enough to at least get me as a correspondent or so at a major daily but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I just figured the grad school wouldn't hurt---you can never learn too much--and that developing all the networking and connections are priceless.

 

UT, my comments were based off my personal experience. I was accepted into 'Cuse and U of Florida, but not UT or ASU (go figure). Maybe it was because I had a 2.8 in undergrad or maybe because I didn't have any professional experience? But, needless to say, I was more than pleased with how things worked out for me. Although, I'm sure Austin would have been a blast.

I guess my point was that getting into UT is not a "lock". Or maybe I'm just mildly retarded.

 

Perhaps the admissions folk were cranky.

Way to get into Syracuse, though. They were on my shortlist for a while, but I'm a big weenie when it comes to cold.

Everyone I know says UT is terribly difficult to get into, and I was rather surprised I got in. As I said, though, they really value work experience, and I've been able to do some neat things between my u-grad and my application to grad school.

Bballscribe-- whatever you decide, let us know. I'll definitely pass along my "cramming for the GRE" hints. 

 

Appreciate it. I guess I'll see how things play out come August, when HS football and such will be incoming and I suspect many papers could use the help of correspondents or free-lance. I don't really think J-school might help too much at this point but I think it's a sound choice as a Plan B.