Can anybody help me with transfer chances?

oxygenbarfight
Wed, 02 Mar 2005 22:16:12 +0000

Originally, I had planned to apply exclusively to USC for transfer in the fall. But since happening upon some recent life changes, I thought I’d test my shots at some additional schools. Included below are my stats, ECs, misc. info., and the letter of intent I originally wrote for USC’s Annenberg School of Communication. Can anybody kindly help me on my chances for Northwestern, and Medill specifically? Let me know if you desire any more information.

College GPA (three semesters at Biola University) - 3.729 - expecting a 4.0 this semester (As a sophomore, I’m taking a senior level class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)

Transfer units complete - 36

Letters of recommendation from 1) a philosophy professor at my current university 2) Roy Rivenburg of the Los Angeles Times 3) Jeff Brazil, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist formerly of the Los Angeles Times

Likely internship at the Los Angeles Times this summer

ECs

1. Founder and President of The Society of Political Agnostics at Biola University - 2004-2005

2. Member of The Association of Student Philosophers at Biola University - 2004-2005

3. Member of the Brown Bag Ministry at Biola University - 2003-2005

4. Member of the Social Justice Ministry at Biola University - 2003-2004

5. Student leader of high school small group Bible study at Saddleback Church - 2002-2003

6. Cover/Entertainment/Layout Editor and Staff Writer for The Diablo Dispatch, Mission Viejo High School’s monthly newspaper - 2001-2003

7. Co-leader of eighth-grade small group Bible study at Saddleback Church - 2001-2002

8. Advanced Video/Television R.O.P. - 2001-2002

9. Music ministry at Saddleback Church - 2000-2003

10. Student Leadership Ministry at Saddleback Church - 2000-2003

11. Junior Varsity Track and Field at Mission Viejo High School - 1999-2000

HONORS AND AWARDS

1. Fellow Scholar of the World Journalism Institute - awarded in August 2004

2. Dean’s List at Biola University - Fall 2003, Spring 2004 and Fall 2004

3. Excellence in Journalism Award from Mission Viejo High School - 2003

4. Spirit of the Diablo Award for English - 2003

5. Student Spotlight Award from Saddleback Church - 2003

WORK EXPERIENCE

1. 24 published articles for The Chimes, Biola University’s student newspaper - 2003-2005

2. Four published articles for the web edition of Relevant Magazine - 2003-2004

3. Employee for the shipping/production department at the non-profit Purpose Driven Ministries - January 2003-August 2004

4. Videographer/Editor of over 15 wedding, memory, school, and church videos - 2000-2004

OTHER

1. Sundance Film Festival attendee - January 2005

2. World Journalism Institute student - July-August 2004

3. Biola Media Conference attendee - May 2002 and 2004

4. Prague, Czech Republic team, a humanitarian/service orientated trip administering a spiritual interest survey among college students - January 2004

5. Mexicali/Ensenada team, a humanitarian/service-oriented trip during Spring Break; the latter two years I was a student leader - 1999-2003

6. Merida, Venezuela team, a humanitarian/service orientated trip - August 2000

7. Student in the pilot class of the E-Core Program at Mission Viejo High School - 2001-2003

LETTER OF INTENT
I am applying for admission to the Annenberg School of Communication in the area of Print Journalism for entrance in Fall of 2005. If admitted to Annenberg, I believe my experience there will help sharpen my writing skills and prepare me to work on the staff of a major metropolitan publication. While I feel a growing competence in my writing craft, I believe my greatest assets to Annenberg are my capacity for hard work, my willingness to learn and my voracious appetite for knowledge and clarity. For the long term, I’d like to pursue higher education in literature, religion and philosophy to deepen my understanding of the world as a journalist, and as a world citizen.

I have been passionate about journalism since my junior year of high school, when I was appointed Cover, Entertainment and Layout Editor for my school newspaper, the Diablo Dispatch. While on that staff, I also wrote 15 articles, and was the sole senior to receive the “Excellence in Journalism Award” from the faculty.

For the last year-and-a-half, I have attended Biola University as a double major in Print Journalism and Philosophy. During three semesters at Biola, I have been on the staff of the school newspaper, The Chimes, collecting two dozen bylines for pieces on regional news, film and music criticism, and political commentary on the recent presidential election. Additionally, I have had four published articles for the web edition of the Florida-based Relevant Magazine, and my film review of “The Return of the King” was picked up by the nation’s leading religious publication, Christianity Today. In July and August of 2004, I was among 15 college students from around the country selected to attend The World Journalism Institute, an intensive monthlong “boot-camp” consisting of daily lectures and writing assignments given by current and past professional journalists, such as Jeff Brazil and Roy Rivenburg of the Los Angeles Times and Steve Duin of the Oregonian. Following the institute, I was selected as one of four Fellow Scholars for exhibiting exemplary skills in writing, reporting and editing. The award includes a generous monthly stipend that I will receive when I do my professional internship.

I have satisfied my other academic and cultural hungers by joining the Association of Student Philosophers and founding Biola’s first (and hopefully not last) Society of Political Agnostics. Through my work with these groups, I have been able to encourage the marketplace of ideas, exposing a very conservative institution to healthy debate, no matter how controversial the topic. It has been a very fulfilling practical outlet for my philosophical studies.

Additionally, I have made a lifelong commitment to community service. During high school, I worked and served almost daily with my church youth group, both in leadership and mentoring, and participated in five separate relief trips to Mexico and Venezuela. In 2004, I spent the entire month of January conducting a spiritual interest survey among college students in the Czech Republic and Poland to provide statistical data for Agape Ministries. Currently at Biola, I am an active member of the Social Justice Ministry and Brown Bag Ministry, in which student lunches are voluntarily donated to feed the homeless population of East Los Angeles.

In conclusion, I’m both honored and humbled at the thought of attending USC and joining the prestigious Annenberg School of Communication. It is my hope that you will find me worthy of admission. And if you do, I will work hard to prove that you made the right choice.