collageNorthwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism is one of the most selective journalism schools in the country. The school boasts an acceptance rate that is consistently well below 10 percent. The Northwestern Medill acceptance rate fluctuates each year, but it consistently ranks amongst the top journalism schools in the country. Prospective students should study hard, apply early, and explore all options available to them to ensure their chances of acceptance into the program.
Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism has one of the best M.A. programs in the country for aspiring journalists. The Medill program has the reputation of being the most selective journalism school, especially MBA journalism programs, which places pride in its acceptance rate.
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Overview of Northwestern Medill University
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications (Medill) is a constituent school of Northwestern University that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It frequently ranks as the top school of journalism in the United States. Medill alumni include 40 Pulitzer Prize laureates, numerous national correspondents for major networks, and many well-known reporters and columnists. Northwestern is one of the few schools embracing a technological approach towards journalism. Medill received a Knight Foundation grant to establish the Knight News Innovation Laboratory in 2011. The Knight Lab is a joint initiative of Medill and the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern, one of the first to combine journalism and computer science.
Medill has been ranked number one in its category by U.S. News & World Report since 1997 and was named by Forbes as one of its top 25 business schools for return on investment (ROI). The school has also been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Top Colleges for providing students with an exceptional education at an affordable price; it ranks fifth among all universities nationwide for highest average starting salary after graduation among graduates from its major programs: Journalism/Communication Studies; Business/Management; Communications Technologies; Political Science/Government; Social Sciences/Social Work; Psychology; Sociology;
Medill is an international leader in digital media and has been ranked by Business Insider as the #1 program in the country for starting a career in digital media or technology. The two-year master’s degree is designed to train students through hands-on experience and mentorship.
Northwestern’s admission review process is holistic, which means that we take your academic record, your extracurricular activities, and your personal essay into careful consideration. We consider all of these factors to better understand who you are as an individual. This approach helps us to admit a diverse class from different backgrounds and various stages in life
Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,231, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Northwestern University’s ranking in the 2020 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #9. Its tuition and fees are $56,691.
What began as farmland and swampland in the 1850s became the Northwestern campus and the city of Evanston, Ill. Northwestern University is a Division I school in the Big Ten athletic conference. Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team has won multiple NCAA national championships. The school has hundreds of campus organizations to fulfill students’ varied interests. All first-year students are required to live on campus for two years. The school’s 10 residential colleges offer thematic living quarters for social and academic programming. Northwestern’s main campuses are located along Lake Michigan in Evanston and Chicago. In 2008, Northwestern opened a third branch in Doha, Qatar.
Of Northwestern’s dozen schools, nine offer undergraduate programs and 10 offer graduate and professional programs. Northwestern’s highly-ranked graduate schools include the Kellogg School of Management, the School of Education and Social Policy, the School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program. Northwestern’s Medill School is known for its strong journalism graduate program.
Northwestern’s Dance Marathon, created in 1975, is one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the country and has raised more than $20 million for Chicago-area charities. Notable alumni include the 55th mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel; retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; actor, writer and director Zach Braff; comedian Stephen Colbert; and Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress Heather Headley.
Northwestern University has a lot going for it. It’s ranked #9 in Best National Universities. For aspiring pre-med students, it has arguably the best combined BS/MD program in the nation. And it’s located just north of Chicago on a jaw-droppingly beautiful campus located right on Lake Michigan. Sold? Cool. Let’s jump right in and take a look at exactly how to get into Northwestern University.
Will you need to be an academic rockstar to call yourself a Wildcat? The short answer is yes. We’ll cover every aspect of how to get into Northwestern, but first, here are some facts about Northwestern admissions.
Northwestern Medill Acceptance Rate
Northwestern accepted 9 percent of its applicants for the Class of 2024, University spokesperson Jon Yates told The Daily in an email.
The acceptance rate dropped from 13 percent last year, when Northwestern accepted 1,931 students. The drop comes after a record-low acceptance rate of 8.9 percent in 2017, when Northwestern accepted 1,932 students out of 21,282 applicants.
The University received 41,033 applications this year and offered admission to 2,827 students. The top three undergraduate colleges chosen by admitted students are Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences with 1,107 admits; McCormick School of Engineering with 741 admits; and School of Communication with 613 admits.
This marks the second straight year in which Northwestern’s acceptance rate has risen, up from 8.9 percent last year and 8.4 percent the year before. This year’s figure matches the percentage of students accepted in 2017. That same year, the acceptance rate fell below double digits for the first time and has stayed there ever since.
The slight uptick in acceptance rates at Northwestern is endemic of trends at other selective institutions. This year, Harvard University accepted 4.9 percent of its applicants, up from 4.6 percent in 2019. Dartmouth College accepted 8.8 percent of its applicants, up from 7.9 percent in 2019. Yale University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania all saw similar rises.
Still, acceptance rates for Northwestern and other universities have fallen significantly over the last decade. In 2010, Northwestern accepted 23.1 percent of its applicants. That same year, Dartmouth accepted 15.4 percent of applicants. Harvard’s acceptance rate was at 9.3 percent.
This year, NU received a total of 39,261 applications for the Class of 2024 and admitted 3,542 students. Last year, the University received a record high of 40,579 total applications, up from the previous record set the year before.
Yates told The Daily that the University expects an incoming class of 1,975.
Students accepted via regular decision have until May 1 to make their college decisions. However, they’ll have little opportunity to visit campus beforehand due to the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus. Earlier this month, the University canceled Wildcat Days and other prospective student programming through mid-April.
medill school of journalism tuition
The estimated cost of attendance is used to help guide your financial planning, determine financial aid eligibility and award federal loans to students applying for federal financial aid. It includes University direct charges such as tuition and fees, and variable expenses for books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, personal expenses, and room and board.
Keep in mind that your actual costs may differ depending on your individual expenses, budget needs and financial planning. Learn more about financing your Medill education on our financial aid page.
University direct charges
All students are charged tuition and an activity fee.
| Total for Four Quarters Based on the 2020-2021 budget | |
| Tuition | $65,916 |
| Activity fee | $1,360 |
| Total direct charges | $67,276 |
|---|
Variable expenses
Actual amounts for the following items will vary depending on your needs, budgeting decisions and financial aid eligibility. The amounts listed are for four quarters.
| Books and supplies This may include expenses needed for books and supplies. | $1,200 |
| Transportation This may include airline tickets and other related transportation costs for getting to/from campus(es) as well as other expenses related to ground transportation beyond the CTA pass distributed by Medill. | $2,000 |
| Student health insurance Domestic students can waive Northwestern’s student health insurance plan with proof of alternative health insurance. International students are required to purchase health insurance through Northwestern. | $4,170 |
| Room and board This may include expenses related to housing on or off campus and expenses for meals. | $22,000 |
| Loan fees Fees are charged when student loans disburse. Depending on your loan amount, your actual loan fees will vary. | $2,100 |
| Personal expenses This may include other expenses not captured in the above listed categories related to students’ individual needs. | $6,000 |
medill school of journalism ranking
Northwestern University is one of the top Private universities in Evanston, United States. It is one of only four top 10 US universities also ranked in the top 20 in each of the five graduate education categories.
The university has a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with more than 120 majors and 80 minors available at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Northwestern has been recognized as one of the most innovative universities in the world.
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management is consistently ranked among the top MBA programs in the world by Forbes, Businessweek and Financial Times. The university’s School of Law is also highly regarded, with alumni including Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and several former U.S. Cabinet members.
In addition to its academic strengths, Northwestern offers students an exciting social environment that includes more than 400 student organizations; a diverse community with almost 3,000 international students from 134 countries; a variety of cultural events throughout each year; and many opportunities for internships within the Evanston area or abroad through study abroad programs offered through each school within Northwestern University (Schools include: Medill School of Journalism; Bienen School of Music; Weinberg College Business Administration; McCormick School Engineering & Applied Science).
- #29 QS World University Rankings, 2022
- #11 QS WUR Ranking By Subject, 2022
- #9 in National Universities by US News & World Report, 2021
- Graduate Employability Ranking #30
- US UNI (universities) #16
Quick Northwestern Admissions Statistics
| Northwestern SAT scores (average composite) | 1495 out of 1600 |
| Northwestern ACT scores (average composite) | 34 out of 36 |
| Northwestern GPA (average of admitted students) | 4.1 out of 4.0 |
| Northwestern acceptance rate | 9% for the class of 2024. |
As you can see, the Northwestern admissions board means business, and Northwestern is extremely selective. But if you’ve got the academic chops, you just may stand a chance of getting accepted.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at exactly what you’ll need to make your application irresistible to Northwestern University.
Northwestern’s GPA Average
The average high school GPA of students admitted to Northwestern University is a 4.1.
To earn a GPA north of 4.0, you’ll have to be at the top of your class, earning straight-A’s all the way.
A good way to raise your GPA and push it over the 4.0 mark is to earn A’s in honors, IB, and/or AP courses. Depending on how your high school calculates GPA, A’s in these types of courses are awarded a higher value. In fact, it’s a good idea to take as many challenging, college-level courses as possible during high school. Excelling in them indicates to Northwestern that you are ready for the rigor of their academics.
Here’s something super important to keep in mind though: it’s very difficult to change your GPA beyond your sophomore year. So if Northwestern is your dream school, you’ll have to hit the ground running with straight-A’s early on.
Northwestern SAT Scores
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you plan to submit SAT scores to Northwestern:
- Northwestern accepts SAT or ACT scores, but you can submit both if you’d like.
- You may self-report your scores, but are required to submit official scores upon acceptance and attendance.
- You may report your highest scores on each section across all of you test dates.
- SAT subject tests are optional for most programs and required for the Honors Program in Medical Education and the Integrated Science Program.
- The SAT Essay component is optional.
You can read more about Northwestern’s testing policies (including but let’s move on to the good stuff…
What do you actually need to score for a good chance of getting in?
The average composite SAT score of students admitted to Northwestern University is an impressive 1495. For a better idea of your actual chances with various scores, here are the percentiles:The 25th percentile for Northwestern SAT scores is 1450.The 75th percentile for Northwestern SAT scores is 1540.
What does this mean? If you score a 1450 or lower, you’ll be below average compared to the other applicants. On the other hand, if you score a 1540 or higher, you’ll be above average.
So for the best chance of getting accepted, you’ll want to score a 1540 or higher.
As far as the percentiles for each SAT section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | 765 | 740 | 790 |
| Reading | 730 | 700 | 760 |
| Composite | 1495 | 1450 | 1540 |
Since you can self-report scores in each section across multiple testing dates, we advise aiming for the 75th percentile score for each section.
Northwestern ACT Scores
If you plan to submit ACT scores to Northwestern:
- You should self-report your highest composite test score overall (from one particular test sitting).
- The Writing test is optional.
- The 25th percentile for Northwestern ACT scores is 33.
- The 7th percentile for Northwestern ACT scores is 35.
This means a 33 or lower will place you below average compared to other applicants while a 35 or higher will place you above average.
That said, we recommend taking the ACT as many times as necessary to crack a 34. It’s a tall order, but we believe in you!
| ACT Section | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Math | 32 | 34 |
| Reading | 32 | 34 |
Applications by Current Northwestern Undergraduates
If you are a current Northwestern undergraduate who is not a Medill student, you do not need to pay the application fee and may request a waiver of the GRE/GMAT test requirement.
If you are a current Medill undergraduate:
- You do not need to pay the application fee and may request a waiver of the GRE/GMAT test requirement;
- One of your letters of recommendation must be from a Medill faculty member whose course you have completed;
- You should submit a published clip or article written for a Medill journalism class for your writing sample;
- If you are interested in applying to the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP), before submitting your application you must schedule a counseling session with Professor Desi Hansford and your academic advisor in the Medill Office of Student Life to confirm your eligibility to apply as an AMP student.
Northwestern Application Requirements And Info
Moving on to the application process, let’s talk about what you’ll actually need to submit to Northwestern in order to apply.
Here’s a super helpful overview of Northwestern’s undergraduate admissions requirements. Included are specific instructions for transfer students as well as students applying to various honors, engineering, science, music, and musical theatre programs.
Otherwise, here’s a handy checklist of exactly what you’ll need to provide (and a printable version of this checklist):
- A formal application, either through The Common Application or The Coalition Application
- Your high school transcript(s) and school report(s)
- At least one letter of recommendation from an academic teacher who knows you well (more on this later!)
- A $75 application fee or application fee waiver
- A mid-year report
Additionally, you may need to provide the following:
- A music audition (if you’re a School of Music applicant)
- 3 SAT subject tests (if you’re a homeschooled student)
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (if you’re an international student whose first language is not English)
Other Important Factors
Journalism requires passion. While Medill does not require a bachelor’s degree in journalism or prior work experience in journalism, evidence of engagement with current events and an interest in finding and reporting stories is important. We believe these qualities are found in applicants with a broad variety of backgrounds, from those with long-held interests in journalism to those who have recently considered it.
Writing skills are also important. We look for students who not only write well, but also write engagingly.
At Medill, we prize good storytelling, and we like to see potential in that area no matter what platform an applicant has used so far.
Finally, multimedia skills, or a strong interest in developing them, are a plus. Medill’s graduate journalism curriculum emphasizes cross-platform skills. Openness to the storytelling possibilities in a variety of media is essential.
What are the minimum or average GPAs and GRE or GMAT test scores of admitted students?
We review each application file individually and holistically, considering test scores and GPAs in context with the rest of the file, including essays, resume and recommendations. We look for GRE and GMAT scores that are in line with or better than what might be expected based on prior academic performance. We look at undergraduate transcripts not just for the overall GPA, but also for the courses you took and how you performed in them.
Northwestern University Application Requirements
Northwestern is very selective with an acceptance rate of just 14 percent, so students seeking admissions must meet some tough criteria. Incoming freshmen must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent from an accredited institution. First-year students must have at least four years of English, three years of math, three years of laboratory science, two years of social science, and two years of foreign language. Grade requirements aren’t posted, but freshmen at Northwestern have an average high school GPA over 3.5. Students also usually score over 2000 on the SAT or above 30 on the ACT.
Students wishing to transfer to Northwestern University must have completed a minimum of 24 transferrable semester hours at a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have graduated from high school at least 12 months and finished one full academic year of college to qualify for transfer. Generally, students must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA for transferring their credits. Northwestern prefers to admit transfers who have completed the full range of liberal arts and sciences prior to applying.
Graduates looking to enroll at Northwestern must already hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree or a comparable non-U.S. degree from a regionally accredited college. Graduate students are required to possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, but some programs have even higher expectations. High-achieving students can be admitted with one quarter of undergraduate study remaining. Depending on the degree, Northwestern may mandate that students submit entrant test scores for the GRE or GMAT. Graduate business degrees at Northwestern typically prefer candidates with two or more years of full-time experience.
Before Northwestern’s specified deadlines, interested applicants should submit their application form with the following supplemental materials:
- Official transcripts or academic records
- Standardized testing scores
- Two to three recommendation letters
- A well-written statement of purpose on career objectives
- The $95 non-refundable application fee (if not waived)
northwestern medill graduate acceptance rate
Northwestern is very selective with an acceptance rate of just 14 percent, so students seeking admissions must meet some tough criteria
northwestern acceptance rate
Northwestern University is a comprehensive research institute, internationally recognized for excellence in academics and research. The institute has over 8,000 undergraduate students and over 13,000 graduate students including 11% of international applicants from different corners of the world. The university stands as one of four universities in the US ranked in the top 20 across all graduate education categories.
With a 9.1% acceptance rate in the recent academic year, admissions at Northwestern University are extremely selective. The admissions are available for intakes on a rolling basis around the year with common deadlines of the early and regular decision being November 1 and January 1, respectively.
Northwestern Medill Admission Process
Students in the graduate journalism program come from a variety of countries, schools and undergraduate majors. No specific major or prior coursework is required, but common undergraduate majors are journalism, English, communications, political science, English literature and history.
The following criteria are used to evaluate applications:
- Excellent writing, interpersonal communication and quantitative skills
- Outstanding prior academic performance
- Curiosity, engagement with current events and an interest in discovering and reporting stories beyond personal experience
- Evidence of the maturity and professionalism necessary to succeed in a fast-paced, intensive graduate program (e.g., work or internship experience, not necessarily in journalism; study abroad; volunteer work; campus or community leadership, etc.)
- Adaptability and willingness to learn about and use new technologies and applications
Though not required, prior professional and/or campus journalism experience is recognized. Applicants without prior professional and/or campus journalism experience should explain how their professional and campus experiences have prepared them to succeed in journalism.
We seek to admit students with a variety of majors. We consider both breadth of academic background and areas of specialization in your undergraduate program, as well as any prior graduate work.
Bachelor’s Degree
You must have earned your four-year bachelor’s degree before starting the MSJ program. You may apply prior to completing your degree. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation and degree verification from a NACES provider (see www.naces.org for a list of approved providers) indicating their bachelor’s degree is the equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree in the United States.
Academic Transcripts
When you apply, you must submit academic transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended. You are not required to submit a transcript for non-degree course work for certificates or MOOCs. Please list non-degree coursework on your resume.
Transfer credit: In addition to the transcript from your home institution, you must submit a transcript from any other institution where you received credit for at least three courses that transferred to your home institution. This includes credit earned on study abroad programs hosted by an institution other than your home institution. You must submit a separate transcript from the institution where you received transfer credit even if the grades for your transfer courses appear on your home institution transcript. (Your “home institution” is the institution where you received your degree.)
For application review, you can submit either official or unofficial transcripts. To be official, a transcript must be sent directly from your institution to Medill, either via postal mail or electronically, with any seals intact.
You can also send official transcripts via secure e-transcript provider to Medill Graduate Admissions (the preferred method for receiving transcripts) or via mail directly from the institution to:
Medill Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid
Northwestern University
1845 Sheridan Road
Suite 104
Evanston, IL 60208-2101
You can upload unofficial transcripts in the “Academic Experience” section of the application. Please make sure that uploaded unofficial transcripts are complete (state the name of the institution and all quarters and semesters of enrollment) and legible; If they are not, the processing of your application could be delayed. If the size of your unofficial transcript file is too large to upload directly into the online application, please email your transcript to Medill Graduate Admissions.
Please note: The Northwestern University Medill Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid is a separate office from Northwestern University’s The Graduate School. Transcripts must be routed directly to Medill’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid. Transcripts sent to The Graduate School or any other school at Northwestern in error cannot be transferred to Medill.
If you are admitted and choose to enroll in the program you will be required to submit official and final copies of all your transcripts that confirm your degree, 30 days prior to enrollment (start of classes), including your final undergraduate transcript with proof of your degree and the date it was conferred. Medill reserves the right to withdraw an admission offer if we do not receive these official transcripts by this deadline. It is your responsibility to request an official transcript from the registrar of each institution and to ensure transcripts are sent to Medill.
Applicants with international transcripts
Applicants with international transcripts must also submit an independent course-by-course credential evaluation and degree verification from a NACES provider (see www.naces.org for a list) at the time they submit their application.
Please note: The Northwestern University Medill Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid is a separate office from Northwestern University’s The Graduate School. Transcripts must be routed directly to the Medill’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid.
Admissions Interview
Admissions Interviews are optional, though recommended for applicants who would like to address any application area of concern with an admissions officer, such as a lack of journalism course work and/or experience, career changes or academic concerns. The Medill Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid will also reserve the right to request an interview with an applicant if deemed necessary. You can schedule an interview during your selected application Round (please note each Round has a final date that an interview must be scheduled by). We encourage you to schedule your interview prior to submitting your application. Interviews are held via Zoom or similar service. If none of the listed interview times are convenient for you, email, Medill Graduate Admissions to schedule one.
GRE or GMAT Test Scores (waiver available)
Medill requires GRE or GMAT test scores. The test must have been taken within five years of your application submission date. Medill accepts scores from at-home versions of these tests.
Medill allows you the option to self-report your test scores, with percentages, on your application. This allows you to manually type in your scores and percentages without ordering the scores to be sent to Medill. Once you submit your application, we will review these unofficial scores along with the rest of your file. If we decide to offer you admission based on these unofficial scores, it will be on the condition that you send us your official scores at least 30 days prior to enrollment (start of classes).
The official copy of test scores should be sent directly to Medill from ETS or GMAC. Our GRE code is 1699. Our GMAT code is 6WZ-XH-66. Allow four weeks for our office to receive your scores.
You may request a waiver of the GRE and GMAT requirement if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You are unable to take the GRE/GMAT test due to COVID-19 restrictions (please note Medill does accept the at-home versions of these tests)
- You have a final, cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale or you are a senior with a current GPA of 3.5 or above;
- You have earned a master’s or doctorate degree;
- You have 3 or more years of relevant full-time professional work and/or freelance experience;
- You are a current degree-seeking Northwestern University student or degree-holding alumnus/a.
If you are requesting a waiver based on any of the above criteria, you should check the GRE/GMAT waiver box in the Test Information section of the application. If you request a waiver based on work experience, you are required to submit a written waiver request with your current resume and undergraduate transcript to Medill Graduate Admissions for approval.
Please note, if you request a waiver, we may still require that you take the GRE or GMAT if we think it will allow us to give better consideration to your application.
If you would like verification of your waiver prior to submitting your application, you may email Medill Graduate Admissions. Please attach relevant documents to your email request (e.g. resume, undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts) and a short explanation of why you are requesting a waiver.
If we approve your request, you can view the waiver approval by logging into your online application portal.
Please email Medill Graduate Admissions if you have questions about your eligibility for a waiver.
TOEFL or IELTS Test Scores for International Applicants (waiver available)
If you are an international student, and English is not your first language, you must submit English language test scores. Medill will accept Duolingo, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores. Medill will accept at-home versions of these English language tests. The Duolingo, TOEFL or IELTS test must have been taken within two years of your application submission date. Send TOEFL scores to Medill using code 1699-18. The IELTS test must be the Academic version. If you are submitting IELTS scores you can provide the TRF number on your application instead of sending an official report. Please send Duolingo scores to Medill Graduate Admissions.
Medill allows you the option to self-report your test scores in your application, or to manually type in your scores without ordering an official score report to be sent to Medill. Once you submit your application, we will review these unofficial scores along with the rest of your file. If we decide to offer you admission based on these unofficial scores, it will be on the condition that you send us your official scores at least 30 days prior to enrollment (or the start of classes).
Please email Medill Graduate Admissions if you have questions about your eligibility for a waiver. We will consider waivers for applicants with significant English language skills from years of study in the United States (college-level, high school, and/or relevant post-graduate work experience).
Resume
Submit your current resume, which should highlight your professional and academic experiences, including non-degree course work, certificates and MOOCs. We encourage applicants to include all relevant positions recently held on their resume, including non-journalism jobs, internships or volunteer experiences. This includes work-study and other positions held during college.
Essays
Please upload a professional statement and a writing sample, as described in the MSJ Essays section of the application.
Professional statement: Please describe your interest in Medill’s Journalism program in 1500 words or fewer. Be sure to address the following questions:
- What is it about Medill’s MSJ program that particularly attracts you, and how will the program help you to achieve your future goals?
- Why are you applying to the particular specialization you selected?
- Describe a time when you received critical feedback (for example, in a class, job or internship). What did you learn from the experience?
Writing sample: Please provide a writing sample that showcases your best work, demonstrating research and reporting skills. You may submit a published clip or a sample of work from a college or graduate-level class. Do not submit a broadcast script. Please limit your writing sample to three pages or fewer. Or, you may write an essay of 750 words or fewer that answers any or all of the following questions: How would you define the role of journalism in your society? What are current news organizations doing right, and what would you like to improve? What is an example of a text piece of journalism that covers an area of your interest; what do you think the piece does well and what are areas of improvement? Where would you like journalism to be five years from now?
Diversity Statement (optional): If you wish, you can provide a statement of 300 words or fewer describing how your background and identities would contribute to the diversity of our class.
Additional Information (optional): If there is anything in your application that you would like to address (e.g., GRE or GMAT scores, GPA, lack of journalism or other work experience) or any additional information you would like to include, please do so here in 300 words or fewer.
If you would like to be considered for the Comer scholarship scholarship (offered to students applying to the Health, Environment and Sciences specialization) please complete the required essay in the MSJ Essays section of the application.
Work Samples (optional)
You may upload or provide links to up to three published clips, scripts or other writing samples, or video or interactive samples. If you don’t have any published samples, you are encouraged to submit an excerpt of your best work from a college class.
All samples should be in English. If your sample is not in English, please provide a translation. If your sample was a group project, please describe your contribution to it. (If your group project is a link, you can upload this description using one of the upload buttons.)
Please do not submit large collections of work. Written samples should not exceed three pages and video samples should not be longer than five minutes. Additional clips or extremely long writing samples (e.g. a thesis) will not be reviewed.
Recommendations
Medill requires two letters of recommendation for applicants to our graduate programs. You may submit a third recommendation if you wish. Recommendations should be from someone who can assess your academic and professional abilities (e.g., employers, supervisors, current or former professors). Recommendations from family members or from friends who do not have direct experience with your professional or academic work will not be accepted. Enter your recommenders’ contact information in the online application. The system will then email your recommenders instructions on how to submit their letters online. You are responsible for reminding recommenders to submit their letters through the online system by the deadline. If your recommender has trouble submitting their letter, please contact Medill Graduate Admissions. Please note: We cannot accept letters of recommendation submitted by applicants; they must come directly from the recommender.
Application Fee
There is a $75 non-refundable application fee. You may pay this online by credit card or indicate that you will be paying by check. If paying by check, please include the payment voucher that you can print from your online application and mail your payment to the:
Medill Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid
Northwestern University
1845 Sheridan Road
Suite 104
Evanston, IL 60208-2101
If you are a current or former member of the U.S. Armed Forces, AmeriCorps, Teach for America or the Peace Corps, you may request a fee waiver by sending an email to Director of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid Julie Collins prior to submitting your application.
We also offer a limited number of application fee waivers based on financial need; requests of this nature must be requested in writing prior to submitting your application. Send your request to Director Julie Collins.
Northwestern has a low acceptance rate of 10%, which means that only 10 percent of all applicants are accepted into the program. This is not surprising, considering that Northwestern is a prestigious journalism school with an international reputation.
The average GPA of students accepted into Northwestern Medill is 3.81. Students should be prepared to have their GPA fall within the top 5% of their high school class in order to be considered for admission to this prestigious institution.
There are many factors that go into deciding whether or not you will be accepted into Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. If you are looking for an elite journalism education, then Northwestern might be worth your time and consideration.
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