USC short answer. Share your input and opinions.

Describe your academic interests and how you pan to pursue them at USC.

As the only thing that will allow me to be myself, journalism is something that I want to pursue which can guide me into expressing what I stand for. What sparked my interest and passion in the media was all the news I constantly watch on TV. That's what I dream to be, a broadcast journalist. Enrolling at USC will open many opportunistic doors for me in the entertainment industry, which I will take advantage of to benefit me and to help me grow into becoming the successful journalist I wish to be. If admitted, USC will provide the opportunity for me to learn and explore from many professionals who I will look up to as role models, to give me a broad education in the field. Additionally, USC, being in the heart of Los Angeles, will give me the chance to work with a mixture of largely successful entertainment businesses, in order to upgrade my journalistic qualities, and gain knowledge and experience on how to intrigue the distinct mass media audiences. I look forward to the exciting adventure, and I strongly believe that USC is the perfect place for me.

What makes you feel "desperate" about this paper?

How long does it need to be?

I feel like somethings missing from it, and it needs improvement. I'm desperate because I have many more essays to write for other universities, as well as one more for USC, the long answer, but I feel like I can't move on from one when I feel like it's not good enough yet. It needs to be a paragraph long, that's all it said on the supplement, they didn't specify.

Do you have any input or an opinion on it? I could really use the help. Thanks.

This won't take too long.

What you've written doesn't require tons of revision, but there IS something missing.

Tell me why journalism interests you. Don't use fancy language, and don't write for an essay.

Well the reason is that I feel I'll be most comfortable pursuing journalism as a career. I can be myself, I can express my opinions freely, and I can really be who I want to be. I'm inquisitive, I like discovering, I like to inform people on anything new (precisely things which have a shock/surprise factor), I like to talk and debate, I like to help people. It's just who I am I guess, "it's in my nature" as people say. I've watched my friends have doors open up to them, and get cool opportunities which they can learn from, but I never got anything. I don't like to talk about it, but I experienced a short phase of depression because I didn't feel like I was good enough for anything, but that's because I was following a false idea of what I wanted to pursue, which lead me to many downfalls, academically. I have big dreams which I'd love to turn into a reality. Having said that, with journalism I feel like those opportunistic doors (as I said in the essay) can finally open up for me, and I can be happy and my dreams will have a chance of becoming a reality. I'm finally pleased with the decision I've made, and I've worked my butt off to overcome the hardships I faced. And now I'm finally following my own dreams.

I know what I just wrote is a bit too much, and I didn't write about my depression to make you feel sorry for me, but it's the only way I felt I could really tell you why I want to major in journalism. I hope my explanation was clear enough.

No problem. You did great. I have about an hour before an appointment with another student, but let me look at everything you have here.

Thank you. What do you mean? Like should I show you other essays?

No, I don't have time for other essays right now. I meant let me look at everything you've posted that pertains to this essay.

Oh okay great. Thanks for everything! I'll be waiting for your feedback.

Tell me what you'd like added or removed.

Ironically, I have only recently discovered that my inquisitiveness-along with my desire to teach, learn, and debate-constitute the basis of my academic core. The study of journalism will best enable me to pursue and cultivate these interests and passions. The University of Southern California in particular will provide for me the opportunity to explore and to learn about mass media from role models with broad journalistic experience. Additionally, USC's location in the heart of Los Angeles (arguably the media capital of the world) can only enhance my ability to work with a diverse mixture of successful entertainment professionals. I look forward to studying the nuances of communication and its profound effect on the human condition. I look forward to this adventure, and USC is the perfect place for me to maximize my potential not only with regard to journalism but across a wide range of academic disciplines.

There may be a typo or two. I'll reread it later today.

OH MY GOD I LOVE IT!!!! Do you think anything related to the first line, from the original essay, should be added? [(allowing me to be myself...expressing what I stand for)]. If I use this will it be cheating? But then again you only expanded on what I wrote, right? I feel like it's too good (you have talent man!) to be written by a high school student. But I genuinely love it, and I really want to use it. Also, do you think "teach" should be replaced with "inform"? Even though the meaning is sort of similar.

Also, in the question they said we should elaborate on our first (and second, but I won't) choice major...so you should probably say Broadcast and Digital journalism or at least just Broadcast journalism...

Having said that, thank you so much. I can't thank you enough, when I first read it I was speechless from how good it is.

If I have any other essays or further questions or just advice, can I please ask for your help? YOU ARE AWESOME.

If you'd like to include it, go ahead. Be sure to send the whole thing to me again for final proofreading.


What I've done is rephrased and clarified YOUR ideas. If you'd like to redo it, here's how:

---Read silently what I've posted.
---Wait five minutes.
---Reread it aloud.
---Wait fifteen to thirty minutes.
---Rewrite it.

NO PEEKING

Send it to me at johnjeremy215 at gmail dot com.


If high school students were actually taught how to write, you and most others wouldn't be here.


Damn. I didn't know that. You should probably add a sentence or two about broadcast journalism.


Of course you can ask me. Thanks for the compliment, but I've been doing this a long time---I'm supposed to be "awesome."