So, when I was looking at colleges, I looked intending to pursue journalism. I have always had a backup plan and a double major in economics, but my true love is and continuously will be broadcast journalism and social media. I looked across the internet, and no matter how far you looked, there are always differing opinions and thoughts about how good a school is or the opportunities provided. However, I have yet to see rankings for student organizations. If you seek it out, you’ll find it, but they aren’t something that most people think of.

I mention this because The Daily Iowan and DITV (where I work) are ranked incredibly high nationwide. Compared to Ivy League colleges, Iowa has one of the best-ranked student newspapers and TV stations of any college that will help prepare you for your future in journalism. I personally work for DITV, the student broadcasting station. We do live shows every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve worked my butt off and actually got to anchor my first show on Friday (tiny brag), but DITV is also the #2 ranked student news broadcast in the country, only behind Baylor. But they pre-record their broadcasts, and we do them live, so we’re better.

The point is, when looking at schools, don’t just look at their rankings for specific schools and departments. Some schools might have better journalism schools on the surface, but the experience and hands-on work you get from a top-ranked station is second to none. It is one of the best things about U Iowa and one of the highest ranked. I urge you to check out a broadcast (specifically on October 4th, as some super handsome and charismatic guy is supposed to be making his anchoring debut).