Medill Admissions

What we look for in prospective IMC students

What we look for in prospective IMC students

Medill actively seeks a diverse applicant pool representing a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds, life experiences and activities. No particular prior course of study is required (but applicants must have, or expect to receive prior to enrollment, a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university); a broad undergraduate liberal arts education is good preparation for our program. We look for:

  • outstanding prior academic performance;
  • excellent writing, interpersonal communication and quantitative skills;
  • evidence of the maturity and professionalism necessary to succeed in a fast-paced, intensive graduate program; and
  • adaptability and willingness to learn about and use various new technologies and applications.

In addition, at least two to three years of full-time professional experience in a related field is very strongly preferred.

Additional important factors for prospective IMC students

Integrated marketing communications requires versatility, because analytical thinking married to great ideas are so highly valued. Students who are good at strategic and analytical thinking, as well as creative thinking, thrive in this program. 

Understanding customers and stakeholders is central to IMC skills development, and that understanding is in large part gained through data analysis, so quantitative skills are important for this program. Strong quantitative test scores, or a combination of good scores, strong overall prior academic performance and/or internships or work experience that inspire confidence in the applicant's quantitative skills are important.

This is a communications program, so well-developed writing, speaking and presentation skills are valued; and so too are collaborative “working well with others" skills. International students must demonstrate very strong spoken and written English language skills via the interview, application essay and TOEFL scores.

Finally, this program requires strong motivation. This is an intense, professionally-oriented program, and our students depend on one another's enthusiasm and energy as well as their professional maturity and commitment. Evidence that the applicant works well in teams and has the professionalism and maturity to handle a focused, graduate level program is important.  

What about average GPAs and test scores?

We don't calculate average GPAs or test scores for admission purposes. Each file is reviewed individually and holistically, so test scores and GPAs are viewed in context with the rest of the file, including essays, resume and recommendations. We look at your college transcripts not just for the overall GPA, but also for what classes you took and how you did in them.

If you have questions or concerns about your GPA, test scores or other elements of your application file, please contact our Office.

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