Skip to Main Content

Medill Cherubs

Many of tomorrow's rock-star journalists can be found in our prestigious program for high school students, the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (MNJI). This four-week summer institute, also known as the cherub program, is for rising seniors seeking the inside scoop on professional journalism and looking to connect with peers who are just as passionate about pursuing a journalism career.

2019 Medill cherubs pose for a photo on the stairs of a building
The 2019 Medill cherubs and their instructors and mentors

Hands-on experience and the opportunity to learn from accomplished instructors who include professional journalists, educators and Medill graduates—some of whom were cherubs themselves—attract applicants from across the globe.

If you have experience in digital journalism, newspaper, TV, radio or yearbook and are considering majoring in journalism in college, apply to the cherub program. You'll build a foundation in reporting, writing and editing with assignments that will incorporate print, video, audio, photojournalism and digital storytelling. You also will have the opportunity to learn coding.

Cherubs taught me the mechanics of journalism—the who, what, when, where—and the vibrant complexities of journalism—the how and why. Attending cherubs was the best decision I made in high school. The cherub program will teach you how to read critically, ask important questions and be curious about our complex world.

Erica Snow (BSJ19)

You will be paired with a mentor who will critique your assignments and meet with you weekly. You will stay in our residence halls with program staff, eat in our cafeterias and visit major sites in Chicago.

At the end of the summer, you will return home with experience writing news stories, features and opinion pieces. You also will take home connections and lifelong friendships with other aspiring journalists.

Applications are available in late October and are due in mid-March. You’ll be notified of acceptance in early April.

Learn more and apply on the Cherubs website

Spending a summer at Medill advanced my reporting and writing skills tremendously and put me in a position to succeed in college. But cherubs is about more than just journalism; it is a medium for creating long-lasting friendships and meeting people, whom you create instantaneous bonds with. I met my best friends at cherubs, and I cannot put into words how profound the impact the program had on me was.

Daniel Waldman (BSJ19)