Nieman Fellowship at Harvard

Anybody have any info about this program? Seems like it would be a pretty good opportunity, but I'm guessing it's pretty competitive and would be tough for a copy editor/sports guy working at a non-glamour outlet to land.

 

Very competitive. My grandma was one of the first women allowed in. It's probably even more competitive now. It probably helps if you have a plan of study that is compelling and unique. My advice would be to find someone who has been through it in your area and pick their brain.

 

This right here. I don't think Neiman has any hang-ups about taking people from small papers. They do it every year. But the point of the fellowship is you have to show them specifically what you'd study at Harvard that would make you a better journalist, and explain how this would benefit others. That's what they're interested in, a compelling reason for YOU to study at Harvard for free.

 

The best thing about this program is you'd get to buy a "Boston" hoodie and brag about where you got it.

 

Bevo, I'd advise learning all about all of Harvard's many curricula as you could and seeing what if anything struck your fancy. All of Harvard has very high bullshit detector settings in the admission processes, so it's best to come up with an idea for study first and go from there.
Don't be abashed. Assess your own strengths as a journalist first and then see where they fit at Harvard. My son had nowhere near the grades to be accepted to Harvard, but he was waitlisted because he had studied standup comedy on his own, and they were, as always looking to recruit Lampoon writers.