I’m writing to let you know about an excellent opportunity for Villanova English majors. For the first time, the Summer Publishing Institute at New York University will accept rising college seniors into its intensive six-credit program for aspiring magazine and book publishing professionals.
After graduating from Villanova in May, I attended the Summer Publishing Institute. Our class of just under 100 students from all over the world worked in small groups to launch mock magazines and book imprints. During the course of the program, we also attended daily lectures led by editors, publishers, marketing directors, publicists, literary agents, designers, and sales representatives from top companies in the business—Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Scholastic, Hachette, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Meredith, Time Inc., Hearst, and Condé Nast, to name a few.
Within a month of receiving my certificate from NYU, I landed seven job interviews in New York City, several of which turned into offers. Now, I’m an editorial assistant at Food Network Magazine—a dream first job where I get to read and write every day. I’m honored to say that my office is full of former English majors who bring the same creative energy I fostered at Villanova.
I hope other English majors at Villanova will consider applying to the Summer Publishing Institute (or similar programs at Columbia University, The University of Southern California, and the University of Denver). The creative writing and journalism workshops I took in college and my work in the Writing Center led me on the path to becoming an editor, and the Summer Publishing Institute provided me with the industry-specific skills and connections I needed to stand out in such a competitive field.
The priority application deadline (which applicants are encouraged to meet) is February 1, 2018. The final deadline is March 19, 2018. For more information, students may read the program’s online brochure.
