Communications is one one of the most popular majors there is and with the rise of social media, job opportunities are abundant.  So if you are a female student interested in communications, public relations, broadcasting, social media, writing, or marketing, this could be a great opportunity for you.

The New York Women in Communications Foundation is the community-minded part of the New York Women in Communications, Inc. , which is a professional organization for female communications professionals.  The NYWICI serves professionals not only in New York, but in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

Who is eligible?

As the name of the organization implies, interested applicants must be female and residents of NY, NJ, PA or CT.  This applies to high school seniors, college students, and graduate students.  However, if you are enrolled in a communications in New York City you are eligible (even if you aren’t a resident of NJ, NY, CT, or PA).

Students must also be planning to study (or are enrolled in) a course of study related to communications.  Luckily, the NYWICI gives a broad array of acceptable majors including:

• Advertising
• Broadcasting
• Communications
• English
• Film
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Digital Media
• Public Relations

If you don’t see you your intended major on the list, but think it is applicable, you might want to reach out to the NYWICI to ask.

About the Scholarships

There are 15-20 scholarships available and they range in value from $2,500 to $10,000.

To give an example of the breakdown, last year, there were 19 total scholarships worth a total of $103,000: 6 went to high school seniors, 9 went to undergraduates, and 4 went to graduate students.

In addition to their general scholarships, the NYWICI offers nine additional sponsored scholarships. For the most part, these scholarships are awarded to students who have demonstrated their interests within the communications profession.  Some even come with internship opportunities, so they are really worth checking out!

How candidates are chosen

Like most scholarships, this scholarship will be looking at academic achievement, leadership, community service, and personal goals. Note, that if you are in need of financial aid, this is sometimes taken into account, which could certainly help your case.

If you are an impressive candidate, you will be interviewed by telephone.  Afterwards, a select group of students will be given final round interviews in New York City on March 11 or March 14, 2011.  Finally, the names of recipients will be posted on the New York Women in Communications Foundation website on March 18, 2011.

The applications are due on January 28, 2011.

Still interested?

Interested students should get started on the primary application.

Here are some other resources that should help you get started:

• NYWICI Facebook
• NYWICI Twitter
• NYWICI LinkedIn
• NYWICI “Aloud” Blog
• NYWICI Newsletter
• NYWICI Student Blog