– Washington Post
– Orlando Sentinel
– St. Petersburg Times
– Buffalo News
– Star Tribune (where I was only known as “Internship candidate)
– San Jose Mercury News (which titled its e-mail “FW: Intern Rejection Notice”)
– Boston Globe
– Denver Post
– Gazette (Colorado Springs)
List will be updated as more letters arrive.
Maybe I should set my sights a little lower. Or study abroad. Or both.
I know rejections are a part of life. I received plenty of them last year, and I expect I will receive many more in the years to come.
But it’s just one of those days where you’re like, “Really? On top of everything else, this too?”
Sigh.
Journalistic Rants and Raves 
I was really depressed when I got the WaPo rejection. But I think everything happens for a reason. You’ll find the right path.
Rejections are so tough, but don’t let them deter you from looking for other opportunities. When applying for internships in college, I got rejected from two large metro papers. I thought maybe I could find other opportunities at these papers, though, and I did.
I scheduled an informational interview at one of the papers and tried to meet as many editors as I could. I kept in touch with the editors, hoping an opportunity would come along. Sure enough, one of the paper’s reporters unexpectedly went to France for six weeks, and the paper needed a freelancer to step in. The editor contacted me, and I helped out.
Another time, I had missed an internship deadline, and the paper’s main editor said it was too late to apply. I contacted the metro editor, though, and explained my situation to him, letting him know how passionate I was about journalism. I asked him if he needed any freelance help, and he did.
Anything you can do to get your foot in the door is crucial, and can sometimes even work out better than an actual internship. You never know what opportunities might arise. Keep trying. Something good will come along, even if it’s a little different from what you had originally hoped for!
Meh, these places aren’t for you. You need a learning hole, not a steal your soul internship. Find someplace that has editors who are excited to teach, explain, show and guide!
Getting my “Thanks, but no thanks” call from the Boston Globe hurt, but hopefully that’ll just leave us open for other opportunities. Keep your head up! And I like your new WordPress blog. 🙂
At the risk of saying a cliché – it’ll help build your character. 🙂 It may feel terrible now, but eventually you’ll become immune to any and all criticism.