PRL Benchmark Trip: Why You Should Go

If you are a prospective public relations student who has done his or her research, then you have probably heard of or read about the PRL benchmark trip to New York City. This trip is done annually, made possible by generous donations to the program and is an excellent opportunity to glimpse into the world of public relations in the big apple.

Although I was hesitant about the trip, I am extremely glad that I went. Here is why:

1. Little to no cost: Unlike the Atlanta and Los Angeles trips, the benchmark experience costs essentially nothing. The bus down to the city and back is free of cost and expenses over the three days can be reimbursed up to $100.00. So, if you are lucky like I was, and have a friend you can stay with, then all you have to pay for is transportation and food. I’m thankful that I was able to stay within my $100 budget and ultimately travel for free.

Winter Storm can't stop @NewhousePR @newhousemasters from rolling to NYC for #PRLBenchmark pic.twitter.com/N058en0NxT

— Rochelle L. Ford (@rocford) January 13, 2016

2. Networking opportunity: Newhouse loves networking. And what a great opportunity to network! This year we met with a diverse group of top level agencies, corporations and organizations. A few of these included the NFL, BET, Fleishman-Hillard, Joele Frank, M. Booth and the Kind company. The best part? Almost every one of these locations included meeting accomplished Newhouse alumni.

Thank you for lunch and @KINDSnacks @jcohenPR! #PRLbenchmark @newhousemasters @TonyDAngelo_SU pic.twitter.com/pN1KPAecxD

— Ayuna Di (@acei_tuna) January 14, 2016

3. Self-Discovery: Since becoming a PR major I knew that I didn’t want to work for an agency. I’ve also always known that I don’t want to live in the city. This trip did an excellent job of re-affirming what I already believed to be true. After speaking with multiple agencies I knew that agency life wasn’t the life for me. That being said, I was highly excited about all of the in-house PR professionals that we met with.This trip is an excellent way for PR majors to get a better understanding of what the industry is really like and determine which sector they would enjoy working in.

@NewhousePR grad students take NYC by storm @NewhouseSU #PRLbenchmark pic.twitter.com/gX7CLk4Mo0

— Amelia Friedrichs (@ameliabronwyn) January 15, 2016

Again, I find myself thinking how lucky I am to be at the greatest communication school in the country, privy to all of these fabulous opportunities. I hope that future public relations students enjoy this trip as much as we did!

Emilee Smith

Emilee is an artist, writer and musician who possesses a love of animals and a "Harry Potter" obsession. She is an avid reader, baker and aspires to publish novels. Emilee is currently earning a master's degree in public relations at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.
@emileejaysmith
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emileesmith