Journalism MA for international student

Hello there! Also put this in the postgrad section; apologies for the cross-posting.

I'm currently in debate about which school to choose for an MA in Journalism. I applied to five schools and got unconditional offers from them all, but plan to choose between Goldsmiths, City and LCC.

My primary goal is to use a course to get down journalism basics such as short hand and new/multi-media while expanding my contacts and portfolio in London. Certification is not incredibly important as I hope to work for a major agency outside of the UK down the road. What I am looking for is an emphasis on practical learning and work experience, an opportunity [read: time] to add another foreign language to my belt, and networking opportunities.

I've heard mixed things from people in the industry, ranging from the "a degree in journalism isn't necessary" argument to recommendations of all three schools.

On paper and through the interview Goldsmiths seems good and it certainly has a reputation as a prestigious university, but it's expensive for an international student and many people tend to dislike the overall "posh" or snooty atmosphere (though I'm not English.. would this matter?). The website MA students work on seems the most practical.

I've read positive things about City's program both on this forum and difference places around the Internet, plus their Journalism department has a Twitter feed, but their tuition this year is comparable to Goldsmiths and they offered me a place on the course without so much as an interview.

LCC gets rave reviews from some journalist friends and a few LCC photography graduates, their tuition is the most reasonable and they seem to have a good grasp of new media. What concerns me is that I've had to push them every step of the way, emailing and phoning to get them to look at my application and send out the acceptance letter materials weeks after they should have.

I'm leaning towards LCC but they seem more than a bit disorganized. Does anyone know anything or have any experience either applying for or attending these three programs? I would love to hear from someone about how their courses are during this academic year, what kind of programs they are, and how the schools might be for someone who does not come from the UK.

Apologies for the length! Any replies are appreciated. :o: