After earning her undergraduate degree in journalism, Rancic knew she wasn’t done with school. As The Washington Post described, her family thought she would marry her boyfriend at the time and work at the family business after school, but Rancic had other plans.
She was accepted into American University, where she studied broadcast journalism. She described the experience to the Chicago Tribune, saying, “As for graduate school, American University has a terrific program that allows students to experience reporting in the nation’s capital. Each day, we would choose a different beat to cover: the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, or Capitol Hill,” she said. “We had incredible access. I wouldn’t have been able to get that kind of experience at many other schools. Being part of that program gave me a solid foundation and truly shaped me as a journalist.”
But as the program was finishing up, the dean of students for her program spoke with Rancic about her future plans. As Rancic described to The Washington Post, he suggested she leave behind the Washington D.C. writing, and go to Hollywood. She told the Post, “I had a whole plan…And when he told me you should probably be intro-ing music videos or, you know, trying to get an interview with a celebrity like John Stamos, I’m thinking, What? Are you kidding me right now? I was a bit insulted.”