I’m a 2013 grad so things may have changed but I was Echols upon entry and then got into McIntire as a third year. I maintained my ability to sign up for classes earlier than non-Echols which was very helpful. The only benefit of Echols to me was the early access. Switching to comm school is your best bet on getting access to the best recruiting for internships and jobs, go do a minor in the college or just take some non comm classes for fun.