You don’t need a big name school to be an elementary school teacher. Most of the teachers that I know went to local colleges that most here on CC have never heard of.
@Gumbymom I understand what you’re saying. I’ll look for colleges in other states. I don’t need to go to college in California. But I do want to go to a big, well known/prestigious college, that’s really important to me.
Here is a list of private universities in California offering a Teaching degree.
Azusa Pacific University
Brandman University
California Lutheran University
Chapman University
Loyola Marymount University
Mount St Marys
Mills College
Pepperdine
Point Loma Nazarene University
St Mary’s College
University of La Verne
University of San Diego
University of the Pacific
University of Southern California
@me29034 I know that I don’t have to. I just really want to and can’t picture myself at anything else, even though it seems like it’s making my college search process more difficult.
If you can live with a Midwest location, you could take a shot at UW-Madison, which has a tippy-top Education program and is quite prestigious in global prestige rankings (it fares more poorly in the USNews college ranking… go figure).
Assuming you are OOS it’s probably a reach or a low reach, and it will be expensive(ish), but it’s a great school with a longtime top-5 Education ranking. Aside from location it offers everything else you want, namely a famous party scene, great sports and school spirit (go to a game at Camp Randall this fall – I dare you not to love it), and some Greek life (mostly located on Langdon Street, a block from Lake Mendota.)
Thanks! I might be fine with a midwest location. That’s exactly the kind of school that I’m looking for.
Jumping in with a question…I’m still confused as to whether you need to get your Bachelors degree in Education in the state where you want to teach or if you can go to school anywhere and then get certified to teach in a different state. Vanderbilt’s Peobody School seems to have this great program (and obviously a prestigious school) but does that mean the students would only able to teach in TN? How hard is it to get certified in another state?
@homerdog it varies by state. I’m in NJ. Getting a degree in PA, NY or VT (all states my son looked at schools) was fine. He’d just need to pass the Praxis in NJ. The difficulty can be that, in certain areas, getting into the field can be hard. In the Northeast, where pay is high and benefits are good, you usually get an in with building contacts through student teaching and other in-class requirements of your degree. If you go to Vandy and move to NJ, it’s probably as easy as passing the Praxis to get your certification, but getting into a district may be harder. I think it’s less of a problem in the places like Nevada and Florida, where they have a harder time getting teachers because the pay isn’t great.
I think you can google “teacher reciprocity” or something along those lines to find particular states you’re interested in.
Vanderbilt is a good one. Barnard then Columbia master’s is another possibility.
Sonoma state has that Hutchins program.
I agree with @NJWrestlingmom , in NJ it is tough to get a job without having the networking tools available that come from the student teaching positions. I also believe that people like hiring others that are like themselves. Teachers tend to go to state schools in their home state. But as she said above, its not passing the praxis that is tough it will be getting that first job. Best of luck
Where do you want to teach? Look at states where pay and benefits are good (hint: not Florida, West Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma.)
Good states include Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, new York State, Connecticut, Rhode island.
If you’re adventurous, Alaska.
Target the best universities in the states you’re interested in, both private + flagship, then run the NPC.
You could also try to get into a top University (including Princeton), get into TFA, and see where you want to go from there.
We are in the same position. Tough for 16-17 year olds to pick a major and decide where they want to work upon graduating. I feel for them.
Actually, in many states the programs most likely to get you directly into your first teaching job right out of college with just the bachelors degree, are not found at the flagships. They are at the public universities that were originally founded as teacher training institutions. In MD, Towson U would be the go-to first choice. In Iowa, U of Northern Iowa. In PA, there would be a number of choices including Mansfield.
Your best bet for finding out where you should study in order to get a job where you want that job, is to ask principals who make hiring decisions there where their best new hires are coming from. You can practice your questions by interviewing the principal at your own elementary school. That person will have useful advice for you about finding a good college or university, and eventually landing a first teaching job.
@oneofthosemoms I think New Jersey does this, too, at least in the wealthier districts. I remember my high school sociology teacher explaining that to us.
SMU has a pretty good one and similar to a lot of your other schools of interest (similar student feel to vandy) - closer to your ACT though.
Or, major in a humanities subject and minor in a stem subject at a top school, include classes in teaching english to non native speakers and youth literature, then prepare a one -year certificate in education (some districts will even pay for it. I think I saw a post on The College Solution about it.)
As a safety school, I’m going to apply to my in state flagship. I just don’t really have that much of an interest in going there or spending the rest of my life here.
Do I have any chance of getting into Vanderbilt?
If you’re not interested in Rutgers, visit TCNJ.
You should have two safeties you like. Penn State would be one, UVermont would be another possibility.
In addition, make sure you apply to the honors college at all the public universities you’re considering.
Vanderbilt is a reach for everyone. So, yes you have a shot, butbodds are way against you.
Build your list from the ground up. Find two safeties first. Then, add 3-5 universities that have a 30-35% acceptance rate.
Once you’re good with these, add your reaches and dream schools.
Thanks! I’m not from New Jersey by the way. I think that was someone else.
Could I get some feedback on this list?
Safety: Illinois (home state), Georgia, Alabama
Match: UT, UNC, UVA, UW
Reach: Vanderbilt
Are these schools all okay for education and my preferences, and is it a balanced list?