<p>Thanks, Cat, she really likes North Carolina. We never thought of Las Vegas! My best friend's parents moved there 5 years ago and love it. But I doubt my daughter will want to go to Nevada, maybe California. I want to visit her in California!</p>
<p>Oops, Kat, sorry</p>
<p>Candace, I don't know about their ed programs, but McDaniel does have ASL coursework if she's interested in working with the Deaf community.</p>
<p>thanks, Mezzomom, McDaniel has an education minor, but it does lead to teacher certification. I don't know if it is better to major in education. She has taken sign language in the past and would like to continue. Not too many schools offer deaf education. But right now she is planning to become a K-3 teacher. She also wants to continue taking ballet and pointe classes, so it would be great to find a school with a dance program. But that is not a major criteria.</p>
<p>How about York College in PA? Mid-sized (about 6,000), not super competitive, your friend's numbers might earn her merit money. Tuition is comparable to in-state PA schools like Millersville, but it's private. I know someone who just started there this year for Secondary Ed. with 1/2 scholarship.</p>
<p>Candace, I know this is further North then your daughter wants and larger but Towson University in Maryland has an actual major in deaf studies, elementary ed and dance performance and education with a k-12 certification. It's in a great location and with BWI airport very close she would have access Southwest airlines for cheap flights home. I was very impressed when we visited with my son and know two students that are current (happy) students.</p>
<p>candace, James Madison University in Virginia has the most selective teachers track in our state. OOS kids may have a harder time getting in, but I haven't looked into it. My sister knocked it out in three years and had no trouble getting a job and they have a great rep in teachers ed. Virginia schools are pretty diverse because of our DC population and also our coastal military base population. This is a four season location but still temperate.</p>
<p>Second Kathiep's recommendation of Towson. Way out of your daughter's geographical preference, but maybe worth a look, is my daughter's college, Otterbein. Strong education department, with the possibility of an early childhood concentration in deaf community, and an excellent dance department (dance minor only). Also very generous with merit aid...don't know if any of that would overcome the Ohio factor though!</p>
<p>thanks, guys, nice to cross paths again. I have looked at Towson, but thought it had too many in state students and might be a commuter school. Maybe I am wrong. It does have alot of the qualities she is looking for in a school. James Madison might be too hard to get in out of state. But definately worth a look. Keep the suggestions coming. Proximity to an airport would also be very helpful.</p>
<p>thanks, Otterbein, never looked at any schools in Ohio. I don't think she will be able to handle the cold weather, but you never know. She has never seen snow!</p>
<p>I don't think Towson is a commuter school. I'm sure there are some kids that go home on weekends but when we visited, it was hopping with activity and kids were going to all kinds of events. It sort of reminded me of the liveliness of Penn State but the classes and dorms were in better shape at Towson. The town of Towson is within walking distance and has all kinds of places to eat and shop. My son's friend at Towson has really taken advantage of what they have to offer. He spent the fall semester in Rome and for the second February in a row is going to Hawaii with the ultimate frisbee team. He loves his academics too and has done very well. My son's other friend is a freshman there and in the marching band. She's in the honors college. The summer before starting they offer a couple of freshman optional orientations. For my son's guy friend one of them was building a habitat for humanity house and I think the other was a white water rafting trip. He wouldn't do either but something like that would be a great way for an oos student to meet new friends easily. I just looked and I did post a trip report on Towson on the college visits forum. Don't know why I gave it a D+ in diversity.</p>
<p>Kathiep, yes I read your report on Towson. Maybe I can convince my daughter that it wouldn't be that cold. It does look like a possible fit.</p>
<p>My daughter got her first Sat scores today. They were about what she expected: Math 630, Verbal 550 and writing 560. What schools look good now? I wonder how much they will go up if I can convince her to study a bit. Her scores are a maybe for her first choice College of Charleston. Maybe she will have a better chance at UNC Asheville and East Carolina. I guess Clemson would be a big reach?</p>
<p>A very intelligent teachers' college and grad program is located in Buffalo, called Canisius College. Worth looking at its website. Buffalo's international airport has some direct flights to Charlotte, NC and probably other places in your region.</p>
<p>but it IS snowy here!</p>
<p>Oh no, Buffalo is way to cold!! My husband went to school at Syracuse and he laughed at the thought of our daughter going to school in upstate New York. Maryland is probably as far north that we would look.</p>
<p>My daughter is an elementary education major at Guilford College. Guilford offers a k-6 program, requires a double major and requires a study abroad teaching experience. You are placed in a classroom every semester beginning with your freshman year. She's a sophomore this year and has applied to teach in London next fall.</p>
<p>Guilford is a small liberal arts school about 2,000. It has a reputation for being a pretty "crunchy granola" type of school, but my daughter doesn't really fall into that category. She's more the athletic/cheerleader/preppy tomboy type from a very red conservative state. But she was looking for a different experience and wanted to be exposed to a more diverse group of people. She's made lots of friends and is really happy with her choice. And she says there's lots to do and has also made friends at the many other colleges in the area.</p>
<p>We spent quite a bit of time investigating and visiting colleges all over the US. Our most informative visit was at the College of Charleston where we actually met with the Education department. She thought seriously about going to COC but Guilford offered her more merit money and it just seemed to be the right fit when we visited. </p>
<p>FYI The colleges in California are EXPENSIVE. It's near impossible for an OOS to get in to a state U and the private schools just didn't offer enough money to justify attending for the appeal of warm weather and close proximity to a beautiful beach. And we were not impressed with the education departments. </p>
<p>The most important thing is for your daughter to visit the schools she's most interested in and a few that maybe only you are interested in to figure out what's important to the both of you. We looked at large, mid-size, small, public and private. This was my second daughter to go through this with and I figured out with the first daughter that she probably wasn't going to end up where she first thought she would. Both my daughters picked schools that we just randomly through into the pot and have been very happy. My oldest daughter is graduating this May, in 4-years no less. Which I consider quite a success. Now, if only she can find a job and transition into becoming a happy independent wage-earning adult :)</p>
<p>Thanks Tornado Alley for the good info. I thought that Guilford might be too "crunchy" for my daughter. But your daughter sounds happy so maybe we will add it to the list. The education department sounds really good. Also the study abroad would interest her as well. The early experience in the classroom would be a big positive. Some schools make you wait till senior year.</p>
<p>TornadoAlley- Great post, and welcome to the board! My daughter is also an ed major and I very much agree about that early classroom experience. My daughter has done 3 different student teaching posts in very different places (semi-rural, inner city and private) and it's been very beneficial in helping her decide what is right for her. We looked at Guilford a little bit with her but I can't remember what made us take it off the list. Sounds great! My daughter had a hard time squeezing in a study abroad and still getting a double major done inside of four years. It's wonderful if the study abroad can combine with student teaching. I like that one Candace!</p>
<p>If you're looking in the Carolinas, add Winthrop to your list. Good school, low price tag (pretty generous with out of state tuition waivers). Very good on education -- like a lot of non-flagship state universities it started out as a teachers' college. About 5,000 students which I consider to be a nice size - big but not too big. Rock Hill isn't a big city but is a pretty good size. Charlotte just down the road for "big city" doings.</p>