<p>Hello! I've been looking at colleges a lot lately and I am getting quite frustrated. I found a college that--based on what I saw online and in the informational packets they sent me--I loved. However, after visiting I realized that I hated the campus and atmosphere of the college. So now I'm discouraged, I would love if someone could make suggestions or help me.</p>
<p>What I'm looking for:
- I want to teach Spanish, so I want a school with education and Spanish, as well as a study abroad program.
- I want it to be in an area with a town/village/city around it.
- I hate travelling, and so I want it to be fairly close to home, but no so close that I would live at home and commute. Because of this I feel like I'm really limiting my options, but I can't stand driving long distances. So I am mainly looking at Maine (possibly, as this is where I live), New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
- I would prefer it not to be very sporty or a party school.</p>
<p>Academics/Extracurriculars/Etc.:
- Top ten percent of my class
- Haven't taken SATs yet
- This year I'm taking 2 AP classes, next year 4 AP classes (also honors classes throughout high school)
- Not many extracurriculars, just Key Club and Spanish Honor Society
- Community Service: tutoring and volunteering to teach Spanish at the elementary school.</p>
<p>I'm semi-interested in Keene State, however I feel pressured to look at more competitive private schools, and I'm also spooked about Keene's housing problem that I've read about.</p>
<p>Some schools in other parts of the US may have a lot more students and local people in town to practice speaking Spanish with. (e.g. UTEP, NMSU)</p>
<p>Where do you want to teach? You should study in the state where you want to teach (or in a state that has a reciprocity agreement with that state) so that you can be certain to meet the specific teacher certification requirements. If possible, you should study at a college/university that places student teachers and teaching interns in the school district that you would prefer to begin your career in. Most teacher hiring is local. If you want to work in a particular location, find out where those school districts get their teachers from.</p>
<p>Well until I read that you want to stay in the Northeast, I was going to recommend Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. Well whatever, I’m still going to recommend it! It’s really got all you’re looking for. Solid study abroad, lots of Spanish clubs, very established Ed dept with internships. PM me if you want more details ;)</p>
<p>You do have many limits which seem counter-intuitive – Why do you want study abroad if you hate to travel?</p>
<p>It is also difficult without stats (SAT/GPA)</p>
<p>Go back to the campus visit you made. What specifically about the atmosphere did you not like? Was it the physical buildings, the surrounding streets? It took 7 different visits to various schools for my kid to realize he really liked water features (fountains, lakes, streams). The city/burb/rural did not change his opinions. He just kept referring to the schools with the water features as relaxing environments. This was not immediately apparent and required he really sit and talk out his reactions.</p>
<p>I do not think it is necessary to look at high level/reach schools. It is more important to look at the individual class offerings. Dig into Keene’s course offerings. Be sure there is enough courses to keep you engaged. </p>
<p>If you truly are not finding a school you connect to, consider community college for 2 years. By then you may be ready for a college further from home which would open up many more opportunities. My local CC has summer study abroad. My local CC is also very good for education majors. At this early stage, do not rule out the CC option without exploring it more.</p>
<p>If you do consider outside the Maine/NH/Mass area, Arcadia in Glenside PA and Goucher in MD have wonderful study abroad. Arcadia even has a freshmen spring break program for <$500 which is ideal for students who want to visit another country without leaving home for an extended period.</p>
<p>I mean that I hate frequent long car trips (going home for breaks and back). Studying abroad is different because I would not have to make the trip to and from my destination often. When I said travelling I was referring to the driving/flying aspect; I can get quite motion sick.</p>
<p>Sorry, I forgot to say my GPA. Weighted is 99.452 and unweighted is 95.926. My class rank is 19 out of 232.</p>
<p>Longhaul, what I didn’t like about it was that it was pretty isolated. There was no surrounding town. The buildings of the college itself were all falling apart.</p>