I’m honestly in a tough dilemma between two colleges that are very near each other Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan. Illinois Wesleyan gave me about 21,000 per year, while Illinois State University gave me nothing in scholarships. However, both I did not receive my financial aid package yet. I know that Illinois State University has an excellent education program, but IWU has a great foreign language department. I plan to be a Spanish teacher. Honestly, it has been tough to narrow these two schools down. From what I gathered both schools aren’t that diverse, which is a downside. IWU has smaller class sizes and a more intimate feel and is more selective. ISU has a bigger school and has bigger class sizes. I honestly don’t know what to do. I have visited both schools and like both schools for different reasons.
Wait until you have your full financial aid package from each of these. You want to start out your teaching career with as little debt as possible - preferably without any debt at all. Verify what you need to do to keep the scholarship at IWU. Do you need a certain GPA? Will it increase if cost of attendance increases each year? What happens if you want to study abroad?
You are fortunate to have two good options that you like. If you need to choose the one that is the cheapest, you will still be fine.
Are they NCATE schools? Will you have any classroom experience your freshman year? Run from ISU. My kids have had many student teachers from there and they were not good. Look for a school with a good foreign language dept, is NCATE, and gives you a lot of classroom experience before you start student teaching. My youngest started in the classroom her freshman year just observing, then hands on experience every semester after that until her student teaching. A semester or two in the classroom sometimes changes students minds while they still have time to change majors.
How do you know what schools will give you good classroom experience
Are finances an issue? IWU is a lot more expensive than ISU even with your scholarship. I believe ISU locks in the tuition for the full 4 years, so you would know what you are getting into there. IWU might raise tuition and you would have more gap in your funding. I’d seriously consider debt as part of your decision, as teachers do not make much right out of school. If money is not a concern, then IWU is the more highly rated.
I have friends whose children are at ISU and IWU and all are happy at school, so I don’t think either school is a bad choice.