<p>Hello everyone. I am currently attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It wasn't my first choice of schools but it is not very expensive and I didn't do very well in high school due to lack of motivation. I'd like to think I am a smart kid. My high school GPA was a 2.8. :( embarrassing I know. However, I did score a 27 on my ACT, which I'd like to think is a decent score. My English and reading scores were 32 and 33 respectively which is why I am considering majoring in English I am planning on being a teacher and I am trying to decide between majoring in Elementary Education or English. I'm wondering if it really matters where I go to college if I a planning on going in to the teaching profession. I've read a lot about how college prestige matters for getting a job and how much you earn, but I don't really think that is the case for teaching. Some other colleges I am looking at are University of Iowa, Marquette University, and University of Illinois.Can someone give me some advice on whether I should transfer or not. </p>
<p>BTW I am a resident of Illinois and my current GPA is a 3.38. I am currently in my first semester of sophomore year </p>
<p>With education, it’s good to do your education in the state in which you plan to teach. The school will help with getting your licensure. Other than that, it doesn’t really matter where you get your degree. </p>
<p>Ok. Thank you for the advice. </p>
<p>Most teaching jobs now a days require advanced degrees for carrier advancement. Perhaps you should try a better school in your graduate studies. </p>
<p>Urbana-Champaign might not take you but Marquette is fantastic, go for it!</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. However, I’m worried that transferring to Marquette won’t really help me get a teaching job anymore than staying here and will just end up costing more money. Obviously I’m not expecting to make a ton of money after school and I’m worried Marquette will just be a more expensive option that isn’t really worth the extra money. Teaching salaries are set by the school district and graduating from a better undergraduate school won’t change my salary and I’m not sure it would markedly improve my chances of getting a teaching job, especially with the higher price of Marquette </p>
<p>Do you think the extra debt load at Marquette would be worth it or should I just finish my undergrad here at Southern Illinois Edwardsville </p>
<p>Anybody have some advice?</p>
<p>Bump</p>
<p>What are the transfer statistics for these schools? That should give you a pretty good idea of where you stand, I imagine. </p>
<p>Hi, I was a transfer student at marquette (not education or english though). I LOVE Marquette! It is great for transfer students! The education program here is very good. They make you double major (one major is education the other is your choice). So its a difficult program but I know people in the program who get a lot of work in the classroom and just love it.</p>
<p>My stats were kind like yours in high school and I got a really nice scholarship (granted I did tons of volunteering, work as a cna, and i’m a third generation student at marq) Marquette also has a class just for transfer students where you get to know the campus and the other transfers as well. Very helpful class.</p>
<p>MU is expensive but I feel that it’s worth the investment. My grandma and my dad went here and they make a great living. Let me know if I can answer anything else…:)</p>
<p>See? Like I said, Marquette is really a great place, I would personally choose it if the were up to me. </p>
<p>If you really can’t afford it than they will help you with financial aid. You’re going to have to spend some money during urgad whether you want to or not so you might as well make a smart investment in your future.</p>
<p>Not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not, @PSC2IVY , but I think that that is poor advice for someone who wants to become a teacher in IL.</p>
<p>Get that grad degree from a more prestigious place if you want to.</p>
<p>My mom went to Marquette and my sister currently go there and they both love the university. From my visit there it seemed like a great school. However, I think @PurpleTitan advice is smart. Obviously I won’t make tons of money teaching, especially at the start so I think having the smallest debt load I can would be the smart decision. I’m just not sure if transferring to Marquette would really improve my career chances. Especially for the added cost of Marquette </p>
<p>@PurpleTitan. Clearly, you don’t know what you are talking about. Marquette is where the job counselors are at and the alumni base helps out each other. OP might even be better off at Marquette than UIUC for an education major.</p>
<p>OP can apply to Marquette, UIUC, and a former state teacher’s college, then consider the financial aid issue in relation to the cost of sIU right now.
PSC2IVY you’re a proud student but it does mean your advice is biased. Clearly Marquette is better academically than SIU Ed, but Op will have to do a cost/benefit analysis. </p>
<p>OP: are you looking for stronger academics? a religious school? smaller classes? a change of scenery?</p>
<p>Could you complement your degree with a minor to make yourself more employable (teaching ELL students is highly sought after, especially at primary level)? </p>
<p>if you’re fine studying at SIU, you could try to get the highest GPA you can, then apply for grad school to UIUC or Marquette or DePaul or UWI or other universities in the State where you want to work.</p>
<p>I am looking for stronger academics and a change of scenery. I don’t hate it at SIUE but when i went on a campus tour of Marquette I really enjoyed it. I feel like my high school academic record doesn’t fairly represent my academic abilities. SIUE was a backup on my college list. I’ve been doing well here but I think Marquette may offer more oppurtunities for me. As i keep pointing out, Marquette is considerably more expensive than SIUE, and from what I’ve been told and read, coming out of your undergraduate studies with the least amount of debt would be the smartest thing to do, especially in a field like education. I’m also not sure I want to stay in Illinois. I’ve heard there are many more job opportunities in Wisconsin, and I would love a change of scenery. Obviously Marquette has a better academic reputation, but the fear of being too far in debt and not having a well paying job is making me second guess the decision to transfer. I also wouldn’t be opposed to going to a religious school. I’ve gone to catholic school since kindergarten, but it isn’t a deal breaker either way.</p>
<p>For you, is it SIUE or Marquette or are you open to other colleges where you may transfer? We may be able to suggest quite a few, with some that may be more in your price range.
How much in debt (total 4 years) would you be if you stay at SIUE? How much in debt (total) would you be if you transfer to Marquette? </p>
<p>Typically, the upper debt limit for all 4 years should be $27,000. That’s the federal loan limit and that’s for a good reason. :)</p>
<p>From an employability standpoint, if you could major in Special Education/reading or ELL/ESL, in addition to English, you’d have the best odds of finding a job.</p>