<p>Hey everyone.
I know that choosing a college is a big decision, and in the next couple of weeks all us seniors will have to choose from what I'm sure are all great options. I was wondering, though, how many of you would factor in your major in choosing between the private, and more expensive school, over the cheaper public?
For example, if you don't really plan on a fast-track, very marketable major--you're maybe not a science person, or maybe not a math person either, or you just prefer a major that is less "desirable" in the real-world--would going to a top school to "just" be a teacher or to "just" major in sociology, etc be worth it (financially and otherwise)? Some people I've talked to seem to think it's pointless to, say, go to an ivy for something other than premed, law, or for going into academia or for becoming a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Is it?
Let's go with teaching for a second. Why would you go to that elite, expensive private when you could go get that degree at lower-tier schools for cheaper and maybe quicker? Would you become a better elementary teacher by getting your degree from the ivy? Would you just go to the ivy just because you could get in, even though the degrees might be comparable?
What would you guys choose?</p>
<p>I think you should go to the best school you can get into regardless of the major (as long as the school offers that major). Selective schools teach more than facts. They impart values, attitudes, culture, and so on. </p>
<p>I think a career in education would be enhanced by an undergrad degree from, say, Peabody School at Vanderbilt. I will say, however, that the public universities seem to do a great job at training teachers. Some of the best teacher training programs are at publics. Some of the top private universities have excellent graduate programs in education.</p>
<p>If you are absolutely certain that you'll want to be a primary school teacher, then it's probably not worth it. However, I don't see a reason to preclude yourself in this position because you never know what you want to do. I've seen people go into teaching, but then decided to go back to Academia and ended up being a professor. Similarly, people can make career turns and enroll in law/MBA school when they're 30 or so.</p>
<p>Also, "useless" majors aren't really useless at all. Education is quite a serious field, actually. A lot of jobs like consulting and management are open to people of all majors.</p>