<p>Hi, everyone. I am a freshman currently. Even though I want to transfer into another college in fall 2014, I think the application is kinda late. (Most of deadlines are on March, and it is the middle of Jan now.) So, I may apply to transfer for spring 2015. How do you think about it? Should I apply as soon as possible? Or wait until the application date for spring 2015?</p>
<p>I have only first term GPA now which is 3.63 (not high). I'd like to major in education. Most likely, I am going to study in NY. In addition to some top colleges in NY which are hard to get into, I find some colleges that have pretty good ranking of education. However, the national rankings of the colleges are not very high. Should I care about national ranking or just focus on major ranking? Would you please recommend me some colleges in new york that fit me?</p>
<p>Ranking is one of my concerns. (Even though I may not be accepted, I will try anyway.)</p>
<p>The college has pretty strong major of education.</p>
<p>Many schools do not allow undergrads to even major in “education.” It is generally a graduate degree or certificate. If you are planning on being a teacher, then you should major in an academic subject as undergrad. Then apply to a teacher credential program or MA/MS Education. Rules for gaining a teacher certificate vary state-by-state, so you will need to read the rules from the State Board or Department of Education for the state or states where you most likely want to teach.</p>
<p>Hi, thanks for your reply :). My current college offers a major of education program, but it requires at least 30 credits and GPA above 3.0 if students want to seek admission. It means that the major opens to undergrads, right? What do you mean by “major in an academic subject”? Do you mean that I should major in any majors first? Thanks :)</p>
<p>If you want to become a teacher, I suggest you go to the best school you can find that will be cheapest for you. If that means you can get a big FA package at Vanderbilt, go there. But I would never pay full ride for a kid wanting to major in education at Vanderbilt, for that there are plenty of great cheaper school like your state flagship or smaller publics like Truman State.</p>
<p>The harsh reality of teaching is that for most teaching jobs, where you went to school makes no difference, and it certainly doesn’t result in higher pay to have a teacher certificate from MIT. Top private schools sometimes do care about pedigree, but they aren’t going to pay you more, they just want you to have the pedigree. </p>
<p>And wherever you go, just know that a master’s (for no good reason) is now becoming the new standard, so you’ll be paying for that as well, though many schools do offer at least partial tuition reimbursement.</p>
<p>My advice is to get into a state program if you can, in the state where you expect to look for employment. In the areas where I lived, the best salaries by far in teaching were in the public schools, and those schools tended to hire those who graduated from the state unis, often times the local former “teachers’ colleges”, not schools like Vanderbilt. So it is, here where I currently live.</p>
<p>Name doesn’t matter for teaching K-12. My mom went to a tiny LAC that no one will have ever heard of. She has a colleague who went to Duke. They make the same $.</p>
<p>Go to the cheapest option in the state you want to teach in.</p>
<p>Hi, MrMom62, thanks for your suggestion. If I got you correctly, ranking doesn’t make big difference for major in education. And, I should go to the school which offers me the biggest FA package?</p>
<p>Not necessarily the biggest FA package, the one that results in the lowest net cost for you and your parents. That can be a state school with no FA or it can be a private with a substantial FA package. If you are at the right income level and have sufficient other criteria, like high test scores, sometimes expensive privates like WashU or Vanderbilt can be cheaper than state flagships. But in general, the above advice is most likely to be correct - go to a quality public in the state you want to teach in, usually your home state.</p>
<p>To teach K-5, you generally major in elementary ed, but it’s possible to also major in English or history or math and also get a teaching certificate. Check with local schools, teachers, and the college of education where you will attend about the best way to approach this.</p>
<p>One other thing to be aware of - the burnout rate for young teachers is extremely high. For decades, 50% of all new teachers quit within 5 years. I will confess to being one of those casualties, though I was much older when I got my teaching certificate. Absolute worst year of my life. The psychologist I went to help deal with the fallout of that told me one of the hidden “features” of Teach For America is an extremely high rate of suicide, attempted suicide, and depression among TFA teachers. TFA and regular new teachers are often given the worst assignments, and they are the people least well equipped to deal with the situation.</p>
<p>Hi, cptofthehouse, thanks for your suggestion. I am kinda confused of “often times the local former “teachers’ colleges”, not schools like Vanderbilt”. What do you mean by that? And, how about if I attend to city college, rather than state university?</p>
<p>In many states, there are non flagship colleges that formerly were known as "teacher’s colleges’. In Maryland, there areTowson, Salisbury, for example In PA, there are Clarion, SLippery Rock. They still have education programs that are a major part of their offerings. Not to say state schools do not either, and yes, some top universities do as well. But some do not. When you go to these schools that have excelled in turning out so many teachers over the years, the grads from the programs are widely placed in that state in a lot of the schools, and like to hire in kind. So it is a bit of an edge for those looking to go into public school teaching jobs. A lot of the states now require masters and/or additional education beyond the bachelor’s to get a teaching certificate–it varies from state to state, but when you get a true teaching program, you are set up to get what you need to get a job in that state. That has been my experience. Often you get provisional positions after a BA and work towards certification while you work for a more permanent spot. </p>
<p>I don’t know if Vanderbilt has an Education department and whether it turns out any number of teachers. Some schools do, some do not, and to do so one may have to take classes at a state school (paying the private school courses through their agreements) and it may not make sense to go that route. But to get a degree from Vanderbilt, for example, and look for a teaching position in NY, may not be the best way to go. The kid from a SUNY or CUNY on track for a NY state teaching certificate is likely to be ahead of you in line.</p>
<p>Thank you, MrMom62. According to the above suggestions evenyone given, I think I have the answer for the question. And the thing you mentioned, I will to be aware of and thanks for remind. Hope you will get rid of the hardship. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Our state education ‘teachers’ college is Eastern Michigan University. It is unfortunately in the 'hood so I don’t recommend it…but yes you can major in education and not sure where that came from as I am seeing a lot of education majors in our search for a college for D…</p>
<p>Also try a Lutheran college (they feed the Lutheran secondary school system and focus on education and the ministry so the teachers are very well trained).</p>
<p>MrMom is absolutely correct in go to the cheapest college since you will be making a miniscule amount of money upon graduation - you should try to graduate debt free if you can. I see teacher burnout all the time, very long days and low salaries to start. I’m not exaggerating either.</p>
<p>Hi, cmgrayson, thanks for your reply. And, the fact about teacher burnout still surprises me, although someone told me the stress already. Thanks for remind!</p>
<p>I think that cptofthehouse was using Vanderbilt as an example (high national ranking, hard to get into, and very pricey) and saying why go to the highest ranked most pricey university to major in education when that’s not likely the best place to major in education. You should use the education major ranking to pick a school, not a national LA ranking.</p>
I am kinda confused of “often times the local former “teachers’ colleges”, not schools like Vanderbilt”. What do you mean by that? And, how about if I attend to city college, rather than state university?</p>