Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Elementary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Northern Colorado and Adams State.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Adams State, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, and Northern Colorado.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Adams State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Adams State and University of Denver.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Colorado College, University of Denver, Adams State, and Northern Colorado.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Colorado College, Adams State, Northern Colorado, and University of Denver.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Colorado College and University of Denver.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Colorado College, and Adams State.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Colorado College, University of Denver, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, and Adams State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Adams State College • Alamosa, CO
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 1986)
• 9/17/2011
"The Master's program was designed so that it was accessible and affordable to me. I was a single mother teaching at the time, and the evening courses offered at near-by CSU-Pueblo made it possible for me to pursue my Master's degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It would depend on the individual's situation. ASC is an adequate and affordable school. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Adams State is known as a "teacher college." Many of my colleagues received their MA there. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Colorado academic standards are in line with my major. Professional evaluations align with my major in Elementary Education. |
| Instruction | 2 | I was placed with a low performing teacher for my student teaching and had little guidance in classroom management, etc. Also, the teacher "content" courses in my BA program did not adequately prepare me for actual classroom teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I rate my BA program as a 3. I rate my MA program as a 7. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost all of the program was learning through books. The only outside "hands-on" experience was a seminar at an Arts Center, where we were introduced to the Children's Art Museum and the activities available there. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | My Master's program was through a collaboration between ASC and CSU-Pueblo. My coursework was done at the CSU-Pueblo campus, which was convenient and accessible. My degree was granted through ASC. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The CSU-Pueblo library was adequate; however in 1986, computer resources were not available. We did have a study group, and professors were readily available. |
| Social Life | 2 | I really had no social experience at ASC outside of interaction with other students in the Master's program. I'm sure that the campus had many social activities available. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I personally did not receive any job placement or career service assistance from ASC. I assume that it is available if one seeks it out. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | A quarterly newsletter is sent out to alumni. There is ample opportunity for financial contributions. |
University Of Northern Colorado • Greeley, CO
Studying Education (completion in 2006)
• 12/16/2011
"I am very impressed with how much I learned. I started with someone taught at a different school, and they were totally unprepared for classroom teaching."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | People recommended it to me, and I recommend it to others. Everyone you talk to around Colorado will tell you to go to UNC for your teacher education. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Around Colorado, they are very well known. I am not sure how they rank on the national scale, but I was recommended to them unanimously from all of my other teachers in high school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program was very well done and it integrated both classroom learning and firsthand experience. They are well known for their reputation. |
| Instruction | 10 | The teachers were some of the best I had. Rather than being someone who just had a master's degree, it was full of retired teachers who actually knew what they were talking about and could provide tips and hints. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible. The hardest thing to do was transfer what you learned in the classroom to what you do with the kids. No one can really prepare you for how to deal with it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We read books and learned statistics and strategies to teach young children, but we also did student teaching and hands-on experiments. It was about 50/50, spending 2 days in the classroom and 2 days student teaching. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They made it possible for me to work in the day and go to school in the evening. They have a wide range of online, evening, and early morning classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | I was fairly impressed, but not blown away. It was better than a community college, but not as good as a private institution. The instructors made the best of it, though. |
| Social Life | 10 | I loved it. Since I was older and working when I went, I didn't get too involved with the student organization, but I know a lot of young students have found it very exciting. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't use it that much. It was easy for me to find a job, but I know a few people who had bad luck working with them. My best advice would be to not solely rely on them. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't really use it. They helped me find a job, and I donate money to them, but that is about it. |
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