Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Brigham Young Idaho.
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 Boise State, The College of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State, and University of Idaho.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider The College of Idaho.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider College of Southern Idaho, Idaho State, Northwest Nazarene University, and Lewis-Clark State.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Brigham Young Idaho, Northwest Nazarene University, University of Idaho, and The College of Idaho.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of The College of Idaho, Northwest Nazarene University, University of Idaho, and Idaho State.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at The College of Idaho, Idaho State, Northwest Nazarene University, and Lewis-Clark State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Brigham Young University Idaho • Rexburg, ID
Studying English Education (completion in 2011)
• 11/30/2011
"I loved my time at school and I wouldn't trade it for the world. There are some things curriculum-wise that I would change, but not a whole lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The school requires a special type of person. If you need constant stimulus and a big city environment, this isn't for you. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The university I went to used to be a much simpler school. When I started, I told people it was basically a community college. However, recently, the school has gained a lot of prestige. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The university I went to did a lot of in-classroom experience. I learned a lot about classroom management. |
| Instruction | 8 | I was well versed in the educational theories of today. I do feel like I missed some of the content knowledge, but I can read faster than my students. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I felt the courses were mostly just skate-through classes. I have a high testing ability, but I got mostly A's and B's without studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | When it comes to teaching programs, it can be difficult to offer a lot of hands-on experiences. I feel like the school did the best they could under the circumstances. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There are a ton of evening and online options. The only flexibility issue is that they force you onto a track system, so you do not have a choice in the matter. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There was a plethora of facilities open and ready for use. There are always a few computers open in the library, and the tutors are great. |
| Social Life | 10 | I loved my time at school. I was a part of the social event planning group and it was a fantastic experience. |
| Placement Services | 8 | There are many opportunities for career placement, especially in the teaching field. I feel like it could be easier to understand, but they are still there. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The school offers great job services. I have already been in contact with the alumni organization, even though I don't technically graduate for 2 weeks. |
Boise State University • Boise, ID
Studying History, Secondary Education (completion in 2004)
• 1/2/2012
"I loved my college years. I got out of it what I wanted."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a good education for the money. It is an urban setting and well supported. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I don't have any negative things to say about the program. I am not sure of the reputation. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Very helpful people that worked in the History Department. The program was easy to follow. |
| Instruction | 6 | Some of the teachers were very dry and uninteresting. Some of the teachers used many non-western approaches to teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The student teaching was difficult because you were not compensated for it. The program classes were not difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They have a mix of the hands on and book work, but we mostly did book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I fit classes around my work schedule and work-study program. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The library was great. The other resources were great. |
| Social Life | 5 | I didn't do much socially as I had to work. I lived in the dorms for two years. |
| Placement Services | 3 | The surrounding school district was too focused on who you knew rather than your qualifications. I wasn't placed well with a job. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I don't keep up with the alumni information. I only receive the quarterly magazine. |
Idaho State University • Pocatello, ID
Studying Secondary Education/English (completion in 2005)
• 3/27/2012
"I felt I was provided with a good education. I had very knowledgeable professors who cared enough to help me along and push me to my potential."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program at ISU helped me certify to become a teacher. While it wasn't perfect, it did prepare me enough to begin teaching and provided me with tools that work in the classroom. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Within the state of Idaho, this program seems to have a good reputation. I'm not aware of the reputation of the program outside of the state, although I do know some of my peers got jobs outside of Idaho. |
| Program Quality | 6 | My program was theoretically based. While education theory is nice to know, I feel I would have been better prepared to teach if I had more practical experience. The quality of time spent in the classroom prior to my student teaching was not enough for me to feel completely prepared. |
| Instruction | 7 | I thought my professors were very knowledgeable, however it seemed we were quite removed from teaching in an elementary or grade school. I would have preferred more practical application of ideas rather than all theory based study. |
| How Difficult | 4 | This program was not very challenging. Acceptance to the program is very easy and the work required is not extremely taxing or thought-provoking. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say this school, at least the education program, was almost exclusively book learning until student teaching. I'm not well enough informed to speak to the other programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Depending on the major and minor of study, the class schedule varied in flexibility. Education classes seemed to be offered often enough, but major and minor classes were sometimes only offered once a year. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Facilities were accessible and helpful. Professors were available during office hours and by e-mail or phone. There were many resources available to those who needed them. |
| Social Life | 5 | Social experiences weren't always advertised well. It seemed many students didn't participate in the social aspect at this school. This could also be because of the many non-traditional students on this campus. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school does offer career services, but were not extremely effective in helping find a job or preparing for the job search. While they would go over your resume and set up mock interviews, they did not help connect education students to school districts. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Alumni networking and support is very weak at this school. Besides the annual phone call for donations, there are very little alumni events and offerings. |
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