Education major at an elite school, good or bad?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't pay for my son to be an education major. No way. I'm a teacher and the way the job is now is not sustainable for a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son wants to be a middle school teacher. He has high rigor, great grades at a top DMV private. 1550. Dream school is Vanderbilt or similar places. looking at applying as an education major or at a minimum emphasizing education in essays, etc,
All extracurriculars support this: paid jobs at camps, volunteering at an elementary school, head of Best Buddies, paid internship at a Dept of health doing peer education etc.

Do you think applying to elite universities with a strong interest in education helps or hurts one's cause? It's not a popular choose these days (good) but may not be viewed as enough of an aspirational career (potentially bad?... don't these schools mostly want kids who have the raw material to future tech CEOs, etc? Kind of kidding but not.
Thoughts?

I think it will help a LOT, esp. if DC is sincere. He can shift into corporate consulting, sales, counselling etc.

[Anonymous]

Terrible idea.

[Anonymous]

I think but please correct me if not - that Vanderbilt's Peabody School is a separate school - ie you would be applying to the Peabody School, and your acceptance would be for that only. And that you are not permitted once in Peabody to transfer to the college of arts and sciences or any other school within Vandy. They do not want people applying to Peabody as a perceived easier way to gain admittance to the university.
Others will know best - I've got one at Vandy but in arts and sciences there. It's a great experience in a great school & great town.

[Anonymous]

PP - also just wanted to say I am not implying at all that your son is trying to go the easier way. Love that he is passionate about teaching. Just wanted to give a heads up in case he ever wanted to transfer within the university, it might not be possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think but please correct me if not - that Vanderbilt's Peabody School is a separate school - ie you would be applying to the Peabody School, and your acceptance would be for that only. And that you are not permitted once in Peabody to transfer to the college of arts and sciences or any other school within Vandy. They do not want people applying to Peabody as a perceived easier way to gain admittance to the university.
Others will know best - I've got one at Vandy but in arts and sciences there. It's a great experience in a great school & great town.

You are easily able to switch from Peabody to A&S.

[Anonymous]

Why are so many here so judgy and skeptical of other's motivations?

My son's male 5th grade teacher was a graduate of WashU. He taught in an urban school for troubled kids for 5 years and then moved to our suburb, population mix of ultra wealthy to low income/homeless kids. It's possible he has aspirations for a leadership position at some point (?) but he's still teaching there 5 years later. He is young, energetic, and did fun things with the kids - took them on an overnight camping trip at beginning of the year for a bonding activity, invited the class to football games between WashU and local colleges, etc.

Not everyone is out to game the system to get into one of DCUM's coveted private colleges. There are sincere people in this world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think but please correct me if not - that Vanderbilt's Peabody School is a separate school - ie you would be applying to the Peabody School, and your acceptance would be for that only. And that you are not permitted once in Peabody to transfer to the college of arts and sciences or any other school within Vandy. They do not want people applying to Peabody as a perceived easier way to gain admittance to the university.
Others will know best - I've got one at Vandy but in arts and sciences there. It's a great experience in a great school & great town.

You are easily able to switch from Peabody to A&S.

Yes however you need to have completed two full semesters in Peabody before applying to transfer within Vandy (from Peabody to Arts & Sciences) fyi

[Anonymous]

I would never pay elite prices for a future teacher (to be fair, I wouldn't pay for a lot of things, but definitely not that).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why apply to elite universities if he is interested in Vanderbilt. Just apply there and to similar schools.

hahahahaha

[Anonymous]

Most people have a primary major+ education courses, especially if they want to be secondary teachers. So he would be history (or whatever content major) + education courses for licensure if he maintained that interest. But he doesn't know for sure what job he wants in high school--he hasn't had enough life experience. So I would go with an excellent school, major in the content area and add the education courses needed if he keeps wanting to be a teacher. Then, if he hates it, he could do something else.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We'll pay for whatever major our kids choose. We don't view college as a professional school.

I think my son may end up applying to the Peabody school as an elementary education or secondary education major. He will have the extracurriculars (4 years worth--all working with kids) to back this up. It's not some master plan to get an admissions bump (this was all his doing--I was consistently trying to get him excited about STEM) although we'll take one if it's given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you wealthy? If so, then whatever. If not, then JMU for teaching. If you think he’ll or want him to) consider other majors, then go to a school with a range of majors and focus on getting summer internships.

+1
Unless you are wealthy, why would you spend $80K+/year for college. Where you go to school does NOT matter at all for education majors, other than it's best to attend school in a state you want to live in later, since you have to be certified in that state. Absolutely no reason to go to an elite school for that....it's literally a waste of money. Teacher salaries arebased on years of experience and highest degree, nothing else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think but please correct me if not - that Vanderbilt's Peabody School is a separate school - ie you would be applying to the Peabody School, and your acceptance would be for that only. And that you are not permitted once in Peabody to transfer to the college of arts and sciences or any other school within Vandy. They do not want people applying to Peabody as a perceived easier way to gain admittance to the university.
Others will know best - I've got one at Vandy but in arts and sciences there. It's a great experience in a great school & great town.

You are easily able to switch from Peabody to A&S.

Nope, undergraduate education majors are actively encouraged to take a secondary major in A&S connected to their content area. This is fairly typical of any strong program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think but please correct me if not - that Vanderbilt's Peabody School is a separate school - ie you would be applying to the Peabody School, and your acceptance would be for that only. And that you are not permitted once in Peabody to transfer to the college of arts and sciences or any other school within Vandy. They do not want people applying to Peabody as a perceived easier way to gain admittance to the university.
Others will know best - I've got one at Vandy but in arts and sciences there. It's a great experience in a great school & great town.

You are easily able to switch from Peabody to A&S.

Nope, undergraduate education majors are actively encouraged to take a secondary major in A&S connected to their content area. This is fairly typical of any strong program.

Adding--I didn't mean to write "Nope" -- just clarifying that you don't have to switch and most undergrad ed majors also major in something else.