School of Education increases size of elementary teaching program

The School of Education’s acceptance rate remained consistent with previous years, but the school added four seats in its elementary education program this year in response to a competitive applicant pool.

Kara GrawOzburn, assistant director of student affairs for the school, said the program, which is normally capped at 30 students, received so many strong applicants that it was expanded to accommodate 34 new students.

She said as far as she knows, this is the first time more seats have been added.

This year out of 87 total applicants, 72 students were admitted. The 82 percent acceptance rate held the same as last year.

But some who were not directly accepted have other options.

GrawOzburn said 12 applicants to the elementary education program are still being evaluated.

“Some would consider them an admit, some would consider them a deny,” she said.

These students have been given the option to pursue the school’s child development and family studies program or the middle grades education program.

She said the school has given students this option for the past two years because the elementary education program is extremely competitive.

GrawOzburn said these students have been given this option because of the strength of their applications.

“We wouldn’t have offered them the option to be reviewed if they weren’t qualified for the School of Education,” she said.

This year, the school began using a new application system called ApplyYourself after students had difficulties with the previous method. She said the online application had been through Connect Carolina for the past two years.

“Last year in particular, students had difficulty uploading documents,” GrawOzburn said. “This year we didn’t receive any of those complaints.”

Sophomore Jamie McGuinn, who was accepted to the middle grades education program, said she was volunteering in the Pit when she received her acceptance notification.

“I was sitting beside another teaching fellow and another education major, and they were like ‘We need to open it,”’ McGuinn said. “I opened it up and found out I got in, and it was great because I got to share my excitement with them.”

McGuinn said she told her dad right after she found out.

“He was really excited,” she said. “He said to keep trucking, because this week has been crazy.”

McGuinn said she doesn’t have any big plans to celebrate yet.

“I’m going to write some more papers and study for some exams,” she said with a laugh.

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