If you are looking for a smaller school where you can earn your degree without the stress of large classes and urban rush, then Wilson College may fit your need. Ranked by the U.S. News and World Report as number 21 of regional colleges- north, this Pennsylvania school was founded in 1869 by the Presbyterian Church as a woman’s college and it continued in that vein for 144 years. After WWII, male students were allowed to pursue some programs but it wasn’t until recently that they had access to the entire college academics.
The school has a student body of 755 and nearly 90 percent of its classes have less than 20 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1. The top major at the school is veterinary sciences, but the college offers many majors and several are taught through distance learning. In fact, Wilson College has an adult learning degree program for people who cannot take time off work to pursue a traditional on-campus degree. One unique feature of this school is the Women With Children program that allows single mothers to live with their children on campus. Wilson also has a working organic farm for research and teaching.
Accreditation Details
This school is accredited by the Middle States Association of the Higher Learning Commission. Its Education programs are accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Veterinary Medical Technology program is accredited by the American Veterinary Association. In addition, the college is pursuing accreditation for its nursing program through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Wilson has many affiliations, as well, that foster a climate of continued excellence in teaching.
Application Requirements
Students applying to Wilson College must have taken certain preparatory classes in high school. These are: four units each of English and social studies, three of math and two units each of lab science and foreign language. The language requisite is two units of the same foreign language. General admission requires the completion of the online application form. There is no application fee. You will also need to ask a teacher or advisor to fill out the online teacher recommendation form. As a writing sample, you must submit a graded English paper completed in your junior or senior year of high school. You also need your official high school transcript, and the transcripts of any other college coursework you have completed and you must have your ACT or SAT results sent to Wilson College. If you are applying to the Adult Learning Program, you will need to complete the online application and submit it, along with your official transcripts and a personal essay. SAT and ACT test scores are optional for Wilson’s adult education component.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for full time undergraduates at Wilson is $23,745. In addition to that amount, you will need to factor in room and board and certain fees. A double dorm room is $5,390 and a single room is $5,906. If you want a double room used as a single, it will cost you $6,336. The housing contract fee is $5,552. There is also a technology fee of $265. The total annual cost for a full-time undergraduate student, including the fees, is $35,304. New students pay an orientation fee of $285 and an enrollment fee of $400. Other fees apply as well. For instance, because this college emphasizes veterinary sciences, there is a horse boarding fee and an activity fee for equine events. More than 90 percent of Wilson students receive some type of financial assistance.
Scholarships
There are three types of Merit Scholarships: The Presidential Scholarship awards $12,000; the Dean’s Scholarship awards $9,000 and the Leadership scholarship awards $3,000 to $6,000. These have academic qualifier’s. Other competitive scholarships, which require special application, are listed on the school website along with their application deadlines. Departments will sometimes offer scholarships to students pursuing pertinent degrees in addition to private individuals and corporations sponsor scholarships with different requisites. There are also religious and affiliate scholarships such as those offered by the Lion’s Clubs and the American Legion.
Loans
In addition to scholarships and grants, you may apply for deferred, low-interest student loans. These loans typically give students a grace period after graduation to secure employment before repayment begins. The federal government offers limited work-study opportunities that are administered through colleges and universities. If, after exploring other options, you still have a gap, you might look into these.
Degrees Offered
Education
The goal of the education program at Wilson College is to prepare students for teaching certification and licensure. To do this, the faculty employs collaborative learning and takes advantage of small classes to promote interaction between students, for collaborative learning and between the student and the teacher. As in any good program, education at Wilson integrates the theory and classroom instruction with hands-on practicum.
The Early Childhood program, which encompasses pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, contains courses like Child Development, Cognition and Learning; Educational Psychology and Teaching English Language Learners. There is also a dual degree that combines the Early Childhood with a Special Education programs. Students can also pursue degrees in middle level, which is grades four through eight, and secondary education. Health and Physical Education and Spanish are offered at a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade classification.
The education degrees require a pre-service program. The first phase of the program consists of several supervised observation segments. During the second phase, education students participate one full day a week for fifteen weeks in supervised teaching. The third component of the program is a semester devoted to full-time student teaching. This focus on melding the academics of class coursework with practical experience makes your education degree at Wilson College an experience that will give you the confidence to become a great teacher.