Illinois State University

I was a graduate of the clinical counseling psychology program, and although I agree with the reviews stating that it is a versatile and educational environment, I want to warn future students that this program is extremely rigorous and unforgiving. Along with that, the program seems to add more requirements for graduation year by year, trapping its graduate students into the program for years on end despite it's promise of a 2 year, 60 hour program. Yes, it is an exceptional place to learn skills... Read More needed for the real world and in academia for counseling/clinical psychology, but the program is simply too busy for anyone to fully keep up. My cohort members and I suffered from burnout and exhaustion, all whilst the program decided to increase hour requirements for both the practicum sites along with countless hours of thesis work, homework, exams, and more piled on top. I have also recently found on their website that they no longer do scholarships for tuition reimbursement, despite the rigorous work done at the practicum sites. If you get easily stressed, I'd recommend going to a different program, only because this one was just too much work in such an extremely condensed amount of time. But you like academic exhaustion and pain, then this is the perfect program for you.

Illinois State University is a great school if you're looking for a mix of high-quality academics, opportunities, and affordability. ISU is one of the most affordable schools in Illinois, but it doesn't sacrifice the quality of academics. It's one of the best schools in Illinois for Teaching, and they also have a fantastic business program. I thought the campus culture was great, with an attractive quad and campus that was easy to navigate and always had fun activities. I also felt like the professors... Read More and advisors were always willing to help when needed. If I had to choose one area of improvement, it would be for undergraduates to be able to have a better dorm experience because currently their dorms are overpopulated and outdated.

This school does not care about its students whatsoever. They are more concerned with taking our money whenever they see fit instead of actually trying to help the student body. Student concerns are of no concern to the student dean. Students are thrown aside like a piece of trash here. Classes and curriculum make zero sense and picking classes is just as equally garbage. I regret coming to this school and highly recommend any potential students find a different university to attend. I am disgusted... Read More to call myself a redbird and I carry so much mental suffering from this school.

I had an overall positive experience at Illinois State University. My professors knew the content, and the internship that I was able to partake in my senior year in place of traditional student teaching allowed me to enter my first year of teaching feeling as though I already had experience. The class that truly changed my perspective and led me to become an English teacher was my children's literature class with Professor Trites. Her passion for the subject sparked a passion in me, and she honestly... Read More taught me more than any of my education professors did. I wish the program would have been more focused on field experience, as that is what teaching truly is, as opposed to reading about other practices and writing papers on them. But, overall I had a great experience and would recommend the ISU education program to any of those interested.

Illinois State University has been the best home away from home a girl can ask for. Not only are college courses difficult, but leaving home is especially difficult. From the moment I stepped foot on campus I felt a sense of home. The campus is large enough that it looks and feels like a college town, but small enough to still feel like you know all the ins and outs of the campus. Not only is the campus itself wonderful but the dorms are a great setting. Getting to join a Facebook community before... Read More college to talk and try and find a roommate was a great start, and then having a dining hall connected to my dorm was amazing! Not just that but there is a magnitude of housing and dining options to fit everyone's wants and needs. From there the classes are wonderful. The largest lecture I sat in was around 200 and that was only Freshman year for general education courses. From there my major courses have been class sizes of 20-30 with professors who are qualified to teach the subject and who genuinely care for your education. Outside of the classroom is where I feel ISU does their best work. The opportunities for joining Student Organizations are endless. With organizations for just about any interest or hobby it is not hard to find another home outside of the classroom. Professors often push student organization involvement on campus, and it is such a remarkable way to meet friends and further your education outside of the classroom. Moving from there ISU has many great connections with companies and host career and internship fairs to help find work post graduation. This is such an opportunity and shows that ISU truly cares about helping their students with a successful future. Overall, I love ISU (although I am biased) and feel that it truly the best college to attend.

I attended Illinois State University as a transfer student between 2012 and 2014. Even though I was a transfer student, I found myself being easily immersed in the college experience and classes. I got involved in extracurriculars and volunteer work that helped expand my skill set and knowledge. These experiences have made a big impact in job interviewing and for pursuing graduate school. People are impressed with the work I did as an undergraduate student. ISU challenged me as a student at times,... Read More but I learned from those experiences. I never had a teacher that I disliked. ISU also offers interesting and great elective courses. If you see something that catches your eye, definitely take the class, it will be worth it!

I currently attend this school and I I have to be honest it is a huge waste of time. A good amount of time at clinicals is spent just trying to pass the day and they require an extremely high amount of clinical hours which makes it an even bigger waste. Along with clinical hours, they make you attend countless seminars and events, some that you have to pay for, that are of no value. They truly do not value the time of students. I am writing this review from a pointless 12 hour seminar. 3 of the hours... Read More were spent at a coffee shop because of poor planning on the instructors/administrators part. On top of wasting our time, much of the staff does not really know what they are doing and do not contribute to students education. I do not recommend this school. Do NOT go here. -from an honest reviewer

ISU professors are very accessible and willing to work with their students. ISU professors do research studies and other work for the university outside of the classroom, but they do not let that take away from their job as a professor. With a few exceptions, I have to say that my overall impression through the years has been that the professors genuinely care about each of their students! It is refreshing and makes students feel comfortable in the learning environment. Class participation is universal,... Read More lectures are standard, and in my major, we do a lot of presentations and practice lessons. Also, business casual dress is required of all college of business students. ISU really and truly is a fantastic school to go to if you are considering business. ISU is known for their education program, as well as business and nursing. Students are on a spectrum here, so some are competitive while others want to graduate. Teachers have office hours here, and I have also never met a professor that was not willing to work with the student if they needed to meet at a different time. I would suggest joining student organizations as there are many on campus and are a great way to get to know other students.

I went to Illinois State University after one year at a community college. My advisor was very helpful in getting me acquainted with the different programs in the School of Communication, and once I figured out what I wanted to study, she was just as involved with my plan of study. (Just so happens that the Public Relations program at Illinois State is an accredited program, which they have a few of those...very impressive!) I highly recommend getting involved on campus -- with different student... Read More organizations and with your professors. Illinois State has some of the most passionate professors and they LOVE what they do. Although the professors are your superior, they treat you as an equal. Which is very healthy for a learning environment. Ilstu was very proactive in helping me gain experience outside of the classroom with internships. I was able to hold (3) internships within a year and a half because I had guidance and connections through the school. Illinois State is one of those schools that, if you're proactive, big things can happen. It is a larger institution so sometimes it feels as if you're just a number, but if you put yourself out there with students and faculty, you'll feel a strong connection.

The Clinical-Counseling psychology master's program at Illinois State University is one of the most versatile and eclectic master's psychology programs in the country. For starters, it is one of the only dual clinical/counseling programs in the country. The members of the clinical-counseling faculty have expertise in both research and clinical work. The professors seamlessly integrate traditional classroom lectures, seminar discussions, and hands-on practice. Students in the program are trained to... Read More have a holistic approach to mental health which incorporates theories from both clinical and counseling psychology. In addition to training students to be exceptional clinicians, students are trained to be scientists that are educated consumers of research. As a graduation requirement, students are expected to complete a thesis or capstone project, which gives them the opportunity to contribute to the growing body of research in their field. The thesis/capstone processes is laid out in a clear and logical manner, which optimizes efficiency. In addition to the research component, students are given the opportunity to spend a full year at a community agency completing their clinical-counseling practicum. The 20-hour-a-week practicum allows students, under qualified supervision, the opportunity to engage in individual/group counseling, assessment, and case management. I wholeheartedly believe that the practicum component is what sets this program apart from all others. The practicum has been so successful at preparing students in the program to be full-time counselors that a significant portion of the graduating class fields multiple job offers immediately after graduation! Alumni careers include well sought-after positions like Addiction Therapist/Substance Abuse Counselor, Behavioral Health Specialist, and Clinical Program Coordinator. Last but definitely not least; this is one of the only fully funded psychology programs in the country! Upon admission, you receive a graduate assistantship that comes with a 100% tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. The financial assistance that this program offers has made pursuing graduate education far less stressful than I expected. My time in this program, while rigorous, has been incredibly fruitful, I feel 110% ready to enter the workforce with confidence. If you are even considering applying to a clinical/counseling master's program, you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn't look into applying for The Clinical-Counseling psychology master's program at Illinois State University!