<p>UVA: let me add to what levirm has so eloquently stated…</p>
<p>when we started looking at schools for our “B” daughter, many of the usual suspects that have a critical mass of Jewish students are for the “A” student…that critical mass, just so you know, is different for everybody and is a very personal decision…</p>
<p>this thread would be completely unnecessary if every “B” school attracted Jewish kids (in any number)…unfortunately, MANY of the great schools for a “B” students do not, including many of the Colleges that change lives schools…</p>
<p>Like any minority, a Jewish student wants to know that there are at least a few other Jewish students around; this is not as much a religious issue but moreso a cultural one…</p>
<p>if you read this entire thread, this kind of brings us back to the beginning of this thread when we figured out why we needed to have it…</p>
<p>As kathiep will tell you (and others) EVERYONE is welcome; we discuss soooo much more than just religious life…</p>
<p>mdcissp: so happy with your decision!!! I agree that it is definitely easier to get into Towson’s B-school than Binghamtons…</p>
<p>UVA, There are B student threads for the different years - class of 2011, class of 2012, etc. but they are now several pages back. As a parent of a senior, I found many of the same people posting on the class of 2011 thread and here and then there wasn’t much else to say on the B students class of 2011 thread so it died away.</p>
<p>I wonder though if this thread shouldn’t be re-titled something else since it’s evolved into more of a talk of Jewishness at colleges and not much to do with B students. </p>
<p>Our School district will be showing “Race to Nowhere” in April. I’m looking forward to seeing it.</p>
<p>UVa, here are some things a Jewish student may worry about. Let us know how many of them are also issues for non-Jewish students.</p>
<ul>
<li> Will there be religious services on Friday nights/Saturday mornings? High Holidays?</li>
<li> Will my classes be cancelled for High Holidays, and if not, will I be given an excused absence when I miss them? What if theres a test? Will I be allowed to make it up? </li>
<li> Will I be able to get home for Passover seders? If I miss class to get home will I be excused/allowed to make up? If I cant go home, will I be able to find a seder to attend?</li>
<li> Will there be kosher food? Kosher-for-Passover food?</li>
<li> If I choose to date Jewish people, will there be enough of a community that I can find someone? If that doesnt matter to ME, will it matter enough to my classmates that they wont want to date me because Im Jewish?</li>
<li> Will opportunities to meet professors outside of class and develop personal relationships with them come primarily in the form of prayer breakfasts, Christian Fellowship activities, and the like? (True story from my medical school experience)</li>
<li> Will my coach expect the team to pray to Jesus before each game?</li>
<li> Will my hallmates bond through Bible study in a way that leaves me out, and leaves me uncomfortable?</li>
<li> Will there be final exams on Shavuot?</li>
</ul>
<p>As already mentioned, most of the most selective schools (the Ivies and top LACs and very selective universities), the ones for “A” students, have a large enough Jewish community that these things are not an issue. However, once you start choosing from the myriad of small LACs that are less selective, you can find yourself at a school where these things are a BIG problem, and even some large universities may leave Jewish kids feeling uncomfortable. (My medical experience was at a major state university…UVa, to be specific.)</p>
<p>^^^ well said, DeskPotato.
As has been noted, this thread is not in any way exclusive to Jewish parents or even to parents of “B” students. Instead, it has become more of a community which seeks to address the needs of parents and students who may share overlapping concerns.</p>
<p>mdcissp - congrats on the Towson decision - I think this is the best choice for your som for many reasons and wish your family the best of luck. Please do keep us in the loop and let us know how he enjoys his Towson experience.</p>
<p>Thank you to the previous posters for re-explaining the purpose of this thread - beautifully done. </p>
<p>kathiep - I do think we try to keep the emphasis on Jewish “B” students. Yes - we digress now and then - but this would not be the thread to discuss Penn vs. Cornell - see the difference? Some of our kids are more B- students and some are more B+, but the common denominator is that we are not looking at top 30 schools. I also think we have really worked hard at cultivating a very warm, supportive, caring community. Some of the other threads can get very snarky as the uber-competitive parents try to outdo each other. That’s not what this community is about.</p>
<p>Again, all are welcome - but I’d appreciate you not questioning our need to exist - that is somewhat offensive. The fact that this thread has been going very strongly for almost a year speaks for itself.</p>
<p>Hi all,
I haven’t posted in a while (busy with aging parent issues - difficult stuff) but I’ve been trying to catch-up on all the latest info. Congrats to all with good news - test scores, narrowing down college choices, etc.</p>
<p>About VT - I know lots of kids there (although none are Jewish) and they all seem to love it. I think some of the appeal for those of us in MD is that it feels more “like home” than say another large public because so many local kids attend BUT it has the added feature of “going away”. Finding rides home, having college friends around for the summer, etc. are kind of an added bonus. </p>
<p>In addition, our state flagship - UMCP - has become a total wildcard for even A students with great test scores. A friend of mine’s son just got accepted to VT and he is a solid B student. I believe his test scores were mid 500s in both M and CR and his cum gpa was around 3.4. He didn’t even apply to UMCP knowing he didn’t have a chance of getting in. </p>
<p>RVM - I read your post about the reach schools the GC suggested and I wondered if S2 has any interest in joining his brother at Wake? I think with his new test score and a brother attending it doesn’t seem like that much of a “reach”.</p>
<p>UVA - this really is a wonderful group of helpful and kind people. I am not Jewish, but as I’ve said before, we have lots of Jewish friends and family and thus appreciate the suggestions and discussions because we would like our kids to continue living in a diverse community throughout their college years.</p>
<p>dwhite - I guess strictly from the standpoint of could he get in - Wake would be a reach - but not crazy - for S2. But - seeing how hard S1 works - and he earns a mix of A’s and B’s - I know it is too much for S2. Wake Forest is known as “Work Forest” for a reason - very accurate label. Not a fit for S2 at all. But, I love Wake and often think of S2’s search in terms of trying to find Wake “lite”.</p>
<p>kathiep, your post left me a little bewildered. I’m wondering, was there a recent post or line of discussion that bothered you? Would you like to share your perspective so perhaps the group will better be able to understand what you’re trying to convey?</p>
<p>RVM - That makes sense - you know your S and what would be the best “fit”. Good luck with all you visits!! I just love touring campuses - I’m really going to miss it!!</p>
<p>I guess my only slight hesitation with Towson (almost ready to mail the acceptance letter) is that the rep at the B-school presentation said 40% of the B-students had jobs at graduation recently. She did say Towson gives its students what they need to find a job, and then it is up to the student to find work. Am I writing off Binghamton too quickly because of anxiety about transferring to its B-school? Are job prospects better graduating from Binghamton? </p>
<p>Also, hoping that 4 years from now will see a better economy.</p>
<p>RVM: Our kids are so much alike! I also felt that D1’s school (Penn) would be too academically intense for her sister, but she loved the city vibe, sophistication, and mix of kids. We looked at similar schools that were less competitive. I think we found one.</p>
<p>mdcissp – it doesn’t matter how much better binghamton’s business school placement may be if you son doesn’t end up being able to transfer into it. </p>
<p>Deborah T: I think (but maybe I’m wrong) kathiep may have been referring to our digression (tangent) discussion about the book choice…</p>
<p>and to that I would respond that at different times during the year, a thread like this may or may not digress into other areas; right now, many of the senior parents are helping their kids make decisions; I’m sure they will post when they can…</p>
<p>The junior parents are getting ready for visits…many are already scheduled…</p>
<p>the academic portion of our discussion is sure to pick up again soon, especially post-visits and in the fall, when the new freshman can reflect on their choices…</p>
<p>(am I spelling 'digress" correctly? it looks wrong…?) it’s annoying me and I wrote it…lol</p>
<p>mdcissp - the student I know who graduated from Towson as a business major in December does have a job - maybe not an amazing one - but he is working for a Towson-owned catering company that he started working for during his junior year. I think right now - given the economy - any job is great - you have to start somewhere. I think Towson’s proximity to Baltimore is a big plus - opportunities for internships and jobs.</p>
<p>Kathiep, you’ve probably at some point in time heard the old adage, if you ask 3 Jews a question, you’ll get 5 opinions. The same goes for digressions (yes, Rodney you spelled it right) (see? a digression). Part of that comes from the probably by now genetically ingrained patterns of studying and debating Talmud, which would have comments on comments going around the border of the main page discussion, sometimes even going on to another page, and one commentator elucidating on or refuting the decisions of another. Discussions go far afield, but sooner or later they all come back to the subject at hand.</p>
<p>I think that’s what this thread is like. But if sometimes exasperating or puzzling, I think it would be easy to interpolate the kinds of questions we ask about Jewish life at colleges and the ways we approach and ask them, to almost any other minority.</p>
<p>chocchip - I saw it for free - but I would pay to see it. Yes, I’m sure you have heard a lot about it - but the emotional impact of actually seeing it was valuable - at least for me. It struck a chord with me because of what S1 went through and how stressed out he was junior and senior years. I think if I had seen this movie before he was a junior in hs - I would have insisted on some changes. Our hs is similar to what was shown in the movie - extremely competitive - tremendous pressure to take as many AP classes as possible, while maintaining perfect grades, having great ECs and doing community service. Now - if your hs environment is not like this - it will be less relevant. If you have a child like my younger son - who was never on this ultra-competitive path and could care less that he is not - than it won’t hit you the same way. But this is a film that if it mimics what you have lived through or are struggling with now - it will be worth seeing.</p>