@Dustyfeathers I think it is perhaps the personal interpretation of the word “liberal”. Very subjective. I am quite liberal however some colleges that others feel are liberal, are not near liberally enough for my D and myself. and would be crossed off the list as being too conservative…
@londondad Can you cite and link to the Florida law? I just googled it and found pages of links claiming it wasn’t true, some specifically for Florida. I found no link with the supported it with an actual citation. Numerous cites claimed this is an urban legend that goes back at least to the 1960’s and maybe earlier. Kind of doesn’t make sense as their are many sororities in the state and it seemed like it would easily be struck down if legally challenged.
Twoinanddone, the question was why sorority houses don’t allow alcohol. and if that stems from the old law.
Maybe the discussion of sororities and their history and their alcohol policies could be placed in another thread? It would be nice to go back to schools that move up, down, and around based on tours.
@Dustyfeathers – I didn’t go on the trip to Fordham, but “too liberal” was my son’s impression. And I think he didn’t mean that he’s against liberals or liberal leaning campus, but that it was “too liberal” in not any balance of diversity of political thought. He likes to debate policy & politics and when only one side/voice is heard, there is no debate. Fordham may very well be “not as liberal” as NYU or Columbia (I have no idea), simply because it is Catholic. But Jesuits have a long history of bucking Church policy, putting education & truth first, and a strong commitment to Social Justice & service to others.
I will say that he was struck by how white & “rich” the campus seemed to him. I am surprised to hear his impression that it is not very diverse as NYC seems like the most diverse place in the US.
@Steglitz90 , yeah, I can’t really comment on those things. But the people I’ve met from Fordham have usually surprised me with their quite varied voices – and it’s an overtly Catholic school which to my mind tilts it toward more conservative, even if it’s Jesuit. At least one student I know wanted to attend because she was a conservative Catholic, who has also attended Catholic U in DC, which is fairly strictly Catholic. It broadcasts Catholic services from its radio station–and sports! And music. But anyway, the people that I’ve known within the Fordham community have espoused a broad range of views and opinions. I couldn’t tell you what happens in the classroom!
@Dustyfeathers My S went to Fordham (class of 2008 so my info. may be a little old) and based on his experience/his friends I wouldn’t classify the school as “overtly Catholic.” The Jesuits are educators first and foremost and religion is not pushed on anyone. My S had friends of many faiths/atheists/agnostics who were happy and comfortable at Fordham. Religious outlets are there for those who wish to partake and a person desiring a more Catholic based experience could do that by choosing his/her classes and ECs accordingly – but I don’t think that a majority of the students do . I would also say that many of my S’s friends are more on the liberal side (as many 18-21 year olds tend to be) but there was a healthy diversity of opinion on campus both in and out of the classroom. Catholic U is generally considered to be more “Catholic driven” as compared to Fordham (and I’d guess other Jesuit schools).
And I think Fordham is more diverse than many private colleges. This is from the website: African-American 5.3%, American Indian 0.1%, Asian/Pacific Islander 9.5%, Caucasian 66.6%, Hispanic 13.6%, Multiple Races Selected 3.8%, Not Specified 1% https://www.fordham.edu/info/24633/admission_facts
Anyway I was hesitant to post and push the thread further off course, but I thought it might be helpful.
@happy1 - I thought the ‘too white’ comment with regard to Fordham was a little off too. Remember it being more ethnically diverse than some other schools in its peer group and do believe it has greater minority presence than Villanova which the OP’s son did like very much. Both great schools
Off topic, but i just have to add this: I know 2 people who graduated from Fordham. One is probably the most liberal person I know and the other is the most conservative person I know.
In any event, if someone didn’t feel Fordham was a good fit for whatever reason that is perfectly fine.
Dickinson was a contender for D as well…agree with the list @wisteria100 suggests (they were all on her list except Gettysburg). Nice, happy, active, sporty kids all sound like the Bucknell we’ve come to know. The size, D1 sports, cute town within walking distance, combo of engineering/liberal arts/management programs, arts emphasis, & active social scene all drew D to school and it was hard for us to find similar LACs on the East coast. Good luck on your search @citymama9!
For S, he liked Cal State Northridge better after a visit. He wants to study music and we are looking at Southern California campuses. It wasn’t the campus; it was the people who took a genuine interest in him and his goals and shared the benefits of their programs with him. Later we attended a concert and we could see the obvious connection between the band director and his students.
For me, we attended a UC open house event at UC Riverside. I’ve visited UCSD, UCI, UCLA, UCSB before but had never been on UCR campus. It was nicer than I expected; flat, more modern like most UCs except for UCLA and Cal. You see the mountains in the background. Also all of the speakers from UCR were pretty impressive and more organized that speakers from some of the other UCs. The student helpers were all articulate and knowledgable. Always thought of it as the last chance UC until Merced opened but it was pretty nice overall. S got into UCI so UCR is off the table but I would keep an open mind if you want to go to a UC.
Also I take my students on campus tours and for a Cal State, Cal Poly Pomona has a more historic look that is missing at a lot of other Cal State campuses. Learn by Doing seems to be a real thing there.
You always like any campus better after you have been ADMITTED!
We had visited Champlain College with DS14…oh how I loved it! He really liked it as well but cold weather sports were not his thing. It seems like an incredible place!
We just got home from an admitted students visit at The Ohio State University and my D loved it. For a school with such a large student population it felt surprisingly cozy. The campus was extremely walkable, and it had the feel and perks of a college town while being just a few miles to downtown Columbus. After seeing 10 schools, I’m pretty sure she is going to commit to OSU.
This discussion was created from comments split from: Colleges you were surprised you liked after visiting.
This discussion was created from comments split from: Colleges you were surprised you liked after visiting.
Moved up: Middlebury; admissions orientation was led by director of admissions. Showed great interest in prospective students, even though they get plenty of applicants; great tour guide.
St.Olaf: great tour guide, beautiful campus, great “vibe,” overnight was great.
Grinnell: yes, middle of nowhere but great campus and students. Overnight was a great success.
Moved down: Kenyon, very snobby admissions office-- both times we visited. Once they had my daughter’s test scores they tried hard to get her to apply. Too late.
The “all white, all liberal” part doesn’t match my impression of Fordham. Maybe it’s different now, but I know some pretty conservative people who went there years ago. I feel it might be too conservative for my tastes, if anything, and I’m no ultra lefty. I just want my kids to be exposed to some liberal thinking, because they’ve grown up in a fairly conservative area.
I think someone already pointed out that Fordham is pretty diverse ethnically.
@Akqj10 I don’t think any university can beat University of Chicago when it comes to being a Hogwarts look alike. Their gothic buildings are spectacular. And what used to be the Harper Library is incredible. The main room reminds me of London’s Guildhall.
Hopkins, down–too pre-professional
U Chicago-down–too many kids want to win a Nobel Prize
Northwestern-up–loved the vibe (smart but not obnoxious)
Georgetown-down–required religion course description and the number of Jesuits