<p>That she wants to limit her college experience to a community that shares her religious beliefs is exactly the reason I assume that she chose Baylor. I understand that, and I respect her right to make that decision. What I don’t understand is why anyone would want to limit their academic environment in this way.</p>
<p>Apparently, any reasoning that does not end up with a kid going with the highest ranking school they get into or an Ivy is anathema to Bay.That type of “reasoning” is just as difficult to understand. But I’m not going to lose sleep over what another kid or family reasons is best for them, including Bay’s.</p>
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Perhaps because college is not 100% academics, 100% of the time.</p>
<p>Thanks for judging me in a negative light, sevmom.</p>
<p>noimagination,
I like your response. At least it makes sense and includes a reason.</p>
<p>Bay. I 'm just trying to understand, as you say you are. I’m just confused about your position and I don’t seem to be the only one. I do apologize if I have offended you.</p>
<p>I do respect this student’s decision. I think she made the right decision for herself as far as where she wants to be for the next 4 years. I just hope she will always be able to
“to be a member of a (school) community that shared her core belief system.”</p>
<p>I understand where Bay is coming from, and I don’t think he is talking about college ranking. Academic would be the most important thing for me when it comes to choosing a college (I guess in this case it was perfect for this young lady to go to Baylor). A diverse student body would be another criteria - may it be race, religion or social economic.</p>
<p>sevmom,</p>
<p>Yes, you have offended me.</p>
<p>I am simply asking the question of why anyone would find it valuable or important to study academics in an environment that includes only or mainly those people who already agree with their beliefs, as opposed to an environment where they would be exposed to all kinds of viewpoints that are relevant to our world.</p>
<p>Baylor has a Baylor Baylor combined program with 5 medical seats. There are a lot of kids that apply to Baylor for this program with zero interest in religion. People making the cut usually go to Baylor with a full tuition waiver. </p>
<p>Baylor is very generous with merit scholarships with zero component tied to one’s religion.
All the fine parents on this forum have no problem sending their kids to religious private k-12 schools but suddenly universities with a religious bent are taboo? I have zero universities based on my religion in US but somehow I find this badmouthing of Baylor is in bad faith, pardon the pun.</p>
<p>"I’m still waiting to hear that it doesn’t and why someone would choose it, or any other religious college, over a secular one, other than to limit their exposure to others and other viewpoints that differ from their own beliefs. "</p>
<p>After twelve years of going with the flow, I was no longer wanting to pay for a religious viewpoint in my kids education, but I didn’t really think of it as limiting my kids exposure. I don’t know that a school can do that. I did think of it as providing a viewpoint I don’t think they would get anywhere else; certainly not from me!</p>
<p>Bay, I have two kids in college, and natch, two bumper stickers on my car! One of them bears college A’s unofficial motto, “Communism, Atheism, Free Love.” It is interesting to read people’s facial reactions and listen to their words as they react. Honestly, it makes a whole heckuva lot of people very uncomfortable! And to say that this college choice has been a hard nut for this child’s Texas Southern Baptist grandparents to swallow is an understatement. (I should quickly point out they are this child’s biggest fans!)</p>
<p>I’m sorry to have been cranky and confrontational. But I do think it’s better to just admit you’re uncomfortable with the idea of faith-based education than mouth some platitude about respecting other people’s right to choose.</p>
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<p>I did not send my kids to a religious private k-12 school.</p>
<p>"“Communism, Atheism, Free Love.” - Is it an Ivy?</p>
<p>Bay,As others have indicated, Baylor seems to be a well respected school and not totally fixated on religion… It may be Baptist affiliated (not sure?). Notre Dame is Catholic,Brandeis Jewish,etc… Is there something inherently wrong with kids going to these schools? As others have noted, many of the professors are not the same religion . As I said , I’m not particulary religious. I was raised a Protestant but my visits to church in the last decades have been few and far between. But I do respect a person’s desire to have the level of religion they want in their own lives-and yes, sometimes that may include a university with a religious affiliation. How is that hurting anyone?</p>
<p>We made a conscious decision not to send our kids to any school affiliated with a religion, from pre-school to college.</p>
<p>I’m surprised nobody has hit on perhaps the most obvious reason: maybe she wants to find a boyfriend or future husband who shares her religious beliefs (and wants to have more than a few guys to pick from).</p>
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<p>You are right on both counts: I am uncomfortable with faith-based education (I already said I don’t agree with it), and I do respect others’ rights to choose - I am a conservative, non-religious, Republican-voting libertarian (yes, we do exist and you may have heard it here first). I am not being disingenuous with my questioning. I was born without the religion gene (this is confirmed in some studies, supposedly). I truly do not understand why anyone would want to limit their college years in this way, unless they truly believe that no other way is worth considering or worth knowing or … I don’t know. Believe it or not, I like Baylor for most of its attributes: size, location (I like Texas and the West) and conservatism, but not the religious aspect.</p>
<p>“Being forced to have to defend your beliefs is a good thing, not a bad thing.”</p>
<p>“I am simply asking the question of why anyone would find it valuable or important to study academics in an environment that includes only or mainly those people who already agree with their beliefs, as opposed to an environment where they would be exposed to all kinds of viewpoints that are relevant to our world.”</p>
<p>I’ve seen scores of posts on CC by students saying they are liberal/radical/left-wing/etc, and the response is always a respectful and reflexive regurgitation of the usual suspects: Brown, Vassar, Wesleyan, Reed, etc. Can’t recall anybody trying to shame them into going to Pepperdine, Liberty, Notre Dame, or West Point just to find people to challenge their beliefs.</p>
<p>I truly do not understand why anyone would want to limit their college years in this way</p>
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<p>Many young people choose a school based on their perception of how comfortable they will feel at that school. Doing so limits them, I suppose, but I don’t think that is necessarily a negative thing. For you, it may be. For others, though, it is a positive thing … the student may feel she can make friends, participate in activities, have a social life … in an environment that suits her. Not everyone wants to be out of their comfort zone for college. There is nothing wrong with that if you want, but there is nothing wrong with be comfortable, either. Different strokes for different folks.</p>
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<p>I think this is reasonable. I think some young Mormon women choose BYU over other colleges for this reason.</p>
<p>Maybe this girl doesn’t want a school that’s diverse. The majority of college students want a school that is diverse, open-minded, liberal. But you have to realize there are those who want a more religious, conservative, single-minded campus. Makes sense when you think about some of the people here in America and many of those Republicans running in the primaries now. It’s a way for them to protect their belief system and be around people they find themselves like.</p>