What about UNC-Chapel Hill? I note that the OP mentions having visited UGA and UVA; so perhaps UNC-Chapel Hill could be worth considering, even though it might not technically be a “mid-sized East Coast school.”
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Nearly impossible from OOS
It’s not the easiest admit for an OOS, but the OP’s daughter has a 4.1 GPA and 34 on the ACT, so I think she would be competitive. If her high school has Naviance or something similar, that might provide some historical insight.
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OP hasn’t responded to requests asking if that’s a weighted GPA. If so, at some schools the unweighted GPA could be significantly lower and include plenty of B’s (or even lower grades). Hopefully OP will engage in this thread so that posters can be most helpful.
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It is hard to find a school with Tulane’s vibe. When my Tulane grad son looked at/applied to college, he also applied to Vandy, UNC and Emory. He chose Tulane (well, they chose him, with a big merit scholarship). He looked at College of Charleston (we used to say that downtown Charleston looks like the French quarter except without the vomit), but to be perfectly honest, he strongly disliked CofC when we visited and he couldn’t wait to get out of there.
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This is a great suggestion. The two campuses are immediately adjacent. You don’t even cross a street to go from one to the other. There is cross registration between the two, so a student can actually take courses at Tulane. The consortium agreement allows students to take up to two courses per semester at Tulane.
What is her area of academic interest?
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That’s a great idea, as long as the classes they want to take at Tulane aren’t already filled. And unless things have changed with the newer dining hall, the food is better at Loyola.
Also we are assuming this student is ok with a Catholic U.
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Yes, a Catholic U but Jesuit, so probably less emphasis on religion.
People on CC always say that Jesuit schools are ‘Catholic lite’ but IMO that just isn’t true. It is a Catholic education and while they are very accepting of other religions or none at all, overall is still following the rules of the catholic church. Catholicism is not hidden or ignored, and the students aren’t pressured into converting, but it is at the core of the education.
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Thank you for posting this succinct description.
There is a meaningful difference between the Jesuit colleges and let’s say Brown University, founded as Baptist College in the 1760’s, and formally dropped all ties to that denomination in the 1940’s. Folks DO like to pretend that the Jesuit affiliations are nominal- which they are not, despite the reality that SOME of the Jesuit colleges are extremely welcoming places to non-Catholics.
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That’s odd. Loyola doesn’t have a football team and hasn’t had one in almost 90 years.
The fact is that the Jesus statue at Loyola is not the New Orleans “Touchdown Jesus” statue. That one is in the French Quarter. But what difference would it make if it was the one on campus?
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You’re going to have to explain that statement. Please elaborate.
Just some facts:
First of all, Loyola’s core curriculum requires exactly 2 courses in “Religious Studies”. One is in Christian Tradions and the other is in World Religions. So, one course in 4 years in Christianity. Course substitutions are allowed with permission of the head of the department.
Second, I would agree that Jesuit schools are not “ Catholic lite”. Despite views to the contrary, Catholicism is not monolithic. The Jesuits are from the liberal wing of the institution. In this regard, they share more in common with social justice advocates anywhere else than they do with conservative Catholic universities like Notre Dame or the ultra-conservative Catholics on the Supreme Court.
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How does your comment apply to Loyola New Orleans in particular, which is the topic if this post?
Are folks really pretending? Of course the Jesuit affiliations are not nominal. However, less than 50% of the student body is Catholic. When the majority of the students are non-Catholic, no one is studying in a predominantly Catholic milieu and there are going to be a wide variety of points of view. Furthermore, there are currently only 10 Jesuits on a full time faculty of 233 and with part time faculty included, about 400. So, there aren’t a lot of Jesuit affiliated agents to disseminate the religious point of view. The Jesuit universities of today are not the universities of their parents and grandparents.
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I will post directly from the university’s own website and students can draw their own conclusions. I have put in bold the comments that MIGHT lead someone to believe that this is indeed a Catholic “milieu” coming from the president who is a lay leader and not a member of the clergy.
This is what the current university president has chosen to include in his official bio:
Now in his third year as president of Loyola University New Orleans, Dr. Cole and the Loyola community are experiencing tremendous momentum with the completion of a strategic planning initiative. This period marks the fruition of multiple campus improvement projects, including Uptown Hall, new 600 bed residence hall, and the completion of the Chapel of St. Ignatius and Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center. Enhancements to overall student life include a substantial renovation of the Danna Student Center and the initiation of updates to critical academic classrooms and teaching spaces.
In keeping with the current times, Dr. Cole has been a steadfast advocate for first-generation students and families, addressing the FAFSA delays both locally and in Washington, D.C. He has championed the development of academic programs that serve Louisiana’s most vulnerable families, including the expansion of Midwifery and Nursing programs. The University has recently received a 2.85 million dollar federal grant to strengthen and expand the Nursing and Health Science programs. Dr. Cole has also strengthened alumni engagement nationwide, sharing Loyola’s impactful story and successes. Through it all, he has built a strong leadership team poised to navigate the evolving landscape of higher education and ensure a bright future for Loyola.
Dr. Cole is the first person of color, and only the second layperson, to serve as president since Loyola’s founding in 1912. His commitment to the university is evident in his focus on mission-aligned partnerships, improving the school’s financial health and stability, and investing in those who work and learn at Loyola. He also plays an active role in the broader community, serving on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU); the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), Economic Development Inc.’s Committee of 100, Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc., and Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region (BCNO). Additionally, he has been named to Biz New Orleans’ 2024 and 2025 New Orleans 500.
Before coming to Loyola, Dr. Cole served as Vice President of the Division of Student Affairs at Marquette University starting in 2016. He was known for his passion for access and engagement initiatives, particularly for first-generation students and students of color. He also won praise for chairing Marquette’s COVID-19 Response Team during the challenging early days of the pandemic in March 2020.
Dr. Cole’s dedication to Jesuit education continued as co-chair of the Mission Priority Examen at Marquette, and as a visiting team member for Mission Priority Examens at Creighton and Seattle universities. Dr. Cole has worked consistently to ensure ongoing education and mission development of faculty, staff, students and board members through intentional Ignatian mission formation training and development programs.
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I agree the Jesuit traditions in higher education are Catholic traditions, but I also think they can be easy for non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-religious people to appreciate anyway. Some people may still feel uncomfortable, though, which is totally fine.
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My DD (we are not Catholic) graduated from a Jesuit college. I’d be very happy to share my thoughts with anyone via message as I think this is off topic to this thread.
The relevant on topic about Jesuit colleges…they tend to be mid size colleges. And most are located in urban areas.
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My last thought on this, since my jewish kid went to Tulane. He would probably not have been comfortable having to take a class on catholicism. That said, his wife is Catholic, and while not religious per se, their kids will grow up exposed to both religions, and maybe they will be comfortable with a school requiring a religion course. Remains to be seen.
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I did not say core curriculum , but core of the universities.
Loyola New Orlean’s mission statement:
Mission Statement: Loyola University New Orleans, a Jesuit and Catholic institution of higher education, welcomes students of diverse backgrounds and prepares them to lead meaningful lives with and for others;
Boston College: Boston College builds upon its traditions. It seeks to be the national leader in the liberal arts; to fulfill its Jesuit, Catholic mission of faith and service
All 27 Jesuit schools are going to have a mission statement similar to these. Jesuits aren’t a different type of Catholics, and remember Pope Francis, a Jesuit, was pope for 12 years and not that much changed about the Catholic church in those years.
Yes, many non Catholic students love Jesuit schools but to do that the student has to accept the ‘Catholic-ness’ of the schools, the churches, the icons, the crucifixes. Many non-catholic students have no trouble with that and in fact enjoy singing in the choir (very religious songs), like getting a long weekend over Easter, find the icons and stained glass beautiful. They enjoy the beautiful buildings, statues, crosses.
But there are many others (and I think those are who @jym626 thought of in her post) who would hate being in that environment every day, surrounded by religious (nuns and priests), symbols, statues, bells because they are everywhere. Or even worse, some who think they can change things like the law student who sued G’town to change the birth control coverage or the person at BC who wanted the crucifix displays removed. I think those student will never be happy at a catholic school, even a Jesuit one.
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Please move on from debating how Catholic the Jesuit colleges are or start a new thread. TIA.
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