@Corinthian I think you and I view “fit” somewhat differently (post #173). Peter Van Buskirk, former admissions director at F&M, has a good definition IMO. A college is a good fit if it:
- Offers a program of study to match your interests and needs;
- Provides a style of instruction to match they way you like to learn;
- Provides a level of academic rigor to match your aptitude and preparation;
- Offers a community that feels like home to you; and
- Values you for what you do well.
To my mind, the question is how much weight does one give each of these factors and should factor #4 outweigh the others? I personally think there is a danger in that. If we send our children off to college hoping they will simply receive a replication of our own world view, then we are not giving them a chance to grow. I don’t see anything hypocritical in finding a good “fit” that at the same time enables them to be confronted by, and think about, new ideas.
With respect to OP’s post, my concern is the third sentence (thanks for reposting @brantly). The sentence begins “HE’D like to attend a strong STEM school” and ends “but WE’D like to find a place where a conservative Christian male won’t be persecuted…”
The issue of what the child wants versus what the parents want comes up time and time again on CC, and often the two “wants” don’t entirely align. In this case we are just hearing the parent’s side. The son and the other parent may not entirely see it this way. I don’t think it is bashing OP to simply make the observation that over-emphasizing Van Buskirk’s point #4 may result in limiting the son’s choices in what he primarily seems to want: an outstanding STEM education.