Private College Search

nmparents
Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:02:50 +0000

“Also, not related to the thread, but I would like to add that I was shocked the day I found out private schools didn’t have OOS or IS tuition rates, but one fixed rate.”

Not quite true. New York state, and perhaps some other states, encouraged some private universities (e.g. Cornell) to create colleges within the university to meet the needs of its residents with the understanding that it would pay part of the tuition for in state students. OOS will pay more at Cornell CALS.

As to the rest.

I view several of your criteria as redundant. I can’t think of any school close to or in a city that is considered isolated. Greek life tends to be more important the more isolated the school is, so it is rarely important for universities close to or in a city.

There is religious affiliation and religious affiliation. A number of schools were founded by protestant denominations to meet the needs of its members, particularly in the 18th and early 19th century when public schools were non-existent. But first priority was given to the general educational needs of those members, and not their religious needs, and to ensure a large enough student body the schools were made ecumenical. Such schools often still have an official religious affiliation, but students there are often completely unaware of that affiliation. Even if that affiliation is apparent, it need not be objectionable. For example, while students at a school run by the Society of Jesus would know that they are at a Catholic school, they would find the religious affiliation much less obtrusive than that of most other Catholic schools, and many schools affiliated with conservative Protestant denominations.

Note The Princeton Review “Complete Book of Colleges” and U.S. News & World Report “Ultimate College Guide” both note religious affiliation at the start of each college description. “Fiske Guide to Colleges” gives detailed discussion of the importance of Greek activities on each campus. Almost any good non-specialized school (i.e. Juliard is a specialized school) has a good history department. Most good schools have political science departments, with the best polisci departments generally near DC, the major state capitals, New York City, HYPSM, and general school quality.

Georgetown University is probably the best school by your criteria of size and quality of the polisci and history departments and no Greek presence, but not by your criteria of no religious affiliation. It is run by the Society of Jesus.

Others that may fit your criteria are Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Stanford (minor Greek), Chicago (minor Greek), NYU, UCLA, Berkeley (both minor Greek), …