Building a list of supportive schools for nice average kid

Parent Cafe
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USD has a religion course requirement. I don’t remember what it was but we are not catholic…and did not have a problem with it when DD applied there.

SCU has a religion course requirement…I think it’s two courses. Maybe three. There were about 150 courses from which to choose. My engineering major, not Catholic kid LOVED her religion courses. She took a Women in Religion course that she said was fabulous. She also took a coupe of ethics courses…also outstanding.

Both schools are pretty liberal schools. SCU is Jesuit, and has the community outreach component to the school philosophy. DD liked that a lot too.

22

Denver isn’t really cold, most of the time. It is very sunny, and often it snows and the sun just melts the snow away pretty quickly. DS (who lived in Hawaii from age 12-18, so "thin blood’ - I’m freezing right now and it’s about 66 degrees) mostly wears a flannel shirt and a hoodie, and sometimes a knit hat. I’m not sure he even has a winter coat.

It’s not like the northeast, which is brutal.

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As a family that likes overtly secular schools, St. Mary’s of CA and Santa Clara both stay on our list despite their Catholic affiliation. An earlier poster pointed out that the 2 courses in religion requirement at Santa Clara can be fulfilled by taking general courses on religion. They have available the sort of courses that any person might want to take at college to become familiar with world religions as a global citizen. That seemed okay and valuable for this family.

St. Mary’s of CA, here is their course catalogue and their core requirements are on page 11–
https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/files/SMC-Catalog-2016-17.pdf

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What has been you nieces exoerience growing up in terms of minority status? As Jews who live in a Jewish area we always advise kids to think about whether they’d be comfortable at a small school where there might only be a handful of other Jews. After being used to growing up in an area where " almost everyone is Jewish" ( it sure feels that way here) it can be quite a disconcerting experience to be part of a tiny minority. Several kids who never thought much about being Jewish found it difficult to go someplace where their religion was something that made them stand out. That issue should at least be considered when choosing a religiously affiliated school without much of a Jewish population.

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Don’t suffocate her. It sounds like you’re the one applying, not her. Let her apply to where she wants, and let her do it. Give her guidance and advice along the way.

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Believe me, I’m a Whitman fan, my son LOVED his 4 years there, but I don’t think it fits your criteria. If you think Occidental is a reach, Whitman will be also, they both admit kids with similar stats. Spring and Fall in Walla Walla are beautiful, but it gets cold in the winter being on the eastern side of the Cascades, but if your daughter skis she’d like access to the local ski resort an hour away. I would suggest checking out Willamette in Salem, OR. You already have U of Puget Sound on your list, Lewis and Clark in Portland is really worth checking out if you’re in Oregon.

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We are also Jewish and an active Jewish hillel is part of my kids criteria. I don’t think there is a hillel at Gonzaga. I know there is one at LMU. I think a Jesuit school will have more involvement than a catholic school. The religion class requirements wouldn’t bother my D18 as she loves learning about other cultures/religions. But she wouldn’t be happy if she had to take strictly Catholicism classes.

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DS graduated from a small Jesuit school. He loved it and is doing very well. I agree the Jesuits welcome other religions. Below is a confirming news story link.

https://www.sju.edu/news-events/news/pontiff-makes-historic-visit-philadelphias-jesuit-university

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Jesuit are Catholics. Most Catholic schools, including all on the list in this post, are welcoming of all beliefs and the courses offered are not about catholic doctrine but more philosophical. The LMU website has a nice article on the Jewish students and how they (and others) are included in the school events and activities.

There are some catholic schools where non catholics, and many catholics, would not feel included because they are extremely religious (Ave Maria, Franciscan), but all the schools on this thread are inclusive.

I will disagree that the weather in the Pacific Northwest meets the requirementsthe OP listed. I lived in Portland after having lived near Boston, in Wisc, in Denver. I was freezing that first year because it was so damp. After that year I was fine, but that first fall I was so cold (and I’m never cold). The winter was a real winter, with ice storms and snow.

Denver gets cold sometimes (today’s high was 3) but it is usually a pretty moderate climate.

30

Very much appreciating the info on requirements and vibe at the various catholic schools, thanks.

Hard to say. Her family belongs to a synagogue, and she takes part in youth group activities and such. I don’t have a good sense of what the Jewish presence is like at her high school. Touring and then asking her afterwards what she thinks is the best way to proceed. With my own daughters, it was much easier to assess the Jewish community aspect. I knew that they wanted enough Jewish community to e.g. not have to worry about finding kosher for Passover food, but with my niece I can’t make that clear a distinction.

Agree that the weather in the PNW may not meet her criteria, but best way to tell is to have her visit during cold weather season :slight_smile: I do not think she skis, so no benefit there.

31

I know she wants to stay closer to home…but College of Charleston sounds like it would meet her requirements. Very active and vibrant Jewish population, nice Judaic studies building and program if she is interested. Nice weather. Great school.

The school is not a Jewish school! But if your nice wanted to seek out Jewish things…they are there!

But it IS on the opposite coast.

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@thumper1 I agree with you CofC sounds like a good match, especially regarding mental health services accessibility . MUSC is in close proximity ( walkable ) with excellent mental health services. Also , a very collaborative and supportive environment . The major issue seems to be the distance from home.

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My S had a great experience as a Jesuit school for undergrad so I’d say that Loyola is worth a long look.

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Agree that CofC would be great…but “close” to home is important.

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“Believe me, I’m a Whitman fan, my son LOVED his 4 years there, but I don’t think it fits your criteria. If you think Occidental is a reach, Whitman will be also, they both admit kids with similar stats. Spring and Fall in Walla Walla are beautiful, but it gets cold in the winter being on the eastern side of the Cascades, but if your daughter skis she’d like access to the local ski resort an hour away. I would suggest checking out Willamette in Salem, OR. You already have U of Puget Sound on your list, Lewis and Clark in Portland is really worth checking out if you’re in Oregon.”

Eh, I’m someone who often defends Whitman’s admission % as misleading because of the extreme self-selection of the applicant pool there, and the fact that it doesn’t have the national name recognition that some of its peer LACs enjoy. With that said, and acknowledging that Whitman has a very smart student body, I think shutting out Whitman as a possibility for this kid is way premature.

First, she, the aunt, thinks Occidental is a reach. Why? I don’t know. Who cares? She may be wrong. So let’s junk that one out up front because it means next to nothing.

Second, the kid has a 3.6 UW GPA THROUGH THE TENTH GRADE. She still has junior year and the fall semester of her senior year to contribute to the formula. Almost 27% of enrolled freshman at Whitman had a HS GPA between 3.5 and 3.74. Only 55% had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.*

Third, that 3.6 UW has some rigor. OP notes “college prep” and one AP course. Is it a full IB or hard core AP load? No. Will Whitman hold that against her? Hard to say. Not the most rigorous, but it doesn’t sound as though the schedule lacks rigor altogether either.

Fourth, Whitman is now test optional, and I’m confident it’s not a contrived mechanism with which to get athletes in the door, as it might be at, say, Williams. Whitman generally doesn’t care that much about its sports programs … certainly not like a NESCAC school would. So her PSAT score and whatever her actual scores might be really don’t have to matter, especially if the family is not seeking aid.

My family knows Whitman well. A kid with a 3.6 and a decent, even if not the best, course load, especially as early as the beginning of junior year, is well within the realm of reasonableness to be shooting for a school like Whitman. She’ll want to play her cards right … show a lot of interest, visit, interview, and all the rest. But it’s a real possibility. Whitman, like most LACs, cares a lot about fit. If they think she fits, a 3.6 won’t scare them off.

*Note: This surprised the heck out of me, but L&C is not, it turns out, the safe alternative to Whitman that I, too, once thought it to be. Their GPA numbers are actually higher. 64% of their enrolled freshman had a HS GPA of 3.75 or better. Only 17% (to Whitman’s 26%) had between a 3.5 and 3.74.

36

I’ll suggest that DN talk to Whitman if they show up at a college fair in her area. Otherwise, the distance from home is too much of an issue. A two hour plane flight, with perhaps a 1 hour shuttle ride at the end, is one thing. That works for schools like Puget Sound or Willamette. Walla Walla means two flights and total travel time of six to seven hours. That’s not going to be the best choice for this student.

L&C admissions surprised the heck out of our family as well. D2 went through the admissions cycle a couple years ago. She really, really liked L&C; it was her second choice after her ED school. She interviewed, visited, applied EA…and was deferred. She’d been admitted to Tulane already with nice merit money, and was accepted to her ED school so the L&C deferral was a moot point, but it was surprising at the time.

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After many hours reading (often just skimming) about all schools in CA, this thread has named 8 out of the 12 schools I put on a short list. Does anyone have any input on the remaining 4? Soka U, Sonoma State U, Pepperdine (probabably too competitive and maybe a little too Christian?) and/or Woodbury U? Thanks very much for any and all input!

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Soka is tiny. The campus is more like a business campus, with building connected by walkways. All very modern. My daughter used to skate at a rink near there on Sundays and I never saw a soul. It is in a very residential area.

Pepperdine is gorgeous but it is religious. Not saying all the kids follow the rules and restrictions, but they are on the books.

39

Thanks so much, very helpful! Does anyone have any experience with Woodbury U?

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when i was reading i thought of University of San Diego and then I saw you already had it on your list!

small, people are nice, sororities but not crazy, last time i went there i saw some painted poster signs for club meetings that were going on. classes are small. tranquil place.

soka university is another school (it’s before reading irvine i think) that is pretty small and people are nice. it’s a very wholesome school, lots of focus on peace.

also some of the schools on your list are in washington or norcal (8+ hours away), i thought you wanted to stay within 2 hours of san diego?

also pepperdine is good, it’s in malibu