I do not have any first-hand experience with Davidson or Furman; however, I do with Richmond. As a conservative Christian, I think your son would undoubtedly be in the minority but would not feel out of place or unaccepted for his views. IMO Richmond is not as conservative as some people tend to view it.
The majority of students at Richmond come from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, not traditionally conservative areas. In both Davidson and Furman, the majority of students come from regions that are generally considered more conservative than the areas that Richmond students are from. If I had to make an educated guess, I think Furman would be the best fit.
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From our experience, we have found this to be the opposite case at Richmond.
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Congratulations on his great choices. Did I miss if he has visited all three? Based on what I know about about the schools and the students who apply/attend, I think Furman might be a good fit. However, it’s the only one of the three we didn’t visit with d20 so I can’t give specific Furman advice. I know a student who attended the recent admitted student day and was impressed.
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I think it is very difficult to have a conversation these days using the words “conservative” and “Christian” without veering into politics. That’s not the fault of posters here, just the reality of the U.S. culture at this moment.
I wonder if a larger school with support and services for many faiths would be a good fit. Of the choices, Richmond seems the largest but not by much.
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While there’s no doubt that we’ve careened into a more politically charged landscape, the purpose of this stream isn’t to “pass judgment” but to offer guidance. Most seem capable of doing that, but a few on both sides of the political spectrum cannot help themselves.
Out of the 3 schools that the OP mentioned, Furman reads as the “best fit” on paper. There was also a really compelling post on this thread from a Furman graduate who both strengthened her faith AND her world view during her time there. It was powerful (at least to me) and served as a strong empirical example that the school would be a strong fit for the OP.
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Maybe reading each school’s student newspaper would help?
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I saw that, too. Great post. Furman could be a terrific fit. I know a few Christians who have found lovely communities in their very large universities, which is why I suggested size as a factor to consider. Furman isn’t much smaller than Richmond so maybe it’s the best possible choice here.
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My D attended Furman freshman year. She did not consider it particularly conservative, and that year some of the professors & students protested the choice of President Bush as Commencement speaker. She met students from many backgrounds, and her roommate was from China. I don’t think she considered it any more conservative than a lot of the small midwestern schools some of her friends attended.
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Thanks to all who have responded! We went to admitted students’ day at Furman today and it was wonderful. Davidson tomorrow!
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Curious if you came to a conclusion about whether any of these are a good fit for your DS22.
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“bubble”? Are schools such as Haverford, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Bryn Mawr, Brown, Oberlin, etc , “bubbles” in your mind? You know, sheltered places of uniform thought where dissenting conservative opinions get shouted down and kids self censor?
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