Overtheline, Just wondering what college your are referring to. I am guessing it is Santa Clara? please do tell
Happy Pesach everyone.
Overtheline, I understand the concern. Sometimes though, even if there is a Hillel and other activities on campus, the students may or may not choose to participate. One positive about a smaller college with a religious bent is that there may be less anti-Israel on campus overall. To me, there seems to be a stronger anti-religion sentiment on secular campuses, however that can make it difficult for students who identify as religious. Ideally, there would be tolerance for many points of view.
Hi,
I just started reviewing this thread for S2. I thought I would mention S1, who was a B to C student (perhaps 3.0 GPA) at a competitive private high school. He was always strong in math/science, but struggled with literary analysis and subjects like history or foreign language. ACT Composite was 31 with higher scores (35 I think) in math and science.
Now he is on Deanās list at University of the Sciences and loves it there. He participates in Hillel at University of Pennsylvania walking distance away. I didnāt see anyone mention U of Sciences here on this thread, so thought I would give it a plug for your B GPA or slightly lower science-interested students. Note that the Pharm D. program there is somewhat more competitive, and I am not certain B students would get in.
@rockvillemom do you live in rockville md? I ive around that city and in my school jews make 50%+ of the schoolā¦and itās public. My jewish friends in the senior class are mostly going to Emory, Vanderbilt, and Penn State.
My goodness - looks like I missed some activity - were some posts deleted? Anyway - I know this thread has ebbed and flowed for several years - and we do have tangents now and then - but we do want to mostly stay on topic - which is finding and discussing colleges that are suitable for Jewish students in the āBā grade range. Weāve had some wonderful conversations on colleges such as Muhlenberg College, Binghamton University, University of Delaware, College of Charleston, Elon University, University of Maryland, University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University, etc. - just to name a very few - and thatās the primary focus.
We have had some wonderful success in identifying colleges that are not on everyoneās radar - not that well known - that are seeking to improve their diversity and increase their appeal to Jewish students - and that has been very useful information. We are looking for colleges with a Hillel or Chabad or other similar organization - and with enough Jewish students (the absolute minimum number is always open to interpretation) that incoming Jewish students will feel comfortable, rather than an outsider.
Frankly, given the national climate right now and the increase in incidents of anti-Semitism on our college campuses - the need for this conversation is even more vital.
So - thatās our mission and our intended focus. Happy Passover to all who celebrate.
Guilford College - perhaps a yellow flag to be cautious on this college.
http://forward.com/articles/217916/guilford-college-hillel-declares-itself-open/
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/217916/guilford-college-hillel-declares-itself-open/#ixzz3WGe8j6a4
^^Wow. Iām sad. Greensboro, NC has a large residential Jewish high school, accepting kids from all over the country. Iām sad to think that the college thatās in the same town has made a declaration to not abide by the Hillel International rules. I realize the college has nothing to do with the private school, but maybe in some way theyāve worked together before? and maybe were able to dispel stereotypes? Maybe not 
Maybe they need to.
We need better education of our college aged kids and Jewish kids in general on how to combat anti semitism, ignorance, and stereotypes.
Dialogue and conversation are generally good - but itās sad to see Hillel members buying in to the āOpen Hillelā movement. I see it as linked to the anti-Israel movement and the corresponding surge in campus anti-Semitism. It is a scary time and growing worse.
Since I opened the door on Catholic/Jesuit schools for my Jewish āBā child, I feel compelled to chime in. All of the non-secular schools mentioned in the last 20 or so posts are on the East Coast or South. My son wants to stay on the West Coast, preferably California, and major in business. With his GPA, his options were limited. The Jesuit school he chose is actually mentioned in Hillelās 2013 listing of schools with strong but small Hillels. I will let you know in a year how it worked for him.
My kidās Jesuit university does not have its own Hillel, but the one listed in the link here serves a number of colleges in the greater San Jose area. That is another optionā¦and a way to actually increase oneās circle of friends.
Overtheline,
I believe thumperās dau went to the same school your child attends. Do they have FABULOUS rose bushes?? If so, its a gorgeous campus!
Iām trying this againā¦my kidās Jesuit college in CA does not have its own Hillel, but it does have a Hillel in the greater San Jose area that serves a handful of colleges in that areaā¦including the one my kiddo attended.
This is another option, and can also broaden the studentās circle of friends.
Look forward to it. Hope all goes well.
Hi Overtheline, when I first saw your post I thought about commenting but since I donāt have any direct experience with Jesuit schools I didnt. I do however understand making compromises based on the total picture. The Hillel opportunity is there and he will make the choice how involved he wants to be. Sometimes when the community is small kids bond and seek each other out in a way they wouldnāt if they had less need. I have also found that many religious Christians have an interest in learning about Judaism. Years ago my dad was in a Christian hospital. My mom was uncomfortable with the crusifix. Dad smiled and said, āhe was a Jewā. It is all in your perspective. Itās hard to tell what all the discussion was above. I expect it got rude since posts were deleted. I just wanted to wish your son all the best with his choice.
Testing to see if new posts will show.
Yay! Fixed! So to answer overtheline, It sounds like your s attends the same school thumper1ās dau attended. Beautiful rose bushes!
I would add Denison to the list of schools. The new president of Denison is Jewish. Itās a CTCL school, so B students are not shut out of the admissions process. And although it was initially founded with a religious affiliation, the school has been officially non-denominational for many years.
The Jesuit college my daughter attended did not have its own Hillel, but there was a Hillel that served a handful of colleges in the San Jose area. If Iām not mistaken, this hillel was close enough to my kidās school. This would be another thing to considerā¦and another way to broaden your circle of friends.
Thanks for the mention of Denison. The folowing link is 2 years old, but provides a historical perspective:
http://www.denisonian.com/2013/04/news/denisons-jewish-community-hillel-celebrates-40th-anniversary/
Check out the Denison University Hillel fb page for a better idea of current activities.
Wesleyan has always been on the published list of schools high in percentage of Jewish students attending. It seems that āopen Hillelā doesnāt deter peopleā¦ But it makes me pause. Not sure what to make of it?