Look at U of Denver.
Thank you for the suggestions!! Heās has visited multiple campuses, but so far, only heās only been taken with Elon. As Elon has grown in popularity recently, thereās no guarantee that he can get in at a price we can afford. Also, he switched to a middle college high school this year and he would like his most of college classes to be accepted at whichever school he chooses. Heās not interested in the UCs so he needs to branch out and keep an open mind.
@uskoolfish My daughter goes to Hofstra and has had a very different experience. They have an active Hillel that hosts shabbat dinners every week as well as many other events. You can be as involved as you choose. She also has many friends who do not go home on weekends. They are generous with aid for good students. I certainly wouldnāt count it out.
@uskoolfish Iām so glad to hear that! We are visiting Hofstra next month and think it could have a lot to offer my daughter but have been concerned about the commuter school reputation. My daughter would be very interested in being involved in Hillel and possibly Greek life, but I do want to be confident that there are many kids not leaving every weekend since she will not be and will be a good plane ride away from home.
I was a poster here years ago when my D was a B+ student ā she started at B and went steadily up to A- over four years of HS ā and was very interested in participating in a Jewish community. She started college up at a big university in Canada and went every week to Aish HaTorah rather than Hillel. She transferred to a small college in Boston, where she was president of HIllel for two years. The reason Iām writing is that her school Hillel did not have tons of activities but a) it had reciprocity with MIT; and b) she went weekly to Chabad, where she loved the Rabbi and his wife. She also went on Birthright with a group from Northeastern. So, in the Boston area, even schools whose Hillel may not be blow you away in terms of activity (in comparison to UMich that my niece attends), your kids may find that the broader college community in Boston works from a Jewish standpoint even it the school Hillel is not that active. There are a bunch of schools (Simmons, Emerson, Emmanuel, Wheelock, Mass Art, and maybe Wentworth and Lesley) that could work for B students (Iām no longer up on admissions stats) and Jewish life.
University of Alabama expanding Hillel.
http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2018/02/n-bama-hillel-expansion
My D has committed to Ohio Weslyan as a fall 2018 freshman. Any other Jewish freshman (or current students) out there?
To complete the cycle for those coming after us, she was admitted to the following programs with merit scholarships:
Allegheny, Beloit, Bradley, IL Wesleyan, Kalamazoo, Knox, Lake Forest, Ohio Wesleyan, University of IL (Urbana-Champaign - state flagship).
She was waitlisted at New College of Florida
She was not admitted to The Ohio State.
This forum had been a great help in our initial search and I thank those who have responded to my questions for the past several years (D is the youngest of my 3 children).
Muhlenberg question - we are visiting there tomorrow. The info session and tour are set up. One of the draws is the very active Hillel. Does anyone happen to know if there is normally anyone there on a Monday? Iād like my daughter to be able to talk to a student or staff member about Jewish life. Thanks!
@Musicmom2015 I donāt know if you will see this in time butā¦ a great question to pose at the information session. They will then be able to direct you to a number of people who can answer all of your daughters questions. Hillel is very active on campus and not just with Jewish students. I hear that the bagels are a big hit with everyone. Best of luck to you!
Reopening thread.
Why not re-naming the thread āColleges for B studentsā?
Thanks for the re-open!
@lostaccount: Itās certainly open to anyone!
There are sometimes particular considerations for Jewish students-- antisemitism on campus, for example.
Would there be other Jewish students on a campus for social/religious interaction? Some schools really have almost none, others a vibrant community, and itās great to hear from people on the ground at specific schools.
Also, in our case, DD is looking at nursing schools, some of which are at historically Catholic colleges. She is figuring out how she feels about that.
Thank you for reopening! @lostaccount the thread originally started because Jewish students are often looking for particular things on a campus that support their needsāwhether it be kosher food, a strong Hillel/Chabad, Jewish studies, holiday services such as a Passover seder, or just an environment where they will feel comfortable and supported. In this day and age this is even more important. We want to know if there is a strong anti-Jewish or anti-Israel presence on a campus, so our children can be prepared for what they may have to deal with. Many peopleāJewish and nonābenefitted from the overall thread and the insights into the academics, learning environment, etc. Everyone is welcome to post and share. But the thread is a place where Jewish students and parents feel comfortable discussing their particular needs.
Though my daughter is an A student, anyone want to chime in about feedback on the BDS sentiment at the womenās colleges? I have been following what is going on at Barnard (my alma mater), but if anyone has current info about Smith, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, we would appreciate it since she is very interested in those colleges.
One way of finding out about BDS activity on campus is by reading the student newspapers. Theyāre all online.
Columbia Spectator
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/
Barnard Bulletin
https://barnard.edu/news/headlines
The Sophian (Smith)
https://www.thesophian.com/
etc.
Or you can find all you need to know in one place:
https://amchainitiative.org/search-by-university#university/name2/
I have been searching for this thread and I am very happy it has been reopened. I have a junior son (B student) who will be looking for schools next year. My older daughter is at Tulane with a vibrant Jewish community and minimal anti-semitism. This is issue is very important to me and will play a large role in where we would want ou son to apply and attend. I look forward to sharing information with you all!
How timely that this thread has been reopened. SJP posted eviction notices on studentsā dorm room doors at Emory today. Waiting to see how the university responds.
That happened at Michigan a few years ago.
I donāt know this publication but here are a couple of links: Top 40 Schools for Jewish students (https://www.algemeiner.com/the-40-best-colleges-for-jewish-students-2017/) and Worst 40 Schools for Jewish Students (https://www.algemeiner.com/the-40-worst-colleges-for-jewish-students-2017/).