Any fit this bill? We are reformed, but so far I’m only seeing Covenant and maybe Grove City. Our preference though is a genuinely conservative Christian school where students are actually living out their faith, rather than riding on the coatails of their parents’ faith and living a hedonistic lifestyle.
I’ve seen youtube videos put up by Grove City students that implied the latter.
Anyone?
I’m not quite sure I can answer your question because I don’t know what you consider “legalistic”. Both my sisters are at Liberty University and they enjoy it there, but yes there are ample rules and guidelines for student conduct. I have a friend at Grove City and unfortunately he said that sometimes it feels really legalistic. So your first assessment of Grove City is probably correct. Try checking out some other secular colleges and fulfill your religious needs via clubs etc?
I’m struggling with what this question means. I don’t get the connection between legalism and kids living out their faith. I have a daughter at Liberty and there are a lot of rules there, but I would say that the vast majority of the kids are choosing to live by those rules and aren’t living a hedonistic lifestyle despite the rules. Most kids would say that the rules help set the appropriate boundaries that the kids all agree to deem acceptable vs unacceptable so you don’t have kids that come from one denomination or one part of the country where things may be acceptable, but wouldn’t be in another.
There are certainly schools that vary greatly with how “Christian” they are. TCU as an example is likely at this point Christian in name only. Baylor (where my second daughter is going to go) is a mix of kids truly deciding to follow their faith mixed with some kids that like to party even though the school doesn’t allow it. Liberty definitely is in the camp of the kids are there purposely and are all trying to live according to the student code of conduct.
There are certainly other aspects to Christianity, like emphasis on missions, etc. that you will find at lots of schools including schools like Baylor.
Another school that I was very impressed with how the students conducted themselves during our visits was Wheaton College in Illinois (not the one in Massachusetts). That is more similar in size to Covenant and Grove City and may be something to look at.
I’ve heard good things about Gordon College in Wenham, MA. I know a young lady who just graduated from there - she is encouraging our 16-year-old daughter to apply to the school. A good number of kids from Maine go there.
Hope College in Michigan? Non-mandatory chapel but very much an active faith community. It’s one of the schools I am considering.
Thanks folks for sharing on this. What I mean by legalistic is a Pensacola type of school where the emphasis seems to be on outward appearances (think whitewashed tombstone) and not as a much a conversion of the heart. I am totally for student handbooks that set forth acceptable conduct, but not when it goes beyond the Bible and impinges on our freedom in Christ. For example modesty, a concept when covered in the Bible does not go to the point of delineating skirt lengths. The prohibition of contemporary Christian music also is extra-Biblical.
The other extreme we want to avoid is where the school is known more for students who said a prayer at summer Bible camp when they are 9, base their salvation on this and maybe their church or youth group attendance, yet they live a hedonistic life of fornication and drinking. In other words, they profess Christ with their mouths, but deny him by their lifestyle.
The you tube videos put up by students of Grove City seemed to be leaning toward this latter type sadly.
We are looking for an institution where the students are genuinely seeking to live out their faith in obedience to God.
I hope that explains things a bit more.
Does anyone have any input on Boyce College?
My husband and I are graduates of Covenant College, and we appreciated their firm foundation of theological beliefs without the crazy rules of legalistic schools like neighboring Tennessee Temple which required clean shaven faces and strict dress codes.
The religion professors taught us HOW to think, not WHAT to think. They tested us on how we could defend our point of view, not on WHICH point of view we chose.
Covenant is isolated on top of a mountain, no way around that. And lots of dreary fog. Kind of like living in Seattle, only you are in Georgia. This tends to push the students to a wee bit of crazy, but in a fun kind of way. There are now lots of music and arts festivals, intense intramural sports scene, and a big push to get students off the mountain and serving others. Global perspectives are more common now, as well as encouraging students who want to start their own business.
Covenant is worth a serious look. Visit, connect with professors, sit in the dining hall and talk to students, wander around campus. If you go when the weather is nice, you will fall in love. And if you visit in the fog and can still be interested in the school, you might have found your place!
PM me with any questions.
Husband’s brother went to Wheaton and loved it there. I would suggest checking into Wheaton (Illinois) as well.
My oldest graduated last year from Covenant and enjoyed his years there. I would not consider them legalistic.
He also considered Union in TN. It would be worth looking into.
A co-worker’s daughter graduated from Taylor in IN and enjoyed her time there.
We are reformed also.
If your family is reformed, your child will not be happy at Liberty.
I agree with others that both Covenant and Union are very good schools. Covenant seems to draw a number of students from reformed background. I know young people who are actively and genuinely living out their faith at both schools.
It goes without saying I know, but the truth is that there will be both true believers and “cultural Christians” at every institution of higher learning, whether religious or secular. While I completely understand your desire to provide your child the ability to grow in his/her faith, ultimately his/her sanctification process is in God’s hands.
All the best in your college search!
I would strongly encourage you to check out Grace College in Indiana. It sounds like it’s just what you are looking for. Our oldest goes to Grace. My sense of the campus from many visits is that most of the kids attending not only call themselves “Christians” but that they have a close relationship with Jesus Christ and sincerely want to serve him with their lives. Our impression of Chapel was that the kids actually look forward to going since it gives them an opportunity to worship and to grow their faith. My experience attending several of Grace’s chapels was that it was different than the other college visits went on and was certainly spirit filled.
I am looking for a college like that as well. Check out Biola, Taylor, Wheaton, Westmont and Covenent. You can also look at collegeniche.com to see students reviews on the student body and the administration. That’s what I did and it gave me a pretty good feel for whether they were genuinely seeking Christ, or just following the rules.
Taylor University.
your post fits my impression of their graduates so far. Several years ago I had the opportunity to work with several Taylor graduates and I was incredibly impressed with their Christian character and integrity in a secular setting ( where the rubber meets the road ).
I had never heard of the school but was interested for my son after hearing their effusive recommendations of the Taylor University.
Our search was whittled down to Wheaton or Taylor, but Taylor ended up on top of our Christian college list.
I just got back from a visit to Gordon College with my son, who was there for his interview. When his interview was over, I asked the admissions guy a question very similar to the OP’s. His answer was that kids who live the partying lifestyle are the outliers at Gordon. He told us he hadn’t been very serious about his faith when he went there, but that his four years were transformative. That says something, I think.
There is mandatory chapel at Gordon, which troubles me somewhat, but I don’t think it encourages people to fake it. One thing to consider is that a school that is not in the Bible belt is probably going to have fewer of the trappings of Christian culture. Plastic Christians are everywhere, of course, but in New England, people who profess to being believers usually are, because there is so much opposition to faith that it just isn’t the “socially acceptable” thing to be.
Thanks Massmom for your unique perspective. I really appreciated your post.
I have been doing exhaustive research for the right christian college for my daughter. I concluded that Taylor, Wheaton, Grove City, Biola, and Union are tops for conservatives. For more liberal christians, look into Calvin College, a reformed affiliated college. We will probably choose Taylor! It is awesome and getting better each year!
Have you checked out Northwestern College in Iowa? www.nwciowa.edu. I’ve had children graduate/currently attend. It’s a small Christian liberal arts college that is based on the Reformed tradition and leans more towards the conservative side–yet students are taught to find their own faith (rather than regurgitating their parent’s)
for those who are still looking in recent years, I will also add Dordt College in Iowa and Calvin College in Michigan
What about Hope in Michigan?
Another option is to choose a public university with substance-free housing AND a strong Christian community on campus or near campus.
Troy University actually has a Christian Living Learning Community.
Samford? Wofford?