Conservative Student at SAS

I did not interpret @Seekers post that way at all…

^I think several of us did

@PhotographerMom, sorry if there’s any confusion…
I assume that the OP’s kid would have a wonderful time at SAS.
I think I make it clear that it is a place that is far more welcoming and toledrant than most (including any of those colleges that tortured your Republican friends).
I take strong issue with @SatchelSF suggesting that it would be shocking if a conservative felt comfortable there, that’s a completely ludicrous statement.
That is where my vehemence came in, there is a very narrow sliver of people marching under the conservative banner that would not be comfortable at SAS, and I elaborated on that, perhaps unnecessarily.
Peace.

@seekers- I truly appreciate the response and clarification. Thanks and have a great weekend.

The one thing I have noticed with my son, who is conservative (shocking, I know) is that he is surrounded by very left thinking people, who he says have put a lot of thought into their stance and communicate their position well and without malice. Even here, like-minded (or I should just say like opinionated) peers would agree with his position but they could not elaborate as to why. Opposite views would just throw tantrums. I think that is the difference you will find at most BSs. He says he can listen to his peers’ arguments and they his but walk away with mutual respect and an agreement to disagree. He is not chastised for it. He feels safe expressing his views. But he is definitely in the minority at his school. I would think SAS would be similar.

Education is certainly a battleground in the culture wars; there are high tensions between left and right, with separate news sources pushing competing narratives… Including distorted narratives about what is happening on college campuses… and we know there are snowflakes on both sides, people… on both sides.

I want to make sure that any conservative family who finds this particular thread knows that SAS is not only an acceptable and welcoming place, it might in fact be the best school in the country for your child to learn, grow, thrive, love, find their passion, and follow their bliss.

At SAS, I will reiterate, there is a balance of kids from Republican and Democratic families. They live in a culture that is profoundly respectful and loving. They truly listen to diverse viewpoints without being harsh or judgmental. If your child is thoughtful, kind, hardworking, and smart… you really should take a long, hard look at the school.

I will mention that in some sense, the culture at St. Andrews is more ‘socially conservative’ than any of the top boarding schools… depending on how you define that. And since some who check out this thread (including OP, @BeachVA) will be interested in that use of ‘conservative,’ I’ll elaborate:

In terms of drug and alcohol use: The kids have a culture of not judging their friends if they want to party when they are home, but they support each other in saying “don’t bring anything to school.” There really is no substance use on campus. You may think me naive, but you’d be wrong. There are occasional isolated incidents over the years, but there is no on-campus party culture. It is dramatically different from the other schools in this respect (and being 100% boarding helps).

In terms of sex and hook-ups: Here there’s a much broader range of behaviors. Some kids are sexually active, that is going to be true at any school. Some kids have long-term partners, others enjoy brief hook-ups. But there is not a ‘hook-up culture.’ PDA is frowned upon [well, non-sexual physical affection between friends is in evidence everywhere, all the time: hugs, resting a sleepy head on a friend’s shoulder, etc.]. The concept of ‘scoring’ would be abhorrent to these kids. The gender relations are profoundly respectful. And there is certainly no pressure at all to be active. It’s hard to summarize: I’ll just say it is the healthiest culture I could imagine for teen sexuality. And if you are concerned about sending you kid to boarding school, they are probably in a safer, healthier, and more closely observed environment at SAS than they would be at your house, unless you keep them chained in the basement.

In terms of honor, discipline, and respect for the rule of law: Saints care about honor and integrity. Overall, these kids follow the rules and care about showing respect for the community (and serving the community). They have the good sense to feel shame or remorse if they have a lapse in judgement. I mean, they aren’t literal saints, they’re kids who learn from mistakes and grow. And they do that in a community that accepts them for who they are but encourages them to reflect on their behavior (and it’s consequences), and improve. [side note: if your kid is habitually sneaky, deceitful, or chafes at rules and authority they will not be happy here]

I hope I don’t make it sound stiff. It’s a happy, healthy, wholesome place, with lots of fun and love. (and a ton of hard work, determination and grit).

One of the better things that happens at a good boarding school is that students with all kinds of opinions and experiences actually live together and find that politics, background, etc., have little to do with their real commonalities and differences. My son (very politically aware, very liberal) has lived for three years with an ardent conservative as his roommate. They could not be better friends, and they spend a lot of time arguing about politics (just like my husband and his best friend from college, who still spend an hour a week on the phone…arguing about politics).