<p>A friend who goes to Creighton suggested that I apply too. So, when I got a free app to Creighton, and decided to fill it out. I just realized that it was a Jesuit school and on the main site they had like 2 pictures of religious-leader-people. I am just wondering, how prevalent is the "religious scene"? I really don't want to waste my time applying (or going to) a college that is heavily religious. I don't really feel like being intellectually oppressed for four more years.</p>
<p>Right. First of all, being Jesuit is a "SPECIAL" thing. Their ethics and ethos are something to embrace. You will be required to take likely 2 theology courses in the core requirements, but among those there are many choices, such as comparative religions, or period related stuff (Byzantine or Medieval e.g.). Its NOT doctrinaire. Most Jesuit colleges run about 60% catholic and 40% non-catholic, including protestants, jews, agnostics and sometimes hindus and muslims. Their whole raison d'etre is tolerance and inclusiveness. They emphasize the philosophical. HOW to think, not WHAT to think.</p>
<p>Employers respect Jesuit educated kids. There are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. I can't recommend them more, including Creighton.</p>
<p>Going to college is about opening your own viewpoints and exposing you to new ideas. Making you explore and experience a new world. Even for business majors, its about developing the whole person, not just one aspect. Its not a technical school like draftsmanship or learning to fly an airplane. </p>
<p>You wont find any Jesuit school to be pervasive in religious studies. Some students decide to study theology and that is great. But its not overbearing. </p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not familiar with Creighton in particular, but I attended two Catholic universities (Villanova and UScranton, which is Jesuit). Aside from having religion and ethics requirements (neither of which had to have anything to do with Catholicism), there was little at either school that was overly religious. Sure, there were chapels and religious services on campus and some priests on the faculty, and you could avail yourself of spiritual guidance easily if you wanted to, but if you weren't interested (I wasn't), nothing was forced on you. Having friends who attended other Jesuit schools and had the same experience (vis-a-vis religion) as I did at Scranton, I'm guessing Creighton will be very similar. BTW, I was then and still am a non-practicing Catholic. I would say a slight the majority of the kids I knew at my Jesuit school came from Catholic families but there were lots of kids who did not, and many of those who were Catholic were not at all religious.</p>
<p>I am an agnostic (and a practicing atheist :P ). So, I don't want to hear about God... like... at all </p>
<p>My question is, are the students going to the school because of the religiosity? or because it's good school or because their parents wanted them to go to a religious-affiliated school?</p>
<p>Well if you "dont want to even hear about God" then a private Catholic University is not for you. It shows sort of a closed minded point of view for you to suggest that. But I have news for you, there are lots of religious people at public colleges as well, so you may as well get used to hearing about God. Its your right NOT to believe in God. But your rights are not any different than anybody else's. I would suggest that you keep an open mind. And perhaps embrace tolerance.</p>
<p>Other than that, Creighton is a fine school and has produced some great students.</p>
<p>Sorry, I guess I didn't mean it to come off that way. I just don't want every-other-student to be extremely religious and shun me for not believing. I guess, I just don't want religious to be <em>too</em> pervasive, or a major focus.</p>
<p>If the school is teaching good morals and community involvement, I am okay with that, but I do not want to learn about any religion as fact in a classroom.</p>
<p>Is the religiosity at about the same level as a typical public Uni or moreso or a lot moreso?</p>
<p>I just don't want to feel obligated to be part of a religion to fit in.</p>
<p>Okay. I hear you, then. The Jesuits are HUGELY into community involvement and service to humanity. They are warm and very, very intellectual. Good morals are part of it, but they are NOT judgmental. They will engage you, if you differ with them and see if they can help you grow as a person, even if that means agreeing to disagree.</p>
<p>I have undergrad and medical degrees from CU. It's a great school no matter whether you're pre-med or finance or education. The Jesuits are extremely open minded and appreciate a lot of different points of view. I am a non practicing Catholic and had some good Jewish friends while at CU. You don't have to be religious to go there and religion is not shoved down your throat, but it is a Catholic school and there is a spirituality about the place that is hard to avoid. You're free to believe what you want, but I'm not sure why an avowed atheist/agnostic is thinking about applying to a religious affiliated school. Religious affiliated schools are definitely and not suprisingly more religious than a public university. You don't want to go to CU. You want public university or smaller liberal arts schools like Pomona, Macalaster, Carlton, Amherst. Also, you might want to avail yourself of a book called Religious Literacy by Stephen Prothero. It's not a religious book, but it's about religion. Religion is like politics and computers -- like them or not, they are integral parts of the world and it is wise to learn about them.</p>
<p>I go to Creighton, while religion is definitly present, it will by no means ever be “shoved down your throat” and the list of holidays that was posted above has absolutely nothing to do with your academics, we don’t have classes off or are forced to go to mass on these days, most of the time the only special thing that will happen these days will be either free food, which is never a bad thing, or if you go to church the mass will be directed toward the holiday. Im jewish and I love it here</p>
<p>As a Creighton non-Catholic student, from my experience no one at this school forces Religion upon you. That being said you must pass a 100 level Theology course to graduate but they offer all sorts of courses, some of which aren’t even based in Christianity.</p>