<p>My D is a junior in Massachusetts. Wants a LAC or most likely a mid-sized university. A- student. We want to make sure there are other Jewish students there. Undecided about major. Wants to stay on East Coast.</p>
<p>Any ideas?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Colgate university</p>
<p>I think Brandeis is the typical school for Jewish New Englanders.</p>
<p>The below list may be of interest to you. It’s from the thread in the parent’s forum “Colleges for the Jewish B student” which you may want to cross post in (those parents are quite good at suggesting schools!)
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/16807135-post17639.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/16807135-post17639.html</a>
Most of the smaller schools listed there will be matches or safeties for an A- student. </p>
<p>Besides Colgate which is a great suggestion in terms of Jewish life, here are some other more competitive options:
Smith College (all-women)
Brandeis (not really a LAC but a small sized research university)
Haverford (very competitive)
Bryn Mawr (Haverford’s all-women sister school)
Vassar
Wesleyan University
University of Richmond
Lafayette College
Washington & Lee (very greek dominated, and very selective)
Skidmore College (not nearly as selective and quite artsy with somewhat poor science offerings)</p>
<p>Really most of the more selective Northeastern LACs have strong Jewish life</p>
<p>As far as mid sized universities go, almost all of the top 50 US News World Report national universities schools have good to great Jewish life. The ones that I’m not sure about or do not (excluding the tech schools since your daughter is undecided) are:
-Notre Dame
-Boston College (maybe, not really sure)
-Wake Forest
Every other top 50 should satisfy the religious desires of most Jews.</p>
<p>From what I’m seeing, the USNWR defined regional universities are included in the linked list if they have strong Jewish life.</p>
<p>muhlenberg college is the perfect match
[Muhlenberg</a> College: Hillel - Frequently Asked Questions](<a href=“http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/campuslife/hillel/faqs.html]Muhlenberg”>http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/campuslife/hillel/faqs.html)</p>
<p>Pitt is a good option to. I know there are Jewish frats and I have a friend studying to be a rabbi there</p>
<p>Brandeis and Muhlenberg immediately come to mind. My D is at Lafayette and there is an active Hillel there. In reality many schools have good sized Jewish populations. I’d visit schools that seem like good academic matches and when you are on campus ask about if there is an active Jewish group on campus.</p>
<p>The Hillel website has a useful list of colleges with active Jewish communities, including a list of schools with the highest populations of Jewish students.</p>
<p>IMO a much more effective way is to check the facebook/twitter (the websites are often hopelessly out of date) of potential schools which may or may not have a strong Jewish life. Some schools host events every few days but only the same few people show up to them. By contrast, a normal shabbat dinner at Emory can bring in 50+ people. At the University of Maryland, the same shabbat dinner might attract over 80 students, plus a few from other schools in the area. </p>
<p>At all three schools a tour guide could honestly say that the schools have an active Hillel. However, it seems clear that only two of the three schools are good choices for a practicing Jew. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that some college Jewish groups refer to themselves as Chabad (on some campuses this isn’t just for modern Orthodox), Jewish Student Union/JSU, or occasionally something that incorporates the word Jew into the title, so even if you can’t find a Hillel, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a Jewish scene.</p>
<p>Do you, the parents, want to be sure there are Jewish students or does your D want an active Jewish life? Those are two different questions.</p>
<p>If the first, then most schools in the northeast will be fine!</p>
<p>If the second then my suggestion is not to rely only on the Hillel website for your search. That will miss out on small schools that may fit the bill. My son’s school (in the Midwest) has a fabulous Jewish life (which he is very active in) but doesn’t belong to Hillel. </p>
<p>For small colleges and an active Jewish life make sure they have a rabbi on staff.</p>
<p>Reform Judaism’s (bi?)annual college life supplement is a great resource. [Reform</a> Judaism Magazine - Fall 2013 College Guide](<a href=“http://reformjudaismmag.org/fall_2013/college/]Reform”>http://reformjudaismmag.org/fall_2013/college/)</p>
<p>What’s your budget? Are you looking for need-based or merit aid? That’s really the first thing to be worked out.</p>
<p>Ithaca College.</p>
<p>My daughter is also a junior (Jewish), though more of a B to B+ student. For the A or A- student, Univ. or Rochester also comes to mind (it is not nearly as “techy” as its reputation - I know several Jewish kids who have attended for liberal arts and loved it). Skidmore is wonderful and known to have an active Hillel, and Trinity has a surprisingly active Jewish population (check the website). My daughter is looking closely at American and Ithaca, as well as Syracuse and Indiana -Bloomington (both larger). If your daughter is willing to go as far south as Baltimore, she could consider Johns Hopkins. Having gone there for liberal arts myself (many years ago!), I can vouch for the quality of the liberal arts programs. It is wonderful to be in small, seminar style classes with incredible professors when when more than half of the class is pre-med!</p>