<p>Hillsdale</a> admission gets more competitive - News</p>
<p>A big thanks to all of you prospective students out there for increasing the value of one of my degrees! 1 for 2. Sweet.</p>
<p>What’s the campus atmosphere for a fiscal conservative, social libertarian atheist like?</p>
<p>you will fit in , except for the atheist part, but i dont think people would bother you about it, you’ll just be a small minority</p>
<p>You’ll fit in fine, as long as you are not opposed to long discussions on religion. If talk of God, particularly Christ, offends you… well, most of the kids at Hillsdale are religious, particularly Christians. It’s not like at State U where even the discussion of religious topics is considered offensive or even prohibited speech.</p>
<p>My d is trying to decide about Hillsdale. From what I’m hearing, students are either ultra conservative homeschoolers (she’s had too many years of that) or they’re Greek and drink a lot. D is moderate, 34 ACT type, but wants to enjoy college, maybe be Greek, but isn’t a partier–she’s thinking about Hope College or maybe Grove City. Comments about student life at Hillsdale?</p>
<p>Hm, I had the impression that Hillsdale prides itself on having a unique Greek system, where drinking and partying is kept to a minimum. So I guess the frats and sororities do party a lot? That is kind of disappointing… I wanted to join the Greek system but after hearing that, I might be having second thoughts.</p>
<p>Yeah, Greek people are basically those you drink with. ;)</p>
<p>Reposting this from another thread:</p>
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<p>My breakdown would be as follows: a total of ~15% of Hillsdale students drink three or more nights a week. Of course, quantities vary. There are some regular drunks, but by and large even the partiers are spending one night or two of those nights they go out just going to a party and having a few or having a few beers with friends (or even a professor). I would say another ~20% of students go out a maximum of three nights a week, and even then they’ll attend parties but seldom drink to anything approaching excess (if at all). Another ~20% don’t really party, but can be convinced to come to functions where alcohol is present (e.g. a sorority / fraternity formals, fraternity theme parties (ATO’s Beach Party), President’s Ball). That leaves another ~45% whose presence on the “party” scene is practically nonexistent.</p>
<p>I spent most of my time at Hillsdale as Greek, so just what that ~45% was doing was a total mystery to me for most of my time there. Only around senior year when I branched out did I discover a lot of off campus houses with people who had a very wide range of interests and activities. Groups, clubs, etc. Mostly great people who I wish I’d gotten to know. My class graduated around 300 kids; I still run into names from my class I’ve never heard before. In other words, the “party” scene can be quite insular, and is certainly avoidable.</p>
<p>. . . .</p>
<p>Anyways, I hear the Sigma Chis have instituted a >2.6 GPA requirement for active members, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Delt Taus already had one in place when they refounded. As admissions requirements continue to rise, the party scene will probably shrink even more. (Hillsdale was always a good school, but from post WWII until around the early 1990s it was rightly regarded as a party school for rich kids.)</p>
<p>I should close with a note that the party scene at Hillsdale has a lot of virtue about it, if that’s the right word. There will always be a few bad apples at Hillsdale (of both sexes), but by and large even the big parties are free of drunk driving, fights, and/or shady maneuvers on impressionable coeds. Drugs are kept behind closed doors and among the few users (and, even then, it’s usually marijuana). There’s no such thing as a “safe” party of 18-22 year olds drinking together, but by and large the parties at Hillsdale are as close as it gets.</p>
<p>So… is drinking a big part of the social culture at Hillsdale? Yes. And no. :-P</p>
<p>2daughters, I don’t think there is any reason for your daughter to fear Hillsdale. My daughter is one of only three freshman gals she’s met who were homeschooled. Most of the kids at Hillsdale have been to regular high school, private, religious, and/or public. As with almost everywhere else , Homeschoolers are a minority there - though perhaps a larger minority than at State U or equivalent.</p>
<p>My daughter is having a blast, by the way. You can PM me with specific quesitons if you’d like.</p>
<p>If your worried about drinking it’s probably all the Catholics. Don’t worry. They get a little bit rowdy but are really very harmless. 
lol</p>
1 Like
<p>marlfox… you must truly be joking</p>
<p>It’s the band. Everyone knows it’s the musicians who drink (to excess).</p>
<p>broetchen,</p>
<p>My son is not involved in any of the religious activities as the Jewish population is very small and there really aren’t any activities. However, he loves learning more about different religions and having discussions about it with his friends. It’s also making him more confident in his own beliefs. I suspect the same would happen to any student at Hillsdale.</p>
<p>2daughters,</p>
<p>Drinking has not seemed to be an issue. You’ll find it on any college campus - no matter what Admissions tells you. However, because of the type of student who is interested in attending Hillsdale, it is easily avoided without becoming a social pariah.</p>
<p>After attending Parents’ Weekend last week, I can honestly say that I was impressed with the focus of students I met on their academics. Also, these are not cookie cutter students. They have many different interests and views. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>