Hi! I’m currently in the college search for DS, Class of 19. My DD is a sophomore at LMU in CA, a Jesuit school, and she loves it, we all love it (but too far for DS), and in general, we think that the Jesuit philosophy and culture is a wonderful thing, a huge plus.
So as we search for DS I’m trying to puzzle out how much we love about LMU comes from the Jesuit culture or is LMU itself just a really special place with amazing staff?
So I’d guess I’d love to hear more about the following Jesuit schools…we have been unable to visit them yet and are getting short on visit time, but if Jesuit should be like a super “bump up to the top of the list”…that would be great to know, given our family’s success with Jesuit schools so far (my Dad went to John Carroll and was a huge proponent/supporter of JCU and Jesuit schools as well).
St. Louis U
Loyola of Chicago
College of the Holy Cross (a reach)
Fordham
Loyola of MD
I’m leaving other Jesuit schools off because they are already on the list (Georgetown, the dream) or have been excluded due to size, geographical, or other considerations.
I am also a graduate of a Jesuit college and still really admire their education philosophy. S14 toured Loyola (not right for him) and a couple of his closest friends just graduated.
It is a lovely, traditional campus with a very nice neighborhood on one side and a kinda sketchy part of town on the other side. They are a mile or 2 from Johns Hopkins and I believe share some athletic facilities. Based on our info session (admittedly a few years ago), they are committed to improving the local community. They also stressed Study Abroad opportunities.
The dorms and facilities seemed very nice. I picked up a student newspaper and liked their sense of humor. If I remember correctly, they had shuttle service to surrounding areas including Amtrak, downtown Baltimore, etc.
FWIW - S’s friend was a business major, loved his time at Loyola, graduated in 4 years, and was offered a job with a prestigious financial firm well before graduation.
Based on the location of others schools you listed, maybe consider St. Joe’s in Philly (also very nice campus and great school spirit) and U Scranton.
S18 loved Holy Cross. It is competitive and they take demonstrated interest into account. If your DS is interested, he should sign up for the online admissions webchats, visit if possible, and interview. The Jesuit philosophy is present but I would not say it is overly religious. It is very small which can be good or bad depending on your preferences.
Happy to go into more detail if you want to send me a PM.
Holy Cross parent here. And like @houndmom really Ike the Jesuit education philosophy. HC feels special. Does a fabulous job of building community, from the orientation programs, to the activities in the freshman dorms, the freshman seminar, communications from the school to parents, extremely strong alumni network- it really is a close knit community. The campus is gorgeous, beautifully landscaped, and the library, science center and athletic facility are stand outs among the buildings. My D would say the best thing about HC are her fellow students. Great bunch of kids. Also likes the easy access to professors and engagement levels in classes. Lots of community service going on lots of school pride.
My S graduated from Fordham (Rose Hill) and had a fabulous expereince. While at Fordham he grew and matured in every way possible – academically, socially, in self-confidence. He loved going to college in a beautiful, traditional campus with such easy access to NYC. Dorms were lovely. He was in the business school and we felt he got a wonderful education that included very strong and well rounded liberal arts coursework (thanks to the Jesuit core) as well as his business classes – and FWIW he got into a top grad school in his field . He became involved in campus ministry and volunteering with an organization in the Bronx close to campus that (if memory serves me correctly) helped people in the area to find jobs. But what stood out to us most was the friends he developed on campus, many of whom he is still in touch with – the school seems to attract a wonderful group of young men and women.
If you want any more information about his expereince feel free to let me know here or PM me. Good luck with the search.
Thanks @Momma2018 and @wisteria100 …we do plan to visit HC even though it’s a reach, because we are visiting Clark (DS is interested in Psych) and will be right there. The things you mention sound a lot like LMU. He’s a 29ACT, 3.7UW 4.0W, nonhooked applicant with a nice rigorous HS transcript and an Eagle Scout, some other ECs and lower level sports but nothing really outstanding will be in his app, so I’m not sure HC is within reach.
Thanks @happy1 , I do need to PM about Fordham and get more info on the 2 campuses. Nice to hear about the students, I hadn’t come across that, but if that’s part of the Jesuit magic, it makes sense! My DD’s new friends and acquaintances are all such lovely, amazing people.
If you are looking for some additional options you might consider Fairfield and UScranton (which would be a safety for your S).
Will PM you more about Fordham.
Fairfield is preppy and has a commuter college feel to it. University of San Francisco is another Jesuit college that you may consider. Very diverse, socially active.