<p>I'm a junior, and I've been looking into LACs. One of the phrases I've come across very often is something along the lines of "this is a very liberal college". What exactly does that mean?</p>
<p>Try reading the reviews of “Train Wreck” schools on the following site:
[CollegeGuide.org</a> - Rating America’s Colleges](<a href=“http://www.collegeguide.org/itemdetail.aspx?item=486fb85a-5d15-4d1f-a8f5-5ce2804c3129]CollegeGuide.org”>http://www.collegeguide.org/itemdetail.aspx?item=486fb85a-5d15-4d1f-a8f5-5ce2804c3129)
This will expose you to what some conservatives mean when they refer, critically, to “liberal” colleges.</p>
<p>What do liberals mean when they refer, positively, to “liberal” colleges? Possibilities:
- a high level of student engagement (inside and outside the classroom) in liberal/leftist political and social causes
- availability of courses/majors in Black Studies, Women’s/Gender Studies, Queer Studies
- few (or no) course distribution or “Core” requirements
- few (or no) traditional subject matter requirements within majors (for example, no Shakespeare requirement for English majors)
- a relatively low level of participation in Greek societies
- relative student indifference to intercollegiate sports
- a high level of racial/ethnic diversity in the student body
- no religious affiliation (except for an historic one) or required religion courses
- co-ed dorms, dorm floors, and bathrooms
- a relatively high percentage of “quirky” students
- a relatively low percentage of jocks and “preppies”</p>
<ul>
<li>a high degree of tolerance for other people of all races, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles </li>
<li>often, a willingness to try to suppress expression that is perceived by the community as intolerant</li>
</ul>
<p>And, if you are politically conservative, you will find yourself in the minority. It means you may be asked, more often than otherwise, to articulate and defend your views which for some is part of the fun and for others is uncomfortable.</p>