<p>Romanigypsyeyes, I’m glad you don’t have trouble making friends in such a situation. Other students, who are perhaps shyer and more introverted, do have trouble finding their own group when they feel themselves surrounded by drinkers. There are several parents posting here about how their children are wanting to transfer for that very reason.</p>
<p>Some mainstream parents sometimes tell parents looking for a socially conservative environment that their child needs to learn to exist in the real world, with all its range of behaviors. But I haven’t noticed any of those mainstream parents offering to send their children to a religiously or socially conservative school, though socially conservative environments are part of the real world too.</p>
<p>* But I haven’t noticed any of those mainstream parents offering to send their children to a religiously or socially conservative school, though socially conservative environments are part of the real world too.*</p>
<p>Politics wasn’t a criteria on our list.
Academic rigor, size of school, majors offered, support for differences, student body involvement were all considered, but religion or political emphasis was not.</p>
<p>I am one of the most quite, most shy, and most introverted person you will ever meet. I have social anxiety and am mortified at the thought of meeting new people. If anyone would have trouble finding friends, it would be me. However, when you live with people, it is very difficult NOT to make friends.</p>
<p>This thread vividly brings back one of my worst college memories.</p>
<p>I went to U of I way back in the day, and made friends with a lovely young woman in one of my classes. She was from a very small town in Southern Illinois, from a very religious, conservative family. Her family required her to live in the only all-female dorm on campus, and on the floor in that dorm that had no male visitation at all–only two Sunday afternoons a month, only the girls’ fathers allowed (not even brothers!). Her family called her in her room every night in her dorm to make sure she was where she “belonged.” She went home every weekend because her family did not want her exposed to “weekend debauchery.”</p>
<p>She went hog wild on campus because, I think, her parents were so restrictive and repressive. She went in to total rebellion mode. I think that if they had given her a little room to breathe she would not have made so many bad choices.</p>
<p>I don’t think it ever crossed her parents’ minds that, although she could not have boys in her room–she could go to their rooms; that whatever she couldn’t do at midnight, she could do at noon, or at 6 or at 8. That she could drink on Tuesday or Thursday if she couldn’t drink on Friday or Saturday.</p>
<p>My only point being make sure that the student buys in to the conservative college as his or her own choice. A student can still practice conservative values on an otherwise wild campus if her or she so chooses…I know children of very good friends who live an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle on campus at Ohio State and University of Maryland, having a full spectrum of friends but still choosing their own lifestyle.</p>
<p>Hmmm. Well my D went to a religious, conservative school from age 4 to 18. She is WAY more conservative than I ( well, was…not sure what’s up now). We did NOT that conservative environment for her again. She was worried about the environment at a “secular”, school but went for it, struggled a lot the first semester to find her crowd, esp. late night and weekends, but ultimately found her way. She felt not enjoying the alcohol/hook up scene was a factor.</p>
<p>She went hog wild on campus because, I think, her parents were so restrictive and repressive. She went in to total rebellion mode. I think that if they had given her a little room to breathe she would not have made so many bad choices.</p>
<p>I don’t think it ever crossed her parents’ minds that, although she could not have boys in her room–she could go to their rooms; that whatever she couldn’t do at midnight, she could do at noon, or at 6 or at 8. That she could drink on Tuesday or Thursday if she couldn’t drink on Friday or Saturday.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<</p>
<p>That’s the problem…when parents try to be too restrictive and controlling, it just encourages the kids to “get creative” and find “end runs” around these blockades. Like you said, she could drink during the week, or go to boys’ rooms during the day, etc.</p>
<p>I have a friend who is too controlling with her kids in regards to their instruments. She insists that they each do 2 or 3 instruments and practice all the time and take extra private lessons. The kids must also participate in extra music-related events. </p>
<p>I know that as soon as those kids go to college their instruments will gather dust because their instruments have become symbolic of tyranny for them. It won’t make any difference that they are “good” at their instruments, the fact that their instruments represent “control” is what will matter.</p>
<p>I think those responses are fairly healthy and expected, even if the kids unfortunately can go overboard- however some kids don’t have enough resistance to rebel.</p>
<p>It is an old stereotype about the pastor’s son/daughter being the wildest of the bunch. ;)</p>
<p>But…a young woman in my extended family who was very sheltered, never stayed overnight without her parents until she went off to college-, no newspapers or magazines that weren’t approved… went to a school where it was quite a shock that intelligent students could behave so stupidly. ( where money/sports & a rural location combined to make drinking a popular activity)</p>
<p>It is my impression she never felt comfortable-and while she graduated with high honors, she is all but a recluse, living in her high school bedroom five years later.</p>
<p>It is my own impression that had she either not been taught that she was superior to others during her K-12 years & that it was ok to remain apart from her classmates if they did not reach her family standards, &/or if she had been encouraged to attend a school which was sponsored by their faith, ( and so had peers with a common background )she would have been able to carve out a more comfortable place for herself in college and begun to move into adulthood .</p>
<p>She is still young- I am not saying this is going to be the way the rest of her life is, but while it is more difficult to allow children to make their own appropriate choices ( and live with the consequences) while they are growing up, than to dictate to them, I think it is easier for them to make the transition to autonomy, if they have learned to trust themselves.</p>
<p>While I would expect that many of our children will find niches where we would never expect ( would I imagine that my daughter who didn’t like to go into the basement at thirteen, would be heading to India by herself at 18?), I don’t think that the years of 18 -21, is the only time they have to " get used to the real world".</p>
<p>Growing up is a process and despite what some of the CC threads look like, it isn’t a race.
:)</p>
<p>I believe my last post was misunderstood. Yes, there are some conservative Christian (Catholic)liberal arts colleges that do not offer science majors (Christendom College-VA, Thomas More College-NH, Thomas Aquinas College-CA) come to mind. I did not imply that Christian colleges don’t produce doctors. IMO, Christian colleges offer an excellent preparation for future physicians because they focus on ethics and caring for others. </p>
<p>Pre-med students can have any major at all. However, if your college does not offer the science requirements needed, you will have to take these courses at another college in the summer or after graduation. (I know pre-med students from these schools who are currently doing this.) However, if a high school student is looking for a pre-med program at a conservative college, this would be something to keep in mind.
(Disclaimer, H is a Christian physician who has a BA in History. Two of our kids–one pre-med–are students at conservative schools. They even live in --cover your eyes!–single sex dorms.)</p>
<p>How “nice” and “informative” has this thread been? Why does the word “conservative” in the title bring out people who want to mock conservative parents, tell “preacher’s kid gone wild!” stories," and make jokes about homeschooling, Bob Jones U., etc.?</p>
<p>Really folks. If I were asking for information about “liberal” schools for my D–schools that are drug/alcohol tolerant and have mixed gender dorm rooms–would I get people telling me that I really OUGHT to send her to a conservative school instead–after all, college is about diversity and experiencing different lifestyles because this is part of the “real world” and I shouldn’t keep her in the same liberal environment that she grew up in. . . my neighbor’s kid was like that–raised liberal and sent off to a liberal school where she rebelled BIG time by joining Campus Crusade for Christ. . . ? ;)</p>
<p>I don’t think so.</p>
<p>If the topic is “looking for conservative colleges” and you know something about conservative colleges, please post. If you don’t have helpful info., move on.</p>
<p>Perhaps there is a reason why the OP hasn’t come back. Is CC a place where you ask a question, and people mock you/your values? Not helpful. And not what CC should be about.</p>
<p>I think it is exactly what CC should be about. If OP just wanted to find conservative colleges, she could do the search on other sites. They would tell you which one is the pretties campus, party school, happiest students…</p>
<p>What’s invaluable about this site is other parents or students could give you some real stories about various choices. Maybe OP would stop and think about why she wants to send her “child” to a conservative school? Some people have pointed out some pros and cons of going to such school. I think it is very helpful.</p>
<p>I think we’ve scared the OP away. I think people are getting all up in the OP’s business without first hearing more about her requirements and preferences based on some of our questions. This thread has been hijacked, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Did I miss it, or has the OP not posted more information to clarify what she is looking for?</p>
<p>As for the “conservative” vs. “liberal” issue, I think stereotyping goes both ways. To imply that a “liberal” student at a “liberal” college would be drinking/drugging etc. is not necessarily true. My D (very liberal politically) attends a liberal school (not chosen for that reason) and is a non-drinker who has made friends with others like her. Interestingly one of her most liberal HS friends attends a liberal school where (surprise!) most of his friends are conservatives.</p>
<p>Why are you parents picking out your S/D’s schools? My issue with the OP is that SHE is a conservative MOM who is trying to pick a school for her D and we have no idea what her D wants. If her D wanted a conservative school, we would all be more than willing to help. </p>
<p>The fact is, MOMS and DADS do NOT go to school for four years, their OFFSPRING do. Therefore, a school should fit the STUDENT’S wants and needs rather than the PARENTS’ (except for financial concerns obviously).</p>
<p>Oh and by the way, liberal does not mean drugs, etc. I am as far left on the political spectrum basically as one can get without falling off a cliff. However, I do not drink or do drugs or even stay out past 10 most of the time. </p>
<p>atomom - nice post and thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>oldfort - you think it is appropriate to be judgmental and mock people?
I am surprised at how judgmental some of the posts are. There are plenty of kids who attend conservative and/or Christian schools who come from liberal parents. It is what these kids want.</p>
<p>I think the judgment goes both ways. Why is it inappropriate for some posters to give their opinion about what happens when parents are too strict? I would hope the parent would stop and really think if that’s what the kid wants. I reflect all the time about my parenting method. Most of my friends are too polite to tell me when I am off my rockers. On CC, I hear from both sides, then I make my own decision. Some people are more opinionated and have a strong way of stating something. But hey, I view it as a piece of free information, take it or leave it.</p>
<p>Do schools with more politically liberal students have more drinking? I’d guess not, if we control for whether the school has a religious affiliation. </p>
<p>We know that schools with a religious affiliation on average have less drinking and have more conservative students. But do we know about comparing drinking rates between politically liberal non-secular schools and politically conservative non-secular schools? Certainly some of big southern schools have the reputation of having both lots of conservative students and lots of drinking.</p>
<p>I do not know this to be true, but it is often said here in Texas that Baylor, the private Baptist university in Waco, has for a long time had the highest freshmen pregnancy rate in the state. You have all these sheltered kids from protective, religious families, turned loose on a campus with no dancing or drinking allowed and in a dull small town, and guess what happens? So it’s conservative and quiet, but … </p>
<p>You have to be careful what you ask for cause you just might get it.</p>