@Greymeer - I had that thought at first too, but OP’s list says Southwestern College - which I believe is a small college in Wichita, KS. If it had been Southwestern University near Austin, I would have recommended OP consider it for sure.
Hmm. My bad.
Thanks everyone. The scholarship is for STEM so i think i can study any stem or business related degree. I will only be 20 for most of it unfortunately. Not sure about location. Closer to the east coast would be easier for flights and possibly closer to more places to visit. I like warmer weather so i guess closer south would be good.
Catholic university doesn’t make you attend mass or bible study. And there are non practicing students of all faiths. And classes are professors. Especially business and stem. Good kids and great location.
Catholic U is in a major city. Lots of people take advantage of their academics. Not just Catholics. And OP isn’t looking at 4 years there, finding a life partner, never moving on. They do have a high proportion of Catholic professors (and maybe some policy on that.) But in OP’s courses, business and presumably some stem, there won’t be indoctrination.
I feel the city outweighs the fact they are a Catholic institution. No, they aren’t Jesuit (with their openness to dialogue.) But I’d weigh the Catholicism same as other important factors. Don’t just head for a smaller college, posibly nowhere, with possibly different dynamics, just because they’re not affiliated with a church.
I can’t find info on jut how Catholic the CU student body is. Obvioously, there may be some social rules in effect (I doubt they’re dispensing birth control, though who knows?) But DC is so dang vibrant.
All along in this conversation, I’m aware of Europeans Iknow who did do some study at small unknowns here. And they had a great time. But I think OP needs to figure what he really wants, hopes for. And if he’s the sort who could go to a small unknown and make the best of it. Only part of these exchanges is about the college itself, its courses, its food, its social life. It’s also about the exposure to US culture. OP needs to self examine, I think.
Catholic U is very different from other Catholic universities in the US. No birth control, indeed. ALL Vatican rules are upheld. It’s under papal bulla.
We shouldn’t make light of the Catholicism - and yes it’s a good university in a great city.
It might be interesting for OP but it might also be difficult. When op was born there were people shooting each other and bomb attacks. That civil war had been going on for decades. People have had peace for fewer than 20 years, more than 3,500people have died with about half between the ages of 15 and 29. Try to imagine being Jewish from Israel and being suggested a Muslim college or Muslim from the Palestinian Territories and being suggested Yeshiva University. It might matter to OP or it might not. Op could live in an area where a wall separates Religious groups, or might have attended a school where religions mix. The whole thing might be irrelevant-but it might not. It could be an incredible opportunity. It could be incredibly personally difficult. You might also want to escape the religious polarization and pick a secular university. We can’t just dismiss the university’s fundamental mission as irrelevant - it might be, it might not be.
Both are Christian faiths and the comparisons are not nearly the same.
Of course the religious violence of the past is important but hopefully someone his age is a bit more tolerant. At least it’s a good start.
And no one follows you off campus. And knowing some freshman twins who attend, they often go to the other schools including umd for parties in the weekend. And the op wants to play sports. There’s lots to do.
There’s no perfect answer but this is a study abroad. The other components and off campus opportunities should be big considerations.
But this isn’t that extreme. It can’t be, in the US, in DC. This isn’t Northern Ireland 20 years ago. And OP is already exposed to Catholic culture, daily. He’s not a Muslim in an Israeli university.
I looked at Centre. Great school. A lot of the right markers I like to see. But look at the distances- none of their visitor info mentions a bus or train into town, everything is shown in driving distances. Hours. The local airport is small.
I have no need to pick his target for him (I think we’re all just giving opinions and ideas.) But he has more research to do, to refine what’s the match for him. Match, in many ways, including the location, conservative vs liberal, other diversity, kids with some worldly outlook vs stay home/in the same subculture, forever. And his own goals for this year.
It’s not about being intolerant! (I certainly wouldn’t think OP is intolerant as he wouldn’t be coming to the US.)
It’s keeping in mind that OP’s life and family history MIGHT not be the same as they would be for an American teen whose grandparents are Irish. And therefore that choosing to attend THE Catholic university in America (and not just a Catholic university) shouldn’t be brushed off. You can’t assume it doesn’t matter.
Hopefully it doesn’t. But the specific nature of CUA shouldn’t be dismissed as irrelevant. Even some Catholics find it off putting and wouldn’t attend because it is very doctrinally strict.
The college is open-minded: non Catholics can participate in the services (not the Eucharist but everything else) and missions, and the Chaplain will gladly refer them to Religious groups and worships within easy distance of campus.
But let’s not pretend it’s Georgetown or even Notre Dame.
I think the list is downright weird for a state sponsored scholarship program. It is like the program has no idea about the schools on their list. This is a 35K funded package from the UK govt in NI. Why are there so many religious schools on the list at all?
49 Because in Northern Ireland, state sponsored doesn't mean secular -
you have hardcore Protestant, hardcore Catholic, mostly Protestant, mostly Catholic, mixed, and secular schools and affiliations. Therefore the State scholarship and OP’s university, which is the Russell Group university in NI, offer a little bit of everything for everyone. I agree a lot of obvious targets are missing from the list, especially state flagships or directionals. The list might also be tied to the scholarship OP got (ie., the university might have more US choices but without a full scholarship).
Really, if only BYU was on the list, it would be a slam dunk, a religious schools with an actual known business program. It seems that this list can’t be exhaustive, OP, what schools are on the list if you had chosen a STEM option vs business?
I think the list is the same for everyone. Ill have to ask them what schools offer engineering/stem but im happy enough to do business. I did it at a-level and it might give me a break from my eng degree. Ill see if people would be ok with me going to Catholic U, i dont really care about religion but people in NI really do, as people have said.
So again, can you explain to me how the academic grading works? And is it adding a whole year to a degree that would otherwise be 3 yrs, but it isn’t giving you a business qualification, it realistically is for funsies, on the govts purse? You are a 2nd yr now?
Op will likely detail, but in the UK the Bachelor’s degree is 3year but there’s a more selective option whereby it can be made 4 by adding a ‘sandwich’ year (co-op) or year abroad. The year abroad is supposed to be for cultural exploration and taking classes that the student wouldn’t otherwise be able to take, either in the same field or in complementary fields. Grades and prestige don’t matter although the student have to pass a minimum number of credits.
So yes on the funsies.
I am blown away the UK govt will pay LOL. As the reqs are that the applicant must be an EU citizen, this might be a program that implodes in 46 days, this might be the last year it runs. Just pick the best location then. As academics seem to be extraneous.
It’s ok to have fun and also put in a little work too OP. Life is really short. And I would not attend the school based on what others thought you should do. You’re an adult and capable of making decisions. Maybe you can help bridge the gap of understanding between the two groups based on your experiences. That’s truly what education is supposed to do in the end.
Best of luck!
Yeah im in 2nd year and its mostly just for fun. I can take a industry placement next year but i didnt really fancy it and would rather just take a summer placement sometime so when i saw this opportunity I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and would improve me as a person (life is short!) MYOS is mostly correct 
Thanks for the advice everyone, i didnt expect this much help.
I found two of these in the AACSB list of accredited business programs:
King’s College (The William G. McGowan School of Business)
Shenandoah University (Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business)
Three are in the ABET list of accredited engineering programs:
Saint Martin’s University
The Catholic University of America
Muskingum University
So those might be worth looking into a bit more carefully. I am sure that some of the unaccredited business programs are perfectly decent. Also, if you are interested in a different STEM topic there are likely to be reasonable options at some of the other places on your list.
King’s College in Pennsylvania is a Roman Catholic affiliated school. About 53% of the students live on campus. Accounting is the dominant area of study in business.
Shenandoah University in Virginia is affiliated with the United Methodist church. Only 48% live on campus. Virginia is a beautiful state.