Please rank these colleges in terms of tolerance of a conservative, Christian, male student

College Search & Selection
101

^ the problem isn’t professors being less conservative but the weird turn the Republican Party has taken in the past 10years or so. If you look at the current race, you’ll see educated conservatives lean for Kasich and he’s clearly a minority, which makes educated Republicans feel like they’re a minority in their own party. Many who voted for Reagan or GHBush or McCain simply don’t recognize their party. For educated professionals it’s basically impossible to affiliate with the front runners unless they’re evangelicals.
For a less American - centric analysis, look at Pierre Bourdieu 's charts distinguishing intellectual and financial elite, as well as the concepts of cultural /social /financial capitals.

Anglicans are to Episcopalians what Lutherans Missouri Synod are to ELCA Lutherans or PCA Presbyterians are to Presbyterians -USA. So, recommending evangelical college’s is reasonable - and the academically strong evangelical colleges include Pepperdine, Wheaton IL, Calvin, Hope, plus Hillsdale (definitely very conservative even if not officially evangelical).

102

@MYOS1634 , amen to what you said in post #96. OP seems to have abandoned this conversation, but I hope he is discussing this post with his son. His son should be aware that many selective colleges are going to have plenty of liberals, but there are some where the students lean more conservatively. I am more concerned that the OP has listed no match or safety schools.

103

^ Right on. That last sentence reveals (IMO) the most important issue facing the OP and their son. He’ll find his tribe wherever he goes.

104

Southern schools will tend to have more conservative students
Duke
University of Virginia
William and Mary

Possible conservative southern schools?
Washington University in St. Louis
Rice

Princeton with strong WASP heritage (Ted Cruz went to Princeton)

University of Pennsylvania Wharton attracts some fiscal conservatives
University of Chicago attracts some fiscal conservatives

Also, for most students UVA and William and Mary are more difficult to get into than many assume, so be sure to discuss it with your GC before you use those two as your only two safety schools. You don’t want to risk being shut out. Even if it is unlikely, it could be possible.

105

I think you are asking for something impossible. None of these schools is exactly known for being bastions of Christian orthodoxy and political conservatism. At every single one of these schools, you will likely encounter students and professors who might disdain your religious and spiritual beliefs, and may either express that disdain in varying degrees or manifestations, or keep it completely to themselves. And at every one, you will encounter Christians and political conservatives, as well as political and Christian student organizations where you can meet and socialize with them.

But I really doubt you will find anyone who can accurately rank the degree of blowback your son will experience at each of these schools for his personal beliefs, while factoring in the quality of their STEM education. That’s an impossible request.

Maybe it would help for you to share your son’s GPA, ACT/SAT, ECs, APs, and your family’s financial parameters, so we can give you feedback on whether your list is even realistic to begin with. It looks like you just picked 13 of the 30 or so top schools in the country. If he even gets into one of them, he’ll do fine.

I assume University of Virginia and William and Mary are your safeties? If so, they are not safeties. Not too long ago, a dad from Virginia posted about his daughter who chose those two schools as her safeties. Based on her GPA, ACT, etc, they calculated her chances to get accepted at UVa and W&M at 96%, so they didn’t bother applying to any real safeties. Guess what? She got rejected form all of the Ivy and Ivy-level schools she applied to, as well as UVa and W&M. So please add Virginia Tech or a real safety into the mix.

Since you mentioned your son’s Christian faith and political conservatism and not his GPA, ACT, or SAT, I am gonna assume that’s REALLY important here so I will recommend Texas A&M. Some list, maybe Forbes, had it ranked as the most conservative campus. And I very much like another poster’s suggestion of Washington & Lee.

I do not know of any specifically conservative Anglican schools. Notre Dame is a top 20 university, I’m a little surprised it was not on your list. Vanderbilt is a top 20 U that may be more politically conservative than many on your list. I personally do not think he will feel persecuted at any schools on your list, but I REALLY don’t think that’s going to happen at ND or Vandy. And I think Duke would likely be fine as well for a Christian politically conservative student.

Baylor, SMU, and U of Tulsa might also fit the bill for what you are looking for. so good luck!

106

A good safety might be Sewanee. Episcopalian, with lots of support for religious students (even a seminary on campus). Excellent academics, including STEM. Hugely admired by graduate school adcoms. 26 Rhodes scholars so far, near the top for an LAC. But with an admit rate hovering around 40%, it’s only a safety if OP’s son visits campus.

Kenyon is another possibility, although the student body/faculty there generally lean somewhat more liberal IMO. Its admit rate is even lower, and they strongly consider evidence of significant leadership skills from their applicants (while Sewanee seems to emphasize “fit” more, IMO).

107

@MidwestDad3 , Kenyon is in the Princeton Review top 20 for least religious students. It is liberal much more than it is conservative. There are apparently quite a few kids with pink and blue hair. No way.

108

Sorry @Lindagaf, but a conservative, Anglican male is not going to be persecuted or indoctrinated at Kenyon. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

109

@marvin100 -

So why are posters like the OP hassled when they ask legitimate and reasonable questions? Just answer his original question without the criticism of it’s merits.

110

Seems that many evangelicals are only interested in the current second place primary candidate. The difference between the top two primary candidates has brought the difference between religious conservatism and racism into the open. Also, the primary has brought out the split between middle and lower income social conservatives versus the business conservatives and those who want to cut taxes for the highest income people.

111

@MidwestDad3 I am sure the OPs son wouldn’t be persecuted or indoctrinated at Kenyon, and probably nowhere else for that matter. But I am sure OP, or maybe his son, isn’t looking for a very non-religious campus where kids routinely smoke weed and (some) girls sport nipple rings. Then again, maybe he is, :wink:

112

^Now you’re going to make him want to have a look at Kenyon!!!

113

Kenyon is pretty liberal, I agree with @Lindagaf. D2’s best friemd from HS went there (and D2 was accepted). The friend has ditched Catholicism and gotten herself a girlfriend since getting to college. Some of this change started before she left for college, but Kenyon didn’t slow it down. I think this is probably just what the OP is worried about.

114

Thanks for all the comments. Many were quite helpful. Meant to include Notre Dame on the original list.

We’ll worry about the safety school stuff. HS guidance counselor, retained college consultant and Naviance all say, collectively, W&M and U.Va are safe. Don’t fret about that. Thus, all of the out-of-state schools can be anywhere from high reach to lottery ticket. Don’t plan on paying for out-of-state unless it’s clearly better than W&M or Virginia.

115

OP, will you calm those of us who are experienced cc Nervous Nellies and tell us your ds’s GPA, rank and test scores? I wish I could believe that UVA really is a safety. It accepts fewer than 30% of its applicants, making it a reach for anyone in my book.

ETA: Rice is not conservative and definitely not a safety, which OP is lacking.

116

Maybe OP’s son is Val in the top NoVA HS, 4.0 unweighted, 15 APs, and 36 ACT or 2370 SAT, and an Intel winner. Would those stats make UVA and W&M safeties?

If not, he’s been warned. No need to pound him with it. Everyone makes his own choices.

117

True. He has been warned.

118

Flogging a dead horse perhaps, but W & M is in no way a safety, not even for a Virginian. OP, your son needs a school on his list in which his stats are in the top 25th percentile AND the acceptance rate is over 50% AND he would be happy to attend AND it works financially. He needs to express interest in that safety, (safeties are routinely turning away students with great stats who don’t express interest) unless it’s an auto admit school or a school that doesn’t have holistic admissions. OP, trust us on the safety school issue. You don’t want to be on CC in early April next year, saying “my son didn’t get in anywhere.”

119

Oh, by the way, what the GC, Naviance, and retained college counselor can’t tell you is how the student’s recommendations and essays will be perceived by the admissions committee. When high-stats students are rejected from places they felt confident about, it’s never because of scores–it’s because of the way the admissions committee perceived the essays and recs. Or for reasons out of the student’s control.

120

Brantley, you said not to pound him! =))