<p>I'm looking to add to my college list right now, and this is a really knowlegeable group of parents. I am looking for reaches, matches, and safeties that are more middle-of-the-road, or even conservative. Though I don't have a problem with liberals, I think I'd be uncomfortable at a school like Reed or Brown where I was surrounded by "hippie" types. I am a moderately conservative, somewhat traditional type of person. I have a 2290 new SAT (720 M, 770 W, 800 CR), a 3.92 UW GPA, and 10+ APs by graduation. I swim competively year-round and really like sports, so a strong athletic program would be a big plus. A strong premed program is a must. What are some schools that I should look at, or take off my list? I'm sure there are other students like me looking for a more traditional school with top-notch academics.
Reach: Notre Dame (my top choice), Emory, Duke, Princeton (too liberal?) Rice (too liberal?)
Match: Vanderbilt, Wheaton IL (too conservative?)
Safety: IU, Purdue </p>
<p>Note: I am NOT looking for ultra-conservative schools like BYU or Bob Jones, so please don't make any sarcastic comments. Thanks so much for any advice. The parents on this board are really an amazing group of people.</p>
<p>If you are considering Notre Dame then you should consider Boston College and Georgetown. While BC is a Catholic school and therefore generally more fiscally and religiously conservative, its location in the Northeast leads it to be more socially and politically liberal.</p>
<p>USC? (big-time sports, obviously). Pepperdine (too conservative?). Boston College and Holy Cross (if you like Notre Dame, I would think these would fit the bill.) Rice? (don't know if there's enough sports...)</p>
<p>in describing the school that you are looking for, I thought I was reading a description of Davidson- moderate to conservative, DIV 1 sports, a premier premed school etc.. your stats are right in line with it. You should check it out.</p>
<p>princeton is mostly apolitical. Its about half and half student body, with a strong voice of conservative professors (although the professors, like most academics, are mostly liberal)</p>
<p>Emswim, as driver mentions Williams seems to fit your requirements and then some. It leans left like just about all east coast schools, but middle roaders and even conservatives get a fair shake. Strong athletic program (including swimming) and an excellent track record at medical school placements. </p>
<p>Other schools to consider would be Colgate, Hamilton, Amherst, Kenyon, Bowdoin, Dartmouth.</p>
<p>emswim, Amherst and Kenyon may be too liberal for your taste but on the college political pendulum, they stop about midway through the liberal spectrum. Add Furman, Wake, Vandy,William and Mary even Duke to your southern list. You can add Villanova to your mid-atlantic and mini, Rice may not be that strong in all sports but baseball is big-time good at Rice, and the Rice student body has serious fun at games, especially the "lively" students in that band. The world famous Marching Owl Band. The MOB. P.S. Emory ain't exactly conservative either. Or maybe it's just against the Georgia horizon that it looks so blue.</p>
<p>Sounds like you might fit in well at an Academy - US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, US Military Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, US Merchant Marine Academy. In USNA's class of 2002, 11 graduates were sent to the US medical school. Although the academies do not have a biology major, every student graduates with a BS and the science classes are very rigorous. Just a thought, please no anti-military flaming.</p>
<p>Em, With the notable exception of the military academies (good call, momof1!) and a few ultra-conservatives ALL American colleges are predominately liberal, especially the faculty. The question is to find one where conservatives and middle of the roaders feel comfortable voicing their views. I would put all of the schools that I mentioned in the moderate-friendly category, though I certainly wouldn't characterize them as bastions of Republicanism. On the other hand there are certain schools that are known for their espousal of liberal causes (Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Bard, Oberlin, Reed come to mind). I wouldn't say that you would get trounced every time you brought up a "Yeah, but. . ." dissenting view, but you'd better be a good arguer. :)</p>
or wear a raincoat and eye protection even on dry sunny days. Oh, and if someone yells what sounds like "pie" and you're not in math class , I suggest you duck.;)</p>
<p>Look. It's not that bad to be in the political minority. I went to a school where the YAF-fers would come to Young Democrats meetings in the Sub and take names in little flip-over cop notepads like we had Gus and Angela hiding behind the couch. Some , but not all of us, were left of left in college but we survived. Flourished actually.Our bunch included what I thought were the best looking girls or at least the coolest. We proudly called ourselves "ten percenters" which was very optimistic .</p>
<p>I lived in an unofficially official Fiji frat house with 5 of the most conservative people in America and one guy who thought Texas should return to nationhood and reclaim what he considered it's lost territory. He was mighty partial to Colorado, I'm sorry- "Upper Texas". After a night of their frat fun and whatever bizarre thing I had done we'd sit around the room till first light and debate issues that always , always ended up at the essence of religious belief. We'd start with the Astros and end up with contemplations of Deism, then skip along from Descartes to Mill to Sartre , and end with the historical Christ every stinkin' time. Without fail. Most fun I think I've ever had with friends. And we were friends. And we are still friends.</p>
<p>Go where you want to go. It'll work out fine.</p>
<p>University of Virginia is a moderate school with moderate faculty and top notch academics as well as sports. With your stats, you definitely have a shot. If you want more info, go to the Virginia Forum.</p>
<p>as always, thanks for the smile. But, don't compare intellectual discourse with your fellow students (where the REAL learning occurs) with the same discourse with professors. For example, a libertarian would be lucky to earn a C in econ from a prof like Paul Samuelson (remeber, H gives out B's for showing up) since his economic view was "his way or the hiway." </p>
<p>There is something to be said about political diversity in the academic fellowship, whiich some schools appear to disdain.....</p>
<p>I chose the school I did because I simply liked the school. Still, in the back of my mind I know that political/cultural diversity was something I had in mind. I chose Dartmouth not because it was politically/culturally conservative--it isn't--but because within the overall liberal atmosphere a conservative voice and view is still respected (and Dartmouth has my favorite college newspaper); I like to hear ideas and opinions from many angles, liberal and conservative being two of them. Dartmouth seemed to have the open air I longed for.</p>
<p>You might consider University of Chicago which was the birthplace of the neoconservative movement within the United States. Not that there is not a liberal group at Chicago. I have found Chicago mostly apolitical but in comparison to some schools Chicago at least has the conservative point of view expressed. Also a great predmed program. Falls short on the athletic side though being division 3. Good luck.</p>