<p>So I'm a sophomore in high school and am starting to look at colleges. Quite a few that could be a match for me are religious. I was baptized in the Roman-Catholic Church and got my first communion but was never confirmed. I have an open mind and have a friend who doesn't believe in gay marriage and who is pro-life. Could I go to a religiously affiliated college? Would it miserable? Any input on the matter is appreciated.</p>
<p>It really depends on the college. Catholic colleges run the gamut from those considered to be “marginally” Catholic (Georgetown, Notre Dame) to incredibly conservative (Steubenville, Ave Maria). No one is required to be Catholic - or even religious - to attend a Catholic college, but the schools will have very different feels and you may have an easier time finding a peer group at one school over another depending on where you fall on the spectrum. D is at a Jesuit school and loving it, as they Jesuits have a reputation for shaking things up and questioning the status quo (our current Pope being a great example!). If you’re looking for smaller LACs that emphasize classical learning approaches, you should definitely check out some Catholic colleges.</p>
<p>As the pp mentioned, there really is a wide variety of “religious-ness” at Christian schools whether Catholic or Protestant (and many schools have both attending). Visits work well here. If you visit and talk with current students, you’ll get an idea as to whether you’d feel comfortable or not. You could even try an e-mail contact first to save visit $$.</p>
<p>Great advice so far. Any school can post on their website that they are “affiliated” with such and such religion. The real question you want to find is “how does this affiliation matter to the school?” </p>
<p>Does it filter down to the teaching in the classroom, to required chapel services, and down to minute rules of how you dress and interact with dating, dorm life, etc.? Or is it just a plaque on a wall, a reminder of how the school was founded? Or somewhere in between? Are the professors required to sign a statement of faith, agreeing to the beliefs of the college? And are students required to sign a similar statement saying they believe and will uphold those beliefs and standards?</p>
<p>It requires some investigation on your part to determine which school is the right fit for you. I encourage you to dig in, do your research, ask questions. I found that asking “regular” students was a good way to discover the truth. Tour guides and college reps may gloss over the truth, or word things in a way that makes it difficult to see the reality of daily life at the school.</p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>One thing you could do is check on their website for the presence of a code of conduct. Some of the more conservative schools will request that students sign a statement of belief/code of conduct. The more liberal schools will often have a statement of faith but not require an adherence to certain behaviors.</p>