<p>Would it be unwise to apply to a religiously-affiliated school (I might as well be specific and say Georgetown) if you are not religious or follow that religion?</p>
<p>I'm mostly concerned about the open-mindedness of the student body and theology requirements.</p>
<p>Any experiences with this?</p>
<p>And by “open-mindedness” of the student body I mean how many different religions are present? Are the opinions of the student body largely dominated by religion?</p>
<p>It depends on the school! I may be completely off the mark, but when I visited Georgetown and from what I’ve heard of it, its Jesuit-ness has little impact on student life. Theology requirements, as they were explained to me, are easy to fill and pretty much feel like social studies/literature classes with specific foci. My favorite was a description of an “Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue” seminar taught by resident Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy-professors.</p>
<p>I think that what you are talking about certainly varies from school to school, though. I have some friends at BYU, for example, and while most everyone is very welcoming, non-Mormons are a very obvious minority.</p>
<p>It depends on the school. If there is a mandatory worship requirement, you might feel awkward participating.</p>
<p>Your essays might prove you not to be a match if you are not religiously oriented.</p>
<p>Some colleges have only a distant affiliation and diverse people would feel comfortable. </p>
<p>Read CC and studentreviews. Visit likely schools. Decide for yourself if a college feels right.</p>
<p>Georgetown makes a point of teaching you about religion, but it by no means imposes it on you. It teaches about theology as a philosophical and academic endeavour.</p>
<p>When I visited, there were various groups out with booths in one of the squares outside a classroom building, and one of the groups there was the pro-choice students’ group handing out free condoms.</p>
<p>The University has student unions for most faiths, has ministers of various denominations, a reform, conservative, and orthodox rabbi, an imam, and many other religious resources that aren’t only for catholics.</p>
<p>Not an issue at most top schools but it may give you a hint into the culture of the school. Almost every non-state school was/are religiously-affiliated so don’t let the affiliation stop you.</p>
<p>But can be very different at lower level schools, some of which are disguised religious training grounds that give degrees (and often train missionaries). One school that a friend of my S was planning on attending made it onto our visit list because we were passing by and he wanted to see where his friend was going. In an informal meeting with an admin rep she said "our professors will welcome you but our students will strongly encourage you to attend our religious events) She made it very clear - you will be an outcast until we convert you. Guess a hint is what do people do after graduation.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think most non-Catholics who look at Georgetown decide that it’s not a problem. It’s probably the least Catholic Catholic college in this country. But I’m sure that there are plenty of non-Catholics (and maybe even some Catholics) who never even really look at Georgetown because of that, or who decide that even Georgetown is too Catholic for them. It’s going to have a somewhat different tone than Johns Hopkins or Emory or whatever the secular equivalent is.</p>
<p>Georgetown is a Jesuit institution, not really a catholic one. Jesuit institutions have a particular methodology of education. They are a Catholic order, but the religious aspect is seen primarily in the appreciation of theology, not the implementation of Catholicism.</p>
<p>Georgetown and Holy Cross are both Jesuit schools that seek students of all religious backgrounds.</p>
<p>There are also schools like Macalester and Duke, which retain historical religious affiliations but no theology requirements.</p>
<p>There are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities stretching across the USA. Here is the complete list: [Jesuit</a> Colleges and Universities Quiz Results - sporcle](<a href=“http://www.sporcle.com/games/jesuit_colleges_results.php]Jesuit”>http://www.sporcle.com/games/jesuit_colleges_results.php)</p>
<p>One school that a friend of my S was planning on attending made it onto our visit list because we were passing by and he wanted to see where his friend was going. In an informal meeting with an admin rep she said "our professors will welcome you but our students will strongly encourage you to attend our religious events) She made it very clear - you will be an outcast until we convert you. Guess a hint is what do people do after graduation. = NCMentor.</p>
<p>I certainly hope that was not a Catholic school. I have NEVER heard of that happening at Catholic schools. Most Catholic colleges run about 40 percent NON Catholic, of which many are either agnostic or not even christian students. So I really doubt the veracity of that story, if it was Catholic. There are probably 2 or 3 Catholic Colleges where “religion” is a major part of the experience. </p>
<p>Even Catholic University of America is very open, liberal and encourages non Catholic applications, but NOT “conversion” of its student body. Its patently ridiculous.</p>
<p>Emory is Methodist.</p>
<p>It’s student body is 1/3 Jewish.</p>
<p>This always seems so odd to me when someone writes something like “I’d like to ABC University (which is a religious based school) but I don’t want it to actually be religious. I want a completely secular college experience.” </p>
<p>If you don’t want or appreciate a religious school, why go?</p>
<p>Also too, just because it is a religiously observant university does not mean it is closed minded. Instead, that is its mission. The fact that the viewpoint of most students differs from yours does not mean it is closed minded.</p>
<p>The other thing that I find odd is when people assume that College of the Holy Cross is more religious than Boston College when the schools are just 40 miles from each other and both are operated by the same New England Province of Jesuits. Somehow having the religious sounding name makes HC more religious in many people’s minds. Then again a lot of people don’t realize that BC is a Catholic college until they start looking at it in more depth.</p>
<p>Colleges don’t openly push or overly advertise that. the only college that has are ones like ndame. almost every college was founded on some base religion, that doesn’t mean that the base religion is a big part of the school. actually the only pre 20th century school i know of that doesn’t have religious affiliation is princeton</p>
<p>first of all, i am not catholic but went to a jesuit high school. I decided to go to a jesuit college because jesuits don’t realy impose religion on you, but rather teach you how to be a better person as corny as that sounds. The motto of jesuits is being men for others so you usually do a lot of service and stuff, not so much bible studying.</p>
<p>Do your history on Princeton. It was a Presbyterian Seminary and the University proper was strongly Presbyterian. Even today, it is regarded by Presbyterians as “belonging to them”, though its not religious, but a secular institution. </p>
<p>In fact, every single one of the Ivy League Colleges were religiously based, and vehemently anti-Catholic, at one point in our nation’s (and their) history.</p>
<p>There is a reason that no Catholic university is in the Ivy League. Its ugly discrimination.</p>
<p>Notre Dame is decidedly Catholic, but a high percentage of students there are non-Catholic, they don’t try and force Church doctrine on you and you are not required to attend mass. Yes, a high percentage of students are very Catholic…strong Catholics we call them, and a good percentage of those are conservative Catholics. </p>
<p>But you can attend Notre Dame and be entirely secular if you please.</p>
<p>Isn’t W&M the second-oldest school in the U.S.? No religious affiliation. I don’t know whether it USED to be affiliated, but that is irrelevant–the school has made a point by cutting that affiliation.</p>
<p>First analyze the student body; then look at graduation requirements. For instance, although I’m applying to Macalester (which is ranked for “Least Religious,” FYI) and was open to religiously affiliated schools in my search, I will not consider any school that has a theology requirement. I’ll probably take courses in the religion department of my own accord, but to me, a school that requires theology as part of a liberal arts education is a school that believes in religion too much for me to be comfortable. This is an issue more for those who don’t believe in the Christian god.</p>
<p>William and Mary has never been a private college. It was Chartered by the King of England, so it indirectly was Anglican before our nation formed. Since that time it has been property of the Commonwealth of Virginia and a public university. Its the smallest public university in the nation.</p>
<p>Also one of the best. But its an “intense” school. Not for the meek and mild.</p>
<p>If you reject schools because they have a theology department that is very immature.</p>