Santa Clara University reputation

I got into my safety school Santa Clara University EA. It is a Jesuit University and I am Jewish and atheist. I don’t know were else I will get in regular round, but if I have to attend my safety, what is the reputation of SCU school of engineering in outside community? I applied to SCU because of the location, but I don’t know much about it reputation.

I cannot comment on Engineering, but wanted to say that although the Jesuit mission is front and center at the school, it doesn’t mean that they don’t value diversity and respect people of different faiths or no religious practice. I’m pretty sure both of our guides said they weren’t Catholic and that it never seemed to be an issue for them. Good luck!

Thank you @CAMidwestMom

I can’t comment on engineering, either, but I’m generally familiar with Santa Clara and its reputation. I think that it wears its Catholicism pretty lightly. Many years ago, I was somewhat friendly with a graduate student there who was a Jewish radical feminist lesbian. She was haveing a good experience there; she actually had nothing bad at all to say about the university or its faculty.

My impressionistic sense is that Santa Clara is a lot like Villanova in my community: A Catholic college with strong appeal to (largely affluent) students across a fairly broad region, and not at all limited to Catholic students. Like Villanova, too, it is well-regarded by employers in its region; unlike Villanova, it’s located in one of the most economically vibrant and important regions in the world (which is why you applied, after all).

It’s a solid choice. And a great area.

Locally in Silicon Valley, Santa Clara has a solid reputation. You’d get a good engineering education, in small classes, and you’d get local job offers.

The Jesuit mission is front and center, as CAMidwestMom says, but the Jesuit mission here means service. Santa Clara is clear that they want you to use your education in service of making a better world. They wouldn’t be trying to convert you to Catholicism. You’d be required to take two religion classes, but they could be about any religion.

My good friend’s child, a Quaker, got a fine education as a CC transfer to engineering at Santa Clara and loved it. At the time, he was in the process of deciding on gender transition. I never heard that he (at the time she) had issues.

Thank you @JHS and @“Cardinal Fang” . I probably should add that I am attending California public HS. The perfect intellectual fit is very important to me and as an applicant with high stats, but nothing else extraordinary I realize that I might have only limited options when the dust settles in March.

My nephew, who had high stats but no extraordinary ECs, is now a happy freshman in engineering at Santa Clara. He is finding plenty of academic challenge there. You’ll find academic rigor at Santa Clara, if that’s what you are seeking.

My grandfather got an engineering degree there, and he loved it. He was a lapsed Catholic (Never really attended church, didn’t like people preaching to him, rarely discussed religion) and did fine there. He did pretty well with that degree. Granted, that was in the Sixties. Still, Santa Clara University was talked about a lot when I went to De Anza, and I never really heard anything negative about it.

My daughter’s teacher’s kid attends SCU and they/she are Jewish, and finds that she fits right in with the Jesuit ethic of community and service. She recommends SCU highly.

My daughter is a proud graduate of Santa Clara University…with a double major in engineering and biology. My husband is an engineer and was most impressed with her curriculum, and the school. Their engineering program is well regarded in the area.

School is fabulous. Facilities are very nice, and the school is continuously upgrading them. Climate is near perfect…unless you love snow.

My daughter is not Catholic either (mom is Jewish). School is very ecumenical. There is. Religion course requirement but there are over 100 courses from which to choose. My kid loved her religion in electives.

The Jesuits are present all over campus, and my kid really appreciated their presence.

DD was a student ambassador, and also helped,develop and run the Shadow SCU program for accepted students. You should look into doing that.

You can PM me with other questions…my kid graduated in 2010 but she keeps in touch with folks well!

Thank you @thumper1 and @bluebayou

My Jewish niece (though she wears it pretty lightly) was there, and didn’t have any issues with SCU’s Catholic heritage. I think the comparison to Villanova is a pretty good one; just keep in mind its reputation will be largely California-based.

Thank you @Pizzagirl

My family is in California and I would like to stay in California after graduation as well. Will I have trouble getting into selective graduate schools with degree from SCU? I understand that location is perfect for CS major, but do well known companies in California actually recruit at SCU?

There is a lot of recruiting done at SCU. A LOT! Many of the Silicon Valley companies recruit there. Many other CA companies (as well as some national companies) recruit there as well. My DD has friends at tons of very fine grad schools and medical schools, and business schools, and in jobs.

It’s a great school.

I think I now live close to SCU (but I have not lived here for many years.) But I am always confused about the differences between these two universities (especially their exact locations): San Jose State University and Santa Clara University. For example, which one is next to the major CalTrain/Amtrax station and is also very accessible from the San Jose airport? (I think it is likely SCU. That is, the location of SCU is “better”.)

Is the following analogy about right?

Boston College : Boston University =
Santa Clara University : San Jose State University

Is it true that Boston College is also a Catholic affiliated college but Boston University is not? (Or it should the other way around?)

I guess people outside of Boston may be confused about the differences between Boston College and Boston University too.

SCU is next to the train station and the airport. I would put the analogy more like

Boston University: Framingham State = Santa Clara: San Jose State

Mcat, yes, that’s correct. Boston College is Catholic-affiliated (Jesuit) but Boston University is not.

Bouders - given that no one who lives outside Massachusetts has a clue what Framingham State is, and no one who lives outside California has a clue what San Jose State is, can you explain your analogy better?

As a SCU grad school alum, Silicon Valley worker, and casual Protestant, I’ll echo the sentiments above - fine school, minimal Catholic influence, and great employment opportunities. Definitely worthy of consideration.

Boston College is a Jesuit college in a mostly residential neighborhood in the near western suburbs of Boston. Boston University is a huge private university in the middle of Boston proper, right across the river from MIT. Once upon a time, it was affiliated with the Methodists, but it has been secular for a long time. The same street runs alongside/through the campuses of both universities, 7 or 8 miles apart.

San Jose State is, of course, a public university, part of the CSU system. Its Boston analog is probably UMass Boston. Really, USC is the only college I know of west of the Mississippi that is comparable to BU.

Santa Clara University is a few thousand feet from the main San Jose airport, but you would have to drive around the airport to get to SCU from an actual terminal. There’s a Caltrain station near SCU. SJSU is in the middle of downtown San Jose, not a whole lot farther from the airport, but not on the Caltrain line.

Re post 14…what does this have to do with anything?

Santa Clara main entrance is on El Camino Real right across from the transportation center. It’s about 10 minutes to the San Jose Airport. There is a free bus from the airport to the train station.

The analogies mcat2 posted make no sense at all. Both Boston University and Boston College are private universities located in the greater Boston area (BC is actually in a suburban area).

Boston College and Santa Clara are often compared to one another…except one is on the east coast and the other on the west coast. Both are Jesuit schools, I believe.

San Jose State University is a public CA university.