<p>Just wanted to follow up on this thread and thank everyone who gave input. I’ve referred back to it several times since.</p>
<p>We are just starting to compile a list of schools to look more closely at and I think it is a broad range. She believes at this point that she will lean toward secondary ed, social work or English or some combo of these. We’ve got some schools in Maryland to look at, some in PA and Virginia to look at and then a smattering that have caught her eye like Knox, Hope and Muhlenburg.</p>
<p>This will be a busy year, full of twists and turns. I hope we all survive it intact!</p>
<p>My rising senior son is an atheist and a non-partier so I am on a somewat similar search… though I am looking for schools that are fairly secular but with a reasonable Jewish population because that’s what he is, culturally.</p>
<p>My D is not a partier yet she goes to a state school with a rep for being a party nation. She is close to Canada, where the drinking age is 18 and many kids drive over to party where they’re not underage. In HS, she was very judgmental about people who drank or did drugs. She told me the other day that she has learned so much tolerance being at college and has come to understand that it is not an insult to her when people drink around her and that people can drink occasionally and still be good people. Fortunately, she is still just as judgmental about drug users and won’t socialize with them at all. Even more fortunately, she has seen people doing so many stupid and dangerous things while drunk that she has no interest in drinking herself.</p>
<p>I have no school suggestions but just wanted to wish you good luck in your search. I will say that I am looking at Muehlenberg for my son because we know a lot of Jewish kids there who love it.</p>
<p>vandygrad - D2 just graduated from Muhlenberg. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Just as a starting point, it is valuable to know that their student population is roughly 30% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, and 30% Jewish.</p>
<p>There’s a Greek scene, but too large or overbearing. And yes, there’s partying, but I do know some of D’s friends did not really drink. D2 did.</p>
<p>I just want to third or fourth the suggestion of Earlham. The Quaker schools reportedly tend to maintain an atmosphere that might be described as more “earnest” than many others.</p>
<p>While the Seven Sisters colleges generally will not have extreme drinking, they are not particularly conservative, socially. And unless her SATs are a lot higher than her PSAT, they are also a substantial reach.</p>
<p>@olderwisermom- I love that! Thanks for sharing that story. :-)</p>
<p>@shrinkrap- yes, that is funny…or ironic! I hope he loves it there.</p>
<p>@boysx3 and @consolation: Funny you both mention Earlham! I had never heard of it before until this past year, when I found out my cousin’s husband is going to be the 17th President! Then after that, the name kept popping up. Haven’t looked into it deeply as of yet.</p>
<p>I really do think we will take a closer look at Muhlenburg. :-)</p>
<p>If she’s going to look at Hope College in Michigan she should look at Calvin also. Very close, conservative schools. I think that you would find the atmosphere you are looking for.</p>
<p>My nephew loved Hope, it’s one of his top choices.</p>
<p>Our older son went to Calvin for one year (before he got married and became a father.) He loved the campus and made great friends. Also loved, loved, loved Grand Rapids. It’s a wonderful, artsy town.</p>
<p>However, if you think no one drinks at Calvin, you would be wrong. They just don’t drink in the dorms. DS1 has many stories about friends coming home from off-campus parties and crashing on his futon.</p>
<p>We loved all of our relationship with Calvin and think the world of the school. Still get a little teary-eyed when I think about the fact that this would have been his senior year there.</p>
<p>Vandygrad - has your daughter considered Furman University? It’s a relatively conservative school with a reputation for not being a party school, and is inline with her academic qualifications. It has a very wholesome aura - not strictly religious, although there are a lot of religious kids there. There are drinkers, as at every school, but they are not the majority. </p>
<p>My ds, who is a non-partier, loved the atmosphere. The only reason he didn’t attend was financial.</p>
<p>I was also going to suggest Furman. For a smaller school, it’s not too overwhelmingly Greek and has a conservative background in a relatively conservative town. This year Furman is going “damp” in other words students of age may have alcohol in campus apartments, but if you can find a college with no drinking, it would astound me. It’s a pretty campus. I was impressed looking at accepted students facebook page this year (my child was considering it and several friends are going) that one of first events that seemed to be organizing was getting people together the first Sunday at school and attending church.</p>
I hope he loves it there.</p>