Schools with religious affiliation?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>How 'religious' are schools like Providence, Villanova and Fairfield - all affiliated to Roman Catholic Church.</p>

<p>As an international - atheist - student I would like to still feel comfortable at schools like this as I am attracted to their small scale and quality of education. But maybe it is not as heavily religious as it looks like on some pictures on their websites? Should I think of monks and nuns as teachers, are prayer time or religious ceremonies part of daily life and obligatory to attend?</p>

<p>Can anyone share experience or views on this? Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I know some kids that go to 'Nova, and no, religion is not that big of a deal. You may have to take like 1 religion class, but it isnt like sunday school, the class will be something like the effects of catholicism on society or a history type thing.... (something that may be very interesting, even for an atheist).</p>

<p>Nobody is going to "make" you pray or anything, but they may do a prayer at like graduation or something....</p>

<p>Other schools, like BYU and Wheaton are very religious....so it varies place to place, but tons of schools have religious affiliation, but that doesn't really impact the students/curriculum.</p>

3

<p>It varies by school. I know that Providence is actively religious, but I'm not sure about the other two.</p>

4

<p>The only overtly religious Roman Catholic Schools I am aware of where religion is more than a moniker and an offering of some theology courses, are schools like Christendom and Ave Maria College. </p>

<p>The big moniker schools: Holy Cross, Georgetown, Boston College, Fordham, Fairfield, Xavier, Loyola, and the remaining 28 Jesuit schools, plus the others like Villanova, Notre Dame, Providence, etc are schools of IMMENSE academic rigor and pride themselves in being open to all academic exercise and thought, and often teach courses that may surprise you as contrarian to their own way of thinking. Religion is available as part of student life but is not jammed down your throats. Roughly60% of the student body is Catholic and the remainder are a mix of Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Agnostics. Jesuits in particular THRIVE in a challenging classroom full of various opinions, for it enhances their teaching experience and the learning experience of other students, often using the Socratic method in doing so. The great Doctors of the Church like Augustine and Aquinas were as much philosophers as theologians and are studied and taught at NON religious colleges around the globe.</p>

<p>BYU and Wheaton are indeed very religious schools and you may feel out of place in their environment, but they are mormon and evangelistic christian colleges respectively. </p>

<p>I could not commend a Jesuit or other Catholic College in the United States more. Their rigor and reputations are beyond reproach. Even The Catholic University of America in Washington DC has a lot of non catholics and is a first class university of higher learning. If YOU are open minded and if YOU welcome honest and civilized debate you may find that a Catholic College is just right for you. There are 28 Jesuit colleges in the US and another 20 or so Catholic schools from varying perspectives: Redemptorist, Holy Cross fathers, Augustinian, Franciscan, Dominican, Benedictine, Christian Brothers, Carmelite, Paulist fathers. All of them unique and very special. But you are NOT required to take Catholic dogma at ANY Catholic university. You have a myriad of choices in courses, including courses in comparative religions, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, etc. At some you are not even required to take a theology course and may substitute a philosophy course of your choosing. But I have to tell you, being taught by a person of a religious order is a real treat most of the time and they will challenge you and work you to death, if you are up to it. </p>

<p>On the other hand, if you are not tolerant of any religious views and people who have faith, then it may not be your best bet. There are many colleges in the United States that are overtly non religious. Some of them are private colleges as well.</p>

<p>Isnt this a great country?</p>

5

<p>and the days of required prayer and attendance at mass are long long gone. DECADES ago. Yes, the priests and nuns are teachers. Outstanding teachers. Unbelievably good teachers. I am PROUDLY Jesuit educated. It is their profession as well as profession of faith. They are men of the highest integrity and academic rigor. My D is at Fordham now and is busting her rear end, but having a very, very good time and experience. I would hold a Jesuit education up against anyone from anywhere anytime. Period. So, welcome! And I hope you get in!</p>

6

<p>Something to keep in mind: IME (which is very wide in this area), an overtly religous school will be apparent from its website and literature. I'm only considering attending highly religous schools and have looked at most Christian schools in the county though at least thier websites. Almost all of them had their faith displayed prominently. Many of them mention religous requirements on their admissions page (regular church attendance, an essay on one's personal faith). Most require a recommendation from a pastor in addition to a teacher. So, IME, you probably won't run into a scenario where you get interested in a school only to find out faith is an integral part of the experience. :) Schools show how religous they are in different ways and you may not always get the whole picture from a look around a website, but you should almost always, if not for all intents and purposes always, be able to get a general idea of the religous commitment of the school.</p>

<p>Some of the most common phrases I see for schools that ARE very religous are "Christ-like" and "Christ-centered" in the schools' descriptions/ mission statements. Those are typically not attached to schools that are not seriously religous. (Of the six colleges I am considering, five have the phrase
"Christ-centered" in their mission statement.)</p>

<p>Schools that are devoutely religous are going to want students who share those views, and are going to view that as a major decision factor (this is, of course, a generalization). Even students who are religous can get turned down from these schools if they feel the student has not displayed this enough, so, unless a school was extremely non-selective (and even then sometimes), you would typically have to lie about having faith to even get admitted. In other words, you won't easily fall into a situation where you find yourself at a school too devote for you. You could tell from the application process alone what you were getting in to.</p>

7

<p>Just so everyone is clear:</p>

<p>Wheaton College in ILLINOIS is a very fundamentalist religious school
Wheaton College in MASSACHUSETTS is a private, nonreligious-affiliated LAC that was all-female until about 20 yrs ago.</p>

8

<p>In our community (Buffalo) Canisius College has a Catholic connection and is respected academically compared to several other private colleges of the same size here. Employers, for example in education, favor it over a traditional state teachers college next door. I get the impression that they assume Canisius holds students accountable to a standard of intellectual rigor in the coursework. </p>

<p>One student review book called it a drinking/party school, which is inconsistent with how it's perceived by the working community. That is an inconsistency that I can't begin to explain! I've never even stepped inside it; but it has this solid reputation in the surrounding region for capable, well-prepared graduates.</p>

<p>The website will state clearly whether or not chapel is required. There are people of every -- or no -- faith who choose to attend Catholic schools in America, largely because of the famous intellectual strength. I think an agnostic could take a course "about" religion but might only feel uncomfortable if required to attend worship services, kneel, sing prayers...if that distinction helps you think. Studying "about" religion in the classroom is a very different experience than being required to perform/practice it in a church or chapel, IMO. Taking one course is different than taking four courses, so check your website and graduation requirements on the web. Perhaps others know differently, but I can't sit in a church comfortably for very long. I could, however, study any religion forever, it is really fascinating how the theology evolved, even if you don't believe any of it. You could write a paper "about" the writings or thinking of St. Thomas of Aquinas even if you don't share his faith. It feels more like philosophy at that point.</p>