<p>My daughter is very interested in Sewanee. We are southerners and are well-aware Sewanee's academic esteem. She is interested in English/writing - is outdoorsy - loves the mountains - actually prefers the idea of going to school in a remote location. It just seems like a great fit for her. However, we are Jewish (Reform). Sewanee's website states that they are open to students of all faiths, but I'm wondering what life is like at Sewanee for non-Christians (or for non religious students in general)? She doesn't need a Hillel to be happy - she's fairly secular - but has spent most of her life having to defend her faith from people who disapprove. I'm wary of encouraging her interest in Sewanee if it's the kind of place where she'll feel judged. She's completely comfortable being in the minority as long as she's respected. She's very outgoing and makes friends easily - but I wonder if being Jewish might limit her socially there?</p>
<p>Also, Sewanee is often described as "conservative" - and I'm wondering what that means exactly. I ask, because it's been my impression that "northern" reviewers often tag southern schools as "conservative" when a better description might be "moderate". In my experience, northerners and southerners have different thresholds for "conservatism". I have also wondered if the term "conservative" is attached to Sewanee simply because it is a church-owned institution and because it is very traditional. When I was growing up, Sewanee had a reputation for being somewhat liberal (compared to other southern schools). Old families and monied, but not stuffy or right-wing. </p>
<p>Bottom line: can a southern liberal Jewish kid who loves English Lit and the outdoors find her place at the University of the South?</p>
<p>My son is areligious, was born in the south, and has a very liberal background. He is graduating from Sewanee this year. I would not describe Sewanee as conservative, except in its traditions (academic gowns, for instance). Religion has not been a problem for him there at all. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>On balance, yes he has had a positive experience and I believe has received an outstanding liberal arts education. Sewanee is especially good for English and writing, I believe, and it is definitely a good fit for the outdoorsy types. With all the land it owns, the “Domain” is one of the largest campuses in the country, with miles and miles of hiking and bike trails. The even outfit you for spelunking! If you haven’t seen it, you must. Downside, the isolated student body engages in a lot of alcohol consumption, which has disturbed my son somewhat. And, although it is part of its charm, many of the dorms are antiquated. (I don’t think so much for girls, though). Good luck!</p>
<p>We are conservative Jews who live in a major metropolitan city in the southwest US. We are not religious. My son was recruited for athletics by a coach at Sewanee. After exploring this issue in depth, it became quite clear to me that there is essentially NO Jewish life at Sewanee. If that is important to yourself and/or your daughter, I would encourage you to look for other college options. My suggestion is based on conversations with numerous individuals including staff and faculty members as well as current and former students. The education is great, but if Jewish life is at all important you should look elsewhere.</p>
<p>Yes, I can see how Sewanee would not (currently) be for someone who is looking for a strong Jewish presence on campus. However, my question was more geared towards “can a Jewish kid belong at Sewanee”?</p>
<p>We live in a small southern town that has 4 Jewish families, so we’re accustomed with being different. My children are the only Jews at their high school. We have to drive 2 hours to attend services, so we have to work harder for our Jewish experience (thank goodness for Skype or else they would never have learned their Torah portions or have gotten Confirmed). My concern is that my daughter feel welcomed by other students, faculty, and administration. I do know that there are Jewish students on campus - but I don’t know how many. I’m not sure that even matters to my daughter. She has a couple of friends who currently attend Sewanee who are just great, all-around kids - and they are telling us that it really doesn’t matter what your religion is at Sewanee. I had friends growing up who attended who were some of the friendliest and most interesting people I knew. I suspect that Sewanee does not attract many students who come from a Christian Evangelical background, because Episcopalians just aren’t evangelical (and, at least where I live, the Baptists don’t even consider Episcopalians as Christian - hilarious). Episcopalians also have a very healthy respect for Judaism. </p>
<p>We’ve also got some schools on our radar that do have a strong Jewish presence. I’ll be curious to see what my daughter thinks. She has three cousins who chose colleges, in part, due to the Jewish life on the campuses - all terrific top-tier schools. Interestingly, none of them has gotten involved with Hillel and they all say that most of their friends aren’t Jewish. This has made me think that maybe lack of Jewish life shouldn’t be a deal breaker.</p>
<p>There is definitely a spectrum of religion on campus; the Christian students are definitely not overbearing at all. There are a few Jewish students whom I know personally, but there is not much in terms of Jewish student coalitions or anything. A Jewish student can definitely flourish here, though – I know Muslim students, Hindu students, atheist students – all who love the place. The largest religion present on campus is definitely Episcopalians (about 30% I think), but the vast majority are the sort that go to Easter service once a year and that’s it; religion only plays a role here if one actively seeks it out (attends Catechumenate and the like).</p>
<p>We are conservative compared to most colleges in terms of political values and the like, but that’s assuming most colleges are considerably more liberal than conservative. We are essentially split 50-50 according to last political polls. The nice thing is that the sort of conservatism present on campus still is an academic sort, as someone mentioned. The conservative students are those who want to keep seeing gowned students around campus while the more liberal ones think that gowns should be for all or think that the strict GPA requirements are antiquated and not adequate gauges of academic capability. </p>
<p>Let me know if yall have any other questions.</p>
<p>We are Reform Jews and have 2 kids currently enrolled at Sewanee. They absolutely love the place. They have met other Jewish kids there (not sure exactly how many there are) but it is not a place where there is an active Jewish life. This is not what they wanted in a school so it has worked out very well for them. We have found that most Sewanee students and their families are accepting and open minded to all students and they have never felt like they didn’t belong. Our kids are also active in a varsity sport and have found other Jewish kids participating in varsity sports as well. Sewanee fraternities & sororities accept all students regardless of religion, race, or nationality.</p>
<p>I relaxed when I saw that the affiliated religion was Episcopal. That’s an extremely tolerant group, if I can generalize. Sort of like the Quakers–you’d expect more tolerance than judgment. and a lot more kilts. </p>
<p>We are at Sewanee right now, visiting. We became Episcopalians not so long ago, in large part because of the accepting and tolerant views of this group. (I could not stomach any other kind of Christianity). Our Rector (a very liberal and educated guy) recommended Sewanee. We had never heard of it, but so glad we made the effort to visit. This place must be seen to be believed. </p>
<p>I agree that Sewanee seems very accepting of all kinds of students. My biggest concern is whether my non- Southern daughter will fit in! This place is more Southern than it is religious. (Or so it seems to me, coming from Colorado). </p>
<p>The campus is amazing, the students seem very intelligent, bright, kind. I love the gowns. What a special place. </p>
<p>@4kids4colleges: How is your epic trip going?</p>
<p>When we visited last year, we found a goodly number of OOS students there; so I don’t imagine that will be a problem. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard from your daughter; how was her overnight visit?</p>
<p>@4kids4college - There are a lot of kids at Sewanee from all over the country. At a Parents Weekend event last night, I spoke to parents from NJ whose S is a sophomore at Sewanee and absolutely loves it. </p>