<p>Cal Lutheran</p>
<p>Anyone out there want to comment about APU? We're planning to visit the school soon, to look at their Theater program. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>OP: look at Seattle U and Whitworth University (formerly Whitworth College) in Spokane.</p>
<p>APU is becoming increasingly less Christian. In my experience, well over half of the students are openly not Christian. I will make this point once again: There are two choices for genuinely protestant Christian universities that have competitive academics:</p>
<ol>
<li>Wheaton College in Illinois</li>
<li>Biola University</li>
</ol>
<p>If you're in Southern California, there is no point in looking anywhere other than Biola unless you get rejected and need a second choice.</p>
<p>phear_me,
Can you tell me how you know this about APU? Do you have friends who go there?
Neither Biola nor Wheaton have Theater majors, and APU does.</p>
<p>Ways I know about APU in random order:</p>
<ol>
<li>Friends who go there</li>
<li>I considered accepting an offer to play football there</li>
<li>Girls I have dated who went to APU</li>
<li>My interaction with students on campus</li>
<li>APU's admissions requirements and a little common sense</li>
<li>APU is IMMEDIATELY next door to a secular JC (Citrus College - they even share a parking lot) - where do you think a large portion of their transfer students come from?</li>
</ol>
<p>If Biola doesn't have what you're looking for I would suggest Pepperdine over APU. They are nearly equally religious but Pepperdine has a superior reputation. Biola's advantage over Pepperdine is the SERIOUS commitment to Christian scholarship.</p>
<p>phear_me; I hope this is a question you can answer for me. My kids ended up at their Christian High School out of convenience when they were 4. My D especially has thrived there, and in spite of some reservations about the curriculum ( for example it was a huge ordeal when they decided to introduce evolution) we let her stay. I've learned from her over time some of what makes her education different from mine ( I went to Catholic school), and a little bit here on CC what makes ( ? Protestant) "Christian Scholarship" different from say, Catholic School. I was somewhat shocked to find out that at her college fairs only schools like Whitworth and Biola were invited. Most of the kids aspire to go there. Frankly, ( and I hope I don't offend) I don't get it. What are the benefits of what seem to be such an exclusive college environment?</p>
<p>Westmont College is a small Christian college in Santa Barbara. My mom's friend sent both of her kids there, and they loved it.</p>
<p>A school to consider, though it is not a Christian school, is Mills College in Oakland, CA. It offers a major in Biusinesss Economics. It also is all-women, if that makes a difference, pro or con. St. Mary's is also a possibility in the Bay Area, also Santa Clara and USF. The best overall school (not Christian) might be Claremont-McKenna, but I think the SAT scores are too low for it to be anything but a high reach.</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap:</p>
<p>I think the advantage of going to a Christian School that carefully and unapologetically integrates modern scholarship with the Christian faith is that it offers students of faith the opportunity to explore higher education in an environment that is supportive of their core beliefs (I phrase it this way because some "Christian" "Universities" are not true to one of those two terms either being anything but Christian or refusing to offer a true and balanced education). Here are some thoughts:</p>
<p>Curriculum at a Christian University as opposed to a secular university is nearly identical except in those places where the a priori assumptions of naturalism (note: not science but naturalism - BIG difference) are in contradiction with scripture. Naturalism begins with the fact that the universe is a closed system and there is no God. Theologically based educations begin with the fact that there is a God. This doesn't change what you learn in say, computer science or math. But it sure does change a philosophy course. Impact on science courses are surprisingly minimal as no one argues about how things work now - the disagreement pertains to how they got there (Intelligent Design or Random Natural Processes) .</p>
<p>Aside from the education, there is a huge social difference. At a Christian University the standard is sexual purity and sobriety. Of course there is deviation from this standard but it is indeed the standard. At a secular university, I would say that the standard is heavy drinking and sexual freedom. Again, plenty of deviation from this standard but it is the standard. </p>
<p>College is the place where people find the majority of their lifelong friends. It is a place where a person truly begins to forge their own community. It is a place where people start seriously searching for potential mates. All of these things happen best when you are in part of a community that shares your own beliefs. Just as an athiest would be uncomfortable at Biola or Wheaton, so too is a Christian equally uncomfortable at a secular university - with the main difference being the Christian is used to having to silently disagree in the back of their mind. The athiest would likely be more uncomfortable due to the fact that the Christian university is currently outside of social norms for education. </p>
<p>I think many young Christians also view attendance at a Christian University as a way to stand up for the veracity of their faith. Most Christian thinkers are appalled and ashamed by the actions of the church during the enlightenment and are furiously battling the common conception that one either believes in "faith" or "science" as though the two are somehow dichotomous. What is dichotomous is faith and naturalism - NOT FAITH AND SCIENCE. Attending a university that can help you articulate the fine points of your field from a perspective that doesn't immediately dismiss your faith is highly desirable to many students. </p>
<p>Expounding on an earlier point: young people want to date. A devoutly religious person isn't going to pair well with someone who isn't. The odds go up at a Christian university that you will find someone compatible. Finding someone who even BELIEVES in sexual purity and has a firm faith can be a daunting task at a secular school. I think this plays no small part in student's desire to attend a Christian University - and I think that's perfectly okay. </p>
<p>Sometimes I think students want to attend a Christian University because they've grown up in Christian Education and it is what they are used. People tend to stick to what they know - and this obviously plays a role for some students. This is no different than anything else - some Christians who grew up in a public school environment may not wish to attend a Christian University for the exact same reasons and, again, that is okay. </p>
<p>I am not knocking secular institutions (as I attend USC now and will likely add another degree to my graduate studies from Cornell when I am finished) - I am just trying to offer some suggestions as to what the appeal may be for your children. My advice: Help them understand the important balance between prestige and being at the right place. In my opinion, Biola offers the most prestige in the context of a sane and cogent Christian education. Many of the other Christian Universities simply don't have the resources or the commitment to the faith to compete. </p>
<p>Do note that these are just a few of many potential reasons. I encourage you to check out Biola's website: Biola</a> University - A Private Christian University in Southern California and read through it. Perhaps reading the student blog section may provide insights into the minds of the students. They are freshman heavy so maybe that will give you an idea as to the type of person that comes to the university.
Biola</a> Blogs; Biola University</p>
<p>Also - please feel free to e-mail me privately and I will happily offer all of the information I can.</p>
<p>Thank you phear_me.</p>
<p>There are three kinds of "Christian colleges" in the broadest sense --</p>
<p>1) Those affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and open to all -- Notre Dame, the Loyolas, Furman, and about 30-40 more.</p>
<p>2) Those founded in the late 1600s and early 1700s as seminaries to prepare ministers -- Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. These later became open to non practicing Christians and then people of any faith. Then those founded more recently like Wesleyan (John Wesley is a famous Methodist minister), Southern METHODIST Univeristy, University of Southern California (Methodist), TCU, Baylor (Baptist), etc. etc. These schools are now open to anyone of any faith. There is no compulsory religious component in the curriculum.</p>
<p>3) Those founded more recently as evangelical Bible colleges which then became general colleges, or as a strictly evangelical Christian alternative to high quality secular liberal arts colleges. Their bylaws continue to emphasize the overt profession of an evangelical Christian faith by the students. Some of these are Biola (originally named Bible Institute of Los Angeles), Wheaton College in Illinois, Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Pepperdine belonged here but over the past 30 years or so has shifted in between the second and third groupings. I don't know too much about Calvin College but i suspect it may fit here, or in the second grouping. Some of these are academically rigorous with mostly PH.D. professors from well know secular universities. Wheaton's midpoint SAT is over 1325 and Westmont's is over 1200. </p>
<p>A person seeking a "Christian College" really needs to define which of the three above they are seeking.</p>
<p>More good info! Thanks.</p>
<p>DunninLA - I think you've done a very good job outlying some key points. I'd also add a fourth grouping of:</p>
<p>"Christian Universities that teach everything from the perspective of the evangelical faith but do not require all students and/or professors to be practicing Christians"</p>
<p>Azusa Pacific, Cal Baptist and Vanguard are examples of Christian Universities that would fall into this category. Personally, I think that these colleges take this approach to help with their sports programs more than anything. In my opinion, these universities are simply in a transition phase from School Type 1 to School Type 2 (just as happened with Pepperdine, in your example)</p>
<p>Nice Post.</p>