So that others don’t find themselves in this “predicament” or believe information to be hidden or schools “dishonest” please see the following….
Directly from the requirements page on Rhodes website; “Courses that fulfill the F1 must satisfy the requirement of the Bellingrath Trust to offer academically ‘sound and comprehensive’ exploration of biblical texts and traditions.”
And this “ All students must enroll in either “The Search for Values in the Light of Western History and Religion” or “Life: Then and Now” to satisfy the F1 requirement in the Foundations Curriculum. Many entering students have questions about the exact nature of these two options. The best description of the programs is in the Rhodes College Catalogue, and that section should be read carefully.”
They actually seem pretty transparent and intent on raising these requirements by highlighting them multiple times and suggesting students make themselves fully aware.
This should serve as a warning to parents and students alike to read the schools website versus defering to CC when making life defining decisions as the info appears to have been hidden in plain view.
Wishing your daughter well as she is allowed to decide on her next chapter.
After all your posts about Rhodes, my vote is for Juniata. Yes, it is not ideal, but close to home and more down to earth college. She won’t have vibrant Jewish life on campus, but she will be closer to places that have it… I am sure she will find several people that will be a good fit socially and she will be closer to her old friends presenting opportunity to meet on holidays and even weekends…
She can attend Gettysburg or any one of her other acceptances, and be a pre-med intention…and take the MCAT just like any other traditional applicant to medical school.
Please be aware comparative religion courses aren’t invasive. They don’t teach value judgements or try and pick winners and losers.
To the contrary they typically focus on the commonality of human experience and a collective desire to explain the unexplainable, express and seek faith and perform acts of kindness and humanity.
The goal is to show the intersection of religion across faiths, geographies and time. Typically participants come away with a greater sense of empathy and mutual respect.
All good thanks for a future doctor (or adult for that matter) to experience in my opinion. Learning about other people is typically a key part of what college and personal growth are all about.
Here is my opinion. As a parent, you sound like you hate everything about Rhodes except it’s affiliation with LECOM. I doubt you will ever be happy with that choice (even though it’s your daughter who is going to college).
If you want the LECOM guaranteed admission (assuming maintenance of GPA), perhaps Juniata is a better choice. You and your daughter both liked it well enough when you visited.
Your daughter also has a BUNCH of acceptances elsewhere (Gettysburg, Furman, UMD, Miami Ohio, and a bunch more) where she could take the courses necessary to apply to medical school as a traditional applicant. Yes, she would have to take the MCAT, but all traditional applicants do this…and frankly this has the potential to open up different doors than just LECOM (or Nova). So there is that to consider also.
Yes, and over 95% of all med school applicants go through the traditional route.
Someone else mentioned above that some of the LECOM schools are still taking apps, which is true. What we don’t know is whether the D is that unhappy with her current choices to take a look at some of these other schools…Adelphi, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg, SUNY Oneonta, and many more still taking apps.
I hope this comes across the right way, but respectfully, I think you might be upset/ have buyer’s remorse about any final choice and maybe have conflicted feelings about your youngest leaving home. I’m unclear how the religious study course and de credit issue were hidden when they were discussed extensively in this thread weeks ago.
Your dd seems to be a responsible kid, at this point, I would just let her chose which school and path she prefers. It sounds like she is well prepared and. will thrive in college.
They were discussed after I found them on reddit where some other people complained about it. It was too late at that point. All deadlines passed.
School positions itself as not religious. Most non-affiliated schools do not have mandatory classes with Bible for 3 semesters. Some may have one class about religion but not 3. You usually do not check every single course in every school. You may have a different opinion but students on campus agree with me that Rhodes intentionally hide them. There are many different links. Major link just states that the foundation teaches this and that like all schools without much details. You have to dig to find that info.
It seems there are opportunities for many classes that may not be so opposed to you?
Our program is noted for being:
Integral to Rhodes’ Liberal Arts Vision: Through the “Life: Then and Now” Foundations Curriculum, nearly half of the student body at Rhodes takes a three-semester sequence of courses in the Religious Studies Department, and more than 50 current students are majors or minors in religion. There are also opportunities for internships and honors research.
Academic in its Approach: The program is grounded in the academic study of religion and does not assume any religious background on the part of students or faculty, instead emphasizing the development of skills necessary to critically examining the claims of religion.
Innovative in its Course Offerings: The breadth of the faculty’s interests and academic backgrounds is represented in the creative courses offered by the department. Recent offerings include courses on Islam, European art, religion and film, the Holocaust, the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the religions of Southeast Asia, and racial disparities in healthcare.
Cross-Cultural in its Subjects: Reflecting the broad diversity of the world, students will study the religious practices and beliefs of a wide array of global communities. Students will also explore a variety of methodological approaches to the study of religion.
Interdisciplinary in its Collaborations: Students have access to a number of interdisciplinary programs that intersect with and augment the study of religion, including Gender and Sexuality Studies, Urban Studies, Africana Studies, and Asian Studies.
Memphis-Minded in its Context: The Memphis metropolitan region is filled with churches, temples, mosques, seminaries, and institutions that reflect diverse expressions of faith and provide vibrant sites for research.
Admittedly, we did not dig deep into the weeds. In my daughter’s case, we had some “happy surprises” of things her school has that we didn’t realize. In my son’s case with Honors, some things he didn’t love, etc.
There’s just no way to know everything about a school.
I didn’t even know about open curriculums til I came on the CC. I’ve learned a lot here - I’m sure we all have in some way or form.
I’m sure my kids would have chosen their same schools anyway (regardless of curriculum) because one was about aesthetics and feeling good on campus and the other was about having their own bedroom and shared bathroom with just one other vs. anything academic.
No doubt, a student who earned so many, not just admittances, but access to top merit and programs, will find a way to excel wherever she chooses.
Hopefully her gut tells her one place and that works. But truth is, she might excel in the final 2 or 3 or six or whatever you’re down to - at all of them. But if she really loved one place more than another, a place she knows she can truly be happy - if there’s one over any other (Gettysburg, perhaps?) - then that should be the choice. My daughter, at public College of Charleston, did have a one semester comparative religion class for some Gen Ed…not sure of the alternatives but she likely took that after talking to others and finding out the prof was good - which to her is more important than content sometimes.
Life is long - and MCAT or not, if she wants to be a physician then hopefully she’ll figure out how to get there. Since she was a top student in HS, there’s no doubt she will continue to be going forward.
Best of luck - and I look forward to hearing her decision - she’s got plenty of fine choices. None perfect, but all very appealing.
For families with younger students who haven’t been through the process of choosing a college…IMO, one of the most important things a student should look at is the four year plan of study for their intended major, for each and every school on their list. Even in majors where there is a lot of overlap (like ABET accredited engineering programs), there is often a lot of variability in gen ed requirements and university graduation requirements, and sometimes even with course sequencing. Elective offerings matter too. College is about the academics first and foremost so I think the plan of study is crucial in ascertaining fit.
That said, I agree that there will always be something that ends up being a surprise. Some flexibility is essential in the process. No school is going to be perfect.
I think if your D had applied to 10 colleges, gotten into 4, you’d have already sent in the deposit. With SO many choices on the table, it’s easy to get distracted by all the perceived negatives at each one, and to get lulled into assuming that there is a “perfect” option with zero trade-offs. Which of course you understand is a fallacy.
You see the “perfect” house which is within your budget and is in a great school district. But it has no deck or patio, and because it abuts a wetlands, you won’t be able to put one in. You are dating the “perfect” potential spouse. But his/her parents are insane, or his/her sibling is a needy mess. You are offered the “perfect” job which has a much higher salary than what you are earning now, the work is much more interesting, and your boss is a dream. But it requires traveling to Houston two days a month and you hate Houston.
Good opportunity for ALL of us to remind our kids that nothing is perfect. But somehow we all manage with the choices we have!
Good luck to the OP’s D. And by the way- this is a good problem for a prospective physician to deal with. One of my family members just matched with the “perfect” residency (great mentoring, highly prestigious hospital, a reputation for humane work/life balance given the demands of staffing) but it’s in a “terrible” location. That’s life. Another is starting a fellowship soon in a great location, but it’s not in the exact/specific field he wanted (it’s adjacent, but it’s not the kind of research he wanted to be doing).
Doctors make these trade-offs all the time. You want the prestige of Mass General or Cedars Sinai? You’ll work like a dog. You want good work life balance? You might end up in Hartford or Cincinnati. (great medical centers, but not the global panache of the big boys).
Good luck to the OP’s D as she makes the final decision!
Rhodes College is not hiding anything. It’s right there for anyone to see and it is the responsibility of the family and the student (the person who will be attending college), to learn anything they need to know BEFORE paying the deposit. Your child has other choices if she doesn’t like Rhodes. I do not believe that “students on campus agree…that Rhodes intentionally hide(s)” its curriculum.
A few seconds on the internet will tell you what the college’s curriculum requirements are, as well as their Health Professions Advising page. Here’s the link to their advising office. Staff and Scheduling | Rhodes College
Rather than making unfounded accusations, why not call and ASK?
So far most public schools have easily accessible 4 year plans. The majority of LACs on the other hand say here are the requirements for the major, and then you are on a digging expedition for “core” or “foundation” or whatever required courses with links that you usually discover only after visiting or calling the school.
Just 2 days ago, at the info session, people asked in Rhodes, if there is a 4 year plan for BIO major with premed. The answer was, there is one, but it is not available to the public. The reason is very strange: “We do not want it public, so students will not panic if their plan is different”… Really, that is the reason? Why this does not scare students in public schools?
Obviously, there is another reason… Parents and students are not idiots…
I’m pretty sure the reason is not some nefarious plan to trick people. Again, you or your child can pick up the phone and ask. Seems that asking at the info session two days ago might have been a good idea.
But if you are convinced that the college is dishonest, why let your child attend? She has other options.
It has a good academic reputation but it is obviously a bit sneaky and manipulative in my opinion. That leaves a bad taste in the mouth… I prefer straightforward no, instead of acting in a pretend game. We are not in kindergarten .
At the end of the day, your D is the one who has to show up for class every day. If she can get past the “games” as you put it, I’m confident she’ll have a terrific experience at Rhodes. And if not- many other choices on the table, with OTHER issues she’ll have to compromise on. Because that’s life. Trade-off’s.
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