If mostly Quakers go there, maybe; even so, my mom actually is right-of-center economically despite being raised a Quaker in southern Wisconsin.
Most other protestant denominations are more centrist or right-of-center; there are likely more of them on campus than there are Quakers, though I don’t know that.
What I was really concentrating on was the lack of a greek life and solid academics; i figured a small school in Indiana would have kids whose beliefs would run the gamut, but whose party habits – due in no small part to the lack of accessability – might be a bit muted.
The reality is, at some point we all run into things and people that make us uncomfortable. It’s part of life. Every school will have some people with whom the OP will have major disagreements, personality conflicts, etc. That said, this thread has done a pretty decent job of bringing to light some of the places that would be relatively more pleasant for the OP, given what the OP values.
Visiting colleges and talking to students there will give you the best idea of how you “fit”. You can also usually find event calenders on their websites, that could give you a hint as well.
@prezbucky makes a good point that there’s always going to be people that we will be in total disagreement with. In order to prepare for that, I think that it is a good idea to go to a college that might be a little uncomfortable, but still a place that I could live in for 4 years. This is the reason why I have decided to avoid only looking at religious-affiliated schools and am preferring secular schools just to prepare me for the broad spectrum of ideas that I will be exposed to in the future
Re: something conjectured upthread: Earlham has a larger Quaker presence than most, but its student body is still only 12% (and its faculty 11%) Quaker.
Re: Earlham - My kids attended a Quaker secondary school, where numerous teachers were Earlham alumni/ae, and I have inferred that the Quaker ethos is very strong there. They will be open and tolerant toward most ideas, and they believe in living modestly. They are pacifists, and most tend to support liberal, even leftist policies and initiatives. Look up the FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) online. A social conservative can thrive in a Quaker setting, but only if he or she expects, for instance, that many classmates will be pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli, and that Community is a core value.
I had no idea that Boston College was a jesuit school! Anyone know how their STEM programs are? I had completely crossed it off of my list simply because it had “Boston” in it!
Crossing off a school because it has “Boston” in it is so very narrow minded. College is a time to grow and explore, not to close off ideas that may be uncomfortable to you.
@lusomedove If you read post #63, I have already addressed this issue. I had just thought that anything in Boston would be very progressive after looking at schools like Brandeis.
@BatesParents2019 I’m don’t really care much about religious affiliation. I just find that schools that have some kind of affiliation will be slightly more moderate or conservative than other schools.
BC is very conservative when compared to most other universities in Boston. It does not have nearly as strong of a socially liberal thread as Brandeis. That being said, it will still be more liberal than, say, Notre Dame or Gordon.