Posted on 11/17/2005 10:12:55 AM PST by truthandlife
The editor of a new college guide is warning parents against sending their children to what he calls some of the scariest university campuses in America -- schools across the country that are the most secular or the most hostile to Christian values.
John Zmirak is the editor of Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth About America's Top Schools (Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2005). And near the top of his list of schools not to attend is Brown University, with its renowned drug culture. Another institution to avoid, he says, is Colgate University in New York, where the university president, a former women's studies professor, is now seizing all the fraternity houses and turning them into minority housing. Students belonging to any fraternity that resists are under threat of expulsion.
But one school stands out among the rest, Zmirak asserts. "I'd be very careful sending anyone to Wesleyan University in Connecticut," he says, "because they're getting rid of single-sex dorm rooms. You won't even be able to guarantee that your daughter is living with another woman."
The reason for this, Zmirak contends, is that Wesleyan's "politically correct ideology has gone so far that they say, 'Well, it's not for the school to say who's a man or a woman; each student has to decide that for him or herself.'" Incredible as it sounds, he adds, "It's impossible to parody that."
The editor of Choosing the Right College also recommends that parents not send their children to Oberlin College in Ohio, where the head of the campus pro-life group is an open homosexual, but is considered the most Right-wing student at the school.
On the other hand, Zmirak's college guide also lists some of the top academically excellent schools that are geared toward evangelical students. One school he recommends highly is a Christian college located near Chicago.
"In terms of evangelical schools, I would say Wheaton in Illinois is both academically excellent and religiously solid in a sophisticated way," the editor says. "Your students will come out sophisticated defenders of the evangelical faith they took in with them."
Zmirak mentions other schools that he feels do a great job of passing on American traditions grounded in biblical truth. These include Hillsdale College in Michigan and Grove City College in Pennsylvania.
The experiences of graduate students at a given school are usually quite different than the experiences of undergrads. Grad students are usually a lot more removed from the nuttiness that goes on in some places, and often are just completely different types of people than the typical undergrads. So when choosing a graduate school, the political, social, and religious climate of a university is not usually a top consideration. It should be for choosing an undergraduate school, however, and some of these schools sound just atrocious. But there are many good conservative schools out there and schools that are becoming more conservative - see my tagline for my personal recommendation in this area.
My sister went there.
LOL...but without "creating" new and different minority groups like "transgender" et. al.....how can the libs get new voters, get money for these "downtrodden minorities", create new victims, and also get those groups to show-up for protests against the conservatives. It is all just a vicious circle. Years ago, something as simple as shame would have kept these people under the rocks where they belong. But now they have found ways to get more attention then the hard-working, middle class students who are playing sports, getting good grades and "just being normal"!
I agree the book is excellent (both my daughters are at schools profiled in the book - St. Olaf and Northwestern) but it does not purport to be comprehensive. It's really designed to be a companion guide to help conservatives select among the elite colleges and universities.
My daughter visited Oberlin. They were decorating for the Gay Prom night the day of her visit. It was easy to cross that place off her list.
Houghton College in Western New York is an outstanding choice. It is ranked among the best highly-select liberal arts colleges in the country.
Learn more at http://www.houghton.edu
Ave Maria in Naples, FL
Steubenville in OH
Christendom in VA
Magdalen in Warner, NH
Thomas More in Manchester, NH
And one in San Francisco who's name escapes me right now.
Otherwise, avoid any Jesuit school (e.g. Georgetown, BC, Loyola, Gonzaga) they've left Christianty entirely.
My clas ('73) was the last, all-male class to go through Wesleyan before they started admitting women and boosting enrollment.
Its been downhill for them ever since with liberalism going off like a rocket.
Never have given 'em a dime.
> Never have given 'em a dime.
Me neither.
--Bill '71
Here's Bill Bennett's top 100.
http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/news/pressroom/college_guides/isi/top100.htm
ND has caught flack for some of the stupid things they have done/allowed, but some a lot of folks are still trying. Fr. Malloy was likely canned due the the V-Monologues. They have a chapel in each dorm, a rector who is a priest in each dorm, and regularly celebrate mass. Not perfect, but a lot of great folks there.
Wait, that list contains some of the nutty ones. Brown, NYU, BC, etc
After a kid spends 17-18 years immersed in a culture that runs Victoria Secret ads during prime time TV, has ads for strip clubs on the same page as baseball box scores in the local newspaper, and has strip club billbords next to the interstate, the college you criticize sounds like a good way to RESTORE some balance.
The crassness of the sexualization of our society is simply disgusting and excessive. I find it refreshing that a college does'nt treat its dorms as a rent by the hour motel.
First, I messed up. Sorry . It is NOT Bennett's list but he did do the intro to the book and seems to endorse the list. See link.
http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/news/pressroom/college_guides/isi/bennet.htm
Yes, there are some weirdos on there. They were only looking at academic excellence and comprehensiveness. I guess the idea is that a kid who is strong can survive one of these places without damage. The risk is that your kid comes back a raging treehugger or poverty pimp or John Kerry.
Add Thomas Aquinas in CA to your list of real Catholic colleges.
huh. i don't know how much i think of this guide. i do not see houghton college listed at all.
My daughter graduated from Harvey Mudd, which is part of the same 5 college consortium. Pomona seemed a little more liberal leaning. Claremont is a nice little town in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. She received a great education!
For all the praising of places like Hillsdale, VMI... I'd definitely tell a kid, if he got into Harvard or Princeton, to go. Not only are there great professors and great classes but you meet the kind of great classmates who will make sure you have all the well-connected contacts you need for the rest of your life. And frankly, we need more conservative-oriented young people to go be part of those elite groups than we need them congregating with like-minded types at Hillsdale.
Mudd is one of the best science and engineering schools in the country. Congratulations to you and your daughter.
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