Good Catholic Colleges For Future Nun?

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1329712915' post='2389838']
Which attitude? Sorry, just not sure which attitude you mean.
[/quote]

That all secular colleges are bastions of sin and godlessness. Or even that some Catholic colleges are bastions of sin and godlessness (no, not just the tired old Notre Dame jokes, either).

[Socrates]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1329709104' post='2389808']
As people have said before, and this post helps illustrate, going to a religious school really won't matter that much in terms of forming your faith unless you simply want to be protected from ideas. Schools have thousands of people in them and most have Newman centers and all sorts of student groups. You'll find people who merge with your interests and you can be as insular flighty as you wish.

I really think religious schools are overblown. They cost an absurd amount and they usually aren't that highly academically regarded.
[/quote]
Your generalization here is ignorant, and simply doesn't apply to most of the Catholic schools being recommended in this thread (at least those of which I am familiar).

Both Christendom College and the University of Dallas, for instance, are in fact quite academically rigorous, and ranked highly by general "secular" surveys of colleges, as well as by groups with a Catholic or conservative orientation, and they (especially Christendom) are not absurdly expensive by current standards for private schools. (This is particularly noteworthy as Christendom refuses any federal or state government funding).

In fact, Christendom is recognized among Barron's [i]Best Buys in College Education[/i], and as a "Best Value" by [i]Kiplinger's Personal Finance[/i]. It has received top ranking in its category for least student debt incurred in [i]U.S. News & World Report[/i]'s rankings of colleges and universities.

Christendom is recognized as a top school academically by Peterson’s[i] Competitive Colleges[/i], Peterson’s [i]440 Colleges for Top Students[/i], and [i]U.S. News & World Report. [/i]It is also recognized among the Intercollegiate Studies Institute "Top 50 All-American Colleges" and "Top Ten Colleges in America" in their [i]Rating America's Colleges[/i].

UD is likewise highly academically regarded and receives high rankings by Forbes, The Princeton Review, and [i]U.S. News & World Report.[/i]

I'm not saying everyone needs to attend Christendom or UD or any other Catholic school, nor that people cannot receive a quality education elsewhere, but I am saying that trying to dismiss "religious" schools in general (an absurdly broad category) as overblown and academically inferior is nonsense. People here were not recommending "religious colleges" as a general category, but particular schools, and ones which might be of interest to one considering a vocation to the religious life.

Your assertion that "going to a religious school really won't matter that much in terms of forming your faith unless you simply want to be protected from ideas" is likewise ignorant and flat-out false, as I know for a fact that Christendom grads tend to remain strong Catholics through life, while high percentages of Catholics lose the Faith at other schools. In fact, I credit Christendom with much of my intellectual faith formation, and ability to defend the Faith against attacks. I realize none of this will likely much impress a bitter atheist leftist, but I think it will likely be considered worth consideration by one interested in Catholic religious life.

No college is perfect, an education is largely what one makes of it, but blanket smears against orthodox Catholic colleges (which seem unfortunately common on here) are unwarranted.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1329752077' post='2389977']
That all secular colleges are bastions of sin and godlessness. Or even that some Catholic colleges are bastions of sin and godlessness (no, not just the tired old Notre Dame jokes, either).
[/quote]
It's all relative. While far from sinless, places like Christendom do in fact have a far more moral student life than your average college, and things like extra-marital sex and such are (shocking as it may seem) actually generally frowned upon and avoided by much of the student body.

This is not to say that people can't live a good moral life at other more "mainstream" schools, or that they're all latter-day Sodom and Gomorrahs, but I know from experience that in even a quick campus visit to Christendom or UD compared to a school such as the University of Maryland, the difference in atmosphere is day-and-night.

While it may not be everyone's choice, I think there is certainly nothing wrong with going to a college that actively encourages Catholic morality and is dedicated to authentic Catholic teaching. But interestingly it seems a lot of people seem upset by the very existence of such schools, few in number and tiny in size as they are.

[inunionwithrome]

If you go to: [url="http://www.stirenes.org/catholicolleges"]http://www.stirenes.org/catholicolleges[/url] it will give you a listing. There is even a specific two year one for nuns. Hope this helps!

[Annie12]

I was considering Christendom but I think I was deterred by how "strict" they seem. I feel like once you have become an adult you can make responsible choices. I love the fact that they are soooo catholic! That is so refreshing to see. But on the other hand I feel like I may thirst for a little bit more freedom if I go there. I also feel like the private school I go to now has less rules than Christendom does but I guess it would take time getting used to. I don't know, what do you think?

[4588686]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1329763637' post='2390123']
Your generalization here is ignorant, and simply doesn't apply to most of the Catholic schools being recommended in this thread (at least those of which I am familiar).[/QUOTE]

I didn't say that it did. I made a comment about Catholic colleges in general. Most of them do not have that great of name recognition or academic prestige out in the world. Neither do most state school. By definition most schools are not top-tier. My point was simply that if you are going to choose between a Catholic School with little name recognition or a state school with little recognition, then why would you pick the exorbitantly expensive option, particularly when you can find strong Catholic cells in most schools wherever you go.
[QUOTE]Both Christendom College and the University of Dallas, for instance, are in fact quite academically rigorous, and ranked highly by general "secular" surveys of colleges, as well as by groups with a Catholic or conservative orientation, and they (especially Christendom) are not absurdly expensive by current standards for private schools. (This is particularly noteworthy as Christendom refuses any federal or state government funding).[/QUOTE]

Christendom costs like 27,540 dollars a year, I believe. [url="http://www.christendom.edu/news/2011/10-28-kiplingers.php"]http://www.christendom.edu/news/2011/10-28-kiplingers.php[/url]

Again, your shifting my argument and creating a straw man. I didn't say that Catholic colleges are expensive by the standards of private schools. I said that they are expensive next to public schools. which is true. I know nothing about Christendom's academics. I'm sure they are fine. But Christendom doesn't have the same name recognition or academic standing as UVA which costs thousands less. And Christendom is supposedly a very good deal for a private school. By acadamic standing I don't mean the particular education that students receive. I mean the standing of the school as an institution of research and the other factors that usually go into the rating lists.

[QUOTE]In fact, Christendom is recognized among Barron's [i]Best Buys in College Education[/i], and as a "Best Value" by [i]Kiplinger's Personal Finance[/i]. It has received top ranking in its category for least student debt incurred in [i]U.S. News & World Report[/i]'s rankings of colleges and universities.

Christendom is recognized as a top school academically by Peterson’s[i] Competitive Colleges[/i], Peterson’s [i]440 Colleges for Top Students[/i], and [i]U.S. News & World Report. [/i]It is also recognized among the Intercollegiate Studies Institute "Top 50 All-American Colleges" and "Top Ten Colleges in America" in their [i]Rating America's Colleges[/i].[/QUOTE]

Ok, Christendom is not one of the top ten colleges in America.

Ah. I looked up the institute. That makes sense. I'm sure Christendom is a great college if you want a good education that emphasizes Western Civilization and Christian values throughout the curriculum ad campus. I don't know why you're being so defensive about Christendom. I didn't say that Christendom is a bad school.
[QUOTE]UD is likewise highly academically regarded and receives high rankings by Forbes, The Princeton Review, and [i]U.S. News & World Report.[/QUOTE][/i]

Yeah. And UD is different and doesn't quite fit into my generalization since they have academic repute from even secular organizations. So does Notre Dame and Boston College and Georgetown.

I didn't apply to Georgetown because I didn't know anything about colleges when I was graduating High School. But if I had and I was accepted and could afford it I would probably prefer to go there over UNC. I'm not saying that all Catholic colleges are bad. I'm saying that most Catholic colleges don't have any particularly high academic standing (that doesn't mean they don't provide a good education) and neither do most state schools. And most state schools are large enough that you can find pockets of students to reinforce your beliefs if that's what you want. So condier the state option since they are usually significantly less expensive. That's it.

[QUOTE]I'm not saying everyone needs to attend Christendom or UD or any other Catholic school, nor that people cannot receive a quality education elsewhere, but I am saying that trying to dismiss "religious" schools in general (an absurdly broad category) as overblown and academically inferior is nonsense. People here were not recommending "religious colleges" as a general category, but particular schools, and ones which might be of interest to one considering a vocation to the religious life.[/QUOTE]

Ok. And I didn't attack those other schools. I was adding me perspective to other people who were, as general categories, suggesting state schools over Catholic schools.

[QUOTE]Your assertion that "going to a religious school really won't matter that much in terms of forming your faith unless you simply want to be protected from ideas" is likewise ignorant and flat-out false, as I know for a fact that Christendom grads tend to remain strong Catholics through life, while high percentages of Catholics lose the Faith at other schools. In fact, I credit Christendom with much of my intellectual faith formation, and ability to defend the Faith against attacks. I realize none of this will likely much impress a bitter atheist leftist, but I think it will likely be considered worth consideration by one interested in Catholic religious life.

No college is perfect, an education is largely what one makes of it, but blanket smears against orthodox Catholic colleges (which seem unfortunately common on here) are unwarranted.
[/quote]

Most of those Catholics are non-committal while those selecting for a small, conservative Catholic school are probably much more serious. A better comparison would be those students at state schools who tend to be heavily involved in Newman. Those are very serious Catholics, from my observations. I know that the Newman at UNC has brought in quite a few converts, several of the students are discerning the religious life or Priesthood, and they are very anti-Obama.

There is nothing wrong with going to a small religious school. I'm not saying there is. I just think the benefits that many see in them, of receiving a pro-Christian education and the enviorment, are overblown. I don't think it's a good thing to select for schools that fit your ideological presuppositions. That's just a personal preference.

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1329768035' post='2390194']
I was considering Christendom but I think I was deterred by how "strict" they seem. I feel like once you have become an adult you can make responsible choices. I love the fact that they are soooo catholic! That is so refreshing to see. But on the other hand I feel like I may thirst for a little bit more freedom if I go there. I also feel like the private school I go to now has less rules than Christendom does but I guess it would take time getting used to. I don't know, what do you think?
[/quote]

It really does come down to personal preference. I know that it would not have been good for me to attend some place like Christendom, because I wouldn't respond as well to all of the strict rules. On the other hand, there are plenty of students who would absolutely thrive in a place like Christendom, and be better Catholics for it.

I went to public school in the northwest most of my life and I was used to having to work at being the Catholic minority in a sea of agnosticism. So I needed a college that would have a bit more ideological diversity than a place like Christendom, but still with plenty of "outlets" to express one's faith. The reason why I loved the Mount was because there were so many ways to be Catholic there, whether it was going to daily mass every morning at the seminary, going on regular service trips, adoration, Marian devotion groups...the list goes on. It let me figure out "how" I wanted to be Catholic, and discover what kinds of spirituality fit me best.

What I'm saying isn't that the Mount is the best thing ever (it's not, despite how much I sing its praises), but that it's important to figure out what you want out of your college experience, visit different schools and figure out which one best fits the kind of experience you want from college. What do you, as a student, need? Which school best fills these needs?

[4588686]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1329764265' post='2390128']


While it may not be everyone's choice, I think there is certainly nothing wrong with going to a college that actively encourages Catholic morality and is dedicated to authentic Catholic teaching. But interestingly it seems a lot of people seem upset by the very existence of such schools, few in number and tiny in size as they are.
[/quote]


Really? Who? Who is upset by the existence of Catholic schools?

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1329764265' post='2390128']
It's all relative. While far from sinless, places like Christendom do in fact have a far more moral student life than your average college, and things like extra-marital sex and such are (shocking as it may seem) actually generally frowned upon and avoided by much of the student body.

This is not to say that people can't live a good moral life at other more "mainstream" schools, or that they're all latter-day Sodom and Gomorrahs, but I know from experience that in even a quick campus visit to Christendom or UD compared to a school such as the University of Maryland, the difference in atmosphere is day-and-night.

While it may not be everyone's choice, I think there is certainly nothing wrong with going to a college that actively encourages Catholic morality and is dedicated to authentic Catholic teaching. But interestingly it seems a lot of people seem upset by the very existence of such schools, few in number and tiny in size as they are.
[/quote]

Sure, I definitely agree - there definitely ISN'T anything wrong with colleges that promote Catholic morality in such an official way. I think I just get a bit frustrated when it might get implied that some of these schools are the end-all, be-all of any sort of good Catholic college experience. Of course, no school is the right fit for everyone, and there are jerks and sinners and holy people at every college.

[Papist]

If it were me and I thought I might be called to the priesthood, I would enter a community college and spend my free time discerning and volunteering at the parish(teaching, youth ministry, etc). I would avoid the toxic influences of the world best I could.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Papist

[Annie12]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1329769540' post='2390216']
Really? Who? Who is upset by the existence of Catholic schools?
[/quote]
This is an interesting question you raised. I know from my experiences that people who do not have a favorable opinion of the church/ her doctrine, tend to frown on anything catholic. Just last Friday someone at my school was making fun of prayer and nobody cared except me. Good conservative Christians are a minority in this country and it seems to go unnoticed. Just a thought.

[Annie12]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1329770806' post='2390233']
If it were me and I thought I might be called to the priesthood, I would enter a community college and spend my free time discerning and volunteering at the parish(teaching, youth ministry, etc). I would avoid the toxic influences of the world best I could.
[/quote]
I live in a very rural area and my church is far away. I would like to go to a college for theology to become immersed in catholicness and thus Christ! I just wish it didn't cost so much

[Papist]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1329771320' post='2390241']
I live in a very rural area and my church is far away. I would like to go to a college for theology to become immersed in catholicness and thus Christ! I just wish it didn't cost so much
[/quote]

That is unfortunate. Would working and going to school part time be an option?
Whatever your choice, do consider if there would be an impediment to living out your Catholic faith.

[4588686]

[quote name='Annie12' timestamp='1329771100' post='2390236']
This is an interesting question you raised. I know from my experiences that people who do not have a favorable opinion of the church/ her doctrine, tend to frown on anything catholic. Just last Friday someone at my school was making fun of prayer and nobody cared except me. Good conservative Christians are a minority in this country and it seems to go unnoticed. Just a thought.
[/quote]

I think people may think it's stupid to spend your prime years in a (what they assume to be) closed off, priggish environment. That's different from being opposed to the existence of Catholic colleges. I personally don't think it's a good idea to go to a college that only reinforces your assumptions and prejudices (here used in the neutral sense). But I'm not opposed to their existence. You have every right to attend one, I just would advice someone against it. I'd do the same for a High School feminist who goes to Wesley. I think it's personally better for ones growth to have to have their ideas and preconceptions assaulted by intelligent opponents. That's one reason I'm a regular at this website as opposed to some website where everyone agrees with me or at least agrees with me on most major issues. I just think that's a more healthy way to live. And I think it's a particularly important experience to have if your considering a life step as serious and extreme (not extreme in a bad sense) as entering religious life.

[tinytherese]

I've been told that the Catholic University of America residence life is party-like. If you're still considering a Catholic school, there's also Seton Hall University, which is in New Jersey.