Boston College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Thank you for everyone’s comments. DD is very much into women’s rights/equality, so that is my main concern with the student population and instructors. Are they cool with that or is it a conservative catholic atmosphere?

If by "women's right" you mean that your DD is staunchly pro-choice, I would not send her to BC or any other Catholic school. While BC may not be a conservative Catholic environment, as you put it, it is a Catholic school. That means the school administrators are (and should be) staunchly pro-life with respect to all issues, including abortion, the death penalty, war, etc. That's a huge part of what it means to be a Catholic. So, yes, she would have many classmates who are pro-choice, but does she want to be at an institution that is pro-life? Because that is what Catholic universities/colleges are, and what they must be. Especially in our current times where debates about abortion will be heated and the Supreme Court may very well be curtailing Roe v. Wade, I would not send my staunchly pro-choice kid to BC. Now, if your DD is willing to listen to other viewpoints and learn the other side of an issue she feel passionately about, then BC may be the perfect place for her to go. FWIW, I work at another Catholic university, so I view this more from an institutional perspective than most parents who probably view this from "what has my kid's experience been."

Based on this response I don’t think I would encourage my DD to consider any Catholic institution since I think birth control would be frowned upon too.

You are thinking too hard and overly concerned.
Notre Dame, like any other reputable institution, is liberal. The students are liberal. The profs are liberal. The student body is still mostly liberal. Most students you will find are pro LGBT and all the rest.
They would not give a shit about your daughter using condom LOL

[Anonymous]

Bumping this thread. Anyone have any recent experience at BC who is jewish? DC is not particularly religious (reform), but wondering if a jewish kid would feel out of place there. Apart from the couple of mandatory religion classes (which doesn’t concern me) is there a religious vibe at the school? Do kids go to mass on Sundays, etc? DC is friends with a mix of kids in high school, including several Catholics so that in and of itself isn’t a concern, it’s more whether a jewish student would feel out of place in general. Looks like there’s only about 4% of students there are jewish. Thanks for any feedback!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread. Anyone have any recent experience at BC who is jewish? DC is not particularly religious (reform), but wondering if a jewish kid would feel out of place there. Apart from the couple of mandatory religion classes (which doesn’t concern me) is there a religious vibe at the school? Do kids go to mass on Sundays, etc? DC is friends with a mix of kids in high school, including several Catholics so that in and of itself isn’t a concern, it’s more whether a jewish student would feel out of place in general. Looks like there’s only about 4% of students there are jewish. Thanks for any feedback!

Second hand anecdote but I have a friend who is Jewish whose daughter is there. I expressed surprise that she would choose BC but says it’s not been a problem at all. There are Jewish groups on campus and it’s in Newton, which has a large Jewish population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread. Anyone have any recent experience at BC who is jewish? DC is not particularly religious (reform), but wondering if a jewish kid would feel out of place there. Apart from the couple of mandatory religion classes (which doesn’t concern me) is there a religious vibe at the school? Do kids go to mass on Sundays, etc? DC is friends with a mix of kids in high school, including several Catholics so that in and of itself isn’t a concern, it’s more whether a jewish student would feel out of place in general. Looks like there’s only about 4% of students there are jewish. Thanks for any feedback!

Second hand anecdote but I have a friend who is Jewish whose daughter is there. I expressed surprise that she would choose BC but says it’s not been a problem at all. There are Jewish groups on campus and it’s in Newton, which has a large Jewish population.

At one point my three other roommates were Jewish. BC has had a fair number of Jewish students since at least the 1920s. Newton itself and Chestnut Hill has a large Jewish population both reform and orthodox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Thank you for everyone’s comments. DD is very much into women’s rights/equality, so that is my main concern with the student population and instructors. Are they cool with that or is it a conservative catholic atmosphere?

If by "women's right" you mean that your DD is staunchly pro-choice, I would not send her to BC or any other Catholic school. While BC may not be a conservative Catholic environment, as you put it, it is a Catholic school. That means the school administrators are (and should be) staunchly pro-life with respect to all issues, including abortion, the death penalty, war, etc. That's a huge part of what it means to be a Catholic. So, yes, she would have many classmates who are pro-choice, but does she want to be at an institution that is pro-life? Because that is what Catholic universities/colleges are, and what they must be. Especially in our current times where debates about abortion will be heated and the Supreme Court may very well be curtailing Roe v. Wade, I would not send my staunchly pro-choice kid to BC. Now, if your DD is willing to listen to other viewpoints and learn the other side of an issue she feel passionately about, then BC may be the perfect place for her to go. FWIW, I work at another Catholic university, so I view this more from an institutional perspective than most parents who probably view this from "what has my kid's experience been."

Based on this response I don’t think I would encourage my DD to consider any Catholic institution since I think birth control would be frowned upon too.

You are thinking too hard and overly concerned.
Notre Dame, like any other reputable institution, is liberal. The students are liberal. The profs are liberal. The student body is still mostly liberal. Most students you will find are pro LGBT and all the rest.
They would not give a shit about your daughter using condom LOL

LOL -- I went to BC decades ago. Most girls were on birth control pills from the health center. This is not really an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread. Anyone have any recent experience at BC who is jewish? DC is not particularly religious (reform), but wondering if a jewish kid would feel out of place there. Apart from the couple of mandatory religion classes (which doesn’t concern me) is there a religious vibe at the school? Do kids go to mass on Sundays, etc? DC is friends with a mix of kids in high school, including several Catholics so that in and of itself isn’t a concern, it’s more whether a jewish student would feel out of place in general. Looks like there’s only about 4% of students there are jewish. Thanks for any feedback!

Second hand anecdote but I have a friend who is Jewish whose daughter is there. I expressed surprise that she would choose BC but says it’s not been a problem at all. There are Jewish groups on campus and it’s in Newton, which has a large Jewish population.

At one point my three other roommates were Jewish. BC has had a fair number of Jewish students since at least the 1920s. Newton itself and Chestnut Hill has a large Jewish population both reform and orthodox.

You can check on Hillel’s website for the range of Jewish student services at most colleges. It’s one useful indicator of the climate.

[Anonymous]

Stay classy, PP

[Anonymous]

I also went to BC in late 90s & agree...most girls got birth control from the on campus health center. I think the nurse practitioners write that it is for "irregular periods" or something like that. It's sort of hilarious. I'm sure there are some conservative students but most are more moderate to liberal. I would say the majority of students to not go to mass every Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also went to BC in late 90s & agree...most girls got birth control from the on campus health center. I think the nurse practitioners write that it is for "irregular periods" or something like that. It's sort of hilarious. I'm sure there are some conservative students but most are more moderate to liberal. I would say the majority of students to not go to mass every Sunday.

I went to BC for graduate school (Education).
Selected it because their info session was the only one where they really talked about the social justice mission of teaching.

The campus is pretty preppy, and you will find some students who come from pretty wealthy families. To be a triple eagle (BC High, BC, and BC law/grad school) is a big deal.

On interviews, people in the Mass area had a lot of great things to saw about the school. The alumni network is strong. There are lots of opportunities to learn more about communities (near and far) through service.

I think your child will meet their share of kids who "summer in Nantucket" but won't have trouble finding their crowd, either.

Church is optional/your own decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD really liked BC when we visited - campus, proximity to Boston, overall vibe etc. However, we are not Catholic or deeply religious. DD is liberal in her beliefs - pro-choice, women's/gay rights etc. I know that there is a philosophy/religion class requirement, but other than that, do you think she would have time fitting in? Has anyone's non-religious kid thrived there? Would love to hear good/bad. Thank you!

Since you asked, I think your DD would better appreciate/enjoy a LAC that is not BC. Oberlin? Wellesley?

[Anonymous]

Yes to this. It's much more like Fordham than Georgetown:

I wouldn't say it's conservative in a religious or political sense...but it is kinda conservative in...vibe? Not very diverse, very preppy, lots of conventional, popular, attractive, sporty kids from UMC backgrounds, beer drinking, etc. Smart, yes, but definitely more pre-professional as opposed to a "life of the mind" kind of place. I wouldn't worry about the religion so much, but ask yourself if your daughter fits into that vibe.

My artsy, quirky kid noped the hell out of there when we toured, but my younger one would probably like it (she's only a sophomore so haven't started tours yet).

[Anonymous]

I'm a practicing Catholic who doesn't agree with the anti-birth control positions of the Church, or most anything involving women. This thread has me wondering if students who use the BC student health insurance are able to have birth control pills and or abortions covered through those plans. I wonder if Catholic University allows this. I'm pretty sure that Georgetown would. But then again, Georgetown allows its staff to cover their same-sex domestic partners whereas Catholic didn't. Maybe it still doesn't? Not sure about Notre Dame or the Jesuit ones?

[Anonymous]

LOL WTF is this

people consider whethere you can use your condom or not in choosing college??

Nobody cares if you use your condom or whatever.

Catholic school or whatever school.

This must be trolling LOL.

[Anonymous]

I’m the pp who asked about the religious aspect of the school, not the OP who was focusing on more political/cultural issues. I was really just wondering if my jewish kid would feel out of place, not whether people would raise eye brows if he is circumcised. LOL. Thanks to the PPs who gave some feedback. If any one else has any recent experience with kids/friends who who are Jewish who have gone there, I’d appreciate any other thoughts. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread. Anyone have any recent experience at BC who is jewish? DC is not particularly religious (reform), but wondering if a jewish kid would feel out of place there. Apart from the couple of mandatory religion classes (which doesn’t concern me) is there a religious vibe at the school? Do kids go to mass on Sundays, etc? DC is friends with a mix of kids in high school, including several Catholics so that in and of itself isn’t a concern, it’s more whether a jewish student would feel out of place in general. Looks like there’s only about 4% of students there are jewish. Thanks for any feedback!

Second hand anecdote but I have a friend who is Jewish whose daughter is there. I expressed surprise that she would choose BC but says it’s not been a problem at all. There are Jewish groups on campus and it’s in Newton, which has a large Jewish population.

Large percentage of Jewish students at Boston University (not Boston College). BU has a pretty racist nickname.