Hello. I'm seeking opinions of, and anecdotal info about, Hillsdale College and Liberty University

[Anonymous]

I get your enthusiasm for Liberty, but I share some of the PPs reservations. So I just recommend that you go into LU with eyes wide open.

The two young adults who I know well with degrees from Liberty have had a **very** difficult time building their careers and have found the Liberty degree an explicit hindrance.

If you were to pursue LU, I think you should do so knowing that it will limit your career options and that you'll need to be prepared to hustle or make compromises more than students coming out of other universities might have to. If your career plans are to work in conservative politics (after law school), then you probably don't need to worry. (Likewise if you were looking to go into evangelical Christian ministry, but that doesn't seem to be the case.)

The debate program at LU is strong and presumably has a good alumni network, so you would need to plan on debating all four years and really making that your community and developing those connections.

But I also think you'd be well-served to broaden your list a bit. There are other excellent schools that provide a conservative Christian foundation but don't come with the stigma of LU. SMU is a good example, but think also about Wheaton College (IL), Houghton College, Seattle Pacific University, Calvin College, George Fox University, Pepperdine University, etc. Some of the Christian LACs provide a really solid education, framed with conservative Christian values, that will serve you well in law school and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Look you asked for opinions. People have given them to you. If your response is "I woudln't want to work for you anyway" then you aren't really interested in hearing people's opinions. As someone involved with hiring, I would agree with PP that a resume with a degree from Liberty would generally go to the bottom of the pile. If you are interested in ministry or working for a conservative Christian organization, then maybe Liberty is a good choice. But to the general public, Liberty is not taken very seriously. I'm sorry if that is not what you want to hear. If it is right for you, go anyway and don't worry about other peoples' opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg, it's like the Second Coming of Paleocon.

That is exactly who I think the OP is. He likes to come on this site with "what if" situations especially controversial ones. Bet $1 it's him.

There is also a conservative poster who likes to pretend to be other online personas. Could be her too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get your enthusiasm for Liberty, but I share some of the PPs reservations. So I just recommend that you go into LU with eyes wide open.

The two young adults who I know well with degrees from Liberty have had a **very** difficult time building their careers and have found the Liberty degree an explicit hindrance.

If you were to pursue LU, I think you should do so knowing that it will limit your career options and that you'll need to be prepared to hustle or make compromises more than students coming out of other universities might have to. If your career plans are to work in conservative politics (after law school), then you probably don't need to worry. (Likewise if you were looking to go into evangelical Christian ministry, but that doesn't seem to be the case.)

The debate program at LU is strong and presumably has a good alumni network, so you would need to plan on debating all four years and really making that your community and developing those connections.

But I also think you'd be well-served to broaden your list a bit. There are other excellent schools that provide a conservative Christian foundation but don't come with the stigma of LU. SMU is a good example, but think also about Wheaton College (IL), Houghton College, Seattle Pacific University, Calvin College, George Fox University, Pepperdine University, etc. Some of the Christian LACs provide a really solid education, framed with conservative Christian values, that will serve you well in law school and beyond.

It is just plain weird that George Fox University is conservative Christian. George Fox was the founder of the Quakers, and normal Quaker schools are the absolute most liberal.

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about Baylor? It is well respected, solid school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you thought about Baylor? It is well respected, solid school.

Not sure of OP's academic credentials but I agree.

Baylor, SMU, TCU, Pepperdine, Washington and Lee, Texas A and M, Clemson, any state school in Utah, Hope College...these are all schools were a conservative would very much fit in yet no doors would be closed because of things like not teaching evolution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is going to take you seriously with a degree from any of those except maybe BYU (which actually is to some degree reputable). I would not trust the basic skills and knowledge of an applicant with a BA from Liberty...

Yours is the type of response I specifically mentioned I wasn't looking for. Clearly reading compression isn't your forte, which doesn't speak well for wherever you went to school.

My mom did mention I would get responses like yours. I owe her a batch of cookies now

You asked for advice and got it. Liberty has a horrible reputation academically. I hope you don't go there.

[Anonymous]

DH hired a guy with a degree from Hillsdale and he is brilliant, disciplined and polite.

There's also a college called Lipscomb in TN that you may wish to consider. I know someone who went to undergrad there who is now in med school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you thought about Baylor? It is well respected, solid school.

Not sure of OP's academic credentials but I agree.

Baylor, SMU, TCU, Pepperdine, Washington and Lee, Texas A and M, Clemson, any state school in Utah, Hope College...these are all schools were a conservative would very much fit in yet no doors would be closed because of things like not teaching evolution.

Yes, many of the private colleges in Virginia are fairly conservative, or at least the students are. There are also plenty of religiously affiliated colleges which also provide a good education. Liberty is not one of them.

[Anonymous]

I'm a conservative evangelical Christian who attends (what some would consider) a local megachurch. I know many current students and graduates of Liberty University. By and large, it is not the place you want to go if you want to break out of the evangelical subculture. Almost every graduate I know is involved in some sort of Christian ministry or in teaching, usually at private Christian schools, which is fine if that's what you want to do. My daughter's (public school) English teacher had a master's degree from Liberty, but she was the exception to the rule. So if you decide on Liberty, keep this in mind, that it's for a particular subset who want to go into ministry or teaching, usually at a Christian school.

My daughter is looking at colleges and as far as religious institutions, I would consider Wheaton (by far the most impressive), Hillsdale or Hope College (all of which are on the CTCL list). Given what she wants to do, I would steer her away from Liberty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hillsdale doesn’t participate in federal financial aid programs, plan accordingly. Undergrads at Liberty do worksheets.

How do you know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD's history teacher at a well known MCPS high school has a Liberty University grad degree.

Actually I know a few teacher who are Liberty Grads and kids of teachers who are attending Liberty. This is at public school. In education at least, it doesn't seem that a Liberty degree will hurt you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PALEOCON! !

Bless his heart.

I wonder how he's doing at St. John's?
Paleocon -- you out there?

Sounds like he's thinking of transferring. Or he's bored on winter break. This for sure has to be him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a conservative evangelical Christian who attends (what some would consider) a local megachurch. I know many current students and graduates of Liberty University. By and large, it is not the place you want to go if you want to break out of the evangelical subculture. Almost every graduate I know is involved in some sort of Christian ministry or in teaching, usually at private Christian schools, which is fine if that's what you want to do. My daughter's (public school) English teacher had a master's degree from Liberty, but she was the exception to the rule. So if you decide on Liberty, keep this in mind, that it's for a particular subset who want to go into ministry or teaching, usually at a Christian school.

My daughter is looking at colleges and as far as religious institutions, I would consider Wheaton (by far the most impressive), Hillsdale or Hope College (all of which are on the CTCL list). Given what she wants to do, I would steer her away from Liberty.

Interesting. The only person I know with kids there is a Christian missionary (in Africa), so this makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Putting aside all the politics, ask yourself what differentiates an online Liberty graduate from one of the for-profits like Phoenix, Kaplan, Strayer, or Devry? And then ask what the difference is between a Liberty online grad from a residential college alumni. There are a lot of colleges that will gladly accept a student in the 50-60th percentile that are conservative and religiously-based. If you are in the 90+ percentile in terms of grades and test scores, think carefully about the doors and resources that conservative faculty (and there are a lot) can open for you at more selective colleges. The major conservative foundations and institutions invest heavily in identifying smart conservative students in the Ivies, funding their campus organizations, and connecting them to great jobs.

Ok, I'm not a fan of Liberty, but it seems pretty clear that OP plans on attending the college and taking classes at the University, so why the emphasis on the online classes? And basically every college has online classes now, There are other mainstream universities (such as UVA) that offer online graduate degrees. Yes, I'm sure Liberty offers more, but this is more and more commonplace.