If I could do it all over again, I would seriously consider SJC Santa Fe.

From what I’ve seen and heard, it’s not just about getting through classes—it’s a full-on intellectual bootcamp with tons of reading, writing, and discussion.
That said, if your kid is the type who loves diving into deep conversations, challenging ideas, and really pushing themselves, it might be worth looking past the numbers. A place like this can be transformative for the right person. If they’re into artsy or creative pursuits, there are even ways to expand on those skills outside of the academic grind. For example, https://www.praguefilminstitute.cz focuses on hands-on filmmaking and storytelling, which could complement a place like St. John’s by bringing practical skills into the mix.

I imagine that credits will easily transfer to schools that consider themselves on par or below SJC academically. It's going to depend on the new school and the new major. The challenge might be finding courses at the new school that cover similar material since the SJC courses are very unique, except for language classes.

From what I can tell, the Santa Fe students spend more time in nature and doing sports like skiing, rafting, mountain climbing, hiking, camping, and so on. The campus sits in a wealthy residential neighborhood with large lots and no stores. The students tend to dress like artists or creative types, as do many of the city's residents. There are sweeping views of nature throughout campus. I joke that my kid goes to college at a summer camp.

At the Annapolis campus, they seem to dress more traditionally. The campus is steps from the state capital and lots of restaurants and offices, so it's more of an urban feel and they dress accordingly. Lots of red brick and very old historic buildings. I've read that the Annapolis students dress up for the two evening seminars each week. I think the waltzing and singing choral music is bigger in Annapolis compared to SF.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Data on this is weirdly high .. like only 60% finish. In so many other ways it's a match for DC. But having a quirky kid is one thing, and having a quirky drop out is another. I dont want to protect the downside.

Any personal experience or explanation?

Has your child thought about any career after St. John's College ?

As an aside: We just drove around the Santa Fe campus--beautiful location. Dozens of outstanding restaurants and over a hundred art galleries nearby.

I've known some grads and some drop outs. Medical and law school, politics and programming are big, career-wise. I think it's a school that recognizes that the undergraduate experience is actually an experience, and not just a diploma-making machine. Really smart kids need different toolsets sometimes, and being trained to question and being trained to learn is not a bad idea for some--a lot have already mastered all the technical stuff.

I know we're at peak unfashionable now, but these pendulums swing back around, and having a literate population is important.

ie, if your family has money and your kid doesn't need a job after college, and just wants to be a professional student, it's great.

Did you read the sentence before the one you bolded that lists the common careers for SJC graduates? Medicine, law, politics, programming. It sounds like they're doing pretty well, not being "professional students," dill wacker.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Data on this is weirdly high .. like only 60% finish. In so many other ways it's a match for DC. But having a quirky kid is one thing, and having a quirky drop out is another. I dont want to protect the downside.

Any personal experience or explanation?

Has your child thought about any career after St. John's College ?

As an aside: We just drove around the Santa Fe campus--beautiful location. Dozens of outstanding restaurants and over a hundred art galleries nearby.

I've known some grads and some drop outs. Medical and law school, politics and programming are big, career-wise. I think it's a school that recognizes that the undergraduate experience is actually an experience, and not just a diploma-making machine. Really smart kids need different toolsets sometimes, and being trained to question and being trained to learn is not a bad idea for some--a lot have already mastered all the technical stuff.

I know we're at peak unfashionable now, but these pendulums swing back around, and having a literate population is important.

ie, if your family has money and your kid doesn't need a job after college, and just wants to be a professional student, it's great.

Thank you so much for that great post!

a couple follow ups

- if you choose to leave or have to leave, do your credits carry over to another college? I'm wondering about your kid's friend. Were they able to transfer credits? Transferring isn't ideal, but transferring somewhere and starting over sounds like a real kick in the pants.

- can you talk a little about the cultural differences btw the two campuses?

Yes, students can spend a semester or a year at the other campus. Housing at Annapolis is very tight as they are renovating dorms. My DS is in a forced triple - it’s a pretty dark and miserable space. On the bright side, it forces him to study in the bright sunny library next door and spend a lot of time in the gym as well. The intramural program is very active.

Thank you for taking the time to share that thoughtful post.