Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all this info, PP.

How Catholic does it feel - that is, would a non-Catholic student feel welcome, do you think?

This is PP. We are not Catholic, nor is my kid’s roommate.

There is a renowned Center for Jewish - Catholic thought on campus, but I think it is focused on the Jesuit priests and Philly community rather than the undergrads. It does seem like a large number of kids come from conservative, Catholic families. There is a huge focus on social justice and community service, as you would expect from a Jesuit institution.

Another benefit is the “well roundedness” of the curriculum. While studying at an accredited business school, my student must still take foreign language; philosophy; and other discussion and seminar based courses. While it can be tough, I think everyone benefits from this type of classical education, rather than the extremely vocational focus seen at many undergrad business schools.

Agree. I graduated years ago, but the vibe on campus was welcoming and many students were not devout. While there are the typical liberal arts requirements, all of my theology requirements were satisfied with courses devoted to global issues, rather than Catholic-specific.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a Catholic school. Why are people surprised catholic schools are white?

I'm surprised they aren't latinx.

They have Latinx students as well, of course. I could not quickly find a stat on Google, other than 24% of the Class of ‘24 students are students of Color. It is a popular school for students from Puerto Rico.

Anonymous wrote:It's a Catholic school. Why are people surprised catholic schools are white?

I'm surprised they aren't latinx.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all this info, PP.

How Catholic does it feel - that is, would a non-Catholic student feel welcome, do you think?

This is PP. We are not Catholic, nor is my kid’s roommate.

There is a renowned Center for Jewish - Catholic thought on campus, but I think it is focused on the Jesuit priests and Philly community rather than the undergrads. It does seem like a large number of kids come from conservative, Catholic families. There is a huge focus on social justice and community service, as you would expect from a Jesuit institution.

Another benefit is the “well roundedness” of the curriculum. While studying at an accredited business school, my student must still take foreign language; philosophy; and other discussion and seminar based courses. While it can be tough, I think everyone benefits from this type of classical education, rather than the extremely vocational focus seen at many undergrad business schools.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all this info, PP.

How Catholic does it feel - that is, would a non-Catholic student feel welcome, do you think?

I think it feels Catholic, and a non-Catholic would feel welcome. Both. A family member went to the University of Scranton, another PA Jesuit university, which was very Catholic, but many local Methodists and Lutherans attended according to her, and they felt welcome.

It's a Catholic school. Why are people surprised catholic schools are white?

Thanks for all this info, PP.

How Catholic does it feel - that is, would a non-Catholic student feel welcome, do you think?

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone provide info that goes beyond the racial makeup of the student body?

The St. Joe’s undergraduate experience, even in the midst of coronavirus, is terrific. As a freshman, most of my DC’s classes have under 20 students, and none have over 49. Very strong business program, lots of interest in their health and pre-med programs. As a parent, I’ve been blown away by the community feel and the support on the Parent’s FB page, which has been important this year as we all worry about coronavirus. Traditionally known as a regional school focused on PA and NJ, it now attracts students from all over. My DC’s classmates are from CA, NC, VA, DC, MD, CT, MA and of course PA/NY/NJ/CT.

After merit and co-op pay is factored in, we pay about $14K a year more than our state flagship, which is an excellent value, considering the smaller class sizes, more individualized attention, caring faculty and staff, and beautiful campus.

The Jesuit identity is strong.