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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.