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ExAgnostic
Guest
Magnolia - I would really support Princess Abbey’s list of colleges, as well as the recommendation that you look at the article at the National Catholic Register that was posted. I might add Wyoming Catholic College, which is new (I think they started this year or last), to the list. These colleges and universities, in my opinion, have faculty and curricula that truly reflect the will of the Church for Catholic higher education. This doesn’t mean that they are “safe” - students can make poor choices and friendships at any institution. It also doesn’t mean that they can’t remain strong in their faith in secular universities - the UIC and KU suggestions were great suggestions, and I know people involved in FOCUS and Newman programs at both universities. Just outstanding people. But, they often consider themselves to be missionaries in a secular atmosphere, and some of them are graduates of “the list” schools. The secular programs can offer excellent training for vocational purposes, or opportunities to participate in research in an area where your child might have a particular interest - but it is not their purpose, nor interest, to continue the work of moral formation or intellectual development that is particularly compatible with the faith. The most challenging programs can be the core curriculum (if there is one) - history, literature, philosophy, etc., which in many cases will be presented in a way that is overtly hostile to the Church. In this sense, a Newman Center can help the student through these difficult times, but they are having to serve as an intellectual and moral windbreak. This doesn’t mean that the Catholic colleges Princess Abbey identified are good because they are “safe.” They (at least some of them) are good because of the education they provide. They call their students to a depth of reflection and responsibility that might be difficult to find elsewhere, and stand in the intellectual traditions of the great universities of Christendom. If I were you, I would take the opportunity with my child to visit these schools, closely examine the curriculum, and talk to graduates and administration (usually the Academic Dean and Dean of Student Life) to understand their perspective.
Personally, I would feel much more comfortable sending one of my children to a school on “the list,” but if they have a real driving passion for marine biology, astronomy, or something like that, and they show signs of maturity and independence, I suppose I would send them to a research university with my prayers and anxiety. Furthermore, I wouldn’t send my child to a school simply because it was on “the list.” I attended one of those schools for a year, and I think there were significant moral issues in the student body, and even the faculty. In retrospect, even the curriculum didn’t make a lot of sense, and the faculty, although dedicated, sort of represented the “remedial” track in academia. I started over at another of these colleges, and am still so glad I made this choice. My point is that just because they are recognized as dedicated “Catholic” institutions doesn’t mean they are good places to be. When a small Catholic college is not living up to its mission, it is almost worse that being at a large secular university. When it is, it’s the greatest place in the world.