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I'm a senior and have done an exhaustive search for schools but I can't seem to find one that I really like. Time is ticking since I have to start visiting colleges and applying to them but I am so lost. Here's what I'm looking for:

-Small to Medium sized college (2,000-7,000)
-Surburban or Urban area.
-Florida, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York.
-Preferably a public school but private is fine.
-Residential campus
-Ethnically diverse (but no HBCU's)
-Moderately Selective or lower (>75% accepted)

I've been using search engines and looking in books but nothing seems to suit me. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Monday, July 07, 2003 - 08:28 pm: Edit

Have you looked at any of these?
Elon (NC)
Wofford (SC)
Rhodes (TN)
Washington & Jefferson (PA)
Ithaca College (NY)
Wagner College (NY)
Manhattanville (NY)
Gettysburg (PA)
Susquehanna U (PA)
SUNY Oneonta, Oswego, Brockport
University of NC Ashville
Shippensburg U (PA)
Furman University (SC)
Stetson (FL)
If you'd be willing to expand your search a bit --- look at College of Wooster (OH), Earlham (IN), Goucher (MD).

It might help you if you can come up with a list that fits most of your needs on paper and then go visit a few schools to get an idea of what you really want.

By Elazar (Elazar) on Monday, July 07, 2003 - 08:36 pm: Edit

I'm also in you situation. I was told to look at Skidmore college in saratoga springs, NY. This is one of my options. I'm probubly going to stay in chicago because the jewish comunity in that area is very small.
University of IL. in Chicago is everything you listed exept #2&3.
Their is a dicusion that discuses this isue more. I'll get back to you on this.

By Elazar (Elazar) on Monday, July 07, 2003 - 08:38 pm: Edit

Yeah that was the discussion. Thank you Carolyn, again.

By Winterfresh (Winterfresh) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 11:45 am: Edit

Thanks Carolyn! Ur the best!

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 04:59 pm: Edit

Elazar - Actually, you'll find a large jewish student population at Skidmore so don't just rule it out on that basis alone. It's a terrific school.

By Elazar (Elazar) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 10:10 pm: Edit

Does it have an orthodox hillel?

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 12:28 am: Edit

Elazar - have you checked on their web site? I did a search for "Hillel" and found this link to the Skidmore Jewish Student Union - you probably can find someone to email from the JSU on this page who can answer your questions: www.skidmore.edu/studentorgs/jsu/chootz.htm
If, for some reason, the link doesn't work just go to www.skidmore.edu and do a search for Jewish Student Union. If you're interested, here are some other schools that have large and supportive Jewish student populations --- you could do the same type of search for any of these schools if they interest you (I know Syracuse at one time did have an orthodox hillel):
Syracuse, Connecticut College (very similiar to Skidmore), Colgate, Cornell, Dickinson, Goucher, Oberlin, Boston University, Tufts, Vassar, Union, Grinnell. Good luck!

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 12:30 am: Edit

Winterfresh - another school you should look at is Ursinus in PA - similiar in size and student body to Hartwick (but, there aren't 52 bars in town :LOL

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 12:48 pm: Edit

Elazar, Just happened upon a list of schools with Kosher kitchens -- might be of interest to you and they may also have kosher Hillel. This isn't the complete list (it's way to long to list them all) but some of these schools might be worth a look at:

Adelphi U (NY)
Bates C (ME)
Boston U (MA)
Brandeis (MA)
Brown (RI)
Bryn MAwr (PA)
Carleton (MN)
Carnegie MEllon (PA)
Case Western Reserve (OH)
Claremont McKenna(CA)
Colby C (ME)
Cornell (NY)
Dickinson (PA)
Duke (NC)
Duquesne (PA)
Emory (GA)
Farleigh Dickinson (NJ)
Georgetown (DC)
George Washington (DC)
Gettsburg (PA)
Goucher (MD)
HAmilton C (NY)
Hofstra (NY)
Ithaca (NY)
Loyola U (IL)
Macalester C (MN)
Middlebury (VT)
Muhlenberg (PA)
NYU (NY)
Oberlin (OH)
Penn State (PA)
RPI (NY)
Union (NY)
Vassar (NY)
Syracuse (NY)
Temple (PA)
Wesleyan (CT)
St. Lawrence (NY)

Additionally, it looks like all of the Ivy schools have kosher kitches, as well as many other large state schools. Hope this helps.

By Winterfresh (Winterfresh) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 01:47 pm: Edit

Carolyn i dont know if u suggested this school but I have found my dream school. It's University of Hartford and it's everything that i wanted above.

thanks so much!!

Oh and Elazar, if you like huge student populations with lots of things to do on and off campus and a really nice diverse body, i would recommend Temple. That was on my list of schools for a loooooooong time but i realized i didnt want a school with 15,000+ kids!

By Elazar (Elazar) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 09:11 pm: Edit

Thank you Carolyn. Which of these schools will accept someone like me?

GPA: 2.95
ACT: 24
no APs
ECs: Gallery 37- Senior Apprentence Artist
NCSY- Synogoue bord V.P. Outreach
Varsity wrestling, freshman and sophmore
Pratt institute pre-college program
Art Institute graphic design course

By Elazar (Elazar) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 10:14 pm: Edit

.....And art instruction for eight years.

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 10:35 pm: Edit

Wow - that impresses me, anyway. Do you intend to study art/design in college? And I have to ask: have you ever read "My Name is Asher Lev?" I hope that's not out of line - it was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager and as possessed by music as Asher was to music.

By Elazar (Elazar) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 10:59 pm: Edit

I plan to study medical illustration, since I love art and science. Also, because medical illustration is supposed to have the most dificult art training.

I may be looking to far in the future, but the three places that I am looking at for my masters are:
1.JHU
2.Northwestern University
3.University of IL. in Chicago
In that order.

Whatever school that can prepare me for those, are the one that I am looking at.

By Momof2 (Momof2) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 11:08 pm: Edit

That' a fascinating career choice! Something I never thought about at all. By the way, the above post should say "as Asher was to art." I get verbal dyslexia about this time every night.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 11:45 pm: Edit

I think I've mentioned this before but Syracuse has an excellent art school with a concentration in illustration. You'd have a decent chance of getting accepted.

Other schools on the list that have good art programs and would be in the ball park for you:
Ithaca, Muhlenberg. I'd also look at some of the straight art schools as well.

Good luck!

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 11:47 pm: Edit

Winterfresh, I just took a look at the U of Hartford home page - looks like a great school for you!

Actually Elazar, you might also take a look - seems they have a very good art school there.