Parents raising children in the midst of contemporary culture wars frequently resort to elaborate means to pass along (traditio) their fundamental beliefs to their young people. This is made harder by the proliferation of media—you can find anything, and I mean ANYTHING, on the Internet—and the corruption of schools. Sadly, that includes many religious schools, as some of us have learned from bitter experience. (That nun who’s taking your tuition check might well be a fan of The DaVinci Code.)

By the time a young person is ready for college, much of his intellectual infrastructure ought to be in place. But it’s every bit as important to make sure that the environment he’s entering is not organized to conduct an interminable assault on every belief his parents tried so hard to instill. Equally, you don’t want to send an independent-minded student to a crushingly conformist academy which will goad him into revolt. Since they know the child best, parents must play an active part in helping him find the right college to attend. It helps to know what you’re looking for, and what you want to avoid. Here are some questions you’ll want to answer before you approve your child’s decision to apply to a particular school:

1) Does the school offer a real core curriculum—meaning a set of courses with common reading lists in the arts and humanities, Western culture and American history, which every student must take? Failing that, does the school at least offer courses in each of the following:
• Greek or Roman literature in translation; a history of philosophy;
• the Bible (Old or New Testament);
• medieval or early Christian history;
• Shakespeare (comedies or tragedies,);
• U.S. history to 1865;
• early modern political philosophy;
• and nineteenth-century intellectual history.
We recommend that parents work out with their students a “family core” curriculum including at least one introductory course in each of these subjects—to make sure that your child isn’t cheated of the cultural heritage which is his birthright.

2) Are there lively student organizations across the political and religious spectrum, to accommodate the values of your family? You might not want to send a devoutly religious student to a campus that has seven gay groups and no chapel catering to his denomination, or no support group for like-minded people.

3) Are noxious or politicized courses required for graduation? How much of your money do you want to devote to your son’s education in women’s studies? To your daughter’s exploration of Latina Lesbian autobiography?

4) Is there an onerous speech code in place which could get your child disciplined or even expelled for “offensive” speech or writing—often defined arbitrarily, to suit the partisan agendas of administrative radicals? You’d be surprised which seemingly mainstream schools enforce radical politics at the expense of genuine, civil, free speech.

5) Is freshman orientation mandatory? If so, what does it include? Are “safe sex” education or ethnic sensitivity training—typically heavily politicized—part of it? Do freshman counselors dispense contraceptives upon request? Does the campus clinic perform or refer for abortions? Decide how you feel about that.

6) Is crime a major problem on campus? What are the most recent statistics for the school, and how do they compare to comparable choices?

7) Are there single-sex dormitories or floors available? Or will your daughter have to share shower facilities with hungover members of the lacrosse team? Are couples permitted (officially or de facto) to cohabit in the dorms?

8) If you’re applying to a religious school, how faithful is it to the tradition it claims to represent? A chat with the campus chaplain, or a member of the theology department, is often most informative. Inquire about pro-life activities, devotional schedules, and what kinds of community service outreach are offered.

9) What are campus policies on drinking and drug use? Ask how many students and student organizations have been disciplined for abuses.

10) Are admissions to the school “need-blind” regarding financial aid? What is the average indebtedness of each student upon graduation? Will you be expected to mortgage your house?

By asking this short list of nosy questions of admissions counselors, faculty members, deans, chaplains and recent graduates of the college, you can go a long way towards making sure that you don’t waste $60-80,000, and your child doesn’t squander his four most formative years. By choosing prudently, you can help your son or daughter craft a rich and unforgettable college experience, a key foundation for a thoughtful and happy life. To paraphrase Aristotle: The unexamined school is not worth attending.

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Hi, just signed up to comment that I am so very relieved and grateful to find this particular post and this whole site including the forums. I heard about the ISI NR College Guide from a friend, looked over an old edition, and just purchased online the new one. Being devoutly Catholic, with a 15 y.o. son who is as well, I am looking for everything I can find to help me help him choose the best college for him. Being an athlete, he will be sorely tempted, I know.

Thank you for the guide, for this list, for all that I will be checking back here for, from time to time in the next three years.

What a resource!

Also, I'd discovered an interesting site, don't know if you know about it: http://www.studentsreview.com

It looks extremely frank and helpful and we plan to use it extensively.

Best regards...