Colleges for evangelical STEM family

[tj_610]

We have a 10th grader who is STEM-focused and highly gifted/2E. We are evangelical non-denominational Protestants who value strong academics but don't want our kids at a nominally Christian school where the authority and inspiration of the Bible will be regularly challenged.

 

Where are like-minded families leaning for college? Right now, we are leaning toward EITHER a "distinctively Christian" school with dual degree from good engineering school OR a secular school large enough to have good campus ministries, healthy churches and like-minded friends. By "distinctively Christian", I mean faculty must abide by some statement of Christian faith, or similar commitment. But those colleges are not known for engineering programs. Cedarville is an exception. We are in NC and would prefer to be in one-day driving distance.

 

Also, are son is 2E and will probably do better at a small, nurturing school, especially the first couple of years. It's fairly common for colleges of all sizes to have "student services" for kids on the autism spectrum these days. Sharing any thoughts/experience with that would be helpful.

 

Thanks for reading the long post!

[...................]

Maybe Wheaton?  Calvin?

 

Unfortunately there really isn't any good strong Christian university for STEM.  Not a single one really focuses on STEM.  It's too expensive.

 

If your ds does decide to pursue a STEM engineering degree from a Christian U, he would probably need to follow it up with a Master's from a "better" U to be really competitive in the engineering/CS field.  

 

 

[Riverland]

I strongly suggest you look at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I don't know anything about its student services for ASD kids, but it fits everything else you are looking for. They don't just call themselves a Christian school - they live and breathe it - faculty, administration and students. Their engineering program is very highly regarded in the area. I know several people who have graduated with engineering degrees there and have had very successful careers. It gave them an exceptionally strong foundation.

[Guest]

LeTourneau University!!! It fits EVERYTHING you want! (Well, except the one-day drive from NC.)

 

http://www.letu.edu/

 

Eta: It is worth noting that this school definitely "gets" homeschooling, as over a quarter of the student body were homeschooled.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Kinsa

[Guest]

[Guest]

I have a child at LETU as well as one at Cedarville. I don't think you could go wrong with either school. But, LETU is smaller than CU, and it started as a polytech college whereas CU is more diversified and a liberal arts college. Both are ABET certified though.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Kinsa

[J-rap]

Dordt College in Iowa?

 

https://www.dordt.edu

 

 

[Junie]

You might want to look at Liberty.  1.  Christian 2. within a day's drive 3. have support services 

 

They have engineering and other STEM majors.  I don't know how rigorous or respected they are.

[....]

:lurk5:   We're in a very similar situation.  I've been googling University of Dallas this week and Southern Methodist University...  

[Rebecca]

I have been very impressed by people I know IRL who graduated from Grove City. Both Engineers.

 

It is a long drive from NC.

[historymatters]

Hillsdale or Patrick Henry?

[tj_610]

Thanks for these replies - lots to research! Anyone familiar with dual-degree programs like Berry or Covenant College-Georgia Tech, in NW GA? Or Wheaton with Illinois Tech?

[historymatters]

Thanks for these replies - lots to research! Anyone familiar with dual-degree programs like Berry or Covenant College-Georgia Tech, in NW GA? Or Wheaton with Illinois Tech?

If you're talking about Berry in G'ville, I've not heard that it would fit your criteria, maybe in the past. I'm just not sure.

 

Have checked out Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga? It's northeast of Gainesville. I think it's a Baptist-based school, with a great reputation in academia and spiritual matters.

 

https://truett.edu/

 

We live up " in these them hills" 😉

Edited April 6, 2017 by historymatters

[GoVanGogh]

:lurk5: We're in a very similar situation. I've been googling University of Dallas this week and Southern Methodist University...

UD is a liberal arts school and doesn't offer engineering. It is a great school, though, and does have an outstanding math school.

I don't think SMU has religious ties any more, despite its name.

[GoVanGogh]

dp

Edited April 6, 2017 by GoVanGogh

[MamaSprout]

Hillsdale is (very, very) conservative, but unless it's changed since I was there, it's oddly not really "Christian" in the way one might expect. And not a STEM school.

[tj_610]

Thanks again. I will check out a few of these! Berry is in Rome, GA, about halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Local students here would say it's not "as distinctly Christian" as Liberty or Covenant. Liberty is very big. It does have some (not all) engineering degrees. Grove City looks very intriguing; they are definitely passionate about freedom and political conservatism but also more distinctly Christian than Hillsdale, it seems. I'd heard of Letourneau and Dordt, and appreciate the recommendations. I don't have a lot of interest in big "Christian tradition" schools like Baylor or TCU; I think staying at NC State would be cheaper and lots of our local kids have gone there and thrived in faith. It's just really big. If any of you has a 2E kid, you know why that's a minus. :-)

[creekland]

Covenant definitely has the faith requirement you are looking for.  Note that any Christian college is not totally composed of students who are as "full support" Christianity in the exact same manner though.

 

Grove City definitely has a reputation for faith and really good engineering - for what engineering they have.  Very few small schools have a wide range of engineering options though (secular or Christian).  Many will stick with mechanical/electrical/computer or general with concentrations - not necessarily useful if one wants to become a Civil Engineer (or other specialty) with a complete degree in it, so check carefully with what is offered.  Some might have a program as in depth - compare courses and what grads do.  As a pp mentioned, offering engineering degrees is expensive - with the lab equipment required, etc.  Generally large state schools are more recommended for that reason and I'd suspect all state schools have an on campus "solid Christian" presence in the form of clubs and worship opportunities.

 

Which is the better choice?  As always, it depends upon the student.  Try a few - making sure to visit Christian club meetings when visiting - and see.

[tj_610]

Creekland, thanks. Agree with your points. I think that's what makes dual-degree options appealing. 3 years at small Christian school, then 2 years at engineering school with lots of choices and better facilities. Those 3 years will probably be critical maturation time for ds.

[mjbucks1]

Every young person is different, but ds is a freshman majoring in Computer Science at the University of Aabama. Even though he is at a big state school, he has grown so much spiritually thanks to a very robust campus ministry (there are many options for people of different denominations). I have no experience personally but have heard they work very well with kids who need academic accommodations. They offer very good scholarships for OOS students, and even more for engineering students.

[...................]

Thanks for these replies - lots to research! Anyone familiar with dual-degree programs like Berry or Covenant College-Georgia Tech, in NW GA? Or Wheaton with Illinois Tech?

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about Covenant/Georgia Tech.  ...Georgia Tech is big...it's NOT easy to get in there and it's a very well respected name in Engineering.  Covenant was one of our goals when we used to live back east...The location is gorgeous and the old buildings are beautiful.  Not too huge...lots of great things to look at there.

[teachermom2834]

Thanks for these replies - lots to research! Anyone familiar with dual-degree programs like Berry or Covenant College-Georgia Tech, in NW GA? Or Wheaton with Illinois Tech?

Not familiar with the engineering part but we did tour both Covenant and Berry. Both good schools but I think Covenant is much more conservative than Berry. It might be a good fit. Very small, beautiful campus.

Edited April 6, 2017 by teachermom2834

[TwoEdgedSword]

I don't think Calvin is what you are looking for, but ymmv.

Hillsdale's faith community is thriving. We were recently there. They are breaking ground on a gorgeous chapel as of today. But more importantly, the kids we spent time with seemed to have a genuine and vibrant faith.

 

I would also put in a good vote for Grove City. Patrick Henry is still not regionally accredited. I'm not sure if the have the programs you are looking for.

 

Happy hunting!!!!

[TwoEdgedSword]

Cedarville has more of a Baptist flavor as an FYI, bc you said your family is non-denom.

Grove City is more Presby, but I think there are less outward manifestations of Presbys if that makes sense.

[SoCal_Bear]

I know a family who just sent their son to LeTourneau University to study mechanical engineering. He's very happy there. He had other options but chose this one for the reasons you outlined above.

[tj_610]

Thanks again for ongoing replies - all helpful!

 

TwoEdgedSword - yes, CU is Baptist although it was originally Presby, Grove City is as you say. Covenant is solidly Presby. We're ok with any of that, as long as the bible is believed to be inspired and authoritative. Closest nutshell you could put our beliefs in would be "Reformed Baptist". I love our PCA and OPC brothers and sisters and wouldn't avoid a college for being solidly Presby, as long as ds was treated with respect for differing on some things. Presby has always strongly believed in higher ed, and so lots of colleges are (or were at some point) Presby-leaning.

[Kathy in Richmond]

First Things magazine had an interesting review of the atmosphere on both Christian and secular campuses a few years ago. Maybe it'll give you a few ideas:

 

College descriptions

[tj_610]

Thx Kathy, for that link! Some good info, although unfortunately no listing for many of the colleges mentioned in this thread, or of some regional secular schools that might be of interest to us (Clemson, NC State, VaTech, GaTech).

[Heather in VA]

One problem you are probably going to run into is that even schools with good science/STEM programs may not have engineering. The type of program/equipment/resources etc required for engineering are different than other sciences so many schools, even large public schools, just don't have it. Since you live in NC, you have some good choices, NC State being an excellent one, and he can get involved in the campus ministry. 

[Kathy in Richmond]

My husband & I met through our faith community at GA Tech years ago! Large state schools usually have lots of choices for kids wanting a supportive community.

[SamanthaCarter]

My DH studied mechanical engineering at Grove City. He highly recommends it for the bachelors. His family lived in SC, so its doable from NC. I'm not sure I'd recommend GC for a girl. It had a strong MRS feel when I went there to visit, if you get my meaning. 

[Calm37]

Taylor University in Indiana has stayed distinctively Christian and is a highly-rated school.

[Bootsie]

UD is a liberal arts school and doesn't offer engineering. It is a great school, though, and does have an outstanding math school.

I don't think SMU has religious ties any more, despite its name.

UD does have a joint engineering program (5-year) in which you received a physics degree from UD and an engineering degree from UT-Arlington.  UD is "enthusiastically Catholic"; DD attends there and is in liberal arts.  I know a number of students in biology and chemistry there. 

 

You will not find a particularly strong religious presence at SMU.

[Bootsie]

 

Where are like-minded families leaning for college? Right now, we are leaning toward EITHER a "distinctively Christian" school with dual degree from good engineering school OR a secular school large enough to have good campus ministries, healthy churches and like-minded friends. By "distinctively Christian", I mean faculty must abide by some statement of Christian faith, or similar commitment. But those colleges are not known for engineering programs. Cedarville is an exception. We are in NC and would prefer to be in one-day driving distance.

 

 

The size of the school is not necessarily a good indication of whether there is be good campus ministries.  I worked at a 30,000 student campus which had almost no campus ministry and no local churches involved with the life of the student body.  I have worked at state campuses with between 3,000 and 10,000 students which have had vibrant campus ministries.

[tj_610]

Thx Calm37! DS's former youth pastor went to Taylor but I didn't know they had engineering.

 

Samantha - by MRS, do you mean what we call "pre-wed major"?

[tj_610]

I get you, jdahlquist. Good point. I went to a very large state college for undergrad when I was not a Christian. If there was an active ministry or faith community on campus, it was far underground. But i know from many friends that NC state has good options.

[TwoEdgedSword]

Michigan State, while a large school, has a vibrant and strong college ministry through University Refomed Church, PCA.

[Rebecca]

just wanted to chime in that one of the Engineers I know from Grove City is a female and she is amazing. It was her descriptions of classes and discussions that put Grove City on my list. She is married now and still working in her field.

 

-Rebecca

 

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

You might take a reverse tactic and ask what campus ministries people found supportive, then look to see which universities in your region have thriving chapters.

 

I know that there is a CRU chapter (formerly Campus Crusade) at VA Tech.  They also have a cadet specific group called Valor.  You might also look for Navigators, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Baptist Student Union and denomination specific organizations.

 

One thing that struck me when we toured both Virginia Tech and West Virginia University was that there were well established churches that were very close to campus.  At WVU the campus seems to have expanded its border in such a way that some of the churches are actually closer to dorms than some of the academic buildings.  There was a large Catholic church very close to campus with a huge banner advertising its student group.  At Virginia Tech, there was a good sized Lutheran church almost within sight of ds's cadet dorm.

 

ETA: The summer before DS headed off to freshman year, he got a card from the collective official campus ministries at VA Tech.  It had a short description of various groups and boxes to check if you wanted to share your contact info with them.  

 

I did find the listing of official on campus religious groups for VA Tech.  https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/organizations?SearchValue=Religious&SearchType=Category&CurrentPage=1&SelectedCategoryId=3531

 

FWIW, I was involved with student ministry groups at my college.  There were some great people and great groups.  However, one of the very best groups was simply a group of 8-10 folks in my dorm who got together every night to read the Bible for 15 min and share prayer requests.  We kept to a strict timeline, because we were all snowed under with academics.  During that school year, we shared a lot of burdens and joys and read through all of the New Testament.  Just to say that it doesn't have to be super organized with a budget and a board of leaders to provide support.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Sebastian (a lady)

[Bootsie]

Not in the North Carolina area, but Texas A&M students are ranked among the "most praying college students"--higher than many of the religiously affiliated universities and there is a strong engineering program there.

[TwoEdgedSword]

Also RUF, Reformed University Fellowship.

[G5052]

You might take a reverse tactic and ask what campus ministries people found supportive, then look to see which universities in your region have thriving chapters.

 

I know that there is a CRU chapter (formerly Campus Crusade) at VA Tech.  They also have a cadet specific group called Valor.  You might also look for Navigators, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Baptist Student Union and denomination specific organizations.

 

One thing that struck me when we toured both Virginia Tech and West Virginia University was that there were well established churches that were very close to campus.  At WVU the campus seems to have expanded its border in such a way that some of the churches are actually closer to dorms than some of the academic buildings.  There was a large Catholic church very close to campus with a huge banner advertising its student group.  At Virginia Tech, there was a good sized Lutheran church almost within sight of ds's cadet dorm.

 

ETA: The summer before DS headed off to freshman year, he got a card from the collective official campus ministries at VA Tech.  It had a short description of various groups and boxes to check if you wanted to share your contact info with them.  

 

I did find the listing of official on campus religious groups for VA Tech.  https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/organizations?SearchValue=Religious&SearchType=Category&CurrentPage=1&SelectedCategoryId=3531

 

FWIW, I was involved with student ministry groups at my college.  There were some great people and great groups.  However, one of the very best groups was simply a group of 8-10 folks in my dorm who got together every night to read the Bible for 15 min and share prayer requests.  We kept to a strict timeline, because we were all snowed under with academics.  During that school year, we shared a lot of burdens and joys and read through all of the New Testament.  Just to say that it doesn't have to be super organized with a budget and a board of leaders to provide support.

 

This is our approach. I've personally see how individuals with degrees from conservative Christian colleges are discriminated against behind closed doors in hiring decisions. Obviously not every employer is like that, but in my experience working for secular universities and the federal government, I saw it multiple times.

 

I think that there's some benefit to learning to live one's faith out in a secular academic environment before going out into the workplace. I worked for 15 years in research and then government policy and program management before children. Then I've been an adjunct faculty member and served on college committees for another 19 years. And in every case, the number of evangelical coworkers were very few and far between. The majority of people I've worked with are highly educated and not involved in any kind of faith community. Being able to work with and respect people from a variety of viewpoints while holding your own strong convictions is important.

[Caroline]

It has been almost 30 years, but when I was at VA Tech, there were some really strong faith communities. I specifically remember Campus Crusade, The Baptist Student Union, and the Wesley Foundation. There are quite a few churches close to campus that welcomed students. Some had programs where families "adopted" students.

 

GA Tech also has a number of faith groups. I had a friend who lived on the grounds of a Lutheran church right off campus. They had apartments to rent for students involved with the church. (That was about 30 years ago, too, though.)

[Dmmetler]

Probably not the best fit for non-denominational Evangelical, but Christian Brothers University has a good Engineering school.

[tj_610]

Thanks again for all the replies. To share a little more, ds is 2E in an Asperger-ish way. He's very rigid in his thinking, doesn't naturally seek out social contacts, is fairly immune/oblivious to peer pressure, very confident in his worldview. Academically brilliant in everything, but struggles with time management, and is "low energy" (thus, a place like Caltech or maybe even GaTech might not be good for him due to the "grind"). So I'm not overly worried about "corrupting influences", but want an environment that will not result in even more isolation in college than will already happen on its own. He will probably benefit from brothers and sisters in Christ who will seek him out and help him be accountable. Hope that makes sense. I don't think we're being overprotective (he can hold his own in almost any debate/apologetic). Just don't want him miserable. He's generally happy with his own company, but that's with his family around to rely on for understanding and support.

[GoodGrief]

Are finances an issue? One thing to keep in mind is that the aid at Christian schools tends to be less generous. And if you are looking at 3/2 programs, you are adding at least an extra year of cost.

 

My engineering major applied to Messiah, Calvin, Hope, and Baylor. In the end, did not choose any of them, but liked them all. I'm not sure if they will be quite the flavor of Christianity you are seeking though :-) I agree with the advice to check out Le Tourneau!

[Guest]

This is completely unrelated, buuut...

 

I ran into the LeTourneau baseball team today! My kids and I were "in town" today, and we stopped for lunch at Dairy Queen. In walks a bunch of guys wearing LETU shirts! Apparently they are here to play Sul Ross State University this weekend. I asked them if anyone knew my son, and one of them used to live on my son's dorm floor! I'm so tickled! LETU is over 600 miles away from where we had lunch today. It was so neat to bump into my son's school's baseball team and to have some of them know my son!

Edited April 7, 2017 by Kinsa

[igbu]

We know more than a few folks who've gone to GC. We have friends whose sons and daughters are there now or recently graduated. A couple of them graduated with engineering degrees. All speak highly of the school and their experience.

[creekland]

Covenant is solidly Presby. We're ok with any of that, as long as the bible is believed to be inspired and authoritative. Closest nutshell you could put our beliefs in would be "Reformed Baptist". I love our PCA and OPC brothers and sisters and wouldn't avoid a college for being solidly Presby, as long as ds was treated with respect for differing on some things. Presby has always strongly believed in higher ed, and so lots of colleges are (or were at some point) Presby-leaning.

 

Our views differ some from typical Covenant views and my guy never had a problem there from profs or peers.  He did have an ongoing Biblical (fun) debate with some of his peers.  There are actually quite a few students whose beliefs differ in various ways - from Catholic to Arminian to support for gay marriage, etc.  The official college views don't support those, but as I said, many students (at all Christian colleges) will have views that are tweaked a bit.  Some are also only at Christian colleges because that's all mom and/or dad will pay for.  They don't really hold those views - or desires to be there - themselves.

 

Generally (again not always) those on secular campuses who attend Christian clubs regularly are there because they want to be.  Just a difference we've noticed.

[tj_610]

Gr8lander - thx. Finances aren't an issue. In fact, I think ds would do well with the 3-2 program and enjoy the "top notch" last 2 years while being able to spread his wings and mature some in first 3 years. And it seems to me that some of the larger merit scholarships will be more in reach for him at small Christian schools han at big secular schools.

 

Kinsa - that's so encouraging!

 

Igbu and creekland - helpful replies! Thx so much!

Edited April 7, 2017 by tj_610