Navigating the College Search

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  • Navigating the College Search

Think for a moment about what you really want out of life.

Can the next four years help you get there?

If college is your next step, you have several different options, including attending a secular or Catholic college.

But all paths aren’t the same, and your college choice could have significant impact on your faith and future!

Consider This:

  • 1 in 8

    Even at Catholic colleges, nearly 1 in 8 Catholic students leaves the faith by graduation. That’s because many of these colleges have become highly secular.

  • Nearly 75%

    After college graduation, nearly 75% of Catholics do NOT believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

  • Sliding away

    Many college students slide away from prayer, Mass attendance and Catholic beliefs—especially on secular campuses.

Ideally, college should help set you up for success in your faith, family and livelihood.

This is possible at a faithful Catholic college, like those recommended in The Newman Guide. Let’s take a look.

  • Academics

    The courses you take in college–and the professors who teach them–vary greatly from place to place. College is a big investment! You want to be sure that a college’s academic program prepares you for career and for life.

Today, most colleges hold biases in nearly every subject area. They’ve abandoned a traditional core curriculum in the liberal arts. They push ideologies that are often anti-Christian.

But the best Catholic colleges aren’t afraid of truth and Catholic ideas.

What you’ll find at a Newman Guide college:

  • Theology

    They teach theology and philosophy alongside science and the humanities.

  • Ethics

    They consider the ethics of every discipline.

  • Reasoning

    They teach reasoning and communication in addition to facts and skills.

  • Dorm Life

    Did you know that students typically spend only 15 hours per week in the classroom? The rest is spent elsewhere, which is why it’s important to consider the quality of dorm life.

Binge drinking, drug use and the hook-up culture are common on most college campuses. College students report high rates of sexual activity, STDs, pregnancies, abortions, and sexual assaults. That’s no way to grow in faith and maturity!

What you’ll find at the Newman Guide colleges:

  • Single-sex dorms

    Most of the Newman Guide colleges offer only single-sex dorms, which most other colleges have abandoned.

  • No Opposite-Sex Visitors

    Some Newman Guide colleges preserve the privacy of bedrooms, forbidding opposite-sex visitors at all times of the day.

  • Virtue Encouraged

    Newman Guide colleges strive to protect privacy, chastity and the safety of students with reasonable dorm policies.

  • Spiritual Life

    If you go to a secular college, be sure to seek out the Catholic center or local parish and take advantage of opportunities for Mass, Confession, counseling and good friendships.

    But as good as a Catholic center might be–and the quality can vary greatly, so be sure to investigate–it can never offer all the advantages of a faithful Catholic education.

What you’ll find at the Newman Guide colleges:

  • Catholic Culture

    Four years immersed in a truly Catholic culture where faith and virtue are promoted.

  • Vibrant Campus Ministry

    Campus ministry that often provides access to multiple priests and religious, Mass and Confession throughout the week, Eucharistic adoration, celebration of religious feast days and counseling at all times of the day.

  • Fidelity

    The assurance of fidelity to Catholic teaching and practice across the entire education.

  • Campus Life

    Life outside of the classroom should be fun and exciting–and it should help you grow into adulthood. Clubs, sports and social time prepare you for life, career and vocation.

On most college campuses, the lifestyle strongly contradicts Catholic values. Even many Catholic colleges host student clubs, performances, campus speakers and events that oppose Catholic teaching.

What you’ll find at the Newman Guide colleges:

  • Integral Formation

    Newman Guide colleges strive to form the whole person–body, mind and spirit. You’ll be stretched to become the fully human person that God wants you to be.

  • Catholic Campus Life

    Campus life that is conducive to Christian living and study.

  • Good Friends

    You’ll make good friends who share your priorities and values–the sort of friendships that can last a lifetime! They’ll help you navigate the many changes in your life that lie ahead.

  • Bottom Line

    A lot of colleges are known for providing a good education.

    But what is “good”?

    If large numbers of students lose their faith in college–or they fail to become wise and virtuous–then are they really getting a “good education”?

    Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Prayer

At a Newman Guide college, you will find:

  • Faithful and Affordable

    Newman Guide colleges provide a “good” and affordable education in the very best sense.

  • True, Good and Beautiful

    The standards have changed a lot in recent decades, but Newman Guide colleges have never abandoned the True, Good and Beautiful.

  • Preparation for life

    A faithful Catholic college can prepare you to become a leader in your family, workplace and community. Meanwhile, it helps prepare you for eternity in Heaven!

More tips for navigating the college search

Why Choose a Catholic College? How to Know Which College Is Right for You Tips to Make a Good Campus Visit The Importance of Philosophy & Theology How to Pay for College

College Search Timeline

It’s important to begin your college search early! Here’s a suggested college search timeline:

  • Fall of your junior year

    1
    1. Take the PSAT
    2. Start making a list of colleges you are interested in, especially from those in our Newman Guide
    3. Start coming up with a standardized testing plan
    4. Begin looking at financial aid options

  • Winter and spring of your junior year

    2
    1. Continue to look for scholarships, ask colleges about special scholarship weekends or competitions
    2. Narrow down your list of colleges and set dates to visit during the spring
    3. Take the SAT/ACT/CLT

  • Summer between your junior and senior years

    3
    1. Attend a summer “experience” at one or more colleges that you’re interested in

  • Fall of your senior year

    4
    1. Re-take standardized tests if you need to raise your score
    2. Get letters of recommendations
    3. Application essays, recommendations and forms
    4. Complete applications

  • Winter and spring of your senior year

    5
    1. Submit FAFSA form for aid as soon as possible after Jan. 1st
    2. Compete in the Newman Society’s $5,000 Essay Scholarship Contest
    3. Complete any last-minute applications
    4. Compare your options and decide!
Explore Newman Guide Colleges