Freethought & Rationalism Archive

edd · 01-23-2003, 02:54 PM

I am a senior in high school and I am still looking at a few colleges. I had many in mind, and have already applied. However, there is one college that keeps sticking in my mind that I want to apply to, St. John's college. I just wanted some opinions on the collge because many people do not know the college well (along with its unique curriculum).

Any advice on whether the Great Books program is worth it and general opinions on the college are welcome.

Thanks,
Edd

btw, here's the link to their site: www.sjca.edu

Mediancat · 01-23-2003, 04:49 PM

I'm an alumnus. (Class of 1992.)

I loved going there. If you like arguing/talking/discussing/reading, it's definitely for you.

What would you like to know?

Rob aka Mediancat

edd · 01-23-2003, 04:58 PM

What did you do after you went to St. John's?

How has the education helped you in your life?

What did you like the most about the college? Dislike the most?

How did you manage the workload?

Thanks,
edd

cricket · 01-23-2003, 05:16 PM

The Great Books program is intriguing to say the least, and it may be a fabulous way to spend four years. It sure sounds like it!

How long has the school been following this program?

If you are drawn to this school I definitely think you should apply; they are still accepting applications.

What other schools are you considering?

I have a kid who, like you, is a college-bound senior. We sometimes go here to read details about colleges. Do you ever go to that site? I've found valuable info there. Also it features an active set of forums, w/ posters who are feisty and opinionated. Maybe some of them applied to Saint John's, or attend, or know someone who does. Some members are Ivy-snotty brats, but if you wade through you may find useful advice from the better members. There are a few there who are sane, mature, intelligent, helpful, insightful. (Just not very many.) What's important though is that you've found your way HERE (cream of the crop).

There are many college professors, college students and grad students here. So I think you'll get some comments from a few.

Anyway, welcome to the forum! We're glad you found us.

Edited to add: so Rob is an alum? Yay!

Mediancat · 01-23-2003, 05:29 PM

Me, it helped mostly by teaching me how to have productive conversations; how to argue logically, how to back up what I said with evidence.

I have one fellow alum as a friend who's a doctor, one who's a lawyer, one who's a vice president of a software company, one who's a teacher, and one who's going for her PhD in biochemistry.

What I liked most about St. John's was the ideal of the great conversation, and its sincere, honest attempts to make that happen. They don't always work; sometimes a class will be dominated by a couple of know-it-alls, or loud and bitter arguments will happen, but that's not usually the rule.

I also liked the reading and the discussions themselves. Lectures bore me silly; at SJC, I could participate without having to worry about having some professor blather on for hours and hours and put me to sleep.

What I didn't like so much was, well, that it didn't always live up to the ideal, much as it tried to. Also, the manuals. Some of the labs were more about the Great Manuals than the Great Books. Plus, while the SJC library has a large number of the boojs you'll need, you're going to have to shell out some bucks to get all the books you have to read.

But on balance, I loved it, it was a mind-expanding four years, Annapolis is a nice enough place to live, and I wouldn't trade the experience for my own weight in gold.

Anything else?

Rob aka Mediancat

Mediancat · 01-23-2003, 05:31 PM

Incidentally, St. John's is one of the oldest colleges in the country, having been founded sometime in the 1690s. It's been following the Great Books program since 1938, I think.

Rob aka Mediancat

edd · 01-23-2003, 05:32 PM

Cricket, thanks, actually I got to this site by a link posted on princeton review for this site. I have read their opinions on St. John's, but I thought I might find more people who went to St. John's here rather than the prinecton review board (mainly because of the age differences and the types of students).

As for other colleges: Swarthmore, Haverford, Davidson(those were my major reaches), Kenyon, Hamilton, Allegheny, and the College of Wooster. I really wanted colleges that focused on discussion rather than lecture. I am also more focused on learning how to think well (I want to go into law). Also, the idea of senior thesis intrigued me as well. I'd much rather have a paper that shows what I gained from college rather than a degree that showed that I passed all my classes with at least a 2.0.

As far as I know, St. John's has always used the Great Books program, and I know the curriculum at U Chicago is based around the Books, along with Notre Dame's program of Liberal Studies. The program sounds great in my opinion, I hope the campus in Annapolis is great as well. I've looked on www.epinions.com and I was getting a little worried about the college because of some of the reviews, esp. the NM campus, but I'm hoping to visit soon to make sure it is the right fit.

Edd

Mediancat · 01-23-2003, 05:40 PM

I'm on a mailing list for St. John's alums; this was one of the posts on it, and does in my opinion a wonderful job at discussing the program, both good and bad.

The St. John's Program

Rob aka Mediancat

ebolamonger · 01-23-2003, 06:16 PM

i'm also trying to decide whether or not to apply to st john's....thank you, edd, mediancat and cricket, you have been very helpful.

it's been difficult for me to decide whether i'd want to go to st john's, because i still want to play my viola and i want college to be a place where i try new activities, not just read new books....but on the other hand, just reading the list of books makes me salivate.

Philosoft · 01-23-2003, 08:56 PM

I understand their Wort is the best.

Take that, Boro Nut.

01-23-2003, 02:54 PM	#1
edd Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ohio Posts: 5	st. john's college I am a senior in high school and I am still looking at a few colleges. I had many in mind, and have already applied. However, there is one college that keeps sticking in my mind that I want to apply to, St. John's college. I just wanted some opinions on the collge because many people do not know the college well (along with its unique curriculum). Any advice on whether the Great Books program is worth it and general opinions on the college are welcome. Thanks, Edd btw, here's the link to their site: www.sjca.edu

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01-23-2003, 04:49 PM	#2
Mediancat Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baltimore County, MD Posts: 19,644	I'm an alumnus. (Class of 1992.) I loved going there. If you like arguing/talking/discussing/reading, it's definitely for you. What would you like to know? Rob aka Mediancat

01-23-2003, 04:58 PM	#3
edd Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ohio Posts: 5	What did you do after you went to St. John's? How has the education helped you in your life? What did you like the most about the college? Dislike the most? How did you manage the workload? Thanks, edd

01-23-2003, 05:16 PM	#4
cricket Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: St Louis MO USA Posts: 1,188	The Great Books program is intriguing to say the least, and it may be a fabulous way to spend four years. It sure sounds like it! How long has the school been following this program? If you are drawn to this school I definitely think you should apply; they are still accepting applications. What other schools are you considering? I have a kid who, like you, is a college-bound senior. We sometimes go here to read details about colleges. Do you ever go to that site? I've found valuable info there. Also it features an active set of forums, w/ posters who are feisty and opinionated. Maybe some of them applied to Saint John's, or attend, or know someone who does. Some members are Ivy-snotty brats, but if you wade through you may find useful advice from the better members. There are a few there who are sane, mature, intelligent, helpful, insightful. (Just not very many.) What's important though is that you've found your way HERE (cream of the crop). There are many college professors, college students and grad students here. So I think you'll get some comments from a few. Anyway, welcome to the forum! We're glad you found us. Edited to add: so Rob is an alum? Yay!

01-23-2003, 05:29 PM	#5
Mediancat Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baltimore County, MD Posts: 19,644	Me, it helped mostly by teaching me how to have productive conversations; how to argue logically, how to back up what I said with evidence. I have one fellow alum as a friend who's a doctor, one who's a lawyer, one who's a vice president of a software company, one who's a teacher, and one who's going for her PhD in biochemistry. What I liked most about St. John's was the ideal of the great conversation, and its sincere, honest attempts to make that happen. They don't always work; sometimes a class will be dominated by a couple of know-it-alls, or loud and bitter arguments will happen, but that's not usually the rule. I also liked the reading and the discussions themselves. Lectures bore me silly; at SJC, I could participate without having to worry about having some professor blather on for hours and hours and put me to sleep. What I didn't like so much was, well, that it didn't always live up to the ideal, much as it tried to. Also, the manuals. Some of the labs were more about the Great Manuals than the Great Books. Plus, while the SJC library has a large number of the boojs you'll need, you're going to have to shell out some bucks to get all the books you have to read. But on balance, I loved it, it was a mind-expanding four years, Annapolis is a nice enough place to live, and I wouldn't trade the experience for my own weight in gold. Anything else? Rob aka Mediancat

01-23-2003, 05:31 PM	#6
Mediancat Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baltimore County, MD Posts: 19,644	Incidentally, St. John's is one of the oldest colleges in the country, having been founded sometime in the 1690s. It's been following the Great Books program since 1938, I think. Rob aka Mediancat

01-23-2003, 05:32 PM	#7
edd Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ohio Posts: 5	Cricket, thanks, actually I got to this site by a link posted on princeton review for this site. I have read their opinions on St. John's, but I thought I might find more people who went to St. John's here rather than the prinecton review board (mainly because of the age differences and the types of students). As for other colleges: Swarthmore, Haverford, Davidson(those were my major reaches), Kenyon, Hamilton, Allegheny, and the College of Wooster. I really wanted colleges that focused on discussion rather than lecture. I am also more focused on learning how to think well (I want to go into law). Also, the idea of senior thesis intrigued me as well. I'd much rather have a paper that shows what I gained from college rather than a degree that showed that I passed all my classes with at least a 2.0. As far as I know, St. John's has always used the Great Books program, and I know the curriculum at U Chicago is based around the Books, along with Notre Dame's program of Liberal Studies. The program sounds great in my opinion, I hope the campus in Annapolis is great as well. I've looked on www.epinions.com and I was getting a little worried about the college because of some of the reviews, esp. the NM campus, but I'm hoping to visit soon to make sure it is the right fit. Edd

01-23-2003, 05:40 PM	#8
Mediancat Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baltimore County, MD Posts: 19,644	I'm on a mailing list for St. John's alums; this was one of the posts on it, and does in my opinion a wonderful job at discussing the program, both good and bad. The St. John's Program Rob aka Mediancat

01-23-2003, 06:16 PM	#9
ebolamonger Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Posts: 685	i'm also trying to decide whether or not to apply to st john's....thank you, edd, mediancat and cricket, you have been very helpful. it's been difficult for me to decide whether i'd want to go to st john's, because i still want to play my viola and i want college to be a place where i try new activities, not just read new books....but on the other hand, just reading the list of books makes me salivate.

01-23-2003, 08:56 PM	#10
Philosoft Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Southeast of disorder Posts: 6,829	I understand their Wort is the best. Take that, Boro Nut.

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