Ever heard of the New College of Florida? If not, and you’re approaching high school graduation (or your kid is), add it to your list. Because if you can’t get into New York University or Stanford, New College is the third most gay-friendly school in the nation.
It shouldn’t be terribly surprising that the Princeton Review ranks NYU as its gay friendliest school: The university is plopped down in the middle of the most gay-friendly district in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Of course, that doesn’t mean the school has to foster an environment of acceptance for students, but word is, it does!
But good luck getting in. Stanford, at No. 2, is also an academic long shot unless your SAT score is 2400, you’ve got extracurriculars and volunteer work out the azz, and the past three generations of your family attended. And if you don’t have that going for you?
Check out New College, a school of just 785 students in Sarasota.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Maybe not so shocking is that, among its accolades — which, in addition to gay-friendly, include “Great Financial Aid” and “Nobody Plays Intramural Sports” — are “Least Religious Students,” “Most Liberal Students,” and “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians.”
And if that weren’t enough, just check out that campus.
(h/t)
Lauren
I’m about to start my fourth and final year at New College (it was crazy to see it pop up on one of my favorite blogs!) and I can tell you from personal experience that NCF is one of the most free and liberal campuses ever. It’s a bubble of safety and acceptance for all the permutations of the gay community, LGBTQI…ETC.
More than that, New College is proud of its students’ gay accomplishments. I have a gay fiction book coming out from Rebel Satori Press this summer and got this press release on the NCF News blog: http://www.ncf.edu/news/?p=1615
It’s a beautiful school, the academics are rigorous, and the atmosphere is priceless, though somehow well within affordable range. I can’t say enough good things.
Scott
While I don’t mean to contend that the college is anything but friendly, the rankings are not an accurate assessor. Once one reaches the top of the first tier in liberal arts colleges and universities (those where most of the students’ parents are educated and affluent), its very difficult to pick which are the best for queer students. That these rankings put Stanford above Smith or Vassar is suspect to me.
dsdrane
Not to mention the fact that Yale, for all that’s holy, isn’t in the top 20 gay-friendly schools. Did they even visit!?
Noktomezo
I go to a Quaker college that loves the gays and everyone else.
Ben
Seriously? Stanford is more gay freindly than New College? But that is the Princeton Review’s deal… but this article treats NCF as if it were … well not a good school:
“Maybe not so shocking is that, among its accolades — which, in addition to gay-friendly, include “Great Financial Aid” and “Nobody Plays Intramural Sports” — are “Least Religious Students,” “Most Liberal Students,” and “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians.””
you state those things but not our place on the best value list by the Princeton Review nor our place among the top public colleges for undergrad.
Alcibiades
I agree that among many top tier colleges it’s almost a moot point these days deciding which is the most gay friendly. I also doubt the climate at these schools changes as much as the Princeton Review list does, year to year.
That said, why all the Stanford hate? As a gay boy who graduated from there fairly recently, I can vouch for the fact that there is very little open homophobia on campus (I’ve seen guys making out at several frat parties and no one gave a shit) and lots of institutional queer support. Plus lots of hot boys. And the-not-exactly-homophobic city of San Francisco is 45 minutes away. Sounds like some East Coasters are bitter that the West coast queers can get a very accepting atmosphere AND endless sunshine.
TANK
The smartest man I’ve ever met went there.
TANK
I hate stanford because richard rorty taught there for several years before his death. And fuck richard rorty.
Lauren
@Alcibiades: How come they don’t call California the Sunshine State? The east coast is under the sun too, but I must say that California is awfully blue politically, which is why I’m looking at CA for grad school. I imagine that whole cities in California are just like New College… please tell me I’m right.
Alcibiades
@ Lauren – I love California. The generally liberal politics, the weather, the incredible geographic diversity, the great food, international populace, all of it. In most of the north and the coasts, the state is very queer friendly and progressive. I’ve studied at Berkeley and Stanford; both were great as far as queer issues go (Stanford better primarily just because it has a lot more $ to fund programs). The extended SF Bay Area (from Santa Cruz onto Marin) is very open minded and also intellectually dynamic. Including Stanford, for all you haters. Northern California culture is more hippie / bohemian / tech influenced, whereas the South is more into glamour, hollywood and (in large swaths at least) flash. I’m generalizing, obviously. You should take some time to visit and see which part you like better, as they are very different. I’d avoid Orange County and the central valley, from a queer friendliness perspective (of course areas will have individually decent people).
Saah
@Noktomezo:
Yo… Swarthmore? Haverford? I go to Haverford and it’s awesome.
hmmm
I’m a gay grad of Stanford, and it was frickin awesome. Totally gay-friendly, a wonderful LGBT center, an annual drag celebration called Genderfuk, an introductory seminar on Gay Autobiographies, cute guys (I dated the whole time I was there), an easy drive to San Francisco.
I’m sure other colleges are gay friendly, too, but it’s hard to imagine any campus MORE gay friendly than Stanford.
TANK
@Saah:
swarthmore! THe greatest philosopher of the latter half of the twentieth century was an undergrad at swarthmore! David Kellogg Lewis. Also, I have friends who teach there.
schlukitz
College of hard Knocks Here! ;o)
Chitown Kev
I’m surprised that no Berkeley people have come on here that I know of to slam Stanford.
schlukitz
While admittedly off topic, I would like to mention that the Pink mansion on the waterfront in the background, is Ca D’Zan, which was the home of John and Mable Ringling as well as the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art which is located on a 66 acre estate bordering Sarasota Bay.
Whether one is planning on attending the New Collage of Florida or not, a visit to both the Mansion and the Museum is well worth the time spent getting there.
I have visited there two or three times. The last time I was there, the Mansion and the gorgeous marble pier on Sarasota Bay were being completely renovated. It is my intention to visit there again in the fall when I return home from New York City.
The best time to see the interior of the Mansion is late in the afternoon when the sun is setting over Sarasota Bay and the suns rays are coming through the delicately tinted, hand-blown glass panels that compose the west wall of the Mansion.
It’s beyond description.
Here is the URL to the site for further information.
http://www.ringling.org/CadMansion.aspx
Saah
@TANK:
Though I’m a Fordie I’ve taken classes at Swat (which now means that just about anyone at either campus can now identify me). Also, I feel like the fans of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_foucault might disagree with you on that whole greatest philosopher of the second half of the 20th century thing. That said I loath Foucault so I’ll take your word on Kellog Lewis even if he is a Swattie.
TANK
@Saah:
Foucault was a continental philosopher, not analytic…mainstream philosophers in the analytic tradition don’t pay much heed to those types because they’re not very clear. Different school, a lot of different issues. Lewis definitely took the title from Quine.
TANK
@TANK:
And then he dropped dead of diabetes…it a was real shame. Generations of philosophers aren’t gonna be taught how to do philosophy by him. It was a real shame.
Ned
Wow, what poor research. Also among NCF’s accolades are 31 Fulbright fellows in the past 13 years; ranking third in the nation when adjusted for per capita percentage.
Also I’d like to note that growing up with a well-known gay activist for a mother and having worked for the LGBT center in New York, queerty is practically unrecognized in the community. Among their accolades are…nothing other than providing useless gossip (jossip being the main site and queerty being the gay one). The sad thing is that the founder, David Hauslaib has made a fortune from internet brain-farts (such as this) and paparazzi photos. In a way you could even say this comment supporting the site, except that it will either be read or deleted.
It’s really a shame that the articles can’t follow the same policy as comments, particularly regarding “queerty’s rights” and abuse.
La Belle Otero
My ex went to New College. He used to be gay. Does that count?
The Observer
Go to Oxford, UK – gay, gay, gay. Even the straight boys…are curious.
schlukitz
@La Belle Otero:
Ex-lover.
Ex-gay.
Is he also an ex-smoker? LOL
David
I’m a senior at Stanford now, and I can tell you, there may be other places equal in ‘gay-friendliness,’ but there is no place that’s more gay-friendly. I think eventually there’s no point in saying that Smith or Yale or Stanford is more gay-friendly, because their cultures are identical with respect to gay-friendliness. I remember in the 2008 election, there were 2-3 students who were championing prop 8 on White Plaza, and there was a HUGE crowd standing in opposition to them. It was pretty much them against the whole school. Seriously, it’s the people who don’t believe in gay rights who have difficulty “coming out” at Stanford, because you *will* be judged harshly if you say anything homophobic or even if you say that gay rights are wrong. It’s akin to saying something racist; people react very negatively.
Stanford’s nondiscrimination policy is also progressive, mentioning both sexual orientation and gender identity. In fact a big debate on campus now is whether ROTC will be reinstated, and it looks like it won’t because it violates university policy by discriminating against transgendered people.