As America has grown more polarized, the surrounding political climate has increasingly become a factor in students’ minds when applying to college. Over a quarter of M-A juniors said they would rule out certain colleges solely because of a state’s laws or political climate.
“In the last ten years, I’ve run into more students making conscious decisions to apply only to certain areas that either fit their political beliefs or to avoid certain areas so that they feel safe to be themselves or have access to healthcare that they might need,” College and Career Center counselor Mai Lien Nguyen said.
According to an M-A Chronicle survey, all juniors who identified as “far left” on the political spectrum said they would rule out applying to a certain college based on the state’s laws or popular political views, while 42% of students who identified as “left of center” said so.
“In areas that are more right-leaning, I think there’s more of a chance for radical, dangerous beliefs. And that’s not really what I want,” senior Ryan Dyer said.
Meanwhile, 50% of students who identified as “far right” and 33% of students who identified as “right of center” said they would rule out applying to certain colleges based on their states’ laws or political views.
These trends are not unique to M-A—a national survey found that one in four students ruled out colleges solely due to policies, politics, or legal situations in the states where the schools were located. 35% of liberal students excluded states due to their political environments, while 29% of conservative students did so.
The survey noted that liberal students’ top reasons for excluding certain colleges were restrictive abortion policies and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Conservative students’ top reasons for excluding certain colleges were states being too democratic and too liberal LGBTQ+ laws.
Many students were concerned about healthcare access, especially since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “The concerns and issues have become more acute given legislative trends at local, state, and federal levels in recent years. Ever since Roe v. Wade was struck down, students themselves have brought up access to women’s healthcare as a reason to prefer some regions over others,” Nguyen said.
“I think most of the health policies that would be instated with a new presidency were big factors for me because if I have a health crisis and I can’t access certain things, that’s really bad for me,” senior Heidi Chen said.
LGBTQ+ acceptance was also a common concern for students. “As a queer person of color, being in an area where I can be accepted, where I can be myself at college, and where I can meet like-minded and diverse people is really important to me,” senior and GSA president Zoe Fong said. “Both for my safety and for becoming a more worldly citizen.”
The recent election also changed students’ perspectives on what colleges they were applying to. Junior Hailey Hintze saw President Trump’s election as a major influence on her college list.
“I definitely feel that I am now restricting my list to more liberal states mostly because of conflicts of interest from the government and fear of infringement on my rights,” Hintze said. “A couple of my safety schools were in Utah because I have a lot of family there, and I think that that won’t be an option for me anymore.”
Ultimately, students are trying to find spaces where they are comfortable to grow and be themselves as they transition into adulthood. “College is a time when people have the opportunity to learn more about others unlike themselves,” Nguyen said.
“Learning about others, getting along, and appreciating differences are areas of personal growth that don’t just begin or end with college,” Nguyen added. “I just hope that no matter what students do after M-A, they continue to stay curious and empathetic about others.”
