Most of us high school juniors have a lot happening this semester. Our schedules are jam-packed with standardized testing, regular school work, social events, and sports. This is also the most popular time of year for prospective students to tour colleges. I am sure that I was not the only one who doom-scrolled through the websites of every college I have ever considered a possibility for myself when it was time to start planning tours. Or maybe I was and I'm just exposing myself, but the point is, it’s a lot to think about. 

The college process is overwhelming for any high school student, but ever since the recent rise in antisemitic-rooted protests on American college campuses, we have one more aspect to consider as Jewish teens. 

Being aware of this, I took the time to research the current situation at each school on my list before visiting their campuses. A resource that was incredibly helpful for this was ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card. This page has information on 135 different schools and evaluates administrative policies, Jewish campus life, and conduct concerns. All this data is used to calculate a letter grade on how safe the school is for Jewish students. Personally, knowing that ADL gave all the campuses that I visited a B grade or above made me feel much more comfortable when thinking about a possible future living on them. 

Of course, the things I saw with my own eyes when I was actually on tours would be very important as well. I tried to notice any signs of positivity towards Jewish life from either the Jewish students themselves or any other student group actively showing support. 

Many colleges with a Greek presence have specifically Jewish sororities and fraternities. Some examples of primarily Jewish organizations are Sigma Delta Tau, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Zeta Beta Tau, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and Sigma Alpha Mu. If you know for a fact that want to rush, keep a lookout for these letters across your Greek row!

Another important factor, especially for those of us who are more religious, is to ensure that there is a Hillel or Chabad on campus (maybe even both!). These are communities for Jewish college students to come together and observe Shabbat and Jewish holidays while away from home. 

Lastly, something that caught my attention during my tours was the presence of multicultural centers or faith groups that host events for everyone regardless of whether they fit the description of the movement or not. For example, on one campus, I saw an interfaith center that gives out cupcakes every Tuesday. Any student can get one by stopping by the center at some point. The organizers of this are trying to do something nice for their entire school community and do not mind what religion the people that attend are. I thought that students who were so open and friendly could not possibly act antisemitic towards their Jewish peers. 

For all current or rising juniors who may have nerves about continuing or beginning the college process as a Jewish student, I recommend considering these ideas. Doing background research and looking out for small, yet revealing, things really helped me figure out the Jewish scene when I was visiting colleges and I hope it can do the same for all of you!