Justin Katz, proprietor of the Timshel Arts page, responds to my post inviting readers to contribute their suggestions about how to choose an appropriate college:

Having read the email that you posted from a father who is 14 years closer to the travail of college-picking than I am, and as a staunch conservative who graduated from college not too long ago, I thought I'd mention some additional considerations as parents choose where to send their children for higher education.

For my part, I found being just about the only vocal conservative in any of my classes to be a tremendous motivator and fabulous experience, all told. I suppose it depends on one's children and their individual ambitions. I had spent some time in manual labor when I decided to finally finish off my degree, so I knew why I was there. I'm also outspoken and intended to become a writer of some sort. A relatively meek adolescent who wants only to get through the required courses unscathed on the way to more career-specific training would be a different matter.

Another thing I would mention, that I wish I'd known to consider when I reached for the most prestigious school possible out of high school, is that the level of the school will not prohibit a student from acquiring a top-notch education, nor will the level ensure it. If one knows his or her children to be particularly bright and motivated, it may be that they will learn the most valuable lesson --- how to learn --- where the resources are not overflowing. Of course, career intentions arise here, again.

Lastly, I would suggest that various pundits and other writers are professors and make their email addresses available. Specifically, I'm thinking of the conservatives, mostly because they are the embattled minority on campus. A short note to such people might yield an honest inside perspective.