How the war is making college choice harder

George Washington University used to be one of Josh Jury’s top choices for college. Its vibrant chapter of Hillel, a popular club for Jewish students, piqued the interest of the Illinois high school senior, who wants to study international relations. 

That all changed a few weeks ago, when protesting students projected messages onto the private college's library critical of Israel, the university and its president. In Jury’s view, the university’s response to the controversial incident was “really disheartening.” 

He recently decided to take a gap year between high school and college. As disagreement over the war upends American higher education, he’s not the only student rethinking his college plans.

On top of the typical anxieties the college admissions process invariably brings, many Jewish and Muslim families are now drawing up a new set of criteria for which schools they hope their kids will attend next year. Over the next few months, exactly how college leaders navigate the ongoing conflict could have a notable impact on which campuses parents and students ultimately choose. 

Scroll to read more about the Israel and Hamas war from the Paste BN Network.

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