Gettysburg College Top Questions

The student body is overall pretty attractive and most of the girls wear the same thing. In the winter uggs and in the spring lilly dresses. There aren't as many pastels as there used to be guys are generally dressing more plain. There are still pockets of very preppy students. The school is becoming more diverse and a lot smarter. I have no idea what type of student would feel out of place at Gettysburg because mostly everyone assimilates to the norm when they get there. Most the students at Gettysburg are from the Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland area. The students are predominantly conservative but more liberal students are coming to the school. There are not that many students that are active in spreading their political thoughts. Most of the students are from a middle class to upper class income level but the school has been offering financial aid to a lot more students and therefore opening to the school to people of different financial backgrounds.

You would think that a liberal arts college might lean toward the liberal side but I was encouraged to see a pretty even balance when it came to political support. I especially admire the encouragement to pursue a greater understanding of the political process on a personal level. Profs like Shirley Ann Warshaw help students to get fired up about politics and she has this way of getting students to look within themselves and challenge their own ideas; not with the purpose of changing them, but to better understand how ideas are formed and how the political process is shaped by the individual.

Gettysburg has a pretty self-selective student population. People who want to go here tend to fit a certain mold and know it, and I think that might be one of the reasons that it's been hard to diversify the school. A lot of kids are friendly to people of other races, sexualities or socio-economic standings, but most people avoid letting such students into their closest circles of friends. International students seem left out of most groups of 'typical' Gettysburg students--white, Christian, straight and at least well-off. When spring finally arrives, expect to see the Gettysburg 'uniform' in full swing: Lily Pullitzer dresses, cardigans, Jack Rodgers and pastels for the boys. Although much of the student body identifies themselves as conservative, most of these students back down from actual political discussion...a LOT of kids simply regurgitate their parents' political views and in reality care little about much that goes on outside of Gettysburg.

The campus is, although it would be nice to pretend it isn't, is noticeably primarily white. Four tables in the dining hall is impossible, because mostly guys from different frats do not interact or girl from different sororities when they're sitting together. Setting aside frats, four tables would be jocks, including girls, black kids, freshman, and weird kids.

I which there was a little more diversity at Gettysburg. It is hard to discuss race relations in a class made up of entirely white students. The college is doing a better job at recruiting minority and foriegn students to Gettysburg. I saw a difference in the make up over my four years there. What students wear to class can range from sweaty tee-shirts after an early morning team practice to a sundress and pearls. There is a wide range with everything inbetween. Most students are from the east coast. The majority are from PA and NJ, within about a 3 hour driving distance. Many students come from New England and VA. I had friends from as far as Oregon and California, but they are few and far between. Gettysburg draws from a wide area considering they are a small, relativley rural school. Politically students range from very active to completely unaware. It deprends on the individual interests. Students are very involved. At last count there were over 140 student groups and organizations on campus. The average student is in 3 extracurricular activities. So get involved, or get outta here.

Gettysburg is a very conservative campus compared to most other universities. Most of the students there are quite wealthy, and definitely dress the part. Girls wear Lily Pulitzer dresses and Jack Rogers sandals to class sometimes. This is definitely not the 'roll out of bed and go to class in your pajamas' kind of school. At lacrosse games, we joke that we're at the Kentucky Derby because girls come dressed like they're going to a fashion show, huge sunhats and all. The students are pretty polarized between those that drink and those that dont, and they dont really interact. Its hard to meet anyone after freshman year unless you enjoy meeting people when you're wasted at a frat party and you barely remember them the next day anyway. Most students plan to be rich when they're adults, especially because they've already got jobs lined up with their wealthy relatives once they graduate. Luckily, there's enough normal people who actually earn their own money and buy their own clothes that someone who shops at American Eagle can still fit in.

Gettysburg College is not very diverse but it is getting better. There is still a long way to go. However students of color on this campus are not any different from others in their involvement in campus clubs and organizations. Students definitely dress to go to class at Gettysburg. Walking past the mail room during lunch hour you'll see lots of people with packages under their arms (J.Crew, Sephora, Vineyard Vines, etc.). Gettysburg is a national school and because of the success of the lacrosse programs it draws students from all over. Mostly from the northeast but as far west as California and as far south as Florida. Here it is trendy to be conservative but most people don't really know what that means. There are probably just as many liberals on campus. I think most students just hope to perpetuate the lifestyle they have enjoyed as a result of their parents success and think conservative politics will get them there.

As much as Gettysburg tries to pretend, there's really not that much diversity. There's the sorority/fraterntiy group, which is stereotypically seen overly tanned and wearing polos, puppy shorts, and Greek t's, and then there are the rest of us. Actually, there's a group for international students that I just discovered my senior year. It seems that the students who are considered "diverse" group together, which makes it more difficult for the WASPs that make up the rest of campus to interact. Even though people may have their specific idea of the typical Gettysburg student, there ARE others on campus who are nothing like that. I can't really say what kind of student would feel out of place at Gettysburg because I know so many different kinds of people who have found a home there. Really, the only qualification is that you enjoy yourself and are able to appreciate the opportunities Gettysburg provides for you. If you're pessimistic and hate learning, you won't enjoy yourself here.

Gettysburg's student body is not very diverse. Most students are white and middle class. Some people dress quite preppy for class, others choose to roll out of bed and come to class in their sweatpants...anything goes. If you walked into the dining hall for dinner you might see a sports team sitting together, a group of freshman from the same hall at one table, and a bunch of girls from the same sorority at another. A lot of student live within a few hours of the school but there are others from all over the country.

I dont think that you only find carbon copies of sorority girls and that sort of thing at Gettysburg- like one might think. Everyone is different- and every one brings something new to the table. However, if you are looking for a very diverse school- Gettysburg is probably not the place to go. It is a private school in southern PA- It just is bound to be what it is. I love that its becoming more diverse- but I don't think it will ever rival the diversity of a big university...