Gettysburg College Top Questions

For the most part, yes. the majority of the students are very well-off. Because of this, they seem to wear brands of clothes that are more expensive, which tend to be preppier than other, less-expensive clothes. Of course, there are also people who are not wealthy and do not look like they stepped out of a J.Crew catalog.

Yes, you will find these kids on campus, but if you get to know everyone for people you find that a lot of the students have had to work as hard as everyone else and just because they have a trust fund doesn't mean they are or think they are better than everyone else. It does matter how you look on campus and partying is a big thing, but if you are who you are the people who matter will respect that and if they don't they really don't matter as well.

For some of the students, these are true, but there are still many others that do not fit those categories. This one is most definitely not true. Of course there are some people who choose Gettysburg because of its enriched history but not everyone knows about the battle. In fact, there was a person I met my freshman year who did not even know which side won the battle of Gettysburg.

Sort of. A lot of people do come to Gettysburg for the history department, for obvious reasons, but it really is a great department, and we're the only school with a Civil War Era Studies minor. I had lots of friends who were history majors that weren't nerds ;-)

No, many students live modestly and embody the typical broke college student who does not receive hand outs from their parents. Also, though Greek Life is present, it does not dominate one's social life. As a member of a sorority, I can honestly say that I have made many good friends within the sorority as well as outside of it from the activities I do.

most gettysburg students come from wealthy backgrounds, however the grand majority of the student body is genuine, down to earth, and extremely likeable.

Yeah, there's a lot of striped Abercrombie polo shirts and a few BMWs, but there's a niche to be filled for everyone on campus. Just because the rich kids are the ones you hear about doesn't mean that they're all we have at Gettysburg, or even that they're a majority. It's so easy to roll with whatever crowds you feel most comfortable in, and friendships are intertwined in all of them.

A majority of students do have a lot of money, however NOT all students are wealthy and a lot of students, including myself, get a significant amount of financial aid. I also think that for the most part, the students are very friendly on campus.

I would be lying to say that Gettysburg doesn't have it's fair share of rich, preppy kids. There are quite a few of them around. However, there are plenty of other students from "normal" backgrounds. Gettysburg does have a decent history program, but it isn't even one of the most common majors. True, you may see reenactors come to class in their costumes on occasion, but overall the historical significance of the town doesn't much affect the school itself.

To a point these facts are correct. Their is a lot of wealthy and preppy students here however that doesnt mean the whole student body is like that. Their are all types of crowds and anyone could fit into this campus.

Preppy- yes, many people are preppy- but not all of us! Yes- we are surrounded by battlefields Compared to other colleges I visited, Gettysburg is more down to earth and welcoming. I definetley feel like it is a community- but you also need to be outgoing to feel that you are part of the community.

Pretty much yes. On the way to and from class you are virtually gauranteed to see at least five people wearing lily, boys dressed in pastel with popped collars and someone will either be talking about the shitshow they were the night before or will in fact still be drunk and discussing it loudly with their frat brothers.

Sometimes.

There are defintitely cases (and people) where this stereotype is true, a girl who drives two minutes to class in a Range Rover for example. But, over my four years I saw Gettysburg really trying to become more diverse, the numbers of minorities increased, and there seems now to truly be a niche for every type of person.

To an extent. There is definitely a prep atmosphere that dominates the college based on the type of suburban students that it attracts, but there are a large number of other groups as well that add flavor to the campus. The caucasian part is unfortunately true, but the college is making an effort to increase the diversity of the campus. I believe that around 1/2 the campus is involved in Greek Life, but this means that there is about an equal number of students who are not. Personally, I've never felt excluded or unhappy because I chose not to participate in Greek life.

Although a lot of the students do represent this stereotype it doesn't mean that their personalities are not to like. Not everyone wears Lily, Vineyard vines, J-crew,etc...You will not be judged by what you choose to wear either. Gettysburg is getting more diverse but it is very true that majority of the population is represented by higher than middle-class white students.

Sometimes - but not always.

To a certain extent, this stereotype is true. You see a lot of upper-middle class white kids from New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester. It's certainly not 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, but it makes any kids that don't fit that mold seem like definite tokens. ("Oh, there's that Asian kid! Isn't that the same one I saw this morning?") The "middle of nowhere" stereotype is true to a certain extent (it's actually impossible to get to campus by way of public transportation), but it's no more of a problem than at any other of the central PA schools. A lot of Gettysburg students are jocks. And those who don't play organized sports dominate the intramural leagues. But I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing.

yes

To an extent. But anyone can find friends with their own interests. There are more than plenty of obnoxious snobs, but still, Gettysburg can be a great community with the right circle of friends.