Gettysburg College Top Questions

Gettysburg is amazing. I would say that officially the best aspect of Gettysburg is the faculty. I have not had a professor that was not amazing in my first three semesters. I feel that all of these professors could be teaching on any level that they want, and have chosen a small liberal arts college for the personalized teaching and the intimate classroom environment. The town of Gettysburg, while beautiful, is a little ridiculous at times. You need to drive to get to a grocery store, fast food, or a wal-mart, because of borough ordinances requiring them to locate outside of town. This can be something of a hassle, but everyone should know someone with a car. There is nothing to do in the town of gettysburg itself, so entertainment on the weekend is what you make of it.

I'll tell you the story of why I decided to come here. It seems an appropriate way to address the question. I applied to Gettysburg on a whim. I was really intimidated by the college selection process and applied to a handful of schools without looking at them very carefully. I was accepted into Penn State University Park in November of my senior year, and was essentially decided that I was going to go there. It seemed a safe choice. Gettysburg, however, kept sending me nice things in the mail - handwritten postcards, books about programs that looked really interesting, and congratulatory letters from just about anyone who was in charge of anything. And a very nice scholarship, too. I didn't realize when I applied just how small this school was, and how much it meant to be accepted here. Honestly, I didn't really care - I received my acceptance letter in the mail one day after school, opened the packet, said to myself "That's nice" and went about my day. It was only as decision day approached that I thought it might be worth taking a serious look at Gettysburg. It seemed like an opportunity that I would regret not taking advantage of. So I visited the campus for the first time about one week before I needed to officially decide where I was going to college. I drove down with my family on Get Acquainted Day, the open house for accepted students. The weather was hideous - rainy, cloudy, and cold. But even as we were stuck in a traffic jam downtown, I was looking out the window and admiring the picturesque buildings in the little town square. Gettysburg has so much history, and the town is peppered with antique shops and coffee houses and little restaurants, as well as somewhat tacky tourist shops. The town is very endearing. When we got to the campus, it was more of the same - towering brick buildings and big green fields and basically everything that I thought college should be. Everyone was so excited to welcome visitors. Their enthusiasm was overwhelming. Every person I met that day, and every encounter that I had, convinced me - in the span of one short day - that this was where I needed to be. Even in the ugly weather, the campus was charming, and everyone was so friendly and warm. The tuition is staggering, yes. I decided that if I didn't absolutely love it here, I would look into transferring out. But after about one full day of being in Gettysburg, after move-in, I knew that I would never want to leave. The opportunities here are amazing. I've made some of the best friends. And I've learned so much in just two years - the professors and classes are absolutely incredible.

Gettysburg is a small town in the middle of nowhere. There is one bar in town, so if you're looking to go out you basically go to frats. There are a bunch of events that the school puts on, or student groups put on, but party-wise, you have frats. The nearest city is Harrisburg, 45 minutes away, then Baltimore, a bit over an hour, so basically there is nothing nearby either. If you're looking for something to really give you a lot of activities on the weekends, then either don't go here or go looking for your own activities. Again, with the right people you're guaranteed a good time.

One thing I'd definitely change is forcing freshmen to get the USA meal plan; it's far too expensive for those of us who aren't varsity lacrosse players and it limits our options far too much. I'm 19 years old, I think I can make my own decisions about when, where and what I eat. I wish the school was a bit bigger, however, sometimes it's really nice to be part of a small, close-knit community. Having a small campus makes it easier to get everywhere, but having a small student body means everyone knows everyone elses' business.

Gettysburg is a perfect sized school although at times can feel a little small. There is no college town so the fraternity houses are the only social outlets. greek system is huge here anyone who is anyone is in a frat or sorority they dominate the social scene and the classroom. I spend most of my time on campus either in my frat house or outside. when its cold im in the cub (campus union buildiung) Not much school pride no one cares about the sports here and alot of the athletes think they're hot shit. Gettysburg is unusual because everyone eventually falls into the mold and conforms to the normal student. we dont like different wierdo kids.

My favorite thing about Gettysburg is the campus. Everything is so close by, I do not have to walk far to get to the library or to the dining hall, Servo. Everything is right there. If I had to change one aspect about Gettysburg, it would be the amount of access to daily needs such as toiletries. The Commons, a cafe, sells some- but there is not much choice if you are in desperate need of an item or of a selection. We could upgrade the amount of food options as well. Most of my time is spent in my dorm. I am not a library person, but that does not mean I don't appreciate it being right there. Everyone has their favorite spot on campus to study or hang out. I do not think Gettysburg is a college town at all. It is better than some towns, but all it has to offer are a couple cute cafes and restaurants. If you need groceries or personal items, you need a car. The Dean of Students was actually one of my professors and she is active and well-liked on campus. I have not heard much about the President, so I can't really offer an opinion on her. From what I have heard, she is hard to get in touch with. We have a good amount of school pride, there could be more outcomes at athletic events but I believe we have more turn-out then a lot of other D3 schools in our conference.

best thing: small campus, everything is close by change: get off of class when sidewalks are sheets of ice size: perfect size for me reaction: they view gettysburg as a proficient school and seem approving time spent: dorms hanging out with people what college town? administration: attempt to know everybody, lacking in some areas controversy: abortion protest outside of the cafeteria school pride: decent amount nothing too unusual winning intramural basketball championship internet is too slow

Gettysburg is the perfect size where you see people you know in classes and the dining hall but there are enough people so that you don't see the guy you hooked up with last week everywhere you go. Definitely not a college town...most of the partying, socializing, and everything else happens of campus.

The best part about gettysburg is the sense of community. The school works really hard to have a good program set up when first years arrive on campus to get them to get to know one another. The first couple of days orientation can be awkward but the school does a great job keeping everyone busy and excited about the year to come. The whole campus has a very friendly vibe. People are constantly holding doors for one another and saying hi / giving a friendly smile. The school is on the smaller side which i think is a huge benefit. When you meet people out or in class you have the chance to run into them again - unlike a big school where you might now. The majority of students stay on campus - greek life is where its at socially. There is a town with in walking distance with a couple of good restaurants and civil war shops - nice in good weather to just take a walk and get off campus but there is not too much going on there. Outlets are just a 20 min car ride away tho and so are movie theaters. As a freshman i have had no problem staying on campus the whole time - there is awlays tons to do! (but bringing a car is an option) I have had some of the best classes and teachers at my short time here and am looking foward to the next three years. The teachers are all very open to meeting with students after school and most email as a way of constant contact. Many of them are often good at keeping up to date grades on our online website which is very helpful. There are many ways to get help in classes you are stuggeling in too - the school provides writing centers, math help, language help etc. i attended the math help or calc aid often during my first semester and found it very beneficial. Food is alright but can get tiresome after awhile - meal plans can be changed after freshman year adding a little more of an option but not much. The biggest complaint would probably be the gym but they have plans to build a new one in a few years.

Gettysburg is not a large college but I was looking for smaller so it is perfect for what I wanted. It is not too small either so many people feel comfortable here. It is not that well known from what I have gathered but there are certainly people from different areas. There are not that many international students and one thing I miss is a lot of diversity. Gettysburg itself is small with not that much to do but there are places to eat and movie theaters as well as outlets and shopping areas. It is not far from Harrisburg and Baltimore and there are other schools like Shippensburg that are not too far away and people sometimes go to for other events. Greek life on campus is big because there is not much else around. Plenty of people are involved in other things though if frats are not your scene. The Attic, the on campus club, holds different parties and events most weekends to offer students something different. Gettysburg is not a suitcase school so most everyone remains on campus on the weekends.