The professors here are absolutely fantastic and do everything in their power to help you succeed. For science majors, the opportunities for research are phenomenal and you get an extreme amount of hands-on experience with different tools that you wouldn't be able to touch at a large state school. The food, while limited in it's options on campus, is always amazing and the dining center is simply wonderful.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Make sure you visit the campus; a lot of people end up here and realize they don't like the small campus feel.
We do have a large greek life presence, but do not let this intimidate you. There are so many ways to enjoy Gettysburg without going greek.
Also, if you like snow days, this might not be the best place for you. Gettysburg does not close for bad weather, and if it does (which has happened to me once in two years), classes are still held at the discretion of the professor (and I had class).
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Some of the introductory classes are very easy and boring; especially if you have AP or IB scores. Once you get into the upper levels though, they're very tough and it will require a good bit of effort. All courses are taught by members of their respective field who have their terminal degree - this means most professors will have a PhD in their field.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
You're only really in a dorm your first year. They're not terrible size wise. The res life staff is really incredible and does a lot to try and make everyone's dorm experience wonderful. There is a distinct difference in dorm quality from west to east quad. East quad has larger rooms, but west quad has nicer bathrooms and it closer (by about a 2 minutes walk) to everything else on campus.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
If you get a chance to visit, make sure you go to the dining center - Servo. They have the best cookies at lunch time. They also have vegan and vegetarian options everyday and will accommodate every dietary need - including gluten free and kosher cooking. Students are invited to walk into the kitchen and ask for something if their diet restricts them from eating the dishes on the menu for that evening.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
There's always Greek events on weekends - so going out and partying is always an option.
Campus Activity Board tries to put on events every weekend as well; including movie nights, coffee houses, band performances, and other fun games. They had rollerskating earlier this year.
There's also really nice TVs in every common room, so if you bring an HDMI cable, movie watching with friends is always an option. Or, if you're like my first-year floor was, setting up video game systems is an option.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Gettysburg is very expensive and it looks extremely intimidating at first. However, the financial aid staff is very helpful and will work with students to help find them ways to afford Gettysburg. You get so much more than classes out of that money though. Our Center for Career Development will work one-on-one with students to help get them jobs as soon as they exit college and get internships while they're in school. They teach networking workshops and frequently host employers on campus for interviews. Plus, the alumni network of Gettysburg is so extensive and when people leave, they take a piece of Gettysburg with them in their hearts. Alumni love hiring graduates and a lot of alums will credit the alumni network with helping them get their jobs.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Because everyone messes it up: Stine Lake is not a lake. It's a grassy field in front of the library that used to flood before the library was built. The name stuck, but please don't look for a lake when you're trying to navigate campus.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
It's actually really hard to not get involved. A lot of students end up complaining about having too many activities and having to cut back.
There's an activities fair at the beginning over every semester for students to find clubs to get involved in. And accepted students can come to Get Acquainted Day to get a taste for what kind of activities they can get involved in before they get here.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
As with every campus, there is the risk of sexual assault. Our Department of Public Safety (DPS, campus security) does not take any of these matters lightly. Additionally they offer an personal escort service and will walk students back to their dorms if they're out late at a friends house or an academic building.
The professors here are absolutely fantastic and do everything in their power to help you succeed. For science majors, the opportunities for research are phenomenal and you get an extreme amount of hands-on experience with different tools that you wouldn't be able to touch at a large state school. The food, while limited in it's options on campus, is always amazing and the dining center is simply wonderful.
Make sure you visit the campus; a lot of people end up here and realize they don't like the small campus feel. We do have a large greek life presence, but do not let this intimidate you. There are so many ways to enjoy Gettysburg without going greek. Also, if you like snow days, this might not be the best place for you. Gettysburg does not close for bad weather, and if it does (which has happened to me once in two years), classes are still held at the discretion of the professor (and I had class).
Some of the introductory classes are very easy and boring; especially if you have AP or IB scores. Once you get into the upper levels though, they're very tough and it will require a good bit of effort. All courses are taught by members of their respective field who have their terminal degree - this means most professors will have a PhD in their field.
You're only really in a dorm your first year. They're not terrible size wise. The res life staff is really incredible and does a lot to try and make everyone's dorm experience wonderful. There is a distinct difference in dorm quality from west to east quad. East quad has larger rooms, but west quad has nicer bathrooms and it closer (by about a 2 minutes walk) to everything else on campus.
If you get a chance to visit, make sure you go to the dining center - Servo. They have the best cookies at lunch time. They also have vegan and vegetarian options everyday and will accommodate every dietary need - including gluten free and kosher cooking. Students are invited to walk into the kitchen and ask for something if their diet restricts them from eating the dishes on the menu for that evening.
There's always Greek events on weekends - so going out and partying is always an option. Campus Activity Board tries to put on events every weekend as well; including movie nights, coffee houses, band performances, and other fun games. They had rollerskating earlier this year. There's also really nice TVs in every common room, so if you bring an HDMI cable, movie watching with friends is always an option. Or, if you're like my first-year floor was, setting up video game systems is an option.
Gettysburg is very expensive and it looks extremely intimidating at first. However, the financial aid staff is very helpful and will work with students to help find them ways to afford Gettysburg. You get so much more than classes out of that money though. Our Center for Career Development will work one-on-one with students to help get them jobs as soon as they exit college and get internships while they're in school. They teach networking workshops and frequently host employers on campus for interviews. Plus, the alumni network of Gettysburg is so extensive and when people leave, they take a piece of Gettysburg with them in their hearts. Alumni love hiring graduates and a lot of alums will credit the alumni network with helping them get their jobs.
Because everyone messes it up: Stine Lake is not a lake. It's a grassy field in front of the library that used to flood before the library was built. The name stuck, but please don't look for a lake when you're trying to navigate campus.
It's actually really hard to not get involved. A lot of students end up complaining about having too many activities and having to cut back. There's an activities fair at the beginning over every semester for students to find clubs to get involved in. And accepted students can come to Get Acquainted Day to get a taste for what kind of activities they can get involved in before they get here.
As with every campus, there is the risk of sexual assault. Our Department of Public Safety (DPS, campus security) does not take any of these matters lightly. Additionally they offer an personal escort service and will walk students back to their dorms if they're out late at a friends house or an academic building.