Student Profile
AJ
- Class: Senior
- Major: Business
- Gender: F
- High School: North Clarion
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Gettysburg is a small, liberal arts college that offers great professor-student interaction and small class sizes. The sacrifice, I suppose, is that the campus is not located in a typical college town, so there are not a lot of activities to be involved in within the surrounding area. The college tries to compensate for this by offering a variety of clubs and activities on campus, and there are also many social groups to join. One aspect of Gettysburg that sold me was the off-campus studies program whereby students can study in a myriad of affiliated countries and pay the same expenses as attending Gettysburg. With that being said, however, Gettysburg's tuition and selectivity are increasing, making it difficult for low-income and underprivileged students to afford the college and ultimately adding to its stereotypical image as a predominantly caucasian prep school.
Academic Life
Academics is Gettysburg's strong point due to its small class sizes, which are comprised of no more than approx. 30 students. In this class setting, professors learn students names and expect them to participate. The professors are also very helpful and friendly outside of class, and I have become friends with many in my department. The only complaint that I have about the professors is one common at many colleges; the tenured professors often no longer have a passion for teaching, and students grades and education suffer as a result. The academic requirements at Gettysburg are appropriate, but I believe that some of the general edu. requirements, such as two science courses or 2 years of language, might occupy too much of the course load and limit students from taking courses that are of more interest to them because there are many unique classes offered. Students study quite a bit and are often found in the library, which has very helpful staff and extended hour access.
Student Body
Here is the section where steretypical Gettysburg comes into play. The students are mostly all middle or upper-class caucasians, so minority students, whether it be racial, socio-economic, or some other group, often feel out of place on campus even though they might form friendships with typical Gettysburg students. There are groups for almost every type of minority represented on campus, but I think that these groups further exclude them from the main social atmosphere. There is not really any prejudice exhibited between students, however, and the lack of acceptance is more subtle than outright. Students are not really politically active or into any specific causes because campus life seems to take precedence over the outside world.
The Best Things
The staff and professors
The Worst Things
The way that the sorority girls all sound alike
