Gettysburg College Reviews

The school seems to recruit a...

The school seems to recruit a majority of the African American population from schools in Baltimore, but unfortunately they mainly stick to themselves. There is a smattering of Asian students and international students, but the campus is overwhelmingly WASP-y. The most prominent minority is African American. A vast majority of students are from either Baltimore or New Jersey, with most others from pennsylvania, New York, and New England.

Overall gettysburg is a very safe...

Overall gettysburg is a very safe campus. There are always incidences here and there, but it's usally not caused by college students. I live on the first floor of my building and leave my windows open without any problems. All the girls on my floor leave their stuff in the bathroom, like hair straighteners, curling irons, etc., and no one takes them. You can leave your phone and key on a table in Servo to save a seat and no one will take it.

Bella Italia in town is amazing....

Bella Italia in town is amazing. The Pub on the circle is really good, too, and there is also The Green Parrot, Mama Ventura's, and The Ragged Edge (coffee and sandwiches). There are a lot of good places to eat in town, but the food on camnpus is good, too, and we basically already paid for it.

A good majority of the students...

A good majority of the students stay on campus all four years. If you want to live off campus, you have to have it planned out the beginning of sophomore year in order to find an open apartment for the next year. Students can only be off campus junior and senior years. The more coveted apartments right next to campus are difficult to get into because they tend to be 'passed down' from one group of people to the next. It's cheaper, but most don't seem bothered by just living on campus.

The drug scene honestly isn't that...

The drug scene honestly isn't that big at Gettysburg. Sure there are plenty of rumors about everyone doing coke everywhere, but if you don't go looking for it, you won't find it. Pot may be the only drug that you can have easy-moderate access to on campus. Most who look for it can find it after a bit of searching.

Greek life is huge on Gettysburg's...

Greek life is huge on Gettysburg's campus. It's not a big deal if you aren't in a frat or sorority, but it definitely does help the guys to get into frat parties if they are. Most people can pretty easily find the frat or sorority for them because they encompass all types of people. Frat parties dominate the weekend night scene, even for the students able to enjoy the bars around town.

Gettysburg is an athletic campus....

Gettysburg is an athletic campus. A good portion of students are involved in a varsity sport. Lacrosse is the most popular. People who choose not to participate in a varsity sport for whatever reason can readily get involved in club sports (both men's and women's rugby and ultimate Frisbee are popular) or intramurals.

The freshmen dorms in the West...

The freshmen dorms in the West Quad have smaller rooms, but they are a little more close-knit with definitely more of a family feel to them. The East Quad dorms are newer, bigger, and have more closet space. Some of them are air conditioned or have main kitchens. For upperclassmen, Quarry is a great option because the rooms are big, they are all singles, and you get a kitchenette and a living area with every five rooms. Also, each floor has a main kitchen and main seating area. The Apartments are pretty popular choices for sophomores, but I don't like them because they are very small and very far away from campus. Apple dorm is nice, but Musselman is not.

The school owns two small...

The school owns two small restuarants that are in the College Union Building. Within walking distance is a pizzeria called Pizza House. It is convenient because it is open until 1 a.m., but the pizza is not of the best quality; however, for the price and the convenience, it is worth it. There is a Dominos in town that will deliver, but they charge a lot of money. There are also several large restuarants that are about a 10- or 15-minute walk into the town, and they have pretty good food.

There is no public transportation....

There is no public transportation. School transportation goes to Wal-Mart every couple of hours, inconveniently, and to major train stations and airports, for completely outrageous prices. You'll need to find a friend with a car. Or, if you have a car, you'll get fed up with people bumming rides off you.

A typical student has dyed blonde...

A typical student has dyed blonde hair, goes tanning weekly, and wears black spandex with a hoodie and Uggs during the winter. That's the typical student, but we can be way cooler than that.

Bars off campus suck. There's,...

Bars off campus suck. There's, like, nothing. You have to know how to find the good parties on campus. The fraternities are dirty and pretty gross, but then again, so are they all. Once you become an upperclassmen you can find some pretty sweet parties, once people start moving out of the freshman dorms.

This school was the best thing...

This school was the best thing that has ever happened to me! While it was stifling at first—and quite a culture shock —I emerged a stronger, more well-rounded person. I feel prepared and enabled to tackle whatever awaits me upon graduation this May because of the past four years spent at Gettysburg College. Also, Greek life takes quite a rap from its detractors but it gives GC a social edge it would otherwise lack.

There are tons of awesome...

There are tons of awesome restaurants around Gettysburg...thank you tourists! LDs is a late night/brunch choice of many college students. It definitely kills those hangovers really quickly. Ping´s is awesome for sushi and Chinese food. Pizza House and Roman Inn are open late and have amazing pizza. La Bella's is awesome for Italian. There are really nice restaurants, too, if you´re looking for a place to eat with parents. Check out Blue Parrot, Dobbin House, and Gingerbread Man, just to name a few.

I absolutely love it at...

I absolutely love it at Gettysburg. I´ve never thought about transferring or going anywhere else. For me there´s a prerfect balance of academic and social life, and everyone including professors are extremely nice. You can get one on one attention here if you need it, and I just love taking 20 minutes to walk somewhere because I keep running into people I know.

Off campus living is only for...

Off campus living is only for seniors and there´s an application process you have to go through and be approved before you can sign a lease. Not very many people do it. There may be like 15 or so houses that get leased. It´s definitely an option for students that want more independence their senior year. Most people just stick with on campus housing though.

As a freshmen, you can´t rush or...

As a freshmen, you can´t rush or pledge. Sophomore year though, I´d say a vast majority of students go Greek. I love Gettysburg´s Greek scene, which is good because it´s huge and amazingly fun. The college does sponsor other events if you´re not into Greek life, although I´m not entirely sure how popular it is. House parties are pretty popular too, although mostly it´s to pregame before going out to a frat.

Diversity exists if you know what...

Diversity exists if you know what clubs to find. We´re definitely not even remotely diverse, but there are groups on campus that you can get involved with that try to promote and embrace diversity. The students know how homogenous the school is, but something keeps people applying.

Freshman can no longer bring cars,...

Freshman can no longer bring cars, and everyone else has to pay a yearly fee, but there is plenty of parking and guaranteed on campus housing.

There are plenty of places to eat...

There are plenty of places to eat within walking distance as long as you like American or Italian. The Pub and La Bellas are popular. I personally like the Gingerbread Man.

I've never had a problem finding...

I've never had a problem finding parking on campus. There are quite a few parking lots, although some are more of a walk than others. Freshmen are no longer allowed to bring cars to Gettysburg.

There is plenty of parking because...

There is plenty of parking because freshmen can't have cars, except for certain exceptions (golf, equestrian team, education minors, etc.). There is a poorly run shuttle service to go to Wal-Mart and Giant. Thankfully, there is a small grocery store in walking distance.

Gettysburg guys and girls tend to...

Gettysburg guys and girls tend to be rich and preppy. There are plenty of nice, mellow people, but enough rich bitches to notice. Very well dressed as a group.

On campus is very safe, but there...

On campus is very safe, but there have been quite a lot of muggings right off campus. A lot of people go to Lincoln Diner at night, and the walk there is short but dangerous. Security is OK. People frequently get busted for drinking in the dorms. They are better about frat parties and won't stop you unless you are obviously wasted.

Greek life is amazing here. There...

Greek life is amazing here. There are many frats and sororities. The frats have houses, but the sororities don't, but the girls all end up living together off campus anyway. The frat houses are crazy during the weekends and select weekday nights. You dont rush until sophomore year, so freshman year is all about going to all the different frats and enjoying yourself. The beer is free, the music is great, and the atmosphere is amazing. Sororities and fraternities have "mixers" during the weekends, where one frat gets together with a sorority and they have a theme party together. The themes are always really cool; some this year have been: P-Party (be anything that starts with a P), morning-after party, the standard toga party, K-5 (dress like you did in elementary school), champagne and strawberries, wear anything but clothing and many many more. Although you cant go to these as a freshman, the frats usually open up after them, and you can go party with all the interestingly dressed upperclassmen.