Goucher College Reviews

Weather is unpredictable

It changes every five min. It was 70 degrees in November and 40 degrees last week.

All the facilities are nice but...

All the facilities are nice but not as nice as they would be at a larger university.

It does not exist. If you are...

It does not exist. If you are looking for Greek life, you can ride the shuttle to Towson University or Johns Hopkins and have a good safe time. However, many people at Goucher chose it partly because they are not interested in participating in Greek life.

Freshman have to park in what is...

Freshman have to park in what is called the North Lot, which is at the academic side of campus. While this campus is pretty small in comparison to some, the distance is a bit of a nuisance, especially in the windy winter. Upperclassmen parking is convenient due to its proximity, but it is often difficult to find spots.

The SRC (the gym) is great. It...

The SRC (the gym) is great. It just got new treadmills and elliptical machines that have TVs attached with headphone jacks—I enjoy them. There's a sauna that not many people know about, so it's almost always open and an indoor pool that is open during the day. There are two indoor basketball courts and one outdoor one—you can rent equipment from the SRC; you just give them your OneCard. There are four racquetball courts that are new and nice, outdoor tennis courts that are open as long as the tennis team isn't practicing on them, and a few practice fields where the Frisbee, lacrosse, and soccer teams practice. The library is really great. The library is open 24/7, which is SO great.

Like housing, all students are...

Like housing, all students are allowed a spot. Parking is available for everyone.

The library is brand new, and so...

The library is brand new, and so is the student center. The athletic facilities just got renovated and the new cardio room is awesome. The dance studios are in great shape with a new studio on the way. The horseback riding facility has plans for a renovation in the near future. For now, the barns are in good shape.

There's definitely a lot of places...

There's definitely a lot of places to go off campus for lots of different budgets. Within walking distance is the mall that has the food court, P.F. Chang's, and Cheesecake Factory; Bahama Breeze; The Melting Pot; and many others, including Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Greek food. Downtown is a great area to find a place to eat. If you want to drive, there are also lots of places to eat in Baltimore.

Any school is what you make of it....

Any school is what you make of it. I love Goucher, but I could easily see myself at another liberal arts school. The three biggest factors for me when deciding on a college—well, apart from price—were size, location, and distance from home, and for me, Goucher works pretty well. If you can find people you can really connect with, then that's the right school for you.

Students should definitely bring...

Students should definitely bring their own computer, if only for convenience. It's never too difficult to get a computer, although you may have to wait a bit at peak hours. It's very easy to print unlike at other institutions I've been to. The Ethernet is very convenient, and there is wireless in most places you need it.

If there's a party on campus,...

If there's a party on campus, count on it being small with close friends. Once friends start to move off campus, there are house parties in the city, which are fun and sociable, but the party scene is mostly small unless you're on a sports team. Sports teams, especially Frisbee and soccer, party together. If you have friends that live in the off-campus apartments, then there are dance parties there on weekend nights. Students at Goucher aren't too out of hand with substances at parties, and security is pretty good about keeping noise down and writing up underage drinking if the room you're in is being too loud.

Sports at Goucher are a little...

Sports at Goucher are a little neglected. Attendance is poor, outside of the direct friend-circle of athletes and rival teams. I have only attended one or two sports events and never stayed for all of one. We have a good Student Recreation Center with a pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts, and exercise equipment, and many people go there to exercise. But athletes themselves seem to be a separate clique from the rest of campus.

Goucher makes a good effort to be...

Goucher makes a good effort to be ethnically and economically diverse, but I think that unless people of different groups come into contact through a team or group project, they tend to self-segregate. There's a very visible Jewish presence, in addition to many Christians and a few people who practice other religions. It's not extremely politically diverse, but there is much more difference than people like to admit because of the issue of Israel. In my experience, people are not as "liberal" as they claim to be.

We don't have Greek life here....

We don't have Greek life here. Instead, we have large social circles that are extremely diverse and interesting in their own right.

A lot of my friends who live off...

A lot of my friends who live off campus have been able to dive into Baltimore's culture and have applied themselves in ways they would not have otherwise. Living in the apartment across the street from campus can have its ups and downs, as well. There is a tremendous convenience to living so close and the rent can be cheaper than a Goucher dorm. It's easy to find off-campus living because the apartment market is geared toward college students in this area.

The network is very fast most...

The network is very fast most times, but some traffic is throttled. WiFi is spotty at times but good when working. The library is constantly crowded at the end of the semester and extremely warm and stuffy. I think a laptop is crucial to college life in general at this point, though.

Goucher was my first choice school...

Goucher was my first choice school and still is. I miss the large communal school spirit associated with marching band and football because we don't have those things, but Goucher makes up for this with many other characteristics. The small community here is very humbling. I can hang out with one of my friends and meet five new people by association, and it is completely cool. Everyone is usually very relaxed, including the professors, who are understanding, insightful, and very easy to talk to.

Sometimes it's noticeable, but it...

Sometimes it's noticeable, but it really depends where you hang out. Alcohol is the more prevalent drug of choice, and its presence on campus is quite clear. We do offer substance-free housing, which a lot of people take advantage of and really appreciate. In terms of hardcore drugs, they are here and I know where they usually are, but it seems as though the drug scene has toned down a lot since I entered as a freshman four years ago.

Computer labs are only ever...

Computer labs are only ever crowded right before finals when everyone has a paper to write. Other than that, you can always find a computer. Obviously having your own computer is convenient, but it is not necessary at Goucher. The network is quite fast, and the provided e-mail works well.

Goucher is a small liberal arts...

Goucher is a small liberal arts school—the only people interested in sports are the athletes and their girlfriends.

This is a Greek-free school....

This is a Greek-free school. That's one of the things I love about it.

The campus is somewhat diverse. We...

The campus is somewhat diverse. We have several international students and students on financial aid, so there is economic and ethnic diversity, but I wish there was more. There is not a lot of ideological and political diversity, but there is a lot of individuality at Goucher.

The weather changes a lot. There...

The weather changes a lot. There is a lot of rain, so bring an umbrella. There are also random warm days in the winter, which is nice. It gets very warm and humid at the end of the spring.

The teachers I've had tend to be...

The teachers I've had tend to be not just good teachers, but often just plain cool. Not every pro. is like that, and my friends complain about a lot of their professors, but my experiences have been good. The people on campus are all a little weird—students and faculty alike.

At Goucher, a good majority of the...

At Goucher, a good majority of the students smoke cigarettes and hookah. There is a popular use of marijuana, as well.