火爆社区

Established in 1832, Pennsylvania鈥檚 Gettysburg College is a selective college of the liberal arts and sciences that focuses on interdisciplinary study and advanced scholarship. One such example is the school鈥檚 Eisenhower Institute, which is dedicated to civic engagement and leadership. To 鈥渟upport intellectual curiosity鈥� for the school鈥檚 2,200 students, Gettysburg also provides an individualized major option; for instance, the CrossDisciplinary Science Institute prepares students to answer big questions across subjects. Faculty mentors are also at the ready, and they collaborate with hundreds of students on projects each year. 鈥淭here are a lot of research opportunities for us even though we are undergraduate students,鈥� says one. There are also tons of chances 鈥渢o present research, field trips, hands-on learning experiences, [and] immersion trips.鈥� Small class sizes鈥攖here鈥檚 a 10:1 student-faculty ratio鈥攑rovide students with further opportunities to 鈥渇orm close relationships with professors, which makes the education experience personalized and thorough.鈥� Professors also take point in encouraging 鈥渓eadership and involvement in academics through research and presentations,鈥� and utilize 鈥渄iscussion-based classes [to] foster a greater sense of investment.鈥� In turn, the inquisitive minds at Gettysburg 鈥渇eel comfortable sharing their perspectives and opinions, which makes classes and discussions on campus much more interesting and eye-opening.鈥� Experiential learning also keeps things fresh and active, like 鈥渃ommunity service, going to see movies pertinent to a course鈥檚 topic, field trips鈥� or, for example, a German class that 鈥渦sed the rock wall in our gym as a trust exercise and to practice giving commands in German.鈥� Whatever the situation, professors 鈥渁re always willing to help and make time to meet outside of class.鈥�

Students describe their 鈥渧ery interconnected鈥� community as 鈥渦nmatched,鈥� thanks largely to the smaller size and high levels of sociability. 鈥淓verybody knows most of the other students from a class taken together, or a club they both attend, or maybe they just go to the gym at the same time.鈥� Diversity is important to both students and the school, and there鈥檚 a lot of appreciation voiced for how the community is 鈥渙pen to different opinions鈥� and 鈥渁ble to have healthy conversations about hard topics.鈥� Perhaps that鈥檚 because students are all 鈥渆ager to learn about the world beyond their academic area鈥� or because they鈥檙e 鈥渄iligent with work and extracurriculars.鈥� Whatever the case, 鈥渨e all click very well.鈥�

The work week is, in fact, a work week here. 鈥淎lmost everyone is studying or doing work at their favorite study space,鈥� says one student. But while there鈥檚 a lot of agreement that 鈥淢ondays to Fridays are rigorous,鈥� there鈥檚 also consensus that 鈥渢hen the weekend rolls around.鈥� With 95 percent of the student body living on campus, there are lots of ways to stay active, 鈥渨hether it be in a Greek organization, clubs, athletics, or working on-campus.鈥� Sports and Greek life may 鈥渄ominate the social scene,鈥� but there are plenty of other entertainment outlets, like 鈥渃ool reenactment options.鈥� Gettysburg also boasts 鈥渁ll the advantages other more rural schools have, like plenty of space to run, bike, and walk, and a quaint town too.鈥�

The school鈥檚 Center for Career Engagement provides the digital platforms Handshake and connectGettysburg, which offer access to networks of companies and alumni, respectively. As one enrollee explains, 鈥淢any of the alumni have fabulous jobs and want to help [new] graduates get amazing jobs.鈥� The school also helps students plan for the future through a series of Career Exploration programs, including job shadowing, internships and externships, and three-day career immersion trips. Taking place during winter break or after May exams, these trips include site visits, case study presentations, and alumni networking receptions. Assessed together, more than eight thousand opportunities are available because of these programs. To ensure a wide variety of opportunities are available, the school has numerous employer-partners across a wide range of industries. These partners provide panels and information sessions, meet-and-greets, and on-campus interview sessions. Additionally, professors are readily available to discuss career options with students, and they 鈥渁lso write recommendations for students seeking outside opportunities.鈥� Upon graduation, Gettysburg students reported a median starting salary of $68,900 to Payscale.com, with 50 percent finding meaning in their chosen professions.