<p>Well, I guess I am late jumping in on this discussion but since it's my alma mater I feel a need to defend it (perhaps it will help future prospective students). </p>
<p>Reputation wise, there isn't really that big a difference. Yes, Bucknell is ranked a little higher but frankly they are both well respected schools. According to Princeton Review, The selectivity of Bucknell is ranked as a 95 (out of 99) and Gettysburg is ranked a 94. There really isn't that huge of a difference. I have recently been interviewing for a new job and frankly, Gettysburg has been pretty widely recognized (and respected) by my interviewers. Many tell me how great a school it is. In the end however, whether or not I get a job isn't going to be because I went to a certain school, it's because of my experiences. Even people from the Ivies aren't handed jobs just because they went to an ivy, they have to earn it. </p>
<p>It is true that neither Gettysburg nor Bucknell are bustling metropolises. From what I have heard Bucknell is more so in the middle of nowhere. Gettysburg is in a rural area but it is by some major cities. Baltimore is about an hour away, Harrisburg is about 45 minutes away and Washington D.C. is about 90 minutes away. New York City is about 4 hours away. Once a semester the school will provide transportation to New York City and the students have a choice of either spending the day exploring the city or seeing a show. The school also does various trips to DC and Baltimore throughout the year.</p>
<p>Every school you go to there are going to be parties and Gettysburg is no different. Yes, there is definitely a party scene at Gettysburg but the school does a very good job of planning non-alcoholic events on weekends. Gettysburg actually has an on campus "night club" called The Attic that hold various activities throughout the year. Some of their past events include bringing in comedians, dance parties and a super bowl party. CAB (College activities Board) also plans various activities including movie nights where they will show a movie that is no longer in theaters but is not yet on DVD. They also have the Snowball which is our yearly campus wide semi-formal. CAB will bring in popular bands to campus for a concert once a year. While I was there we had Maroon 5, Guster and Good Charlotte come to campus to name a few. Every month there is also a Coffee House held in The Junction (a popular hangout spot on campus). A small band will come to perform and then after the performance it's open mic so students can showcase their recent works.</p>
<p>The Dorms at G'burg are pretty good. The freshmen dorms at Gettysburg aren't that bad. They are your typical double rooms and in general they are a pretty good size. Some freshmen dorms are better then others. Hanson, Huber and Patrick are the nicer freshman dorms but you have no say in the matter. All the dorms are very livable. The dorms get real nice as you get older. Sophomore year most students live in hotels that were converted into dorms. They are double occupancy and each room has it's own bathroom. They also all have AC. Some of the freshmen dorms do have AC but most don't. There are also some more typical dorms for sophomores. They are Musselman Hall and Stevens Hall. Once you get to junior year you get to suite type housing. A lot of the juniors will live in Apple Hall. Apple has two bedrooms (each with two person occupancy), a main living area, a kitchen and a bathroom. There is also Ice House which is very similar to Apple. There is also the Quarry Suites which some Juniors live in. These are the prized living quarters of Gettysburg College. Quarry Suites consists of four different buildings but all are very similar. They are the newest and very nice. They have a Kitchenette (but each building does have a full kitchen for the whole building). Each suite has its own bathroom. The suites are either 5 or 6 person occupancy. Some suites are all singles while others are a mix of single and double rooms. In general, however, a majority of the suites are all single rooms. There is also a complex called College Apartments. These are two floor townhouses. The upstairs consist of two bedrooms each with 2 person occupancy. Inbetween the two bedrooms is a walk in closest that connects the two bedrooms. The walk in closet is for all four residents but it is a good sized closet. Definitely enough closet space for all the occupants. I lived in it with 3 other girls and we were fine. Upstairs there is also one full bathroom. Downstairs there is a half bathroom, a full kitchen and a living room. It isn’t the most prized housing on campus but I really liked living there. Seniors typically live in the Quarry Suites and College Apartments. There is also theme housing if you and your friends want to create a theme house. You can move into Theme housing starting sophomore year. Also, the fraternities do have houses while the sororities do not. Most guys who choose to move into fraternity housing move in junior year (we don’t rush until sophomore year at Gettysburg). There is also the “Rise House” which is theme housing for substance free living. I believe you can start living in the Rise House freshman year. </p>
<p>In response to Shaneike comment about Bucknell having more respondents to the graduate survey, well Bucknell also has about 1000 more undergrads compared to Gettysburg. You are bound to get more respondents if you have a greater student body. This has nothing to do with student unity on campus. I can tell you from experience that there is a lot of pride and unity on campus. People are very proud to be Gettysburgians. In response to Gettysburg admissions being lax, nothing can be farther from the truth. Every year, admissions at Gettysburg are only getting stronger. Each year Gettysburg is getting more and more applicants and thus are turning down more and more qualified applicants. </p>
<p>"One thing that I was told by my guidance counselor (and, of course, I cannot know for sure if this is true or exaggerated) is that Bucknell is moving up in the ranks quickly. They sent a letter to my guidance department explaining that they will be lowering their acceptance rate (to about 30%), bringing the school even closer to the ivy-leagues."</p>
<p>Of course the school is going to tell your guidance counselor that! The admissions department wants to sell their school and make their school look better any way possible. They are feeding on High School students need for prestige. High School students hear that Bucknell is on the rise and thus apply and therefore Bucknell can turn down more people and thus their prestige goes up. It's like a presidential candidate saying they are the best choice for president; of course they are going to say that about themselves!</p>
<p>My one suggestion to High School students trying to decide between a couple different schools is look beyond prestige. Make a list for each school of pros and cons and try to figure out what is most important to you and which is the best fit for you. </p>
<p>If anyone has any questions about Gettysburg feel free to contact me. I can only speak from my personal experience but I will answer your questions based on my experiences.</p>