My daughter has narrowed her choices down to Gettysburg and the University of Pittsburgh.
She initially wanted the small liberal arts schools and was accepted to many and decided on Gettysburg. Pitt was more of a financial safety school for us but when she visited she really liked it and didn’t look at other city schools prior.
Cost wise they are the same for us due to scholarships at Gettysburg.
Her long term plan for now is Veterinary School and I think the smaller class size and attention at Gettysburg is a plus.
Last night (since I couldn’t sleep) I did online research on safety statistics on the two and was amazed at the number of rapes reported at Gettysburg. (17 in 2017 which in on the increase from the previous two years.)
I think that some of this is because girls now are more likely to report an assault compared to the dark ages when i was in school but that seems like a crazy number for a relatively small school.
Pitt was actually lower.
Sooooo, since I cant sleep, feel nauseous and teary - any helpful advice?
We are going back to Pitt one day this week.
Gettysburg is a wonderful college. And if your daughter has good common sense and practices she will be ok. I’m not an expert on the school at all but it does have a bit more of a reputation for drinking in my neck of the woods. Is that accurate, I have no idea.
On Pitt —it is such an unbelievably great school, in a great neighborhood, great city for parks and recreation and a school really on the rise. And anything in the sciences and for pre health med or vet the influence of upmc cannot be overstated.
Good luck. They are both wonderful options. Common sense and discussion should rule the day.
Thank you privatebanker
There is danger everywhere. We teach our kids things about safety, then let them go and keep praying for them, hoping for the best.
Let your D decide. Either place can get her where she wants to go if she puts in the effort.
There is a lot to like about both schools.
Agree there is danger at any school, and being smart is important at any college environment. And beyond.
Regarding rape stats at Gettysburg–here is the Clery report with numbers from 2015-2017, starting on page 17 of the pdf. https://www.gettysburg.edu/offices/public-safety/pdfs/2019/AnnualSecurityFireSafetyReport2018.pdf
It does look like rapes increased in 2017. I would focus more on on-campus rather than off-campus numbers and you would also need to normalize these numbers to get to a per student rate in order to compare rates across colleges. And, even that is far from perfect as reporting requirements differ from school to school. Specifically regarding Gettysburg I would expect someone at the security office can answer any questions you have regarding the seemingly higher number in 2017…I am sure they take those stats seriously and will be able to specifically address what safety and security measures are in place.
@worriedmom9 It is unlikely assaults are suddenly increasing. I might take it as a positive sign that more assaults are being reported in terms of increased awareness and heightened responsiveness. It says a lot if assault victims feel comfortable and safe in reporting an event - it suggests increased trust in the institution’s capacity to respond effectively and appropriately.
Regarding @privatebanker’s comment above: Please remind your daughter and all college students that failing to practice “good common sense” does not cause rape, and practicing good common sense does not unfortunately prevent rape. It is not their responsibility to act in a certain way to prevent rape, and it is not their fault if a rape or assault occurs despite their best efforts at “common sense”.
Definitely teach this - while teaching street smarts. We all do the best we can to avoid being the victim of any crime, but when/if one happens to us in spite of our best effort, it’s certainly not our fault.
But still, crime happens everywhere, on every campus (including strict religious campuses), etc. No one is setting themselves up to be a victim simply by choosing a campus. I’m not sure I’d trust pure numbers with the number of stories that have made the news in the fairly recent past about how such crimes were swept under the carpet.
@Itisatruth What in the world are you talking about? Naturally it’s not her responsibility to avoid predatory behavior. But there are certainly decisions that can be made to reduce exposure to obvious situations of increased risk.
Of course you can place yourself in a position of reducing this increased danger.
Binge drinking and unfamiliar surroundings. Drugs.
Frat parties by yourself and not paying attention what you are putting into your body.
Not accepting drinks from anyone.
Don’t leave your cup unattended.
Going off campus in a major city and not having friends with you.
Checking to make sure your Uber driver is your Uber driver. Etc
It’s not my responsibility to not be shot but there are situations and locations can increase the statistical odds.
I can’t believe you would take issue with a dad suggesting simple common sense approach to reducing exposure to bad people out there. It’s the same advice and discussion I had with my daughter this year. More than once. She didn’t take offense.
This in no way moves responsibility from the predator to the woman. They deserve to be safe at all times but this is real world stuff. And being aware is smart.
@privatebanker Let’s not hijack @worriedmom9’s thread on D’s college choice. I shouldn’t have opened this topic up here but happy to discuss further in DM or a new thread. It’s an important topic and I know emotions run high when our kids’ safety is concerned.
My preference of the two schools is Pitt – fun place, great architecture, more variety of students so that she can find her niche support group. Those are my 2 cents.
Don’t worry! She’s going to be fine!
: )
OP - in regards to safety statistics, please note the colleges must report on campus issues. Comparing a small LAC w most living on campus for 4 yrs to a city university with upper classmen off campus is apples to oranges.
This is not to excuses Gettysburg stats, but to remind folks that you also need to review the local police statistics for schools with off campus living.
Went to Gburg. Loved it.
Despite the best of intentions, the safety data for universities is useless. It omits data from crimes off campus even when there are ares in a city or town that are almost earmarked for students. They meant well but did more harm than good by requiring such stats. They ought to have included crimes experienced by students while enrolled in school and within a radius of the school. They didn’t so they are worthless and deceptive.
^^^To be clear, Clery report is supposed to include off campus crimes, which the Gettysburg report linked to above shows the detail for both on and off campus crimes
There is a huge difference between the environment of the two choices – does your D prefer a LAC or a large public school?
Thank you folks so much!
She has always liked the LAC until now. She’s matured alot over the last year and I think the urban environment she now finds exciting, where a few months ago she would have been more intimidated.
That might be something to think more about ^^^…I wonder if city life seems exciting, but then after the newness wears off, it becomes draining. Just an idea. I think college is a great, temporary time to try city life, but also, I think it’s not for everyone for four years. Urban colleges have both upsides and downsides!
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Greek life here but I believe it is a big factor of Getty’s social life, and much less so at Pitt.
Based on OP’s comments in this thread, it appears that the University of Pittsburgh is the student’s choice, and I think that the parents are just trying to accept their daughter’s decision.