Hi there! I’'m really interested in Gettysburg but worried about fitting in at the school. I’m a fairly nerdy and short high school senior at the moment, but I want to get more active and spread my social wings by getting involved with sports and greek life in college. That being said, Gettysburg seems like the kind of school that will be difficult to have a social life in if I don’t get in. Should I take the risk? Is there still a way for me to fit in here?
@Komigol probably the best way to see if you would fit in would be for you to try and arrange a visit and maybe even an overnight stay if that is possible. If you have an idea of what you want to major in you could see if you could sit in on a class in that major. Talk to everyone you can while on campus. After a day or a day and an overnight, I suspect you will have a much better feel concerning your “fit.” Best of luck to you!
@beenthereanddone Thanks for the response! Just finished my first visit and am trying to set up and overnight stay or interview. Still not entirely sure how I feel though >.<. The social scene seems really risky but that might just be me.
@Komigol If you don’t get a chance to do the overnight or another campus visit and interview I believe you should be able to interview with your admissions counselor either at your school or when they are visiting the area near where you live. Freshman can’t join Fraternities or Sororities so you will probably find your dorm mates as your first year group. In the spring the college will have an accepted students day that I highly recommend attending. It is at this event that you can go around and visit tables set up with all the various clubs and groups that are seeking new members. This is also a good way to meet people who share similar interests. Best of luck to you!
Hi! Gburg sophomore here. Like was said above ^ freshman cannot rush until fall of sophomore year, so you have a whole year before joining Greek life is even an option. I quickly made friends with the people on my floor and in the rest of my hall last year. Gettysburg was NOT my first choice specifically because of my fear of the social scene. Unfortunately, I really went in with a negative attitude about the college because it wasn’t where I pictured myself being and despite this, I found a group of people that made gettysburg home.
Parties are hosted by fraternities, and doors typically open for the non-affiliated members of campus at midnight. This isn’t the only thing happening on campus though–the College Activities Board frequently throws events (dances, Bob Ross paint nights), Servo’s MidMad which happen some Saturday nights to deter drinking, and there are many other clubs/activities you & your friends could get involved in.
A large population of gettysburg students are in Greek life. I think that every college has the same basic social scene. Parties will be thrown at fraternities OR students will go to bars with their fake IDs at a city school. Some of my friends at schools without Greek life have sport houses that are essentially the fraternities. It is the same set up, with someone at the door asking “who do you know here?” Underage drinking can does and will happen on every college campus, but I think that colleges pay a lot more attention to the Greek system because of the negative connotation that many people associate with it. For instance, Gettysburg college police officers are present at the door when entering a fraternity party. I honestly doubt that colleges would do the same for off campus sport house parties. Anyway, I’m just saying that just because Gettysburg has a Greek system, does not make Gettysburg any worse than any college without it.
As someone who decided not to rush in the fall, I do not feel that I am excluded from the social scene. I think the experience may be different for boys who may feel pressured to join just because it is much easier for a girl to walk into a fraternity than it is for a guy who will most likely be heckled at the door (especially at PDT, SAE, ATO, FIJI, … you know the pretentious ones). Rush week was hard because I did feel a little jealous that I was not part of the process. I think that I may rush next fall, only because I know so many NICE girls involved in the Greek system that really changed my mind about sororities. As someone who is fully paying their own way through college, it would be a pretty big expense but I definitely want to at least rush so I know whether or not it is for me. I don’t need to to fit in or to still have a fun social experience though.
TIPS:
FIJI juice is never a good idea
PDT almost always smells like throw up
As a freshman, arrive after midnight. never before.
Boys: make sure your “ratio” is good for the fraternities listed above