Messiah College

Date: Apr 15 2003
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Messiah College concentrates on academics. You are there to learn and not necessarily socialize. I am from out-of-state but I live in Pennsylvania now. I have a good job, it is not related to my major but I am enjoying myself. When people ask me about Messiah I always say, academically Messiah was superb, socially it was terribly lacking. Granted, Messiah is a private, religiously supported school so it is not strange that the student population seems extremely homogeneous. However, I was disappointed in the lack of diversity on campus, whether regarding race, creed or religion. I felt that many students and professors came from exactly the same background. Therefore, they felt the same way concerning social topics, including homosexuality, abortion, drinking, capital punishment, etc. These topics were discussed but you were looked down upon if you were not in the majority. i.e. During the 2000 Presidential Election the campus had a rally for Bush but not a thing for Gore. I would say definitely visit!!! Make sure you talk to all types of students, not just one or two. And definitely ask about the rules. You are asked to sign a "covenant" at the beginning of each year. This covenant holds you to certain rules, including refraining from sex and drinking. It is completely voluntary but if you do not sign you have to meet with someone frequently to talk about why you didn't sign it. These are merely my opinions but if I had known certain things about Messiah before I got there I don't think I would have gone there.