Grove City College

Date: Oct 22 2008
Major: Physics (This Major's Salary over time)
Grove City was a poor fit for me. This is not to say that someone else might not appreciate it. Let me outline some of the prerequisites for Grove City success:

1) If you are able to focus intently on your studies and don't need much social interaction to

recharge your batteries,

you should be able to do well at Grove City. Social life definitely takes a backseat at this school.

2) It also helps if you live within an hour of the school and know where to go to have fun if you need to blow off some steam. Those from out of town will quickly learn that the immediately surrounding area has little recreation to offer (although the Guthrie theater is very nice).

3) If you are a committed evangelical Christian with a conservative viewpoint, you will be well aligned with the views of the rest of the staff and student body.

4) If you are very confident about your ability to attract the opposite sex, you should be fine with the dating life. However, if your dating resume is limited, if you feel like you just don't understand girls/guys very well, or if you enjoy having platonic opposite gender friendships, I would strongly suggest that you consider a school without such strong restrictions on cross-gender interaction.

5) If you are a person who is naturally cliquey and likes being part of a homogenous social group, then you should be okay. If you are more of an independent, free-spirited type who likes to have a diverse set of friends, Grove City will not give you many opportunities. You really have to choose your allegiances by the end of freshman year or you will find yourself in no man's land (at least if you are a guy).

I didn't fit any of the above criteria, so Grove City was a nightmare for me. However, I saw those with a different personality or upbringing do very well there.