Gordon College

Date: Oct 05 2009
Major: Education (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm not someone who blindly hates Gordon. I spent two years here and I know a lot about this college. I must say, this truly is one of the worst colleges in the country.

ACADEMICS: High quality overall. Distinguished professors with challenging classes. However, the college's heavy workload does not benefit the students (I'm speaking from a 3.69 GPA). Instead, it forces the student to waste the best years of his or her life studying harder than most colleges, only to graduate from a no-name institution. Gordon retains its prestige only within its own bubble, and your hard-earned diploma fails to impress your employer who's never heard of the place (unless you work on the North Shore).

SOCIAL LIFE: Very, very poor. As a friendly guy, I found it extremely difficult to make solid friendships here. The majority of my peers were not down-to-earth at all. Many were stuck-up and cocky, even in the midst of the Christian front they put on. The lacrosse team runs the social atmosphere of the school. As a result, partying becomes the desirable thing for most normal people on campus to do. There is literally ONE Gordon party every weekenend, and if you're not cool with the lacrosse players or lacrosse-approved partiers, you won't really have a good time if you go because you aren't friends with them. O wait, Gordon's a Christian school I didn't come here to drink or party. Neither did I. But the longer you spend here, the more you're inclined to do so because life at Gordon is miserable when you try to live spiritually. Popularity does exist at Gordon, and if you have a bad reputation, you will never get rid of it. If you're coming to Gordon to play a sport don't think that will solve anything for you (unless you play lacrosse). There is a tall social ladder that everyone faces and many try to climb.

SPIRITUALITY: Tense. Everyone you come across will tell you they're a Christian, but only half of them take their faith seriously. A lot of transfers from Gordon say that people are judgmental and the college is not as liberal or open-minded as they hoped. I experienced the exact opposite. I found there was actually a pressure to conform to a more worldly lifestyle here. With a lack of fun things to do on and around campus, a lot of students choose to drink and party, but not all have the privilege of doing so because they're not accepted by the official Gordon party crowd. One Bible professor who spoke in chapel talked about how there was nothing wrong with premarital sex. The biology department also refused a multi-million dollar donation from a Christian organization on the basis that they stop teaching evolution. Christianity is something that Gordon students associate with. It is not something they have committed their life to.

COST: Paying $36,000 a year to work very hard at an institution that the American people either ignore or have never heard of is not worth the cost. And if you're going for the college experience, well, have fun paying back your student loans.

Gordon is an unenjoyable place to spend the prime of your life. Its also disappointing that so many people who come here are disillusioned by Christianity. I've been at a state school now for a month and can't believe how much better the atmosphere and people are than at Gordon. I only recommend coming here if you're a socially immature graduate of a small Christian high school and need a meaningless place to gain social maturity before transferring to a real college. That's my story, and I'm glad I got it over with at this unheard-of place. Gordon College ladies and gentlemen.