Georgetown College

Date: Feb 21 2012
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
The first thing to note about Georgetown is the part we as students unquestionably agree on—The faculty here is incredible. There are few names here respected as academic leaders, but that is because our professors do not have any requirements towards continuing to publish academic work. This means that the teachers are able to commit a far larger portion of their time to teaching students, with all the expected results. No college in the state of Kentucky can rival Georgetown's list of star teachers, at least in my opinion.

The other primary benefit to this institution is the financial aid program. Georgetown's listed price (currently at about thirty-seven thousand dollars per year) will turn off many applicants concerned about aid. However, the school is far more generous than similar institutions in terms of in-house scholarships, so that students pay a far smaller price.

And that's where the good news ends. The dormitories are poorly-maintained, with water leaks, holes in the ceiling, and malfunctioning fire safety systems being accepted as the norm. Mold is visibly present in both classrooms and dorms, and the maintenance department is under-staffed.

The school maintains that it is a

Christian institution,

however, this is an almost meaningless epithet. There are several campus ministry programs, and the occasional (non-mandatory) campus worship service. And alcohol is prohibited on school grounds, though the school's Campus Life program has as much luck enforcing that as they do maintaining the dorms, fortunately.

That is the extent of religious influences here. Just enough for secular students to consider it a theocratic nuisance, but not enough for Christian students to feel that they're really being educated in a Christian environment.

And as for the dining services—well, the food is not AS bad as most students make it out to be, but the cafeteria is visibly underfunded, largely because of the Sodexo contracting used to staff and supply it. This leaves the workers there (who are wonderful people, mind you) forced to make do with sub-par ingredients, and insufficient help to adequately feed 1400 students. Given that there are almost no other options for food on the campus, this is something of a problem on its own.

Overall, my experience at Georgetown College has been far from optimal. There is a LOT of opportunity for excellence here in terms of academic options—not only the wonderful professors, but the International Program (which includes a study program with Oxford University). Unfortunately, the school squanders it potential by failing to commit to providing a favorable atmosphere for success outside of its staff. And for the sake of future students, I'm hoping these problems are addressed shortly.