Category: College Search

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How I Chose Grove City College

Being the youngest of four, I got to watch all of my siblings decide on which college they would attend. Whenever someone asked me where I wanted to go to school or what major I wanted to pursue, I always said, “I do not know yet…maybe a big school.” In the back of my head, I thought I would go to Penn State University, but little did I realize I wanted to go for the wrong reasons. I wanted to go there not because of the different majors they offered, but because my brother was there and I would be close to him. The one school I never thought to look at was Grove City College because of the reputation it had: being a strict Christian college with challenging academics. My dad was the one who kept bringing up Grove City College, and I finally agreed to tour the campus.

When I toured Grove City College, I kept thinking “too small, too close to home.” My tour was in June of 2019 and the campus was dead with no students there. After my tour, I kept thinking of all the negatives and was not giving the College a chance. That was, until I decided to do an overnight stay in October of 2019. When I stayed overnight, I finally got to “see” the College. I sat in classes as a prospective student and talked to professors and students about their experience. I also got a chance to see events that were going on with fraternities and sororities. My view of Grove City started to change, and I started to consider it a top option. After I got home from my overnight visit, all I could think about was the excitement and fun I had while I was there. I filled my parents in on my trip and after talking to them, I knew I wanted to go to Grove City. The people at Grove City want you to be there, and they want to help you in any way they can, academically or socially.

The funny thing about choosing a college is that you may think you want a big school, but you may actually want a small school and vice versa. I know that Grove City College is not the school for everyone, but to some it feels like home. Ever since I was accepted and came here, I have felt a sense of peace I could not imagine experiencing at another school. The Christian environment and sense of community at Grove City makes you feel like you are at home.

Here are some of my tips when visiting Grove City College:

  1. Sit in different classes to get an idea of college classes
  2. Talk to professors and students in the majors you are interested in
    1. They are honest with you about academics but they also get to know you
  3. Stay overnight, especially in one of the dorms, if you can.
    1. You will get a feel for how college is and can help see if you like the atmosphere and environment at Grove City
  4. Explore the town of Grove City, and see what is around!
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The Safest Campus

Grove City College

As a senior in high school, I remember being slightly afraid to come to college. I did not know how safe the campuses would be because they were in towns and cities that I did not know. I originally wanted to go to the University of Pittsburgh, but one reason that I chose to come to Grove City College is because of the safety and security of the college. As a senior, I can say without hesitation that there has never been a minute where I did not feel safe while on campus. The College is very safe, and it is one of those places where you could leave your wallet somewhere and it would be there three hours later, untouched. Considering how unsafe many colleges are, it is so important that Grove City is as safe as it is. The campus and the parking lots are well-lit and there are emergency call boxes located all around campus. There are Campus Safety vehicles constantly driving around to check on things. There is barely ever an incident report at the College.

Not only is the College a very safe place to be, but also the town is very safe. The town of Grove City is very quiet and has a low crime rate. There have been evenings that I have gone out for a walk and did not feel afraid at all. The people that live in town are kind and the community as a whole is very safe. In fact, the crime rate of Grove City is only 1/1,000. Since I am a young, female, college student, it makes me feel very safe to know that the campus is a safe place and that the community is a quiet. Overall, the campus is small and quaint and there are many reasons as to why Grove City College is special and unique. I recently asked several of my friends if they felt safe at Grove City College, and every one of them replied without hesitation, “Yes!”. My one friend said, “As a 21 year old college female, there has not been a second where I was afraid or even concerned about my safety at Grove City. It is one of the benefits of going to college in the country- I love being safe and the more I think about it, the more I am thankful that I chose Grove City. At other colleges, it is quite different.” I can confidently say that if you come to Grove City College, you will feel safe and at home, which is very important to many college students.

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Inside Grove City College: A Transfer Student’s Perspective

 

The process of selecting a college is stressful, with its seemingly endless applications and interviews and paperwork. For transfer students, the excitement of going to college for the first time has worn off, and going through this process twice can seem overwhelming. It can be intimidating to think about leaving a school, a friend group, and familiar studies to start fresh somewhere else. However, seeking advice and learning as much as possible about potential schools is crucial.

Hannah, Larisa, Gab, Julia, and Tara have stepped in to make your transfer process as easy as possible. These ladies, all first-year Grovers, have offered to give you a peek into what it was like for them to join the Grove City College community as a transfer student. Their advice is an insider’s perspective on things like how to make friends as a transfer, how they chose their roommates, and how to get involved on campus.

Larisa Steiner, a sophomore, transferred from Indiana Wesleyan University and enjoys studying Management with an HR concentration. Finding a school with this specific field of study and a reputable business program was key in her transfer search. Also a sophomore, Hannah Kaufmann, an English major, was interested in Grove City because it aligned with her Christian values. Tara Pierce, as a junior, finds herself in the rare position of being an upperclass transfer student. She previously studied at a local community college, and enjoys the new Social Work major at Grove City. Julia Helmich will graduate in 2021 as an Elementary/Special Education major. She enjoys the on-campus preschool, where Education students are able to get hands-on work experience. Gab Capaldo, a sophomore, studies Communication and edits for The Collegian, the campus newspaper, in her free time.

Though none of these ladies would say that being a transfer student anywhere is easy, they are adjusting to life as a Grover and getting involved on campus. Intramural sports, Greek life, and Orientation Board events are just some of what they mention as ways to find friends and make connections at Grove City College.

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Inside the Life of a Grove City College Tour Guide

As a tour guide here at Grove City, I am presented with the unique opportunity of working with the College’s Admissions staff on a regular basis. However, the most exciting aspect of being a Grove City College Student Ambassador is meeting and interacting with prospective students every week. It gives me a chance to share some of my wonderful experiences with others who are interested in Grove City.

Tour guides have anything but routine weeks. Each guide has a designated day and time in which they will give a tour once a week to prospective students and their parents. However, Grove City also offers a plethora of event days for students who are interested in a more specialized campus experience. The Admissions Office offers days like Senior Crimson Day, which is specifically for seniors who have expressed interest in Grove City but who may be interested in giving the school one last look before applying. We also offer more specialized days like Music Major Day and Hopeman School Discovery Day. These two events allow students who are interested in more specialized majors to talk with staff, and experience what an average day looks like for a student in that field of study.

This past week, the Admissions team worked tirelessly to put on Music Major Day on Monday, and then organized hosted Hopeman School Discovery Day on Saturday. Tour guides of the school have the distinct responsibility of interacting with prospective students and their families on all of these special event days. The other tour guides and I helped to give our guests a well-rounded view of what life on our campus is like. We did this by not only giving tours of campus, but also by facilitating meetings with department heads and helping the other events of the day to run smoothly. With several more Admission event days to come, every tour guide on campus will continue to work hard on perfecting their craft.

The Admissions staff is always looking for more tour guides who have their own unique skills and stories that will benefit the schools search for students. The tour guides on campus are enthusiastic students and we all love what we do. We all hope that we are able to make a positive impact on prospective students’ college searches.

To see what other event days Grove City has this year, click on the link: http://www.gcc.edu/Info/Events-News/Admissions-Events/Open-Houses

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Alumni Spotlight: Larry Thompson

Larry Thompson graduated from Grove City College in 2017 with a major in Accounting and Finance. As the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college, he is now successfully working on his future Certified Public Accountant title. Larry currently lives in Charlotte, NC working for the accounting firm RSM U.S. LLP audit, tax, and consulting services. While enjoying his life down in North Carolina, Larry is also benefiting from the perks of his company. A major perk he has in mind is traveling. In the past eight months he has been able to travel to Dallas, Texas; Charleston, SC; New York City; Atlanta, Ga.; and Greenville, SC. Larry looks forward to traveling more in his future.

When asked about the CPA exams Larry replied, “I worked on studying every day. I woke up and went to the public library to free myself from any distractions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.” He then stated that he had three out of four exams already completed before he started working for RSM U.S. Being put into his job during busy season, Larry could not really focus on passing the fourth exam; he had to work hard and study even harder in order to prepare himself for the final module of the CPA exam. Soon after the busy season, he ended up passing his fourth and final exam. His next move in his career is to work for RSM U.S. for a year, but in order for him to obtain his CPA title, he must pass all four modules and work for an entire year to become officially “certified”.

A motivational part of Larry’s experience with the exams is the way he went about taking them. Larry stated, “I took the exams in order from hardest to easiest [in his own opinion].” He believed that if he could pass the hardest exam, then the rest would be easy. His motivation to pass in this order kept him dedicated to studying and keeping on top of things in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a CPA.

Ideally, Larry plans to work for RSM U.S. for two to three years and then reevaluate his options after being certified. He wants to end up in Wealth Management or become a stay-at-home father who does technical stock analysis trading. His dedication and commitment to becoming a CPA has already and will furthermore open up doors in his future.

Larry finished the interview by stating a word of advice: the Career Services Office is extremely helpful. He acknowledges that they want the best for students here at Grove City College. Career Services should be taken advantage of more often to set up a student’s future and career. “Make friends with them, and do not ignore them,” Larry stressed. He believes they have truly helped him further himself earlier in finding jobs and even more so now during work.

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What are you looking for in your Dream College? l Career Services

College is expensive; I am just being honest. Also, college is a lot of work. It is a lot of work in the stage that you are in, searching for “your dream college.” While you are at college having loads of work, essays, and exams and even after college while you are working to pay off the cost of attending an institution of higher education, it is a lot of work. This college search, or any part of college that is, is no easy process. This is why, if you are anything like me, while carrying out your college search and determining which colleges to visit or apply to, you have made yourself a list of things that are important to you.

Drawing from my own personal experience my list included things such as a nice campus, big dorm rooms, nice amenities, great food, tons of on-campus activities, and a community around the school that is busy and has a lot of activities for students. Looking back at this list I created as a junior in high school, I have come to realize that, first off, I confused college and my dream vacation spot and, secondly, that sure these things are nice but, in reality, I am going to college to get an education and with the hope that upon graduation I will be able to find a job. This may not be the most popular or exciting realization that you should at some point in your search come to, but it is true. Everyone eventually needs to get a job. This being noted, I would encourage all of you in search of a future education to begin looking into the career services department at the various institutions in which you are interested. At the least this can be a point of separation between institutions you are considering and can ultimately lead to your final decision on where you want to spend the next two to eight years of your life.

College is a big and quite expensive choice and you only get to make it once. I would encourage you to use all of the resources available to you (i.e. this blog) to make the most educated decision possible. All of this being noted, this blog is not suggesting to forget your old list; these are things that matter to you and deserve to be taken into consideration and should hold significant weight in your college decision. I just urge you, as a senior in college, as you perform this search, to remember why you are going to college and what your specific end goal is. Best of luck in your search!

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Not Playing Sports in College, A New Way of Life

Grove City Women’s Tennis Fall 2015. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Jackson

During my last tennis match at Grove City, my strings broke and I used my coach’s racquet. The heavy feeling of a new object threw me off. I lost the exhibition match, ending my career in a let down.

Let me just say, this is no bashing of playing college sports. Playing varsity tennis taught me much. I learned time management, team development, and how to lead a team to play for the glory of God. I learned self-discipline both physically and mentally. And I learned that sports will always play a role in my life. I proudly look forward to future days as a soccer mom.

For 14 years straight I played team sports including soccer, basketball and tennis. When I made the decision to quit varsity tennis at Grove City, I stepped into unknown waters. What was life without daily practices, working out with the motivation of adding to my team, and proudly wearing my uniform to class on match days?

So, why did I leave behind these experiences? A shoulder injury definitely played a part. I tore my labrum and needed surgery, which I had the spring of my junior year. Talk about going from an athlete to a couch potato.

Time can only be used in so many ways before it is gone. Two to three hours a day of practice and two- to seven-hour matches during the week and on weekends filled my waking hours. Homework and some time with friends filled the rest. I realized that though I loved my team, competing and being in shape, I wanted to use my college experience to pursue other opportunities. One of my passions is writing, and after quitting tennis, I devoted much more time to improving my skills.

I am avidly pursuing a career in journalism. I accepted a job with the college newspaper and am now the managing editor until I graduate in December. As I move on from college, I have an internship with World Magazine, an answer to prayer and I am so excited.

Though I miss the accountability of being on a team, I know I made the best decision. Not only could I spend time interviewing and writing people’s stories, but I learned to enjoy assignments, freely attend evening lectures, and simply enjoy being surrounded by friends on this beautiful campus.

If you are a high school student deciding whether or not to play a varsity college sport, let me help you – There is no wrong answer. I split my college career of playing sports and not, and I am glad I got to dip my toes into two very different worlds. Though there is no wrong option, some are better than others. Keep in mind the time you spend at college cannot be duplicated.

Also know that our intramural (IM) sports program here at Grove City is nothing to joke about. IM soccer, volleyball, badminton, tennis, basketball, ping pong, and even flag football have all filled my four years. Though varsity sports may not be for you, alternatives abound. Do not fear when you no longer devote each moment to bettering your body and your team. Life after college is filled with marriage, jobs, travel – but the chance to play on a varsity team may not carry over. However, each of those other activities can be bettered during the formative four years of college.

Make time to enjoy God’s creation, watch a movie with your roommate, listen to a talk from a renowned guest speaker, play some IM sports and maybe go for a run. Each human consists of mind, body and soul. Each can be nourished by the choices we make. And no matter which choice you make about varsity sports in college, you will find your place.

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10 Tips for Incoming Freshmen from a Graduating Senior

If I Knew Then, What I Know Now…

As a senior who is about to graduate from Grove City College, I have been reminiscing on my last four years here. During my reflections, I decided to come up with a list of helpful tips for incoming freshmen. I hope you enjoy!

1. Attend Orientation Board activities

When you arrive on campus in the fall, be prepared for the first two weeks to be filled with events and activities held by Orientation Board (OB). As a freshman, I did not end up attending very many of these events because I was not sure if it was the “cool” thing to do, and it is definitely something I regret. OB works really hard to put on these events and make everyone feel welcome. These activities are a great way to get to meet other freshmen and also a chance to eat free food!

2. Get to know your Freshmen Hall

My freshman year, my roommates and I did not venture much outside our room when we were in the residence halls. However, later down the road we ended up becoming friends with others who were on our freshman hall and we did not even know it! If you are looking for a way to meet others on your hall, prop your door open while you are just hanging out in your room, you never know who could stop by!

3. Get involved on campus

At the beginning of each fall semester, Grove City College holds an Organization Fair for students to walk around and see all the various clubs and organizations offered on campus. Do not be afraid to sign up for something you have always wanted to do but have never done before. My junior year, I  ended up joining the Women’s Club Lacrosse team with no prior experience, and it ended up being one of the best decisions I made in four years.

4. Prioritize your studies

There is a reason that Grove City College is known for its rigorous academics. It is important to explore and be involved in college, but do not forget to study! Figure out your most efficient and effective study techniques, and if you ever feel like you need extra help, do not be afraid to reach out to your adviser, upperclassmen in your major, or other academic resources.

5. Meal dates are a thing

Something I have learned in my years here is that Grove City students love to ask others to get meal dates in the dining halls in order to get to know one another better. Sometimes groups of friends or clubs will get weekly meal dates to catch up on each others lives. This is definitely something that is unique to the the College’s friendly culture, and it is a great way to get to know acquaintances better!

6. Always back up your computer files

One of the best perks of attending Grove City College is that everyone is given a computer. It is really important to backup the significant files on your computer such as papers or projects that are in progress. Whether it be on a flash drive or your Office 365 account provided by the College, I highly recommend backing up your files regularly in case anything were to happen with your laptop.

7. Its never too early to network

Networking is very significant to your future when it comes time to apply and interview for jobs. It is never too early to begin doing so (even your freshman year), whether you are getting contacts from your professor, alumni, or other professionals in your field of study. Creating a LinkedIn account is a great way to build your professional profile and network with others.

8. Get familiar with OneNote

If you like to take notes on your laptop rather than handwriting, learn how to use OneNote. It is a Microsoft Office program that comes available on your Grove City College laptop. It is great for organization among the different tabs and pages. If you are searching for a certain topic while studying for an exam, using Ctrl-F allows you to search for words on the current page, and Ctrl-E allows you to search for words in all of your notebooks.

9. Find an upperclassman to help you with class registration when the time comes

Scheduling for classes can tend to be a stressful time on campus, but finding help from upperclassmen is definitely the way to go. They have done it before and can teach you how it is done. Also reaching out to an upperclassmen in your major or your adviser is helpful to figure out what classes you should try to take each semester.

10. Use school resources

Using school resources is something I wish I would have done earlier in college. Grove City offers a variety of academic, campus life, and administrative resources such as the Writing Center, the Technical Learning Center Help Desk, the Mail Room, the Career Services Office, and more. The resources on campus are provided for ease of access, and some of them put on seminars such as resume writing or studying tips to help prepare you for things you will need to know.

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How to Survive at College When You Are a Picky Eater

I am pretty sure that my first year here at Grove City College I ate pizza almost every single day. And when it was not pizza, it was most likely chicken tenders (with the occasional cheeseburger). I have always been a very picky eater and when I came to college I became exposed to a variety of different foods that I had never even heard of, let alone seen before. Being able to get creative with your food here, and probably at the majority of colleges, is important. I have learned of many different foods that you can make with what is usually provided. For example, there is a panini press at certain food stations and you can grab a tortilla shell and fill it with cheese. If it is a day that we also have grilled chicken, which is most days, you can add it in. Put it in the panini press and you have a quesadilla. If you want a dessert other than the usual cookies and ice cream already provided, you can make your own version of a Rice Krispie treat. Take a bowl with peanut butter, marshmallows, and chocolate and warm it up in the microwave. Just add some cereal and you are all set.

Also, do not judge a book by its cover. Sometimes seeing a food that you have never seen before can sway you away and even make you a bit questionable toward it, but I have learned that even though a food may appear to be unappetizing, it could actually end up being decent. I have become much less of a picky eater just by trying new things here and being adventurous with the different foods that are provided. You will never know what you may end up liking if you never give new foods a chance.

If you ever get really sick of the food on campus, there are a majority of off campus (and priced for college students) places that will deliver to the college. Coffaro’s Pizza has a special where you can get a pizza and four drinks for under 10 dollars. If you want a break from studying, there are also many places you can go and sit down with your friends to enjoy a good meal. Rachel’s Roadhouse is a popular place that students like to go to on Thursday nights to get 35 cent wings.

It is all about being open-minded, trying new things, and being creative. Coming in as a freshman who was an incredibly picky eater, I never would have thought I would try some of the foods I have or be survive with the options they provided. So, if I can survive with the food here, you can too.

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Community Spotlight: December Graduate

When it comes to thinking about who makes up the community of Grove City College, often the first thought is students and professors. However, there are many more components – past and present – that play a vital role in the community here. I talked with Josh McFall, a December 2017 graduate. He studied accounting and participated in many camppus activities. Here is the interview that transpired:

Can you tell me a little about your academic journey?

I started my pursuit for higher education at Kent State University Trumbull Campus in the fall of 2013 as an undecided business major, after a semester I declared my major as Business Management before changing my major to accounting.

I stayed at Kent for two years before transferring to Grove City College. Three of my siblings had attended Grove City and I wasn’t convinced that it was the place for me. One of the turning points in my decision was at my sister Lizzy’s wedding at Harbison Chapel in the fall of 2014. I got to walk around the campus with my sister’s husband Joe, who also graduated from there. During this time, I got to talk with him about my preconceived notions and what I wanted from the remainder of my college career. Ultimately, that conversation and overall experience was the first event that led to my decision to attend Grove City College and I would end up applying about eight months later.

What has been the most difficult thing about graduating mid academic year?

Leaving my fiancée, sister, and friends in a rather anti-climactic way. I am a sentimental person, so I like having solid beginnings and endings as they help me compartmentalize my feelings and emotions. Graduating and leaving campus halfway through the academic school year is rather akin to walking out of a movie theater 10 minutes before the end of a movie while your friends all stay and watch it. You miss the last semester excitement and relief you share with other seniors who are about to graduate and walk to receive their diploma in May. I felt that excitement and relief mostly alone, and there was no fanfare or send off when I left campus. The vibe was just that of another winter break, and everyone else would see each other in a month.

Mind you, this is no fault of Grove City’s. There is nothing they could do to change the way things are. I was privileged to attend a dinner for the few seniors graduating in December at President and Mrs. McNulty’s house and it was a lovely time. Also, I will be back in May to walk, but if I’m being honest that is more for my parents than myself. If I had my way, I would choose not to walk simply because I have closed that chapter of my life and I am in a new one now (like I said, solid beginnings and endings).

What do you miss the most about Grove City?

What I miss may not be something unique to only Grove City, like chapel requirements, or jokes about rings by spring, but are unique to my personal experience and how it shaped my life. I miss the shenanigans and community of my transfer hall in Hicks, while living in the room with the window right above the trash cans everyone walks by to go to dinner. And I miss bonding with the guys of Pan Sophic while being their RA, and being given the opportunity to help foster community on my hall. And I miss having to amend my plan to get engaged multiple times due to inclement weather, another fraternity’s rush event, and a marching band competition this past October (I did finally pop the question and she said yes!). This is a tiny sliver of all that I value from my time and are they exclusively things that could have happened at Grove City? No, they could have happened at any college, but they didn’t, they happened at Grove City. And for that reason, I miss and reminisce about my time there. Those buildings and grounds will always be hallowed to me, not because they had uniqueness or specialness that was intrinsic to them (though they certainly do and that does play into it), but because that is the place where I built part of who I am today. So what I miss most is basically everything, the whole chapter beginning to end. I can’t think of one thing without being reminded of five other things.

What have you done post-graduation?

I work at Schneider Downs & Co in Pittsburgh which is a public accounting firm, and I am studying for the CPA exam.

How would you describe GCC’s community in your own words?

When people look at Grove City College, diversity is not necessarily the first thing that pops into their head’s, but to assume that the community here is totally homogeneous is very far from reality, I try to avoid making blanket statements for this reason. Like any other place, the overall community is like a patchwork quilt, and each patch in the quilt is itself another patchwork quilt, all the way down to the individual level. It’s true but ironic because I did end up just making a “blanket” statement… quilt… get it?