How big of a role did the affordability of Grove City College play in your college decision making process?
Affordability was the factor that made Grove City College stand out for me amongst other Christian schools with technical majors.
Overall, how would you describe the spiritual environment at Grove City College?
Grove City College offered countless opportunities for me to strengthen my faith and to learn more about my creator and savior. The best part about my choice to attend Grove City College was the countless strong Christians that I have been exposed to. The swim team, in particular, challenged my faith as I got to strive alongside people who inspired me while helping me to keep my pride in-check. I also appreciate that Grove City College does not require all students to be Christians. I have grown from my experiences with unbelievers, and I pray that God uses the College to point them closer to Him.
How would you describe the level of academics you experienced during your time at Grove City College?
The course load may have been rough at times, but, looking back, I wouldn’t ask for anything less challenging. At times I was tempted to study when I should have been seeking God, but my classmates, professors, and family encouraged me to make God a priority, and I will be forever grateful for both the time crunch that challenged me and the support I received to help put Him above the things of this world.
What are some of the ways that professors ensure that students not only receive information but truly learn and understand how to apply that information?
I have been in classes that incorporate discussion, classes that incorporate labs, classes with experience in the actual field, classes that have well-constructed writing assignments, and student teaching. However, Grove City College’s strength is not that it forces you to “truly learn,” its strength is that it provides you with a great opportunity to learn and challenges you to be an adult by letting you decide if you will take advantage of that great opportunity.
What advice would you give to an incoming student?
Find one organization that you really want to plug into and make it your goal not just to learn from that organization but to make its culture more Christian than it was when you joined. Many students are forever changed by the friends that they make on campus, but the true leaders, the ones Grove City College would wilt without, make a conscious effort to leave the campus a stronger Christian community than they found it.
How would you describe the relationship that the students have with each other on campus?
Studying at such a rigorous institution means that there is always the temptation to let competition get in the way of friendship, and that actually makes friendships stronger at Grove City College. In order to have a true friendship, you must sacrifice some of the other wonderful things you could be doing on campus, and that makes friendships stronger. There are some students that don’t make time for this, but the majority of students really do rise to the challenge and form relationships on campus that would not be as impressive or strong at a more mediocre institution.