<p>I am a sophomore at Grove City who stumbled across this forum… I find it really irritating that Whistle Pig continually takes digs at the college for “hiding some secret” about the low tuition. GCC is not secretive about this at all, they are simply very well-managed, and if you researched it, you would see that the really high costs of other schools are just a scam. I personally feel like I am getting a phenomenal education and not suffering any consequences for the low price. The professors are incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about their work, and eager to help the students. The academic standards are really high - the core curriculum alone includes 6 humanities courses, 2 math courses, 2 science courses, 1 social science, 1 science, faith, and technology course, and 4 semesters of a modern language. This varies slightly from major to major, but that is typically what it is, so at the very least you know you’re getting a well-rounded education. The spiritual vitality on campus is also contagious. I enjoy the way the classes are taught from a genuinely Christian perspective. I would argue that the college does not try to indoctrinate us, but instead encourages us to think for ourselves and really mature in our faith. Dogma is not shoved down our throats. In fact, as part of the humanities core we take a class called Civilization and the Speculative Mind, in which we learn about different world views and how credible they are. Students are not encouraged to blindly follow the Christian worldview, but to examine it with scrutiny and come to a conclusion on their own. Similarly, in science, faith and technology students are exposed to works from different perspectives on the relationship between science and faith and engage in meaningful discussion. Again, we are not forced to blindly accept one explanation, but to reach our own conclusions. </p>
<p>@ sbjdorlo, I think your son should still look into Grove City College. My roommate is a secondary math education major and the mathematics are definitely rigorous. She is extremely capable and she still spends multiple days studying for exams because the professors push the math majors so hard. I would argue that her program is just as good here as it would be anywhere else, if not better. The math major includes 42 credit hours in math classes alone, for a total of 128 credit hours. The physics major is even more rigorous, requiring 81 credit hours of physics courses alone, for a total of 128 hours in total. GCC wants its students to be well-prepared in their fields, and is going to offer a challenging major in any subject, including math and science. (Biology is so intense that most of the majors drop it after first semester because they can’t handle it.) I’m not saying that to scare anyone because the workload is manageable, I’m just trying to point out that GCC provides a phenomenal education. It is a perfect fit for me and I’m so grateful that I ended up here. </p>
<p>I can’t comment on Wheaton because I have never been, but if I had known about it while I was in high school I definitely would have looked into it.</p>