Split between an upper and lower campus, York College offers an affordable and individualized college experience at only about $17,000 tuition as a private school and a little over 5,000 undergraduates. Taking a tour during York’s Fall Fest – a weekend in which parents of students and alumni are welcomed back to revisit college life among bouncy castles and fraternity performances – enhanced the appeal of York, enabling my mother and I to see how excited people were to come back and be on campus.
We first took the shuttle to the upper campus, a short distance that our tour guide, Kelsey Graver, assured us was easy to walk. Initially impressed by the expansive outdoor soccer fields, we entered the Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center. It offered as much as I could hope for in a college gym, from a huge three-story rock wall to an indoor track that ringed the field house court. The equipment room included rows and rows of treadmills and other machines, along with a spectacular view of the two outdoor fields.
Riding back to the main campus, we focused on dorm rooms next. With only one dorm having air conditioning, Kelsey admitted the heat was a burden only until the middle of October. Otherwise, the dorms ranked higher on the scale than most I have seen; they are fairly large, even with both beds on the ground, and have a large closet space.
The next stop on the tour was Johnson Dining Hall, an expansive and high-ceilinged room with a variety of food options. Apart from salad, pasta, pizza, and other customary food bars, York also included vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. Freshmen all receive the same food plan: 225 swipes on their cards per semester to all-you-can-eat dining halls, a great option for those getting accustomed to college life.
Moving onto academics, York offers the standard opportunities of a small average classroom size, office hours for professors, and flexibility in majors. However, unlike many other schools, York implements Blackboard, a grade tracking website much like North Penn’s Home Access to make sure the students know they’re on track.
As Kelsey wrapped up the tour, she brought us to a misshapen, green rock with white signatures written in every crevice. Explaining York’s tradition of repainting the rock green for every graduation and having the students sign it when they graduate, Kelsey reflected that “you always leave your mark at York.”