Academics, Strengths of Scripps

Colleges and Universities A-Z Scripps College
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<p>Hi everyone! I just recently began to consider all-girls schools, and I have always wondered about the Claremont Colleges.</p>

<p>What are the academic strengths at Scripps?</p>

<p>I am not sure of what exactly I'll do in college, but now it seems likely that my top three areas of study will be around English, Japanese/East Asian Studies, and Music. Scripps seems to have a nice music program! (?)</p>

<p>Can anyone explain the 3-part Core curriculum? Is it difficult to complete? Might it prevent a student from taking more varied classes than she would like? (By the end of 4 years, I personally hope to take an eclectic bunch of classes to explore.. I'm interested in many different subjects!)</p>

<p>Does anyone have any first-hand information? =)</p>

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<p>!!! I just saw that part of the Core III includes a course where students team-teach a foreign language to elementary school students in a once-a-week clinic! And Japanese (my chosen language =) and which host country I am studying in for a semester next year) is actually included! Not just Spanish!!</p>

<p>I am getting *really *excited over here! hahaha</p>

3

<p>"For Advanced Placement courses and examinations, scores of four or five on the examination will be considered for credit. "</p>

<p>The website is not any more specific than that... Is Scripps resistant to using AP scores for advanced placement? =\
(question seems a little redundant hehe..)</p>

4

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What are the academic strengths at Scripps?

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<p>Thanks to the consortium setup, the students have access to strong departments across the colleges. Each college does get 'known' for certain emphases, though, and Scripps is generally considered the humanities (and perhaps fine arts) school of the consortium. That said, the most popular majors are (or at least were a few years ago, when I last checked...just a disclaimer) English, politics, biology, studio art, and psychology.</p>

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I am not sure of what exactly I'll do in college, but now it seems likely that my top three areas of study will be around English, Japanese/East Asian Studies, and Music. Scripps seems to have a nice music program! (?)

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<p>Sounds like an interesting path! One of the things that appealed most to me as a prospective student was how friendly Scripps is to students with interdisciplinary interests. The mindset might really benefit you, too :)</p>

<p>For the most part, all that I know about the particular subjects/departments that interest you can be found on their webpages, anyway...sorry!</p>

<p>Scripps</a> College : Academics : English Department
Scripps</a> College : Music Department
Scripps</a> College : Academics : Asian Studies Department
Pomona</a> College - Asian Studies Program
Asian</a> Languages and Literatures at Pomona College</p>

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Can anyone explain the 3-part Core curriculum?

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<p>Okay, let me start by saying that I loved Core. Big time. Given your interests, it sounds like something you could really enjoy, too. Lots of reading and writing, very interdisciplinary, good way to explore a thousand different subjects in only three courses. It's not everyone's favorite, but I can't think of anyone who didn't at least appreciate going through it.</p>

<p>Core happens in three consecutive semesters...your entire first year and fall of your sophomore year. Each semester is structured a bit differently, though the overriding theme (particularly of Core 1) is "Culture, knowledge, & representation."</p>

<p>Core 1: All first-year students take it at the same time. Classes alternate lectures and discussions. Lectures are your entire first-year class in the big (Garrison) auditorium, and the lecturer changes every week. Discussions are approx. 15 students per section, with each section headed by one professor, each of whom will lecture 1-2 times during the semester. The professors and readings change a bit each semester, but they always come from a ridiculous variety of backgrounds. Lots and lots of reading. Good exposure to a variety of topics and professors. Also, nice first-year 'bonding' experience...I actually have really good memories (and some entertaining video) of core study sessions and essay editing parties :p</p>

<p>Core 2: Broken down into six or so sections, each of about 40 students, and team-taught by two professors from different disciplines (sometimes the format gets tweaked a bit, but this is the norm). Each section has its own topic, and the idea is to build upon the themes of Core 1, apply them to something new, etc. Got a bit lost in the middle for me.</p>

<p>Core 3: Broken down into sections of approx. 15 students each, with each section taught by one professor. For Core 3, the language teaching clinics are also a potential option (Scripps</a> College : Dream Catchers: Allison Yoneyama might interest you), as is independent study. Again, draws on themes from Core 1 and 2, and generally culminates in a larger project. </p>

<p>Scripps</a> College : Core Curriculum in Interdisciplinary Humanities</p>

<p>^ Gives an overview of the program. On the left, you can go to Core I, II, or III and see syllabi, assignments, section choices (which vary by semester, and not all of the Core 2's were offered this past spring, as seems to be indicated), etc.</p>

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Is it difficult to complete?

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<p>Nope, not at all. You don't have a choice, and everyone's doing it, so you don't really think about it. Because so many people go through it, professors also try to take that into account when scheduling other courses (i.e. the single section of a major pre-req intro course won't likely conflict with Core 1). Also, you'll have lots of flexibility in your early semesters. I actually felt really weird once I didn't have to factor Core into my schedule...it'd been a nice anchor.</p>

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Might it prevent a student from taking more varied classes than she would like? (By the end of 4 years, I personally hope to take an eclectic bunch of classes to explore.. I'm interested in many different subjects!)

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<p>Well, there's a plus and a minus here. Scripps does have a lot of GE's. Between my major, minor, and GE's, I didn't have room for all the electives I would've liked, and I did overload for a few semesters. That said, </p>

<p>(1) Like you, "all the electives I would've liked" was like, two hundred.</p>

<p>(2) I could've done more to free up space in my schedule (I preferred to take two separate and interesting GE courses rather than one that double-counted, but appealed less to me...stuff like that). Also, it's possible to test out of math + 3 semesters of foreign language, but I was a math minor and I started a language from scratch, so added all those to my schedule. Also did an honors major, which meant that 3-4 extra spots went towards there. Bottom line, take my complaints with some salt, b/c the tightness of my schedule wasn't necessarily typical (but it's all I have to go by!).</p>

<p>(3) A lot of the GE's are part of a breadth of study requirement, which is designed to require what you already want to do, which is take courses in a lot of areas outside of your major. The only time that I felt bogged down was when I had an interest that didn't fall into the breadth of study reqs (like computer science), or when I happened to want to take a few different types of courses that fell under the same umbrella (sociology and psychology, for example...both fell under the social science req). Specific requirements are here: Scripps</a> College : Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.</p>

<p>(4) Core was actually great, in my experience, for helping me branch out. It was the breadth of study reqs that bugged me more, but at the same time, I have a lot of good things to say about them, too. They gave me an 'excuse' to take a lot more courses than I ever felt that they hindered me from taking.</p>

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Is Scripps resistant to using AP scores for advanced placement? =\

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<p>You can use AP scores to get elective credit, but not to pass out of any GE's. Racking up credit can potentially put you a semester or year ahead, which will give you a nice boost come registration time. As mentioned somewhere above, you can potentially test out (or into the middle) of the one semester math requirement or the three semester foreign language requirement. I think that math requires a placement test during orientation, while language can be done through placement testing or SAT2 score...don't quote me there.</p>

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<p>Phew. I know there are a few other CC students heading to Scripps this fall, as well as parents of current/future students, so perhaps someone else will weigh in. Meanwhile, that was my [way more than] $0.02 as a recent grad. Feel free to keep asking questions! Scripps is a truly wonderful place...I love a good chance to talk it up ;)</p>

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<p>APs: as Student615 said they can be used towards total credits but not to replace a GE or for placement. My daughter had 8 A/Ps all with scroes of 4 or 5, so she was able to use 4 as credits. For her spring semester registration she was considered a Sophomore and got to register ahead of other Freshmen who didn't have 4 A/Ps to bump them up into the next year.</p>

<p>Japanese: One of her roomates for next year is a science major but is taking Japanese and is planning on doing her study abroad in Japan. Her Japanese classes are Pomona courses.</p>

6

<p>Student615- I just sent you a really nice long PM! haha THANK YOU!</p>

<p>kcpdmp- Thank you so much for the info! =D Now I'm wondering, how were the four AP exams chosen for total credits? Or erm... since they count for credits, did it even matter which exams were used? .... You can probably tell that I have no idea how that whole concept works! =P
Is 4 the max number of APs that can be accepted?</p>

<p>Having Japanese courses at Pomona sounds pretty appealing!</p>

<p>When I originally started thinking about schools, I wanted to find one where I would be in the smallest classes possible. Core I sounds huge, and Core II still larger than what I had in mind. Every college student I know so far tends to fall asleep during large lectures- how is it with Core I at Scripps? I'm guessing and hoping it's different =P
And since you, Student615, loved it so much, I assume it was quite bearable?</p>

<p>In general I'm afraid of too many GEs are too many students in classes (so not enough interaction).</p>

7

<p>I just saw the required Writing 50 course. =\ On the website description, even though they say it is distinctively different from HS writing, it still seems exactly like what I did for my AP Lang class. (My teacher was STRICT and voted hardest female teacher for ..10+ years in a row for teacher superlatives haha.) The Scripps webpage states, "Specifically, we will be teaching you written argument, which is the basis for all academic writing."
And it seems like I did Argument the whole year!</p>

<p>Can anyone make a clearer distinction between Writing 50 and AP Lang? I'd be even more happy to take it if I had a better idea of what it really is about. (even though I know I'd HAVE to take it whether I like it or not.)</p>

<p>Just to reassure me =)</p>

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When I originally started thinking about schools, I wanted to find one where I would be in the smallest classes possible. Core I sounds huge, and Core II still larger than what I had in mind. Every college student I know so far tends to fall asleep during large lectures- how is it with Core I at Scripps? I'm guessing and hoping it's different =P

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<p>When I think back on typical class sizes, I totally discount Core I, and partially discount Core II...they were just such totally different situations. Half of your Core I classes will indeed be huge--200ish students in a big hall--but the other half will be small discussions. Regarding the big lectures, well...frankly, that's the point of Core I. It puts everyone on as close to the same page as is possible, and that's a huge part of what makes the program so notable. So, as another major fan of tiny classes, I can't actually complain about this one! And for what it's worth, this particular lecture scenario may not be as gross as what you're picturing (this photo actually looks like a Core I lecture, but I don't know for sure): Garrison</a> Theatre. Still a big class, but IMO, actually kind of a cool atmosphere, given that I only had to do it once.</p>

<p>Core II, I can whine about. In my experience, it was a very awkward size, and it was my least favorite of the three part series. But, well...it was one class out of 30-something, and it, second to Core I lectures, was the second largest class I remember having. Aside from it, all of my "big" classes were 25-35, and I had more classes <10 than >30. Most fell on the lower end of in between. My major and minor were both in fairly small departments, but I doubt that had a huge effect.</p>

<p>Like I've said, I personally loved Core, and especially parts I and III. I do think it's sort of a love-it-or-hate-it class. In trying to think about what in particular made me a Core-friendly student...my interests are all over the place, so I rarely felt like info was totally useless to me. I also love the interdisciplinary approach, so figuring out all of the connections between seemingly unrelated material was kind of my favorite thing ever. I ended up being a philosophy major, so the emphasis on critical thinking, the reading load, the abstractness...all fine with me. Most complaints were about Core I, and seemed to fall into two main categories: (1) the content of certain lectures was outside the student's field of interest, and dull (how regular of a complaint this was depended on each student's own interests and how they matched up with the course content, as well as on each student's curiosity about other fields); (2) workload-related (it's not usually too heavy on any given night, but it's unrelenting). After Core I, you have a bit of choice re: professor and topic, so even if you don't like the first installment of the program, there's plenty of hope. And I can very truthfully say that I never spoke with anyone who didn't appreciate, at least in some way, having gone through Core...particularly Core I. It's a good jump-start to college. That said, I definitely loved it more than most. Gotta be honest there.</p>

<p>Have you ever had a really good, really analytical English class (AP lit could be a contender)? Like, you read a book and then spend a few weeks debating the why's and what if's, the implications, the way that the story is mirrored in the structure, the similarities between that book and the last one you read, the common ground between the book and some pop song, etc.? Or you read a poem and then spend forever discussing literal meaning, figurative meaning, symbolism, the way that certain literary devices enhance the tone, the way that the structure supports a particular interpretation, whatever? Ideally, everyone's sitting in a circle and a fair number of people are getting into it. In really good discussions, people will draw on info from previous class sessions, or even from other courses. If it's a really great class, students will keep on arguing even as class is ending, and perhaps longer. I loved that in HS, and it's exactly what I wanted to maximize in my college courses. It's that exact same part of me that loved Core. This is probably about the closest HS-friendly comparison I can draw, but if you have no idea what I'm talking about, just ignore it! And if you do have some idea of what I mean, but really don't like that style of class, well...(1) reconsider LAC's; (2) reread the part about people appreciating, even if not necessarily enjoying Core ;)</p>

<p>I can be a real windbag when it comes to core. Sorry. As much as I enjoyed it, though, it was still only 3 courses out of four years. I wouldn't really let it make or break your feelings for the school unless you have really strong thoughts about it.</p>

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In general I'm afraid of too many GEs are too many students in classes (so not enough interaction).

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<p>Worrying about GE's is fine, and a personal call. But don't worry for this (^) reason...it's a non-issue. Because most of Scripps' GE's are area requirements, rather than specific class requirements, you have a lot of flexibility. GE's don't have to be big intro lectures. A few classes will be unavoidably sizable (most GE-friendly science courses, but by "sizable" I mean 25-45), but for the most part, options are wide open. </p>

<p>To get a better idea of what I mean when I talk about flexibility with GE's, check out the Claremont course schedule. If you scroll down to "SC...", you'll be able to look at one semester's worth of courses that fill the various GE reqs, and you'll also be able to see the size of the classes, plus whether or not there are any pre-reqs (first years haven't yet registered, but a lot of courses are open and without pre-reqs, so they'll spread themselves out):</p>

<p>Claremont</a> Course Schedule</p>

<p>I have mixed feelings towards GE's. On the one hand, I did wish for more space in my schedule. On the other hand, I loved having good reason to take classes outside of my major/minor/other known interests, and I had some really excellent experiences in GE courses. It was a GE class that made me sure of my major, and another GE class that shaped the direction of my research, EC involvement, and post-college plans! So...I did grumble, but it was more the fault of college for being, in general, too enjoyable + too short, than the fault of GE's for being restrictive. This is why I might sound waver-y in my opinions on the topic ;)</p>

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<p>Re: Writing 50</p>

<p>Well...you kind of summed things up with your second to last sentence.</p>

<p>Yep, it's required. The Scripps application makes it clear that they value good writing, and unsurprisingly, they get lots of people with strong backgrounds in the subject. So, for fairly obvious reasons, this particular requirement ticks a lot of people off. Despite the occasional tediousness of the course, I do actually like the fact that it takes every single student and says "Hey, you still have something to learn."</p>

<p>Personally, I didn't feel that I got a ton out of Writing 50, but I also came out of an uncharacteristically strong HS program. The class certainly didn't hurt me, I had a nice professor, I met some nice fellow first-years, and the whole affair was decently enjoyable. The course does help (at least in theory) to level the playing field, and to give students a rough idea of what will be expected of them in their other courses. If something about your HS writing style isn't going to fly in college, you'll be better off finding out on a Writing 50 rough draft than on another course's midterm. I enjoyed some of the readings we did, I enjoyed having a low-pressure forum to make sure that I was up to par, and I enjoyed the small, discussion-heavy course format.</p>

<p>IMO, the writing program is one of Scripps' weaknesses, which is kind of ironic. With regards to Writing 50 in particular, my biggest complaint is the lack of standardization between sections. I've heard about some that are truly productive, wonderful experiences, and some that are wastes of time. Some have very demanding workloads, some are fluff. </p>

<p>It was nice having a second required course for my first semester, because that course catalog seems pretty overwhelming upon first read. Other than that, "meh" kind of sums up my feelings here. My experience was fine...not really worth bragging or whining about. I don't believe that inescapable freshman writing courses are terribly uncommon at LAC's, but don't quote me.</p>

<p>No direct comparison to AP Lang...wasn't available at my HS. Sorry.</p>