<p>hello.... i'm thinking of applying to oxy as a safety..
but it sounds really nice.. and it's in LA..</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me what it's like?
What's good about Oxy..
the environment, social life, work, professors, the campus etc etc....</p>
<p>Excellent school if you're interested in close student-faculty interaction, outstanding teaching, opportunities for research, a very diverse and multicultural student body, and the unusual combination of urban location and close-knit community on a beautiful residential campus. Admission rate has been around 40% and falling, so it won't be a good safety school unless you have rather strong credentials.</p>
<p>Are there a lot of International students?</p>
<p>And what's it like living in LA..</p>
<p>yo oxy is really hott!!! the only school better is harvard lol</p>
<p>:)
nah columbia's the best lol</p>
<p>but yeh.. im really starting to like oxy!!! :)
do you go there?</p>
<p>well if harvard rejects me thats where im gonna be...lol that sorta rhymes</p>
<p>There aren't <em>that</em> many international students at Oxy, but it's a very diverse campus--a lot of the "American" students have lived abroad or have international experience. Los Angeles is great, especially if you have a car (or friends with a car...).</p>
<p>Why esp. if you have a car?</p>
<p>:-) I guess you've never been to L.A. It's not easy to get around if you don't have a car--it's huge and public transportation only goes so far. Public transportation isn't actually as bad as some people make it look, but it's definitely not as good as in D.C. or Boston.</p>
<p>Or in NYC...</p>
<p>Attending a small liberal arts college is in my opinion in money well spent. I am now at an Ivy League university for graduate school & looking at the undergrad program, I am very pleased with my choice of Oxy for undergrad. You get more hands on experience in lab working with professors who are dedicated to teaching. Do not underestimate the importance of professors who care about teaching. The more they care, the more you will learn! Oxy's faculty in molecular biology and chemistry are excellent and so are the facilities. If you are looking to go into the sciences, Oxy is a great place to start! Not to mention you get on average better LoRs when you apply to graduate school since the professors know you personally.
Oxy is great also for the fact you get to interact with a diverse population and get to enjoy the fantastic climate of Sourthern California while avoiding the sufficating conditions that can occur farther inland. You have a nice small campus with a big city to explore.</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinion oxypomona.... did you go to Pomona as well?</p>
<p>What is LoRs?</p>
<p>I'm planning on going into English Literature and Art history... How's oxy for that?
I'm also applying to Claremont..</p>
<p>I chose Oxy over Pomona. LoR = Letter of Recommendation.</p>
<p>This is from their WebPage</p>
<p>a senior politics major at Occidental College, has won a prestigious Marshall Scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies at Oxford University next fall. He is the eighth Occidental student since 1972 to be granted the prize.</p>
<p>So where are you now? You've finished undergrad at Oxy.. and now going for post grad at...?</p>
<p>And do you know how the Eng and Art History depts are at Oxy?</p>
<p>Columbia. ( I used Oxy's 4-2 program.) E&A Depts are excellent.</p>
<p>Excellent.. That's great to hear! :) I think Oxy sounds great..</p>
<p>O and I applied Columbia ED.. the school I absolutely love! lol..
I'm really hoping to get in!.
Maybe I'll see you there !! lol</p>
<p><a href="http://departments.oxy.edu/intl/%5B/url%5D">http://departments.oxy.edu/intl/</a></p>
<p>California Universities Year Established</p>
<p>Berkeley 1868</p>
<p>USC 1880</p>
<p>Pomona 1887</p>
<p>Occidental 1888</p>
<p>Caltech 1891</p>
<p>Stanford 1891</p>
<p>UCLA 1919</p>
<p>Coming to Occidental College was one of the best decisions I ever made.
When I was first choosing colleges, I had no opportunity to actually visit any campuses. I applied to Occidental nearly at random--my brother's professor of Physics had graduated from there--and decided to attend simply because it offered the best financial aid. When I arrived as a bright-eyed little frosh, I had no idea of what my college would be like.First impressions being everything, Occidental certainly put out everything it had for the incoming freshmen. There were 'dry' parties every night, a carnival with booths and inflatable obstacle courses, and free stuffed Oxy Tigers for every member. The O-Team, in charge of escorting us through our first few weeks, was not only enthusiastic and friendly but utterly trustworthy. My O-Team leader actually lent me $100 when I realized I didn't have enough cash with me to buy books. By the time classes started, I was feeling good, and that opinion only solidified from there on. One class--Images of the Self--was on autobiography, my most loathed form of literature. The professors were professional and expert enough to leave with a deep appreciation for it, while challenging me to expend more effort than I usually did on essays. Every professor I had for a class offered office hours for consultation, and were quite willing to simply chat at length about books we were reading and new movies. They also pursued a deeper understanding of their students' lives, taking the time when we met the next semester to ask me about the classes I was taking, what I planned to major in, my summer job, the possibility of fellowships for study abroad.... All in all, the professors are one of Occidental's greatest strengths. Beyond the academic side of things, there is a vast possibility of extracurricular activities bound to satisfy almost every need. Naturally, there's the usual sort--the Hawaiian Culture Club, the Glee Club, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. But you can also find the Anime Club, the Hip Hop and Reggae Appreciation Club, and Women's Ultimate Frisbee. The usual run of sports--football, soccer, basketball, and the like--exist on the varsity level, though they're not really a focus in Occidental's more academic atmosphere. The Glee Club is nationally known, with Christmas and Easter performances that have to be heard to be appreciated properly.
Occidental College shares a few programs with the famed California Institute of Technology (Caltech), such as the 3-2 program that lets students take a hard science at Caltech as well as liberal arts at Occidental, or the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band (of which I'm a member). Because students can take classes at both institutions, it expands the variety and depth of subjects one can study. Because one of its primary tenets is multiculturalism, Occidental College is highly diverse and leans towards the liberal side of politics. While most people are very friendly, conservative students may occasionally feel unwanted or discriminated against. Fortunately, such things are rare (as are conservative students there). Most people should feel fully accepted by the majority of the student body. With all of the extracurricular activities, there is a great demand for student leadership. I was the student body senate representative for my dorm my freshman year, and the current president of the Greek Counsel is a sophomore like myself. Those who wish to attain leadership positions can find them easily, and those who wish to have someone else do the difficult things can find leaders easily as well. The student body is usually politically active, and nearly any cause you choose to devote yourself to can dig up a loyal following within a few weeks.</p>