Anyone still deciding? Parent willing to answer questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Scripps College
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<p>My daughter is finishing her sophomore year. At this point, I'm very comfortable saying that she made the right choice for her. Scripps is a very supportive environment, with the shared resources of five colleges. As a parent, I thought the shared resources might be more marketing than truth. But it's real. </p>

<p>I'd be glad to answer questions. </p>

<p>At time of entrance, she was 1) from the East Coast, 2) knew she was interested in international relations/social sciences (or somewhere over in the liberal arts), 3) had a lot of geeky friends, and hope to make more geeky friends in college.</p>

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<p>chaucers_pal,</p>

<p>My daughter has already committed to Scripps - so doesn’t need to be convinced at this point. :slight_smile: But it’s really nice to hear that the consortium has worked well for your daughter - access to the consortium was a big part of my daughter’s decision. I also laughed when reading your description of your daughter - very similar to my daughter. My daughter is currently interested in English, classics, philosophy, and media studies; also has lots of “geeky” friends and is hoping to make more in college. Thanks for sharing!</p>

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<p>Hi, I’m a high school senior currently on the fence between UCSD and Scripps. They are pretty much polar opposites; UCSD is big, public, private, and coed, whereas Scripps is small, liberal arts, private, and all girls. My question is: Do you think it is really worth the extra $30,000 to go to a private college like Scripps? How has it benefited your daughter?</p>

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<p>I really don’t know how to assess the monetary tradeoffs for you. That’s so personal, depending on your interests and your financial situation. I would never encourage anyone to spend money they really can’t afford.</p>

<p>Here’s some of the tradeoffs, as I see them.</p>

<p>Do both schools have programs/majors you are really interested in?
Or if you aren’t sure what you want to major in, do they both have a good range of choices of things you think you might be interested in?</p>

<p>-UCSD probably has more majors available, and more course options. The possible tradeoff is that at Scripps, you may get a much more personalized experience. The actual quality of the teachers is going to depend on the particular courses you are taking. Big schools do tend to have more TA’s teaching
-Scripps does give you access to courses at the other 4 schools, so it really is more like a 5000 person school, not a 1000 person, in terms of courses</p>

<p>Are you good at figuring out how to “work the system”, find the courses you want, figure out your major, figure out housing, and so on?
-A smaller school like Scripps gives you better support. You have an advisor from day 1, and it’s easier to get advice from teachers and school administration. A far more personal experience. </p>

<p>Are you going to be happy in a big school?

  • My daughter likes being social, but also need a lot of time to herself. Scripps is a good blend for her - she socializes with her friends at Scripps, goes to big parties on the other campuses, and can retreat to her room or to one of the study rooms when she needs quiet time. Overall, the vibe on the Scripps campus is pretty low key and quiet.</p>

<p>Are you comfortable with what required courses you have to take
-Don’t know the details of the required courses at UCSD, but my guess is that Scripps has more required courses. Check that out and make sure you are comfortable with the requirements of each.</p>

<p>You ask about some specific advantages for her:
-When she was planning her junior semester abroad, it was easy for her to go and talk with professors about which of several programs was best for her. This included professors at other schools, who were familiar with the programs. It was also easy for her to talk to other students who had done the program, and get their input.</p>

<p>-A professor just asked her to work for him this summer on some research he’s doing. It’s actually outside of her major, but she’s taking a class with him, and he felt she’d be a good match for the work. </p>

<p>-She’s been very happy in her dorm life, and made a lot of friends. She also has a lot of friends at Harvey Mudd. </p>

<p>Best of luck - I know these are tough choices.</p>

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<p>I assume that there would be more geographic diversity to the student body at Scripps (and the other 4Cs) than UCSD. That has been a big plus for my daughter. Most of her friends went to in-state schools and she really feels that her horizons have been broadened by making friends from other parts of the country (and abroad). I can also see a big difference in my daughter intellectually after just one year at Scripps. Her career interests prior to college were “managing a rock band” or “owning a skate board shop”. Recently she told me that she was researching top law schools with the thought of post-graduate study. I guess she hasn’t changed too much though because her criteria for a study abroad location is “somewhere that I can play rugby and drink beer”. Looks like she may be headed to Ireland!</p>