@lynjobes I don’t know where the friend got the idea that the other 4 schools don’t like Scrippsies. I’ve never gotten that impression from my Pomona D. Her best friend on campus is a Scrippsie. If any of the 5c’s have negative stereotypes it’s Pomona for supposedly being elitist snobs and CMCers for supposedly being privileged jocks. But everyone knows those are stereotypes.
My D loves Scripps. She’s never mentioned anything about other students not liking Scrippsies. And she takes most of her classes at Keck (with CMC and Pizter) and at Mudd.
Did you get a chance to visit both schools? They are so different.
My kid is a Mudder. She loves Scripps, hangs out in their coffee shop a lot and has friends there. I admit, I follow the YikYak for the 5Cs, and don’t recall any dislike of Scripps. There are more negative comments about a couple of the other schools. So I think that worry is unfounded.
Also, my Mudder has just pursued research opportunities at Mudd – and so have her friends.
Hi @lynjobes , weighing in with a couple of points.
- My kid is also from Northern California. After attending high school in the Boston vicinity for the past few years, she is beyond thrilled to be returning to SCAL (the Claremonts) for college. IMO, the Consortium has nicer weather than we even have in the Bay Area. Sometimes sunshine equates to an elevated mood :-).
- Has she seen the new-ish science building at Scripps? It is FAB!!!
- The women at Scripps have a very supportive alumnae community.
- If she yearns for Boston, there is no substitute. It is a one-of-a-kind college town.
- As a mom, no matter what my kid said, I would gravitate steering her towards the small class size environment. I think that it fosters more interaction and reflection, and offers more encouragement.
Best of luck!
Reading a thread like this makes me miss Xiggy. He posted so often and articulately about the consortium.
What is her planned major? My son is at a public U and has been involved in research as a freshman, due to his major which is not common. He was told that if he was a typical Bio major, it would have been much harder to get a research slot. OTOH, there is likely a bigger department and more labs at a bigger University so more slots, even with more competition.
I would let her decide based on her overall feel for the school and, if applicable, cost. Going to Boston would mean it would be more difficult to come home for short break.
Good luck. She has two really nice options.
Thanks, again, to everyone. She intends a biochem major, though increasingly interested in neuroscience. Cost about the same, so not an issue. We have visited both, but did not see the new Scripps science bldg (not sure why–perhaps not open or we did not realize it was new, hurried). We’ve been to the Consortium 3 times as my son was interested in a school there (Did not get in). Yes, weather much better than NoCal. We are from San Diego originally, so absolutely SoCal weather better! Both better than Boston! Talked to a family friend’s son who said if any school made fun of its Pitzer for its looney classes and seen as easy. Here I see other comments, but to my relief, it does not appear Scripps is a special target. She’s always been in small classes/school, so while she is going back and forth on if she still/needs that environment for her personality and also to achieve, she also is sort of obsessed at pushing herself and challenging herself to a larger environment where she knows she’ll have to be aggressive. @mom2and one of the reasons she did not apply to UCLA, others, was that we had heard from MANY sources that you have to be uber aggressive, kiss-up, and uber competitive (ruthless) to get internships and research just because of sheer numbers (35,000-40,000 undergrad schools). So while she’s willing to be competitive to a degree at a “BU,” a large public was too much change all at once. Your talking about bio being competitive research is interesting point. I know I sound obsessed with acceptance rate, but when paying this much money and being older parents (and my husband has had bouts of fairly serious health issues–okay now!) really wanting our kids to be able to support themselves soon, so every aspect is critical as we feel like a clock is ticking. Also why I am asking about the “cache” of the CLAREMONT name (versus Scripps itself). Thanks, again. Means a lot.