<p>I am a freshman at Scripps this year, and used this site a ton last year. If you want to ask any questions or hear anything about this school from a current student, I'll do my best to answer. :)</p>
<p>My daughter is there as we speak, taking part in the JES weekend. Her first call home was to inform us of her safe arrival, the "great girls" she'd already met, and oh yeah- something about "It smells funny". LOL. I suggested that may be smog. What is the air quality this weekend? </p>
<p>The only other real question I have is the age old , how does this consortium work in real life? D is a science major-type and would probably like to avail herself of the best resources available on the 5 campuses for a bio/neurobiology concentrator. I don't know how she would feel if the Pomona and Mudd kids viewed and treated the Scrippsies poorly.</p>
<p>I wonder what dorm your daughter is staying in? It's possible that what she smells is the strong odor from the trees (I think the eucalyptys or the olive trees) that shed constantly--and people step on the berries etc. I remember it very distinctly from my time there 25 years ago! It's one of the trade-offs you make for that beautifully landscaped campus. It's also possible, if there were any fires in the hills within the last year, that on a smoggy day, or after some rain the smell will carry. Don't worry about the smog--it's only bad during the early fall, and there are many other compensations.</p>
<p>She called this morning to say the haze was gone and the mountains were beautiful. She also said that the students at Scripps were complaining about it so it must not be that regular for it to be that bad. She does report very favorably on the campus so far.</p>
<p>Edit: I forgot. They are staying at the Claremont Inn. Not in a dorm.</p>
<p>curmudgeon-I've been seeing the JES girls around, before I realized it was a scholarship weekend I kept wondering why there were so many tours. :) Once in a while there is a strange smell on one part of campus (it varies) but, siusplau said, it usually has to do with landscaping. You can't smell the smog, you can just see it. Some days you look at the mountains and it is clear and gorgeous, some days they are covered in haze.</p>
<p>The five-college constortium is great, even better than I expected before I came (and I visited twice!). I'm actually taking about half of my classes at Pomona this semester, and will continue to take classes there because they are the only school that has Russian. There are students from all 5-Cs in my classes, even those on Scripps (although there is only one guy in my math class). If your daughter is going to be a science major, she will take a lot of her classes at the joint science center. I don't know too much about the joint science center though, because I'm not taking any science courses. All of the schools do have their reputations and stereotypes, but I haven't experienced them come into play in personal ineteractions among students. No one would look down upon your daughter for being a science major from Scripps. I'm actually considering majoring in math, and I was told that Scripps is graduating more female math majors this year than CalTech. </p>
<p>I hope this was helpful, If I think of anything else relevant, I will add it. I hope your daughter is enjoying her stay here.</p>
<p>Scripps is the prettiest college I've ever seen, and I kind of wish I applied there. However, I got the feeling that Scripps girls were more snobby than the girls I met at Pomona. While on tour, everyone was in their own little groups or talking on their cell phones. I realize this is just the impression I got from a short tour, so what do you think?</p>
<p>What do you not like about Scripps? What's the next-best dorm besides the new one?</p>
<p>raindrop-I would say you made a fairly accurate observation, there are definitely some cliques here. There are certain groups of girls who are may tend to act a little snobby to people who are not part of their circle.</p>
<p>CMV-(see above) Many of the girls here come from upper middle class to wealthy families, which is not surprising considering it is a small private school. My background is a little different, which may be why some things stuck out to me in the first few months, like how brand-conscious some of the people here are. I didn't even know what seven jeans or rainbows were before I came here, let alone own a pair. Basically, there's some superficiality going on here, but not too much.</p>
<p>I'm straining myself here trying to think of other things I don't like. Even what I mentioned above is not really representative of the whole school, just some people here. I guess I don't like it when the sprinklers are on at night and there are puddles on the sidewalks-that's annoying. The campus also tends to be fairly empty, they don't really have parties here. The best parties are at Harvey Mudd and CMC. I actually like that though, because it's quiet when I come back for the night or if I stay in.</p>
<p>I don't know all of the dorms that well. I've heard bad things about Kimberly. I really love Browning (my dorm) though. It is one of the older dorms and is just gorgeous. The hallways are wide and spacious and the whole thing was designed to be aesthetically pleasing-not just functional with each room a copy of the next. Our room has a balcony, and that's not very unusual. Every room has it's own sink, but I'm pretty sure this goes for all the dorms.</p>
<p>I know that the brochures talk about being part of your school but also part of the larger 5-C community, and this sounds a little cheesy, but it's true. When you come to Claremont, you are coming to <em>Claremont</em>, not just Scripps or Pomona or any of the other schools. This is one of my favorite parts about being a student here, and was one of the biggest factors for choosing to come (although Scripps was also my favorite of the 5).</p>
<p>Lindsaylu, thank you for your help and advice! I'm so glad to here that there are only few things you don't like. I have a few more questions, I hope you don't mind!</p>
<p>Going with the thing you said about cliques and some snobbishness, has it been hard to find your niche and sense of community at Scripps? I haven't heard of seven jeans or rainbows either... </p>
<p>Also, do you like Core classes so far?</p>
<p>how's your financial package?-did you have lots of loans and not as much grants and scholarships?</p>
<p>CMV-Sorry it's taken me a while to reply, all the work is really picking up about now. It's not hard to find a sense of community here. Especially during orientation week-all we did was meet new people. But that's the point of orientation. I feel like it's a little more difficult to meet new people at this point in the semester, but it's not a big deal. I'm trying to get involved this year because I pretty much only worked and went to school during high school. Clubs advertise all the time, there is also a club fair early in the fall. I just got involved with a community service club a little while ago and I am a project leader for our trip to Mexico tomorrow.</p>
<p>Core 1 was, well, a drag. It seemed really disconnected and was usually not very interesting. They do grade easily in this course though. It's also valuable for a few reasons, one is that it is a sort of bonding experience for the freshman class. I also feel like it gave me a pretty good background for some classes I'm taking this semester dealing with philosophy and the 19th century. I didn't enjoy it though. If you visit Scripps you can ask a first year to see their Core 1 reader to get a better feel for it.</p>
<p>I am loving Core 2 though. I am in the section called "Communities of Hate." Social activism is part of our class (sort of). The course is mainly about genocide, but also racism, poverty as a form of genocide, and hate in general. Before taking this course I heard from several people it was the best Core 2, I think I agree and urge you to remember this and choose it if you end up at Scripps! Core 2 seems to be better in general though because the material is more specific and you can actually choose something that interests you. The approach of the whole Core program is valuable-we are forced to examine our views on things and our assumptions about the world. But Core 1 is still blah.</p>
<p>Meilani-I was really happy with my financial aid package, if it hadn't been as good it would have been impossible for me to attend Scripps. My loans are not very high (so far), lower than most of my friends from high school. I don't know how much Scripps usually gives but I've heard-and this is just hearsay, I don't know if it's true-that they may not give as often as other schools, but when they give, they give a lot. </p>
<p>I do actually have a pamphlet about financial aid that I picked up thinking it would give me the deadline for reapplying (it didn't). There is some relevant info in here though:</p>
<p>"How does Scripps 'package' Financial Aid?"</p>
<p>"The first $6,000 of a student's demonstrated need (as determined by our institutional methodology) is met with grant (or "gift") aid. If a student demonstrates additional need it is met first with a small student loan ($3,625 for a first year student) and a Federal Work-Study award ($1,800 in 2005-2006). Any remaining need is met with additional grant assistance from federal, state, and Scripps College resources."</p>
<p>They also reduce your loan and work-study dollar for dollar when you receive outside scholarships before they reduce Scripps grants.</p>
<p>seems to me that scripps cares more aboutyour GPA and the rigor of your academic record (honor classes and ap's) than SAT's. that's the good news. the bad news is that scripps is tiny! so they can really pick and choose among applicants. make sure that they know how much you like scripps and that you have incredible rec's from your teachers. my D is applying to scripps, too. her SAT's are stronger than yours (she was also scored higher on CR + W than math), but she has a lower GPA than you... best of luck to both of you!</p>
<p>I just ofund out I was accepted to Scripps today (go class of 2011!) and I wanted to know a few inside tips: what to do, what to avoid, what dorms to try and get, what clases/teachers to avoid, etc. </p>
<p>Any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>My weighted GPA is 3.85, my ACT score is 26 and SAT II is lit 650 us history 650 Spanish 750.</p>
<p>and i was really involved in extracurricular activities:clubs, concervatory, volunteer, leadership.</p>
<p>the interview was what helped me the most, I think, just 'cause it helped me be more than names and numbers.</p>
<p>I found out through an outside scholarhip called questbridge.</p>
<p>Good luck, I'm sure you'll be accepted!</p>
<p>I pretty strongly disagree with previous posts that cited Scripps as snobby or clique-ish. For 800 women on one little campus, I can't believe how invisible those things actually are! Each person's experience is bound to be unique, but in 4 years I've never had or heard about any problems with this. I see circles of friends more than I do "cliques", and these people have other friends and are welcoming of new ones. One of the things I liked about my initial visit to Scripps was that people WERE walking in groups and pairs, unlike so many other schools where everyone seemed self-involved and rushed. If you witnessed something different, just be sure to take it with a grain of salt...it's been far from my own experience.</p>
<p>As for brand-consciousness, I similarly disagree. Scripps students tend to be so politically active, socially aware, etc. that I think I'd feel far more judged for wearing brand-name clothing than for not! That said, I don't think about it too much one way or the other...I wouldn't call it a big deal either way. I know one person who likes to advertise her expensive clothing and another one who parks her Audi elsewhere out of embarrassment (and that is NOT to say that everyone--nor anything close to it--has expensive clothing and Audis. It is simply to demonstrate that there is no uniform way of responding to brand-consciousness here). Honestly, I don't think most people could care less one way or another. Again, this is not at all to say that the poster who originally complained about this was at all lying, but it is to say that experiences vary widely, even for such a small school. Be wary of what you hear (both good and bad). Visit. Spend a night. If you ever have a chance, visit again (as who you stay with can have a huge and possibly unrepresentative impact on you).</p>
<p>On one more optimistic note, I LOVED Core 1. I really liked all of my Cores, Core 2 least of all. Core 1 is a bonding experience for the class, a great way to get exposed to a lot of faculty, a good basis for future classes, a strong jumpstart into college level courseload, and a lot of students' first exposure to very philosophical, critical thinking, interdisciplinary material. I think people's experiences vary a lot based on section leaders, who each put their own spin on discussions (and also grade according to their own standards and policies, which I would not indiscriminately call easy). This can really bring the course in different directions. In general, I would say that I was in the minority in TRULY enjoying Core 1, but I would also say that someone who really hates it is atypical. The vast majority seem to slog through it and, in the end, be grateful for having had it. Experiences for Core 2, Core 3, and Writing 50 also vary drastically based on professor and topic choice, so even though these are all required courses, it's hard to really generalize.</p>
<p>Lintu -- Congrats! Don't worry much yet about what dorms to request and avoid because you can't do either one as a first-year. After that, opinions really vary. Some people love the new air-conditioned dorms, some people love living in suites (which are only in certain dorms), some love the set-up of certain dorms (Kimberly has two single rooms sharing bathrooms, which is nice), and some love the "charm" of the old dorms. I started out in the newest dorm, thought I'd want to live there forever, and have spent the last two years in the oldest dorm, which I'm now beyond in love with! To each her own. I promise they all have their own perks. As for further advice, <a href="http://www.ratemyprofessors.com%5B/url%5D">www.ratemyprofessors.com</a> can be lovely (taken with a grain of salt) for looking into professors when the course schedule comes out, but I think I might've been happier scheduling my classes BEFORE I knew about it (and thus knew exactly when I had cause to worry)! Also, as for what to do: TAKE WALKS! This is the advice I give everyone, regardless of what school they attend, but at Claremont I think it's imperative. Freshman year, my friends and I would constantly take after-dinner, nighttime, whenever walks. The campuses are very safe and there's plenty to walk to (ice cream in the Village, food on another campus, walk around seeing what parties might be going on, aimless meandering, whatever). As a result of doing this, I got a great idea about what the consortium had to offer. I was comfortable on the other campuses before ever having taken classes on them. There was a lot of "What the heck is this building? We have a PLANETARIUM?" It might sound cheesy, but I can't recommend this enough. It's also a great way to just spend relaxed time with friends, exploring stuff together.</p>
<p>Good luck to all :-)</p>
<p>Is Claremont a completely walkable town or do most students need/want cars to get around? How is public transportation? Does anyone ever leave Claremont?</p>
<p>Other than JES, are there any other merit based awards?</p>
<p>If I decided to go into science, how easy or hard is it to cross-register? How do students from the other C's, Mudd specifically, react to this?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>ever_after:</p>
<ul>
<li>Claremont is by no means a completely walkable town, but most students do not have or need cars. A car is definitely a convenience and if you don't bring one, you'll want to make friends with someone who has, but it's not that big of a deal. "Downtown" Claremont (you'd laugh at that label if you saw it) is an easy walk from campus: 20min max from the very farthest points of Mudd or Pitzer, but directly adjacent to south campus Pomona. The Village has lots of restaurants, boutiques, gift shops, a flower shop, two bars, an ice cream shop, a few coffee shops, and that type of thing. They're expanding the area in the near future to include, among other things, a movie theatre and an American Apparel store. There are also two Starbucks within walking distance, a market, and a few convenience stores. Much more is close enough for an easy bike ride. Target, Wal-Mart, bigger grocery stores, the movie theatre, the mall, chain restaurants, etc. are all very, very nearby, but not really walkable. You can apply for special permission to drive the Scripps van, which you can take to run errands. For first years, Scripps also occasionally charters busses to Target. A few CMC (I think...might be Pomona students, in full or in part) also have a grocery delivery business that's extremely convenient. </li>
</ul>
<p>Public transportation in southern California is pretty awful and in Claremont it's worse. There's a bus system, but nowhere that exciting to go on it. The metro station is in the Village and can take you into LA. I've taken it a few times to Santa Monica. It's not so convenient that I feel a need to do it every weekend, but it's definitely not that big of a deal (depending on where you want to go). People do use it, but not with extreme frequency. </p>
<p>People leave Claremont all the time. These aren't commuter campuses...most things happen on campus, people stick around on weekends, etc., but at the same time, we're so close to so many great places...it all gets taken advantage of! Annual Disneyland passes are veeery popular, as Disneyland is only about a half hour away. I've done that, gone to Hollywood, Santa Monica (often), up Mt. Baldy, seen a few shows in Hollywood, a few shows in OC, spent a weekend in San Diego, a weekend in Palm Springs, gone to comedy clubs in LA...you get the idea. Also, for all students, but ESPECIALLY for first years, Scripps sponsors a LOT of outings with discount tickets and arranged transportation: trips to Disneyland, ballets, musicals, movie premiers (in Hollywood!), Hollywood Bowl, Knottsberry Farm, the beach...again, you get the idea. </p>
<p>I've never had a car here and I'm a senior. I didn't have a close friend with a car for all of my freshman year and even part of my junior and senior years. Hasn't been a big deal.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I don't believe there are any merit-based scholarships besides JES, nor are there any opportunities after first year to get them.</p></li>
<li><p>Cross-registration is a breeze, including for science. Where you take your classes will depend on what science you choose to pursue. Most of them will be through the Joint Science Center (Pitzer, Scripps, CMC), which is an excellent facility. However, some fields only have departments on Pomona or Mudd, which would be open to you. You might have to get special permission, but if it's for your degree, I can't imagine you'd have any trouble at all. The other students look just fine on this. It's not at all uncommon to be a science student at Scripps; biology is one of our most popular majors and pre-med track is kind of obscenely popular even among non-science majors. This is the first semester, oddly enough, that I've had or heard of any trouble at all with cross-registration, but again, special permission is not at all hard to come by, especially when you have a convincing reason (which "it's my major" is).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Good luck :-)</p>
<p>Thanks for such a detailed reply; it really helps!</p>
<p>I'd be stupid not to go to Scripps! :)</p>
<p>hi there.
I am also a freshman at Scripps and would love to answer any questions in order to get another opinion. I am in a different situation financially than Lindsey, and I also do not feel like there is a clique problem. I came from a cliquish high school and was worried about attending an all girls school, but the girls at Scripps are so much more real and genuine and smart and open in college than they would have been in high school.</p>
<p>Please ask me any questions that you may have, I love Scripps and want to make sure any misconceptions are cleared up.</p>
<p>-Greer</p>