Here to Answer Questions

<p>Ok, I figured this out!
Alright I just applied to Pitzer for rd, and I am too eager for my own good--acceptance letters haven't even come out yet! I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me.
I applied to CMC, and it was by far my first choice...but I did not get in. I toured the campus and loved it, therefore I was wondering if CMC and Pitzer are similar...that would deffinitely impact my decision.
Also, I would like to think of myself as outgoing, and fun-loving, and unless people laugh at my jokes out of pitty, I would say I am comical as well. I like to get involved, and small class sizes are exactly what I am looking for. So you would think that Pitzer and I were matches right? Well...not exactly. My parents want me to go to a school that has a bigger name--especially if the school has a price tag like Pitzer; but I think a school like Pitzer is exactly what I want. What are some things I could tell my parents? They have their minds set on Amherst, but I really do not want to go there. I am in a pickle.</p>

<p>I guess it depends on what you liked about CMC?</p>

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I applied to CMC, and it was by far my first choice...I toured the campus and loved it...

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I was wondering if CMC and Pitzer are similar...

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I think a school like Pitzer is exactly what I want.

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<p>CMC and Pitzer are both wonderful schools. As another Claremont student, I had great experiences with students from and courses on both campuses. But I doubt that there's a ton of overlap in their applicant pools...there are a lot of important differences. Some info that might be helpful:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>What did you like so much about CMC?</p></li>
<li><p>What do you like so much about Pitzer?</p></li>
<li><p>What do you NOT like about Amherst?</p></li>
<li><p>Specific schools aside, what are you hoping to find and to avoid in a college (particularly re: peers, classroom environment, social scene, overall atmosphere)?</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Like I said, CMC and Pitzer are quite different, but you haven't said enough for us to know whether they're different in ways that are important to you. Your post originally gave me the impression that you hadn't toured + didn't know too much about Pitzer, but then you went on to say that you think it's exactly what you're looking for. Just digging for more info before giving you a potentially useless response :)</p>

<p>ETA: Cross-posted with cantsaythatido.</p>

<p>What would you-- current Pitzer students-- say is/are the best things about going to Pitzer? I have heard a lot of good things about Pitzer and applied. I intend to major in neuroscience so any details about the joint science department would work too :)
Is the atmosphere at Pitzer completely different than the atmosphere at CMC? I had the opportunity to stay overnight at CMC on a Thursday and got a REALLY good feel for the social scene there. Are the social scenes very different? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Sorry! I guess I should have been clearer. </p>

<p>A little about me:
-I am a white male who lives in Ventura County CA. (right outside of LA County)
- I like to lead projects, and taking initiative is important to me.
- I am motivated, and I perform well when I am around other people who are motivated.
- I am very social…I like to talk, and this is exactly why I think a learning environment like that of the UCs would be horrible for me. I can see disgruntled students annoyed with my playful banter while they busily take notes. In other words I am interactive with both fellow students and teachers (or in your case professors)
- I am opinionated, especially when it comes to politics, and I will argue to the death.
- I am involved in student government and various choral/theatre programs at school and outside of school.
- I went up to UCSB for a weekend and was completely appalled upon visiting Isla Vista on Friday night… I like to party but I prefer a more subdued almost speak-easy approach…
- I was just voted most talented for my Senior class
- SAT: 1950 (CR 660 M 630 W 660) Biology 750 Literature: 680 GPA: weighted 4.1…unweighted 3.8… AP Tests: European His. 4, Biology: 5, English Language and Comp: 5… currently planning Econ, Gov, Spanish 4, and English Literature. </p>

<p>Regarding Claremont, I have a few friends who were accepted and are attending, and they love it. Somebody asked them if Claremont was a good school, and they replied “if you don’t know, you probably would not have gotten in.” That is sass, and I love sass! I stayed over on a Thursday I think, and I loved the enlightened feeling of being amongst sassy, yet educated people who care about what is going on. The feel of the campus was absolutely what I wanted, and I identified with the students.</p>

<p>I feel that a lot of the same assets are shared among the two colleges in regards to the student atmosphere, but that is purely a hunch. What are students like at Pitzer? I liked the look of the campus, and I have heard wonderful things about both curriculum and student life, but I have never experienced anything first-hand, like I did for Claremont. .
From what I have heard about Pitzer upon talking to people who have attended, or upon reading reviews on the net, I think I would like its atmosphere very much…I was hoping you might be able to tell me what characteristics it takes to perform well at Pitzer. </p>

<p>Amherst is an absolutely wonderful school, but I do not feel that it is right for me. I have never been out of California for an extended period of time, and I have never been to the snow. I HATE the cold! Also, my stats are relatively low, and the only possible reason I would get in is because I have major connections. I hold the common theory that college acceptance is almost fate… I think in my case, I would be bending fate, and as I have learned from Odysseus, that does not usually pan-out well. </p>

<p>I hope I don’t come-off as persnickety or anything, but I want a campus that will match me—it must have relatively small class sizes; open-minded, progressive students; and a hella good Biology program. Pitzer’s is relatively good, so I have heard.</p>

<p>My D has applied to Pitzer (and CMC). She is somewhat shy, studious, liberal, worldly, more of a follower than a leader, and an excellent student - 2170 SAT, 4.06 WGPA. She had lived overseas all her life (I work for the government as a teacher and have lived overseas for the past 23 years). Do you think Pitzer would be a good school for her? She has gone to small schools all her life - she is ranked #2 in her senior class of 22!</p>

<p>With three people wondering if they think Pitzer is a good fit for them (or their kid), I'll try to address everybody one at a time. </p>

<p>Sloth:
-Most Pitzer kids are indeed outgoing, welcoming, funny, and thoughtful. It seems like everybody is involved in something (usually two or three or four things). If you want to be an investment banker on Wall Street or something, don't come here. Pitzer is a community that takes learning and social activism very seriously, and that fosters close personal relationships between not just students, but also students and professors, and students and admins. Collaborating with other people is a central part of student life, for art projects, academic endeavors, social events, and community projects. Classes are oriented to give and take between all students and the prof; I have never taken a class in which I was expected to just take notes and show up for the tests.</p>

<p>-On another note, the social scene is whatever you want it to be: the vast majority of kids stay on campus on weekends, and there is a nice mix of low-key in-room socializing with event-oriented partying.</p>

<p>(To really see if you're a match, VISIT VISIT VISIT. And don't just take the tour- hang out on the mounds, in the Grove House, by the pool, wherever for as long as you can. See how people talk to each other, what they talk about, what people involve themselves in. )</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice. We will visit - if she gets accepted. Letters go out on March 27.</p>

<p>I think Pitzer would be the perfect school for me, but I am not sure I have the grades to get in. I would want to major in Media Studies, and I have a weighted GPA of 3.9, which I don't think is high enough. I am a Junior, so what should I do to make acceptance more likely when I apply in the fall? What kind of community service would they like to see? Would my SAT scores be important? I'm confident that I have the personality/motivation that they would want to see, so would interviews really help me?</p>

<p>Yes, interviews ALWAYS help. And they just want to see you involved in the community. Pick something that you are interested in.</p>

<p>hi, what do you know about Pitzer and transfers, how hard is it to transfer into Pitzer and what gpa should you have? i think mine is too low at a 3.23, but i think it will rise to around a 3.4 by the end of this semester</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>transfers a different b/c you are already doing college level work.</p>

<p>So I just got accepted to Pitzer, but I am still confused about whether or not its the place for me. I applied to an array of different schools in terms of size, location, etc. I guess my main concern about going to a small school, as petty as it may sound, is the people. I am an extremely social person and I could see myself getting bored with the limited amount of people, even with the surrounding Claremont colleges. your thoughts? thanks</p>

<p>There's 5,000 students between all of the schools, so there are a lot of people around. Plus if you are social, you'll be a big fish in a small(er) pond. I can't imagine anyone getting bored.</p>

<p>yeah i can't imagine being bored here either. is your high school tremendously huge or something?</p>

<p>how many people that go here are from out-of-state? i'm a junior in HS planning on applying next year, but i'm a little apprehensive about going to such a small school so far away. plus, most of the colleges on my list are going to be VERY hard sells for my parents, since most of the ones i'm interested in are small LACs far from home that no one's ever heard of o_0.</p>

<p>52% are out of state.</p>