<p>Clarissawz - An applicant’s GPA does not constitute an automatic admission deny. The admission officers view each applicant’s file carefully and holistically before making a decision. I recommend that you call the office at 323-259-2700 to speak with an admission counselor about any questions or concerns that you may have, they are happy to speak with applicants! You may also email the office at <a href=“mailto:admission@oxy.edu”>admission@oxy.edu</a>.</p>
<p>Our family loves Occidental College. When my kids were just beginning to think about college we visited campus. As we approached the building that houses the snack bar a couple of students came up to us, welcomed us to campus, and asked my kids if they could treat them to ice cream. The students took quite a bit of time to tell us about their experiences at Oxy. We’ve never forgotten this kind gesture. My kids have visited many great colleges/universities since then but none have compared to the friendliness that we encountered when we visited Oxy.</p>
<p>could you tell me how much playing a sport at oxy is weighted in the application process?</p>
<p>oxybound - Admission officers are also liaisons to specific sports, so they meet with the coaches to hear their needs and interests. However, the academic component of a student’s application will always be foremost in consideration regardless of a particular team’s needs.</p>
<p>Students interested in playing Division III sports at Oxy are encouraged to contact the coach for their sport(s) and submit an Athletic Supplement. By doing so, coaches can know ahead of time who is interested in contributing to the teams, and they are able to convey that interest and potential to admission officers for consideration.</p>
<p>Similarly, we ask that students interested in the arts/music/dance submit an Arts Supplement, and admission officers received feedback from faculty about how that student may add to the arts community, which admission officers also consider in their process.</p>
<p>Since the application review is holistic, the potential contributions of an athlete do weigh into how they might add to extracurricular life on campus, as would the contributions of an artist, musician, dancer, filmmaker, researcher, debater, volunteer, tutor, government leader, journalist, etc. Since we are a residential college, admission officers want to see that students will make meaningful contributions in and out of classes.</p>
<p>So all of those extracurricular factors come into consideration while admission officers are also looking at the academic abilities and potential via grades, rigor of a student’s curriculum, the essay, our required supplement, scores, and letters of recommendation. I hope this helps!</p>
<p>Are many students given need-based financial aid? </p>
<p>Also, does Oxy sometimes feel too small? Do you like being in Eagle Rock? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>schmisar - The College is dedicated to meeting 100% of students’ financial need. Last year, over 75% of Occidental students received some form of assistance; students from families with limited resources received a substantial amount of financial support. If you have further inquiries regarding financial aid, please visit the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x1830.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x1830.xml)</p>
<p>The feel of the College in terms of size depends on the student. Some students who come from large high schools feel that Occidental is fairly small, while students who come from smaller schools feel that the College is huge. Personally, I enjoy the campus because it’s small enough to where I can see and run into most of my friends everyday, but big enough to where I can take walks and choose from a variety of locations for eating, studying, and hanging out. Eagle Rock has charm and is a great neighborhood in my opinion because it is near downtown Los Angeles, close to various internship, volunteer, and job opportunities, and filled with delicious and affordable restaurants. Thanks for your questions and I hope I helped!</p>
<p>Hi, OxyIntern,</p>
<p>I was just curious–I happened across the New York Times photo piece from awhile back about Oxy students walking around campus barefoot. Do students really walk barefoot to class and the cafeteria? If so, are we talking a couple students or a significant part of the campus population? Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi, I am planning on transferring from SMC to Oxy for the 2013 Fall semester. I am applying as an English major and curious to know more about the English department at Oxy. What do the upper division courses consist of? How can I schedule an interview(or meet & greet type thing) with the English department? I also know an interview is required when applying. What kinds of questions are asked?
your help will be greatly appreciated , thanks!</p>
<p>califwaldude - I am not aware of the photo that you mentioned, but most Oxy students do not walk around barefoot. There may be a few students who choose to at times, but for the most part they do not. </p>
<p>Catdia - For a list of course offerings in the English and Comparative Literary Studies (ECLS) department, please visit the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: English and Comparative Literary Studies](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9578.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9578.xml)
Interviews with specific departments are not offered, but you may schedule an on-campus interview with an admission officer by calling the front desk at 323-259-2700. You are also free to contact faculty in the ECLS department with any questions about the major.</p>
<p>Oxyintern-
I know two students that have been actively pursued for sports at OXY by coaches. Two different sports. However, just recently in the last three weeks, it seems as though the coaches have not made contact nor respond at all to email questions. Do you think that
this is because they are not interested in them anymore as players or because they have
to wait and see from admission what they say? It would be nice to have some sort of
response, even if it is a rejection. Just curious if you had any insight into this.
Thanks</p>
<p>boom22 - Since admission officers are the only ones who can communicate admission decisions, coaches and other staff are encouraged to not be overly communicative with applicants at this time. Therefore coaches’ decrease in interaction is not a reflection of their level of enthusiasm for applicants, but simply part of protocol during this busy time of year.</p>
<p>Oxyintern- Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Hi Oxyintern,
This might be a bit too specific and hard to answer, but I was just wondering how you know if a student is fit for a small liberal arts college like Occidental rather than a large public school? Also, how difficult is it to switch majors or double major there? I have no idea what I want to do in college, but I do love music and possibly the idea of pursuing an economics major. As for the music major, I heard that it’s not a performance based department but there are private lessons available. Do you know how the 3-2 engineering programs work? I heard that all you need to do is keep a 3.2 gpa in the required courses, but it seems so much more difficult than that! Sorry for the many questions!</p>
<p>caligirlviolin94 - It really depends on the person’s preference in regards to the size and type of school they choose to attend. I was actually choosing between a large school and a small school when I was applying, but I decided to go with the small liberal arts college because I knew I would benefit greatly from small class sizes and a tight-knit community. Large public schools definitely have their benefits too, but for me it came down to the type of academic experience and community lifestyle that I wanted to have.</p>
<p>It’s easy to switch majors or double major here. It is just a matter of getting a couple signatures and submitting your form to the correct office. Your year and classes you have taken may impact your decision to switch or double, but in my experience Occidental allows you to take ownership of your education and make changes that you see fit. Students also have an academic adviser they can turn to when making decisions about majors.</p>
<p>For information and a list of class options for music majors, please visit the following webpage: [Music</a> Department](<a href=“http://college.oxy.edu/music/]Music”>http://college.oxy.edu/music/)
For information on the 3-2 engineering programs, please visit the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Combined Plans in Liberal Arts and Engineering](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9535.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9535.xml)</p>
<p>If you have any more questions, let me know! :)</p>
<p>so i was accepted into oxy! i will be visiting towards the end of april and i think the decision will come down to oxy and mount holyoke. my original plan was to major in business administration and seeing as that is not a major i really have no idea what i want to do. im wondering how easy it is to create ur own major?? and if i take economics what i kind of opportunities will be available after graduating. i know that might be a little hard to answer. thnks for taking the time to try tho!</p>
<p>rebecalopez - Congratulations on the acceptance! Although Occidental does not offer a business administration major, I am sure that our economics major will prepare you for many careers in the business sector. Economics is actually the most popular major here at Occidental, and the department offers challenging but rewarding course options. I highly recommend sitting in on an economics class during your visit. I also know of one 2011 grad who was an economics major and is now working for Merrill Lynch in NYC. You are also free to create your own major! I know of one student who created a Global Entertainment major. </p>
<p>For more information on the economics major and a list of course offerings, please visit the following webpage: [Occidental</a> College :: Economics](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9580.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9580.xml)
For more information on creating your own major, please visit the following webpage and look under “Independent Pattern of Study”: [Occidental</a> College :: Undergraduate Study](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9519.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9519.xml)</p>
<p>Is it possible to go to Oxy for 2 years, then transfer to USC?</p>
<p>(this is not meant to be offensive to Oxy - it’s just a question)</p>
<p>Also, how early on in your Occidental undergraduate career, can you find/do internships?</p>
<p>How is the Environmental Studies or Environmental Science Major at Oxy?
Also, if the school offers both of them, what’s the difference between the two?</p>
<p>greengecko - Students have the ability to apply for transfer admission to almost any college from almost any college. However, Occidental and USC are very different schools, so I don’t see how it would benefit a student to transfer from one to the other. If your end goal is USC, you may want to consider other options that would best prepare you to attend a large research university. </p>
<p>Occidental’s Career Development Center helps all students obtain internships, regardless of their year. Many of the paid internships that Occidental offers are open to first-year students as well as upperclassmen, and the staff in the office are dedicated to helping each student find internships that suit their interests, both in Los Angeles and literally the rest of the world.</p>
<p>ep2012 - Occidental offers a biology major with three optional emphases that students may pursue, including an environmental science emphasis. My roommate is pursuing this emphasis currently and she is very satisfied with the breadth of courses Occidental offers that pertain to the emphasis. For more information on the emphasis and on the biology major in general, please visit the following webpage for more details and course listings: [Occidental</a> College :: Biology](<a href=“http://www.oxy.edu/x9588.xml]Occidental”>http://www.oxy.edu/x9588.xml)</p>