Occidental vs. Pitzer

<p>I would say at least 30 on the ACT, but there is so much more to getting into a school like CMC than GPA and test scores.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/apply/testconvergencechart.php[/url]”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/apply/testconvergencechart.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Well what about Oxy and Pitzer, what are the ideal ACT scores and gpa to get accepted ED?</p>

<p>Can’t speak for Oxy, but Pitzer is test-optional. The GPA depends on your school and curriculum. However, the average GPA last year about a 3.9. I still think you are going about this ED thing wrong. It should not be about “the most challenging to get into” with ED. It really should be about the school you 100% want to be at next year. This isn’t dating the prettiest girl you can find, it’s about dating the girl you most enjoy spending time with.</p>

<p>I definitely want to attend either CMC, Pitzer, or Oxy, however, of course I like CMC the most, but when I apply ED I want to have a good chance of being accepted. I don’t mind attending Pitzer or Oxy, but I want to make the most of my ED decision. If I know I can’t get accepted to CMC then I will apply ED at either Pitzer or Oxy. I love all three schools.</p>

<p>bopeep is right - CMC is quite different from Pitzer or Oxy - find the school that fits you best. Can you afford to apply ED? Remember, you must accept their financial aid offer…</p>

<p>If I am not mistaken I dont have to accept the fin. aid offer, however, I can’t compare offers. If I don’t think I can come to their school with their fin. package then I don’t have to attend their school. Right?</p>

<p>Sort of. You can deny the financial aid offer, but ED does lock you into that school. Assuming you are offered admission, your commitment is to go there. When you receive your financial aid package, IF it is not what you need and you really work with financial aid and the admission office, there MAY be a chance for you to get out of the agreement. Again, note all of the “IFs” and “MAYs” in there. Usually if the school offers you admission ED, they want you and will work (within reason) with you. CMC is need-blind and does not do loans. Pitzer (and Oxy I think) are need sensitive and do offer loans.</p>

<p>So my best chances are to apply ED to CMC who would meet my need through grants and work study, correct?</p>

<p>hm…can any one describe some differences between oxy & pitzer/ because i’m sort of in the same dilemma about the 3. except i haven’t quite made up my mind about cmc yet [is it really as conservative & loafer-y as it seems? :|]</p>

<p>trojan, I assume that Pitzer and Oxy would meet your need, it just might include loans. There are only about 30 schools across the nation that do not offer loans, CMC happens to be one.</p>

<p>Yeah I know of that list however I want to stay in Cali. My dilemma right now is whether I really want to attend a LAC or a UC. Has anybody heard of the criminology, law and society degree at UCI?</p>

<p>I actually the same exact situation! I was deciding in April this past year whether I would attend Oxy or Pitzer. (CMC was actually my top choice as well!! but that didn’t work out lol)</p>

<p>It took me the entire month to decide, but i eventually decided Oxy for a bunch of reasons. Oxy is in a prime location in LA which provides endless opportunities in terms of jobs, internships, entertainment, really anything… I felt like oxy has a much tighter campus as well in terms of community and had WAYYY more diversity than pitzer. The few things about Pitzer that I didn’t like was that you have some sort of stereotype in the 5-C’s for being a druggy or hippie if you go to pitzer and also th fact that the claremonts are far from the city (this may be a good thing for you, however, i wanted to be able to access the city easily for my college experience) Pitzer however is very good in the humanities and does have the advantage of the many resources in the claremonts. I actually almost decided Pitzer because i wanted to be a part of CMC so badly and take classes there, but what I realized was I was going to college at Pitzer, not CMC, and though you can take classes at the other 5-C’s, there are limitations. </p>

<p>In the end I’m going to attend oxy this fall and I couldn’t be more excited! Though I’m sure if i chose Pitzer I would be just as excited. Its all about what your looking for in your college experience. Hope this helps!</p>

<p>Thanks alot for your sharing your experiences. I still am undecided, however, I really am going to try and pursue CMC.</p>

<p>tlc, you made a very wise decision. If the Pitzer 5 college rep is something that you already found troubling, that concern would only grow as you entered. Pitzer is a very good school but it is plagued by that granola (most friendly reference) reputation. Maybe they can start to shed that if the alum who is a major power broker in Sacramento becomes Governor but I don’t think anyone from Pitzer can tell you that they will ever be able to shed that image. Of course the irony here is that at Oxy, our President was probably more involved with recreational drug use than any present Pitzer student. </p>

<p>My second comment is that although at Pitzer students can tap into the wealth of great resources associated with the 5 school system, nobody in Claremont confuses Pitzer with CMC, Pomona or Mudd. Those schools are not only more difficult to get into, they also are perceived (unfairly in my view), as being far better schools. That view is unfortunately impactful post-graduation.</p>

<p>Yeah well in terms of job placement and reputation of school, who wins Pitzer or Oxy?</p>

<p>Pitzer is an excellent school and I know of lots of its graduates are doing well. But Oxy’s graduates find success in the job market on an entirely different level. I would put Oxy’s graduates in the job market against any small school in the country. Oxy’s reputation in the financial and legal markets (obviously political too), is outstanding. I say that with the qualifier that graduates from liberal arts schools should not expect their degrees to immediately qualify them for lots of great jobs. If someone is looking for a degree that qualifies them for a decent paying job right out of college then they need a specialized degree (eg., engineering degree).</p>

<p>Alright thanks for your help.</p>