<p>Hi! I'm a senior from Seattle and my current top three schools are University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University (accepted w/ a scholarship) and Occidental College. I'm currently interested in studying political science and theater, but I'm also interested in English/communications/sociology. Basically very humanities, reading/writing/performing oriented. I have a couple different ideas of what I want to do after college -- ideally I would love to act, but I don't want to limit myself by just going to a school for acting, and I know the whole BFA thing isn't for me. I think I would also really love getting involved in politics, social activism and nonprofit work, or secondary education. I want to be in California for family reasons. I also applied to UVM (accepted w/ presidential scholarship), Boston College (deferred EA, this used to be one of my favorites but is kind of slipping in the ranks) and Western Washington University (safety safety). </p>
<p>ANYWAY, the whole point of this is just to get some opinions on those three California schools! Certain aspects of each of them inspired me to apply, but I'm just feeling very unsure lately. I haven't been accepted to USF or Oxy yet (almost sure I'll get into USF, Oxy is likely but not definite) and it's probably too early to really be able to decide but it's helping me keep my sanity by organizing them in my head. I have not been able to visit Occidental (my current favorite) and for money reasons I'm not sure I'll be able to before I make my decision, which is yikes. I went to USF for a tour and SCU on a day where they didn't have any tours so I just walked around, and I really liked both of them. Money is a big issue and I'm aware it'll mostly come down to whatever school I can afford. However, if anyone wants to help me out by objectively (or subjectively) comparing these schools in terms of vibe, academics, how well an artsy/intellectual girl would fit in there, etc., it would be much appreciated. </p>
<p>I’ll share my opinions on USF and SCU based on my observations. USF seems to go out of its way to stress social activism in many aspects of campus life. Just one example is the title of the theater major - Performing Arts and Social Justice. Not to say you could not find this at SCU, but USF seems to have more of this vibe. The SCU vibe is more business/engineering/Silicon Valley. Both schools are great and you could create the experience you want at either place. You may also find USF a bit more generous on scholarships. Not familiar with Oxy so can’t help you there. Good luck!</p>
<p>I have been to the Occidental campus on a couple of occasions, and the son of a friend went there and loved it. It is a small but very beautiful campus with a friendly vibe. It is VERY HILLY, so you must like walking and/or be in good shape! The surrounding area is middle class/Los Angeles suburban and there is not a whole lot within walking distance, but there is a really, really nice, beautiful mall about a 5 minute (maybe 10?) drive away. </p>
<p>Thank you both! I just got my USF acceptance today – and I did apply as a PASJ major – and they gave me a great merit scholarship, so I have a lot to think about! And I do like walking, thank goodness!</p>
<p>Occidental should come in with a good aid package as well. Vibe-wise, USF is way more big city, Santa Clara is more small town cozy, and Oxy is urban in the middle of the suburbs. All 3 campuses are gorgeous - I’d say it’s a tie between USF and Santa Clara for 1st. Oxy is beautiful once you get there (surrounding area is kinda funky). USF and SCU are both Catholic, so you’ll find a lot of Catholic high school grads but no worries, they’re all up for fun. USF definitely has theatre programs. Not sure about SCU. SCU is a bit more Catholic in my opinion- meaning you’ll notice the religious aspects more but not be required to participate. 49ers/Levi stadium is close by, as are lots of tech companies. Business/tech is the main academic focus. They invest a lot in their campus and programs-top notch. The local area is quaint and yet pretty happening. USF kids find most of their fun in the city. What’s not to love about that? This would be a better bet for politics IMO, because it’s closer to city hall, federal buildings, etc. for internships. Oxy is a diamond in the rough. It’s tucked up in the hills of Eagle Rock, which is an aging city split between lower and middle class (mostly Hispanic). I’ll admit growing up near there, I never even knew about it as there was no reason to go there. Now the whole downtown area is a mix of urban funk with some great restaurants. You’re close to LA, Glendale, Pasadena and Hollywood (need a car). Also a great place local to politics in the cities I mentioned, plus big campaign headquarters in Burbank and Glendale. Also, Hollywood auditions would be a breeze from there. I’m not personally a fan of the immediate area, but once you’re on campus, it’s a bubble. They have a championship Quiddich team!?Good football, too. I personally don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. Good luck! </p>