<p>I really dont know much about these schools but they seem to be on par in terms of selectivity...and i suppose one is urban vs suburban?</p>
<p>I'm getting old, is that forOxbridge, Oxford at Emory, Occidental, or Oxycontin?</p>
<p>Oxy = Occidental.</p>
<p>I visited Pitzer last Spring. It's kind of like the alternative younger sibling of the Claremont Colleges and that definitely reflects throughout the campus. ("Alternative," I guess, as in politically conscious, artsy, etc.) I haven't visited Oxy before, but it seems to be more like Pomona (not in terms of prestige), but just in manner.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think that either half or a third of everyone in Pitzer goes on study abroad each year so it makes the campus that much empty. I was shocked to find out that the school was in session when I got a tour. You could probably learn a lot more about it (the technical stuff) on the website or through college guide books. Someone else I heard of has visited Oxy and were surprised about the number of people they saw as well (few) on what was supposed to be one of the busiest days. The plus side for Pitzer is that Pitzer isn't completely alone and that all the other campuses are right near by and you can take advantage of them for classes. The negative side is probably the location, which can be pretty, but just is suburban-rural and kind of dull. Also, Pitzer is an eyesore if you compare it to some of the other campuses. Hopefully you can visit both places..</p>
<p>You really should visit both, and they are fairly close, so this can happen in in just one day. Pitzer and Occidental seem similar, but as zella said, Oxy seems more like a less prestigious and (it seems) less pretentious Pomona. It's in Eagle Rock, a somewhat rundown area, near Pasadena, and much closer to LA than the Claremonts. The benefits of Pitzer is that you get a lot of choice in your coursework, and the surrounding Claremonts, which help the campus socially and academically (as it is surrounded by very strong departments, and this opens up many areas of study). Occidental is very personal, and everyone seemed friendly when I visited. Both schools seem to like to give at least small scholarships. Occidental's campus is nice, and has a classical college feel. it's used in many movies, including 90210 the College years (I think) and it's the high school in clueless (I think). They have similar atmospheres, but I'm sure one would fit you, or any other person, more than the other, although which one it is would vary by person.</p>
<p>from an out of state perspective...and someone who is going to claremont mckenna next year (one of the claremont colleges...right next to pitzer), i would say pitzer is more prestigious than oxy....oxy definitely has a nicer campus than pitzer though. with pitzer, you can benefit from the other 4 C's...and the surrounding area is much better. it also depends on what you would like to study. i liked pomona's campus better (by far the bes tof the 5) and it has a better national reputation, but claremont is better fit for my personality and what i want to study. hope this helps!</p>
<p>I thought about going to Occidental (since someone said it was kind of like Pomona, in looks at least) but decided over Pitzer because it suited my interests/personality better: extremely liberal, named one of the 81 colleges with a "conscience", the study abroad options, and the fact that it shares resources with the other Claremonts.</p>
<p>I would think Oxy would have the better name over Pitzer, individually speaking, because Oxy is a school on its own, not associated to other schools as is Pitzer, so you don't see that comparission. Pitzer is basically typically known as the lesser prestigious one of all the Claremont Colleges, and any of the other Claremont schools will most always look better on a Resume, including Occidental, than would Pitzer. isn't occidental even ranked higher on US News. I believe 41 for Oxy, and 53 for Pitzer</p>
<p>But yeah, it's all about a fit, because even though I like the idea of Occidental(I've visited) i could never attend school there. It seems to clean and boring for me. i personally need a school that would be more urban and alternative.</p>
<p>But if you're in state, I recommend you look at all the UC's before investing extra money to go to a private school like Pitzer or even Occidental, because in the long run, they're both probably outshined by most all the UC's.</p>
<p>The only privates in cali worth spending money on are Stanford, Cal Tech, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, USC, and maybe Cal Arts(if you're into art and stuff)</p>
<p>Liek0806, that was slightly elitist...</p>
<p>Pitzer was just mentioned in a NY Times article that listed 20 schools ("hidden gems") that are worth a look:
<a href="http://www.pitzer.edu/news_center/index.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.pitzer.edu/news_center/index.asp</a>
liek0806, you forget to mention that Pitzer is the youngest (founded in 1963)and most liberal college of the Consortium. It takes time to establish a reputation. I think that it's pretty incredible that Pitzer is only 12 or so steps behind Occidental (a college that was founded in 1886). Either way, like you said, it all depends on personal taste. But then you go on to say that LAC's like Pitzer are not worth it because they are outshined by most UC's....UC's establish a reputation mostly through their graduate/research programs. LAC's are more likely to give a better education because they focus their attention to undergraduate studies (and after that, as I plan to do, we can go on to reap the benefits of graduate school at a UC or maybe even an Ivy League school). Take for instance this: I haven't even stepped into a regular class at Pitzer (I start this Fall) and yet I'm already familiar with a couple of faculty members who were kind enough to chat with me without making haste about going on to their duties. As for your comment on which LAC's are really "worth it"--how would you know? That's your opinion, you're entitled to it, but upon what basis is your judgement formed?</p>
<p>Wait, couldn't the same be said of many of your comment, atomicgarden76? Sure, it's uncommon for faculty to chat with you before attending anywhere, and a great thing, but "LAC's are more likely to give a better education because they focus their attention to undergraduate studies" is just as much an opinion as some of the other poster's comments. </p>
<p>I agree that Pitzer's moves up the rank is quite impressive. It reminds me a lot of UCSD. They were started around the same time, and both got really good really fast, but I would say largely in part from support from previously established and quality programs.</p>
<p>By the way, in many fields and programs, students would prefer to be at a particular UC program than any Ivy program. No need to say things like this "graduate school at a UC or maybe even an Ivy League school).." You could simply say "best programs" or something like that, because really it's possible Duke or Stanford or some other school is where you would want to be.</p>
<p>yeah, I admit that I went overboard with generalizations. sigh. what really matters in the end is how well one really wants to learn--it's the effort of the individual that gets him through. I could go to private LAC, a UC, or an Ivy League... but what would that matter if I don't put any effort into it myself? I could decide not to talk with teachers, I could decide not to take advantage of the resources available to me, to really learn.... etc. etc.</p>
<p>I feel both Oxy and Pitzer are equally good choice. The main difference is that Oxy is more well established, however Pitzer is more progressive and dynamic in terms of academics, study abroad, political activity, and campus involvement. </p>
<p>What LAC has 16 fullbrights based on a senior class of around 200+ students?</p>
<p>I was impressed to see how fast Pitzer has been moving up in the U.S. news ranking
In 2004 Pitzer College was ranked 70th
In 2005 Pitzer COllege was ranked 59th - up 11 spots
In 2006 PItzer College was ranked 53rd - up 6 spots</p>
<p>2007 Prediction Pitzer College should make first tier.</p>
<p>So if you are adventurist and a think outside the box person, Pitzer would be an ideal choice.</p>