Random Questions about Scripps

Colleges and Universities A-Z Scripps College
21

<p>
[quote]
My D is a pretty quiet kid....She loves Quiz Bowl type stuff and has no trouble rattling off facts/trivia loudly and kind of aggressively if necessary to win a competition but...ask her to get involved in discussion and she prefers to listen and dialogue internally. She LOVES Scripps and will be applying next fall. My question is: would this be a problem for her as far as acceptance and attendance are concerned? Are there quiet girls at Scripps who are more private with their thoughts and opinions? She is not lacking in confidence per se. She just prefers to be more quiet.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>As far as acceptance goes, I can't imagine how this would present a problem unless it's mentioned negatively in a recommendation (which would indicate that it already has presented a problem, which is hopefully not the case).</p>

<p>In terms of attendance, quietness is something that your daughter will want to work on. For the most part, I'm sure that she'll be totally fine at any school, but LAC's in general (and definitely Scripps) tend to emphasize discussion. In-class comments are one measure of participation, which often affects one's overall course grade (if not directly, then in a push-you-over-the-edge-at-the-end, benefit-of-the-doubt sort of way). </p>

<p>I had a roommate who preferred to remain quiet in class, and she did have some trouble. Nothing major, but she did have to work harder to make sure that professors knew her, knew she was keeping up, knew that she understood the material, and so forth. My roommate was pretty stubborn about the issue, though. She just accepted the fact that she was at a LAC and that some of her participation grades might suffer because of her preference to remain quiet. If your daughter would feel okay making occasional contributions just for the sake of commentary, then I'm sure she'll be fine. She doesn't have to dominate the conversation, or even speak up too often. Basically, if it's not a confidence issue and she can deal with speaking when she "has" to (i.e. if cold-called or if she knows that she has to participate to keep a grad up), this will be a non-issue. If she's truly miserable participating in discussion, then it will likely be a minor (but nonetheless present) source of frustration. It is indeed hard to hide in a class of 15, and even harder in a class of 5. Not only might discussion be an issue, but also group/solo presentations, discussion *leading<a href="required%20multiple%20times%20per%20semester%20in%20a%20number%20of%20my%20courses">/i</a>, etc. Lintu is right when she says that the issue will vary from course to course, department to department. A quiet math or science major will have an easier time than a quiet philosophy or politics major (just examples), but all will have to get through Core and GE's, regardless.</p>

<p>I was in a very discussion-based major (Philosophy), but there were always a few very quiet students in each class. The vast majority of the time, the professors were fine with this, the students participated in online discussion, whatever...non-issue. In a few cases, professors liked to take the "Let's hear from someone who hasn't spoken yet..." approach. In the few classes I didn't really like commenting in, I'd just try to be strategic and contribute wherever I could. Scripps is a school with small classes and lots of discussion, so there's really no such thing as hiding. Oy...that makes the situation sound so much scarier than it actually is! When your daughter visits (if not Scripps, some LAC), I highly recommend that she sits in on a course with lots of discussion (there's no guarantee, but make an educated guess...go for a humanities course, maybe Core 1 discussion or Core 3 if they're available, something small...maybe philosophy, English, or politics...probably not any sort of intro class, because even when there are discussions, they tend to be less exciting). She can see how things feel. For that matter, she can scope out a few quiet kids and ask them after class!</p>

<p>As a random side note, it's always possible that your daughter's preferences will change. I'm a pretty quiet person, but somewhere around junior year of HS, my in-class participation shot straight up. It was just a matter of environment...finally becoming interested in the discussions at hand, finally getting into courses that had discussions worth contributing to, entering a more laid back "share your thoughts" sort of atmosphere, and so forth. Interestingly, I went to an all-girls HS, which also had a lot to do with it. </p>

<p>Basically, this shouldn't be a big problem (and certainly no bigger at Scripps than any comparably-sized school). If your daughter likes the school, then in-class quietness shouldn't be any roadblock to her application! That said, the LAC atmosphere can be a double-edged sword...if you want an academic atmosphere in which you can listen to interesting discussions, you might have to contribute to them once in awhile, too. And that said, the Claremont atmosphere is a friendly and accepting one, professors are always approachable outside of class, and there are quiet kids in every section :)</p>

<p>ETA: As always, I apologize for saying waaay too much!</p>

22

<p>lintu and student615 thank you! Scripps is her first choice at this point and I have every hope that if she is accepted and chooses to attend that it will be the best place on Earth for her. It will encourage her growth, not just intellectualy but socially and emotionally in a way I don't think any of the other schools on her current list can. They are all wonderful schools and she will be fine wherever she goes but Scripss has something special.</p>

23

<p>WOW. This thread is amazingly informative. If any other students can add their perspectives, I would be thrilled! </p>

<p>I have one more question that I hope people don't get offended by but...</p>

<p>Are there a lot of lesbians at Scripps?</p>

<p>Although I am straight, I have nothing against lesbian people. Obviously, there will be some at every school. Some all-women schools have reputations for that and I do not think I would be comfortable with an overwhelming amount of that.</p>

<p>And I'm sorry to ask a question like this that could come off as offensive, embarrassing, etc.</p>

24

<p>I'm not sure how helpful your answer will be; you might want to say what you mean by "alot" or "overwhelming: I've followed many women's schools threads and it doesn't seem to suffer the same image as Smith. There are some threads on the Smith forum that might help you put your concerns move explicitly.</p>

25

<p>janemac: Don't feel bad...your question is a common one, and if it's a concern that's turning you off of single-sex schools, it should definitely be addressed! At least you have the tact to phrase the question like you do. My roommate once gave a tour during which a mom very bluntly, rather sneeringly asked "So, this is a girls' school. Are you a lesbian?" My friend was so taken aback that her response was "Um, are you?!" To some degree, these stereotypes come with the territory of women's colleges, and whatever your sexuality, you learn to deal with them (knowing all the while how lucky you are to go to school where you do ;)). </p>

<p>Touchiness and tact aside, this is actually a tough question to answer...as Shrinkrap suggested, it's just very subjective. I don't know what "a lot" is, how other schools might compare, or exactly what would make you uncomfortable. I suppose that the obvious response is "What does it matter?" but I also know how useless that reply would be. </p>

<p>What I can say is that I came to Scripps from a Catholic girls school, and this worried me a little bit, too. It just wasn't anything I'd ever been around, and I wasn't sure what to expect, whether stereotypes would be true, whether I'd feel uncomfortable, or what. Well, after four years, I can't remember what all the fuss was about. </p>

<p>There's definitely a queer community in Claremont, and it has plenty of members and allies on Scripps. Frankly, the same thing will be true of most liberal colleges. The community may be more visible at a single-sex school or on a generally supportive, open-minded campus (such as Claremont in general), but I don't really have the experience to say. Personally, though, as someone who started out rather nervously, I never felt uncomfortable, "overwhelmed," or judged. </p>

<p>One thing I'm told (and again, I can't actually draw comparisons...Scripps is the only women's college I applied to and the only one I ever visited) is that the women's-college-lesbians stereotype holds less true at Scripps than at some other single-sex schools. Thanks to the other four Claremont colleges, all stereotypes--the women's college students as lesbians, the tech college students as dorks, or what have you--get pretty watered down in reality. That might be a plus or a minus, depending on who you ask, but it usually ends up meaning that anyone can find a niche.</p>

<p>Basically, if you really don't like the idea of an active queer community, steer clear (of Scripps in particular and perhaps California in general), but if you're just worried about stereotypes that you've heard, don't be. Come visit, spend a night, and feel free to tactfully bring this up with your hosts...it's likely to spark an entertaining/enlightening discussion :)</p>

26

<p>One more random thought...</p>

<p>One of the reasons I applied to Scripps was that I loved the single-sex atmosphere of my high school. The students were comfortable, confident, and close with one another in a cheesy way that made no sense to outsiders. I wanted to maintain that feeling in college, but without four more years of 'gender isolation' (which, for the record, had its own benefits...I'd just been there and done that already). </p>

<p>In my HS class, there was one other girl headed to Claremont (not Scripps), and she once informed me that "I heard everyone at Scripps is a lesbian." Of course, this was a ridiculous statement, and I always wondered how she could buy it after having spent her own high school years putting up with the same stereotype. We graduated from a school where the humorous "You know you graduated from _______" list included stuff like "You think nothing of skipping down the hallway while holding hands with your friends" and "You don't know what to do in college...people don't HUG enough!" </p>

<p>Now, like I said, there's definitely a queer community in Claremont. In addition, however, I think that students at single-sex schools tend to enjoy closer same-sex friendships than their peers at co-ed institutions. Chalk it up to less stigma, less inhibition, less distraction, or whatever you want, but in my own experience, it's been true. From the inside, it just means that you have wonderful friends and deep, lasting friendships. From the outside, however, some people interpret this as "they must all be lesbians."</p>

<p>Again, in my own experience, this is a big basis for all of the stereotyping, and I definitely don't view it as a negative! It's also why I think that your most helpful responses will come from students at women's colleges, and not just those who've visited or read about them (although that said, a wide perspective is good, too, and you should take info where you can get it).</p>

<p>ETA: If you're still concerned, but feel funny posting on the main board, feel free to PM me.</p>

27

<p>Thank you for your perspective, Student.</p>

<p>It helped a lot, and I may PM you later. =]</p>

28

<p>I'm in love with Scripps, but I suppose like all loves it will break your heart. -sigh- It's the absolute perfect college (in my opinion), but it just doesn't have my major. -heart broken- </p>

<p>I want to major in Korean (I know CMC has Korean courses but I want depth in language and culture). I want a college with the Korean program at University of Hawaii- Manoa. But UHM doesn't have the outside academics factor that I love about Scripps. I wish I could piece them together and have the perfect college. </p>

<p>UHM has the perfect Asian studies program, I can get the depth I want and I have yet to see another college where you can learn the systematics of a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony and actually practice at the Tea house on campus! But Scripps has the perfect campus and outside of academic stuff.</p>

<p>Sorry for the random rant. I haven't looked at Scripps in a while and I did; now I am heart broken again. :-(</p>

29

<p>Oh, man. </p>

<p>RKQ - I hesitate to even make suggestions here, because you really sound like you have a clear idea of what you want. If you're willing to grasp at a few straws, though, you might try contacting (or simply exploring) Scripps' study abroad office. The school has approved programs in both Japan (plenty of opportunities for traditional tea ceremony practice, based on what I know of friends' experiences ;)) and Korea:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/off-campus/japan.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/off-campus/japan.php&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/off-campus/korea.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/off-campus/korea.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>In other words, it's possible that you could pursue an Asian Studies major, take Korean and/or Japanese language courses (the programs each require one year of college-level study, minimum), and spend up to a year abroad (having only glanced at the sites, it looks like you could spend a year in Tokyo or a semester each in Japan + Seoul...there may be other possibilities). SoCal is also an excellent place to be for Asian Studies-related internships, though I don't know what's available.</p>

<p>It's worth noting that there are approved study abroad programs elsewhere in Asia, including China, Tibet, Nepal, and Taiwan (some of these are through other Claremont colleges, but I believe that all the same rules apply...that would need to be confirmed). I only noted Japan and Korea above b/c they came up in your post. </p>

<p>Anyway, this might not be anything close to the set-up that you're looking for, particularly when it comes to on-campus courses, but I wanted to point out study abroad options juuust in case they hadn't yet come onto your radar. The important point is that if you really want to work something out, it's definitely more doable than it might initially seem (although still nothing like the on-campus experience at UH-M, from what it sounds like). </p>

<p>I'm sure that you'll find a school that fits you perfectly. Sometimes it's a frustrating process, but these things work out. Best of luck, regardless of where you end up :)</p>

30

<p>RKQ' I was thinking about your post last night too and wondering why you couldn't design her own Korean Studies major at Scripps. I am sure it is doable, maybe even in a superior way to how they do it in Hawaii. Give an admissions rep a call if you are serious. It may work for you after all. I sure don't want you to always regret not giving it a go.</p>

31

<p>i just want to say thank you so much to the students who posted. your posts were extrenely informative, and made me want to attend scripps even more!</p>

32

<p>I would like to thank those students too! This answered so many questions that I'd been curious about lately. I have another question I would like to add.
How are the relations between the students from different schools? Do people mostly stick with other people from their own college, or do most people have friends from every school?</p>

33

<p>Overall, the relations are very, very good. There's competition between the schools, but it stays pretty lighthearted. Every student benefits from the consortium, and we're well-aware of the fact!</p>

<p>Everyone knows people and has friends away from their own campus, whether due to cross-enrollment, mutual friends, HS classmates, sports, EC's, freshman orientation events (many of which are geared toward meeting kids from the other colleges), or whatever. Some people really have their good friends at their own school, but others find their niche on another campus (and of course, some--myself included--are all over the map). In general, everyone's open to cross-campus friendships, it just comes down to where you spend most of your time, whom you happen to have met, and where you've found your 'place.'</p>

<p>Personally, my 'best' friend was at Scripps, and my next three closest friends were from Pomona, Mudd, and CMC. I had a strong circle of friends at Scripps, though, so in this sense, I'd say that the answer to both parts of your question is 'yes': people do mostly stick with people from their own college (there are exceptions), but most people also have friends from other schools.</p>

34

<p>Thank you!!</p>

35

<p>I heard from someone that there really is a lack of a dorm community at Scripps. This was a little disappointing for me to hear. My brother is at Notre Dame right now and one of the things he loves the most there is that strong community he gets from his dorm. I know this is only one person's perspective so I was wondering if someone else can give their opinion on this.</p>

36

<p>For the most part, that's true. I often wished we had had more/better dorm community: it seems fun, it seems friendly. On the other hand, walk across the street to Mudd, which has awesome dorm community (I had a classmate who did a housing exchange to Mudd for that reason), and you'll see that there are some downsides, too. While I wished Scripps had been more open-door-y, I was also glad for the relative quiet and cleanliness in the dorms, and the surprisingly high level of privacy. I'm sure there's a middle ground to be found somewhere, but Scripps isn't a perfect example of it...I'd say you heard right :(</p>

<p>Aaanyway, I know that the RA's, Peer Mentors, etc. are constantly trying to improve dorm community, and they do a decent job. Some hallways are full of freshman, and there tends to be a lot of bonding. My first year hallway got together for a semester dinner nearly every term through senior year, and constantly did stuff together--in and out of the hall--as freshman. There are a fair number organized activities that get put on in the hall, like movie nights, gingerbread house making, game nights...whatever the season calls for. Some of these are well attendended, but most are smaller scale. The cable TV is confined to the living rooms, so some shows develop huge weekly followings. Occasionally, people will advocate for an "open door" night where everyone who wants to build community can indicate it by keeping their door open, and passers-by are encouraged to pop in. I recently came across a facebook group dedicated to this...lots of "I'll be sitting in _____ at ___, so come join me!" We do do dorm t-shirts, despite everything :p</p>

<p>The important point is, if you want to meet people in your hall, there are opportunities to do so; people aren't at all unfriendly, and I personally never found the environment cold or unwelcoming (quite the opposite). Buuuut music playing in the common room, doors propped open, group studying in the hallway...it happens, but it's not even close to the norm. For the most part, there are no dorm loyalties or reputations. I've also heard complaints that community-building efforts sometimes get busted by "Quiet Hours" rules, and that the school caters to those who prefer a quiet, private atmosphere. I'm sure that perceptions vary; I'd say this claim is true, but not entirely bad.</p>

<p>Sorry to be the bearer of less-than-ideal news for you. If you're able, I very strongly suggest spending a night on campus. You can ask students about this + see for yourself (see if your host will take you on a walk through some of the dorms...they're good to see + you'll be able to see what is--or isn't--going on inside).</p>

37

<p>Thanks! That was very helpful. I do love the idea of having quiet, clean, private dorms...so I guess I'll have to see which ranks higher on my list- the peace and quiet or more of a community. If I get in I'll definitely spend a night and see how I like it.</p>

38

<p>I have another questions about dorms. Sorry for all of the questions. How does the housing process work? Can you choose which hall you would prefer to live in? I personally like th idea of living in an all freshman hallway. Or is it just random?</p>

39

<p>Don't worry about the questions...ask as many as you'd like (hopefully some of the other Scripps posters will come back and weigh in...I feel so...blabby :p)!</p>

<p>As an incoming freshman, you'll be assigned to a random hall. If you're a smoker, you'll probably be assigned to a smoking dorm, but that's really as specific as it gets. You could certainly make a note on your roommate questionnaire that you'd like to live in a freshman hallway. All of the dorms are quite different (as are the rooms within them). Even the dorms with freshman hallways (I don't know how many have them...it might be a majority) sometimes have random freshman rooms scattered elsewhere in the dorm. Because first years arrive early for orientation, there's generally some hall bonding that goes on even if all the rooms aren't located together.</p>

<p>After freshman year, Scripps has Hall Draw, which is basically the same lottery system used by many colleges. You're assigned a random number, and students choose their rooms in order of number. Rising seniors go first, then rising juniors, then sophomores (as determined by year of entry, not year of graduation or number of credits). Prior to Hall Draw, each dorm has "Open House," where students can go around and visit rooms to get a feel for where they want to live. If you want to live with a roommate (or two or three), all the numbers are averaged. There are separate processes for singles, doubles, triples, quads, and suites, and there are application processes for apartments and language corridors.</p>

<p>The downside of the process (which is pretty typical from what I've read about other colleges) is that you might get stuck with a lousy number...there's a lot of unpredictability to it all, and it can feel oddly stressful. The upside is that it's pretty fair, plus the Scripps dorms make it difficult to "lose" too badly.</p>

40

<p>You are most definitely not too blabby!! I appreciate and love all of your wonderful comments and answers so much, as do many, many others here I'm sure. Thank you so, so much!!</p>