<p>I am accepted to Scripps for fall 2010, but I don't know much about its strengths and weaknesses. Can anyone give me a rundown on Scripps' strongest and weakest majors? Any other general info about other strong/weak aspects that could help with the decision making process is welcome too. I know that I can take classes at any one of those 5 colleges, but I'm asking specifically about Scripps. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Scripps doesn’t really have strong and weak majors in the way your thinking of, only more/less popular. Because we have limited resources, we only have the departments that we know we can run/maintain and do REALLY well. If we don’t have the resources to commit to making a great department in a specific discipline, than we just don’t have one of our own. Instead we have many intercollegiate departments, or rely on another college to provide that department. </p>
<p>I’ll have to muse on other strengths/weaknesses and get back to you though.</p>
<p>weak: dining hall hours for sure. Scripps also isn’t all that diverse. Financial aid makes the college pretty socioeconomically diverse, but we’re still not very racially or politically diverse. And the discourse about such issues is often either aggressive or stifled.</p>
<p>strong: food and campus, obviously. I think the colleges also have a LOT of social options for students with a variety of interests. With 5 colleges worth of clubs, parties, social functions, it’s pretty hard not to find ANYTHING to do.</p>
<p>My daughter is finishing her sophomore year. Here’s what I see as some of the pluses and minuses</p>
<p>Social - She’s got a great group of very supportive friends, and seems to know most of the people on campus. She’s also got friends at Harvey Mudd and CMC. Negative: there is a small group of “cliquey” people at Scripps. They are probably at any school you’ll go to.</p>
<p>Academic: She’s an Asian Studies major, which means that she takes many of her courses off campus. The business of being able to take classes elsewhere really works. If you want to get a better sense of what Scripps sees as its strengths, see here
[Scripps</a> College : Academic Departments, Courses of Study, and Programs](<a href=“http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/department/index.php]Scripps”>http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/department/index.php)</p>
<p>She loved Core, many did not. Core matched the way she tends to see things, which is interdisciplinary. </p>
<p>Location: Downtown Claremont is ok, has everything you basically need. It’s a hassle to get to LA or the beach. Make friends with people with cars.</p>
<p>Food: Ok, she often eats at Harvey Mudd. You can eat at other campus dining rooms.</p>
<p>what kind of activities do they provide on campus for students to do?</p>
<p>I am on the fence on Bryn Mawr and Scripps. I have heard that the faculty and academics at BM are considered stronger than the faculty and academics at Scripps. Could anyone comment on the faculty and academic rigor of Scripps?</p>
<p>Scrippsprospie- There are all kinds of parties that go on at the 5 campuses, in addition to that there are a lot of ballroom dancing nights for people to learn swing or salsa and blues together, a capella concerts, performances at the Motley, speakers and workshops on campus, Pomona has a free movie theater in their Student Union, and then there are all the activities that are organized by the New Student Program for first years, and other student organizations for all students (like trips to go bowling or to the San Diego Zoo).</p>
<p>nightowl110- To me, that comparison sounds a tad like the typical perceived difference between East and West Coast schools. For some reason, all East coast schools give off a vibe of superior academic rigor, and West coast schools get reputations for “laid-back” attitudes. While I think many stereotypes have a grain of truth, I think maybe this can be attributed to different approaches towards education? In any case, “laid-back” in no way translates to scholastically deficient. I obviously can’t compare between the two schools, but in my experience, Scripps has provided all the academic rigor I could’ve asked for (coming as a valedictorian of my high school). The faculty here are very accomplished and (more important for me) very, very accessible. I know most of my professors very well, and see them around campus, in the Motley, etc. I have no worries about asking for recommendations, and have had Professors independently recommend me for on-campus jobs and exclusive classes. We get to hear about Professors’ scholarship at weekly Tuesday Noon Academies where faculty members are invited to present on their area of scholarship and research. And next semester I (might) have an opportunity to take Adv. Fiction Writing with author Jamaica Kincaid, who is faculty at CMC. Such an opportunity would be very educational, and hopefully good-lucking on a transcript to apply for an MFA program. We have all sorts of faculty support when it comes to study abroad, fellowships and grad school applications, so we have a very high rate of participation/acceptance. All told, I think Scripps’ academics are on par with that of Bryn Mawr. If you have any questions about specific departments, let me know.</p>
<p>Thank you that is helpful and reassuring. I have not had the chance to sit in on a class at Scripps so it is nerve-wracking to commit to it and for some reason the Fiske guide gave it 3 1/2 (out of 5) for academics compared to the 5 for BM. Also a woman I knew transferred out of Scripps because she did not feel challenged enough. I recognize that this is only a single students opinion of the school but it is still worrisome.
What do you see as being the approach to education? In general would you say the student body is very active/engaged? I know it is hard to speak generally about such things I am just wondering what the classroom atomesphere is like. Also do you find that many students get to L.A.?
Thank you for your last response.</p>
<p>I think Scripps’ approach to education is very flexible. There is a lot of emphasis on academic freedom, study abroad, community engagement, working with professors, and exploring disciplines outside your own area of study. First years are encouraged to remain undecided, and the Core program exposes students to a range of disciplines during the first semester on campus. Want to self-design your own major or minor? Go for it. Want to double major between science and dance? You wouldn’t be the first. Feel like switching majors from Psychology to Art Conversation? It can be done. We have a lot of Gen Ed requirements and (depending on your major) specific major requirements, but I think Scripps maintains an academic environment that is informal, supportive and flexible, while remaining stimulating and rewarding.</p>
<p>That said, there certainly are classes that are distinctly not challenging. For instance, I took Marine Bio for non-science majors. I’m a scientifically inclined person, and labs were like purgatory. We made plankton out of clay and watched them sink into tubes of corn syrup. And Psychological Statistics? I wouldn’t recommend it for someone who is really good with numbers- it won’t be engaging. But it’s pretty well known which classes are less challenging, so you can avoid them if needed. Or even switch out later. Despite my experiences with these classes, I think my academic experience overall is pretty worthwhile.
I think the student body is engaged, especially in class discussion. I’ve talked to professors who have come from other colleges, and they’re always impressed with the number of students who have actually done the reading and feel comfortable discussing/debating it. But also engaged in community service- as are most of our professors!
It really depends on the whole LA thing. I know a lot of people who go into LA for concerts, or to go to tapings of shows like Dancing with the Stars. And people love to go the beach. The Metrolink makes it really easy to get into LA (without worrying about parking), but I love having a car.</p>