Scripps College

Date: May 31 2009
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Scripps definitely isn't the school that it claims to be. The administration seems to sort of encourage the old "barbie doll" appearance and disposition of the student body. The administration can also be very condescending sometimes if you want to step outside of that particular social role. The feeling of an "old women's college" is still VERY much a part of the college. I wanted to volunteer at a prison with one of my friends and the Scripps administration discouraged it to the point that they almost got us suspended for wanting to do COMMUNITY SERVICE for inmates. Ridiculous!!

The academics are okay at best. It's true that there are some very challenging and stimulating classes, but most students are more focused on what they're going to drink that night or lying out in the sun then studying. There are a billion requirements and there is red tape everywhere—its not that easy to take classes at the other colleges. They make you register in person, have your advisor SIGN OFF on your classes which I think is a ridiculous policy—shouldn't we be old enough to pick our own classes without someone looking over our shoulder all the time?

As for location, LA is REALLY far away (almost 2 hours by car), although the mountains are close which is great. Claremont is a sleepy and very picturesque and friendly city, but I was so over it by the end of my sophomore year. It can feel extremely claustrophobic and trust me when I say that the 5C's are NOT NOT NOT one big happy family. THere are stigmas attached to Scripps students and most girls at the other colleges are very hostile towards Scrippsies and resent the girls for "stealing" their boys. It begins to feel like high school very quickly.

The 5Cs put together also feel sort of small surprisingly. Its a stifling environment. The resources are also not as vast as the administration would like you to believe—I wanted to major in Middle Eastern History and there was exactly ONE professor who taught that subject at all 5 of the colleges combined (he was at CMC) who left after his first year of teaching, so I was forced to change majors from history to art history.

However, the girls were overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming. But be warned—those are the friends you will be stuck with for 4 years straight, and if you don't find your group at Scripps you'll be screwed (there are only 995 of us!), not nearly enough to offer a vast array of social options. Scripps certainly isn't for everyone. I would tell anyone who wants independence, a stimulating environment, and the opportunity to meet all sorts of people in college to avoid Scripps. Scripps is a bubble to a T, without a large alumni network and a dwindling endowment with red tape everywhere.

Think long and hard before coming here! I would personally rather be at a larger and more exciting college with a more vibrant and varied social & academic life. To me, college should be about exploring new avenues—not repeating high school. I'm staying here because of the friends I've made, but all in all, Scripps is nothing special and is DEFINITELY not worth 55K a year.